It's 4am and I am sitting on my couch staring out the large picture window in my living room and I can literally hear a hoot owl outside. Yes, really. At first I thought it was a pitiful dog. But it's not. It's almost picture perfect besides the fact that am I up at the crack of dawn and this early morning thing is totally not my idea of fun. But after laying in bed for an hour with non-stop kicking in my belly and contractions, I could no longer lay still.
Don't worry. I may or may not be in labor. It's only my 4th child so surely I am not expected to know when my body is in labor, right? I mean I have only had contractions since 32 weeks and I may have only texted my friend Ashley who is on stand by 3-4 times swearing that it was "go time."
I find it pretty funny myself. I guess the excitement and the readiness overtake me and all of a sudden a few consistent contractions MUST mean that its time to pack the car, clean the house and hype up 3 very small children for no reason at all. Oh, the memories. Yesterday, Emma Jane said that if Porter was still in my belly at her birthday, could I still go down the water slides? Her birthday is in APRIL people... poor child is as ready as I am for this little babe to come out.
And now, I am out of words to write. I thought under the light of the moon and the singing from the owl that it would be a writer's paradise and that words would start flowing. But all I can think about is breakfast and how it should be served no matter what time you wake up. Which is why I think God gave me a family... otherwise I may be a Marriot traveler just so that I can wake up to the complimentary breakfast and coffee.
If you don't know me by now here is one thing you can learn... I hate to cook. Period.
SO ON TO THE NURSERY.
I wanted to wait and show you once the final touches were in place and when every picture was hung nicely on the wall... but as I have realized with this whole house transformation, that "our thing" is always a process. And money doesn't grow on trees. So if I waited until my idea of "perfection" you would probably see the nursery reveal when baby #4 is two years old.
So here you go...
BEFORE.
When just one crazy baby slept in this room.
Don't worry. I may or may not be in labor. It's only my 4th child so surely I am not expected to know when my body is in labor, right? I mean I have only had contractions since 32 weeks and I may have only texted my friend Ashley who is on stand by 3-4 times swearing that it was "go time."
I find it pretty funny myself. I guess the excitement and the readiness overtake me and all of a sudden a few consistent contractions MUST mean that its time to pack the car, clean the house and hype up 3 very small children for no reason at all. Oh, the memories. Yesterday, Emma Jane said that if Porter was still in my belly at her birthday, could I still go down the water slides? Her birthday is in APRIL people... poor child is as ready as I am for this little babe to come out.
And now, I am out of words to write. I thought under the light of the moon and the singing from the owl that it would be a writer's paradise and that words would start flowing. But all I can think about is breakfast and how it should be served no matter what time you wake up. Which is why I think God gave me a family... otherwise I may be a Marriot traveler just so that I can wake up to the complimentary breakfast and coffee.
If you don't know me by now here is one thing you can learn... I hate to cook. Period.
SO ON TO THE NURSERY.
I wanted to wait and show you once the final touches were in place and when every picture was hung nicely on the wall... but as I have realized with this whole house transformation, that "our thing" is always a process. And money doesn't grow on trees. So if I waited until my idea of "perfection" you would probably see the nursery reveal when baby #4 is two years old.
So here you go...
BEFORE.
When just one crazy baby slept in this room.
This room is the darkest room in this whole house. I knew that we needed something to lighten up the space. However, it is a great place to take a nap.
This sweet mobile was hand-made by a dear friend.
One of my favorite gifts. Ever.
The verse that inspired our 3rd born's name...
River Beth.
See those hideous closet doors? Those can be found in every room of this whole house and redoing the nursery was the perfect excuse to get rid of the first set!!
Oh, and take note of the chew marks on the crib.
This dresser was mine when I was a little girl. My father in law painted it darker brown when Emma Jane was born, but it was wayyyy past a color change. However I love that each of my children have at one time had a piece of my own nursery in their room.
And the walls. Almost a year ago, my Wade Nagy patched all the nail holes and place where the 1970's wall radios were found. And I have been looking at these spots ever since. A great reminder of the "process."
AND NOW... TIME FOR SOME AFTERS
I started with painting the dressers. I used Annie Sloan Paris Gray paint and clear wax and allowed for some light, very light distressing.
I also changed the knobs (which were originally spray painted black) with touches of Silver Guilders Paste. (I have raved about this product here)
It's so easy and fun.
Wade Nagy got busy with the wainscoting and the new closet doors. Because he is a builder, he snagged this wood and closet door for less than $200. Perks for sure.
My friend, Ashley, scored this awesome twin bed from one of their flip houses, just as I was getting tired of waiting for one. But then He provided as always. This freebie was worth the wait.
I lightly sanded to remove the shiny finish and then painted with Annie Sloan Duck Egg Blue and clear wax. I considered distressing, but decided I wanted to stick to the solid look.
You can always sand later.
And then to my surprise, I was given this beauty. My friend, Hannah, gave me this to sell in our vintage furniture booth but I knew when my eyes met this pretty thing that it was going no where except the nursery. And I love it.
(color: Paris Gray)
<<<<>>>>
Next came the dreaded crib. I actually thought about spray painting it because I was totally overwhelmed by all of the bars and my 37 weeks pregnant belly.
But then I found this tutorial on a gray wash technique using Annie Sloan and I couldn't turn down the challenge.
Start by lightly sanding the crib's finish off. Remember the chew marks? I do not want that happening again. So I sanded the top bar all the way down to the original wood in hopes that the paint will adhere and last through the future chewing. I am hopeful, for now anyways.
Then, apply your first coat of Annie Sloan, French Linen. I applied two coats for extra coverage.
Then apply a thin coat of clear wax.
I did not allow the wax to fully dry before I started with the next color.
Mix 1 part, Paris Gray with 4 parts Old White.
Lightly apply gray/ white paint mixture and wipe off as desired with a wet rag. You will immediently see all three colors (French Linen, Paris Gray and Old White) come through giving you a white washed gray look.
I then applied a second coat of clear wax and a little extra where some chewing may occur.
And pretty soon you will have this...
Big difference, huh?
Now on to the rest of this darling makeover.
The bedding was a surprise gift from my friends who I love so much. I totally cried when I opened the big, brown UPS box on the day of my shower brunch. I felt so loved at that moment.
You can find this Pottery Barn Bedding Set (here).
And this perfect monogram is from one of my favorite places, Southern Nest.
This gal can pretty much do anything to add style to any home.
She is amazing and you should totally venture on over to her website.
And honestly... these iPhone pictures just do not do this room justice.
And here is my precious 3rd born sleeping in her big girl bed for the very first time. We wore her slap out at the beach, then laid her down in her bed for nap. She cried for 2 seconds and then we captured this sweet moment. Trust me, this is the only time this angel is still.
And one last comparison and then hopefully I can get some sleep on the couch as I no longer can see the moon which tells me morning is just around the corner. Along with the 5:23 am on the clock.
Just need a rug similar to this one and some wall decor, but already this is one of my favorite rooms in this whole house.
NOW come on baby Porter.
