Nursery Project: Preparations & Setting Up The Cot

Today was a long day at the office... and I couldn't wait to get home...  I wanted to do some more work on the baby's room.  I'm not sure if this is nesting, or if nesting involves cleaning and scrubbing, but nevertheless, I enjoyed this.


This is what I've done so far.  Also packed a lot of the things in the cupboard, and cleared the room a bit.  Really hope it turns out nicely, and excited to get it finished. 

I've set up the cot bedding, just quickly to see what it will look like.  Not too bad hey.  Haven't decided if I'll have the bumpers made up, been reading up about it and I'm in two minds at the moment.  Maybe just needs something blue added.  The white bear may or may not stay.

Teddy and toys.

 Close up of the bedding, I love it!

Mozzie net.  I've been looking for an affordable one for white a while.  Done!

Now to find some pretty bunting.

Bought this really cool floor lamp - it looks like a big globe on a pole!  Not sure where I'll put it, but for now I just unpacked it and set it up. 

Some fabric I bought - going to ask MIL to make two covers for cushions for the bed, and lining for the  little baskets that will hold cream, shampoo, etc.  Not bad for R9,00 per m.

These are pillow covers.  Just to add a little colour.

 I folded the blue star fabric over a cushion... can't wait for MIL to help out with the sewing!

Nursery Project: Before Photos & Getting Started

I've been itching to start decorating the spare room (trying to get used to calling it the nursery), but at the same time wondered if starting it now already is too soon.  I suppose there's no better time like the present, and I like to be organized - I think I have about 3 and a half months to go before baby arrives, so here we go... 


It took us a while to agree on colours. We're not doing a 'themey' or 'matchy' room, so I hope it still turns out nicely.  I'd like the room to have a happy feel.


Here are some pics of the room:

This is what you see when you walk in the door.  The first thing I did was sort out and remove anything from the room that we didn't need - that took a month and a half to get done - I just didn't feel like doing it.  The orange is going to be packed away.  The bed may or may not stay in the room.  Looks more like a store room, doesn't it?  Every time we get something new we just put it in the room.  My dad dropped off the cot last Saturday, so that gave us more 'packing space' for the soft/ small things and the clothes. I've put up some dark grey curtains for now, just a set I had in the cupboard - will look for better ones later once the rest of the room is done.  I'd like to put up some shelves there above the 2 chairs, and maybe also a cool floor lamp in that area.

The view from the window facing the door.  The room is 3,75m long and about 3m wide, so hopefully everything will fit.  

See how full the cot is? 

The bedding we bought the other day - we wanted calm colours for the bedding.  A little duvet cover and pillow set, and a quilt, in grey and white.  Mind you, I think I have a thing for baby blankets.  We already have about 6.  My mom in law is trying to convince me to return some of them and exchange for something else... but I think for now I'll keep them.  A also found a really nice mosquito net in white which we'll put up above the cot. 

Here are some more things taking up floor space - nappies, monitor, wet wipes, bottle, and a carry cot.

 Loved this little yellow clock and the blue lamp...  will still decide where to put them.

Here are a few ideas for the art wall.  I'm on a tight budget, so need to improvise where I can.  Still looking for a few more pictures that won't pixelate too badly if I print them out.  I'd like to frame each print and then hang them up on the wall above the bed.

Here's a pic of the changing station I need to arrange to pick up from my step sister.  The plan here is to paint the top and change the handles...  

Nursery Ideas

I haven't done much for the baby's room yet.  Right now it looks more like a store room than anything else, the pram and stack of nappies the only tell tell sign.  And there's a big old double bed in there as well, which is staying in the room. 

Been racking my brains about a theme, and colours.  And would you believe it we just couldn't agree on either.  I wanted elephants.  He wanted cars.  So we've compromised on both, and agreed on an aqua and yellow room with a colourful art wall.  We also spoke about putting up some vintage comic images - now to try and find them.  Else I'll have to get DIY'ing, and fast.  I think time is going to start running out before I know it - considering this has been the quickest 4,5 months of my life.

Here are the pictures of rooms in these colours which I saved for inspiration, taken from all over the web.  I just love the blues, yellows, greys, white and a bit of black.  Wish me luck for project Nursery.  I hope I can get the room to look half as gorgeous as some of these pictures.

Here are some gorgeous fabrics - I need to get to a fabric shop and see what I can find, hopefully stuff in similar colours etc.

And here is some furniture for inspiration.  Again, I love the aqua and yellow.  Also love the detail on those tressels - need to do test that out on something.

Okay so now that I've put all of these together, time to get cracking.  I was so excited about decorating the room that I didn't sleep last night and then, all of a sudden the alarm went off to get up for work.

Re-decorate!

We've been chatting about re-decorating the house a little.  Another 'pay as we go' project, however, as we all know by now, things just never really go quite as planned.


To do list for living room... get a day bed, new cushions, curtains, one or two furniture pieces, and a fresh paint!


In August/ September we both had car accidents, oops, and with that went our money for the daybed we had been saving for, and wanting for a while.


We decided on a paint colour (nice and dark grey) and just before we were about to buy the paint, one of our switches blew the electrical wires in the walls.  After DH doing a test, we found it is in fact the wire,, and not the switch as we had hoped.  Hmmm.  Add plaster and labour to the to do list.


Now, a few weeks later, our Daybed, fabric for cushions and curtains have been ordered... the day bed should arrive just before Christmas.


Which leaves us with the electrical problem, plaster, labour and painting.  And we thought we were going to have a nice holiday-at-home December.  


The only other problem, is my new obsession with stripes.


I must try and remember to take before and after photos.