Sisters Marie: buy buy baby

One of things I've enjoyed most about my pregnancy is starting to design our nursery. All along, I had the goal of making a lovely resting spot for our sweet bundle of joy; a space to call his own and make him feel comfortable in the house we love so much. A space that he could grow into as he gets older, eventually having his own input about what he wants it to look like. I started gathering inspiration early on and I must say, the current decor for kids rooms is AMAZING...like, I want some of the pieces for myself (tee-pee's and adventure signs galore!). Not that the standard monkey or alphabet themed rooms aren't adorable but I liked the idea of it being kid friendly without being overly cutesy.

The room was actually already painted blue, as it served as the nursery for the previous owners too so once we found out we were having a boy, my husband and I decided we liked it enough to keep it (which knocked one thing off our very long to-do list). I knew I wanted gray accents so the walls are a nice pop of color against the furniture and I like the contrast against the white wainscoting. The nursery is still a work in progress but the end goal is explorer meets the outdoors...I always think of the quote "adventure is out there," a memorable theme from one of my all-time favorite movies.

The Spruce Tree Bookcase is my favorite piece in the room and was one of the first things on our registry. I have always been an avid reader and typically have a collection of books in every room of the house. My husband is a teacher so he too is always reading something, whether it be educational or for pleasure. That said, it was very important to us to start our son off with a great space for his books but I also love how unique it is and the playful joy it adds to the room. P.S. Don't worry, our kid will have more than a few books... We have our shower at the end of June so luckily after that, we won't have to think about just reading "Silly Tilly" for weeks on end.

Fun story behind the llama: When I was little, I fell in love with a Sesame Street song called "Me and my Llama" (see it here -- of course I found it on Youtube!). I remember listening to it like it was yesterday, probably because I used to put it on repeat and because of this, my Mom started calling me "Lammies" which believe it or not, is still in use twenty-something years later -- In our Family, nicknames stick around forever so it surely put a smile on my face when my Mom gave me these two llama accessories as a reminder of our special memories together, hoping I could pass them on to baby A.

I had my eye on these prints for so long! My friend Erica has her own Etsy prints shop with so many adorable children's designs for invites, thank you's, etc. but these caught my eye right away. They go perfectly with our theme and I love the messages on each. I purchased the digital files, printed them on card stock and got cheap frames from Hobby Lobby to complete the look.

By the way, I know male rompers are trending now and in case you were wondering, I think it's absolutely ridiculous...unless you're a newborn and then it's beyond adorable. Especially when paired with Jesus sandals and a tinted pair of sunnies...this guy doesn't know it yet, but he is already well-equipped with a wardrobe to help him take on the second half of Summer!

On that same note, my husband got this Abe Lincoln onesie from one of his past students and his eyes lit up. I'm thinking this is just a preview of what it's going to be like for our boy to have a history teacher for a Dad. I have a feeling there's a ton of "punny" political clothes coming his way...

In the last piece of style news, I'm excited about the onesies we have been collecting along the way, a few from some of our favorite places. Two from the lake house (including a Coffee Mill outfit -- duh, we all have one) and one from Nashville for a little southern flair.

I'm really happy with how everything has turned out so far. The main thing is, if the baby came tomorrow, he would have a safe and sweet place to rest his eyes (next to our bedside, actually) but I'm glad to have a comfy glider set up in a serene setting for late nights.

Still on our nursery to-do list? A mural for the wall behind the crib...right now, this mountain art is pretty high on our list and the store owner has been amazing to work with so far, answering all of our questions and offering his advice on the best size/material to work with. Stay tuned!

SHOP THE ROOM:

Crib: Babyletto | Dresser: Babyletto

Tree Bookshelf: Babyletto | Rug: Rugs USA

Chair: Buy Buy Baby (similar) | Adventure signs: Hobby Lobby (similar)

Crib Sheet: Buy Buy Baby | Tribal animal prints: Simply Sweet Prints
Side Table: Home Goods (similar) | Llama lamp & Stuffed animal: Nate Berkus

P.S. I'm wearing this maxi dress from Destination Maternity - Super comfy!

Are you an expecting Mama in the midst of designing the nursery? Or perhaps you just have a baby shower gift to purchase for a great friend...either way, I'm happy to be hosting a giveaway for a Buy Buy Baby gift card! There are a few ways you can enter and the giveaway runs until June 9th.

ENTER HERE:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks for stopping by & good luck to those who enter!!

Financial compensation from Buy Buy Baby was received for this post.

All products and opinions seen here are my own. Thanks for supporting the brands that make Sisters Marie possible!

I'm being honest when I say I found registering for our baby to be quite an overwhelming experience. Quite different from how I remember feeling when my husband and I walked into Bed Bath and Beyond to register for our wedding. They handed us the scanner and we must've looked like inmates who had just been let out of prison. The store was our oyster and we had the freedom to pick ANYTHING we wanted for our new life together. Me, obsessing over the Kitchen Aid and him, telling me how important it was for us to own a Pizza Pizazz (which was new to me but a staple of his childhood). It was all new, exciting and something we'll always remember.

Registering for Baby A was a little different - While still exciting, I found it to be much more stressful because so much of it was unknown and came with added pressure. When we registered for ourselves, it was mostly about our own vanity and what we thought would look nice in the kitchen or fun appliances we couldn't wait to try out. But this time around, we were picking out items that would shape the life of a new human. This warranted us doing a lot of research - reading EVERY review, scouring Consumer Reports and engaging in a never ending group text with two of my pregnant girlfriends about this vs. that. I also signed up for emails from Lucie's List which has been AMAZINGLY helpful!

Now, keep in mind, as first time parents, I'm 100% sure we were over thinking some of our choices...years ago, there weren't 50 different kinds of strollers and car seat combos, just one or two made by your standard baby brand and expecting Parents were set. But with so many options on the market now, it almost feels tougher, like you're just shooting in the dark, trying to pick that one item that will make your life easier when the baby arrives. A bassinet that encourages sleep for hours, a stroller suitable for jogging AND traveling and a swing vs. a bouncer in hopes of entertaining your baby at the most necessary times. As long as you're realistic and realize the same mistakes and mishaps will happen no matter WHAT diaper pail you choose, all you can do is go with your gut and trust your instincts.

In the meantime, you can pick out a color palette you love and use that as a starting point for some of the more "frivolous" items which are a little easier to decide on. Our nursery is gray, white and blue so I used gray as a base for things when I could and I started to realize how many cute accessories there are, even for us Mom's.
Here are 6 of my registry picks in gray:

Are you just starting out? The Bump has a great checklist to keep your organized! Mom's...What are the most useful items you received from your registry? How did you feel about your first baby registering experience? I'd love to hear!

P.S. I'm sharing the progress on our nursery right here next week -- STAY TUNED!