My Creative Blog [Search results for Nursery] 

T he nursery is finally complete and ready for the arrival of our sweet babies.

At first we thought we'd wallpaper the nursery but we never did find a pattern we absolutely loved, nor a pattern that was in our price range. We also considered stenciling the walls but couldn't find a pattern worth the effort or cost.
I have been wanting to do panel wainscoting ever since I tore out a 'how to' article on it from This Old House magazine years ago. It turned out that the nursery was the perfect room to do this. It added a wonderful detail and even better, was very affordable ($200 for materials). The walls are painted with Benjamin Moore's Simply White in flat. The trim, doors, windows and wainscot are painted with semi-gloss Simply White.
You can go here to see what we started with when planning the nursery.

From the very beginning, I knew I wanted the nursery to have a natural earthy warmth. I find rich wood hues provide that warmth, especially with abundant natural light. I used white and gold colors to provide additional lightness to the room. I also thought that this color scheme would offer a nice neutrality for our baby boy and girl.

From the opposite end of the room, you can see the paneling detail and the antique French armoire.
Draped over the chair is my old baby blanket.

Update: we added a changing table a few weeks after I took these photos. The talented Patricia Banner from Cottage by Design made this for me!

I wanted an armoire for easy access to baby clothes and linens. I also liked the idea of having a beautiful antique in the room and the rich warmth of the wood.

Baby girl clothes are on the left and baby boy clothes are on the right.

I chose a Da Vinci Jenny Lind crib in cherry to match the armoire and brightened it with white bedding.

I went with basic cotton bumpers to save on cost, but did dress them up by sewing white satin ribbons to secure them to the spindle railings. The second crib is upstairs in our bedroom where the babies will sleep at night.

I love the ornate detail of this antique frame and its beautiful gold glow. To go in it, I ordered a print of The Screech Owl by Albrecht Durer. In addition to the picture rail, we secured it to the wall as an extra precaution.

The art next to the nursing chair is a beautiful watercolor landscape my Grandmother used to have in her bedroom. I've always loved it and knew that one day it would go in our nursery. To freshen it up, I added a new mat.

The armoire mirror reflects the natural light from the windows.

After a considerable search, we finally settled on a 100% jute braided oval rug, which offers a nice softness to the room. We also like that the oval shape leaves more of the original wood floors exposed.

I bought this beautiful antique crocheted baby blanket years ago.

I absolutely love these curtains! They're a very lovely brown and white old-fashioned rose floral pattern.
Putting together the nursery was a unique experience for me. Besides finding the armoire, (which I purchased early on in my pregnancy when I was much more mobile), I wasn't really able to get into Portland to shop for things. All of the items in the room are ones we already had on hand, or were able to purchase online.
I hope that you enjoyed visiting our nursery. We know it will evolve over time and we'll be adding things and making adjustments as the babies grow. We're looking forward to welcoming our babies home very soon. xo
Here is a resource list of some of the items we used:
DaVinci Jenny Lind crib $199. (from Target) Oval 5 x 8 jute rug $130. (from here ) Jenny Lund slipcover chair $199. (from IKEA ) Floral curtains $24.99 per panel (from here ) Antique brass curtain rod and drapery rings $110. (Home Depot) Owl print $40. (from here )
Go here to read posts on the green nursery.

Since we have a little time off before our next episode (the last episode before baby arrives!), I've been spending some time getting the nursery ready. It's funny- this pregnancy has flown by and up until now, I haven't even begun to prepare for it! Of course, we always try to redecorate rooms on the cheap and one of my favorite ways to do this is by using free printables. And I wouldn't be a good blog friend if I didn't share my absolute fav finds with you! So, here are 12 of the most adorable, trendy and fun printables I could find.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Let's get this party started!

1. Ooh Moon 2. Balancing Home
So, this first Noah's Ark print is so stinkin' cute! Ooh Moon is really cool because you can sign up for an alert when a new printable is available and you have 24 hours to print it out. The Love Shines Here print would fit equally as well in a kitchen or playroom as in a nursery!

3. Feed Your Soul 4. Balancing Home
Feed Your Soul is a free art program that has real artists contribute original prints that are downloadable and printable. There are tons of fun options, so make sure you browse around to find your favorite! This Blast Off print is simple and fun and perfect for a little boy's room.

5. The DIY Village 6. Feed Your Soul
Matt and Jacque from the DIY Village are gearing up for the arrival of their first child and created this simple printable that speaks volumes. I love that you can customize it by coloring it in to match your room decor! Number 6 is another Feed Your Soul masterpiece (Pretty sure you'll see this one in a gallery wall in my baby's room!)

7. Trendy Peas 8. I Rock So What
Ummm, I'm sorry, but isn't that fox the cutest little thing? I don't know if you remember, but I mentioned that I was really hoping to incorporate forest animals, namely sneaky little foxes, in our baby's nursery, so I was thrilled to find this printable! And you can't go wrong with this whale printable- it would look especially perfect in a nautical room of any kind.

9. Tried and True 10. Eighteen Twenty-Five
Watercolor prints are in so in right now, and this World Smiled print incorporates that trend a bit. I absolutely love the sentiment, because doesn't every parent feel that way about their baby?! Leave it to Eighteen Twenty-Five to come up with a graphic printable in about a million pretty colors. They have tons of subway art printables too, so snoop around a bit when you hop over there.

11. On To Baby I'm a big fan of any printable that you can customize and so this monogram print that comes in a bunch of colors is right up my alley. We're not revealing any baby names yet (not that we've settled on one or anything!), so you'll have to just wait until our nursery reveal to see what we chose.: )

12. I Rock So What

This.is.truth. The end.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- And for those of you who are willing to shell out a couple bucks, I found these too-sweet-to-pass-up printables on Etsy. While these aren't free, they're all less than $10 each, so you're still getting a pretty darn good bargain!

1. Bon Temps Beignet

2. Printable Wisdom

3. Prints and Printables

Again with the foxes! Love, love, love this set of 3.

