For many cultures, the start of a New Year is often coupled with traditions to ensure good fortune. And if you’re expecting a newborn at this time of year, a great idea for decorating the nursery is to include one or more of these symbols into the décor.
We’ve picked a couple of good luck symbols and found some adorable nursery décor, including personalized growth charts, bedding, lighting, mobiles, etc.
Red is a symbol of good luck and happiness in China and in Spain it’s tradition to wear a pair of new red underwear on New Year’s Eve for good luck. (shown: Perfect Pennant personalized growth chart, Ducduc Red Dylan Crib, DIY Elephant Lamp)
Water – a nautical theme is often used for summer babies, but water cleanses away any bad fortune and makes a beautiful theme year round. (Under the Sea personalized growth chart, Coastal Living Wave Hello Rug, Ocean Depths Blue Baby Mobile)
A range of different foods (lentils, mangoes, bread, etc) and sweets are eaten in different cultures as a sign the New Year will be a sweet and bountiful one. (Shown: We All Scream personalized growth chart, Candy Land Fabric Mobile, Consider Yourself Hugged Ice Cream Lovie Blanket)
Have you incorporated a good luck symbol into your baby’s nursery? How did you do it, with personalized growth charts, bedding, lighting, mobiles, etc.?
Décor Trend: Pantone Color of the Year – Radiant Orchid
The Pantone Color of the Year for 2014 is Radiant Orchid, a beautiful pinky purple. And if you think you can only use this color for a girl’s room, think again. This color goes well with a range of other colors, so small pops of it can be incorporated into any kid’s nursery for a bit of cheery brightness.
We found some gorgeous nurseries that utilize shades of Radiant Orchid and paired our personalized growth charts with them.
With blue skies, a yellow hot air balloon, and round purple trees, the My Town personalized growth chart nicely complements this pretty nursery. (Project Nursery)
Using a mix of colors with Radiant Orchid, as well as a child’s artwork, gives a room a custom flare. We’d use either the Monsterrific personalized growth chart or the Cheeky Dot personalized growth chart to further personalize this room. (Design Addict Mom blog)
Would you choose the Colorful Words personalized growth chart or the Doodle It Up personalized growth chart for this very colorful, eclectic nursery? (Apartment Therapy)
Will you use Radiant Orchid in a nursery? How would you incorporate the color – paint, personalized growth chart, bedding, etc?
Our Favorite Christmas Gifts: Part 2
Last week we highlighted some of our team’s favorite Christmas gifts, focusing on the big sister shirts and big brother shirts that have personal meaning for them. Today we have input from more team members on their favorite personalized growth charts for Christmas.
JESSICA, marketing director, is a Kappa Kappa Gamma and one of their mascots is an owl. She collects owls, they are all over her house, so of course the (ONE) Hoot Hoot personalized growth chart has been one of her favorites from the get go. Her other favorite is the (TWO) Woodland Fun personalized growth chart, because the design is completely original and she thinks the animals are hilarious. She loves the little additions to each character- the beaver with the mustache, whatever the parachuting critter blowing bubbles, the hedgehog balancing a strawberry – and thinks it’s just pure cuteness overload.
PAULA, founder/mompreneur, loves everything of course, but the (ONE) On The Go personalized growth chart was specifically designed for her son who absolutely loves all things planes, trains, and automobiles so it holds special meaning for her. Another new fave of hers is the (TWO) Doodle It Up personalized growth chart because she just adores the bright colors and fun font along with the animals, characters, and especially the ridiculously cute noodle on a fork.
NOELLE, blog contributor, has the (ONE) Monkey Business personalized growth chart for her little monkey Jake so it has a big place in her heart. She’s also due with her second baby any day now and is planning to use the (TWO) Shooting Star personalized growth chart for the new nursery so she highly recommends that one as well!
Don’t forget, if you’re planning to buy personalized baby gifts for Christmas, Sunday is the last day to receive FREE standard U.S. shipping. Just use code FREESHIP from now until the 15th and all of your favorite personalized baby gifts are guaranteed to arrive in time for the big day.
Décor Inspiration: Peacocks
Whimsical or sophisticated, peacocks make a pretty choice for a nursery. And whether you feature the bird itself and/or its feathers, there are a range of deep purples, greens, and blues to choose from to decorate with.
