Ready or not, she will come...

So, I have felt the need to be ready. Besides, getting organized for the arrival of a new baby is also about helping me believe that we are REALLY going to have a baby.

Of course, to me this does not mean that I have gone to the store and made practical purchases. In fact, we still do not have any diapers, wipes, bath wash, bottles, binkis, or other essential items in the house. But, those are the easy to purchase at the last minute things, right?

Instead, I have put my attention into decorating a bedroom. This is the TOP priority for bringing home a new little bundle of love, correct?

Since I already have two girls and this baby is likely to have a lot of second-hand, well, everything, I wanted to create a room that was distinctive from both my other girls'. Since Mia has a yellow, animal-themed bedroom with red and blue accents and Maggie has a pink, flower-fairy room with yellow and green, I wanted to steer clear of the traditional pale pastels for this baby. But, while creating something beautiful and unique, I needed to do it with as little expenditure as possible.

All in all, I must say I am quite pleased with the result. Some creativity and handiness, all of my recent crafts, and re-making much of what we already had made this a successful project for every objective. Take a look at the final product and my spending sheet and see what you think.



I repainted the same cheap IKEA crib we have used for both the other girls, at this point buying a new one seemed a little silly. Besides, I would rather invest in furniture two years from now than a crib that will only be needed for a couple of years. The blue paint and stain gave the crib a rich, new look.

I recovered the bumper pads I had for Maggie. This was my first attempt at bumper pads, and while I got the result I wanted, they are sure a PAIN to sew. With some recovered pillows to match, I think that it is a bed worthy of a little princess.




I used my favorite gel stain to give a new look to the light pine dresser that I got in high school, which is still kicking around, but was very dinged up from the move. Again, a great transformation. The bird wall art cards pull everything together and create a theme for the room. Also, check out my paper topiary tree from craft group. (I had no idea, as you will see, how handy all the craft group projects would be in pulling this room together.)


The project I am most proud of is the table right here. I wanted a little table / shelf to fit this space, but I didn't want to spend too much, so a few Saturdays ago while Jeffrey was gone, I decided: I have a whole bunch of wood in my garage, I can get what I want for free. A little sawing, hammering, puttying, sanding, and painting later, I am pleased with the table. And, it fits the space perfectly.

With the exception of the lamp, everything else here is recycled from another use in the house, including the rocker which got newly covered pads.


This spot showcases my other craft group creations. Who new all those years helping design and cut out appliqued sweatshirts would come in so handy? I love my little bird applique art work. I also made the little shelf myself, along with one with pink glass knobs for Maggie's room.


In the end, here is my accounting:
Paint and Stain - 0 (leftover from other projects)
Window Treatments - 0 (reused material from old valences that I didn't like when we moved in)
Mobile - $5 (hoop and paper)
Bumper pads, pillows, and chair pads - $40 (fabric)
Art work - $35 ($29 bird cards, $6 bird appliques)
Lamp - $19
Table - 0 (reused wood from other projects)
Furniture - 0 (repainted crib and dresser, moved rocker upstairs)
Decor - $24 (paper topiary supplies, one bird house, 3 metal birds, everything else I already owned and just needed a home in my home)
Baskets - $2 (needed one can of brown spray paint to make them work in this room)

Total: $125

Now, I must say, I love to watch redecorating shows on HGTV, but I always think: who couldn't create something great with a limitless budget? Or even with $1000?

I am waiting to audition for the show that poses an even more formidable challenge, like under $200. After this room, I think I am working up to the task.

I did do a few practical things to prepare for the arrival of this baby. I inventoried and washed all of the baby clothes and put them away in the baby's room.

I also made the one large ticket purchase required for this baby. And, I must say I did well. After scouting out exactly which infant car seat and stroller that I wanted on-line (mine was 6 1/2 years old and I had given away any stroller that could be used with an infant seat) for $300, I found this one on Craig's list. I never buy used items, but when I talked to the owner who had used it for two weeks and saw in-person that it was just like brand-new, I couldn't pass it up for $100. Here is the seat. The stroller matches and is of equal quality. I am pleased.