Red
You guys, I am so, so, SO in love with this dress from Shop Vintage Minnie! I’m not going to lie, I wore it for three days straight when I got it in the mail. It’s not only red, which is my favorite color, but it’s got flowers on it, which you all know I’m addicted to anything floral, it fits my pregnant belly, and it’s vintage. A combination like that is irresistible.
There’s a similar blue one available if anyone wants to, you know, send it to me. Haha!
Plus, it looks good with boots OR heels. I wore it like this just for a day out and about running errands and seeing family, and then the next day to the baby shower my mom threw for me but with heels and a flower crown, and I loved that changing up the accessories just a little bit yielded two really different looks.
And lastly… the husband likes it. Which is always a plus.
The baby shower (I totally didn’t mention that till today, did I? Oops) was so much fun! Mr. Owl and I had absolutely nothing except the bassinet his sister handed down to us, a few hand-me-down clothes from her as well, a cute owl hat, and… that’s it. So it was SO fun to be able to bring home lots of baby stuff from family.
I feel like I can finally start setting up his nursery now. Well, if you can call it a nursery. It’s really just an approximately 4×5′ space above the stairs that has a half-wall around it and a slanted ceiling. It’s kind of tiny. Then again, so is the whole house.
Still, we’ll be able to fit a crib, changing table (which will be a dresser, too), trash can, and laundry hamper in there. That’s enough, right?
I really want to make his space look special, even though it’s tiny and not an actual room at all. I’ve been scouring Pinterest and mommy blogs for inspiration, and with a little bit of creativity and a lot of DIY on hand, I think we can make it a cute space as well as a practical one.
While I was taking pictures, my nieces and nephews were running around trying to scare Mr. Owl with this mask, and it was pretty funny. They’re a very lively bunch, and it’s a lot of fun just watching them interact with each other and the rest of the family, and getting to know them all and their different personalities.
I think I may have mentioned this before, but it’s also really weird to be around people who actually read my blog for news when they were far away (they’re missionaries in Ukraine, back for a 10 month furlough), so also talk to me about blogging. It’s making me a lot less self-conscious about taking pictures in front of people (or with people), that’s for sure!
Now that we have a little head-start on a stockpile of things for the baby, I’ve been trying to find a good list of unexpected must-haves for a first-time mom and newborn, but it’s surprisingly hard to find. I feel like there must be something a new mom didn’t realize she would need, and there has to be someone who would make a list of the things she used the most at first… but I can’t find anything that doesn’t list the obvious (aka diapers, wipes, breast pump, teething toys, swaddlers, etc).
So I am thinking once the baby is born, I’ll be watching and making a list of things I didn’t realize I would need to share with all of you new expectant moms so we can all be more prepared.
I also need suggestions from those of you that do have babies: is there anything you, as a new mom, wish you would have had before the baby was born, or found you unexpectedly used the most?
Dress (similar) c/o Shop Vintage Minnie | JC Penney Motorcycle Boots | Thrifted Belt | Vintage (my grandma’s) turquoise earrings
I hope you all have a good Monday! I intend to get started on the baby space today. We finally decided on his name (took long enough!) so I’ve got his initials in wooden letters, and I’m going to paint them to coordinate with his nursery colors of gray, green, and maroon. Then, I need to figure out a good storage system, get the rest of his corner cleared of non-baby things (aka, take the bookcase out so we can fit his crib and dresser in), and decide what goes where.
And that means I have to reorganize (and clean) the bedroom to fit the bookcase in there somewhere.
It’s going to be a good day!
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A few of my favorite Shop Vintage Minnie items:
25 Comments
jacquelinefrey
you’ll find the baby needs a whole lot less than you initially think! the things i used the most that surprised me were: swaddling blankets (the muslin ones are the best) a good breast pump, and a vibrating bouncy chair (they’re small enough to travel everywhere with you, and for some reason my babies always loved these seats more than a swing!) and for YOU, start stocking up on nursing pads and lanolin ointment! 😉 so excited for you! it’s been fun following your lovely pregnancy journey!
Eccentric Owl
I already know babies don’t need a lot of the hullabaloo people buy to prepare; one of my friends said she had this whole ritual of preparation for nursing that took forever because she had tons of stuff to pull out that she thought she needed, and eventually she realized all she really needed was a good pillow… and that was it. Haha! And since we have such a small house anyway, I’ve been going through the “must have” lists you find online and paring them down to things that actually seem practical.
All of the things you suggested sound like things I definitely need to get, though!
Marla Rogers
I LOVE your hair here!! I am obsessed with milkmaid braids but I always prefer my hair down to up and this is a really perfect combination. Maybe your next tutorial? ;] Red looks stunning on you. It’s a color that is really hard for me to wear, for some reason. I’m a “winter colors” person so I know red is a good color on me, but it seems too bold or makes me look to strong or something haha. Maybe that’s just because I usually prefer wearing black. Anyways, it looks great on you and I love that you paired it with blue earrings. And congrats on picking a baby name!! That’s so exciting, and I can’t wait until you share it hehe.
Eccentric Owl
Thank you, Marla! I will try to get a tutorial up soon; it’s REALLY easy to do this hair (literally takes less than 15 minutes)!
Jamie Rose
You look so pretty! I love this vintage dress on you. The color is just gorgeous and I love how perfect that shade of lipstick looks with it. Your earrings compliment this dress really well too. You’re Just So Pretty!
