Four Years

Four years ago today, I married my crush since the ninth grade.  We were so young (I know we still are), and so happy, and had NO idea what lied ahead for us.  It was, truly, the very best day of my life! 

One year ago today, we left for our little adventure across the country together.

Now, we are waiting for our first baby... And again, we are happy, and in love, and totally clueless about this next adventure.  But, I'm SO thankful I get to do it beside the greatest man I know and my very best friend.  I wouldn't have it any other way.

Happy Anniversary to my wonderful husband of four years!

(Read our "Love Story" here.)

Gray and Yellow Nursery Reveal

FINALLY, I am ready!!!  I started this post on April 24th, so you can tell how anxious I've been to share our nursery with you...  Well, today folks, is the day! :)

Decorating Baby C's nursery has, by far, been one of my most favorite things about this season - besides that it will actually end in a real live baby, of course! But, it has also been a lot more work than I thought it would be...  For example, our entire gallery wall came crashing down last Thursday night just when I thought we were almost done.  We lost one poor frame in the process, but everyone else survived (including me and my hormones.) Sometimes fellow bloggers make it look so easy!  ;)

Anyway, I'm thrilled to finally be able to show off our newest space...

But first, before I begin, I want to give credit to these incredibly talented and creative blogger-moms who's nurseries provided my initial inspiration - Thanks Erin (my original model), Katie, and Kelly!

And now...

Baby Chapman's Grey & Yellow Elephant Nursery

Details:

Wall Color - Valspar Silver Lake (This turned out more blue than I was hoping, but I've grown to love it.  FYI)

Rug - Ikea (gift from Aunt Delores - not pictured online)

Curtains - Ikea ($14.99 for a set of two - we used four - not pictured online); rod from Lowe's (two rigged together in the middle because that window is so long)
Overhead Light  - Lowe's (gift from Jeff's parents)
Crib - Davinci Kalani in Espresso from Amazon (gift from my parents)

Crib Bedding - Custom done from  Tuft Love Fabric on Etsy

World Map Decal -  Urban Decals on Etsy

Hanging Pom Poms - Prost to the Host on Etsy (remember we used this at our Gender Reveal Party too)

"Keep Quiet Baby's Sleeping" Print - Plantagenet Rose (Gift from Kathryn)

Snips & Snails Print - Finny & Zook from Kzukowski on Etsy

Puppy Dog Tail Hooks - Ikea

Side table - Found in Poppy's basement; cleaned up and spray painted white on top.

Glider - Hand-me-down from Jeff's parents (he was rocked in this as a baby) &  re-upholstered in gray

Pillow - Made by Jeff's mom with fabric from TuftLove

Elephant Lamp - Marshall's (gift from Amanda & Jake)

Storage Baskets - TJ Maxx

Gallery Wall Art -Enduring Arts; Bound to Remember; Finny & Zook by KZukowski; Sugar Fresh (all on Etsy).  PLUS, old photos and some "fillers" while we wait for pictures of Baby C. :)

Frames - Ikea Ribba Collection

Dresser - Already owned; painted with Valspar Dandelion with bamboo pulls from Cool Knobs & Pulls spray painted white

Mirror - Already owned

Elephant Hooks - Anthropologie (gift from Kathryn)

Elephant Mobile - Sugar and Spice Studio on Etsy

Felt Garland - Steph Loves Ben on Etsy
Stuffed Animals, Toys, Books, etc. - Gifts!

*Feel free to email me if I left something off or you want more info!

As you can see, we were incredibly spoiled by family and friends with time & gifts for this project.  THANK YOU to all those that made this nursery possible, especially my dad and husband who literally gave up hours and hours to make my "vision" a reality. Seriously, I'd have a lot of ideas and an empty room without you!

I think the room is a perfect spot for a baby... It is relaxing and soothing, but still bright and happy. Plus, if we ever need to adapt it for a girl, a few hints of pink would easily do the trick. We love it!  Sometimes, I even look forward to late night feedings in there... Let's see if that lasts! 

What do you think?

Q&A: Teaching

Last week, in honor of this blog's 2nd birthday/anniversary, I opened up a little Q&A.  It wasn't quite as well received as I'd hoped, but I did get a few good questions... Today is my attempt at answering the first one.  Enjoy!

