Whimsical Woodland Nursery

Our sweet baby boy, Kallan, is now three and a half months old and his little personality is really starting to shine.  He is such an alert, cuddly, smiley little boy and I just love the way he 'talks' to me in baby language when I talk to him - so gorgeous!

Although Kallan currently sleeps in a bassinet in our room, I have finished decorating his 'Whimsical Woodland Nursery' and thought it was time to share some photos.

I still liked our 'old' nursery and it would have been really easy to keep it all the same for our new baby, but when I was pregnant I felt it was time for a change.  It took me quite a while to decide to go ahead with the change though, as I had a lot of sentimental feelings about the room that I decorated for my first beautiful baby boy, Damon.

After re-reading all of my 'LittleONE Baby' and 'Shop for Kids' magazines over and over, I felt even more inspired to re-decorate the room!  I wanted to create a colourful, yet soothing space that would spark imagination whilst still encouraging sleep.  For quite some time I had been admiring the gorgeous Cocoon Couture Enchanted Tree wall sticker, so decided that it would be a great starting point!  Although I had to patiently wait and see whether to go with the pink version or the blue, I just loved the idea of having that beautiful tree on the wall as a focal point, with the gorgeous retro-inspired patterns, beautiful colours and whimsical woodland critters.  So, in my nesty pregnant state, I spent many evenings creating inspiration boards for the room - one for a girl and one for a boy.  I loved every minute of dreaming up the new designs with my favourite decor items.

When our beautiful little Kallan arrived, I was so excited to get started on his nursery.  Since I already had it fairly well-planned, it was just a matter of purchasing the items and finding some 'spare' time to get stuck into the decorating.  I hunted around (mostly online) and was pleased to find almost all of the things I needed on sale - yay!  It was such an enjoyable little project.  So, here is the colourful, whimsical space I have created for our little man ...

Above is the beautiful Cocoon Couture Enchanted Tree wall sticker which was the inspiration for his Whimsical Woodland Nursery.  I didn't actually intend to base the room around a 'theme', but once I decided on the tree sticker, it seemed like such a fun idea and a way to create a cohesive space.

The little red suitcases are for Kallan's keepsakes and the cute mushroom light creates a lovely glow in the room.  I was going to get hubby to make a little birdhouse, but in the meantime I found a little house-shaped money box in a thrift shop for one dollar, so I painted it up and made it into a birdhouse.  The gorgeous apple music box actually belonged to one of my siblings as a baby and is still in fantastic working condition!

Earlier on I had envisaged modern, birch-coloured timber furniture in the new room, but since we already had a lovely teak-coloured cot and change table (and a bedside table that matched from our old guest room), I really couldn't justify buying new furniture.  I'm now pleased with the decision to re-use it all and the end result.  I've filed away the other ideas for his 'big boy' room later on, hehe!

 

 

The single bed was generously given to us from one of hubby's friends!  I didn't plan to have it in the room, but it matched so well and we thought it would be really handy for guests and for those nights when bub needs some assistance with his sleeping!  The bedding on the single bed (and pillowcase in the cot) is the 'Geo' design from Habitat Baby - I just love the pattern (and the one on the reverse) and feel it compliments the retro-inspired graphics in the tree.  The lovely woodland quilt on the end of the bed was a baby gift from my sister - the colours match beautifully!  For the cot bedding, I chose an embroidered duck-egg blue quilt by Seedling.  The colourful bunting across the curtains is made by the same company.  In his cot sits a Sleep Sheep (which was Damon's) and some of the cute toys Kallan received as baby gifts.

The gorgeous owl and rabbit on the change table were gifts from my sister and the Badger Baby Balm was from my mum.  I'm really pleased with the wire-mesh baskets that fit neatly on the change table shelves - they are actually DVD storage baskets!  I was eyeing them off in Target and was rather impressed when I went in to buy them and found they were on clearance for $5 each!  The lovely wall art above the change table is from Cocoon Couture, as is the owl bean bag.

We needed some shelving for some of Kallan's treasures and things, so I chose a Ribba Picture Ledge from Ikea - I love it and think I'll get some more for the other rooms!  I painted the 'K' and made the birth print using ideas from others I'd seen in magazines and on the internet.  The Bath Time book was mine as a child and I adore the illustrations ... think I'll have to write more about that gorgeous little book in another post!  It's a bit tricky to see in the photo, but the little matchbox 'toy' was made by Damon for his baby brother - so special and Damon is very proud to have it displayed on the shelf!

Hubby and I found a great table and set of chairs at a garage sale - $15 for the lot!  I decided to paint one of the chairs blue for the nursery!  I've never actually fed the kids in the nursery, hence the lack of a nursing chair in the room, but it's always handy to have a chair for bedtime stories!  The little foxy wall sticker came with the Enchanted Tree.

