Nesting

We had a rainy weekend earlier this month and spent that time putting together the nursery.  Since we don't know whether we're having a boy or a girl, we're keeping it pretty simple for now.  The walls were already gray and so our old white nursery furniture matched really well.  If the baby is a girl, we'll add coral accents.  If it's a boy, we'll add navy and green.  Here's what it looks like so far:

I bought this chalkboard at the Junk Jamboree a few years ago.  It used to hang in the entryway of our house, then in the art room.  But now it looks great over the dresser/changing table.  

This crib is well-loved.  Aka...it's all marked up with bite marks from the other kids.  I love that all three babies will have used it! 

You can't tell in this photo, but Cary also installed pull-down darkening blinds and a curtain rod.  I'm hoping to add some color with the curtains, so those will have to wait!  

The rocking chair was a gift from our parents before Carter was born.  It used to be light green and we had it reupholstered this summer.  I love the way it turned out!! 

We also brought down all of the baby clothes tubs from the attic and washed all of the newborn clothes, bibs, blankets and burp clothes.  I have them organized by gender so some of them will be going right back into their tubs before too long!  I also bought a box of diapers at Target today.  It's about to get real.  :) 

Cary took on another project that same weekend: our closet.  It just needed some additional shelving and it turned out great.  It's amazing what a few new shelves can do to help keep you organized!

Next on the honey-do list was to finally hang the Stop sign above Carter's bed.  I bought the sign last summer and somehow lost it during the move.  (We're not sure how you lose something that large, but we did.)  It reappeared a few months ago - in the attic, of course - and is now finally safely hung above Carter's bed.  I love the way it finishes off his room!

We also organized Carter's desk area....specifically his Legos.  Mr. Obsessive is now super into playing Legos and so there are Legos all over the house.  I found a new purpose for the Rubbermaid shelves and and he had fun organizing them in the drawers.  I love when everything has a home!

The new nursery used to be the art room, so we had to move all of that furniture to a different spot.  There is a small room in the basement that had been used as Brynn's bedroom last summer and was now just holding nursery furniture and random other things.  We cleaned it out and it makes the perfect art room!  I have a quart of purple paint just waiting to go onto the wall behind the shelves, but for now, it looks okay in the original beige.  This space is now my office, wrapping station, art room for the kids, and craft area.

A few other projects over the last month include some changes outside.  For Christmas, my dad made us this awesome swing that hangs on our lower deck.  I've always said that I wanted a wrap-around porch with a swing and mentioned that I was sad this house didn't have that option.  My dad thought of this all on his own and surprised us with a 6 foot swing that fits just perfectly on the patio.  I love that it's in the shade most of the time, that all of us can fit on it, and mostly, I love that he made it!!

Cary also stained our deck railings in an almost-black color.  It looks so nice and we were both pleasantly surprised with how well it turned out.  So many neighbors have commented on how they like it too.  I also planted a little herb garden in a pot that sits on a table on the lower deck.  This is sort of a big thing since I truly have a black thumb.  And so far, all of our plants are still living.  Which reminds me...I should probably go water my flowers right now before I forget!

Our playset finally has a roof and rock wall.  It was just one of those projects that kept getting put on the back burner.  We still have the monkey bars to add, but for now, everyone is happy with the change.

And we've been getting some use out of our new umbrella.  It was the perfect solution to our super-sunny deck.  Cary picked the red color which I thought would be way too "loud,"  but as usual, he has the design eye and he was right.

All of these projects were finished in less than a month's time and Holly pointed out that I must be nesting.  Either that or I'm good at giving Cary orders about what project to do next! :)  Either way, we're both happy that we have no more projects on the horizon...other than birthing a child in the next month or so.