lillie's room

i have vivid memories of my bedroom(s) growing up. they don't go quite as far back as my nursery, but i do remember lying on my yellow checkered bed and my mom bringing me a bottle (yes, a baby bottle) of kool-aide (yes, kool-aide). i was old enough to be done with bottles, but young enough to think it was a treat to have one when i was sick.

bright yellow, with lots of stuffed animals. so happy.

lillie may not remember her nursery either, and she may not even care.

but i do.

and just in case she does....

i had planned on being resourceful and using the neutral bedding that i had for the boys, but after a month or so of dwelling on the thought of a girl....

flowers and color began to yell at me. when i came across these fabrics it was all over.

my friend april offered to sew~

she's amazing.

let me know if you are considering having bedding made. she's your woman.

my style is typically far from bright and bold, but i just loved this fabric and decided to step out a bit. i made the shades using this tutorial (though tweaked a bit). easy peasy. the white curtains were bought at world market for our first apartment and have since been in nearly every room of the house.

the fabric also helped (somewhat) tie together all the mismatched furniture in the room. i contemplated for a while whether or not to use the furniture i had growing up. i never liked it.

too old. too feminine. too orange.

but when i recently became reacquainted with it, we fell in love.

i love a story.....

and the story is that my great-grandmother owned an antique shop and gave this set to my mom when she was a baby. my mom then passed it down to me. the "orange", as i always saw it, is due the rare wood that is used ~ bird's eye maple. now i know why my mom tried hard to get me to take care of it. but i think the knicks and watermarks make the story even better.

so the fabric had both the orange of the furniture and the brown of the crib. it also felt vintage, yet fresh.

perfect.

i like to accessorize with things that have meaning. i didn't realize until putting it all together how many stories can be told here.

i found the piece of beveled glass in our basement when i was a little girl and it has followed me to each of my bedrooms since.

the picture holders were given to me by bryan's mom.

the rabbit was a gift to lillie from her cousin.

the lamp was bought on clearance at target intending to go in the boy's room, but then i was inspired by this.

the clock was a wedding gift given by the family i babysat for years after college.

the chair was a fun find in our shed (ikea actually - when we bought it in new york for extra seating and never used it). i really want to recover and/or stain it....when i get the time. right.

the quilt was also done by april. the opposite side is patchwork (oh my!). photos to come.

the "put a bird on it" blanket, as i like to see it, is from my dear friend in portland (rightly so).

the sign drives me nuts because it's messy and i want to redo it (again, right) but it's a beautiful song that we sing at our church when a baby is baptized.

the dress was mine when i was a baby.

the "L" stitched before lillie was born, while sitting on the couch at night "enjoying" the last few days of pregnancy.

i'm sure like every other room in the house, things will be moved and changed constantly. but this picture will stay as long as she will have it.

the painting was done by my grandfather. i've had it for years, but have never been able to find the perfect spot for it.

the sweet bonnet on the changing table was made by my great aunt and came with a matching dress.

the striped vase i think was my mom's (mom?) and has moved from room to room.

the aqua teacup was given as a going-away gift from a friend in california.

the tiny pink vase is the only thing in the room other than the bedding bought with lillie in mind.

there were many nights before she was born that i would stand and stare at her crib, imagining her there. thankful. prayerful.

i still do the same, only with her really here.

it's the most peaceful room in the house.

(only because it's the easiest room to keep clean!)

i'm already envisioning her slamming these doors in teenage angst, as nothing is truly perfect.

and yet, i'll still love you baby girl.