Kallan already loves his colourful, wooden baby gym (from Ikea) and his wooden rattles.  I think the Brio wooden hedgehog push-along toy is so adorable and hope he loves it too when he gets a bit older!  The great basket (which came in a set from a discount store, believe it or not!) holds some of the gorgeous soft toys that were given to Kallan as baby gifts.

How cute is the fox musical toy from Ikea?  Just right for the woodland scene!  The blue and white crocheted blanket was a lucky find in a box of clothing given to us from a lovely family we met in hospital when our first baby was born!

So there it is, all ready for bub to move in!  We now just need to put up the wooden name that hubby and I have made - I will post a picture of that later on.  Hope you've enjoyed the photos and the story about all the details.  To me, it's often the little details that make a space all the more special and meaningful.

VIBE:  Colourful and Whimsical with a hint of Retro

SOURCE INFO:

Cot & Change table - Gro Years

Enchanted Tree Wall Sticker - Cocoon Couture

Bean Bag & Wall Art - Cocoon Couture

Single Bed Bedding - Habitat Baby 'Geo' (double)

Cot Quilt & Bunting - Seedling

Round Floor Rug - Fantastic Furniture

Change Table Baskets - Target

Baby Gym & Musical Fox Toy - Ikea

Wooden Toys - Bajo, Brio, etc.

Canvas on Wall - Urban Nest

Wall Shelf - Ikea 'Ribba'

Fox Cushion & Orange Owl Cushion - Hiccups Baby

Woodland Comforter, Blue owl Cushion, Soft Toys - Gifts

Toy Basket - Sam's Warehouse

Suitcase Set - Little YoYo Styles

Birth Print - DIY using inspiration from the web

Mushroom Light - Ebay

Little Old Bookstand

I've been feeling particularly creative lately - all sorts of ideas keep popping into my head!  It has been a little challenging to actually put these ideas into practice as it's a bit busy at our place at the moment, but I am adding them all to my lists of 'Things to Do' and will get to them eventually.

Thought I'd share my latest little project ...

I was very excited when my hubby brought home a little old wire bookstand the other day!  I had been telling him to keep an eye out for any of those vintage wire newspaper or postcard racks that I have occasionally seen in childrens' rooms on Ohdeedoh - thought they'd be a nice and practical addition to the boys' rooms.  Well, this little old bookstand is even better than I was hoping for - just the right size to sit beside the little chair in Rowan's room, holding a selection of smallish-sized books for him to read!  Better still, it cost nothing as hubby rescued it from being thrown out at his work - yay!  So, as soon as time permits, the plan is to clean it up, replace the strips of make-shift cardboard on the bottom of the shelves with MDF and then give it a few coats of paint!  Can't wait to add it to Rowan's reading nook and share the finished product with you.

 

Now, here's a sneak peak at what I'm planning to share in my next post ...

Wooden Toys

It has been rather busy in our household lately, hence the lack of blog entries over the past week and a half!  I actually had good intentions to attend to the mountain of washing awaiting me after the boys were all asleep tonight, but decided it was time to give my blog a little attention instead.

It's very exciting to see the boys all growing, achieving milestones and developing new skills.  It is also very full-on at times which I'm sure is to be expected with three busy little boys all under school-age!  Amongst the chaos however, we've shared some really lovely times and funny moments lately.  I've been trying to have the camera on hand to capture precious moments and have been making an effort to record all the amusing statements coming out of their little mouths in the gorgeous book my hubby gave me a few years ago - 'My Quotable Kid'.  I might even share some of these funny quotes with you at some stage.

It is also that time of year when I start thinking about Christmas presents!  I love it actually.  I found it quite amusing when Damon recently told me that he doesn't need any more toys because he's got enough already!  Yes, it's true - I am very well aware that, like most kids these days, my boys already have plenty of toys and don't really need many (if any!) more, so I am not going to go overboard by any means ... but I have to admit that Christmas shopping for the kids is fun!  Besides, we had a garage sale on the weekend and weeded out a few of the things the boys no longer use.  So, I am now trying to think of a few 'quality' things for the boys.  When it comes to wish lists, Rowan and Kallan are really too young to tell me what they would like, but Damon has finally suggested that he wants something with 'batteries'.  Hmmm, time to get thinking ...

Speaking of toys, there is just something that I find so appealing about wooden toys!  I'm not sure if it's the classic, old-fashioned element, the sturdy, long-lasting construction, the good-quality feel, the simplicity or the beauty that draws me to wooden toys, but I just love them!  I just couldn't resist picking up a few gorgeous wooden things recently for the boys this Christmas ... shhhhh!

Before I sign out for the night, I thought I would share some of the wooden toys that the boys already have and really enjoy playing with.  Aren't they just lovely?

