Decorate With What Makes You Happy.

Grace's bedroom is making the transition from little girl room to big girl room. 

Grace's little girl room remained fairly neutral in design, since it was originally decorated as a gender neutral nursery. 

Of course, now I have anything but a gender neutral big girl.  We've entered the phase of loving anything princess, pink and girly. 

This frame, or more specifically this print, unfortunately, does not fall into the princess, pink, girly category. 

I had considered removing the print and putting in a cork board to display pictures, cards or artwork but I had procrastinated.  For once, my procrastination paid off because, a few weeks ago, I participated in a summer house tour event, and I found the inspiration I needed from Cedar House Ranch.  Anita, the decorator and owner, shared her daughter's bedroom.  Above her daughter's bed, she had hung beautiful vintage white baby gowns.  

Cue the light bulb and inspiration I needed.  

I dug out Grace's baby clothes and found the dress she wore for her first Christmas.  This was a dress I loved then and still do now but, of course, tucked away in a box rarely gets appreciated...

 Until now.

Now this dress, pinned to some mat board covered in linen fabric, is proudly on display. 

It's pink, girly and slightly princessy so it fits Grace's expectations.  And, it brings a smile to my face that Grace's big girl room has beautiful tribute to the little girl she will always be in my heart.

Another Quilt

My mom, the queen of quilts, has recently started making baby clothes quilts.  Each square is created using a romper, onesie, baby doll dress or sailor suit that the sweet little trendsetter wore while accomplishing the firsts in life like rolling over, sitting up, crawling and walking.

So even when your innocent baby has grown to adventurous toddler a rebellious teenager or an adult you can still get wrapped up in the excitement of those first big steps in life by looking at this quilt.

My mom had offered to created one of this quilt time capsules for Grace but I had hesitated...until now. 

I pulled out totes that had stored these precious outfits away and I began to remember the milestones.

The firsts.

And, I began to realize, for the first time, how quickly time passes.

So, some of the outfits went back into the tote.  Outfits that I just couldn't imagine cutting up.  Outfits that will continue to be stored and saved.

Then there were outfits that were adorable, that made me smile, that I realized could make up a quilt that I would want to get wrapped up in the excitement of remembering.

What have you done with your children's baby clothes?