We’ve rounded up some peacock inspired nursery décor you will be proud to decorate with.
Wall art, like a personalized growth chart or alphabet poster, is an easy way to incorporate the pretty bird into décor. (ONE: Animal Crackers and TWO: My City personalized growth charts; THREE: Zoo Friends alphabet poster)
Hang this 3 Sprouts Peacock Mobile over a crib for a touch of whimsy. (Walmart)
Soft and sweet, this Peacock Blue Blanket adds comfort and style to a crib or thrown over a rocking chair. (Amazon)
Colorful and chic, this Peacock Table Lamp can tie together multiple hues in a baby’s room. (Wayfair)
The gorgeous bird’s feathers are the highlight of this Peacock Throw Pillow which makes a stylish statement in a nursery. (Paper Mache Dream)
Would you consider a peacock themed nursery? How would you incorporate the bird, through a personalized growth chart, bedding, lighting, etc?
Décor Trend: Washi Tape
If you’ve spent any time on Pinterest , you know that washi tape is all the rage. This Japanese decorative tape can be used in so many decorative ways, so of course we thought we would experiment with it and find some new and interesting ways to hang our personalized growth charts. And of course, we just had to share our findings with you!
(We’ve found some darling and affordable washi tapes on Etsy!)
Here are a few ideas and tips on how to hang your child’s personalized growth chart with washi tape.
ONE: For a quick and easy way to add an extra pop of color and pattern, simply place the washi tape of your choice at a diagonal across each corner of the growth chart (and try 2 washi tape patterns for more fun!). Because washi tape is very light, this style works best on our signature paper personalized growth charts, as opposed to the heavier canvas option.
TWO: Create a frame around the entire growth chart. This will work to hold both paper and canvas growth charts in place and will look especially cute using patterned washi tape with solid colored styles, like the Preppy Pennant or Perfect Pennant personalized growth charts.
THREE: Run washi tape across the bottom of a growth chart so it extends a few inches on each side, then run the tape across the top too. Next, make a triangle pattern on the top so it looks like a roof or that the growth chart is being hung from a hanger.
Have you used washi tape to hang a personalized growth chart? If so, we would love to hear how you did it and if you could share photos, even better!
Designer tip — washi tape is fairly thin so our trick to holding up our growth charts (either canvas OR paper) is gaffers tape! It’s the like magic. This tape has the strength to hold up pretty heavy stuff, but its not permanent AND it doesn’t leave a sticky residue like duct tape or other tapes. Also, it doesn’t damage paper so you can peel it off of your paper growth chart pretty easily and not ruin it. MAGIC right?! Down side, it’s not cheap but go ahead and buy a roll and you’ll use it all over your house to put up posters, art, decorations, etc! We buy ours on Amazon and usually buy white — but its comes in black, gray and sometimes other colors. Here is a link to a $13 roll in white.
Sweet Sugar-Free Personalized Baby Gifts
Candy canes, peppermint bark, gingerbread houses, and sugar cookies in festive shapes – there are so many tempting sweet treats during the holidays. But if you want to give your little ones some super sweet presents without all the sugar, we’ve got some personalized baby gifts that are sure to delight.
A personalized growth chart featuring scoops of ice cream makes a sweet addition to any nursery and will growth along with wee ones. (ONE: We All Scream, TWO:Doodle It Up, THREE: My City, and FOUR: My Town personalized growth charts)
Personalized onesies, as well as little and big sister shirts that feature candy canes, lollipops, and hard candies let kiddos wear their favorite sugary indulgences instead of eating them. (ONE/TWO: Sweet Treats Little and Big Sister Tshirt; THREE: Candy Cane Wishes and FOUR: Naughty But Nice personalized onesies)
December birthdays often get mixed in with holidays, but personalized 1st birthday shirts featuring cakes or cupcakes puts the emphasis on their own special day in a very sweet way. (Shown: Cake Time, My First Birthday, and Birthday Boy and Girl 1st Birthday Shirts)
Are these sugar-free personalized baby gifts sweet or what?!
Décor Inspiration: Planes, Trains & Automobiles
Are you traveling to visit family or friends this Thanksgiving? Or maybe like us you’re just a big fan of the classic movie Planes, Train & Automobiles starring Steve Martin and the late great John Candy. Either way, we love the idea of using planes, trains, and/or cars as a theme for a nursery.