Bajo abacus and vehicle

Pet stacker from Bambini Pronto, Bajo plane, car and snail rattle & cute teething rattle

Gorgeous pull-along rabbit given to Damon by his grandparents for his second Easter

Classic wooden blocks - the boys love to make towers!

Retro Kitchenware

While preparing some noodles in one of my favourite vintage bowls, I was admiring the gorgeous design and suddenly felt inspired to share some of the other vintage kitchenware that I've collected over the years.  I just love all the vibrant retro colours and wonderful graphics!  Not only do they look great on the shelves, but they are very useful too ...

Noodles in my vintage Pyrex Ovenware bowl

Gorgeous retro canister - it sits on top of Damon's bookcase and stores all sorts of treasures

Set of vintage canisters in my pantry

Chips bowl with handy lid and vintage Tupperware container

Great set of vintage Tupperware canisters used to store bits and pieces in Damon's room

Back Home

I've just had such a lovely weekend back in my hometown at the local races!  It was a big day for the boys, but they handled it really well.  My hubby and I thought we were in for a long day when the boys started asking "Are we were there yet?" only five minutes into the hour and a half trip!  However, once we arrived and they spotted the play equipment, all was fine.

I didn't actually watch much of the horse racing, but spent most of the time catching up with family and old friends.  The weather was fantastic and, as always, there was a huge crowd for such a little town.  I always get such a sense of belonging and pride when I go back there - and funnily enough, still refer to it as 'going home'.  In some way, this reminds me a little bit of an old favourite book of mine - 'The Best Nest' by P. D. Eastman.  I loved this book as a child and was so pleased when my mum recently allowed me to take home our old copy for the boys.  Basically, the point of the story is summed up at the end when Mother Bird declares, "There's no nest like an old nest ...".  In analogy, I really love where I live now and I'm certainly not looking for a new place to live, but do feel that there is no place quite like my old hometown - the place I grew up in and made so many happy memories.

Aside from this, 'The Best Nest' is a great book to read to the kids.  My boys love it!  It's nice to have our original copy of the book too - I wonder if it will become a household favourite like another of P. D. Eastman's books, 'Are You My Mother?' When he was three, Damon loved that story so much that he memorised it!  It was so fascinating to hear him retell the whole story, word for word, all from memory!

Happy Reading :)

Sticky-Tape

Busy 'Making Things'

Today, like most days lately, I spent a significant amount of time picking up bits of sticky-tape!  I have been finding it all around the house - even in the washing machine!  I think I mentioned previously how much our creative little four year old, Damon, enjoys making things using 'bits and pieces' from his Useful Box - well, instead of using glue, I once suggested sticky-tape as a much less messy alternative (especially since he gets up early in the mornings and makes things while I'm still in bed!).  Since then, the sticky-tape dispenser has almost become his best friend!  It's just so easy for him to use and his creativity has flourished.  We are almost running out of places to store and display Damon's 'many' masterpieces!  So, today I thought I would post photos of some of the things the 'many' rolls of sticky-tape have contributed to recently ...

A Phone Holder for Mummy's iPhone

A Toy for his Baby Brother

A Music Player - "Number 3 is a Bon Jovi song for Mummy" 

(which he then proceeds to hum - gotta love it!)

A Babycino Man and a Tractor

Despite the fact that picking it up can be a tad frustrating at times, sticky-tape has proven to be wonderful in allowing our little man to express his creativity x 

How Time Flies!

Just a quick post tonight, as the tiredness is setting in and I really should take the opportunity to sleep while the kids are sleeping.  I'm such a night owl, but am thinking that is really going to have to change if I am to keep up with these busy boys.

It's hard to believe our baby boy is twelve weeks old already!  Wow, that time seemed to go really fast - it feels like we only just brought him home from the hospital.  Having said that, he has grown and changed so much in that time.  Those first little coos and smiles are just so precious and his little laughs - absolutely gorgeous! Anyway, here is a photo of our sweet little Kallan at twelve weeks ...

The Playroom

When toys started taking over the lounge and I kept tripping over little cars in the kitchen, I knew it was time to convert the study into a play space for the boys.  It made more sense for the room to be utilised as a playroom anyway, since it is situated at the end of the hallway and close to the boys' bedrooms.

As soon as we made the decision to transform the room, I got busy planning.  I envisaged a fun and colourful space to inspire creativity and imagination, with plenty of floor space for playing.  I had a modern vibe in mind and didn't really plan on a having a 'theme', but wanted to incorporate elements of nature (trees, birds etc.).  Most importantly, it had to be practical and safe for busy little boys - lots of smart storage solutions and no sharp corners!  When our little boy once fell and cut his cheek on the sharp corner of a coffee table, it reinforced how impractical it was and how important it is to ensure the furniture is child-friendly.

