I think it works for a boy or a girl and its SO reasonably prices…$13.99 a yard!

though i think the peacock looks dangerous and mirrors over the changer??

safety first yall..but i love the huge art and the fabrics on the windows and notice the gray trim!!!

i think this image below is pretty sweet too…love the grey crib. and the English country looking looking little print on the bumper.

and “hello little baby, love your sweater vest!”

all images via pinterest…including this gorgeous sleeping baby!

so sweet.

Some of you may have seen this blog or heard about it on other blogs, well today Sugarfresh is here at Holly Mathis Interiors. Lindsay, the force behind Sugarfresh, contacted me about advertising and doing a giveaway and instantly remembered her work..i have admired it for quite a while and I am thrilled to have it here!

A few of my favorite prints from Sugarfresh:

I just love her taste in color..this is the best pink in my opinion!

In fact, she has an amazing color chart..i love when printers give this flexibility!

Which one did i get for my boys??? This one..so cute..and so them! It’s called “Mr Numbers” love the gray of course!

And of course i love this one too..love the font. Very craftsmany/art deco.

And the cool thing is i get to do a $25 giveaway today for Sugarfresh, go look at her etsy store and come back here and tell me your fave!  I will announce the winner on Wednesday!

Have a great weekend!

 I am doing a little blog housekeeping today, adding images from my inspiration files that i want to catalog on the blog.

Let’s start with the wee ones! from Lay Baby Lay blog!

They had me at Paul Bunyan..brilliant! And a girl room from LAY BABY LAY  below….  YALL  there are AMAZING baby ideas on this blog..its like SNIPPET & INK for babies! Check it out!

Love the touch of black and the white hardware on the Marcia Brady dresser..brilliant!

And now some classic COTTAGE LIVING

From LONNY last year (october)

And another Cottage Living

and why we all miss Cottage Living..sniff sniff.

OK thanks for bearing with me as I catalog some inspiration images…

Are you sick of seeing photos of MY house, well too bad, on monday i have a confession to make that will include showing what is UNDER my new kitchen desk..beware!

{Recently I did this fun post over at the Nester’s blog! In case you didn’t see then, I thought I would share today..enjoy! and watch later in the week for my “FAVORITE THINGS BABY/KID List 2010″ Check last year’s version here}

How do you create a fresh baby nursery?? Not a themed room with contrived decorating and glaring colors but instead a FRESH  space with soothing and inspiring colors and a touch of vintage and modern.

{Amy Butler fabric and its linen not quilting material! from here}

My number one piece of advice?  Use as many NON-NURSERY items as possible, whether it is lighting, color, fabrics, glider/chair or rugs..steer clear of the baby baby items…instead gravitate to the things you love that might work in any room of the house.  Throw in a touch of whimsy and a precious new life and you have a fresh nursery.

{Like these items from Ballard Designs. Le Poeme rug and fab lantern options!}

 More favorite ways to achieve a FRESH NURSERY:

• ART  I love these flashcards from Martha at Michael’s but I think most places are sold out. No fear, how about ditching the ‘mass produced ‘ and going for real art for your littles. (Although if you find these, snatch them up..they are darling and cheap! ha!)

{Martha Stewart flashcards at Michaels}

If Martha isn’t available, no worries because there are so many amazing options on Etsy like this artist, Holly Lewis of  Tembo Studio.

She did the paperdolls at the top of the post…and she also does flashcards prints. The woman studied printmaking at Harvard for pete’s sake AND she is a mama! I love this source.

I also found these wonderful free downloads from a project called FEED YOUR SOUL  featured here..wonderful selection of fresh looking art and its FREE if you feel like printing your own!

Art is available everywhere…So inspire yourself and your little one with as much artwork as possible in the nursery!

• FABRIC. Think soft colors or very careful use of bold.  Think non matchy for interest. Consider non-juvenile fabrics…like geometrics, retro prints, or even plain linen. Or toile. I still think toile when I think baby and that’s okay  But don’t be afraid to think outside of the box with fabric and color and go against usual gender trends like pink or blue.

 

 {I think these work for a boy or girl, what do you think? from fabric.com}

Which brings me to my next point…

• COOL TOYS…This lion from blabla and available at Land of Nod or Layla Grace and other boutiques is nearly $50 but you don’t have to spend a lot to find cool toys…wooden or knit etc… Target and IKEA are selling a lot of things like this too. . .don’t just assume they are too expensive if you like the look.