Well, as a general response, I like teaching literature (as opposed to writing and grammar - which is sad, because so much of standardized testing etc. leans heavily in that direction).  Specifically, I think my favorite unit to teach is Romeo & Juliet in ninth grade.  I've never been a huge Shakespeare fan (terrible, I know), but I love that for most students this is their first exposure to his writing and I get the opportunity to make it seem less intimidating and more fun for them! Some of the activities we do with R&J are: a masquerade ball to read/perform Act 1, Scene 5 where Romeo & Juliet meet, a modern paraphrase assignment of the balcony scene, a "perfect match" interview between students and their parents (usually for extra credit), and competition wedding-vow writing.  I also provide a summary before each act written in today's language and do lots of journaling to help students connect with the work even though it feels so old and outdated.  Usually, my students agree that this is one of their favorite units all year! 

YES, I'm happy to share lesson plans... I really think swapping creative ideas (that work!) is what teaching is all about.  Email me if you are interested in this one, or something else.  :)

I wish I had more freedom in the literature I teach.  While my school is very supportive, I have to work with what we have class-sets of, so I often miss out on popular "modern" young adult fiction etc.  I really feel like my main goal as an English teacher is to make students readers.. So, I'd love to be able to work with books like The Hunger Games etc., that are already really popular with teenagers, in addition to classic literature --- I really think you have to have an appreciation for reading itself before you can fully enjoy most of the classics.

Revolutionary ideas.... I believe learning should be fun, students should feel respected, assignments should be meaningful, and teachers should LOVE what they are doing.  I don't know if any of those are revolutionary, but they pretty much sum up my philosophy of teaching.

For other reflections on teaching, ideas, etc. look here. :)

Thanks Crys for reminding me what I love about my job today (besides summer vacation)!

Grandparent Dinner & Gifts

First, head over to A Girl in Pearls & A Boy with Toys to see me as the featured "Monday Mamas-To-Be."  Jen has a cute blog and an even cuter baby boy who is just over a month old.  Plus, there might be some sneak peek photos of our nursery there.  (One day, it will be finished... Right now, the gallery wall will probably be the death of me - and my sweet dad.  FYI.)

Moving on...

On Friday night, Jeff and I hosted our parents for a little "Grandparent Dinner" before Baby C's much-anticipated arrival.  Although I'm sure we'll be spending more time together than ever once he is here, we figured this might be our last opportunity for a quiet night without bottles and baths and bouncers for a while...

In addition to just celebrating together, we also wanted to talk about some of our "plans" for the labor/delivery part of this process as well as the weeks following the birth.  We are SO blessed to have both of our families in town and available to help us in every step of this journey... That said, we figured it might take some balancing too (i.e. Who will run the vacuum at our house when we are in labor? My mom.  And, who will take care of the grand-dog while we are at the hospital? Jeff's parents. Haha!).

It was nice to sit down and share some of our expectations and hopes, AND - most importantly - just tell our parents how thankful we are for them, how grateful we are for their love and support these last nine months, and how much we genuinely want them to be a part of our baby's life from DAY ONE.  (He is going to be SO spoiled!!)

We also wanted to give them little "Grandma Gifts" that I made up this last week so that they would be fully stocked when Baby C is visiting. :)  This was a super fun project for me to put together, and they LOVED it!

Each gift consisted of:

- A car seat base for their car.  (Purchased on Amazon)

- Diapers in size Newborn & 1

- Wipes

- Diaper rash cream

- Baby lotion & bath

- A hooded towel & two wash cloths

- A bath toy

- A receiving blanket

- Two burp cloths

- A bib

- Pajamas

- Two onesies

- Socks

- A hat

- Grooming & safety kit

- A bottle and formula (just in case)

- Pacifiers

- A toy

- A stuffed animal

(The best part?  We really only bought the car seat bases... Everything else was "extra" from showers etc. I'm so glad they will be put to good use at Grandma's house.)

While my hope is that these little "kits" will bless the grandparents; selfishly, they are also nice for me because it's just less stuff we'll have to lug around when we visit.  (We are, clearly, counting on many home cooked meals in the first few months! Haha!)

The night was a huge success; and, I hope, that our parents felt as loved and honored as they are.

Here are a few more pictures:

The table with diaper place cards.

Hat? Koozie?  It might have been a good idea to have a lesson in proper diaper usage. ;)

Dear Grandma, Grand Marshall, Bear, & Granny:

What a gift it is for Baby C to grow up with all four of his grandparents right here!!  Since the day we told you we were expecting, the four of you have been nothing but wonderful - supportive, generous, and genuinely happy for us.  THANK YOU!  More importantly, thank you for showing us what parenting looks like and preparing us for this role... We could not have had better examples.  We love you and are excited for this new season of ALL of our lives!

