Here’s a tour of Carter’s nursery in Priscila’s own words…

“This is my son Carters room “cowboy Carter”. I was very inspired by the vintage type fabric by Michael Miller. I searched and searched while I was pregnant for a perfect nursery for my little one and just saw the same kind of nursery decor at different stores. I wanted his nursery to be special and to be very personal. It’s my favorite room in the house and I love to just sit in his nursery and rock him to sleep while looking at all the special vintage items I picked up for him. I wanted it to have a “Im going to dress up like a cowboy” instead of a very grown up cowboy feel. I think its fits well and I know its a theme we can have for a long time. I would like to eventually make this theme into a playroom once he is interested in something else! Enjoy the pictures!”

“This is my daughter’s room. It was inspired by a room I saw in a magazine. I had the chenille bedspread made. The tea cup pillow is made from a tea towel.”

“The little cupcakes come out so she can play with them. Here’s a close-up of a sprinkled cupcake and a piped frosted one.”

“A framed collage I made hangs above her bed.”

“A bedside table chandeliers in pink and gold make me swoon!”

“A friendly little spot for tea with her dolly. The table was mine when I was little.”

“Her retro play-stove from Pottery Barn Kids…”

“Her dresser has twp ever so popular suitcases with a knitted cupcake on top. Next to it is my favorite thing in the room. A vintage Enesco girl with a cupcake hat!!”

For more great photos of this one-of-a-kind bedroom, check out Gabrielle’s blog! We’ll be featuring her daughter’s vintage-inspired birthday party in a future post! Thanks Gabrielle!

Only a few days left to enter our Eye Candy Giveaway! Be sure to enter for your chance to win over $100 in Baby Gardner merchandise!!

Just wanted to share with you guys our latest product feature. The gang at Mothering Magazine has featured TWO of our products in their March/April 2009 issue. How great is that? And how absolutely adorable is that sweet little baby on the cover?!

Check out these products in the shop: Little Lamb Vintage-Inspired Baby Rattle and Rabbit Food Needlefelt Necklace. Easter is just around the corner!

“I had so much fun decorating my son’s room, I thought I’d share with you his space and where I found some of my most favorite treasures!”

“I found this chair at a garage sale for $50.00. I got on my cell phone called my Mom and said, “get over here!” When she arrived I said, “can you sew a cover for this, pretty please?” We picked out different fabrics with a vintage appeal and she created this! It even has a reversible seat cushion! Genius! Part of the fabrics are faux suede and the rest are a really thick cotton. The star pillow I got at a antique store. It reverses to red. I made the other pillow! I spent many nights nursing [Cody] to sleep here in this very spot!”

“His log bed was a antique store find. My Mom and I were going somewhere and took a wrong turn. That wrong turn led us to the antique store! I was only 1 month pregnant, didn’t know what I was having, but had to have this bed! Good thing it was a boy! My Mom made all the bedding! The walls were inspired by some I saw in a Pottery Barn Kids catalog. I ripped out the page and taped it to my husbands forehead. Not really, but I made sure he didn’t lose it! The color was a custom mix.”

“This table was a flea market find. I think it was a whopping $15.00! The lamp my Mom found for me and gave to me for Christmas one year. I found this lampshade that had the same pattern as on my chair so I had to get it! I pinned on a little “sheriff” badge!”

“This hutch I got at a junk shop and it previously was in our dining room and painted cream. I added the red vintage rubber horseshoes to the front with a little glue and painted and distressed it black. The baskets are from Ikea and the chalkboard labels are from Pottery Barn Kids. The closet doors my wonderful neighbor made. I just told him I wanted something that resembled barn doors, and 2 days later he brought these over to me, free of charge! Now that is a good neighbor!”

“[My neighbor] also made these saloon doors that I painted with, “cowboy’s place…well, come on in” They lead to Cody’s bathroom. I decoupaged the star with Western papers!”

“Canteen, gun and holster set, vintage cowboy clothes…..”

Thanks so much, Melaine, for taking us to the rodeo! Great pics! To see more photos from Cody’s bedroom, check out Melaine’s blog, My Sweet Savannah.

Up Next? Melodie’s Vintage-Inspired Guest Room

Be sure to enter YOUR vintage-inspired nursery or child space in our huge Eye Candy Giveaway!

“The bedding was made from House Inc. fabrics. I bought some of the things from House Inc., but my friend made the bumper, diaper stacker, soft blocks and comforter (which is just purely for aesthetics, ha). The mobile is chenille bunnies (new Wendy Bellissimo).”

“The hanger is a vintage reproduction.”

“I found the green cabinet from an antique store in my hometown in Marshall, MI. It can be turned on its side to use as a toybox, but I would need to install a safety hinge. Found the nursery canisters at a flea market– vintage decals on vintage glass jars. The hankie is vintage with Jack & Jill.”

“The Jenny Lind crib and changing table are new (from Penney’s!). We painted and distressed the letters over the changing table to spell out ‘Vivian’.”

“The clock is a reproduction. The picture of the child in the raincoat is vintage. It’s hard to tell from the photo, but every color is a different piece of fabric or felt.”

“The chest of drawers was my brother’s as a kid (he’s 38, so is that vintage?). It was navy blue, but we painted over it, and I love that some of the old navy blue has been peeking through in areas of wear.”

“The lamp is vintage. I tea-stained the shade and added the pom fringe.”

“The chenille rocker is new. The quilt was made by my aunt for Vivian when she was born. The curtains and canvas storage bins around the room are Target Shabby Chic.”

Absolutely wonderful, Sarah. The eye candy is to die for. Thanks again for the inspiring photos!