{carrot car $2.99 from IKEA}

• COLOR.  Again, you don’t have to stay gender specific though of course that tradition is always pretty.  But my favorite girl color combo is actually blue and red with just touches of pink.  In general, lots of white is no fail especially as a way to unite a mismatched room of furniture. AND GREY..oh mercy if I have another baby I promise you its crib will be grey or is it GRAY??  And these Jenny Lind cribs are cheap and easy to find and paint.  So don’t stress if you an expensive crib is not in your budget.

OTHER ITEMS I am loving right now or STILL LOVING for a fresh nursery look: 

• anything industrial
• wire baskets
• old sign letters not cute matchy letters
• vintage toys, baby clothes or books
• plates on the wall
• chalkboard on doors down low and in lighter colors like mocha or pink! 
• vintage lights-chandeliers of industrial…endless options.even exterior lights!

Bottom line, a FRESH NURSERY may  have vintage items but mixed with a modern chair or geometric fabric and fresh textiles for an effortless look. It can be a delicate dance and daunting task to put together a room that doesn’t come on too strong but it’s worth the effort to create a room that soothes the senses on late nights and sweet days and inspires as your baby grows.

I leave you with this for inspiration and fun!

NOW GO MAKE A BABY!  Love, Holly

{digital collage by Tembo Studio} 

My super stylish friend Windy sent me this image…we love it and have dissected and discussed..so fun! It is from talented designer Amie Corley.

We are excited because we hear she will have a blog soon. Amie is based out of St. Louis, MO..talk about Midwest Modern!  She is so talented and got her start via a contest at Elle Decor. Click here to see what Jonathan Adler has to say about her happy style!

So what do you think..does this room appear to be for a boy or girl???  Notice the chair is different in the various pictures..it is hard to find the perfect chair–I think these both look great. Windy tracked down the drapes at Anthropologie. We love the giraffe lamp. And of course the tree! and the monogrammed shams.

Be sure and watch for Amie Corley!

I’ve been working on several nursery projects lately and while shopping I’ve come across some yummy eye candy. Like the SOFT knit dolls above from blabla..they are so fun! And this crib, from Layla Grace.  I LOVE Jenny Lind cribs but I have to admit I like this too.

Or this fabric by Jennifer Paganelli at Sew Mama Sew!  Not your traditional nursery fabric but I love this print and think it would look great on drapes or a crib bumper.

Oh and this slide by IKEA…so cute.

What is your favorite item right now to use when decorating for kids?

Some people just have so much style and just pull things together and make it look so effortless.  Not pretentious, not too fancy, just interesting , unique and adorable! Meet Emily from Jones Design Company.  She is the mom to three adorable boys and when I first discovered her blog she was expecting a baby girl.  I was so anxious to see what she would do for a girl after being a “boy mom” (like me) for so long.  She did not disappoint. 

Love this vignette when you walk into the room…so sweet and serene…swoon over the paper.

Not a lot of pink but plenty of ruffles and LINEN.  Oh yes, you know she had me at “linen”…. and pearls! I love this arrangement.  She tells all about it on her blog–details are linked below.

And this wallpaper..wait to you hear about this..so smart!  I love it. Notice the galvanized, industrial looking bins on the changer shelf..love how they contrast with the florals and “cut the sweetness”..genius and so important in a girls room IF you don’t want it to be too princess-y.

What I love is the room is feminine and sweet but not so PINK it is frightening.  Not to offend all of you pink lovers..pink is fine and many love but I’m not a pink girl.  Emily isn’t either so I could really relate to the direction she was going.  Oh what the heck, a touch of pink is perfection with this pillow! And the blue stool.  I love blue in a girl’s room.

 {Oh my!  Pacis in a silver bowl..how sweet!}

To see more of this amazing room go here. Emily also did a post with information on how she completed various projects, paint colors, sources etc…click here for those details…You definitely want to look around her blog and past posts.  Thanks for letting me share this Emily..you are inspiring! God bless you, your family and that sweet baby girl!

{All images by Emily at Jones Design Company}

So when Mama “Yountens” emailed to say “should I order this Liberty of London crib bedding from Target?”

…I about jumped through my computer…”YES! ” Do I want to play with Liberty of London bedding and products for a baby girl?! “YES, I am in!”.. Sooo, while I of course don’t want this room to look like a Target commercial and we won’t use all of the patterned products below, this is a great jumping off point for this precious baby girl’s new room…
Ideas for the nursery include..

• use the Liberty platter as wall art and hang white plates around it??