Love,

J & E

P.S.  I'm going to be answering some of your questions from my two year anniversary post later this week... It kind-of got lost in the "Bachelor of the Week" madness, so if you have a question for me and didn't get to post it... Head here today to leave it in the comments.  Thanks! :)

A Letter to My Baby Boy

 Dear Baby Boy,

Today, I am 37 weeks pregnant.  Although according to my appointment last week you are perfectly comfortable inside of me and probably will stay awhile, most medical accounts say you are FULL TERM now.  You have no idea how happy this makes me... Not just because I'm ready to not have swollen feet or wear normal clothes again; but because I am SO excited to meet you.  Every time I feel one of your little kicks or butt-jabs as you like to give, I imagine what you must look like and who you will be.  I think about being your mommy, and how ready we are.  

Back in November, when we first found out you were on the way, Daddy and I were scared.  We WANTED you from day one; but our lives weren't as "prepared" as we thought they needed to be.  Now, we have talked many times about how we can't imagine NOT having you.  It seems everything about us was made to be your parents.  We know that there are "surprises" coming our way and unexpected changes to our lives; but, we are very much READY for this new season.

Over the last nine months, God has been SO faithful to us.  It is so obvious that He has known exactly what He is doing from the very beginning. (Duh!)  We are so thankful that we don't do this alone... But with a Father who always knows best... And, with an incredible community of people that love us (and love you sooo much already) beside us.  Although I haven't loved being pregnant, I have loved what this season of preparation and expectation has been for us.  I would do it ten thousand times over for you, little one.

My prayer for you right now is this:

- That you would arrive healthy and in God's timing.  I'm a bit of a "control-freak" so this "He could come any day now" business, is hard for me.  BUT, I am relaxed and content in waiting for you.  I hope this is a sign of how you will change and shape me for the better.  Yes, it's true that our doctor (and our photographer) is going to be out of town beginning on July 9th, but I pray that you would come at EXACTLY the time God has chosen for you and in EXACTLY the way He has planned.  

-  That you would come into this world knowing how incredibly loved you are.  And, that as you grow you would see the way that I love God and the way that I love your Daddy.  I  KNOW I will make mistakes, but I think if you know those three things beyond a shadow of a doubt, I will have been successful as a parent.

- That our faith would be evident to you in every step of your journey; and, that somehow, that faith will draw you into a relationship with Jesus that is real and deep.  Because of this, I pray that you would become a man who is authentic and LOVES people.  I want you to be fully a GUY - but to also have a heart of flesh and not stone.  I pray that you will be gentle but strong, kind but respected.  I pray that you will always know WHO you belong to.

- And, that you would know the value of community from a VERY early age.  Your dad and I have loved to entertain and host people since we were in high school... A big part of our hearts and our calling is in having a home and a life that is open to relationships.  Baby boy, there are SO many people excited about your arrival.  We pray that from day one you would experience true community and grow up surrounded by LOTS of people who will shape and form you.  As your parents, I pray that God will give us the discernment to do this right... And that those around us will feel a part of your life from the beginning. 

We are praying for you and anxiously counting down the days until we get to see you and hold you!

Love,

Mom

Bachelor of the Week #8: Ministry Edition

This post has been a long time coming... This week's eligible bachelor is a dear friend of ours and an excellent catch.  When I heard Kelly was hosting another "Show Us Your Singles" day, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to introduce... 

Bachelor of the Week #8:

"Pastor Seth"

If his smile hasn't already hooked you, let me tell you a little about this Virginia gentleman... 

Born and raised in the south, but educated in Boston, this 29 year old is a perfect blend of down home manners and hospitality with a good dose of Northern pragmatism - especially when it comes to equality of the sexes etc.  After receiving his undergraduate degree close to home, he attended Gordon-Conwell for a Master of Divinity and then Harvard University (yes, a Harvard grad ladies) where he earned his Master's of Theology.  Today, he is living in Roanoke teaching online college courses in World Religion and Christian Theology, while also dabbling in insurance to "pay the bills."  One day, he hopes to get his Ph.d and teach at a major university. 

