a little of this....a little of that

I have never been a fan of things that "match." My motto for shopping for my house is "If I LOVE it...I BUY it." It doesn't matter if I have somewhere to put it or if it goes with anything I have. If I LOVE it...I will find a place for it. When you shop like this, your house is truly YOURS and reflects your personality and that is very important to me. I am also a firm believer in the phrase, "One man's trash is another man's treasure." It is amazing what you can find at an antique shop, consignment store and even in your own attic. Sometimes all something needs is a little paint or just a bottle of Clorox wipes! I really wanted Smith's nursery to flow with the rest of my house which is very eclectic. I was a little worried at first about having so much random stuff in there, but it turned out just like I had imagined. It's a little mix of vintage and retro with lots of color and a few personal touches. My sister came today and brought Smith the cutest thing for his room. She is so creative and loves to sew. She made this adorable elephant and it is so cute in the nursery. All of that being said...Here is a tour of Smith's room. I still have a few things to do.... (like curtains and a rug to add.) The room didn't have much wall space so I took the closet doors off and made a little nook for the changing table and some shelves. This made the room look so much bigger and still left some room for storage.

The changing table was an old chest that I found at an antique mall in Ridgeland. It was brown and ugly and they said it had been there forever. They thought they were going to have to pay someone to haul it off and I paid a whopping $45 for it! A little sandpaper and some white paint was all it needed! The bookcase below was also brown before its new coat of paint. I couldn't believe I found these two pieces. They didn't come together but I think they are a perfect fit.

Note: Look how cute that little elephant is! I just LOVE it!

The picture above the bed is probably my favorite thing in the room. It is a copy of an original picture I have of my great-grandfather, Smith Hughes before a football game in 1924. (Smith is in the middle with the football.)

Another favorite is this adorable picture of Reed when he was a little boy. He is wearing a football helmet...backwards. And boy does he look proud!

The stacking toy and the bobble apple where mine and Laura's when we were little and I am so glad to have them for Smith's room.

The lantern is vintage and I found it at a consignment store for $30!

When I was in Columbia visiting my friend, Emily, I found this awesome painting that I was dying to have. It was all the letters of the alphabet with different animals in vibrant colors for each letter. It was kind of expensive and I wasn't sure if I really wanted to pay that much for it. Laura and I have a phrase that we use WAY too much... "I could make that." Every time I see something that I like...I start brainstorming on how I could make my own version. (I am such a bargain shopper!) I told Emily that I loved the painting but I wanted to look around at some other stores first to see what else I found. We went into Anthropolgie and I found these animal flashcards for $14.95! Perfect! Who needs an expensive piece of art when you have a box of flashcards and some sticky tack? They added a lot of color to the room AND were a lot less expensive that the painting I had my eye on!

Now all that is missing is sweet Smith. We can't wait for him to get here!