{Babyland}

Welcome to what I like to call, "Babyland."  I knew this would be a place where our little family would spend A LOT of time.  So.  I wanted it to be fun, happy, inviting, cozy, organized and most importantly, kid friendly. 

To get the show on the road, I needed a jumping off point.  My inspiration comes from color and fabric.  I searched high and low for fun, playful fabric that wasn't too juvenile.  (Need this room to grow with the babes!)  I wanted fabric with lots of red, yellow and blue.  Why, you may ask?  Most baby/kid toys/things are red, yellow and blue.  I knew the room would eventually be full of dolls, stuffed animals, trains, planes, etc., (you get the idea) and wanted everything to look as though it belonged in the room rather than looking like and afterthought.

I went to every fabric store in the Salt Lake area and found a lot of lovely fabric.  However, it was at a cost.  (Cha ching!)  I was NOT willing to pay $30 a yard for fabric intended for a nursery.  No thanks!  You can imagine my surprise when I found, "just what I was looking for" at IKEA.  I was shocked!  It was darling!  Fun?  Check.  Playful?  Check.  Whimsical?  Check.  My desired colors?  Check.  Not the typical kind of fabric found in a nursery?  Check. Check.  Inexpensive?  At only $7 and $9 a yard, it was right on budget.  I was sold!     

I only planned to use fabric in two places; curtains and bed-skirts.  In my mind, there is no reason to spend money on fancy shmancy, matchy matchy bedding for a crib.  It never looks tidy because babies/kids end up taking all sorts of things to bed with them...random blankets, toys, stuffed animals, etc.  So, again, why not make it look as though all those "random things" belong?  (Side note: There are some matchy matchy crib sets that are darling.  It's just not my style.  Too much work.)  I chose to keep things simple.  The only adornment, if you will, that my cribs have are the bed-skirts topped off with stuffed animals and quilts.

My inspiration.  Such fun fabric - full of great mountain scenes.  I think I'll put a U (for Christian and the UofU) on one mountain and a Y (for yours truly and BYU) on another.  No pressure kids!    

Found this great dresser at a local antique store, the day before my babies came home from the NICU. (Talk about cutting it close!)  It was originally a dark, almost black, wood.  I had it painted yellow and added crisp, white knobs.  Viola!  For the art, above the cribs, I got a little creative.  My friend has a store called, Say Anything Expressions and can basically make anything you want.  I had her put T and C's initials on 10 X 10 boards and painted them a bright color.  I then framed illustrations from a nursery rhyme book in ready made 10 X 10 frames.  The mobiles were $20 from a local store called Babinski Baby.  The darling quilts, at the foot of the cribs, were made by a very dear friend and neighbor.

I love our changing table.  (Thanks, again, IKEA!)   I wanted a table that enabled me to lay a baby down with their feet touching my stomach.  Most changing tables are designed so babies lay parallel with the wall.  Why?  This makes NO sense.  When you lay a baby down on the floor, bed, etc., to change them - you NEVER lay them sideways.  It's much more natural to have their little feet touching your knees/stomach.  I'm just sayin'.  Moving on.

Got these great shelves, again, from IKEA.  I tell ya what, that store does not disappoint.  These shelves are meant to hold pictures, but I decided to use them to display books.  What better way to decorate a children's room than with books!  You can't ask for better artwork.

The stories this chair could tell.  Would you believe that this chair used to be in the mother's lounge of the church I grew up going to?  It's true.  I have no idea how old it is, or where it came from, for that matter.  My mom had used the chair and mother's lounge when my younger brothers were babies.  She thought it was the most comfortable chair!  When it was time to renovate the church and for the chair to go, she quickly claimed it.  It wasn't as cute as it is now.  It used to be dark brown.  Yuck!  We found black and white checked fabric and had it recovered, for less than half the cost of a normal glider or rocker.   What's the best thing about this chair?  (Aside from the fact that it's oh so cute?)  It has a high back so you can rest your head when you're up with a baby in the middle of the night.  When my babes are past the "rocking" stage, it will be a great place for them to curl up with a book.  Speaking of books, I have to mention the little bookshelf/table to the right of the chair.  It was a steal!  I found it, on sale, at Target for only $18.  You better believe I snatched it right up.  It was originally a light, honey color.  I promptly painted it brick red.  It works perfectly as a table and additional spot for books.  The art on the wall, is again from IKEA.  Only $11 for the print and frame.  Can you say, baaaargain?

This little beauty was my mom's rocking chair when she was a little girl.  I think it's perfectly sweet and a wonderful final touch.

I think the babes are happy with their room.  Sweet dreams my luvies!