4. Plum Street Prints

Plum Street Prints had so many fabulous printables that I had trouble choosing just one to showcase! For some reason, I am really drawn to the simple designs these days.

Well, that's about it. Now I just have the difficult job of choosing which ones to print and hang in the baby's room. Where are your go-to sources for free printables? Do share!!

Jess and I think today's Fab Find is pretty darn fabulous… It's our"Contact Us" tab! Now, before you tune me out, give this post a chance!

We thought we'd share a recent question that we got from one of our readers! We love hearing from all of you and we want to hear from you even more! We got the following message from a reader"Jess" (and no, we did not send ourselves a fake email just to make us feel good!) Here's her message:
Hi Girls — love your site! So I wanted to ask if you might be doing a post on nursery ideas in the near future (or maybe you've already done so). I'll need to start planning in the next few months…we don't have a lot of space to work with and don't want to spend a lot of money (of course). If you could point me in the direction of any good websites with simple but modern ideas, that would be great. Thanks, you girls are amazing! So… Thanks for your email Jess and here's our answer for ya! Nursery Ideas on a Budget Since I wasn't exactly sure what style the fabulous Jess wants for her nursery, I thought we'd just focus on a few money saving ideas that will still have a big impact. (Click on any of the pictures below for more info) 1. Don't tie yourself down to Babies R Us… Sure everyone thinks they need the standard, crib, changing table, armoire matchy matchy combo, but I beg to differ. Flea market, Salvation Army, Restore, and Craigslist can be your very BFF when furnishing your nursery. I love using a dresser for a changing table and there are plenty of little DIY add ons you can do to make it safe for the little one. Of course I adore this yellow buffet-turned-changing-table… does it remind you of this post?

Source: None via The Real Housewives on Pinterest
Just to prove this, I took 60 seconds and found this piece on Craigslist for $20!! Seriously, I'm tempted to buy it myself! New Paint and this piece would be amazing!

Another repurposed piece. I also love the storage idea they used. You don't have to commit to the standard canvas bins. These little details can go a long way.

Source: blondiensc.typepad.com via The Real Housewives on Pinterest
2. Make your storage pretty, so it counts as art… This is huge when you're wanting to be a frugal fanny. Rather than adding a million accessories and details that add up in cost, just make the practical things cute! I love these fabric book shelves and just think of all the possibilities because there are a bajillion fabrics in the world to choose from. (Yes, bajillion is a real number in my world).

Source: pennycarnival.typepad.com via The Real Housewives on Pinterest
I think these planters-turned-storage-bins are adorable. Now would be a great time to buy these because most likely they're on clearance at Lowes and Home Depot.

Source: centsationalgirl.com via The Real Housewives on Pinterest
3. Use fabric… I wanted some witty name, but really, all I mean is just use fabric. Sure fabric can be expensive, but you can also find great clearance fabrics. Using fabric as part of your decor is both adorable and can be economical.

Source: lh6.googleusercontent.com via The Real Housewives on Pinterest I don't sew. {GASP!} How can she be a blogger and not sew! Well, don't get your panties all in a knot… I have a bundle of fusible web and also a grandmother-in-law that lends a hand. The moral of my confession is that you don't need to sew to make cool things with fabric. It's amazing what you can do with a good pair of scissors. I haven't tried this fabric idea, but it's on my list of things to try. Simply wrap inexpensive painter's canvas with fabric and hang… instant art!

Source: conspicuousstyle.com via Cami on Pinterest
4. Paint your way to a pretty cool nursery… I love using a $30 can of paint to make a HUGE impact in a room. Paint has a crazy return on investment and just takes a little time and creativity. a few years ago I helped a friend do this bold wall for her twin boys' nursery.

Obviously, I am in love with this nursery for about a million reasons, but look at that chevron wall. Tape + Paint = simply awesome. There's so much you can do with paint and if you choose something bold enough, you won't need much in the way of art.

Source: madebygirl.blogspot.com via The Real Housewives on Pinterest No budget for moulding? Just paint it on… how cool is this? The pictures alone are beautiful, but the border really makes it a focal point and hikes up the awesomeness factor.

Source: potterybarnkids.com via The Real Housewives on Pinterest
5. Pin before you begin… If you haven't yet, join Pinterest and get inspired! It's amazing how creative people are, so head on over and make a plan.

So Jess, I hope this has gotten your creative juices flowing! You're definitely going to have to share your finished product with us so we can share it with everyone! We hope the rest of your pregnancy goes well and we're so excited for you guys to welcome your little one into the world!
-Monica (& Jess) So, there you have it… Contact Us! Who knows you might just get your very own post too!

This day seems like a long time coming. It's the first time I've completed a nursery AFTER the baby was born. Ha! (If you missed my baby announcement, you can see it here) Doing this reveal today- October 1st- is sort of ironic, since this is the day I was due! I'm so happy I took my time to finish it because I'm really happy with it! It's not perfect- is any room ever really perfect??-, but it makes me smile and will be a great space for Bennett… when I can part from him.; ) I hope you're ready for a whole slew of pictures. Sit back and enjoy!

Come on in!

This room is nothing like I originally envisioned, but one thing that stuck is the color scheme: orange, mint and gray. It's so fresh, bright and a little quirky.

Isn't that little Bennett burp cloth adorable? My friend Karen from Thread Blossoms made it and I never want to actually use it- it's too cute!

Free printables are a great way to dress the walls in a nursery- (you can see my round up of fun printables here.) I added the printable on the far left from The Handmade Home, and I love it! The rocking chair has been in my family for years, but I just recently decided to make it work in the space by painting it in Annie Sloan's Graphite chalk paint. The abstract art was custom-made by my cute kids (more on that later!)

These cube shelves are from Ikea- Monica actually hung them during our first Nate's Crate challenge on The Nate Berkus Show. They totally look like built-ins and fit that little nook perfectly.

