"nursery know-how"

Alright, now calm down. I have gotten many e-mails, phone calls, and comments over nursery how-dos. So this is just for you "with child" gals! "Where do I start"?, you asked. Well start with gender, unless you are JODI C.!!!!!!- I am still baffled by that concept, but I digress. I waited to find out with both until I planned their nurseries. I chose neutral bones with Josey (ie- cream iron crib, cream chenille bumper pad, with a box pleat dust ruffle) then I went ULTRA girl. Grow-with rooms are the best choice I believe. These rooms really have no "theme" so you need not worry about getting rid of the baby stuff in a few years. I went with cottage roses & pink for Josey, then cars & tiffany blue/brown for Ashton. You will be in this room A LOT over the next few years, so I feel it is important to LOVE IT!! Also comfort is a MUST. Get a great chair- you will use it so much over the next years. I found an antique rocker/swivel chair for Josey's room- we still read in it daily. I opted not to get a changing table- for either. It loses it's appeal very quickly and it takes up lots of space. I used a ottoman then as a changing table- now I use it as .... well an ottoman. It along with a great chair are pieces of furniture that they can use forever. You can go bold with wall color (ie. stripes or one bold color on one wall), but I chose to bring the boldness in with versatile pieces. I like to change the rooms feel by changing out pillows, curtains, and wall art. Fabric is a great way to mix up textures and contrasts in any room. Now on to the lighting- this is key! You need a great overhead light, but also soft light for quiet times. I love dimmer switches and 3-way bulbs. They are extremely easy to install and are worth the effort. Also rugs add sooo much to any room. Whether or not you have hard woods or carpet- use a rug. It adds dimension and it outlines a designated space. I hope that I have helped you a little........ Here is a little peek at some of my favorite rooms in my house!!!

here is Josey's comfy
chair & ottoman.. it is really just an
old hand-me-down round ottoman
that I hot glued a pillow-top form to and
had it upholstered with great fabric & trim.

this is Ashton's take on the
same concept. It sets off my man-child's
room with a touch of masculinity! (and it
is very fun to climb & jump off of!!!)

In her room I used rich fabrics and silks. I
love crystal chandeliers- so of course she has one.
I brought ALL the same fabrics, blankets, pillows,
& curtains from the nursery to her big-girl room.

she went from crib, to toddler bed (I used
a twin bed with rails), and now to
total big-girl bed!! Notice the big-girl
blanket at the foot of the bed- that is what
constitutes a REAL big-girl bed in her eyes..
(I just happen to have one on my bed)

for his lighting- I used a floor lamp- this can

be easily moved to change the look of the room.

Then I bought a cheap chandelier. I sprayed it brown,
painted some very inexpensive shades blue to bring
that color into the room , and added match box cars to
make it non-girly for Joey!!!

now for storage.... you can

NEVER have enough... very soon
the room becomes filled with toys

and all sorts of must-haves. Plan
ahead! I had this bookshelf converted
to a 1/2 chest of drawers. I love it because
the drawers a very deep and he has instant
built-in shelves for future trophies- ha ha...

the best advice that I can give is...... do what YOU like. It is after all your baby and his/her room- and YOU know them best. They will love anything that you create for them. Babies are precious like that!!!!!