Whimsical Wonderland

Having a baby at home during the holidays has given me so much joy.  Even though she is only a baby this year, as she grows up Christmas will become more and more magical for her.  I want to make sure that the holidays strengthen her faith and hope, bring her peace and joy, and spark her imagination. 

You can probably imagine that I love decorating for Christmas.  I love pulling out each and every homemade ornament and remembering the story of how it came to be, or pulling out a perfect, glittery glass ornament and marveling at it's beauty.  The baby watched me decorate the tree this year, and she was enamored with every single ornament that was hung.  I have a feeling this little girl is going to love sparkles, wonder, and whimsy, just like her mother.

Below are my pics to add some whimsy to your little one's winter wonderland!

Where to find it:

Children's Play Tent Canopy- Land of Nod

TuTu Dress-TuTu Du Monde

Star Wand-Cappel's

Snow Flake Crown- J. Crew Kids

Ballet Shoes- Elephantito

Advent Calendar- Land of Nod

Snowman Cloche-Traditions

Vintage house with fox- Traditions

Vintage Church- Traditions

Vintage Snowflake Ornaments- Traditions

Retro Tree with Beads-Traditions

Angel Wings Ornament-The Holiday Barn

Tassel Garland- Over the Moon

Practical & Precious : Gifts for New Mom & Baby

Well here we are, 9 weeks into our first little bundle and loving every minute!  It is unbelievable how fast 9 weeks has gone by!  While being at home with the little moonbeam is so much fun, getting out of the house to run even a tiny errand can be a huge challenge.  I am so thankful to have a husband and family that is a huge help when it comes to the necessities we need-running out to get baby motrin, paper plates, whatever little things may have slipped our mind to buy before baby came.  But of course we love when visitors bring us fun little baby gifts too!  

What about you?  Are a practical gift giver or do you pick out gifts based on their preciousness?  Below are some ideas for gifts for new mom and baby.  Oh, and the practical ones are really pretty precious as well...

One thing a new mom can never have enough of is cute loungewear.  When the probability of you changing out of your nightgown is about 0.5%, it helps when it's at least a cute one.  This caftan  is both stylish and practical, easy to wear when nursing baby!

Another thing I wish I had was some baby stationary.  While I'm totally stocked on your basic "thank you" notes, it would be nice to have a personalized option as well.  And how cute are these mommy play date appointment cards? (Woodland stationary, Robot stationary)

For a mommy who loves luxury, try this Caldrea Laundry Set in Sweet Pea.  It's all natural and smells clean and heavenly.

How adorable are these Babylegs leg warmers?  They come in a variety of patterns for your precious little one.

Little girl?  Try this sweet Maileg bunny and the pea play set.  Any little princess would be lucky to have this charming toy!

Little boy?  How cute is this medieval finger puppet set complete with teeny dragon?  We love toys that are just as fun to display as they are to play with!

Nursery

It's hard to believe that we are just a few short hours from welcoming our newest addition into the world.  We are so excited to bring our bundle of joy into our home!  With a neutral palette, lots of linen, and pretty feminine details, her nursery has swiftly become my favorite room in the house.  I hope she loves it as much as I do!

I knew that I wanted to keep the space fairly neutral, but I couldn't resist an ornate oversized gold mirror and the beautiful pink PomPom at Home pillow.  It's a very small space, so keeping it light and airy was essential.  The wall color is Benjamin Moore's Wickham Gray, which we also have in our den.  The strange thing about this color is that in our den it has a blue tint, but in the nursery it has an almost green tint.  Either way, I couldn't be happier with how it looks with the white trim and the gold accents.  Rather than a dresser, we opted to use a china cabinet.  By painting it with Annie Sloan's chalk paint (thanks hubby!) and lining the doors with fabric, it makes the cutest storage for all those tiny socks, onesies, bibs and yes, maybe a parenting book or two...

Some of my favorite details in the room include the starry ceiling, chandelier over the crib, and adorable dream ring by BlaBla kids.  And what about that beautiful day gown?  It was handmade by a close family friend.  The photos really do not do it justice!

Hope you enjoy!

Nursery Must: Crib Canopy

The nursery is nearing completion!  With only 4 weeks left until our little bundle of joy arrives, it's crunch time to finish all the details.  

As you know, I love a neutral nursery space, but the way to make it work without being boring is to add texture.  What better way than with a charming canopy over the crib?

Nothing is sweeter than an airy cascade of sheer fabric.  Let it puddle on the floor, and your little prince or princess will have the dreamiest nursery on the block.

 

Lori Gentile

 

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Baby Girl Gift Guide

 It's getting so close!  I can hardly believe that I'm only weeks away from holding my bundle of joy!  In my hunt to complete the nursery, I've come across some of the most adorable baby gifts.  I just had to share!

If you have a friend that's having a baby girl, I'm just sure she would love any of these gifts.  And if it's a baby boy...most of these vendors carry precious boy versions of the pink trinkets and toys below.

Hope you enjoy!

Serena & Lily Sleeper  |  Bla Bla Kids Sheep Mobile  |  Bambi Stuffed Animal

Melissa and Doug Stuffed Giraffe   |   Little Traveler Book Set   |  Restoration Hardware Play Canopy

Rikshaw Design Taj Aqua Baby Blanket   |   Vintage Letter Print

In search of the perfect baby book

For a week or so now, I have been in search of the perfect baby book.  It seems the popular choice right now is a traditional silk covered style, perhaps monogrammed.  Don't get me wrong, they are beautiful, and I love a monogram!  But I was hoping to find something more special, different from the way my bride's book looks.

It seems like a simple task, but let me tell you...it is not!  Trying to find a baby book with vintage style and minimal cheesiness is no easy job.  Here are a few that struck my fancy.

I love this design by Binth.  It's modern but with hints of retro.  And I love the woodsy theme and shades of green.

For a more Victorian look, I love these books by Terra Traditions.  While some of their covers are a little over the top, I love the sweet, vintage images on the inside pages.

 

This memory book from Uncommon Goods also caught my eye, with it's hand-drawn style.

And then there is this little beauty.  Mother Stork's Baby Book  is originally from 1904, but has recently been reprinted!  How adorable does it look?

But my all-time favorite has to be this beauty from photographer Meg Fish.  If you haven't seen her work, I urge you to check out the link.  She is working from scratch, designing the entire book herself and then having it printed.  How is it that my favorite option always requires the most work.........??  And why I am seriously toying around with the idea of making my own baby book??  I must be crazy!

Nursery Must: Seeing Stars

Now that the cat's out of the bag, I can share what I've been dreaming about lately...the nursery!  I have so many ideas that it's going to be hard to edit them down.  I love a neutral, vintage nursery, like the first image below. To add some simple and sweet interest, I am thinking of stars somewhere.  My room is VERY small, so I'm tempted to paint them on the ceiling....  what do you think?

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