This room doesn't have a closet that we can use, so we purchased an armoire from Ikea to hang some of Bennett's clothes. When you sit in the rocking chair, you kind of stare right at the side of the armoire, so I hung an old print that was in my nursery as a baby, after painting the wood frame in the same graphite as the chair.

I've had the coffee sign for several years, but I moved it in the nursery because I thought it was kind of funny…if you've ever had a newborn, you know how much caffeine you need!: )

Oh, the dresser. This dresser is fabulous, isn't it? It was my grandparents and I totally wasn't sold on it at first, but we were trying to do this room on a budget and it was free. Done deal, folks. Now, I am in love with it! I'll share the details in another post, but with some paint and wax and a pop of orange paint on the legs, it was turned into the best part of the room!

I thought the"Oh Boy" was so appropriate for two reasons: 1) we were having a boy (duh!) and 2) we were taken so by surprise with this pregnancy. It makes such a statement and adds a whole lot of personality to the room!

I added some washi tape to the plain black lamp shade to add a little interest. Man, I love washi- is there no end to it's many uses?

Bennett isn't spending too much time in this room yet, but I'm pretty sure he's excited about it!

I hope you love it as much as I do! Tell me…what's your favorite part?

Sources Sheets: Target Rug: Ikea Changing Pad Cover: Babys R Us Dresser Paint: Annie Sloan Graphite & Paris Gray, Dark Wax Giant Letters: Hobby Lobby Dresser light: Target Color-blocked baskets: Target Copper Light on bookshelf: Local antique shop Armoire: Ikea Bookshelf cubes: Ikea Rocking Chair: Hand-me-down Mirror: Walmart Coffee sign: Vintage sign store in OCNJ

I thought I'd do a quick post on one of our nursery projects.

Here is the inside of the antique French armoire we purchased for the nursery. The piece was missing shelves so Hubby made these using pine tongue and groove planks. We are striving to make our nursery as green as possible, and didn't want to use any wood products such as plywood that contained glues and adhesives.

My Mom came up with the brilliant idea to cover the shelves in cloth — so we used 100% cotton duck cloth. After washing and ironing it, my Mom made slipcovers, which she was able to slide over the wood shelves as shown above.

Years ago I saw a photo of a linen closet that had a nice lace detail running along the edge of the shelves. We decided to add a similar detail to the armoire. Here is my Mom pinning the lace to one of the shelves before hand-sewing it.

And here's the result.

The cloth covers add a nice freshness to this piece that's been around for well over a hundred years.
I've received a lot of inquiries into when I'll be posting photographs of the nursery and honestly, I thought I would have been able to do so by now. But as it is, I am still waiting for a few items to arrive in the mail — one of the those items being the rug!
I'm typically not an on-line shopper but it's been helpful as I'm no longer making trips into the city. The downside of course is that sometimes things aren't always what they seem online, returns have to be made, and items reordered....for example our cribs.
However, things are coming together and we're really close to having everything completed. So photos to hopefully follow soon!

C reating a healthy home has been a priority of ours since we began our renovations five years ago. Our motivation was due, in part, to the fact that this was a home in which we hoped to raise children. So naturally, creating the healthiest nursery possible was also main priority for us. It motivated all of our choices, from furniture and wall treatments, down to the rug.
These are the choices we made:

The Cribs: We chose the Da Vinci Jenny Lind crib because it is made with wood harvested from sustainably-managed forests. It's also lead and phthalate free, and stained in a non-toxic finish. Also, the teething rail is BPA free.
The Crib Mattresses: We chose Naturepedic organic mattresses. They offer a non-toxic waterproof surface that includes 100% food-grade polyethylene. They are also hypoallergenic, filled with organic cotton filling.
The Crib Sheets: We chose 100% organic cotton crib sheets.

The Armoire: It was important to us to not purchase any furniture for the nursery that was made with manufactured wood, that may contain glues, adhesives or other compounds which may off-gas over time. Antique furniture provides this safeguard, as well as the opportunity to recycle beautifully-crafted pieces made long ago.

Mike created shelves for the armoire using solid tongue and groove pine floor planks. My Mom then covered them in 100% cotton fabric.

Nursing Chair: We selected the IKEA Jenny Lund slipcovered arm chair for nursing. I was really nervous about bringing a new chair into our nursery, as most new furniture is constructed with manufactured woods that may off-gas. So, I was happy to learn that IKEA strictly procures wood from sustainably-managed forests, and their pressed wood products comply with low formaldehyde standards.
The Rug: We narrowed down our rug choices quite fast in knowing that we would only buy something that was made with natural fibers (with no rubber or plastic backing). We initially looked for 100% wool rugs, but ended up ordering a 100% jute braided rug for its style and shape. It's also reversible, so it should stand the test of time.

Wall Treatments: Like the rest of our house, the nursery was painted using Benjamin Moore's no-VOC line. Everything from the ceiling and the mouldings, to the doors and walls, were painted with the color Simply White in either flat or semi-gloss finishes.
Choosing white for the plaster walls was a natural choice for me as it was the color of my childhood room, from birth until I left for college.
White also has the added benefit of having less pigment added to the mix (pigments most often contain VOCs). I did just recently learn however that Benjamin Moore is one of the very few lines that uses VOC-free pigments. Thus their VOC-free line truly is VOC-free, no matter what color one chooses.

When Mike created the paneled wainscoting, he used solid wood mouldings, assembled and secured in place with a finish nail gun instead of glue.

The Closet: To create extra storage, we relocated the antique dresser from the guest house. We preferred using the dresser for the same reason that we chose the antique armoire. Also in the closet are the toys and books in waiting....until the babies are older.
Purchasing two cribs, two mattresses, two car seats, clothing, diapers, etc.... added up as you can imagine. So we focused our budget on the things we knew we would need from birth through the first several months. Any toys and books we have were ours from childhood, or were given to us by family and friends.
When we do start buying toys, we will focus on brands that offer phthalate-, BPA- and lead-free products.

