Things I love: in the nursery

Updated on 5/29/09: Today I'm linking to this post as part of Kelly's Show Us Where You Live tour. It's always a lot of fun to see what other people have done ... and to get ideas for new projects! Thanks for hosting, Kelly!


Because I love getting a glimpse of other peoples' homes, whether it's at open houses on Sunday afternoons, Parade of Homes each fall, or visiting a friend's house for the first time, I thought I'd post a few pictures of some rooms in our house over the next couple of months.

I chose Jake's room first, just because it's a Happy Place. Welcome!



You don't have to tell me that it's Over the Top ... I KNOW. It's been this way since before Nathaniel was born. My friend Leslie came over and drew out "the ocean," and we painted it together. Then my friend Deann made a paper template of the size submarine she needed, and she traced it all over the walls. She came back day by day -- while I was at work! -- and painted them individually to coordinate with the quilt we were going to hang on the wall.



It was so much fun to come home and see which new submarines she'd painted that day! I can't remember exactly how long it took, but she stretched it out over a few weeks, I think. You'd think that after seven years, I'd be tired of this room, but because it's so unique in our house and the only real "artistry" on the walls, I still love it. I bet when the day comes that we have to sand the subs down and paint them, I'll cry.



One of my favorite things in the room is a set of Beatrix Potter dishes that a family friend gave us when Nathaniel was born. It's funny ... I don't have any other Peter Rabbit stuff, but I've always loved this set.



Our family friend Dottie Haynes is a talented artist, and she painted this for Jake. As a matter of fact, she's given us one of these beautiful gifts for EACH of the boys when they were born, and she incorporated the nautical theme into each one. They are so special to me, and you'll see Nathaniel and Nicholas' in another post.



Here's a close-up of Jake's ... his name is so short that she made each of the boys nautical in some way. The other boys' are a little different, because their names are longer. I'll be sad when they grow out of them and don't want them anymore!



This makes me smile ... all of our boys have LOVED their pacis to distraction. I bet Nicholas slept with about 20 of them in his crib! This little pile is waiting on Jake when he goes down for naps and at night, and he cuddles them close. Sometimes I go in, and he has one in his mouth and one in each hand.



These Cabbage Patch Dolls were mine when I was little. My mom kept them in great condition until I took them, and they've sat on the shelf in the nursery for almost seven years now!



When each of the boys were born, our brother-in-law and sister-in-law sent a pillow with their name and birth date on it. I've always displayed them and think that they're so pretty! (Something else I'll be sad about when the boys decide they're "too old" for them one day!)



Lastly, the gliding rocker that was a gift from my aunt, uncle and cousins before Nathaniel was born. This rocker has seen its share of spit-up, let me tell you! It's been a key piece of our life through all three boys! I have so many memories of middle-of-the-night quiet times with the boys during those REALLY young days. It's where I did all the overnight feedings and where we enjoyed books and Snuggle Time when they got older. I might never be able to part with it.


What I would have done differently: I probably would have gotten curtains that stretched all the way to the floor. At the time, I knew that the side table would cover them up, so I thought there'd be no point to having the longer ones. But once I hung them, I realized that it would just look better with floor-length curtains.

Nonetheless, the tags were off and the curtains were up, so I left them the way they were. But I'm pretty sure that's the only thing I haven't been happy with.

Thanks for touring with me!