Stay Tuned! Cody’s Wild West room coming soon!

It’s Not Too Late! Enter photos of YOUR little one’s room in our huge Eye Candy Giveaway!

“I’m just so pleased with how baby Michael’s nursery is coming together, considering I am no decorator. On top of baby’s dresser are the adorable crib shoes that will never go on baby’s feet! I want them to stay pristine and precious for years to come. My sister cross-stitched the bluebirds picture and my dear friend gave me the birds egg wreath. The handkerchief comes from a maker of beautiful vintage embroidery.”

“My husband recently made a shelf for one wall of baby’s room… just so that I could have a place to put the cute bird nest that came from The Baby Gardner! Also on the shelf are two vintage Japanese bluebird salt and pepper shakers, Michael’s engraved pewter cup that he received for his baptism, and my embroidered bluebird handkerchief.”

“I was so pleased to find a red toile crib bedding set when I was expecting Michael. The wallpaper in our parlor is the same toile pattern, also in red. Baby likes to look at the scenes of people and animals at play and at work and laugh at the images.”

“A twin bed [in the nursery] is graced by a hand-embroidered quilt, made by my beloved step-mother. Several decades ago she made it for her unborn child, who sadly died before birth. She then tucked the blanket away and gave it to me when I was expecting my first baby.”

“And finally, I have to include a photo of Michael, himself, trying in vain to reach those darling crib shoes and the bird nest. I love all of your items so much that this was the only time he has worn the sweet bluebird bib. I don’t want to get mashed carrots on it!”

“Thank you for giving me this opportunity to photo journal baby Michael’s nursery. They are little for such a short time and things change so quickly. That must be why I am drawn to the timeless look of vintage materials. They are a snapshot of time that passes by so fast.”

Thanks so much, Jennifer, for a wonderful tour of little Michael’s nursery!

Coming Soon: Vivian Jane’s nursery! Stay tuned and be sure to enter YOUR little one’s nursery or child space in our Eye Candy Giveaway!

Here’s the scoop…

CALL FOR ENTRIES: Simply email us photos of an area in your home that was created for your little one(s) and inspired by vintage. Maybe it’s an entire nursery or bedroom. Maybe it’s a play area in the corner of the living room. Maybe it’s a wall of favorite vintage illustrations and photos. Wherever that vintage inspiration lives, we hope you’ll want to share it with us! You can email jpegs to blog[at]thebabygardner.com. Please include a brief description of the photos you are sending and any additional info or tips you’d like to share.

YOU ENTER, YOU WIN!: Every reader who submits photos will receive a thank-you gift from The Baby Gardner. We know you’re busy and we want to say “thanks” for taking the time to participate! When emailing your photos, be sure to include your name and mailing address so we can send you your gift.

THE GRAND GIVEAWAY: Entries will be accepted on an on-going basis so we can continue to share the eye candy. However, all entries received prior to April 1, 2009, will be entered in our Grand Giveaway! This prize will include over $100 of merchandise from The Baby Gardner!

*Please note that by submitting your photos, you give The Baby Gardner’s Baby Bloggie permission to post your photos and information on our blog. The mailing address you email us will be kept confidential.

HERE’S A SAMPLE: Just to give one example of possible submission ideas, here’s a photo of a corner in Gracie’s room. Some of my favorite vintage collectibles are displayed here. In the back is a mohair teddy bear. He’s not vintage, but he was handcrafted a few years back by a talented artist in Australia. Moving counter-clockwise is a vintage photograph of a little girl holding her teddy bear from the early 1900s. It’s nestled in an antique frame. Next, a vintage celluloid rattle of mommy bunny complete with apron and glasses. Beside her is an unusual vintage tin toy. It’s a rooster pulling a pink, egg-shaped cart. I believe this was probably an Easter-themed piece. And finally is an adorable vintage planter of a puppy (Boston Terrier?) with a big pink bow around her neck and a bumble bee on her hip. So cute!

I love finding small spaces like this corner shelf to display some of my favorite things. I also love placing them in areas where the kids can enjoy their whimsy too (from afar).

In the spirit of this historical election, last Fall we started our own Vintage Election 2008. We asked for your vote to select a new design to be incorporated into our line of vintage-inspired birth announcements and baby shower invitations at The Baby Gardner. Voting ended on Election Day, November 4th, and we announced our winner!

Now, we’re pleased to introduce and inaugurate our brand new design, Baby Bells! We liked your choice so much, we decided to create coordinating thank-you cards as well. 

Thanks to all who participated in our election! Let us know what you think of the results!

Read this and you will too.

What this means is we’re one step closer to saving handmade from the CPSIA! Is the fight over? No. We still have hurdles, but we have made a huge leap forward thanks to YOU!

Sounds like a perfect time to celebrate with a giveaway from The Baby Gardner! What the heck. We’re so pumped around here, let’s make it TWO GIVEAWAYS!

Giveaway #1: Puppy Wishes Gift Tags – Set of 8 large tags with ribbon ties. The finishing touch for that special gift.

Giveaway #2: Cheerful Cherries Cloche Hat – Turquoise wool-blend felt with red gingham appliqued cherries. Lightweight and perfect for any season. Size: 3-9 months.

Win it! Just leave a comment on this post telling us why you love handmade! Be sure to specify which giveaway item you would like to win. Giveaway ends Thursday, 1/22 at 11pm GMT. A different winner will be chosen for each item. Winners will be announced next Friday and chosen at random. Good luck!

Want to improve your odds? Place a link to this post on your blog. Include that link in your comment and you’ll be entered twice!

Just gotta have it? Both of these giveaway items are available everyday at The Baby Gardner!