Baby clothes: We have been very lucky in that we have received lovely hand-me downs from my friend Karen, and my brother Steven and his wife Marna, who have a son and two sweet daughters. The above knit sweater was my adorable nephew's.

This sweet outfit is a combination of a hand-me down (the white cotton onesie) from my niece and a purchase from a baby consignment store (the 100% organic cotton jumper with pink velvet piping). I've found consignment stores to be a wonderful resource for beautiful clothing, often hardly worn, at much lower prices than retail (organic knit jumper was $11).
I hope that everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving holiday! I managed to stay on my feet long enough to make the pie crust... I spent the rest of the day on the couch nodding off and listening to the bustle of kitchen activity made by my mom and Mike.
Happy Holiday Season to everyone! xo

I love wicker and I love wood. Either together or separate. I have always been drawn to their warmth. My trip into the big city (Portland, Oregon) last week allowed me to indulge in these affections, as I found a couple of new antique wicker and wood pieces that I adore.
The piece shown above is what I would call art. To me, it's no different than a painting on the wall as it represents a unique expression of creativity and fine craftsmanship. I fell in love with this piece when I saw it, with its beautiful bobbin turned spindles, legs and arms, and pristine rush seat.
It's actually two pieces....called corner chairs. But according to the antique dealer, the chairs were often kept together and used as a bench. I'll keep them together as well.
Since I get a lot of inquiries about pricing of antiques, I will start listing what I've paid for the antiques I buy. This piece was originally priced at $130 for the pair and it was 50% off — so I paid $65. As I said to Hubby, 'that's a great deal.'

I also happened across this antique wicker trunk. I've always loved the look of trunks like these. This one is in pristine condition, so I knew I couldn't pass it up at $40. I love that it's on old, squeaky wheels.

Even the handles are still intact.

The top is in great condition too. By the way....this happens to be the first piece of furniture I've purchased for our growing family.
We'll use it as a toy box. xoxo
The other item I found on my excursion into the big city was an antique French armoire....also for the nursery! We just brought it home over the weekend so it's in several pieces right now — photos will have to follow.
Hubby is still working hard on finishing the dining room (after work and on the weekends). He's hung the drywall and is in the process of finishing up the mud (which takes three coats with a twenty-four hour drying period in between).

As for me, I've been trying to stay off my feet. My ankles, calves and feet have started to swell significantly and the only way to keep the swelling down is to lie down with my feet up (which somehow makes my eyes close).
And as you can see, I'm growing! Everywhere! In fact, soon I will surpass dear six foot four tall Hubby on the scale — ouch.
I'm feeling quite well overall, suffering mostly from pure lack of motivation....hence the lack of posts last week. But I am getting really excited to decorate the nursery. I haven't been running around much the last several months so my trip into Portland last week was a big day for me.
I have a strong vision of what the nursery will look like (I've drawn it out on paper about a dozen times now). The armoire was the major, potentially most challenging, item to acquire so now that we've found that, the rest should come together quite easily.
I'm very excited to share my vision for the nursery with you — and will do so in the coming months!

W e enjoyed our first cherry tomato harvest over the weekend! It was a notable moment as the tomatoes got off to a rather slow start due our cool, rainy June.
Most of the heirloom varieties are still quite green. We're hoping that before the fall temperatures settle in, we'll get some more late hot summer days to help them ripen.

As you can see, I'm ripening as well. I'm a little over 23 weeks pregnant now and the babies are growing fast. I'm so excited to say that we've begun working on the nursery. Hubby finished all of the painting in the dining room (photos to soon follow) and has officially begun the painting projects for the nursery.
Once the painting is finished, everything should come together quite quickly as all the furniture and design plans are pretty much complete! Can't wait to share it with you!

Got an old dresser that needs some love and attention? Don’t kick it to the curb just yet! Try out this ombre paint method for a fun, modern design that will give your dresser new life!

*Insider tip: When we're looking for furniture to upcycle, we make sure that the piece is in relatively good condition. That doesn't mean it looks good, just that it's structurally sound. Ideally, we love a piece with clean lines and a classic style, but don't overlook a piece just because it has scroll-work or is ornate. Oftentimes, those things can be removed easily with a jigsaw.
1. Prep the dresser by giving it a thorough sanding with an orbital sander to get rid of the old finish. Remove any hardware from the drawers for easy painting,, too! After sanding, wipe down the dresser with a damp cloth.

2. Choose your color and get to work! You can actually achieve the ombre effect two different ways- by buying three or four colors from the same paint swatch, or, if you’re trying to save money like we were, using one paint color and changing the color with white paint! We’ll explain this method, since it’s the one we used. Don’t worry, it’s not hard and it’s worth the little bit of extra work!

3. Go ahead and paint the bottom row of drawers using a small foam roller (designed for painting furniture) with the undiluted, fully-saturated color. The key to a nice finish is even long, even strokes and several light coats of paint. Set drawers aside.

4. To thin out your paint for the next color, pour three parts of the original paint color in a small paint tray and add one part white paint (3:1 ratio). Roll onto next row of drawers.

5. Using the same method, thin out the paint with a 2:2 ratio for the third row up from bottom and a 1:3 ratio for the top row of drawers. Paint and let dry the specified amount of time. 6. Add new hardware- we chose to bling out our dresser with clear, glass and gold knobs for this adorable little girl. Or, put the old hardware back on to save even more money!

Voila! You’ve easily accomplished the fabulous and trendy ombre effect on your dresser! This style is awesome for a nursery, but depending on the colors you choose, could really be used anywhere in your house!

We've tried our hand at lots of different dresser upcycles. Our absolute favorite is this Anthropologie- inspired dresser

But, we also kind of love this outdoor furniture upcycle:

So, please…for our sake…don't throw out your old furniture! Do something fun with it.: ) To watch the full episode of this nursery makeover, click Here! There were so many fun projects in this room!

