22 March 2014

The Man Cave

This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life. It’s adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike 'What’s next, Papa?' God’s Spirit touches our spirits and confirms who we really are. We know who he is, and we know who we are: Father and children. And we know we are going to get what’s coming to us—an unbelievable inheritance! We go through exactly what Christ goes through. If we go through the hard times with him, then we’re certainly going to go through the good times with him! Romans 8:15-17 


I wanted to give a preview of the finished nursery for you guys! Our original goal was to just use what we had, Craigslist, and baby shower gifts to make four white walls look like a baby might live there. We are so excited about how this cute and colorful room turned out-- so much better than we thought it would! We are truly proud of what Hubs likes to call the "man cave" and how it has all come together….and how relatively friendly it was for our adorable, baby-sized budget. The whole room costs less than a new crib. Here's the run down:

Wall # 1-- $ 0
When you walk in the room, the whole wall to the left is the closet. At first I thought it was ridiculous to have a closet that big for a baby. I was very, very wrong. Once the hand-me-downs and shower gifts started rolling in, I realized it is so perfect for storing those not-ready-to-use items that we have for when he is just a little bit older.
I made dividers for joey's clothes in less than 6 minutes. I had some extra poster board lying around. I found different circle sizes around the house to trace the inner and outer border. Then I literally just cut a straight line through the donut-shape and wrote the clothes size on both sides. The poster board was flexible enough to bend right over the closet rail. These would've been easy to make a little more cute and professional-looking, but I just didn't care to. They don't need to be built to last, and I would rather spent more time on stuff that shows! Still pretty proud of them.

Wall # 2-- $ 245
The back wall is what really cost any money and what really brought the room to life! We got the rocking chair on craigslist for $35 the week I found out I was pregnant. (I bought the super-soft elephant blanket the same week.) We had just moved to Anchorage and had only been in our house for a matter of days without our property shipment (meaning: zero furniture). But I found this strong, steady rocker already painted a color that I LOVE and knew would work in a nursery for either gender.
So, I made Andrew and his co-worker with a truck drive 30 minutes to go pick this bad boy up. The catch? In my haste, I chose cute over comfort. So I had to break down and spend money on a cushion. Found this one for $15 that totally matched the $7 clearance storage ottoman I bought a couple of weeks ago.
My latest must-have was a white shelf to display adorable boots that were Hubs' when he was a little cowboy. Cannot wait to get joey in these things. Well, ok, I can wait. He won't really be a baby anymore when they fit! So, apparently, a small white shelf is more $$$ than I thought. Spent $18. Shopping is easily one of my top three least favorites things in the world, and at this point, I would have rather had the room done than try to save a few bucks. Worth every penny!
I'm so happy with this dresser that functions as our changing table. One reason is because it is $170 in store, but we caught it online and on sale for less than $120. We wanted this one because it was the best deal for a dresser heavy enough to be a changing table and at the right height for us. The other reason is because I assembled it myself!
We had no luck trying to sell those fish lamps-- a proud Goodwill purchase in Florida-- before our move to AK so we just had the movers pack 'em up. I didn't really want a theme for the nursery, but thought I could use them somehow. I was just hoping it wouldn't end up looking cheesy. I knew I wanted a symmetrical set-up, so we found these inexpensive, mini, closet-maid organizers to use as lamp-stand bookshelves for $19 each. Small, functional, and organized.
Here a just a few bookshelf items:
Cowboys & Indians Footwear Collection from Aunt Kari
Joey's Bama Loungewear Slippers from Keeks & the football we used as a tree topper for the gender reveal.

The collage above the changing table was an accident. I've had the mirror from the first salon I worked in, and had bought the chevron canvas at Target for $8 early in the pregnancy. We found the blue-framed bulletin board on sale for $8 when we bought the two bookshelves. I knew I could make them work together, and all it needed was the matted, framed picture of Jessie in the sand that we already had to pull it all together.

Wall # 3-- $ 0
Because our heater system lines our floors and to focus on any light coming in the window, I wanted to keep this wall open. I've had the curtains for years, and they were one of the first things I put up in the early months.

Wall # 4-- $ 45
This wall houses the door and the crib. I bought the crib for $35 on Craigslist from a lady who was moving and had to get rid of it quickly. It was time consuming to clean all the nooks and crannies really well, but well worth the work for the price. We bought a new crib mattress for $50 with gift cards from the shower. I used some gently used sheets we had that had a small tear in them to make a crib skirt. I also made two door muffs-- they allow you to shut the door without the latch making noise. The additional supplies (thread, batting, tacks, ribbon) cost $10. I love that the solid color worked perfectly to match the big gray bear my parents gave joey for Christmas and the handmade quilt Mimi made! As soon as I saw this adorable quilt completed, I knew it was perfect to hang on the crib for comfort and color.



What's missing?
- My sister and her boyfriend, Ethan, had made the most unique and precious banner to hang over the mantle at my baby shower. Ethan cut, sanded, and stained the wood pieces. My sister found letter stickers to fit. They strung the triangles on hemp twine. I was in love. When I asked "Is that for me??", my sister said, "Ummm, no." She is one heck of a party planner and is adding it to her stash of decor items for future showers. BUT, they offered to make me one! The one at the shower said "Oh, boy!" They had the better idea to wait until once we knew baby boy's name, and I know that it will be the most perfect finishing touch to the man cave hanging over the crib. Can. Not. Wait. Pictures to come!


There you have it! The little man's accommodations are complete and cozy. Total cost was $290. 
We are thrilled to have such a happy little space for our buddy to make messes and memories!


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