sarah & chet: A Happy Nursery!

This nursery definitely has nothing to do with me, although I would love to take credit! Three friends (all three are co-workers too, which is fun) came together to create a nursery that made me cry (on several occasions during the set up process). It is over-the-top beautiful and sweet for our little girl. Seeing her nursery put together makes it all so "real" to me that we will be bringing Grey home, Lord willing, so soon.

I feel like a nursery has been a two-year ongoing project in our home. It took a lot of time for me to accept creating another nursery, after very tearfully taking one down that had never had a baby rocked in it. If it weren't for the three amazing women who are mostly responsible for Grey's nursery (and Grey's daddy for painting it), I think it may still be an empty room today. I was talking to a fellow Hope Mommy about nurseries at the beginning of this pregnancy, remembering how Holden's nursery was such a focus in my life during his pregnancy. It is amazing how our eyes and hearts can be re-focused in an instant. Beginning late in my second trimester though, I had strong urges to still have a place that my little girl felt loved, secure and at peace in. A nursery for her was definitely a must.

I looked at custom bedding online for quite some time, and decided that the months it would take to arrive was just frustrating and would result in a nursery being done when Grey was probably 2 months old (read above...that slacker in me didn't look into bedding until way too late). I loved the fabrics from this collection and showed them to Daphny. Well, Daphny did so much better than ANY place I could ever order from online...I believe the bedding "sets the stage" for the rest of the nursery, and I am completely thrilled with the way it turned out! [For anyone reading this, worried about the safety of a bumper, Daphny made sure to use the safety bumper pads! ;)] The quilt has the softest minky rose material on one side, and all the fabrics from the collection on the other side. Daphny even made me (or Grey when she gets a little bigger) a standard-size pillow case to enjoy! She cared about every detail being perfect, and as you can see - it's exactly that.

The first thing done in the nursery was the decor! My dear friend Tressa, my go-to friend when I was working on Holden's nursery, who never tired of my million design, color and pattern questions, is the beautiful friend to thank for Grey's nursery being put together! Tressa is patient, brilliant and helpful. Tressa knew how stressed out I was about putting a nursery together this time, especially being on bed rest. (Okay, let's be honest with myself...I cannot design and put together anything cute without being on bed rest...but bed rest made it even more of a stressor!) Tressa completely took over the entire nursery project, and within a week (no joke!) she painted an old mirror, bookshelf and doll chair we already had, made the curtains, re-did two lamps, created a cool focal point polka dot "G frame", and bought and designed nearly all the decor, ETC! She secretly got a key to our house from Chet last Monday morning, and while we were gone to the doctor in Lubbock she (and her sweet family-thank you Brantley, Abbey and Terry) spent the entire day creating Grey's nursery. I walked in the door completely unaware that she had been working on it, and literally squealed like a little girl when I finally saw it. Then I cried. (The excitement actually made me get some pretty serious contractions all night...) ;) Tressa made me feel like I was able to hire a famous designer from HGTV for Grey's room! She even came back tonight and helped me unload, rearrange and organize ALL of our baby stuff until WAY past her and Abbey's bedtime! Talk about a true friend! (Check out her other creations at Hodge Podge Designs on Facebook.)

Note from Tressa that was taped to the back of this beautiful plaque (tears):

We had invested in very nice baby furniture with Holden, and knew we would obviously need to use it with this little one. Chet and I both loved the dark, rich wood for Holden's nursery, but I really had a difficult time wrapping my heart around the exact furniture for Grey. The furniture was a big part to blame for me not wanting to create a second nursery. I remember how difficult it was to watch Chet take it all down and wrap it up for storage. (One of the top five worst days in my life.) We wanted it to be a little "different" for her, so she could have her own furniture that I would not refer to as "Holden's furniture". Another amazingly gifted friend, Terrisu, offered to transform Holden's furniture into Grey's furniture. It's breathtaking! When she offered to paint it, I knew she was amazingly talented, yet I still did not fathom it would turn out so lovely. They are heirloom quality in every way. It was hard to believe they were the same pieces we gave her to work with! Terrisu also set up the furniture without us being home, completing our nursery; even placing the bedding on the crib so that we walked into such a sweet room this evening. Can I just say blessed? Take a look at the beautiful pieces, Grey's furniture, she created.

When I asked Terrisu for permission to write about her and her furniture business on my blog, this is what she asked that I write. You can clearly see where her heart is - sharing God's blessings:
"It's a God given talent that is used by my husband and I to honor God. It is very humbling experience and an honor to serve Him through others and to see the transformations. After all, He has transformed us all with His Love!" ~Terrisu M.

Each drawer has Scripture written in it. The Manns prayed over us, Grey and the nursery before they left. Wow.

I feel as though this nursery could be in a magazine... it is a happy place that I pray and hope Grey will spend days and years creating memories in. Thank you from the bottom of my heart Daphny, Terrisu and Tressa! You are gifts.

Check out some photos (took with my iphone this evening...we will take better photos with our camera hopefully this weekend or next week, but I am too impatient not to share):