*alternately titled: I Like Buntings and Flags and Thrifted Things*
(Also, if you know me at all or pay attention on social media, I like cheap decor. I stayed true to myself in this space.)
Once we knew we were pregnant, I started thinking about bed situations. I went back and forth on whether or not I wanted Oliver in a big boy bed or not. Mostly because he does so well in a crib and hadn't (still hasn't) tried to climb out. Keep him in baby prison a little while longer...no what I'm sayin'?
But then, we came to the conclusion to not buy another crib. To buy our sweet baby boy a twin bed. The thought made me sad but getting the room together and seeing his excitement made it all better and worth it.
I didn't do a lot of research on beds or mattresses. We needed something cute and budget friendly. I found his bed at Walmart, as well as the mattress, and his transportation sheets on Amazon.
The sheets have trains, cars, planes, school buses, scooters (he calls golf carts), helicopters... all the things. I love them and so does Mister Man.
- The ladder to the right holds the blankets made for him when he was a baby.
- The O and bunting above the bed is what I made when he was a baby and the chalkboard reads, "Be Kind and Brave."
- I made the throw pillows, too. The yellow one (Dream Big) was made when he was in my tummy. The gray one is out of an old t-shirt of Trent's. It says, Roadside Ranch and fits the theme perfectly.
- The bed, I love. Easy assembly (thanks to the daddy) and it has two levels. It's currently on the lower level. LOVE that feature.
- We have inflatable bumpers under the sheets (thanks to my sister) on either side and pool noodles at the head and foot. So far, no climb outs or fall outs. YAY!
The wall by his bed has a low ceiling line so hanging heavy things was out of the question. I rummaged through my fabric scraps and bought a couple more remnants for less than $3 and made some flags. They're just hung up on a string with tiny clothespins. I really like how it turned out! Such a fun and cheap way to add to a room!
I found the lamp shade for a $1 at a thrift store. (The old one had seen better days.) I wanted to keep his monthly pictures hung up because they're special and Oliver likes to look at "boy." Before we moved rooms, this was our office/playroom, so we had some of Trent's CDs hung up. I decided to keep them up because they match, it's sweet, and I wouldn't have to worry about covering up 4 nails holes.
The dresser was found on Craigslist last year and has been his changing table since then. On top are wooden blocks of his initials (thanks, Grammie!) and his first artwork framed. The train prints were given to us by a church in Alabama so I stapled them to spray painted wood and attached some string. Cheap art.
I made the curtains from drop cloth (found at any home improvement store for about $12). The top and bottom already had a rough hem so I just cut down the middle and used no-sew fabric tape (iron on) for the other sides. SO easy!
View of the reading nook from his bed.
(The toy storage isn't my favorite but it was $15 on Craigslist.)
I made these curtains with the extra drop cloth and the blue curtains that were hanging in his old room. Then, due to the weird angles in the nook, I just got a tension rod. And the rug. Oh lawd the rug. I made it years ago. You can read about it here.
Cheap art: the alphabet, punctuation and sweet, wittle feet. The magnet board is from IKEA.
Again with the bunting. I have a problem.
The shelves are plastic gutters and they turned out great!
Closet, toys, shelving.
The paint by number I did when he was cooking in my belly. The lion we got him his first Christmas. The plane piggy bank from a friend on top of an old hymnal found at a thrift store. The baskets I'm obsessed with. Our first family picture and a silver cup with initials.
This might be my favorite. I found the shelf at GUESS WHERE! Yes, a thrift store. It was $1 and I spray painted it white. Coke bottle with "Oliver" on it from Aunt Paula, the red art I made for his 1st b-day (You are my angel, my darling, my star...), Relax, the Oliver Chocolate Biscuits canister, and the blue shoe with his birth date, weight, and length made by Mama Pat.
The hot air balloon print was painted by a sweet girl I coached in HS golf. Then, there's more CD art, "Trent Monk Live," which has Trent as a baby with Papa Tuck and Mama Pat. A license plate, Make it Happen, and I Knew I Could are the rest. (I made the I Knew I Could print for free online and had it printed at Walgreens for $4. I already had the frame.)
(Not pictured is the lovely box fan and additional toy clutter. Ha!)
Oliver has done so well in this new room of his. We started with just putting him down for naps in his new bed for a week. I still wanted him in the crib at night, more for my sake. But now, we have 2 nights in the big boy bed under our belts. I am so proud of this boy and how well he transitions. I'm sure it has a little to do with what we do for a living, dragging him all over the country. Whatever the reason, we're over the moon.
And can you tell what I want for him?
I want him to be kind and brave. I want him to wish, dream, and believe he can do things. Things that are hard and sometimes scary. I want him to know how much he is loved and I want him to, above all else, follow Jesus all of his days.
