Now that Grady is sleeping from 7pmish to 7amish, I finally feel like a normal, productive human who can accomplish more than just changing diapers and washing loads of spit-up off of my shirt everyday. I’ve been meaning to share his birth announcement with you for months…so here it is!

I worked with local Salt Lake City designer Elpitha Tsoutsounakis who has a letterpress studio here called Print In Cursive.  Because of the cost I wasn’t able to do these in letterpress but Elpitha helped me to create something amazing anyway.  I gave her swatches of the Sister Parish fabric that I used in Grady’s nursery and let her run with it. My favorite part is how she took the Wilco quote we loved and incorporated it into the flow of the design.  For more on Elpitha check out her website and read the post about her on Design Sponge.

In honor of Grady’s 1 week old birthday, today’s giveaway is a personalized feeding bowl from Purple Bird Designs!  The lucky winner will get to create a customized bowl from twenty different colors and sixteen different designs.  The greatest thing about these ceramic bowls is that you can actually use them! They are dishwasher safe and small enough to fit into the palm of your hand for easy feeding.

Now here’s your question: Who have you met in your lifetime who has had the most unique name? Here are a few of mine: Abraxas Discala, went to school with my brother and Mona Lisa Doubleday went to boarding school with my older sister! You have until Monday night 2/1 to comment below.  I CAN’T WAIT to hear your responses! Winner will be announced Tuesday morning.

And the Winner is: Amy and her little girl Basil Blu!

Hello All! The nursery occupant has arrived! Our little boy Grady Steele Mungovan came into this world at the early hour of 4:49am on January 21st weighing a healthy 7.9oz and a long 21 inches.  Grady is an Irish name that we have always liked and Steele is my Mom’s maiden name.

I never knew it would feel this amazing.  Every thing they say about how much love you will feel and how in awe you will be with your baby is all true.

I might be a little slow to update this week but there will still be an exciting giveaway this Friday! Remember these baby plates and bowls from Purple Bird Designs? Well one of the adorable bowls will be up for grabs on Friday!

With 2 weeks to go until my due date we have finally finished the nursery! My goal was for the room to be simple, bright and have a really warm feeling. I am so so happy with the final result.

It all began with this post on Ramey Caulkins and my love for Sister Parish fabrics which became the foundation for the room.  The biggest splurge in the room was definitely this fabric so it was important that everything tie together with these colors and patterns.  I chose the Burmese (below right) and Chou Chou (below left) patterns in green and white and made them the basis for the crib set which I had made by Salt Lake local Angela Martinez whom I found on Etsy.

Next I found affordable and easy to clean white microfiber fabric to recover a chair and ottoman that I found for $60 on craigslist. I used some of the burmese fabric for the welting and buttons on the chair and had a pillow made with the chou chou fabric (the bunny is from Maglie).

The  windows had ugly dark green mini-blinds and using this super easy tutorial I found on the blog Little Green Notebook I re-made the shades using the micro-suede fabric and trimmed them with the burmese fabric.  I then made the drapes for the closet, which had no doors.  The best part is I did it all with fabric glue and hem tape, seriously zero sewing!

I also knew from the beginning that I wanted to decorate with Sharon Montrose’s animal prints. I bought three of her goose prints and framed them with Ikea frames and went to Michaels for double mats with a little orange to brighten them up. They are hanging over the changing table which is the Ikea malm dresser.  Oh and I added these green and white knobs from Anthropologie to dress up the dresser.

I’ve never considered myself a very crafty person but working on this room inspired me to stretch my craft muscles.  I am most proud of the You Are So Loved banner and the closet drapes and roman shades. Yup all handmade by ME!  I want to give the hubs and artist Jessica Gonacha credit for the YASL banner. I own one of her prints and when I was trying to come up with a saying for the banner the hubs suggested it say You Are So Loved!