I’m so glad your baby shower was great. I’m sure you’ll do a great job sprucing up the baby’s room too – even if it’s small. I’m so excited for you!
Eccentric Owl
Thanks Jaime! I love this dress, too. I think it’s pretty amazing!
Ah, I’m so excited. I can’t wait to get everything settled in his little space and then have him to go with it! Hehe.
Rubee Best
I love this dress. I’ve been starting to decorate the nursery. We are the opposite, our room is a little too big for a nursery and I’m worried everything is going to look lost in there! I need a list of things I need too. I’m sure I’m going to forget something. X
Eccentric Owl
I hope you get everything set up the way you like it! I always liked smaller spaces better; they’re so much cozier. So hopefully you can figure out a way to make it seem less spacious. It’s SO fun to set up a nursery, though, isn’t it?
Amia
I love this dress it’s so pretty! Sounds like the baby shower was a success 🙂
Amia
Salazar
I have no shape so Oaxacan dresses would look just like sacks on me, but this fits you beautifully, and the embroideries are gorgeous!
Eccentric Owl
You know, I always thought the opposite; I think these types of dresses look better on people who have less curves; if I don’t belt it, it looks like a very lumpy potato sack. Hah! But thank you!
Marlen
oo la la that dress is GORGEOUS on you! seriously girl, red is your color! and that’s so fun you got your baby shower- i saw all your loot on facebook 😉 i can’t wait to see how his nursery will shape up!
xo marlen
Messages on a Napkin
Eccentric Owl
Isn’t it amazing? I LOVE this dress. I would wear it every day if I wasn’t afraid my other clothes would get jealous. Hehehe.
Elana
Ooh, this dress is lovely! I adore this color on you. Glad hear your shower went well! Hopefully we’ll get to see photos of Baby Owl’s adorable nursery 🙂
http://www.room-334.blogspot.com
Eccentric Owl
Thank you, Elana! I really love this color, too; it’s exactly my favorite shade of red!
I can’t wait to get his nursery all set up so I can share pictures!
Becca Lee
Lady, you look amazing! I love that dress and your hair looks so pretty like that! I’m glad to hear things are starting to come together with the baby room set-up! I hope you’re able to get everything squared away soon!
-Becca
Ladyface Blog
Eccentric Owl
Thanks Becca! I hope so, too. Mostly it’s just getting out and actually purchasing the things I need (and not being a lazy bum about it. Ha!) I’m waiting to see if the nesting phase strikes soon so that I get more productive. 😀
Myranda Walno
Your dress is darling on you. I am learning through your blog to see things in a different light. If I saw a similar dress on the rack before, I would pass it by without a thought… Now I can picture how you might style it and give it a chance! And your hair is lovely. I agree that a tutorial would be great! As for the baby’s room, they really don’t need a ton of space… and there are plenty of things you will find that don’t get used as much as you think they will. I never purchased a changing table, I just would lay down a waterproof pad wherever I was and changed the baby there… couch, bed, etc… The bottom line is do what works for you!
1. bouncy chair or other safe place to put baby (a girl’s got to pee!)
2. lots of cozy blankets
3. a nursing cover (I thought in the early days I wouldn’t need it but not all of my visitors were female and I was glad I already had it!)
4. lanolin saved my sanity, enough said… (and it does seem to stain some fabrics so be careful… no one told me that)
5. COMFORTABLE nursing bras and soft nursing pads (It was too uncomfortable in the early days to wear a bra at all except for company… my husbands t-shirts were my best friend)
6. plenty of er… absorbent things… you’ll need more than you think
7. a robe and comfy pajama pants and comfortable yoga type black pants to look somewhat presentable
8. witch hazel
9. plenty of pillows… my favorite in the early days of nursing was just a squishy bed pillow that I could form to just the right shape… Plus pillows to support your back and arms.
10. netflix and snacks for those late nights nursing around the clock are a must… Prepare to be very hungry… all… the… time…
11. you may want to purchase a nipple shield just in case… I didn’t end up really using mine but a lot of people swear by them
12. this article (excuse the few inappropriate parts) http://www.pregnantchicken.com/pregnant-chicken-blog/2010/9/23/happily-after-giving-birth-10-things-they-dont-tell-you.html
Eccentric Owl
Ah, this hair is so very easy to do! I’ll try to get a tutorial up soon. And I’m so glad that I’m changing the way you’re looking at clothes! I like being able to style things unexpectedly.
I’m definitely not going to purchase a separate changing table; his changing “table” will be a changing pad on his dresser, and I’m sure we’ll probably be using a pad around the house more than actually using a changing station.
Thank you SO much for this list! It’s really helpful, and it was exactly the kind of thing I was looking for!
Marla Rogers
Just so you know, I mentioned you for an award on my blog :]
Eccentric Owl
Aw, thank you!
Dani
Mylicon’s infant gas relief drops were a lifesaver, and its not a bad idea to have infant Tylenol drops on hand too, especially if you need either of them in the middle of the night and everything is closed. Other than those, I can’t think of anything else that you probably didn’t get at your shower or hasn’t been mentioned already in the comments. It’s been a looonnggg time since my son was a baby, so I’m a bit rusty, lol! 🙂
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Margaret
One of the best tips I ever got when my boys were babies is to have two sets of sheets in their bassinet and crib. When it’s the middle of the night and your baby’s diaper leaks, the last thing you want to do is change the bedding. This way, you pull back the dirty sheets and have a clean set underneath! Works like a charm!
Margaret @ Live Like No One
Else
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