One more step closer...

I mentioned in my last post that the hubs is going to be gone for some significant chunks of time this summer, and he leaves for the first chunk next week. There are a couple of things that "need" to be done around the house by him before he leaves, and he's been getting them crossed off the list this week. One of them that wasn't a need at all but we decided to tackle last night was the hanging of all frames and items on the walls of the nursery. I mentioned just yesterday in my post that I couldn't wait to see things start to go into their actual homes instead of being completed and then just set off to the side for an undetermined amount of time, and it was so exciting for that to actually start happening last night! Aside from really easily exciting me, it's also nice to have these things up on the wall for practical reasons; it's been a pain having things just propped up against walls and worrying about having to protect them from dogs/me knocking them over at some point.

There were only two walls that got stuff hung on them last night (just one more frame to be added later this summer on a different wall). The first is next to the glider.

I drew this charcoal giraffe in high school art (senior year, I think) and have loved having him hung up wherever I've lived since. There really wasn't a place in our house that made sense to put him, so he got stuck in the corner of the nursery soon after moving day. I figured that was a good place for him, and now that there's a color scheme and he matches it, I have to say that I still think that. He adds a little something fun. (Also, the serious observer will notice that we shuffled the furniture around slightly in this corner of the room, and this is where it will all most likely stay. That side table still needs to be painted, but very soon that should get crossed off the list.)

The other wall is one of my favorites in the whole room.

You're looking at the door out of the room there on the left, into the hallway and the bathroom across the hall. The huge blank spot under this little collage will be filled with dressers/changing table. They're missing right now because they're in the basement being primed as I type! (Oh so excited for this step...the biggest one on the hubs' list for before he leaves so I can paint while he's gone.)

I've gone into a lot of detail about the purpose and sentimental value of some of these pieces as I've created them, so I won't bore you by going into all those details again. The chalkboard verse from 1 Samuel is really personal to us and one that we've clung to in the last several months, and I love seeing it on the wall in all its glory.

The middle of the collage is unfinished, and will remain that way until after the baby comes. The top and bottom frame will be filled with pictures of the baby after he or she is born, but since I didn't want to leave them empty in the meantime I put some scrapbook paper inside as a place holder (with some green, of course). I described the reason behind the Kid President quote in the very middle of the collage yesterday, and I love that it's in such a central location where I'll see it all the time.

The last part of this little collage is another piece that I made several years ago...if memory serves me right it was right before I moved away to start my new job and live on my own for the first time. The piece of wood was a gift from my dad; it's chestnut, which is largely believed to be extinct as a species. One of my dad's patients had some from a demolished barn and gave some to my dad knowing that he loved woodworking and using different kinds of wood (especially rare and unusual wood like this). Unfortunately it was almost all too worm-eaten and destroyed to do much of anything with it, but it was perfect for an art project. I absolutely love the holes and the roughness to it and left it largely unchanged.

I painted the tree onto the wood first, and then added the buttons for some added texture and fun. The verse that I included on the bottom has become one of my favorites, and the entire tree/verse combination has been used many times for me as both wedding and baby gifts because I think it's so perfect for both scenarios.

"For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes; but its leaf will be green."

-Jeremiah 17:8

For both marriages and nurseries, this verse is so perfect. Heat will come; it says "when," not "if." And when it comes, I want my child to be firmly planted by the waters, which is Christ. It is our deepest prayer as we prepare for this child and others to join our family and reside under our teaching and leading. 

Also...it was a huge bonus that the tree had lots of shades of green in it to fit the ever-important color palette ;) 

We do have one other photo frame to hang, but it's not going to happen for a while. We also will need to hang the mobile someday, but again, it won't be for a while. So for all intensive purposes, we're done with hanging things for quite a while. 

Here's our nursery to-do list now: 

• 1 Samuel 1:27-28 chalkboard
• quote for inside side table frame
• hang all pictures 
• turn green bottle into a lamp
• recover lamp shade? new lamp shade?
• prime dressers
• sand side table
• sand cube organizer
• paint dressers white
• paint side table white
• paint side table drawer pull silver
• paint cube organizer
• make mobile for over crib
• paint metal pail for books
• clean out closet and closet drawers
• clean out dresser drawers
• line dresser drawers with contact paper
• organizers for inside of dresser drawers
• hem curtains and hang them...or new curtains?
• storage system and bins
• basket(s) for cube organizer
• get small lamp for changing table
• make/buy crib skirt
• metal trash can for diapers
• basket with liner for hamper
• shelf over storage system?
• new overhead light?
• art piece above changing table
• large frame for showers

It looks really long still, but once I get those dressers primed and the hubs goes out of town, I'll cruise through all the sanding and painting of the furniture and most of that list will get crossed off. Plus, I'll be the happiest mama in the world because I am so tired of the black, green, and yellow furniture all being where white should be! Can't wait, can't wait. (How many times have I said that now?)