Impressive resume aside, his heart is first and foremost for Jesus.  But, don't be intimidated... Beyond that, he enjoys playing the piano, writing music (but always forgetting the composition), distance running, reading, studying old languages (really, really old ones), watching plays and artistic movies, and writing.  He is also a fantastic teacher and loyal friend --- I can say that with confidence from personal experience.  :)

"Pastor Seth" is looking for a godly woman to share his passions, his ministry, and his life with.  Specifically,  he wants someone "who is passionate about her relationship with Jesus, and who approaches Him with a sense of mystery and reverence; A woman who gives definition to her community, but who is not defined by it; A woman who is not afraid to be weak, but who is not afraid to be strong either; A woman who can build sandcastles on the beach like a little girl, but who can navigate an international airport without anxiety; A woman who isn't bound by her past, and isn't afraid of her future; A bold and free-thinker: A cross between Scarlet in the red dress and Joan of Arc."  (Can you tell he's a writer?  And, a romantic?!?)

And, better yet, his ideal date is "a night sitting in front of the ocean with a bottle of red wine talking about ourselves, our ideas, and our art."  Hooked yet?

Ladies, don't miss this once in a lifetime opportunity!  He is the kind-of guy we make lists about when we are in high school.  ;)  Email me right away if you are interested (e@emyselfandi.com)... This offer won't last long!

P.S. Check out past Bachelors of the Week under the tab at the top of my homepage and come back for more soon!

Blogiversary Q&A

(I know I promised a new bachelor today... But, I'm still gathering some photos etc.  Can you wait one more day?  It will be worth it, guaranteed.)

Speaking of tomorrow, tomorrow is the 2nd Anniversary of this little ole blog.  Truth be told, I'm not the most "persistent" person when it comes to hobbies... So, this is quite an accomplishment for me.  To celebrate, I thought I'd take a few minutes to reflect on the last two years... (If you want, you can read my first post here.)

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In some ways, a lot has changed since I first started E, Myself, and I:

For starters, I  had "baby fever" then... and, I'm having a baby in a few weeks now.

I'm pretty sure my friend Lindsey was my only reader then... and, there are at least 426 of you (most of whom I don't know in real life) now.  This blows me away and humbles me!

I've also traveled across the country, survived a season of uncertainty about moving/jobs/etc, and gained quite a bit of gray hair (not to mention lbs.) in the last two years.

But, my heart and my purpose in sharing my life with the world wide web is pretty much the same:

This is a place where I can create - something I'm learning is quite valuable - and a place where I can remember.  It is a place where I can connect with other women, and force myself to think & feel in words.  I am incredibly grateful for this outlet, and this little community WE have built.

Thanks for walking on this journey... LOTS more to come!

To wrap up year two (and, maybe, give you a little break from all the "baby talk") I thought I'd open up a little Q&A.  It's been a long time since I did one of these (Feb. 2010 - to celebrate FIFTY followers  - to be exact... See the post here), and it's fun.  So... if you have any questions for me, just leave them in the comments & I'll start answering them next week. I'm pretty much an open book, so anything goes. 

Love you guys!  Seriously.

Way Back When-sday

One of my blog friends, Erika, does a Way Back When-sday post every week.  It is a fun chance to re-vist old photos etc.  Today, I'm copying joining her and sharing a few gems I found recently.

The last two days, I've been diligently working on a gallery wall for Baby C's nursery.  (Which, by the way, is A LOT more work than I realized... I just don't think I'm cut out for home projects. Period.)  Anyway, one element of the wall is baby pictures of Jeff and me. It has been so fun going back through our old baby books and imagining what Baby C will look like!  Wanna see?

Me at 5 1/2 months... Look at that red hair! :)



Jeff at 3 1/2 months... I love this!



Let's hope Baby C is some combination of those two faces and not this! 

Plus, just for a little fun... My mom on the eve of my birth. :)

My dad wrote this caption on the back: March 25, 1984.  Mother-to-be Julie "relaxes" with milk and Oreos the night before Elizabeth is born.  Haha!  (One can only hope that the next 27 years are as good to me as they have been to her.)

... A new BACHELOR OF THE WEEK coming tomorrow... get excited!

Things I Think Are RIDICULOUS

1. Ashley.  I'm sorry.  She's a hot mess and pathetic over Bentley... I'm done with that.  (P.S. WHO is coming up with the terrible date ideas this season? A fake wedding? Muay Thai fighting? Honestly.)

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2. William.  Can we say SLEEZE?  And I thought I liked him!  He deserved to go home.  The one good decision Ashley has made all season.

3.The fact that my dog "sleeps in" a good hour or two after I wake up.  (Shh... Daddy's out of town.  We were doing SO well on the dog bed too.)

