Shared Nursery for a Boy and Girl

So when my baby girl comes she will be bunking with her big brother. I have been trying to find ways to make the nursery gender neutral. Right now it is painted a beautiful shade of aqua, that I won't be changing. I painted large chevron stripes on one wall in bright white to break up the solid color. I love it! I have found some awesome modern nursery's online to inspire my new shared room. I now need to take my inspiration boy room and girl room and combine them into one SUPER fabulous shared room.

 Here are my favorite boy and girl rooms:

I found this feminine (but not frilly) nursery on Spearmint Baby. You can view more pictures of this room on their site. My inspiration for a boys room comes from Live the Fancy Life:

So for the neutrals in my room I plan to use grey and white. On her side I plan to use pink accents and on his side I plan to use bright green accents. The room is already painted aqua which will look great with pink and green. I will update you as the room develops. Do you have any ideas for great shared rooms?

Hilary Weeks Music Video featuring Nie Nie

Are any of you followers of the Nie Nie Dialogues? She is so inspirational. Anytime I am feeling down or depressed about my life,  I think of the amazing journey and positive outlook if Stephanie Nielson. The other night at enrichment we watched the music video for Beautiful Heartbreak by Hilary Weeks. I must also give a shout out to the composer Tyler Castleton. He is my next door neighbor (we literally share a wall). Check out the amazing video. I promise you will be teary eyed by the end.

Easy Throw Blanket Tutorial

Check out the tutorial for this very simple 4'x6' throw blanket on Design Mom. This would be something simple I could make for my new baby girl! If I start now maybe I'll actually finish it before she gets here this summer.

Valentine Wreath's

Here is a collection of charming and easy to make heart themed wreaths to adorn your door this February.  If you are interested in the tutorials for the wreaths pictured above visit tip junkie. In activity days ( a bi-weekly church activity for girls 8-11) we made these simple paper-heart wreaths with the girls. You can follow the tutorial on The Hybrid Chick.

New Mom Must Haves

I apologize to all my fabulous readers for not posting much lately. Exciting news though...I'm pregnant! Now that I am into my second trimester I am feeling fabulous and ready to blog!

This is my second child. My baby wish list is much shorter this time around. There are only two key items that I plan to invest in.

1. Moby Wrap 

With my first baby I was able to borrow a Moby from my sister-in-law. It was fabulous. I was skeptical at first wondering if it was safe and if the baby would be secure. I LOVED it. My newborn fit snug against my body. I could "wear" him while I cleaned the house, went on walks around the neighborhood, and while grocery shopping. I had my hands free while baby got to snuggle all cozy against my chest. I think I want the Modern Slate colored wrap for myself. It is a reasonable price at $45.

2. Timi and Leslie Diaper Bag

I love Timi and Leslie Diaper Bags. I have been eyeing the brand for a year now. The only problem is that I keep changing my mind about which style I want. They are slightly expensive at around $150, but they are so fashionable and well made I consider it an investment. Here are a few of my favorites:

 I'm liking the look of the Annette Bag in pewter. The color is versatile enough it would look lovely with any outfit. If you're into name dropping, Jessica Alba is a big fan of the brand and has a few of the chic diaper bags.The black bag she is carrying is the Charlie.

For a more casual looking bag I like the Genvieve Hobo Bag in Silver.

 

I'm sure as my due date nears there will be more items I add to this list, but for now these are my big ticket items. Let me know what mommy items you can't live without. 

2nd Birthday Party Ideas and Themes

My son's 2nd birthday is fast approaching. Last year his birthday was a blast, so I am super excited to plan this year's bash. Here are some great 2nd birthday party themes:

TuTu I'm turning 2! Okay, so this doesn't really work for my son's birthday. It's more of a girly theme. But still cute if you have a little girl turning two. You can find some darling tutus on Etsy. Check out the cute and colorful tutus in Lily Jill Bowtique.

 

If you want to make your own tutus you can follow the no sew tutorial on Skip to My Lou. What a fun tutu party you could plan!

Oink, Baa, Moo Guess Who's Turning 2! This is an awesome gender nuteral party theme. Look at these cute invites from Pink Ink Creations:

 

Choo-Choo I'm turning 2! So this is the theme I decided on for my son's birthday.  He is train crazy right now, so it's the perfect fit. Look at these awesome goodie bags from Jennifer's Cookies:

I will be posting later this month all of the great modern train birthday items I find.

Modern Party in a Box

Today is my husbands birthday. I love this party in a box idea from Oh Happy Day! via Amanda Jane. I wish I would have found this before the day of my hubby's birthday! He would have thought I was so clever. Oh well. There's always next year.

Baby Dark Knight Joker Costume

Last year my for my son's first Halloween he was Nacho Libre. My tutorial for making his Nacho costume is my most popular post and has had over 23,000 views. Last year he won our Ward Halloween Party costume contest. He won again this year when he went as the Joker.

 Unfortunately, I do not have the tutorial to post this year. The vest, jacket, and pants were handmade for him by his talented grandma. Doesn't he look cute...and creepy? (Don't worry we didn't let him see himself. We didn't want to scare him!)

Chevron Stripes in the Nursery

My son's not even 2 yet, and I already want to redo his nursery. There are so many cute things I can't make up my mind! We are in the process of moving my toddler into a "big boy" bed. My mom is making him an awesome zig zag quilt in charcoal gray and white. Bee Square has a simple tutorial for creating this quilt. I found the coolest chevron striped nursery decor on Chic & Cheap Nursery.

 

I love the deer silhouette from  Aldari Art. It's a steal at $18.00 for an 8x10. And the gray and bright striped pillow by Simply Divine would be the perfect accessory for my son's new bed. But I think what I'm going to do is add a white chevron stripe onto one of the aqua nursery walls. Living with Lindsay posted this great tutorial on painting zig zag stripes on textured walls.

 

Okay, mom. When you come to visit next month, are you ready to help me paint? 

DIY- Shower Cap

The creative Maggie of Smashed Peas and Carrots posted this awesome tutorial on Whip Up on making a waterproof fabric shower cap. Now you can look fabulous even when you're in the shower!