M y nesting instincts have always been quite strong. Even as far back as my teenage years, I can remember devouring the pages of Colonial Home and Victoria magazines.
Many years later and seven months pregnant, my nesting instincts are as strong as ever. Not only do they motivate me to create a lovely nursery for our little ones, but they propel me to organize the house from top to bottom!
In fact, my Mom's visit this past week was centered around feathering our nest (with tasks organized on paper in my favorite form — a 'to do' list).

The list included tasks such as organizing our coat closet...

....Trading summer coats for fall and winter, and filling baskets with scarves and mittens.
We also mopped the kitchen floor, ran a few errands, and of course, worked on finishing up the last details of the nursery.

W e celebrated our sixth wedding anniversary this weekend. I think it's been our favorite anniversary so far. We didn't go on a special getaway or even out for a nice dinner. We were home the entire day working on the nursery and it felt wonderful. Our vision for the nursery has evolved over the last several months. This has been due to our budget and the decorating resources that are available. And as all of our house projects go, we've been following our instincts along the way.
But I'm so thrilled to say that Hubby has finished the painting, the wood floors have been mopped, and today the antique French armoire was moved in. Everything else will hopefully come together very soon!
A lot of the final details are now dependent on the postal system. This is because I've tried to avoid the arduous task of driving into the city and have ordered several things online. Not too long ago, a trip into the big city was something to look forward to. But at seven months pregnant, my feet begin to swell and my back begins to ache just thinking about it!
Happy October wishes to you. xo
Image by Thia Konig

Nothing says city style like a cool, exposed brick wall… but bringing in real brick for this nursery makeover just wasn't an option! We decided adding faux bring paneling was the best option! This is a great project if you want to add some character and style to your home without spending a lot of money.

How to Create a Faux Brick Wall
Lowe's and Home Depot both sell faux brick panels for about $15-$25. I'll be honest, they're crazy ugly when you get them- they need some paint STAT! But, they're affordable and look awesome when they're finished.
1. Measure your wall space to determine how many panels you’ll need. Each brick panel comes in a 4x8 sheet. They're usually in the lumber section near paneling.

2. Paint the brick to your desired color. These panels often get overlooked because they have a super-outdated red, brick finish, but they can easily be changed with regular, old wall paint! We chose to roll our panels with a base coat of white, and then add a fun pop of color with aqua spraypaint over top. If you want a rustic look, go for uneven coverage, letting some of the white show through. If you’re going for sleek and modern, go for full coverage with your spray paint.

3. Create a template that includes any special cuts (like outlets, light switches or pitched ceiling lines) you’ll need to make before installing the panels. We just used leftover cardboard that we placed on the wall, traced the line of the ceiling with a marker, and cut using a straight-edge razor. Using your template as a guide, make cuts on the panels as needed with a jigsaw.

4. Place painted panels on the wall and nail into place using a nail gun, or a hammer and nails. Caulk any seams or spaces along the wall and ceiling for a finished look. Easy peasy!

There you have it- you just added instant character and interest to your room without ever having to lift a brick!; )

To watch the full episode of this nursery makeover, click Here! There were so many fun projects in this room!

If you're looking for another creative wall treatment idea, check out this project:
Planked Walls with Exposed Studs

Well, here I was thinking that I was so ahead of the trend when I found Serena & Lily, but then the blog celebrity Nester posted this about them yesterday. It turns out I'm not the only one who knows about their fabulousness, but I still had to share my favorite items from this home decor/furniture store. My mom received their catalog earlier this month, and I was immediately hooked just by looking at the cover…

Source: habituallychic.blogspot.com via Jessica on Pinterest
Every single thing in the catalog is so unique and beautiful, not to mention, ridiculously expensive. Just pretty eye candy for me, but sometime a girl has to dream a little, you know?

Source: shelterinteriordesign.blogspot.com via Jessica on Pinterest
I am in love with the white on white tones in this room with the pops of color in the throw pillows. Plus, I would probably sell my dog most of my posessions to have that fireplace mantle. Just sayin'.

Source: serenaandlily.com via Jessica on Pinterest
They really have such great fabric that you can purchase as well. These are super adorable and I'm totally digging the muted gray, blue, rust and green.

Source: serenaandlily.com via Jessica on Pinterest
How darling is this girl's bedroom? That headboard is a such a mix of feminine (the pink) with a little edge (the nailhead trim).

Source: serenaandlily.com via Jessica on Pinterest
This is called the Boathouse mirror. Of course, I would love a boathouse mirror.

Source: serenaandlily.com via Jessica on Pinterest
Puppies on a pillow. Enough said.

Source: serenaandlily.com via Jessica on Pinterest
This malibu chandelier is A-MAZ-ING. In case you can't tell, it's made of stone-colored beads and jute.

Source: serenaandlily.com via Jessica on Pinterest
Monica did not like this multi-colored Havana stool, but I think it would look awesome in a playroom, or even a fun game room.

Source: serenaandlily.com via Jessica on Pinterest
They even have a line of their very own low-VOC paint. Again, the way they laid out this magazine spread made me want to buy everything I saw!

Source: laylagrayce.com via Amber on Pinterest \
And if you are in the market for nursery bedding and decor, look no further. I have never seen baby bedding quite like Serena & Lily's- they are perfect for a nursery, but honestly, I would be happy having them for my bedroom.
Go on- check out their website . And then you're allowed to cry over how pricey everything is. I did.

Earlier this year, we shared goals for our homes, and one of mine was creating a big boy room for my baby, Charlie. I guess he's not really a baby anymore, he'll be 3 in July, but you know what I mean. And now that there will actually be a baby in our lives, we need to move Charlie's crib into the nursery. Rather than kick him out of the crib right before the baby arrives, we decided to make the transition far in advance so that he doesn't feel like he's being replaced. Last week we moved a twin bed into his room and he's been sleeping in it like a champ ever since!

