Jackson's "Big Boy" Room

When I first found out that Brandon and I were going to have a baby, a million different things raced through my mind...

Would it be a boy or a girl?

Would he or she look more like Brandon or me?

What would we choose for a name?

How would we decorate the nursery?

Since we didn't know what we would be having until our 20-week appointment, I wanted to pick a gender neutral nursery theme that I could start working on right away... but what? One day, when I was out thrifting with my mom, I saw the CUTEST old painting of a kitten, which inspired me to create a vintage theme for Baby Sand's nursery.

And I LOVED it.

A few weeks after Jackson was born, Brandon accepted a network engineering position out in Denver, so we had to quickly pack up and move everything from our little rental house in Kansas. I was SO bummed to leave all of my hard work behind and came to terms with the fact that I would never be able to decorate another room for Jackson that I liked as much as his original vintage nursery.

I am happy to report that his new "big boy" room exceeded all my expectations and that I (and more importantly, Jax) couldn't love it any more!

The gallery wall is still a work in progress... but at least he can recognize the letter J! 

I lose track of the number of times each day Jax leads me into his room to read... and I couldn't love it anymore! (Though I am never allowed sit in this chair -- from Target -- I have to sit on the floor to read to him.)

My Aunt Cheryl made Jackson this quilt before he was born and it is still one of my favorite things in his room! One of Jax's favorite things to do is to stand on his changing table and point to the different scenes on the quilt.  

Ikea Spice racks (repainted white) and an Ikea Wall lamp.

The pièce de résistance is Jackson's new "big boy" bed, which was completely designed and crafted by Brandon! 

The making of the bed...

The finished product!! I'm not sure who's more proud of the bed -- Brandon or Jax! 

I can't help but feel happy anytime I step foot into Jackson's room... it feels like such a fun and colorful storybook oasis to me and I hope it is something that Jax will continue to enjoy for the next few years! (Or until I get the urge to redecorate again...)

"I Love You" Box

I've said it before and I'll say it again.. I have the best in-laws EVER!

Jackson and I went to the library the other day to read and play and when we returned home, we were greeted by a package at the door. As soon as we opened it, I knew what a special gift it was; one that Jackson will cherish forever and pass down to his children.

Jackson's Great Great Uncle Dan & Aunt Paulette made him an "I Love You" Box.

For those of you unfamiliar with the concept of an I Love You Box (as I was), it's a box that's filled to the brim with pictures, stories, and special treasures from Jax's ancestors--it tells the history of our family and what makes us so unique.

Here's a few of the goodies that Dan & Paulette packed into Jackson's box:

A letter explaining the contents and concept of the box -- we're supposed to keep adding to it as time goes on and add momentos from my side of the family as well.

A thorough recap of last year's family reunion (that we unfortunately had to miss). Paulette also included the history of the family, where they came from and settled, etc. Brandon's side of the family has Schillings, Schmidtgals, Welchs, & Sandmeiers and my family has Wernsmans, Kastens, Locks, & Koepsels--Jackson comes from a long, long line of Germans!

Pictures of Martin Schilling's (1765) bible -- very cool! Paulette also included how Jax is related to Martin (Martin is Jackson's Great (x6)  Grandfather).

Old family photos -- I'm going to make copies of these to hang on our gallery wall!

The book on the left was written (& signed) by a distant relative and the book on the right tells of the experiences of immigrants at Ellis Island.

Isn't this the neatest gift?! Thank you SO much to Dan and Paulette for taking the time to compile such a cherished gift -- you warmed my heart on a cold Colorado day! I can't wait to continue adding to the box and to eventually (in the distant, distant future) make one for our grandchildren! 

What would you add to your "I Love You" box?

Dollar Store Movie Night Gift (w/FREE Printable)

Thanksgiving is now behind us which can only mean one thing..

..it's time to start focusing on Christmas (like I hadn't been ALL year)!!!

As many of you know, we recently bought our first home and had yet to meet any of our neighbors--that being said, I thought it'd be a fun idea to make a little homemade movie night kit to give to each of them as we went around introducing ourselves. They were a HIT and couldn't have been easier (or cheaper) to make!

The Dollar Tree sells these great popcorn containers (they come in sets of 2!) so I just grabbed a few sets, some movie theater candy & popcorn, and designed a little "Blockbuster" printable to stick to the front of it.

