Great DIY gift idea!

I'm following the super crafty laides over at YouCanMakeThis.com and their adorable "DIY Gift Giving Series." I just love this idea for a fabric covered bead necklace and the possibilities are endless. The instructions are free and there is even a quick demo video on how to get started. These would be so cute as gifts for girlfriends, mom's, sisters, or teachers. Everyone loves a handmade gift! Check it out...

Rock a Bye Baby

This is where our little Claire will spend her first few months sleeping before moving into her crib, which we don't have yet.

My grandfather made this cradle for me when I was a baby and now we are using it for our little one. I won't say exactly how old it is since my birthday is next week, but let's just say its closer to the 30 year old side than the 20 :)

I had new foam cut for the bottom and made bumpers out of some fabric I have been carrying around for about 3 years. The dark pink color in the bumpers actually matches our master bedroom colors perfectly.

They are reversible with a fun animal alphabet print on the inside. I thought they would be interesting to look at when she lays down...not that she will really notice them for a while.

We didn't have a way to truck the cradle down to Mississippi when my son was born for him to use, but my mom is having a plaque engraved with both children's names and birthdays (along with mine) to attach to it. She's also having one done with my grandfather's name as the craftsman. It's definitely an heirloom to be passed down to future generations in our family.

Decorating a Nursery on a Budget - Part 1 Lighting

The first thing I knew I wanted in our baby girl's nursery was a really sweet chandelier, but ouch...the price of those things! We already had a fan hanging in the room which resembled an airplane propeller, but it was not the greatest compliment to my Wendy Bellissimo Vintage Teaberry crib ensemble. It had to come down. So what's a girl to do...rummage through junk at mom's house of course!

I hauled home this very ugly builder grade chandelier. I have no idea what she was saving it for, but I wish you could have seen hubby's face when he pulled it out of the van :) Yes I drive a mini van now...and Mr. Macho hubbs got a station wagon, ha!

This is where having a well stocked spray paint collection comes in handy. A quick coat of Rust-Oleum Clean Metal Primer and a top coat of Rust-Oleum Flat White gave this little treasure a new life.

The cream silk shades were won off Ebay, $20 shipped for a set of 6. The glass crystals were my grandmother's that only needed a little cleaning. I love how they sparkle! It's hard to tell but the cord cover is made from cream pin tucked taffeta that I got on sale at JoAnns. It matches the curtains I made that I'll show later.

My dad, bless his heart, took down the fan and installed the chandelier. Total cost with free labor ~ $20! It's gorgeous in the room.

The only other lighting in the room is from a pair of buffet lamps sitting on an antique French Provencal dresser that was in my son's nursery as well. These lamps were originally sold in Lowes and I remember passing by them for years wishing I had a place for them. Of course I went on a mad hunt for the exact pair after they had discontinued selling them. But my bargain hunting prevailed and I scored the pair on Amazon.com for $15 shipped, that's just $7.50 a lamp. Love that deal!

They were originally an oil rubbed bronze color.

But that's nothing that can't be solved with a quick shot of paint!

I think the details of the lamps show up better now that they are white. So the total cost for lighting in this room is a whopping $35.

Pink or Blue??

I see a lot of pink in our future! Mom and baby girl are doing fine and right on schedule. Hugs to you all :)

A little update.

Yes it's me, yes I'm alive, and yes I'm a total blogging slacker. It's been over a month since my last post, but in my defense I am pregnant and very tired...although that phase seems to slowly be passing. I thought I'd do a little update about what's been going on here lately. I am now 10 weeks pregnant and doing fine despite an early scare about a month ago. I was admitted to the ER at around 5 weeks with spotting, cramping, and back pain. My diagnosis was "threatened miscarriage" and I was sent home. The spotting continued for 2 weeks and needless to say it was a stressful time for my entire family and close friends. Thankfully everything is fine. Lately I've been spending a lot of time with my family since my son is out of school for the summer and we have been traveling. I've decided to take a break from the blogging thing...actually from the Internet since it started to take up quite a bit of my time. Plus the only crafty thing I've done recently is come up with different positions on how to hold the couch down :) I do have lots of projects for the office/nursery once we find out what the baby is, but until then this little blog may be quiet as I enjoy my family and my son's last days as an only child. Take care!