Now that the hard part is out of the way, I'm ready to begin decorating the room! Of course, I've been gathering lots of inspiration on Pinterest and have a pretty good idea of what I want the room to look like. Want to see?; ) Here are a few of the elements I'm planning on incorporating:
1. I'm so in love with the way the designers layered the headboards in this room. I'm not going to do two upholstered headboards, but am hoping to achieve the same affect with something a little different. Also, man, do I love stripes! That exact striped fabric is defintiely going to make an appearance.

Source
2. Navy! Enough said.

Source
3. Planked walls. I've done enough entire wall planking for a while, but we are going to be dressing a small area of the room with some planks. I just can't get enough of this style of walls!

Source
4. I know this has been done millions of times, but I'm still digging the monograms on the wall. I love the graphic statement these big letters make without costing a fortune!

Source
5. Sadly, there won't be any nautical elements like I had originally hoped for. When given several choices, Charlie chose rocket ship sheets (I didn't even know he knew what they were!), and even though I'm not going full on space theme, I know nautical stuff would be much more for me than him. Boooo.

Anybody know the source??
I can't wait to get started but we start filming another episode this weekend, so it might just have to wait. I hope to give you an update as soon as I can!

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Psssst. Did you hear our BIG NEWS?

Click here for our announcement post with all the fun details!!
We can't wait for July 7th!!

Well, it's been two awesome (and far too quick) weeks since our little man arrived, so I thought I would give you a glimpse of the tiny person who has stolen our hearts. He surprised us by making his appearance almost four weeks early, but he's healthy and growing like a weed! You might remember that when I announced this pregnancy, I had mixed emotions. But those days seem long gone because I can't imagine life with out our new addition.
This is Bennett:

Of course, I had to call in my friend Stacy from Salvatori Photography to snap some pictures of my baby before he grew out of that fleeting newborn phase. Stacy is also the one who set up an awesome gender reveal photo shoot for us.

This girl does not disappoint! Photographing newborns is no joke- it involves a lot of patient waiting, a space heater, and four adults trying to position a floppy head. I gotta say, though, she had a pretty cute subject to work with!

I seriously can't get enough of these pictures! If you need ANY kind of special event photographed and are in the area, you need to call Stacy. You won't regret it! ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Since Bennett came so early, I didn't have the chance to finish his nursery, but in the last few weeks we've made some progress. I should be able to reveal it to you later this week, but here's a sneak peek of what we have going on…

Can't wait! A big thank you to all of you who have wished us well and congratulated us on our new baby- we are so grateful and feel so loved. This blogging community is seriously the best. <3

Friday night we had the awesome privilege of being the special guests at Calvary Church of Souderton's Ladies Night Out. We were asked to come up with something involving DIYing and be super entertaining while 450 women looked on… yikers, no small task right?

We chatted about it a bit and then decided we were up for another White Box Challenge!! If you missed our first one with Nate Berkus, you can check it out HERE. We set up a Plain Jane, Ho-Hum room, talked through each project, starting it on stage in front of everyone, and then had 30 minutes during intermission to actually transform the room. Yes, we know we're completely insane!!

We wish all of you across the country could have come to the event- it was SUPER fun, but since you couldn't- we thought we'd share some of the fun with you!!
One of the first things we talked about was using what you've got. We've all got"mad skillz" but my skillz are probably pretty different than yours. Rather than feeling like you've got to fit into a perfect mold, instead, find a way to use what you're good at- and what you most likely love- to help others. Sometimes we fall into the trap of thinking we need to serve in the traditional ways i.e. church nursery, ushering at church, helping at a food bank- and while all of those are awesome and perfect for some people, God might have gifted you in a different way, to do different things. For some weird reason, I can make rooms look pretty… not your typical serving"gift", but Jess and I have been able to use it in awesome ways- decorating the women's recovery center, Jess did the children's room at her house, our Design It Forward projects etc… Bottom line: Use what you've got, don't try and fit into someone else's mold- God wants to use YOU with the cool talents he's given you.

Then, we talked about using what you've got in your home!! We all have rooms in our houses that we'd like to change, but odds are we don't need to go out and start from scratch- so we explored ideas for making generic items awesome!! The biggest things to remember hear are #1- Don't be afraid to try something!! Working on Knock It Off, we're now 100% convinced that fear is what holds peeps back from making their home exactly how they want it! #2- Your home should reflect YOU! It doesn't need to look like a Pottery Barn catalog (although those are pretty)- it should be a place that YOU love. If that means a green piano, then go for it. If it means neutral, planked walls, then have at it! Whatever you do, just make sure it feels right for you and your family.

So, here's where our room started off… (We actually struggled to make it look"bad" Jess kept staging things nicely and I would go through and mess them up on purpose!)

The space was fine, but kind of blah- no real personality at all… Now, please forgive me… this is a blogger foul, but the after pic is from a different spot- you don't get the full room. There were 450 ladies in the room at the end and I couldn't get off stage to get a good pic. My bad!
BUT…Here's the room after our 30 minute makeover!

Just a wee bit better eh? Here's a bit of a before and after all you can eat buffet, and we'll be back later this week with more project how-to info!
Ikea RAST dressers are under $40 and you can do so many things with them! Here it is BEFORE…

And AFTER… We combined two to make a fun, color blocked buffet.

And in case you didn't notice… we found the biggest shade this side of the border!! We picked up this baby at a thrift shop…

We knew it had potential, it was just being hidden by a 10 foot shade… it was like a"shade-nado" Ok, bad, lame joke sorry!
With some fun orange spray paint and a new shade trimmed with ribbon, it looked much better!

My official survey showed that 8/10 households has at some point owned an Ikea LACK side table. I mean at $7.99 it's almost impossible not to buy one. The problem is that it SCREAMS Ikea more than any other piece.

The good news… it's one of the easiest Ikea pieces to hack! We turned ours into a tufted ottoman with this gorgeous Ikat fabric (we got it at Joann- use a coupon to get the great price we paid!)

Another common Ikea piece is this chair… Again, so cheap, but sadly, looks it.

We added nail head detailing and paint dipped the legs in the same orange as the lamp. Added a fun pillow and suddenly this Ikea chair isn't so generic anymore!

