Baby Boy's Woodlands Nursery

When we found out our second baby was a boy I was at a complete loss at how to decorate the nursery.  Before getting pregnant I had this idea of making a vintage baseball nursery for him, but the more I searched for ideas and decorations I liked, the more I realized it wasn't really fitting with what I wanted.  As I browsed through hundreds and thousands of Pinterest pictures I came across the photo of a deer and it hit me... Woodlands!  Josh is a hunter and living in Texas we spend a lot of time outdoors.  As much as we love baseball and sports, I knew this little boy would love nature just as much as we do and just like that, the decision was made. 

I wanted to stay away from the "baby" woodlands themes that are out there.  I wasn't really feeling the theme-y nurseries and just wanted it to be something that would grow with him, kind of like we did with Callie's room. We found this gorgeous steel blue paint color and I fell in love!  We knew that there had to be trees somewhere in the room, and with Callie we just painted one, but when I saw these Sissy Little tree vinals on Zulily I HAD to have them!  They went on so easily and I absolutely adore the way they look against the paint color. From there we found some simple, white furniture and everything else just fell into place! 

The deer paintings above his crib were actually made my a friend of my mother-in-law.  I found something very similar on Pinterest but they cost more than I was willing to spend.  She did such an incredible job recreating them, I was blown away!! 

Josh got his woodwork on and covered a small wall in the room with wood to add to the overall outdoorsy feel and I am obsessed with the final product!  We still have to add white trim and some shelves/pictures but when your baby comes 7 weeks early it's a little difficult to have the nursery finished in time!  The wall was super simple, just cut these boards from Lowes to size, nail them to the wall and then stain! 

 

 

This absolutely adorable owl pillow was inspired by another Pinterest find.  Again, I couldn't bare to spend that much money on something I knew I could make for less.  This pillow sells on Etsy for over $40 and I was able to make it for less than $15!  It really completes the room, don't you think?  Then I added a chevron crocheted blanket to the chair, thank you 9 weeks of bed rest for the time to make such goodies! 

Right now his shelves are still just holding random items from his baby shower and other crochet projects from bed rest, but eventually they'll have pictures and books on them. :)  Eventually...

As a baby boy born in Texas we had to get him his first gun... granted it doesn't work and is hung high over the closet doors, but I love how it goes with the hunting/woodlands theme!

I need to get pictures of his curtains and the finished wood wall, but haven't found the time to do so.  Maybe I'll attempt to do that this weekend and add them here for you, too!  Until then you can find links to most of the items that were purchased or used as inspiration for DIY projects in the nursery below.  And if you'd like you can follow me on Pinterest to see more inspirations that didn't make it into the final product. :)

Deer paintings - Etsy (inspiration)
Owl Pillow - Etsy (inspiration)
Bedding
Crib

Callie Marie Creations - Finally Open!

A while back I wrote a post contemplating opening a shop on Etsy to sell the sweet little headbands that I've been making for Callie.  Typically I'll get an idea and it will just sit and ferment in my brain juices until I come up with an excuse not to do it.  Well, no more excuses!  I've officially opened up shop, and I'm incredibly nervous excited about it.

Coming up with a name wasn't very difficult.  These headbands wouldn't be a reality if it weren't for the inspiration I get from my darling girl, so why not name it justly?  As is with most brand new shops, I only have a few listings of some of my absolute favorites, but I can also take custom orders and requests via email.  I'm currently working on two custom orders for the Fourth of July and am very excited about how they're turning out (Pictures will be coming soon)!

Here are some of the current listings, modeled by none other than Callie Marie herself. :)  I'll have some new items up soon that will be modeled by my sweet little niece and another close friend's precious babe and I can't wait!! 

This is a very scary journey for me.  Putting yourself out there isn't always easy and sometimes comes with a lot of heartache and disappointment.  My prayer has been that if this is in God's will, that He will take it and use it for His glory.  If you so desire, please spread the word about Callie Marie Creations to your loved ones and friends, any help is a HUGE help and I appreciate each one of you greatly!  Thank you for all of your support, encouragement and prayers.  We are truly blessed to have friends and family like you!

Please take a minute and check out our shop by clicking here!

Electronic Hoarding VS Life Enhancing

The other day as I was perusing the very dangerous time-suck that is Pinterest, I saw an e-card that talked about it just being another form of "electronic hoarding." 

After I laughed for a good ten seconds I pondered the thought and it really rang true for me.  How many things have I pinned with good intentions and then just completely forgotten about? Right then and there the decision came, no longer would I let time or a busy schedule be an excuse for me.  It's summer and those things were pinned for a reason, now to make them a reality!

My goal is to try and take some of the fun, creative and, unique ideas that have been pinned on my boards and turn them into realities.  Once I've done that I can move them from their board as a type of "spring cleaning" if you will.  They'll no longer be lurking in the dark, dusty corners of the internet but will become true, wonderful memories for myself and family... I'm sure some won't turn out as glamorous or wonderful as the thoughtfully crafted pictures have made them, but it's worth a shot!  

Sunday night after our daughter was sound asleep in her crib, I made my way outside to turn this dream into a reality.  We recently bought a pool from Walmart for Callie's first birthday party and filled it with balls for a make-shift ball pit.  The pool was a huge success at the party and I wanted to make sure it wasn't a one-time-use kind of expense.  About a year ago I came across a photo of a pool filled with down comforters and pillows that read, "Night under the stars..." I grabbed the pillows from our guest bedroom along with a blanket (no way I was gonna get a down comforter to lay in outside, in June, in Texas...) and threw them in the pool (by-the-way, in case you didn't figure it out by now, there is no water in the pool at this time... It really is common sense, but sometimes you have to just come out and say it).

I then walked inside and grabbed Josh along with two ice cold beverages and returned to the pool.  I told him what I was doing and he jumped right on in, excited for something new.  When you've been married for nearly 4 years you have to become a little more creative for date ideas.  We laid in the pool bed for a good hour just looking at the clouds, talking about our weeks and enjoyed the peace and quiet (minus the thoughtful neighbor who decided 8:00 was a good time to edge their yard).

Overall it was a positive experience.  Super easy to clean up and definitely something we will do again.  I could even see myself doing this as a "go-to" place for devotions or quiet time.  I felt isolated even though we are in the middle of a busy neighborhood with five feet between each house.  My hope is that not only will our lives become more enhanced because of these great ideas, but that all of those hours spent on Pinterest won't be wasted time!  That's what it is there for, right?  So get up off of the couch, find that ONE thing you've been dying to try and then (as Nike put it so eloquently) JUST DO IT!  Oh and let me know how it goes! 

If you would like, you can follow my Pinterest boards here.