For all of my procrastinating on The Acrobat’s nursery, I got everything done just in time for what was supposed to be his arrival date. Now that we’re past that day, the room just sits there empty and mocks me. Okay, obviously that’s not true. Annabel loves going into the nursery, so actually I spend a lot of time in there saying, “Annabel, you should play in your own room.” But I take it as a compliment that she likes spending time in the nursery.

I wanted a travel-themed nursery for this baby, boy or girl, so the sex was only going to influence the color scheme and some of the accessories. I want this baby to have a sense of adventure, and to know there’s much more to the world than what’s right beyond his front door. I started buying things months ago, and put it all together over one weekend (other than the painting). I’m thrilled with how the room turned out, and I thought I’d share it since the intended occupant of the room is still occupying me.

(Nothing in this post is sponsored. Everything was either bought by us, or was a shower gift from family and friends.)

travel nursery

If you go clockwise around the room, you’ll start at what I am calling the rocking corner:

rocking corner

I painted the road with magnetic primer – it took three coats, with lots of vigorous stirring. Then I glued magnets to the bottoms of small cars. The America the Beautiful print is from Target, the numbered cars print is from Luca & Company, and I made The Road Less Traveled print by scanning a map into Photoshop, playing with the tint, and then pasting type over it. The decorated diaper pail is courtesy of Annabel and some travel-themed stickers from my cousin Leah. The boarding pass pillow is from my friend Alison, and the white blanket was a gift to me from Jackie! when I was pregnant with Annabel.

Next is the dresser:

knob details

This is the Hemnes dresser from Ikea. It took me about five hours to put it together, with lots of breaks. My mom found the knobs on Amazon, and they worked perfectly.

top of dresser

On top of the dresser I attached a changing pad, and above that I hung this perfect Where Our Adventures Take Us map from our dear family friend Suzan. Next to the changing table is a lot of stuff…I’d like to get a shelf up on the wall at some point for a few of the items:

top of dresser detail

The novelty globe radio is from my dad’s collection. The bottom suitcase is from Michael’s. The blue suitcase used to belong to my mom when she was a kid, and then my brother and I used it when we were growing up. My mom and I put vintage travel stickers on it to help cover its worn spots. Both suitcases are great for storage! The boat is from One King’s Lane and the lamp is from Fab. The black converse sneakers are from my friend Alyssa, and Mike picked out the brown shoes himself. I made the picture display by covering a bulletin board in fabric and ribbon from Joann. I made the It’s A Small World image on Photoshop in honor of Mike’s grandfather, who adored the ride at Disneyland.

airplane rocker

Under the window is this adorable airplane rocker, a gift from my parents.

window art

Above the window I framed three prints I got by Trendy Peas (on sale via One King’s Lane).

Hanging below the pictures is this amazing wreath my friend Diane made from vintage maps:

map wreath

I love it!

shelf details

I got this shelf tower a bazillion (twelve) years ago from Crate and Barrel. The map holder was made by Suzan, and the canvas is by Annabel. The plane and globe are from One King’s Lane.

shelf details

The hollow books are also from Suzan. I currently have all the cards from his baby shower stored in them, along with a few other precious keepsakes. My mom found the bank at a flea market. The plastic plane (sold out) and boat are from Land of Nod. The vintage car is from One King’s Lane. The vintage Kodak camera was a gift to me from my mom, another flea market find. The storage canisters were also made by Diane, and decorated with maps of places of importance to Mike and me. The books were either given to The Acrobat, or Annabel picked them out of her collection to give to him.

crib

I love the crib bedding. It’s all from my friends and family via Land of Nod, and I mixed and matched from the Transit Authority and Come Fly With Me sets. The crib itself is the Sundvik from Ikea. The toys inside are from friends and family, and the dolls are because “My babies are tired, Mama!” I could not resist the hat and glasses. My mom gifted the baby pilot suit, and we found the helicopter stool at HomeGoods.

mobiles

The Traffic Mobile on the left hangs over the crib, and the Bus Car Bike Mobile by Trendy Peas (purchased on mega-sale via One King’s Lane) hangs in a corner.

I think the best thing I did was figure out my theme in advance, and then took lots of time combing bargain sites (like Fab and One King’s Lane), discount stores (like HomeGoods) and flea markets for treasures (thanks mom!). Whatever I couldn’t find, I made, and of course, we were generously given many items at The Acrobat’s baby shower. We are so loved – what a lucky kid.

I hope this little guy enjoys his room as much as Annie and I do. Speaking of Annie, she is already asking about when we can “decorate my room with princesses and monsters and rainbows.” Should be…interesting.