Ready for Maggie!

With only about two weeks left before Maggie arrives, I thought I'd share some photos of the completely finished nursery! It took quite some time to launder and organize all the clothes and blankets. We were simply blown away by the generosity of our community, friends, and family. We are more than set with baby gear and little Margaret Elizabeth should not want for attention or love, that's for sure.

Leftover shower decor makes for pretty cute nursery decor, if you ask me. The OG Margaret Elizabeth (my 93 year old great aunt) gifted Maggie this beautiful silver rattle with her name engraved on each end. I know it will be a cherished keepsake. Every child also needs a globe, in my opinion, to dream about and discover faraway places. This one happened to be Michael's as a child.

My brother painstakingly hand cut each of the letters to make this beautiful pennant banner for our baby shower, and I promised we would keep it forever! It looks fantastic and I think it's a fun addition to Maggie's room.

This beautiful crib is a hand-me-down from Michael's step sister, and the crib bumpers were handmade by a family member for his crib as a baby, though the beautifully embroidered pillow and blankets are gifts from my aunt and mom to personalize the space for Maggie. (Unfortunately, all of these will be removed before she gets to sleep here in a few months, since they are choking hazards, but they will grace her bed in future, I'm sure.)

This is the rocking chair my grandmother gave my mom when I was born, and she passed it along to us for the nursery. It's fun for me to have so many familiar pieces in this room, and gives me the warm fuzzies when I think about my daughter getting to enjoy them as I did. The beautiful handmade blanket was a gift from one of my oldest friends that will be cherished for years to come, too. I fondly remember wrapping up in my own hand knit and crocheted blankets from aunts and grandmothers on cold mornings as a child.

Fun fact: my grandfather is from Colorado and every female in our family has these beautiful handmade switch plates, lamps, and/or vases with flower motifs. I saved this one just for Maggie, which closely resembles the one that remains in my childhood bedroom at my parents' house.

As an English major, former Editor, and former Preschool Teacher, I was so thrilled with the number of excellent children's books gifted to Maggie. My dad made this great bookshelf for me when I got married, and the lamp is one of the reading lamps found in the Rose Room of the New York Public Library--a gift from my mom for my college graduation. I am so pleased to share these with Maggie, and I can't wait until she is old enough to comprehend stories and start sounding out words on her own. Not to mention, I hope her love of Nancy Drew stories runs as deep as mine did as a girl, since I obviously saved all of them for her.

I think it's funny that Michael and I had the same rocking horse print on our handmade quilts and crib bumpers, though I suppose it was a popular choice in 1990. It worked in our favor, as Maggie now gets a complete bedding set that has been well worn, washed, and loved--so much softer than anything new. This chair was Michael's addition to the room. I think he's just as excited as I am to sit and look at books with Maggie. The plant hanger was actually a gift from my favorite babysitter from Hawaii and hung in my childhood bedroom, always with a philodendron. My mom always had philodendrons around our home (she still does) and now I do, too! 

As with most of the furniture and items in Maggie's room, many of these toys are thoughtful hand-me-downs and gifts from loved ones for Maggie to make new memories with. Michael carried around that Bert and Ernie duo as a child, and my college roommate has slept with a sock monkey named Bock she received as a child for nearly three decades. She so kindly and lovingly made the one above for Maggie, complete with pajamas!

Another gift from my childhood, this antique bird cage was in my room as a girl and I fashioned a sort of night light feature for Maggie to have in her room, complete with stars, flowers, and one of those beautiful vases I mentioned above from Colorado.

The obligatory changing station is our last stop. The dresser and mirror are hand-me-downs from my husband's parents. I love the traditional and timeless look of both, not to mention the sturdy quality of real wood furniture. Those fun flowers are from Hobby Lobby, and probably the only new item I purchased in the entire nursery! 

That concludes our tour! We're so very, very grateful for everyone's generosity and thoughtfulness, and filled with joy for this new chapter. The nursery has become everyone's favorite room in which to spend time--it's so cozy and light and cheerful. We can't wait for Maggie to get here and enjoy it with us!

Best,

Emily