Everything's coming up pink and brown roses

The latest artwork, and the last in a line of several pink and brown paintings I have done recently, was this tree-inspired piece for baby Adalynn's Room.  Her room was decorated in the CoCaLo Mia Rose line, and was accented with pink and brown dots, flowers and butterflies.

Pink and brown are definitely the colors for decorating little girl's rooms these days.  And I can see why.  It's quickly becoming one of my favorite color schemes!

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And, on a completely unrelated note, this weekend, I finally got around to selecting a winner for last month's Le Petit Prince giveaway.  Those of you who were waiting with baited breath... I hope you'll excuse the delay (too many pots on the stove these days).  

Without further ado, congratulations to Danielle, at My Life in Jenga.  You have a message waiting for you, with information on how to claim your paintings!

Ideas to inspire: Modern nursery on a budget

I found this nursery today while dinking around on the internet, and was struck by the colors and bold design. It's modern, crisp and clean, yet it has classic elements like the beadboarding and crib that really anchor the room. I also love the fact that this room has feminine elements, but doesn't scream "girly."

Best part of all: the entire room makeover, including flooring, furniture and decor was done for less than $900. Just proves that good design, some creativity, and a little DIY savvy can stretch a long way.

To view the entire room, plus before and after pictures, click here.

What's in a name?

I have done lots of paintings that involved animals, but my latest commission illustrates (excuse the pun) a really great way to tie in an animal theme that is truly customized to not only your nursery decor, but your child's name.

Judah's parents contacted me about creating artwork that would be symbolic of the meanings of the first and middle names they had selected for their baby.  For the first painting, they chose a lion and a lamb to represent "Judah".  For the baby's middle name, they wanted an image that would symbolize words such as "counselor", "sage", or "wise."  After a few iterations, we came up with the colorful owl character pictured above.

Judah's parents also customized his paintings one step further, by adding a small reference to the bible verses that were inspirational to them when choosing the name for their baby.

If you're looking to do something similar for your own little one's room, there are tons of websites now that provide the etymology and history behind your baby's name.  One I really like is Nickelodeon's Parents Connect, but there are lots to choose from.  Good luck, and have fun being creative with your ideas!

Ooh la la! French-inspired ideas for the nursery

I love Paris in the springtime... or any other time of the year, for that matter.  While French-inspired clothing and decorating are popular now, there's also something timeless and terribly romantic about French decor.  If you're interested in going francophone with your nursery, here are some theme ideas to get the creative juices flowing:

Le Petit Prince (The Little Prince)

This classic French children's book is a great way to tie a literary element into your child's room. 

• Aim for the stars.  Star or moon print bedding, bumpers or curtains ties in nicely with the theme and can easily be found in a wide range of colors to fit any nursery's scheme. 
• Accessories make the difference!  There are a plethora of sites that offer Le Petit Prince toys, room accessories, and bedding.  Sites like eBay can also be a source for finding those hidden gems.
• Add accents in unexpected places.  These drawer pulls would add the perfect finishing touch to any changing table.
• In this cute inspiration room, the walls were painted with a mural of selected scenes and pictures
• A mural not in your budget?  Consider handpainted artwork featuring the Little Prince.
• If you like this idea, you might also consider incorporating other French childhood friends into your decor, like Babar the elephant.  Madeline is a great choice for little girls.

Shabby Chic, French Style

The room pictured here is so timeless and classic, but is kept fresh and modern by the use of more contemporary colors.  Click here to see more about this featured room.

Some additional ideas for getting that "French flea market" look:

• A lot of cribs and toddler beds come in a distressed or tea-stained finish nowadays.  It can add an antique elegance to your baby's room.
• Experiment with fabric of different patterns and textures.  Mix and match coordinated florals, stripes, plaids and toile patterns to create a unique look.
• A wispy canopy or crown, as shown here, can make a dramatic statement.  You can easily make your own with inexpensive tulle or netting.  Or, for a more tailored look, make a pleated canopy using coordinated fabric of your choice.
• Crystal accents add an instant old world charm.  In the inspiration room above, a crystal chandelier was used.  If you're lucky, you can find a bargain chandelier at estate sales or on websites like Craig's List.  You can achieve a similar effect with crystal accents.  Old crystal buttons, drawer pulls or beaded crystal trim around a lampshade or window treatment can create the perfect finishing touch.
• Give old everyday objects (or, as the French might say, "objet trouvé") a new lease on life in an unexpected place - your nursery.  Keep an eye out for treasures such as globes, finials, flowers, birdcages and the like at garage sales and second hand stores.  Antique frames for black and white or sepia toned prints would be a great way to add vintage character to your room, and have the added bonus of being hung high enough to stay out of the reach of little hands.

