Another sneak peek of the nursery today, including a fun giveaway for you, dear readers!
Revamping Cecelia's nursery to make it feel fresh and new for her baby brother meant that I wanted to rearrange all of the existing furniture a bit. So the glider is now in the opposite corner of the room, the changing table/dresser is where the glider used to be, and the crib is turned around against the other side of it's previous corner. It will make more sense when I show you every square inch of the nursery in a true reveal after he is born!
But today's feature is the 'big wall' that is behind the glider, right above my little re-finished wooden bench. I wanted a huge, high shelf at the top of the wall after spotting a few long shelves on Pinterest. I found two shelves at Target, that were each three feet long but $25 a pop....and they were kind of crappy/fake wood. I showed them to Nate one day and he said, 'We could just make one six foot shelf for $15.' And I was sold! I bought the four brackets you see below for $10 a pair, Nate bought a six foot long board from the hardware store, and I stained/polyurethaned it. Easy enough!
I love how it turned out! I haven't totally filled the shelf the way I envision but it's coming along. And yes, that is the first letter of his name up there. And if you try to guess his name in the comments, I will ignore them;)
Cute, right? A few of the little 'vintage' figurines are from Nate's childhood McDonald's toy collection! Cannot believe Lois kept all of the boys' Happy Meal toys, but love the forest theme/animal ones. The two unframed prints on the shelf are from a blog reader who didn't need them anymore (!!) and I want to get a few more 8x10 prints up there. I like prints, duh. And speaking of...did you wonder about those adorable framed prints on the wall yet?
Let's talk more about the three prints in the yellow frames, shall we?
First, I hand-painted the white frames that Cecelia had in this room with the crib paint. Super easy project, love how it turned out.
Then I randomly discovered TADA's Revolution on Etsy, while spending countless hours searching for nursery prints. I really wanted to find prints that are slightly different, unexpected and quirky for this nursery. When I found TR's work, I immediately loved her images. I mean, they all make me smile, make me happy, and are pretty freaking hilarious...maybe just a little bit 'odd' in the best way possible. Nate definitely raised his eyebrows when I showed him my new-found loves but he likes them now that they are hung in the room. I love the three prints I chose, and here is my favorite. It's called Poisson Descends Upon Cromwell's Pumpkin Patch. HILARIOUS! Each print has a story behind it!
I mean, are you kidding me with the cuteness? A tiny stuffed animal is flying over pumpkins with a cape and mask, and mountains are in the background. So 'weird' and awesome, all rolled into one print.
Here are my favorite images on the TR Flickr site, and I would have purchased them all if I had room for these beauts.
I got this one because, duh, a family of five little bears crossing a bridge together? Yes. It's called 'Bears Over Troubled Waters'.
Here's my favorite Poisson guy!
And the third print I got? This hilarious fox in a trench coat, sitting on a bench and drinking Starbucks. YES! Now this is using the fox/woodland theme of the nursery in a way I didn't expect and I love it. The title? 'Out of the corner of his left eye, Fabian spies something succulent and delicious'. Hahahaha!!
I didn't get this one, but 'Helix and Proto go fishing' is seriously cute.
And what about this one, called 'Which rabbit would you pick?'
Then this guy with a giant head, on a laptop with a coffee mug? Love him. It's called 'It says here that there is a wild bear on the loose...'
I immediately spent way too much time on TADA Revolution's Flickr site when I finally settled on just three prints for my nursery. And then I was so excited about finding something so unique and FUN, like nothing I've seen before, I asked Susan (the owner of TR) if she would consider doing a giveaway for my readers. This is VERY unlike me, since I usually get something gifted to me with most giveaways and the companies usually contact me first. (#SpoiledBlogger) I actually bought my own prints from TR and am the one who suggested this little treat for my readers (aren't I proud of myself on this one?). I just think her prints are so cool and special and think you will, too;)
These images would totally work in other rooms of the house besides a nursery, too. Which means I sort of want a few of my other favorites and will figure out where to put them later. They just make me happy and I think they'd be great conversation pieces for the home.
Susan happily agreed to write up a little blurb about how her company began and you guys, she freaking MAKES most of her little characters! Each image is like a tiny work of art if you ask me. I don't know why I'm so into this little company but I am, so forgive me!
From Susan:
TADA’s Revolution began in 2008 when Susan Chi, a former chemical engineer traded in her safety goggles and lab coat, for a set of crochet hooks, and a digital SLR camera in pursuit of a lifelong dream.
Susan is completely self-taught, and has learned to crochet, knit, sew, and work with polymer clay and wood to build the characters, miniature scenes and dioramas of the Revolution. Susan’s specialties are amigurumi crocheted animals, 1:6 scale furniture, and ultra miniature 1:24 scale designs.
Susan started posting her photo stories on Flickr (www.flickr.com/photos/tadasrevolution) in 2008. In 2013, in response to overwhelming demand, TADA’s Revolution began releasing art prints and miniatures for purchase on her Etsy Store (www.etsy.com/shop/TADAsRevolution).
Susan photographs the secret life of toys, from everyday experience to the mischievous and dark. Each story is told over one or two panels, which are immersive, meticulously detailed, and powerful enough to communicate the emotions, irony, and humor. TADA’s Revolution has a devoted following which spans the world, and TADA’s Revolution’s photos have been viewed more than 700,000 times on Flickr. Who could resist Susan’s big headed furry animals with shifty eyes who get into all sorts of trouble? TADA’s Revolution photos and characters have appeared on calendar covers, books, and star in two stop-motion videos.
TR Flickr
www.flickr.com/photos/tadasrevolution
TR Facebook Page
www.facebook.com/TadasRevolution
Official TR Website
www.tadasrevolution.com
TR Etsy
www.etsy.com/shop/TADAsRevolution
Now for the giveaway information:
To enter the drawing for one free TADA's Revolution 8x10 print of your choice, you follow TR on Facebook or Flickr. Then comment below saying you followed, and tell us what your favorite image is from the site. You get one entry into the drawing for each 'follow', so divide up your comments accordingly.
I will randomly select up to five winners, depending on how many comments we get, on Wednesday May 7. Have fun looking at all of the miniature animals causing trouble!