This is the perfect gift for a neighbor, Secret Santa, postal carrier, etc., and be customized to fit each recipient! Who doesn't enjoy a fun movie night in (you show me someone who doesn't and I'll show you a liar)?! 

If you like the ticket, feel free to use it! Here's the printable for it (that can be customized with your name in Photoshop, Lightroom, or whichever photo editing program you choose):

'Daddy Diaper Toolbox' Baby Shower Gift

Today I'm posting about something I meant to post about after my baby shower.. back in October.

Does that show you how sidetracked I get/behind I am on blogging?

Agh.

Anyway, my dear friend Erin (who co-hosted my shower) put together this darling "Daddy Diaper Toolbox" gift for Brandon and me!

Want to know what's inside?

The Inventory Check List--let's go through it one by one..

Nose plugs: Toxic fume filter for when it doesn't smell like roses.

Tongs: Several inches of steel separation between you and the little warm wrapped gift.

Turkey Baster: For precision hiney washing.

Pacifier: Scream plug.

Baby Wipes: For cleaning baby bottom and various parts.

Diapers for Newborn: Cute as a kitten until it gets wet; then it looks & smells like a sewer rat.

Bio-Hazard Bags & Rubber Gloves: To clean up afterward (for dad's use only).

Adorable, right?! I just love fun and creative gifts and Erin knocked it out of the park!

If you're going to a baby shower anytime soon, why not make a Daddy Diaper Toolbox for the parents-to-be?! Trust me, they will love (and use) it!

Thanks Erin!!

P.S. Speaking from experience, a poncho might be a good addition to the kit (especially if you have a little boy).. :) 

Parties
Stone Gable
Daddy Space
Kathe with an E
Pint Sized Baker 
Adorned from Above 
Glamorous, Affordable Life

(Over the Mantle) Gallery Wall

We've lived in Denver for almost 2 months now and I'm just now getting around to posting a few apartment pictures.. better late than never, right?

Our cool little apartment in the city has been a work in progress in terms of decorating--between (Brandon's) work, bringing up baby (Jax.. not the classic Cary Grant/Katharine Hepburn movie), and our weekend travels, decorating just hasn't been a huge priority. We're getting there though and today I'm sharing my favorite part of the apartment--our gallery wall above the fireplace!

I love gallery walls--I think that each one is unique and packs such a punch of personality into any space, big or small. When we first toured our apartment, I was immediately drawn to this space and knew it would be perfect for a gallery wall--so as soon as we moved in, it was time to execute a layout! Instead of using a bunch of pictures (like I did with the gallery wall at our old place), we decided to mostly use signs we've collected over the years. We both love the way it turned out!

 Here's some details..

1.) My Great Aunt Millie crocheted this sign for our wedding--I have always loved these and was so excited to receive it!

2.) The crucifix (top) is mine and the silver cross was a gift Brandon received for his confirmation.

3.) Our wedding guestbook--my uber talented dad (the engineer) made this for us!

4.) Pick Your Plum (where else?)!

5.) Brandon's and my family pictures (from our wedding).

6.) My Aunt Nancy gave me this little tapestry for Christmas '04 and I have loved (& displayed!) it ever since--it's a picture of Annie Oakley with the caption: "They wanted to make me a star, but it was always enough for me to just be Annie."

7.) The cutest cousins ever (Jackson, Benny, and Sara)!

8.) My parents made this shadow box for me--the gloves were crocheted by my Great Grandma, the rosary was my Great Aunt Helen's, and the two pins (hard to see in this picture) were left to me by my Grandma Mitz.

9.) As For Me & My House, We Will Serve the Lord sign--clearance at Hobby Lobby

10.) All because two people drink wine sign--Ross

11.) Psalm 33:22 sign--Easter clearance at Walmart

12.) God Bless America sign--Burlington Coat Factory

And a few mantle pictures/wide shots:

Hopefully we will have the rest of the living room decorated soon so I can share it with you all! We're currently in search of a rug (we have all "hardwood" floors) and are going back and forth between how to decorate the wall behind the sectional (Brandon likes contemporary and abstract art, I don't; I like classic and traditional art, he doesn't).

To be continued... but until then, what do you think of gallery walls? In need of some gallery wall inspiration? Check out my board on Pinterest! 

Baby Sand's Vintage Nursery Reveal!

I am so excited to announce that Jr.'s nursery is finally complete!

The idea to do a vintage themed nursery originally came about this summer when I was thrifting with my mom--we were browsing around a local antique shop when she came across an adorable old painting of kittens.