I certainly can't make the bed when she is in it. :) That's my excuse... I'm sticking to it.

4. My hair.  All my life I've wanted thick hair... Now, it has grown like a weed on TOP only.  I have a mop of bangs that are usually sweaty, and I look like I'm wearing a Bump-It all the time.  Dear God, would it have really been too much to just let my hair grow long during pregnancy?  Really?

5. Denim Diapers.  No comment needed.

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36 Weeks!!!

Every time I do one of these update posts now, I feel like it's a HUGE (no pun intended) accomplishment.  I can't believe we are less than ONE MONTH out from our due date!  I admit I still have a good bit to do (although none of it is really vital), but I am so ready for Baby C!!!

Here's my latest update (not many more of these):

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 36 weeks and two days... For a long time I thought this was considered "full term," but now I'm pretty sure it is actually 37 weeks.  Oh well, this still feels like a big milestone.  

Size of Baby: Almost SIX pounds.  (This is just an estimate... I haven't had an ultrasound since 24 weeks- FYI.) The size of a crenshaw melon - who even knows what that is?

Credit

Maternity Clothes: Of course, with a few exceptions... Here I am in a regular t-shirt from Target & maternity yoga pants - my standard summer attire!

Sometimes, I feel like I'm beginning to be comfortable with my pregnancy body (finally), and then I'll see one of these pictures!  Someone please tell me I'm going to appreciate having these one day!  (P.S. Can you see my little onlooker in the corner?)


Gender: My sweet boy!  I love him SO much already!

Movement: Still feeling lots of movement and anxious to find out if he has "settled" into his spot on Tuesday when I go to the doctor for my first pelvic exam.

Sleep: I have good nights and bad, but mostly good.  Still, this far in, I struggle with staying on my left side.  Luckily, baby boy seems to not mind!  (P.S. I accidentally slept until 10:45 this morning.... Enjoy it while I can, right?!?)

What I miss: Shopping for cute clothes for myself (will I ever do that again?!?); touching my toes comfortably. :)

Cravings: Iced coffee, frozen yogurt, Mexican food --- Hallelujah, a Chipolte opened up in Roanoke just in the nick of time!

Symptoms:Mostly just swelling, but even that seems to have improved since I've been out of school.  I do get tired easily... I can clean one floor of our house in a full eight hour day.  And, my finger joints hurt really badly in the morning - anyone ever heard of that? I haven't had ANY contractions - Braxton Hicks or "real" - yet.  This worries me a little bit b/c my mom NEVER went into labor and had to have a c-section THREE weeks after my due date... But, I'm also kind-of grateful.  Any stories of women with NO contractions until labor day?

Words of Wisdom: My wonderful friend Trisha, who I respect so much as a godly wife, mother, and grandmother of SEVEN - told me the two keys to being the "perfect" mother are: to love God with all my heart, and to love Jeff next.  This was really good for me to be reminded of... More on that later this week.

Best Moment(s) This Week: My first full week of summer vacation has been SO great and full of "best moments."  I've had TWO more showers (pictures below) for Baby C, and we are officially STOCKED.  I love love love organizing (and even washing, which is monumental) all his little things!  Also, Thursday night Jeff and I went and had the car seat bases installed in both of our cars and enjoyed a nice date night.  We are going to try to do this once a week until baby day!  And, I've gotten to spend some good time this week doing things on my Non-Stressful To Do List like catching up with long distance friends, going to Kathryn's pool, reading for fun, etc.   

What I'm Looking Forward To: Continuing my resting and nesting. And, MEETING MY LITTLE GUY!!!

Now, a few photos from the last two weeks:

This shower was on Sunday, June 12th at my Great-Aunt Phyllis' (in blue next to me) pool.  It was SO special to get to celebrate with Granny's family... We missed her, but I know she loved watching from above!  (That's her brother next to Phyllis and lots of cousins.)  Do you love my sash?  Poppy said he was glad I was wearing it because it wasn't at all obvious that I was expecting? :)

Then, on Tuesday, Trisha threw me a sweet shower at her house with women from church.  It was a great time to share and celebrate with the community that I know will play a huge role in raising our little boy.

And, although we've gotten TONS of wonderful treats for our little guy, I had to share these... My friend Kelly hand-knit this stuffed elephant, blanket (with a little hood), and Clemson hat!  This is my first piece of Clemson gear for Baby C, and I am SO excited about it.  Bring on the cold weather!!!