My wonderful hubby did all the moving of the 'heavy' furniture - it actually involved the removal of 'three' sliding doors in order to relocate the big timber desk into the Parents' Retreat!  We decided to leave the two couches in the room, as we knew they would be ideal for reading to the kids and also a nice place for adults to sit and accompany the kids at times whilst they are playing.  We deliberately decided on no TV in the room.  Maybe we will put one on the wall when they are older, but for now we want the playroom to be a place for PLAY, not for staring at a screen.

The room has a great walk-in-robe which has been designed for storage (lots of shelving) and is fantastic for storing toys and craft stuff - things that we want to keep out of reach of little ones!  As well as being a great way to avoid a cluttered room, I actually find it's a good idea to rotate some toys around - that way the novelty doesn't seem to wear off.  We call this handy room the 'Storeroom' and it is only to be accessed by Mum and Dad - working well so far!

The boys just love the finished room - when they are not busy riding flat out on their bikes outside that is!  Sure, it gets really messy, just as any kids' space does, but having a designated spot for everything makes it really easy to tidy up!  I'm always changing things around as I think of new ideas and as the boys get new toys, but below are some pictures of the current set-up:

The gorgeous tree wall sticker is from Mooo, as are the retro number and alphabetic stickers.  We added the Squirrel and acorns later on.

My hubby found the wonderful bookshelf sitting out the front of a shop and when he asked about it, was told it was going to be thrown out and he could have it for free!  I was so excited as I had been on the lookout for one just like it.  I gave it a few coats of paint and it was as good as new!  The big draws are ideal for holding colouring and activity books.  The framed long-stitch above the bookshelf was a lovely hand-made baby gift from a colleague when our first son was born.

We couldn't resist another Ikea Expedit bookcase - just wonderful for storing and displaying toys.  The canvas storage boxes are from Mor-Stor and hold Duplo, Mega Blocks, cars and mixed toys.  They help to keep things organised and make packing up fairly easy - the boys know where everything goes.

The original 'Big Ted' on one of the shelves is special as it belonged to me and my siblings when we were young.  The Pooh Bear is another sentimental toy as it was my husband's as a child.  I love that some of the boys' things also belonged to my brother, such as the cute owl play clock, a few wooden puzzles, some of the Duplo and Thomas trains.

The beautifully crafted Cocoon Couture Cheeky Squirrel bookend holds up some lovely old books - the Enid Blyton books were mine and the rest are from other family members (mmm, I've just made myself feel a tad old now, hehe!).

The drum-playing panda was one of my Christmas gifts when I was quite young and I absolutely loved it!  Unfortunately it no longer works but it does look rather gorgeous sitting on top of the boys' bookcase! The Snuffy book by Dick Bruna (from the Miffy series) was also mine as a child.

I had been eyeing off the gorgeous Dwell Studio toy boxes for ages, but had resigned to the fact that they were a bit too indulgent at the normal price!  However, when I found them on sale for 'half price' in our local children's shop during a relocation sale, I just couldn't resist and bought four! The designs are amazing.  The two pictured above with the Transportation design hold Mobilo and wooden blocks, which my boys usually play with on a daily basis.  The box with the brown spot design holds soft toys and the large Transporation one is idea for the boys' wooden train set.

We put a magnetic whiteboard on the side of the bookshelf and the boys enjoy making words with their alphabet magnets.  Nearby, the Cocoon Couture Cheeky Squirrel bean bag is very comfy and a great spot for reading.  The wooden doll house was made by the very clever 'Santa' himself :).

The fantastic train table was a very lucky garage sale find (you can see the boys' latest train track set up in the picture).  It also doubles as a handy art table and sometimes even a pretend restaurant table when the boys are playing with their little kitchen.

This little corner area has proven to be a great spot for making a cubby house or hiding!  The beautiful Cocoon Couture Enchanted Tree was won in a Babyology competition and is a really lovely addition to the room- also a source of inspiration for make-believe games.

I made this Magnetic Art Display strip using three steel strips from the hardware store, which I primed and spray painted blue.  Hubby then installed them on the wall and I added the MDF birdies I made for decoration.  Very easy to make and rather effective for displaying the kids' artwork.

The large canvas painting above the window was won by my mum at an auction to raise money for our four year old's Kinder.  All the little kids in the class contributed to the painting, so it is rather special having it on our playroom wall!  The other personalised canvases were made by me using the key colours in the room and were inspired by some prints I'd seen in magazines.

The super cute wooden workbench and kitchen are from Ikea - great for pretend play!  I like the fact that the kitchen is not too 'girly' for the boys, as many of them are.

So there it is.  I hope you've enjoyed the tour of our playroom - I have certainly loved decorating it x