Nursery pains

It's been a while since a personal post, so here it comes, and it's a messy one:

I'm trying really hard to figure out what the nursery is going to look like - and failing.

I managed to find a white glider secondhand (for $25! Sweet deal!), but it came with hideous and worn fabric, so I need to make a slipcover for it. The fabric for that is still a mystery to me - I guess I just need to hit Fabricland and commit to something.

aside: I *so* miss the Lens Mills stores where I used to live. Fabulous selection and cheap! Fabricland does not come close. I am not good at choosing fabric online; I really need to see and feel it, so it's got to be an in-store buy. And I keep asking myself, is it worth the hour and a half drive (and gas money) each way to go to Lens Mills? I know it's not, but, oh. I love that store. I had no idea what a blessing it was to live so close before.

The glider fabric will be a start on what the whole room will be like. I'm kind of leaning towards a bright, cheerful and eclectic mix of colours - no theme (I honestly can't stand Disney or other pre-packaged nursery themes. I know they are popular. Just not my taste). Mostly white, with hits of bright colours. Picture... a box of crayons and a few origami made with colourful Japanese paper scattered on a white twin bedsheet. (Does that make any sense?)

But where to begin when you're going for random? The furniture is all white (except a vintage maple dresser, which I can't bear to paint since I refinished it myself the summer I finished high school - I have vivid memories of the 9 layers of paint I scraped off). The walls are a neutral, pale yellowy-green. The wire alphabet I made will probably end up shiny bright red (and maybe framed, thanks to my brilliant readers). There is a turquoise branch and birds wall decal - hey, you can see the maple dresser in that post, too, and get an idea of the wall colour.

I picked up this boat mobile - another really random thing. I don't want to do a nautical motif or anything, but my husband sails and we both love the look of the vintage-style boats. So all the colour will be in the fabric for the glider, the crib bedding, things on the bookshelves, maybe a fabric pennant bunting... I'd like to do a quilt, too, if I have time and if I can figure out some semblance of a plan. I was looking at my fabric stash for a quilt and I just can't figure out what to do.

I'd also like to do some sort of wall thing above the crib where I can put up pictures and change them often, to give her something else to look at. Maybe one of those wire and clip things (or ribbon and clothes pins?). I was initially picturing vintage flash cards (I don't actually have any) - but I am certainly capable of creating images to put up, or using photos of family. I was lucky and won some Wee Gallery art cards over at Wishing Penny, so that will be a good starter set. Then the trouble is how to affix such a thing to the wall... whether to take a big frame and attach the ribbons to that, or stretch fabric over a canvas stretcher with clips sewn on, or I could even attach a set of pretty dresser knobs to the wall, say three rows the width of the crib apart, and tie ribbons to those, using clothes pins to hold up the pictures. Hm. I just don't want it to look cheesy.

I adore this nursery's colours (Project Nursery is my eye candy site lately):...but I'm not repainting the walls (I do love the colour we have). Our floor is the same natural maple as in this nursery. Maybe I should try for a pale yellow fabric for the glider, with a hit of colour in a throw pillow? I definitely want red in there as an accent colour as well, and by accent I mean a little, like you see here (okay, maybe just a little more). I like this room but for our room, it's too turquoise and has not enough small hits of colour.

I also like this little colour arrangement that I found on Design Dazzle:
- not necessarily for the specific objects, but for the visual impact of the mixed colours and white.

I feel like there are too many ideas in my head and it's not going to be cohesive (and this is exactly why people pick themes, I know). The room is very small. If I can figure out the glider cover, and get the mobile and alphabet finished and hung, the bookshelf (which we still don't have) filled with toys and books, maybe some wall shelves above the dresser and under the decal... Then I will be able to pull it all together with the quilt. Right? Right? Please tell me yes.

This is totally nesting instinct combined with decorator's block. Are you curious to see how it all works out? I sure am. I have 14-16 weeks to figure it out.