We’ve rounded up some fantastic nursery designs that feature these forms of transportation and paired our personalized growth charts with them.
Colorful and fun, this adorable nursery features all kinds of moving vehicles and we think the On the Go personalized growth chart would complement it perfectly, don’t you? (Image courtesy of Must Have Mom blog)
The oranges and blues in our construction themed Let’s Get to Work personalized growth chart works really nicely with the colors and framed vehicle artwork that decorate this sweet nursery. (Image courtesy of Roomzaar)
For a little boy who’s on the go and growing fast, we love this nursery design and would pair the My City personalized growth chart with it. (Image courtesy of Formula Mom blog)
Which personalized growth chart and planes, trains, and automobiles themed nursery design pairing is your favorite?
You Asked, We Answered: What Pen is Best for Writing on Personalized Growth Charts?
(Personalized growth chart show here: Monkeying Around in Ocean Blue)
We’re often asked what kind of pen is best to use when recording a child’s height on their personalized growth chart. There are actually two parts to the answer to that question.
(Sample personalized growth chart: Zoo Friends in Ocean Blue)
First off, it’s best to use a fine point permanent marker, like a Fine Felt Tip Sharpie, on personalized growth charts to write easily and accurately. A fatter tipped pen will be harder to write legibly with and will not look quite as clear and concise.
(Sample personalized growth chart: Perfect Pennant in Navy Blue)
The second part of the answer depends on the background color of personalized growth charts. Use a colored pen that shows off well against the color darker personalized growth charts – i.e. a silver pen looks best against a dark background; on lighter colored backgrounds choose a colored pen, like black, blue, red, purple, etc that stands out against the personalized growth chart’s color scheme.
(Sample personalized growth chart: Best Friends)
User’s tip: Hang the chosen pen from a grommet with some twine so it’s easy to get to and can be used consistently whenever you choose to record your child’s height.
How to Layer your Petite Lemon Onesie or Tee
Now that it’s starting to get colder, it’s time to break out the sweaters and jackets. But if your kids have short sleeve tees they love and don’t want to stop wearing, no worries, you’re kids aren’t going to freeze. Layering is the answer. And since we live in the San Francisco Bay Area’s ever changing microclimates, we are experts at layering!
Here are a few ways to pair comfy cardigans and dressy blazers with some of our personalized onesies, big sister shirts and big brother t shirt designs throughout the cold weather season.
Mix and match the Chic Style and Playful Doodles big sister shirts with J. Crew’s Girls Tipped Caroline Cardigan and Schoolboy Blazer in Velvet for super stylish ways to stay warmth.
Cozy up the Whale of Fun and Love to Sketch big brother shirts with a waffle knit cardigan and pinstriped blazer from H&M.
Keep babies warm (and super cute) by layering Old Navy’s Fox Critter Zip Hoodies and Micro Performance Fleece Hoodies over the Sweet Fox and Joyful Elephant personalized onesies.
Are these layered looks hot or what?
Nursery Color Inspiration: Pink
If you’re designing a nursery for a new baby girl, pink may seem too cliché, but it doesn’t have to be. And if you aren’t into décor that’s super girly, consider combining pink with chocolate brown, sage green, or grays to really ground the color, or go with a clean white room with pops of pinks in various shades.
We’ve found some pink décor that will give a nursery real impact.
Whether it’s solid pink or paired with another accent color, a personalized growth chart from Petite Lemon is an easy way to accentuate a nursery decorated in shades of pink.
ONE: The Victoria Classics Pink Parade 5-Piece Crib Bedding Set is clean and modern. (Overstock.com) | TWO: All About Love in Powder Pink and Ladybug Love in Pink & Green personalized growth charts | THREE: Preppy Pennant in Soft Pink and 1 to 10 in Charcoal/Pink personalized growth charts | FOUR: This Pink Print Lamp Shade is a classic, feminine and fun. (Etsy Shop ModDesignStudio) | FIVE: A bright pink dresser makes a bold statement. (SPI Baby) | SIX: A pink graphically patterned rug adds sophistication to a nursery. (Wayfair)
What do you think, is pink for you?
