Definition of NEST: 

(1)a person’s snug or secluded retreat or shelter

Like the good mama bird I am, I went out into the world, scouting for elements of comfort, aesthetics, and stability to weave into the perfect combination for Winter’s nook of a nursery. Through this process of collecting, I realized that the value of nesting goes beyond a monetary budget. Nesting is not replicating a photo in a magazine; rather, it is the cultivation of a sacred space. One day, I’ll look back and remember the countless nights awake in this room, nursing this human with liquid strength, witnessing her evolution from seedling into the essence of all that she is meant to become.

Weirdly, one of the my biggest preoccupations during my pregnancy was to not fall into the trap of mindless consumerism. I went through a rough patch of worry that I would be letting down Mother Earth by further contributing to a planet plagued by excessive consumerism, and its unamendable byproduct of unconscious waste. The baby industry is a repeat surplus offender, ranging from the justifiable—buying new products for safety reasons—to the superficial—the countless number of disposable diapers a child will inevitably go through.

It was my goal to inherit as much as we could before investing in anything new. Thus, the décor in Winter’s room is far from the sterile shine of matching accessories; rather, a current of wisdom runs through every artifact that adorns her room:

A painting from our wedding.  This was gifted to us and painted from a favorite photo from the day we were engaged.

An old sheepskin rug I had laying around.

A hand me down beautiful restoration hardware crib Keira who just raised twin girls.

PICTURES of her dad and grandma!  I hear that filling your home with photos of the people you love is good for relationships because you get a little endorphin high when you see them.  So get to printing folks!

Re-gifted clothes from my niece.   The amount of baby clothes to buy is staggering.  Instead I am trying to purchase the special things I love and take only the necessities as hand me downs.  Winter really only does wear the same two little bamboo outfits that my friend Chandra bought her anyways!  Comfort wins!

A print from Laura Berger.  A female artist who creates these beautiful whimsical simple figures.  I love her work for a little girl’s room.  The scenes represent women in such a unique way.  Winter’s aunt Qianjin go this for me before we were pregnant.  The diverse ladies remind me of my closest girlfriends, standing in a circle… saluting the sun.

I don’t want to mislead you into thinking that I am a new age hippy, spending my days air drying cloth diapers, while weaving leaves into a tunic for Winter to wear.

Rather, it is more of a mindset than an actual lifestyle that I am advocating for here: to repurpose goods for a growing child. Winter will outgrow many items within weeks to months at a time, and seeing as I am an advocate for all things sustainable, I am practicing what I preach.

Because, guess what?

The way the room looks isn’t as important as it feels…

It was one of the first weeks after Winter’s arrival home.

It was about two in the morning as I gazed upon her angelic face, a stark difference from the mixed expressions of nursing and crying from a mere 30 minutes prior. In the profound silence, marked by a sleeping baby in the middle of the night, realization set in.

“Oh my god. This is really happening.”

My heart was overcome with warmth and awe for this living proof of the word, “grace,” that is a child.

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I’m obsessed with this daybed!  It’s the one thing I bought and it used bt me everyday sleeping in the room with Winter.  With a newborn you really don’t know what your sleep routine will be until baby comes.  Well, this thing has been a total lifesaver.  I like that it is low to the ground so that if she ever did fall out (heaven forbid) it wouldn’t be from too high up.  Also it is at the same height as her Rocker so I can easily grab her in and out of bed in the middle of the night.  Plus it’s super cute!

Found this piece of wood and Josh made a coat rack from it.  It been super useful to dry towles, milky burp cloths.. even swaddles with spit up. Nursery necessity: A humidifier!  Learned this lesson the hard way! Gifted Art from my friend Roanne.