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Gemma’s Nursery & Messy Parenthood

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I realize the fact that I am just now posting Gemma’s nursery when she is almost a year old is a bit sad. Ok, it’s embarrassingly tardy. I took pictures of the room sometime this summer and meant to post them then…This should make even the worst procrastinator feel better about themselves. You’re welcome.

Today I finally get to take you through one of my favorite rooms in the house. When I found out I was having a girl, I envisioned a whimsical, bright room with lots of white and pops of color. The mint and chartreuse color combo came from my favorite wallet that I finally allowed myself to retire now that these colors have made it into a room. Instead of pink, I opted for peach and purple accents to complement the cooler tones.

This shelf is my favorite piece of furniture in the house at the moment. I had been eyeing it at one of our favorite local vintage shops for TWO YEARS. The fact it didn’t sell in that time is a miracle. It’s just beautiful, sporting the original hardware from the 60’s and wood in near perfect condition. We took a shelf out and added a dowel rod to serve as Gemma’s “closet”.

I found out very quickly with this tiny little project that Stu and I are no Jon and Sherry Petersik. It took us four trips to Lowe’s just to get the correct materials to stain, cut, and hang this rod. By the last trip, it was just comical. Our home improvement talents stop short of a jig saw.

You might remember my pink wire baskets when they housed accessories in the guest room. They got a fresh coat of paint and traded in fashion for a more academic life.

The biggest splurge in this room was the blue Raskog diaper cart. When I was 8 months pregnant and as big as a boat, we planned a trip to IKEA while we were visiting family in Houston. I had a list, I had a mission, and I was going to get that diaper cart. As often happens, the online item finder incorrectly stated that the item was in the store. When I found out that the only one on site was the display, I had a full on pregnancy melt down in the middle of IKEA. At one point I think I even cried real tears and hugged the display as Stu pried my fingers from it while shoppers pointed and stared. So how did I acquire one? When we got home, I found one for over double the price on eBay. Stu- too afraid to face the wrath of a crazed hormonal person- handed me the credit card and pretended not to hear how much it cost.

This is not really a true depiction of what our nursery looks like most days…Usually toys are strewn all over the rug, clothes hang over the chairs, and most likely dried something can be found on the surface of nearly everything. In fact just hours before I wrote this, I sat in this room in the dark while an air purifier hummed and a humidifier puffed steam into the air to help our sick baby. I sat and rocked my poor girl through a 103 fever as her blistering hot body squirmed and cried and ached.
Rocked and shushed, rocked and sang, rocked and shushed some more. It has been a rough weekend at our house.
My sweet friend and neighbor Donita joined us as we tried to squeeze in a little dinner. Afterwards we sat with Gemma, who cried and swatted her own dinner away. Donita said something so on point that it found its way into this post, “These are the moments that matter. These rough little patches that will be gone tomorrow but 27 years from now you will remember how you held and fought for your baby. This is what being a parent is all about.”These pictures were taken on a good day, a rare day when the house was cleaned, we were showered and all in good health and spirits. As pretty as they seem, I hope that my words paint a more accurate picture of what our experience of parenthood has been…Majority of our most precious moments are messy. They are slobbery, sticky hands, crusty food kind of messy. They are stepping on Cheerios about a dozen times during the course of a day because our big girl just learned to “eat on the run”, and we let her. They are a frantic dash to try and beat the baby to the bathroom before she plays in the toilet. They are Elmo videos and beeping toys and stinky diapers. They are rocking and shushing until you have no strength left but wouldn’t dare stop because everything in your being wants to make her feel better.
This brand of love is exhausting and messy. And the most beautiful of any that I’ve known.Photos of Gemma’s nursery taken by me. Family photos by Janae Hardy. 

 

SOURCING:

Rug: Shades of Light
Mobile: DIY tutorial here
Book shelf “closet”: vintage
Crib: WalMart.com
Glider: Target.com
White rocker: Overstock
Chest of drawers and white shelving: IKEA
Pink wire baskets: vintage
Diaper cart: IKEA
Ottoman: Aleta Fae via Etsy
ABC Chart & Hedgehog art: Holli via Etsy
“Beautiful Girl” Print: Lindsay Letters
“Ice Skating in Central Park” Print: Matte Stephens via Etsy
Purple pillow: Pier 1
Peach and grey pillow and crib skirt: custom from fabric by Spoonflower
Crib bedding: Aden and Anais sheets (quilts: gifts)
Light fixture: Lowe’s

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Comments

  4. Kat says

    Beautiful nursery, beautiful post! It’s refreshing to read someone talking about “real life”, crushed Cheerios and all. Your daughter is so precious! Those eyes:) And your photos are stunning. Love it all! Congrats on a beautiful girl and nursery.

  14. anu says

    Her room is so pretty! I love how all the colours play subtly off one another. Love the words of wisdom from your neighbour too. 🙂

  15. Tiffany @ {Living Savvy} says

    What a lovely room! I think the color pallet is amazing! I am dying laughing about the ikea cart… I had a similar melt down there about a light fixture… but I was not preggers at all! Well done!

  18. Tan says

    Seriously, I need to fly you up here to design my entire house! I just LOVE this nursery! And that little Gemma face, oh I adore her!

  19. Anonymous says

    Love the drapes. Did you make them? What is the style called & can you close them (let them down) if you need to?

    • Heather {The Lovely Cupboard} says

      My seamstress and I collaborated on this take on a shade. It’s basically just a flat straight panel. The white strips are thick ribbon with velcro so the height can be adjusted or the panel can be completely let down. Then to put back up, I just fan folded them and fixed the white ribbon height.

  20. Jennifer Lippi says

    What a beautiful post. Your words and the nursery are beautiful! I have a 4 year old and a 2 year old and I can attest to the “messiness” of parenting!

    Also, Ikea’s online stocking system is always wrong. I have had the same thing happen and feel your pain. I always call first now! Your husband is a good man!

    xo,
    Jennifer@decoratingdelirium.com

  25. Sarah says

    Do you happen to know what colors the walls are? We’re painting our nursery soon and I want a balanced cream/white and am looking for suggestions! Thanks!

  26. Jessica says

    Where are the white shelves from above the changing table? I love the silver brackets. The nursery is fabulous and actually would work as a gender neutral nursery. We’re having a boy and I found a ton of inspiration here.

  27. Hilary Dorr says

    I love the pink book baskets. I’m looking for a better way to hold my kids books, I’ve tried the gutter shelves, putting them in a “book basket” on the floor, traditional book shelf, and several other ideas. I have not tried book baskets hanging on the wall. I think it’s fabulous!

    How did you hang them on the wall? Do you like them and do they work as well as you thought they would?

    Thanks!

    • Heather {The Lovely Cupboard} says

      Thanks Hillary. I used plastic brackets from Lowe’s that clipped to the top wire on the basket and had a hole to insert the screw into the wall. If you ask (and maybe show a pic of the baskets), someone at Lowe’s/Home Depot should be able to help!

  31. Sara Duenas says

    I have to know where the fabric from the curtains is from? Do you plan to keep them for the new house. Would I be insane if I asked to buy them? 🙂

    • Heather says

      Oh, Sara…I would totally have sold them to you, but I JUST donated them! The fabric was from IKEA, but I don’t believe they have it anymore. So sorry:(

  32. AnnaMarie says

    Hi there! I know this is an older post so I’m not sure if you have the answer or if it’s still available, but I love the white shelf that is in the first picture and has blankets/boppy on the bottom and stuffed animals on the top shelf. Where is this from? I can’t find it anywhere and I am hoping it’s not a discontinued IKEA product. </3 Help please!

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