The most difficult decision by far was what color to paint the room.  I had the fabric and the rug – from The Land of Nod which I found at an outlet store for $79.99! – and I knew I wanted a blue – but which blue! At one point I had nine different paint splotches on the wall.  Well lucky for me the invitation for our baby shower arrived in the mail from my friend Amy and I instantly knew I had to find that teal-ish blue.  In my search for the right teal I came across this picture in one of my old Domino magazines and it listed the color as Intense Teal from Sherwin Williams.  When I went to the store and saw it in person that was a little too dark so I went with the next shade down which is Tempo Teal.  It is such a warm blue and the way it changes with the light during the day is fantastic.  Also it reminds me of the ocean in California.  Here is the beautiful letterpress invitation and the inspiration for the color.

The toy box is one of my Mom’s great antique finds. The Larkin Soap Company is spelled with an “I” and I’m Larkyn with a “Y” but it’s still awesome.  It was in my bedroom growing up in Buffalo and I used it as my toy/junk box!

If you have any questions or want more detail leave me a comment.  In the meantime here are some other things you might be interested in:

- A Huge Thank You to my friend Ramey Caulkins who is a designer and was able to order the Sister Parish fabric for me!

-Paper lamp on dresser: Ikea Storm

-Moses Basket: Restoration Hardware Cuddle Plush Bedding (the moses basket is a hand me down)

-Sling: Serena & Lily

-Crib: Pali Salerno (thanks Dad!)

-Green hamper (next to the changing table): Found at a consignment shop for $15!

I’ve been on the hunt for a diaper bag for most of this pregnancy and let me tell you it has been a full time job! For starters there are a million different brands to choose from add to that a gazillion different shapes to choose from and once that is narrowed down there are a bazillion unique patterns to choose from.  At this point I’ll probably be using a paper bag to lug around butt wipes, extra diapers and a change of clothes for the poor boy.

So to help make my decision easier I’ve decided to simplify my needs. I want something boxy and roomy with a bold modern pattern.  These carryalls from Saltbox NYC just might be the answer to my prayers. Oh and I like that they aren’t actually a diaper bag and did I mention that thanks to Daily Candy they are 30% off right now? Use code SALTBOXCANDY30.

Do you have a favorite diaper bag? I’d love to hear what worked best for you!

P.S. Melinda from Saltbox wrote to me to tell me about their monthly drawings. Enter to win a FREE Getaway bag this month. Go here!

Once again I’m shamelessly plugging two of my favorite Swedish Frillows – FromSthlm and Polarn O. Pyret – but I feel it’s my duty to keep you informed of cute items and great sales.  I’m loving these cutting boards from the latest featured designer at FromSthlm, Mrs. Murphy. These patterns are inspired by the traditional folk patterns seen on winter mittens from Mrs. Murphy’s hometown Mora, Sweden. Use them as a cutting board, I think they’re way too pretty to risk cutting up, or use as a serving tray.  I’d load mine with homemade marshmallows and yummy hot chocolate, and when you’re finished hang them on the wall until you’re ready to use again!

Also I have to share the fantastic sale going on at Polarn O. Pyret right now.  I just bought a fleece jacket for 50% for our little guy! How stinking cute are these tops!? Starting at $9! Click the link on the upper right for more great sale items at POP!

The screenprinted carved birds are called Sielulintu in Karelia (a historical province of Finland) which means Soul bird.  The ancient belief is that these birds deliver the soul to newborn babies and also transport the soul to the afterlife at the moment of death.  It was believed the Sielulintu protected a persons soul at it’s most vulnerable; when dreaming, and it was tradition to keep a carved wooden bird by the bedside to keep the soul safe during sleep.  I wouldn’t mind having one of these for the bambino’s room!

(via DesignSponge via emmas designblogg)

One of my frillows, From Sthlm has paired up with the fabulous Swedish children’s boutique Polarn O. Pyret to bring you some great savings this holiday season.  For starters you can head over to From Sthlm to search for unique gifts by a group of the most talented Swedish designers and receive 20% until December 12th. Use Coupon Code “CHEER” in the “special instructions to seller” field.  Next take yourself over to Polarn O. Pyret to shop for adorable items for your little Swedish meatball and also save 20% through December 12th. Use Coupon Code “GIFTPOP”.