Oodles of Poodles

• This inspiration room is beautifully decorated, and should give you some great ideas for getting started. 
• Experiment with bold colors and patterns.  The contrasting light pink and black in the inspiration room are what give it its "wow" effect.  Aqua blue or a light yellow would also create a striking combination.  Bold patterns like stripes or polka dots complete the look.  
• Vinyl wall art, such as the ones shown here, can be an easy and inexpensive way to add Parisian charm to your room.

Details, details, details

Not wanting to go french in the whole room?  Small touches can add that special je ne sais quoi to your nursery.  

• Use wooden letters, boards, or vinyl decals to spell out French words, such as "Bonjour" or "Bonne nuit"
• Fleur-de-lis can add a regal touch to your nursery.  Try it in a border, or painted over a door or window.
• French-inspired canvas paintings from Bobo's Room can be customized in your choice of subject, colors and words to match almost any decor.

An idea to sink your teeth into

The other day, I was working in my office when I heard Chip stirring from him nap.  When I walked into his nursery, he was standing up in his crib, and squeeled happily when he saw me open the door.  I went to change his diaper, and noticed tiny white flecks on his pudgy little lips and cheeks. Thinking it was probably dried milk, I quickly forgot about it... until I went to put him down for bed later in the evening and saw the little teeth marks my darling son had gnawed into the railing of his crib.

I immediately consulted my friend Google on the subject and found that, short of installing a mouth guard on my son (okay, not really an option), the second best alternative was probably a crib rail guard.  There were lots of options in various materials but, being the perpetual cheapskate that I am, I decided to do-it-yourself.

If you have a little woodpecker of your own, and want to protect both their budding teeth and your furniture, you can easily make your own teething rail guard for their crib.  I made this one for Chip's room in about 45 minutes, at a cost of less than $10.

Here's what you'll need to do to make this simple, no-sew rail guard:

1. Measure the length of your crib.  You'll also want to measure the circumference of the rail you want to cover; this will be the height of the fabric you purchase.  To create the ties, you'll want to add an additional 12-16 inches of fabric to the height.
2. For this rail guard, I used two complimentary colors of fleece to match Chip's room.  The double layer of fleece adds a nice amount of padding, and prevents those really determined little ones from chewing through just one layer.  Once you've got your crib dimensions, you'll want to purchase two pieces of fleece that are the length and height you measured in Step 1.
3. In order to prevent your crib guard from being pulled or from slipping off, you'll need to create ties to firmly anchor the guard to the crib.  How often or how wide to make the ties simply depends on how many and how wide apart the slats on your crib are.  Cut two vertical slits on each side of the guard for each tie you want to create, then tie the ends together firmly to finish the look.
4. If necessary, go back and trim off the ends of the ties to a safe length for your baby's crib.

Ride 'em, cowboy... the nursery's done!

The nursery is done... just awaiting the arrival of "Chip!"  With our little guy due any day now, I was feeling the pressure to get the nursery finished.

We converted my old office into the baby's room.  It actually worked out well that we were going to have a boy; my office was painted a taupe/beige color, which meant I (or, rather, my husband) didn't have to paint the walls (I gained big brownie points with my husband for this one).

My inspiration piece was this cute bumper I found one day while tooling around on eBay.  It's from Pottery Barn Kids and I really loved how it was both simple and bold.  I wanted to go with a theme that might transition well into toddlerhood, so I decided to go with a cowboy-themed room.

Of course, I had to do a painting for Chip's room.  It was actually one of the quickest and easiest paintings I've ever done, but it turned out to be one of my favorites. 

Changing table view.

The clock and stars were another eBay find.  There's a great little shop that does custom clocks at a pretty reasonable price.  I hung the hammered tin stars throughout the room.

I love Etsy.  There are some great shops there that do some quality handmade products, like this cute board below: