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Sunday, May 31, 2015

Laura Lately: Overdue Edition

I realized that one of the last times I did one of these was what I called  "Laura Lately: Golden Week Edition."  It was when I turned 27 years old on my 27th week of pregnancy.  That was all the way back in the first week of March! So it seems fitting to end this pregnancy with a final Laura Lately... an Overdue Edition.




Lately I've Been Feeling:

Great! Everybody is doing well and staying healthy.  I think people keep expecting me to say, now that I'm overdue, that I'm miserable... but I really am not! Other than some mild aches and being hot all. the. time.,  I am still feeling surprisingly good! 

I'm not to this point quite yet.  (Poor Rachel).


Lately I've Been Asked:

"You're still here?!"  This week at work, I probably heard this at least 5200 times.  But this weekend, I worked my last scheduled days.  And now it's nice to know that next time I show up at the hospital, I'll be leaving with a baby... and much less swollen ankles (hopefully). 


Lately I've Been Advised To:

Walk
Sleep as much as I can
Stock up on easy meals
Enjoy grocery shopping solo
Eat spicy food
Eat out with Michael
Take a ride down a bumpy country road
Jump on a trampoline
Enjoy time with just the two of us
Walk, walk, and walk some more

 

Lately I've Been Worried About:

Labor, it's kind of a scary deal.  Especially when you're a nurse and you know too much.  But I'm confident in my OB and about the care I'll receive.  And not to mention the amount of prayer that we are receiving.  Thanks so much everyone!!


Lately I've Been Excited About:

Um... meeting our little baby boy!! I am excited to see who this little guy is! I am excited to know his ins and outs.  Make memories with him. Comfort him. Teach him. Snuggle him. And be his first love.  I'm also excited to introduce him to all of you!!!

Not sure when I'll be back to the blog, but rest assured I will update you and introduce you guys to our little man once he has arrived! Thanks so much to everyone for your excitement and encouragement through this time.  Having you all to share in our joy has made it that much sweeter.  You're all the best!

Love,
Laura, Michael, & Baby Blough


***Thanks to my super talented friend Beth Wilson for our maternity pictures! It was so special to have her be a part of this.  We love the fact that you were there to capture this moment in time for us.  (We also love that all the pics were taken in and around our home!! Super special!!)  Here's a link to her website to see all her talents.  

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Monday, May 25, 2015

Organizing the Nursery

Everybody knows that sometimes wonderful things come in small packages.


But sometimes those small packages come with lots and lots of stuff!

I think babies would fit in to that category. 

I took this picture only after our first baby shower.

Yikes.

Thankfully we've come a long way.
Outdoorsy, camping, boy scout nursery
Clearly a lot of organizing has happened.   That's what this post is all about.  How we organized our nursery.

It think our biggest best friend for organizing our nursery were baskets.  There are more baskets in this one room than in any of the other rooms in our home combined.

You already saw how we used some baskets in our bookshelf.
Outdoorsy, camping, boy scout nursery

Currently we are storing blankets in them, but before we know it they will be used to store Legos and cars and and trucks and who knows what else.  

Another basket-heavy area was our changing table.
Outdoorsy, camping, boy scout nursery. Changing Table Organization

Not only did we buy some large baskets that fit perfectly under the changing table,
Outdoorsy, camping, boy scout nursery. Changing Table Organization

we added some to the sides - for smaller items you'd like to have at the ready.
Outdoorsy, camping, boy scout nursery. Changing Table Organization
Really, I just have things placed there -just for now.  I know I will become much more specific about what I'd like stored in there when I'm actually using the space. 
Outdoorsy, camping, boy scout nursery. Changing Table Organization
In addition to the baskets, the buffet we are using as a changing table has great storage in the drawers. 

One of the drawers even had separators.   Currently, I've got hats, socks, and bibs stored in there. 
Outdoorsy, camping, boy scout nursery. Changing Table Organization
 The lower drawer has mostly sleepers and swaddle blankets stored in it for now.

 Last post I also showed you the little caddy we have our burp cloths stored in.
Outdoorsy, camping, boy scout nursery. Burp Cloth organization.
I love it.  It's so handy.... I mean, I'm guessing it's handy, since I haven't really used it yet. 
Outdoorsy, camping, boy scout nursery. Burp Cloth organization.

We also have found some extra storage under the crib.
Outdoorsy, camping, boy scout nursery. Under the Crib Storage
There is quite a bit of space underneath the crib and it just makes sense to utilize it.  
Outdoorsy, camping, boy scout nursery. Under the Crib Storage
So I did.  I have this nylon zipper bin that we got to go in our IKEA closet system.  We weren't using this one and it fit perfectly! I have extra sheets and linens stored under there.

Lastly, the closet.

Outdoorsy, camping, boy scout nursery. Closet Storage
 Lots and lots of storage.

The closet was built with these side shelves that are perfectly sized for these canvas bin cubes.  
Outdoorsy, camping, boy scout nursery. Closet Storage
I bought four in an army green color and glued paper numbers to the faces of them to give them a little bit more pizzazz (because that's a word we don't use enough of these days.)  Outdoorsy, camping, boy scout nursery. Closet Storage Bins

I also bought these great plastic bins that have dry erase labels on the front.  Right now we have a few diapers stored up there as well as clothes he likely won't wear for a year or so.  In the future, I could see us storing toys and other things we want to keep close but out of his reach and hidden.  The labels are great since I'm forgetful and it would be helpful to have a visual reminder without pulling things down as to what is in each bin.
Outdoorsy, camping, boy scout nursery. Closet Storage

I really wanted some sort of clothing organizer to help me differentiate sizes of the clothes hanging in the closet.  So all I did was trace out some circles on some thin cardboard (I used an old cereal box), glued some fun scrapbook paper to it and then made my labels with a Sharpe.  It's super helpful and....free!
Outdoorsy, camping, boy scout nursery. Closet Organization

Then down below, we utilized that space with a cube organizer.  
Outdoorsy, camping, boy scout nursery. Closet Storage
 The organizer and the fabric cubes are also from Target.

And look at this little guy! Isn't he just the happiest?! He's happy because everything has a place and everything is in its place.....
Well.... for now.  I have no illusions that things will look this neat and tidy forever.  And let me be honest, I have some things just thrown in bins with other random items because I didn't know where else to put them.  That will happen too. 



If you missed the full nursery reveal click here



Linked up to: Think & Make Thursday, June Before & After Party


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Sunday, May 17, 2015

The Great ScoutDoorsman Nursery Revealed!

It's a big day here on the blog.  Today's the day I show you what we've been working on since January. 

You all have been with us from the beginning, when we announced our next big project...
pregnancy announcement, construction

And when we shared with you that Baby Blough is a boy!
Gender Reveal, paint can

And now I am happy to announce that we are finished with the nursery well before our estimated construction deadline (and due date) of May 28th.

Remember where I was going with the plans for the nursery?  The Great ScoutDoorsman.

Outdoorsy, camping, boy scout nursery


Well let's see how we did.

Here is where we started.  This room had functioned as our guest room/office.  It was not painted (just primed) and was left pretty much undecorated.

Because why decorate it when we were planning to convert it to a nursery as soon as the time came? 

And the time has come! (insert the I Love Lucy reference here)
Outdoorsy, camping, boy scout nursery


Outdoorsy, camping, boy scout nursery

You may notice that we switched up the artwork behind the crib.  A couple posts ago there was a world map hanging up there with the words "Adventure is Out There" painted on it.  I really liked it there until I started to hang the other artwork up.  Then the colors started to feel really off and the whole room just started to feel very word-heavy.  We had ordered these antique arrows from ebay months ago, figuring we could find a place to incorporate them into the room.  So when we took down the map, I tried to see if they would work in the space as either a mobile or as artwork.  The mobile didn't work out, but I love the way they look up on the wall.  Simple. and Boy. 


Speaking of Simple and Boy.  Check out the quilt.  My friend Emily made it for us!!!
Outdoorsy, camping, boy scout nursery.  Gingham Quilt

It is absolutely one of my favorite things in the room.  Not only does it fit perf.ec.tly in the room, it means so much to us that it was made with love by someone that means so much to us.
 Outdoorsy, camping, boy scout nursery.  Gingham Quilt. Simple Bedding
Outdoorsy, camping, boy scout nursery.  Gingham Quilt

The room's light is something that gave me a big headache.  I bought it at the Habitat ReStore.  I tried several different things to get it to feel right in the room.   I finally got it right when I started threading some twine through the wire in a herringbone pattern.

I wouldn't recommend that project unless you have lots of free time and are looking for a sore neck.
Outdoorsy, camping, boy scout nursery.  Rope Herringbone Light

The curtain is the simplest curtain I have ever made! I'll tell you more about it sometime.
Outdoorsy, camping, boy scout nursery.

The swivel rocker was another element we agonized over.  Buy new? Buy off craigslist?  Well finally, after being failed by craigslist, we decided to invest in a swivel rocker from a local place.  We got to pick out the upholstery and everything #superfancy.  And for only a $30 upcharge, we had it coated with an upholstery protector #supernecessary.
 
Bonus: It's extremely comfortable. 

The wall light is IKEA -I wrapped the shade with more twine and spray painted the finish oil-rubbed bronze. 

Here's the very first thing we bought for the nursery.
Burp Cloth Storage

I guess you'd call it a tool box of some kind, made with some tree branches.  It works perfectly for us to store burp cloths for now and books later on.

Turning counterclockwise in the room is the changing station.
Outdoorsy, camping, boy scout nursery. Changing Station
My mom let us have an old hutch that was my grandma's.  We added some baskets below and on the sides for additional storage.  The top of the hutch was in a bit of rough shape, but nothing a burlap table runner couldn't fix.

We found this old butcher basket which worked out perfectly for the changing pad and other diaper changing necessities.
Outdoorsy, camping, boy scout nursery. Changing Station
 Outdoorsy, camping, boy scout nursery. Changing Station
Outdoorsy, camping, boy scout nursery. Changing Station

Outdoorsy, camping, boy scout nursery. Changing Station
The artwork above is some vintage national parks posters that were available free online for printing.  So we printed them and hung them in IKEA frames. 

