Bella's Vintage Nursery {Home}

This is our little Bella's nursery. (Yes this post is 9 months behind).

The second we saw the positive pregnancy test, my mind started racing with dreams, prayers, and plans for our little tiny baby.  

I didn't let myself start thinking about nursery plans until I made it through the first trimester.

Nursery planning for a new mom, keeps our minds busy and away from all the "what ifs" and anxieties of pregnancy. 

I knew I wanted to do a vintage/shabby chic theme.  I love everything vintage and knew how much fun it would be

filling her room with vintage goodies. I scoured antique stores and flea markets in Wichita, Oklahoma City, and Tulsa to find all of Bella's decor for her room.  Only a few things in her room were actually store bought. 

We started out by painting her room a neutral gray.  We used "gravel" from Restoration Hardware.  

I was looking for a french provincial dresser to that we could paint a creamy white to match the trim in her room.  We found this one Craigslist and I put my hubby to work (after all a pregnant woman can't be inhaling all of those paint fumes...oh how I miss the "but I am pregnant" excuse. haha)

"Before"

"During"

Once it was painted white, we painted the handles and knobs a metallic silver.  But it still was blah.  I saw a tutorial on one of my favorite blogs about using lace as a stencil on furniture.  Just the added detail it needed to give it a "shabby chic" look.  I bought a roll of Lace at Hobby Lobby and taped a piece to each drawer using painter's tape (of course I forgot to take pictures of this step). I then spray painted over the lace.  I let it dry for an hour and then pulled off the lace (long enough so it wasn't dripping wet but before the lace dried to the drawers). It gave it just the look I was hoping for. 

"After"

The mirror over her dresser I bought at Salvation Army for $3 and we painted it the same color as her dresser. All four pieces of art were purchased from Etsy. 

The vanity in her room was my mine growing up.  My parents bought it as an antique with their bedroom set right after they got married.  I got ready for every prom, every homecoming, every single day of school in front of that vanity.  I ruined the finish with spilled nail polish remover and curling irons.  We primed it and painted it the same white as the dresser.  

"Before"

"During"

"After"

The "Daizy head Mazie" print was painted by her Uncle Will.  We love Dr. Seuss in this family!

My mom custom made her bedding using vintage prints and antique chenille.  

She made the adorable mobile using the same material she used for the bedding.  

My mom also made the beautiful quilt that drapes over the back of Bella's rocker and the the owl pillow (made from her bedding fabric).  My mom is so talented!  I was so blessed to have her help in designing and decorating Bella's room. 

The sign hanging in her room.  A line from one of her dad and I's favorite Coldplay songs.

My sister bought a vintage drawer for me for my birthday two years ago.  I glued some rickrack in it and turned it into a bow holder for Bella.  (My crafty friend Hannah made the other bow holder!)

Her room is by far the most peaceful room in the house. Every time I rock her to sleep, I think about all the love and planning that went into it and how I used to stare at her crib, dreaming of the day when we would get to meet her.  And now that she is here, it is everything I dreamed of and more. Even though she is 9 months old now, I still get up nightly to go in and watch her sleep (or maybe I am in her room begging her to go to sleep...haha... now that is another story :).  - A


**UPDATE:  Bella's Nursery was chosen as one of the top four projects of the week on ProjectNursery!  Go here to vote for her to win fan favorite of the week! Voting ends Monday February 13, 2012**