Mermaid Dolphin Nursery and a Home Tour

This is bound to hit a lot of Google searches, so if you're looking for pictures of a mermaid/dolphin nursery, just scroll down!

The purpose of this particular post though was to document where we are living now.  As most of you know, we moved out of a one bedroom apartment when Adalyn was 10 months old and finally into a bigger 2 bedroom townhome.  We moved one town over in Connecticut and into the town that we hope to be able to buy something in the next few years - that is if Andrew's job keeps him here.  One of the requirements for a rental was that I would be allowed to paint.  I wanted something where we were able to make it feel like our own, and I think color on the walls does just that.  The bedrooms are large, so in answer to the question you're probably thinking, no we aren't moving just because of Little One.  Little One will be in our bedroom until 6 months or so when he/she sleeps through the night, and then move into A's room.

Let the home tour begin!

The front

 When you walk in the door.

Kitchen is to the left and leaves much to be desired.

Half bath in the hallway

 The living room, playroom, annnnd my office!  I can't wait to use the fireplace.  The basket of books will have to go somewhere else.

Can you see the hardwood floor looking playmat?  I LOVE Amazon.

 I love our deck/patio.  We had countless meals out there last summer. The screen door is what sold Andrew on the place.  We like light and the feeling of bringing the outdoor, in.

Where do the toys go?  In those bins and on the baker's rack so she is entertained while I try to cook!

My biggest peeve with this place is the small eating area.  I can't wait for a dining room one day!  I have some really nice china from my grandmother and silverware from my mom that just lives in storage.

Directly up the stairs is our full bath.  Again, much to be desired!  

But I LOOOOOOVE our bedroom.  It's huge, gets lots of light has TWO big closets.  That's what sold me on the place.

 It will need to be rearranged with Little One comes, but don't worry, I've got it all mapped out :)

And now for my favorite room, Adalyn's room.  I wanted a sea-themed nursery, but everything looked very boyish to me, so I came up with a lavender color scheme that I think works well.  There are too many blank spaces on the wall for my taste, but since we will be adding another person in here soon, I'm sure it will fill up quickly.  The plan for now is to give this crib to Little One and buy Adalyn a toddler bed since she will be 26-27 months when the transition happens.   If it's a girl, I will carry on the mermaid/dolphin theme.  If it's a boy, I'm planning to paint one wall grey and bring in some sharks!  

Wall color:  Benjamin Moore Lily Lavender

Harper collection valance from Pottery Barn kids

Etsy purchase. 

Most awesome gift from a friend:  A painting by a rescued dolphin named Nicholas from a rehabilitation place in Florida...and her certificate of adoption of a dolphin from my awesome friends at my baby shower.  Just need to fix the frame.

Sea turtle wall clock was a gift from my parents from a local artist in Kauai, HI.  Shelving:  Pottery Barn Kids.  Changing table decals - Etsy.  Lampshade - Etsy.  Quilt - handmade by Andrew's grandmother.  I'm so excited that she is already planning on making one for #2!

Oh Etsy how I love thee...

bookends - Etsy.  duh.

And when we moved here, I contacted the seller of the lampshade and asked her to make matching switch plates - LOVE!

And the closet.  We are going to need some shelving for #2.

And then there is the partially finished walkout basement.  Our lease here goes until April 2014 and we would ideally be able to stick it out here until we are ready to buy.  That probably won't be until 2015  - at best - since Andrew is in school until May 2014.   We just have to decide how much to put into a rental.  If we could make this space usable as a playroom, it would be easier to stay here longer and save.  I wouldn't even mind paying a few hundred more in rent for the landlords to finish it off, but I don't have the nerve to ask them yet.

Jada just enjoys the big sliding glass door.

 And that's it!  To buys something in Fairfield County, and I'm talking a 3 bedroom fixer-upper, we need at least $500K.  In our town, you are looking at a million for the same thing.  When is Andrew is gone late, sometimes I just dream about our future home and our future.  The sacrifices we are making now will pay off.  I know it.  And I guess there is a part of me that it grateful that Andrew has such ambitious goals for himself and our family.  My dream home in our town.  The porch, the land...and I'm sure I could have my own home office!  Too bad it's listed for 2 million :\