Here’s the reveal- though I am not totally pleased with my photo shoots, I can’t hold out any longer. I’ll have to take another crack at it when the spring really comes. I am not holding my breath, though.
When we decided to move the despot into his own room (from the closet), we had to incorporate a big old piece of art- especially since we had just hung it and I was already losing sleep over the numerous nail holes left behind in the closet. We worked with what we had, and I think it turned out really well. It’s less, “I brought home this brand new baby- isn’t he precious?” and more “Wow, this baby is starting to resemble a kid. He needs some cool stuff to look at.” Luckily for him, we had some cool stuff, so I worked off of that theme.
Remember this?
Is that a big map in your office, or......
I knew I had to work in THE MAP as I lovingly refer to it. Truth be told, I wasn’t thrilled it had made the long journey to Boston with us in the first place. I much preferred this guy in our old place:
But since he pretty much got our place sold single handedly, well, it still hurts to talk about.
So back to THE MAP. I never even considered it nursery worthy, but once I started moving things around in there, that bad boy started to get me pretty psyched. Also, I never realized just how “westerly” Moscow was. Already THE MAP was paying dividends. Obvi, it had to stay.
So here it what I came up with. Sorry the photos aren’t that great. One of these days I will learn how to use the expensive camera we own, but that manual reminds me of overpriced college text books and I get all rebellious when I look at it and think, “I don’t HAVE to read you if I don’t want to. There won’t be a quiz!” (except the quiz is like every time I use the darn thing. stupid camera)
May I present to you- Where the Despot Sleeps (Part Deux):
I’ll give you a little rundown of the room, if you like (also listed under the Sources page if you are interested in links):
We kept the map we already owned from Ikea. I was there recently, and it’s a “NEW LOWER PRICE!” item, so you can snatch one up if you like for a cool $149. Considering it takes up an entire wall, it’s the lazy girl’s answer to wall art. In this scenario, I am the lazy girl.
The map over the reading chair is actually a piece of wrapping paper you can find at stationery stores like Papyrus. It cost me $5. I’m a big spender like that. I framed it in a frame I already owned, but was probably from….wait for it…..Ikea.
We used the existing Ribba Picture Ledges from Ikea to display Colin’s Sharon Montrose photographs, and I picked up a box of vintage map postcards at Papyrus for $12. There were 18 postcards in the box so not a bad deal at all if you ask me. I framed them in small frames I bought at Target, which ranged from $2.99 to $5.99.
The lamps are actually one of my favorite parts of the room. I stopped in Bed, Bath and Overpriced and Beyond looking for a light fixture that was short enough to sit on the bookshelves and yet not cause a fire hazard to the ledges above. This is harder than one might think. But I saw these lamps and they were in twin package for $20. Done and done. But when I got them home, imagine my confusion when I couldn’t find a light switch. So Kase suggested, maybe they are touch sensory lights. My response, “they were 20 dollars. I doubt that.” But like so many other times, he was right. And the even better part? They have three settings! Including, wait for it, NIGHTLIGHT! Adorable. I love those lamps. So does the despot. We have fun making them go on and off by just touching their base. I call them the magic lamps.
The curtains are from Ikea as well, and have shades of slate blue, black and beige, which tie in nicely to the other colors in the room, especially the maps and Colin’s crib.
While I was there, I couldn’t help but pick up the “C” hook that you see above holding Colin’s Easter finery and other assorted hoodlum attire (Red Sox hat).
And then you have of course, my little piece of art- I made a small print for Colin that reads “Love makes the world go ’round” to tie it all together. I like it and it makes me smile. I have become cheesy. Deal with it.
And lest you think I went for a neutral theme nursery, which seems to get people all up in arms, fear not:
I can't tell where my pants end and my cool rug begins.
Yup, that’s the Ikea rug all good moms buy their sons. How could I not? It’s all kinds of amazing. That right there is his own little world. I mean, the poor kid spends about 75% of his time on the floor. And the colors are working for me. For $14.99, I would buy my son as many as he pleases. You could treat those puppies like flor tiles. They are probably cheaper, come to think of it.
Also, he loves his new trucks. I am not entirely sure they are age appropriate, but they are awesome. If you are headed to Ikea, pick up the 3 pack- it’s 10 bucks well spent. Now he can just tootle all around town.
So my son is now worldly. Besides Brangelina, how many of you can tell me your six month old is worldy? Okay, well he isn’t really. He has traveled maybe through seven states. But he has been on a plane 12 times, so…..
But seriously, once I got started on the map/world theme, I was excited, because Kase and I have a history of traveling together to some amazing places. And we always have a story, whether it was when we flew to Spain and yet forgot to bring the address of the villa we were staying in, including the town in which it was located, or the time Kase enticed sharks to follow us while snorkeling in Costa Rica after he cut his finger on coral but was too afraid of our guide to admit it. In fact, we took a trip to Paris to ring in the New Year back in 2009. I wasn’t feeling well, and Kase was convinced I was pregnant. The day after we returned home, we found out he was right.
So it seems fitting that this is the room in which our little despot sleeps. He can look quietly down on his subjects, like so:
Mom, I can't talk right now. I must stop the peasants from uprising against me. They didn't take kindly to my tithing.