But wait, the great deals don’t end there folks!  Polarn O. Pyret is also offering 35% off their Holiday Collection. You can see more of that collection here and Use Coupon Code “HollyPop” through December 12th. Polarn will also be launching a “12 Holly Days” promotion which follows the Swedish Advent Calendar. What this means is that everyday from December 12 to December 24 there will be 1 special item marked 40% off! In order to take advantage of this special event join their Facebook fan page or check their website daily beginning December 12th.  With all of this goodness available, you will soon be as big a fan of Polarn and their festive and fun clothes for babies and mama’s as I am!

]]> http://littlewillow.com/2009/12/08/spicy-swedish-holiday-deals/feed/ 0 http://littlewillow.com/2009/12/04/its-whats-inside-that-counts/ http://littlewillow.com/2009/12/04/its-whats-inside-that-counts/#comments Fri, 04 Dec 2009 19:45:26 +0000 lilwills http://littlewillow.com/?p=4335 I just received the prettiest block print baby quilt in the mail the other day from my friend Kerry.  Kerry is currently living in Hong Kong with her husband and darling baby girl Sofia and she’s pregnant with her second baby who is due the same week as me!  It was pretty exciting to get something all the way from Hong Kong for our baby, thanks Kerry!

After carefully placing the quilt in the soon to be revealed nursery, I had to look up where she found this sweet quilt to see what other beautiful items they might carry. Turns out the boutique INSIDE is filled with lovely, unfussy items from soft bedding for babies and adults to soft furnishings for the home, mostly sourced from India.

Knowing my friend Kerry is also a big fan of the soft block prints of Kerry Cassill it wasn’t surprising that she found this quilt at INSIDE.  I apologize in advance for enticing you with all of these gorgeous items when I’m not even sure they will ship to the U.S.! You can contact them here to find out about ordering.

]]> http://littlewillow.com/2009/12/04/its-whats-inside-that-counts/feed/ 0 http://littlewillow.com/2009/12/01/oh-happy-day/ http://littlewillow.com/2009/12/01/oh-happy-day/#comments Tue, 01 Dec 2009 17:51:22 +0000 lilwills http://littlewillow.com/?p=4311

Dah, nah nah nah nah NAAAHH! Yup, you could say it’s my birthday and I just unwrapped the most beautiful thing, the Serena & Lily Peacock Market Sling!! This sling was on my someday-baby list for a long time and now it’s mine all mine! Thanks Dru & Amy for the incredibly thoughtful gift.  It’s just so darn pretty.  Don’t be alarmed if you happen to see me wearing it around sans infant just “breaking it in” before the baby arrives!

Sorry I have been short on posts lately but I’ve been sick as a dog up until this weekend. With the fog in my head finally subsiding, this colorful menagerie of wild animals from Allen Ave Designs was all the inspiration I needed to get back into the swing of things.  Their Color Zoo consists of hippo’s, elephants, lions and more, all lovingly handmade with vintage cotton fabrics.   And for under $20 you could build a whole stuffed animal kingdom in your child’s room!

]]> http://littlewillow.com/2009/11/09/stuffed-animal-kingdom/feed/ 2 http://littlewillow.com/2009/10/15/tuesdays-winner/ http://littlewillow.com/2009/10/15/tuesdays-winner/#comments Thu, 15 Oct 2009 16:12:34 +0000 lilwills http://littlewillow.com/?p=4022 Good Morning my sweet Frillows! Congratulations are in order for Caroline Colvin! She won the Crabby Crochet Chocolate Brown Beanie with the Orange and Cream Flower. I hope Caroline’s two little girls will enjoy this hat, in fact she might need to buy another one because it’s so cute they might fight over it! Thank you again to Laura and her shop Crabby Crochet for participating!

(photo by highlitephotography)

How clever are these woody creations from London designer Matt Pugh? The wooden owls would make a cute gift and those lamps would be adorable in a child’s bedroom.  All of Matt’s playful designs are made from sustainable woods like oak, walnut and maple.  See more of Matt’s designs here.

(via Notcot)