• use a teapot/teatime theme..hello!… Liberty patterns, London, England, little girls….. we don’t have to use the PB decals shown..could make our own art or use teapots from the target collection or in mama’s collection..displayed on a shelf or dresser…



• use scrap paper to make teapot art using basic teapot silhouttes on painted canvas
• you know I am looking for the perfect etsy print. Will likely come from here..one of my faves!



{print from Sarah + Abraham}

• mom or sister’s vintage baby dress on hooks or vintage hangers OR a darling Liberty dress…they are sold out for the most part but don’t doubt if Auntie Holly sees one (or 2 or 3) at her Target she will be snatching up..i just wish they made the rain boots in toddler sizes!
• adding in a 1/2 a yard or less of additional ACCENT fabrics to keep it from being too
  “packaged”…

…simply add a pillow, basic quilt (with minky dot in one side) in an additional print to mix it up..a geometric will add some modern freshness..not using baby prints helps elevate the look so much…or simply decoupaging a piece to a canvas board for simple art and more pattern! we don’t want it all to be Liberty..just all girl!

God bless you baby girl and entire Yountens family.we love you!

Few things are more special or can be more of a blessing than preparing for a new life to enter your home. Whether it is a large room or a small corner, a baby space is special and can bring so much joy to the one making preparations and using the space once baby arrives! 

But this process can also be stressful because: 

• Pregnancy hormones are involved!
• Mama is tired (especially if their are older brothers and/or sisters to care for)
• There are so many decorating choices and ideas out there..it can be overwhelming!

 So, I encourage the moms I work with to do three things:

• Keep it simple
• Start planning and work early if possible
• Do something emotional! Don’t fight it, embrace your excitement.

When decorating 8 month old son Henry’s nursery I knew I wanted to keep much of the “bones”  from his brother’s room: white furniture (though we did add a comfy rocker this time), linen colored walls (Laura Ashley Stone 2 from Lowe’s), and white scalloped awnings. My theory is that when using non-juvenile fabrics like I chose, elements like the scalloped awnings lend a subtle baby feel so the room doesn’s seem too grown up. Big brother’s nursery was more vintage and red (click here and scroll to last page for a peek of Drew’s baby room in the June 2005 issue of Better Homes & Garden)..I wanted Henry’s room to have softer colors with a touch of a modern feel.  New fabrics and a few handmade items were all the room needed to totally change the look!

The fabrics in Henry’s nursery were a great bargain and came from fabric.com (Waverly trellis on drapes and stripe on bumper, actually indoor outdoor fabrics which wash up softer than you might think) and the organic leafy accent fabric is Dahlia from Calico Corner as is the linen dot on the crib skirt. I made the drapes and placed them inside the awnings with a shower rod!  I had the bedding made locally. If you are doing any of your own painting or sewing, plan on doing it early before your baby bump begins to get in the way!

And here is my point about the emotional element, it’s my belief you don’t have to be practical about every choice in a nursery. YOU ARE HAVING A BABY, it is a MIRACLE and very exciting.  Sure it is great to reuse cribs and other items so that the room can grow with the child and save money but I think it is okay to have one item or more that are just for the baby phase and pure visual bliss..whether it is a fabric (face it, little boys grow out of toile fast!) or a special print or painting, it is okay.  As the mama, you will spend HOURS in this room.  A beautiful, well thought out atmosphere will bless you in the wee hours and on days when you don’t get a shower.  It is worth the effort.  And as the saying goes, they are only a baby once and you can save the item as a keepsake or pass on to another baby. For me, that item was the dahlia fabric.  I knew Henry would outgrow that look fast but I wanted a fresh modern baby fabric in the mix so I just made one pillow and one side of the baby comforter out of that fabric. When he is one year or so I will remove those items from the room..use the pillow in a guest room and frankly the comforter is getting pretty worn anyway because I use it for his tummy time  on the floor and have washed often.  It will make a great picnic blanket.

The blue trellis drapes also will not last a little boy forever but I am thinking they might look great in my dining room down the road. For now they have created a sophisticated and soothing nursery for both of us to enjoy.  We can always add the cowboys later!

My five year old recently told me he wants a “sportsy room” …”you know with a basketball net and trophies”..so I rest my case, embrace the baby phase and your ability to make all of the decisions for their room as long as possible..Enjoy mamas!

[More sources: The tree above the crib is from Dali Decals, brown rug from Target, rocker and polka dot hamper from Pottery Barn Kids, white coat rack from Target, monogram canvas from Small Words, silhouette print over crib from Sarah + Abraham]