Thanks for reading all this and caring about our pregnancy! His little birth day is getting soooo close now! :)

Bear

First of all, happy Father's Day to all the dads out there!!!

Poor Jeff had to be at the airport at 5AM this morning to catch a flight to St. Louis for the National Sheriff's Convention (hilarious) for his new job; so, unfortunately, he won't really get to celebrate his first FD.  We couldn't decide if this one "counted" for him anyway... But, thank you to my sweet parents and Aunt Delores & Uncle Richard who remembered him with "dad-to-be" cards.  Next year, we'll make a big deal of this day... By then, Baby C should be old enough to go hiking/fishing/canoeing/beer-drinking with him, right?!? ;) 

So, today, I'm celebrating with my daddy - the most wonderful ever!!  Last year, I wrote a more sentimental post about him here, and I still mean every single word of it... But, in the spirit of not repeating myself, I thought I'd take a little lighter approach this year and tell you about the latest role he'll be taking on in a few weeks - Grandpa or, even better, BEAR.

Dear Dad, we really need to take more pictures together. :)

Since my early high school years, I've called my dad (and for that matter, Jeff too, although he never really appreciated it or accepted it like my dad) BEAR.  I don't know how or why it got started, but I just love it.  It is a term of endearment from me.  And, when it become obvious that I would NOT be allowed to name a child Bear one day - both because Jeff would never allow it and because my friends Amanda and Davey had already claimed it - I decided this would be the perfect grandparent term.  For years, I half-joked that my dad would be Bear and my mom would be Girl Bear to our future children.

Well, soon enough, those "future children" (or at least one of them) became a reality; and, "Girl Bear" just didn't seem like a good title for a little boy to use.  But, Bear stuck.  No boring "Granddad" or "Pop" for my daddy... Just Bear.  My dad can totally rock a name like that!

Now, here's where the story gets funny...

Early in our pregnancy, my dad proudly announced to his poker buddies that his grandson would be calling him "Bear," at which they exploded in laughter.  Much to our surprise, the title Bear has a bit of an alternative definition.

According to urban dictionary (and my dad's "hip" friends), a "Bear" is:   

a term used by gay men to describe a husky, large man with a lot of body hair

Hmm... Like maybe someone like this?

(Insert picture of my dad in a bathing suit here)

He might be the epitome of "husky with a lot of body hair," but in a totally studly way!

Hahaha!  We thought this was quite possibly the funniest thing to ever happen in our family!

For a while, my dad completely renounced the name...  But, a few months ago, he took it back.  He's MAN enough to not care about those things... And, he'll be the best darn Bear there is!

Here's a recent gift from him to our baby boy.  (Secretly - or not, since I'm sharing it on the internet - I think this will be a favorite!)

Happy Father's Day Bear!!  You are all I could ask for and more in a dad and, most certainly, a grandpa!  I love you!

Nursery Art Round-Up

First of all, THANK YOU for all your great responses to my last post.  I felt like I got a really great mix of encouragement and reality - just what I needed.  You guys are the best!

Now... I'm not quite ready for the big reveal just yet.  (I know, it's a slow process... I have literally TWO things that I'm waiting on to finish/come in the mail... Then I'm good to go.)  But, I have spent countless hours scouring Etsy in the last three months for just the right nursery art.  So, I thought I'd share some of my resources today.

Also, and I realize this is kind-of cheating, today's Show Us Your Life Post at Kelly's Korner is all about "What You Make." The only thing I'm making these days is BABIES (well, a baby) and LISTS... So, I'm going to pass on some of my other creative finds instead.  Enjoy!

Bright and happy "word art" at Kzukowski featuring Finny & Zook

Scripture & prayers with a cute & modern look at Enduring Arts.

Love the simple, retro look of this... Done on cork at The Word Shop.

Just precious... from Sarah Jane Studios (obviously they have girls too - but I'm bias)

from Barking Bird Art

I wanted this one (from Dazey Chic/ Studio Mela) really bad, but Jeff did not think it was "cool."  Haha!

LOVE a good silhouette... This one is done on linen paper in any color your want from Bound to Remember

Obviously, this is just a TINY little fraction of what's available... You could waste spend DAYS looking at this stuff.  And the best part?  The prices are GREAT!  I don't think I spent more than $20.00 on any one print for our nursery.  (P.S. We didn't use any of these exact prints, but several of the vendors.  No peeks here!)

Check out Kelly's Korner to see what tons of bloggers are making!! :)

Happy Friday!