The Nesting Life
Lately I’ve been feeling so incredibly domestic- it’s pretty unsettling, really! Or maybe just surprising. Splitting time between cooking and cleaning in the kitchen, unpacking all of those pesky boxes still lingering from our move, playing host to an out-of-town guest, and laundering loads of new baby girl clothes…. really, I spend most of my time within the confines of these elephant grey walls, working tirelessly on projects for the nursery, and then trying to ease the awful pain of ligament stretching while resting on the sofa. Since I’ve been needing to keep my feet up and rest often, I’ve been plowing through old Dawson’s Creek episodes while crocheting away at little squares for a little baby blanket. But now I’m back for a new week of blogging and to check out what you all have been up to. Anything fun?
I love that ottoman & the boppy cover! So sweet!
I just randomly wound up on your cute little blog, and if I weren’t obsessed with finding the perfect shelving for our new house, I wouldn’t ask….but where is your hanging bookshelf from? I loove itttt
The bookshelves were a DIY my dad helped me with. It actually wraps around the corner of the living room, but I don’t have enough books to fill out the other wall! ha! Anyway, we used shelving standards. Shelving standards are great because you can fill out the space however you want- they are systems of tracks which screw into the wall, brackets, and shelves. I filled mine from floor to ceiling. You can find the tracks and brackets (shown white here) at any hardware store. I had to special order my shelf supports/brackets because I wanted some that were only 6″ deep (my shelves are only 7″ deep, except for the two at the bottom). But we just screwed the brackets to the walls, popped in the supports, and put on shelves we cut to size, stained, and varnished. The wood we used was inexpensive- poplar. My dad also drilled tiny holes on the bottom of the shelves where the ends of the brackets stick up (which are designed to curve around the front edge of the shelf) since my shelves were deeper than the brackets used. Hope this makes sense!
THANK YOU! I can definitely give this project to my handy husband. This all should help him figure out what he needs to do. We found something similar from the Elfa line at The Container Store but it’d easily be $1000 and I’m not about to drop that money if I know we can build it ourselves! Yay, I’m so excited!
The shelving standards (4 tracks, 20 6″ brackets, 8 12″ brackets) cost around $100 total, and the lumber, stain, and varnish cost about $100 too. Not cheap, but much less expensive than $1000! :)
Perfect!! I’m more than happy to put in a little elbow grease and spend a fraction of the money! Thank you so much, I was going to be a little sad if we had to settle for something else
Gorgeous photos! I can’t wait to have a whole nest to in! In the meantime, it’s studio living! Always enjoy your pretty, easy, breezy blog xxx
I can’t wait to see the finished baby blanket – it is looking so very sweet!
x
Lost in the Haze: a Fashion Photography Blog
I’m watching Dawson’s Creek episodes while I’m working during the day and have been pretty embarrassed about watching it. Glad to know i’m not the only one! Hah!
Your baby is going to have the most beautiful little nest to grow up in.
Thanks for sharing the peek into your home, and it’s elephant grey walls ;)
You look like you’ve been super productive so yay! I love bookshelves and the nursery DIY you’ve whipped up there in the last picture! So cute!
Ooo Dr. Dog on vinyl. Awesome.
That blanket you seem to be making is going to be so pretty. You made that boppy cover?? You really are productive. How exciting this is!!!
ALL such cuteness!!! Did I hear you say..or shall I say read, that you were unpacking baby GIRL things. Did I miss something??? OR is that your little sneak it in kind of thing and see who is totally reading this blog…LOL No matter, she will be a beauty for sure!!! I too love your easy breezy blog!
Yep! We announced it at the end of May with a little video. You can see it here: https://makingniceinthemidwest.com/2012/05/31/boy-or-girl-the-big-reveal/
I, too, have been watching old Dawson’s Creek episodes when I have down time at home. It’s my first time watching the series….I am loving the sick cargo pants, un-realistic dialogue, and (as you mentioned on Twitter) Pacey’s frosted tips!
Love the ottoman! And I’m drooling over your coffee table…that was a DIY project, right? I’m searching for some legs like that to make a side table out of an old suitcase. :)
Yeah, it totally was! It was more complicated than a normal DIY, because it involved joining together 200 year old barn wood with pegs, which required the metal smiths at the Hoover Company (my dad was an engineer there, and it was right before their North Canton factory closed, so they were bored enough to do some work for me! Awesome!) to make a steel jig for precision placement of the holes and pegs for a tight and accurate joint between each panel of barn siding. After joining together the panels, we sanded it down, glued thin strips of the siding around the edge, stained it, put a coat of polyurethane (to prevent watermarks) on it, and attached the hairpin legs I found on eBay. At the same time, my dad and I were building my dining room table out of the same bath of reclaimed barn siding. Definitely not anything I would tackle on my own, but an awesome project to work on with a guy who enjoys carpentry projects on the side. :)
Oh, and it’s a much easier project if you just buy a piece of lumber and screw in the legs! haha But the barn siding was free, and I love that it’s all rugged and reclaimed. :)
What a beautiful hutch! Great idea to use it for baby things!!!
isn’t it ca-raaazy what those nesting hormones can do to you?! i’ve been the same way :)
Watching Dawson’s Creek and crocheting is my idea of heaven (the blanket is too cute!!). Ever since netflix got Dawson’s Creek I’ve been a little bit obsessed.
I love seeing theology-nerd books on bookshelves, ha! Love your blog and the new place is super cute :)
haha I wondered if anyone would be able to tell what the books were!
Oh, I feel for you being pregnant in this heat! I had all my babies in August, so I know how that is– hope the ligament pain gives you a break soon.
Also, I’m new to your blog and so impressed! Can’t wait to read more!
good music ;)