Art can be expensive and unless to want to unload tons of cash, it's usually pretty generic. This is just blah artwork you could find at Target, Kohls, etc…

We used letters cut on paper, some spray adhesive, and spray paint to make our own custom art. The options are endless with this project.

How 'bout that for some fun before and afters?!? And honestly, every project was started live on-stage and then we finished all of them, painted the top of the wall, and added chair rail in 30 minutes! It was insanity and oh, so awesome all at once.
We couldn't have done it without the help of some awesome volunteers!! Our blog readers rock and 3 awesome ladies worked behind the scenes to have all the projects ready to go for intermission. Dana, Beth, and Donna were great to work with and plus, we love meeting readers in real life!! Thanks again ladies!!
Also, our carpenter and friend Matt made our entire white box before the event and then installed a chair rail and painted the teal walls during intermission in about 5 minutes flat! Matt's in the Philly area and does amazing contracting work! If you need a project done- he's our #1 recommendation! You can reach him at mattvapps@hotmail.com Tell him we sent you!!

So, all-in-all we felt like the event was a success. We loved the challenge and thrill of doing a room live, but more importantly- we LOVED being able to challenge so many women to use what they've got in their homes and also in their lives. We're honored and feel pretty darn blessed to have been given this opportunity.
Check back later this week for project how-to's and other inspiration ideas for these pieces! If you were at the event… what'd you think? Are you ready to try some DIY in your own home?

S tarting a garden takes time. Ours has been five years in the making....though it has been the last few months in which we actually put thoughts to practice. This is why I'm beginning this post with a picture of Hubby tending the grapes a few months ago, as it's taken several weekends since then to create our first vegetable garden on the property.
While he was pruning those grapes, I came up with the idea to tear down the old arbor. I know, who tears down an arbor? But this one was old, and not the good kind of old. It wasn't made well, was infested with carpenter ants, and I knew one day we'd replace it with a new white one.

So down it came.

Several weeks later, we decided that we liked the idea of adhering to the symmetry of the rows of concord grape vines so a garden plot was carved out accordingly. As you can see, Mr. Engineer used numbers and survey string to ensure this was exactly so. Cute.

Then came the delivery of organic compost and rental of the tiller to till the soil....Lucy watched Hubby's back the entire time. as you know, those frisky squirrels can sometimes sneak up on you.

Fast forward a few weekends. Hubby put in a stone pathway....with leftover pavers from our other hardscape projects . Finally, we went to our local nursery and picked out wonderful organic starters.
See the dark blob out to the left of the picture frame?

It's Lucy....soaking up the warm spring sun.

We've designated this area of our property as the food zone. The grapes are here, which are starting to leaf out....and although they were cut down before we bought the place, the old peach orchard used to stand in the field above.
Perhaps we'll replant some kind of fruit trees someday....or maybe blueberries....or keep it open just because a nice open field is always peaceful to look at.

By the end of the day, we planted corn, eight varieties of tomatoes, basil, pickling cucumbers, slicing cucumbers, jalapeno pepper, green beans and a pumpkin plant for our holiday pies. Yet to plant are snap peas, carrots, blackberries and lettuce.
Eventually, we'll build another arbor. We may also build a fence around the garden if we find that the local wildlife are nibbling.
I dream of the day when I wander out to the garden and pluck a fresh warm tomato from its vine.

Confession: I DO NOT volunteer in the nursery or Sunday school classes at my church. {GASP!} I found out through trial and error that at this phase of life it's not my cup of tea. Now, don't go quitting your volunteer positions after reading this post, but I do want to challenge you to think outside the"norm" of how we can help those around us. I think we all have hobbies that we love and often times we don't think of those abilities as unique, God-given gifts. Maybe you knit, scrapbook, paint, read, etc. All of those things you love can be used for others! Knit super-cute baby accessories for a pregnancy center, create mini scrapbooks that a nursing home can offer to residents that don't get visited often, offer to help a single mom paint her master bedroom, volunteer to read at a library or preschool… My point is this… use what you love to bless others. It's doubly rewarding. I've had an amazing example in my life… My Mom. She is a volunteer at the Bucks County Women's Recovery Center in New Britain (BCWRC). She is passionate about helping the women at the center turn their lives around, and even more passionate about introducing them to the Lord. She's started a Bible study through the WRC and so many women's lives have been changed. I visited the center once a few years ago and left feeling really sad.

The house that the women live in wasn't a place that would make these precious ladies feel important, treasured, and valuable. Many of the rooms didn't have anything on the walls, all the furniture was donated and mismatched. The wheels started turning… I was just wrapping up my homestaging business and had TONS of accessories, artwork, and decor. Last spring a team of wonderful friends helped and we did room transformations in six rooms at the WRC.
Last weekend we did a mini phase two for the project because there were two additional rooms that needed some TLC. This basement room wasn't being used at all

Really, who would want to spend time down here with it looking like this?

Stark white walls

It was screaming"Help!"

Thanks to my wonderful husband, our friend Mark, and other volunteers, we painted all night on Friday night… that red wood was not easy to paint, and took a bit more time than I anticipated, but the end results were great!

Saturday, Jess was able to come and help decorate and accessorize the space. We really liked this vinyl phrase because the WRC has many guests reside there, but hopefully they leave with a brighter future and support from new friends.

All the furniture was donated, but worked great- My mom is amazing at finding people willing to help and share.

Much warmer space that the ladies will actually use!

We created the HOPE artwork that will actually match the new accent pillows that we have being custom made for us. It was awesome to be able to do a fun craft project that will encourage those that see it.

So, how have you used your hobbies or talents to help others? If you've never associated your hobbies with blessing others, well, now is the time!