"Wouldn't that be cute in the babies room?" my mom asked.

Yes. Yes it would.

Unfortunately, the picture was $95 and the shop owners weren't willing to budge on the price (it was in an antique frame or some nonsense like that.. psh) so I ended up going home empty handed but with a mind chock full of ideas!

Let's begin the tour, shall we?

 The Reading Corner

This is my favorite part of the room--our little reading corner. The rocking chair belonged to Brandon's Great-Grandma (she even made the beautiful afghan cover to go with it!) and my Aunt Cheryl made the "Poky Little Puppy" quilt.

Close up of the quilt.

And one more (because it's so cute and I love the book).

This is actually a last minute thing we decided to do--the quilt on the one wall made the other wall look really bare so I had Brandon print out pages from some of our favorite childhood books (The Tale of Peter Rabbit, Corduroy, and Curious George). I just love the way it turned out--plus I only paid $1.50 per frame at Walmart which can't be beat.

The Buggy

 I do really love this old fashioned buggy! Mamma Nancy (Brandon's mom) and Aunt Paulette found it at an antique shop in South Dakota and gave it to me at my surprise baby shower! It is really cute and in perfect condition--I'm currently using it as Jr.'s little blanket basket (it's setting next to the rocking chair so I can easily grab a blanket if we're rocking in the middle of the night when it's chilly).

Lots of fleece and swaddle blankets!

The Picture Corner

 I'll cover everything in detail here in a sec but I wanted to point out the beautiful dresser that Brandon's Grandpa made--there are lots of cute little clothes inside!

When we decided on a vintage theme, I knew I wanted to do a mini gallery wall with pictures of Baby Sand's Grandparents--it's still kind of a work in progress (we're missing my dad's and Mamma Nanc's pictures) but I like how it's coming together! The two cuties on the left are Brandon's step-mom, Val (top), and Dad (bottom), and the little curly haired sweetie on the right is my Mom. The "God Keeps Promises" sign used to hang at the top of the stairs in my Grandma and Grandpa Kasten's house (I think my Aunt Nancy made it in Sunday school?) so it's very special to me.

The picture on the right used to hang in Brandon's nursery (and do you see that Colorado Rockies bear--that belonged to my cousin Angie)!

Bitsy: the room inspector 

For the record, I dusted the dresser after seeing this picture.. Oops.

(The picture of Jesus was also in Brandon's nursery, the "Wizard of Oz" pop-up book was a Christmas gift from my Aunt Nancy when I was little, and the Kansas flag was in one of the rooms at my Grandma Kasten's).

Two of my banks from when I was little--the one in the back is a replica of the bank that my Grandpa and Grandma Wernsman own; the little blue tooth pillow was made by Brandon's Grandma. 

The Changing Table

This changing table is the only piece of furniture that we have actually had to buy (no joke)--we have been so blessed with friends and family giving us heirloom furniture that we haven't had to worry about picking out dressers, cribs, etc. Thank you so much to everyone whose helped us; you have no idea just how much it means to Brandon and me!

Brandon gets all the credit for the changing table--he spotted it at Goodwill for $30! Love the color!! The Diaper Genie was a gift from my wonderful boss. 

The Crib

 We have a little bit of a jungle theme going on over here! The vintage crib actually belonged to Mamma Nancy (don't worry--we went through all the safety checks/inspections and it is good to go!), the Boppy was given to us by our friend, Jana, and the adorable quilt was made by Baby Sand's Aunt Jen (my best friend/maid of honor)! Baby will be sleeping in a Rock and Play in our room for the first couple of months before he gets to sleep in his crib but it's all ready for him.

One more shot of the adorable, cushy blanket! 

Wide Shots

 Since we live in a rental and plan to move when our lease is up in April, I decided to hold off on doing the wall behind the crib--I want to eventually get some of those stick on wall decals (of what, I'm not sure) but I'll wait until we buy a house.

Vintage was such a fun theme to do for the nursery and I love how we were able to incorporate so many different family heirlooms/treasures into it! I was looking around the room trying to estimate how much we've spent and I'd say we have maybe hit $50 (changing table, a few books, frames for pictures). The nursery was originally the guest room we had just finished painting but we liked the color (which of course I can't find now but I know it's Behr brand and that we got it from the Home Depot) and decided to leave it.

Thank you for touring the nursery with me! Now all we need now is a cute baby to live/play/sleep in there!