A Gender Neutral Nursery Fit for a Prince or Princess!

    My niece and her husband made what appears to be an unusual choice these days: they opted not to find out the gender of their baby. The birthing trend for most young parents is to acquire as much information as is possible beforehand, to organize and plan everything out to the most minute detail, and to outfit the nursery with a specific theme that is designed with a particular child in mind. Some parents-to-be even go so far as to schedule an induction so that even the actual birth day of the child will not be subject to the whims or vagaries of nature.(Heaven forbid!)  I won't get started on my opinion on all of that...but let me just say that I am a firm proponent of waiting. I can readily testify that the moment when you discover just who your child is one of the most magical and wonderful events in life.
   That being said, living in the day and time that in which we find ourselves, planning and executing a gender neutral nursery can be a significant challenge. Most of the decor that is available is geared toward one sex or the other. My niece, however, managed to pull together an adorable nursery that strikes the perfect balance. The soft blues, creams, and touches of white and burnished gold will lend themselves well to either a baby boy or a baby girl.
    I also love that she incorporated items that had been used in her own nursery. In some cases they were updated and in others, they appear just as they were thirty years ago. As you enjoy seeing her selections, I will try to let you know where she sourced everything.

The color palette is soft and soothing. No bright colors here to strike discordant notes. 

This little nursery will be a sanctuary for mother and child alike. 

Noted designer Erika Powell of Urban Grace Interiors 

worked with my niece and assisted her with the wall color, bedding selections, and window treatments.

From this picture you can see that the bedroom was originally 

paneled in hand-hewn tongue and groove cypress that has been painted with Benjamin Moore White Dove.
I am usually not a fan of paneling, but here it provides interest and adds a cottage feel to the room.

The pegged oak floors are original to the house and were refinished with a darker stain this past year.

The Jenny Lind crib was used by my niece when she was a baby.
Urban Grace worked their magic on the bedding.
 It is a masterful blend of textures, subtle patterns and tones.
It's neutral, but not boring!

The crib skirt fabric is a Jane Shelton linen fabric: Raindrops in Blue/Green. It is designed to adjust

as the crib is lowered. The crib sheet is Serena and Lily Aqua Trellis, and the bumpers

are Robert Allen Diamond Tuft in Natural with welting and ties in Fabricut Elements in Haze.

I love this piece and think it adds great cachet to the space. My niece searched high and low and

finally found this gem on a FaceBook auction.
Even though she had to drive 120 miles to pick it up, it

was definitely worth it. 

This ceramic bunny has a happy home in the corner

I don't know whose idea it was, but it was a genius plan to remove the closet doors and add the shelving for baskets (from Pottery Barn). It will be a long time before baby will need the extra length for his or her clothes and this makes wise use of what is normally underutilized space in a closet.

Here's a closer look at the changing table combination dresser. My niece
ordered this charming piece on Etsy from Dani's Custom Designs.
I love the retro knobs and the embossing detail on the front of the drawers.

My mother made each of her daughters a series of these counted cross-stitch nursery rhymes 

for our baby nurseries. My niece had these keepsakes reframed in burnished gold for an updated look. 

No family nursery would be complete without a hand-knitted baby
blanket designed and executed by the baby's great-grandmother, our beloved BaBa. 

The nursery rocker/glider is from Beau Home Interiors in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida,
 and is slipcovered in a natural cotton twill.

Both the shade and the curtain above have blackout lining. Draperies are Fabricut Carrom Robin's Egg.  Urban Grace fabricated the cornice board in-house.  Hardware is by Restoration Hardware.
One of my favorite touches is the bird lamp on the wicker table (from an estate sale)
by Dimond Lighting.It definitely brings a touch of whimsy to the space
 and echoes the burnished gold tones of the chandelier hanging above.

 Here are a collection of treasures that belonged to my niece when she was a baby

 Leather baby shoes that have been preserved in porcelain paired with a Wedgwood Bunnykins bank

The vintage Beatrix Potter music box by Schmid with Mr. Owl and the Squirrel

A closer look at the artwork by Ginger Leigh of Grayton Beach, Florida that was
 commissioned especially for the nursery.

You've seen all of the special touches that my niece pulled together to make a
 serene, soothing and inviting space for her little one to play and sleep and dream.
Now it's time to find out just who will be taking up residence in this lovely nursery....
Drumroll, please...
It's a Girl!
It's a Princess!
Here she is...

Nursery rug from Joss and Main
All baskets pictured from Pottery Barn

Mother Goose gift from Pretty Please

Chandelier found online

Small wicker rocker gift from friend

Round wicker table from an Estate Sale
Baby Girl - gift from God (every perfect gift cometh from above....)