I don't know about where you live, but here in PA, September was the most beautiful month ever! We had more perfect days than we could count! We just LOVE fall weather! We thought we'd look back over the month, because a whole lot of awesomeness was going on!
September's Instagram… As you can see, I'm really enjoying my time off from filming! Our days have been spent going on field trips, picnics at the lake, girl's night out, and of course puppies!! Follow along my day to day on IG @EastCoastCreative

Jess' September revolved around the new little man on the scene- Bennett. Her days off have been filled with lots of family time, a date night with her hubs, and celebrating that her rings fit again! lol. Follow her on IG @Jess_EC2blog

Okay, now let's see what went down on the blog…

Reader Survey We had so much fun reading through all your comments and input for EC2. Definitely check out the stats and see who reads this little old blog. (PS you'll also learn that men are afraid to admit they love reading blogs! )

We shared the inside scoop on many of our Knock It Off Projects: Stencil Wall, How to Remove Wallpaper, Dreary to Cheery, Outdoor Sectional,
If you've missed any episodes of our show… watch them here! Knock it Off: LiveWell Network

We were pretty excited that Silhouette offered to partner with us to give you guys a sweet deal on their cutting machines! Check out this post to get your Silhouette Discount

Perhaps the biggest accomplishment of this month… The Arrival of Baby Bennett! The little man made an early appearance and Jess and Kev are loving up every minute with him! He's totes adorbs people! Check out the adorable pics of Baby Bennett, And you MUST check out his awesome Nursery Reveal

We started a fun series called Right Now…What's Going on in Our World where I shared a behind the scenes peek at what's going on. And yes, it involves insane animal cuteness!! Check it out!

One of my favorite things this month was adding a New East Coast Creative Team Member! Diana is our new intern and she rocks socks!! Seriously, she is doing an amazing job, and it's been super good timing with Jess having the baby.

One majorly exciting milestone for us was having a nice, big feature of my piano in HGTV Mag. Check out the details: Painted Piano HGTV Magazine Feature, And if you want to see how I did it, check out our Painted Piano Project, and the Wood Shim Wall Art above it!

And if you didn't already know we are a tad crazy (well at least the Mangin family is), we went way, way outside the box with my How to Cut a Perfect Mohawk using Frog Tape post. He's still rockin' the 'hawk two months later!
So, all-in-all, I think September was pretty stinkin' swell! Oh, but lest you think otherwise, October just might have it beat!! Here's a peek at what you can expect… -Blog redesign & we're moving!! (to Wordpress that is!) -10,000 Facebook Fan Celebration Giveaway! -We're visiting Martha (umm, yeah THE MARTHA!) in NYC -A Playroom Makeover on a budget -Fall Decorating ideas for indoors and out!
As always, thanks for supporting EC2- we couldn't do it without you!

Well, it's time for another fabulous sponsor round up. We are so blessed to be able to work with these awesome companies- they really make this blog possible! If you haven't taken some time to take a look at these shops, do it now! You will be amazed at the craftsmanship and ohmygoodness, the talent in these people will blow you away!

1. This Merriam Pink paper pack from Moo & Puppy is super sweet. Use EC215 for 15% off your order! 2. I love this Vintage Metal Cup Pendant from Lucent Lampworks. It would add so much personality to a kitchen, don't you think? Use code ECTenOff for 10% of your order! 3. I can't get enough of this gorgeous Raspberry Suzani Pillow Cover from Chic Decor Pillows. Whatever your style is, you'll be able to find a pillow to fit right in, in their shop.

4. I'm in love with this Flying bird necklace from Belmonili. They're one of our NEWEST sponsors and we love the vintage feel of their products. Know anyone that's depressed that Downton is over this season… Belmonili has Grantham approved gifts for sure! Use the code BelmoniliECC for 10% off your order! 5 and 6. You can totally customize your look with this Henle headband and flower accessory. Plus, these headbands promise not to give you a headache! And, speaking from experience, it's true!

7. Remember Monica's"Shut the Front Door" letters? Well, now 163 Design Company offers Canvas-covered letters which are so fabulous. 8. If you're in need of some help organizing, look no further! Clean Mama's Printable Starter Kit includes the busy mama kit, the budget and bill pay kit, the cleaning kit, menu planning kit and the dockets and calendar kit. You'll be super mom in no time! 9. Isnt' this Get Ziggy with It Wall Stencil super fun? LOVE. Use the code ECC10 for 10% off your order.

10. Wood Wick candles from CJS Ecochic are made from soy and are extremely long-lasting. Plus, they smell amazing!
11. We've gone nuts over these inexpensive FoxGram prints. Print any instagram photo for just 25 cents!
12. We've recently found the DIYers solution to dirty, nasty nails. Gel manicures at Oasis Salon. Monica has been telling the entire world that her polish is lasting a full 4 weeks! I have to admit, they do look awesome even with all our DIYing. If you're local you HAVE to try out their amazing pedicures and gel manicures. We can't get enough.
Visit Oasis, tell them EC2 sent you and get 10% OFF one visit! 13. This adorable"Love You" typewriter key bracelet from Junxtaposition is perfect for this month, but would look great all year long!

14. These One Word prints from Red Letter Words are so sweet and I think they would look adorable in a nursery or little girl's room.

15. Liberty Thrift Store is having a President's Day Sale all week long- get 25% of all furniture through February 23rd. What would you do to this piece? Can anyone say color blocking?!?

16. For every $31 you spend at Thirty-One Gifts, you can get a Keep-It Caddy for just $5. The perfect bag for while you're on the go, gift bag, cosmetic case, and so much more! But you KNOW we'd use it to store all those little craft odds and ends.: )

Also, our pal, Mandy, has found the job of a lifetime with Thirty-One Gifts and you can too! If you join now through April 1st and sell $1000 in your first 30 days, you'll get your $99 back! There is nothing to lose and so much to gain!! Last year one of our EC2 readers joined Mandy's team and was so glad she did! Check out Mandy's guest post HERE to hear more about her story and how she was able to leave her full-time job when she joined 31! Go ahead and contact Mandy at hajelfamily@yahoo.com or check out her website for more info.
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Now, the fun part…GO SHOP!; )