ellie's nursery!

  

 

 

 

at long last, i'm so excited to share some photos of ellie's nursery! today i'm showing you some instagram photos i love & giving you a little background on the meaning behind what we filled it with. tomorrow i'll be back with some non-instagram photos & a ton of links to where you can find things. feel free to ask questions in the comments section!

in creating a nursery for ellie, i was struck by what it means to build a space for someone to grow in & how much of a labor of love it was for us. there are a gazillion options out there & as ellie is about to turn nine months, i'm reflecting on how this nursery works for us, and why. 

my one bit of advice would be to fill that nursery up with things that mean something. here's why: when i look around, i don't feel so alone in raising this little girl -- i can literally feel the love that surrounds her: 

i was so moved by all the friends & family who took the time to send their favorite books. there were some classic favorites, but also new-to-me treasures like the popular australian book "edward the emu" -- it's hilarious!

the rug was something my mom, picked out when we learned we were having a girl. as it turns out, the bright colors match our sweet girl's personality. she absolutely loves to shimmy her way all over it!

if you told me we could only keep one thing in the whole nursery, i'd pick the "you are loved" emblem above her crib. it may not be the most practical choice, but it's the most important thing in there. 

the little wooden rocking chair was actually ryan's when he was a baby -- he painted it pink just for her! it's so neat to think it's been passed down a generation in our little family. 

ellie's full name is nora eloise, so the print above her changing table is something i hope she has for a long time. when we framed it, i looked at ryan and said, "can't you just see it in her first apartment?! maybe even in new york city?!" he laughed & smiled, knowing i have a tendency to get ahead of myself. for now, she LOVES looking at it during diaper changes & squeals when i hold her up to it. 

the print above the rocking chair was given to us by a dear friend. i read it almost every day, because it's so important to remember, it reads: "this is the start of your sweet little story, the part where your pages meet mine. no matter where your tale takes you tomorrow, our story will always read love." 

i love that these are the things that surround her as she sleeps & plays; as we rock her to sleep & greet her in the morning.

bigger picture on planning a nursery: we tried to invest in things that would last -- both that could grow with ellie over the years & that any future babies down the road could use. we chose simple, white furniture, a linen rocker, really practical woven baskets & basic lamps. where we could, we bought furniture not limited to baby years. the dresser / changing table has a ton of storage, the bookshelf and lamps could go anywhere in our house. we painted the room a calming, neutral grey so that we wouldn't have to repaint the room no matter whose room it is down the road.

this nursery has been the grounds for some of our most significant moments as a family of three. here's to the best being yet to come!

Comments

[megan]

Such a beautiful nursery Mary! And, more importantly, beautiful words about Ellie and your choices for her. Thank you for sharing!

[jen]

beautiful nursery!

[Danielle]

I love Ellie's nursery and your very intentional way of putting it together is so wonderful! I hope that when my husband and I start having children I can put the same thought into the nursery space!

I especially love the print your friend gave her! So encouraging and sweet!

[Molly]

So beautiful and so intentional - she is lucky to have you and Ryan as parents!