Outdoorsy, camping, boy scout nursery. Baby Box
The box is his baby box, already storing memories - like the sign that I used to spill the beans to Michael when I found out I was pregnant!
Outdoorsy, camping, boy scout nursery. Baby Box

And sitting on top of the box is something also very special.  Some of you know that Michael lost his dad when he was 7 years old.  Shortly after, a sweet lady took a couple of Michael's dad's shirts and made them into this little bear that they rightly named his "Daddy Bear."
Outdoorsy, camping, boy scout nursery. Daddy Bear
Michael's mom offered the bear to us for the nursery and I didn't have to think long before saying yes!  It's so special (kiddo won't be allowed to play with it).  I love having something of our little guy's grandpa in the room.


On the opposite wall we hung the adorable little camp signs that were made for one of my showers by my Aunt Janet and Saint Steve. 

Outdoorsy, camping, boy scout nursery. Pallet Wood Camp Signs

 Outdoorsy, camping, boy scout nursery. Pallet Wood Camp Signs
Is that not just the cutest rocking horse?  It is a locally-made piece gifted to us by my friend Kelly.  I just love it! And now Camp Blough can offer an equestrian program!  

The vintage picture is of a bunch of Boy Scouts taken in 1920.  We found it in our attic.  I love looking at all their serious little faces.  I also love how they are holding the American flag backwards in the picture. :-)

Outdoorsy, camping, boy scout nursery. Vintage Boy Scout Photo

Finally, as you walk into the room you'll see that our bookcase is stocked and ready to go!
Outdoorsy, camping, boy scout nursery. Built In Shelves

The baskets below will be great for storing extra blankets for now and toys in the the future.
Outdoorsy, camping, boy scout nursery. Storage
 Outdoorsy, camping, boy scout nursery. Built In Shelves. Storage

Above, we have a nice selection of books thanks to so many wonderful friends!  And a couple other nick nacks I've collected.

This metal file drawer was another attic find and is now storing medicine and first aid supplies.  
Outdoorsy, camping, boy scout nursery.

Outdoorsy, camping, boy scout nursery. Built In Shelves
That little car is actually Michael's dad's pinewood derby car from when he was a Boy Scout.

And a lot of the Boy Scout books were either Michael's or his dad's. 
Outdoorsy, camping, boy scout nursery. Vintage Boy Scout Book

I also found this printable that summarizes everything I'm feeling.  Every time I read it, there are tears.
Outdoorsy, camping, boy scout nursery. As soon as I saw you I knew an adventure was about to happen.

Around the corner you remember the chalkboard that I painted and wrote out the Boy Scout Law.  And that canoe up top?... just something that my mom had.  Who just has stuff like that?!  
Outdoorsy, camping, boy scout nursery. Boy Scout Law. Built In Bookshelf.  Chalkboard.
 I will show you how we organized the closet some other day. 
Outdoorsy, camping, boy scout nursery. Boy Scout Law. Built In Bookshelf.  Chalkboard.
How about that adorable little felt campfire set that my sister gave us?! Also note the felt s'more and felt marshmallow on a stick.  How fun is that?! The twig stars were made by my Aunt Susie and Uncle Jace.  They used them to decorate their shower gift and I told them I knew I could find a spot for them in the nursery. 
Outdoorsy, camping, boy scout nursery. Play felt Campfire.  Twig Stars.

We are thrilled with how everything has come together!  But here's the thing, what I love most about this room is the hand that others have played in getting it to this point.  I love that this room came together with the help of inherited furniture, family keepsakes and memories, and many many gifts (handmade and otherwise) from people that love us and love our little guy.  I look around and I see other people in this room and know this is just the first step in their part in his life.  What a lucky dude he is - to have so much love coming his way.

My heart is very thankful. 


Here's a source list from our nursery:

Crib: Wayfair (similar)
Rug: Home Decorators
Sheepskin Rug: Similar
Arrows: Ebay
Paint Color: Louisburg Green - Benjamin Moore
Light: Habitat ReStore, DIY'ed
Curtain: DIY'd from drop cloth bought at Lowe's
Swivel Rocker: Local - Larimer Furniture 
Ottoman: Wayfair
Large Changing Table Baskets: Target
Small Changing Table Baskets: Target
Changing Table Artwork: Free Vintage Posters.com
Frames: IKEA
Wall Light: IKEA
Book Shelf Fabric Bins: Amazon
Adventure Printable:  Oh So Lovely Blog
Quilt Inspiration: Pinterest
Felt Fire Pit: Similar on Etsy
Rocking Horse: Locally Made
Camping Signs: DIY'd
Planked Wall Tutorial
Crib Skirt Tutorial
Built In Bookshelf Tutorial
Chalkboard Tutorial


Linked to: Talented Tuesdays, May Pretty Preppy Party, Think & Make Thursday, June Before & After Party,

To see more about the nursery and how we organized it, click here

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