Diary of A Total Knee Replacement - Cabin Fever

Thank heavens for Etsy. It's a welcome relief for the housebound shopper. During this phase of the recovery, I don't have the stamina for a mall trip and getting in and out of the car to go to multiple shops is a bit tiring. And then you have the whole walker or cane thing to contend with. In my book, it's just easier to do a little cyber shopping! Check out some of these goodies I found.

I love this piece of vintage wall art from Paperhill. She has some some really interesting things.

How about these darling knobs to give your dresser an instant update? You will find them at The Turquoise Cottage

As a child, I loved playing dress-up in my grandmother Lou Lou's cast-off treasures. She had lots of earrings, necklaces, and a few haircombs. One of them reminded me of this. Wouldn't this bring a smile to your face?! Tiedupmemories has lots of wonderful jewelry and embellishments in a wide range of prices!

My family calls me "The Pillow Queen," because I have pillows everywhere. I buy pillows because it's the quickest way I know to give a room a facelift, and a cheap one at that. I love these pillows and am already dreaming about where they can find a home. Lilpierette has some beautiful fabric choices for her pillows, but I am totally enamored of these.

And this.


When I was in the antique business, I learned that vintage maps are a hot commodity. In a shout out to my home state, here is a map that looks to be a very good deal. Don't snatch it up before I get there! It's almost a hundred years old!
You can find it here: http://www.etsy.com/shop/Holcroft?ref=seller_info

And who doesn't need a little baby girl cuteness to end the day! Just look at that precioius model. What's not to love with this little dress from Adelaide's Boutique?

I'm off to change out my ice packs. Ciao

The Librarian's Daughter

   From the time that I was a little girl, I have been captivated by words. Thus as a child it was only natural that I devoured books the way that some children devour sweets. I can thank my mother, a highly regarded librarian or media specialist as she likes to be called, for this life-long love affair of mine. Her influence upon me in this regard has been both pervasive and enduring.  I am descended from a long line of bibliophiles. My grandmother, Louise Brooks Rushing, was a much revered English teacher and her mother, my great-grandmother, was a founder of the original Study Club in her hometown. The home my great-grandmother grew up in later became the location for the city library of Opp, Alabama. So...reading books and collecting books are in my genes.
   However, even I have had to admit...I have enough books. There are books in nearly every room in my house. We collect bookshelves around here the same way that some people collect china. I even had books piled up under my bed for a while. About six months ago I decided it was time to begin purging. After giving lots of books away to Goodwill, I found myself becoming acquainted once again with our local McKay's bookstore. You take your old books to McKay's, trade them in, and they will either give you cash or store credit. I tried the money route, but you only get about half or less of what you would get if you take store credit. It's a racket. They sucker you back in every time. So, I am taking back my old books and getting store credit so I can...you guessed it, buy more books. Something is wrong with this picture.
   Fast forward to my antique mall booth. Since I was getting seriously side-tracked in my recovery plan for my addiction, I knew I had to take drastic measures. Gasp. I am now willing to share some of my antique and well-loved vintage books with discriminating buyers. Don't worry, I am not getting rid of anything that I really treasure, but I am offering some lovely books for you fellow bibliophiles. Here's a look at some of the goodies I recently added to my booth at the Harpeth Antique Mall!

   This Big Golden Book of Poetry is highly sought after for its lovely and whimsical illustrations by Gertrude Elliott. Since the 1969 edition is very difficult to find this copy has a hefty price tag, but I have been assured that the right buyer will snap it up.

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 I don't remember this particular book, but lots of people seem to love it, which is why it is in high demand. This 1967 edition has sweet illustrations by Marjorie Cooper.  Trust me when I say that this is a steal (it's in excellent condition)!

This is a little Scholastic 1967 paperback copy of Jack and the Beanstalk with hilarious illustrations.

Apparently the humble Little Golden Book is hot in vintage book circles. And who doesn't love a little Peter Pan?  I have a good selection of vintage Golden Books available. Come browse through to find your favorite!


I am not about to foist my opinions on the Crusades on you; I am simply offering this 1942 edition of Harold Lamb's The Crusades: Iron Men and Saints.

This is an older edition of Huckleberry Finn from 1965 that has delightful inside cover illustrations

And this is by no means all that I have! There's a copy of The Ides of March (First Edition) by Thornton Wilder,  a beautiful copy of the Waverly Novels (Volume 8) by Sir Walter Scott with original engravings intact and much, much more! Stop by to see the rest. You won't be sorry!