February 2009

Rocking Horse:

Another goody from my vintage coloring books. Love the spots and long eyelashes. Hope you enjoy it. Click on the image for a larger view.

Our first Eye Candy entry! Thanks so much to Jennifer N. from Michigan for submitting some adorable photos of Michael and his nursery. Jennifer chose to incorporate vintage bluebirds in his room and I am so loving it! Here’s a tour through Baby Michael’s nursery in Jennifer’s own words…

“I’m just so pleased with how baby Michael’s nursery is coming together, considering I am no decorator. On top of baby’s dresser are the adorable crib shoes that will never go on baby’s feet! I want them to stay pristine and precious for years to come. My sister cross-stitched the bluebirds picture and my dear friend gave me the birds egg wreath. The handkerchief comes from a maker of beautiful vintage embroidery.”

“My husband recently made a shelf for one wall of baby’s room… just so that I could have a place to put the cute bird nest that came from The Baby Gardner! Also on the shelf are two vintage Japanese bluebird salt and pepper shakers, Michael’s engraved pewter cup that he received for his baptism, and my embroidered bluebird handkerchief.”

“I was so pleased to find a red toile crib bedding set when I was expecting Michael. The wallpaper in our parlor is the same toile pattern, also in red. Baby likes to look at the scenes of people and animals at play and at work and laugh at the images.”

“A twin bed [in the nursery] is graced by a hand-embroidered quilt, made by my beloved step-mother. Several decades ago she made it for her unborn child, who sadly died before birth. She then tucked the blanket away and gave it to me when I was expecting my first baby.”

“And finally, I have to include a photo of Michael, himself, trying in vain to reach those darling crib shoes and the bird nest. I love all of your items so much that this was the only time he has worn the sweet bluebird bib. I don’t want to get mashed carrots on it!”

“Thank you for giving me this opportunity to photo journal baby Michael’s nursery. They are little for such a short time and things change so quickly. That must be why I am drawn to the timeless look of vintage materials. They are a snapshot of time that passes by so fast.”

Thanks so much, Jennifer, for a wonderful tour of little Michael’s nursery!

Coming Soon: Vivian Jane’s nursery! Stay tuned and be sure to enter YOUR little one’s nursery or child space in our Eye Candy Giveaway!

Vintage for little ones is the sweetest of EYE CANDY! It’s also a great source of inspiration and creativity. So we’ve decided to recruit YOU to share your love for vintage with us and fellow readers. And of course to make it an even SWEETER idea, we’re rewarding your efforts!

Here’s the scoop…

CALL FOR ENTRIES: Simply email us photos of an area in your home that was created for your little one(s) and inspired by vintage. Maybe it’s an entire nursery or bedroom. Maybe it’s a play area in the corner of the living room. Maybe it’s a wall of favorite vintage illustrations and photos. Wherever that vintage inspiration lives, we hope you’ll want to share it with us! You can email jpegs to blog[at]thebabygardner.com. Please include a brief description of the photos you are sending and any additional info or tips you’d like to share.

YOU ENTER, YOU WIN!: Every reader who submits photos will receive a thank-you gift from The Baby Gardner. We know you’re busy and we want to say “thanks” for taking the time to participate! When emailing your photos, be sure to include your name and mailing address so we can send you your gift.

THE GRAND GIVEAWAY: Entries will be accepted on an on-going basis so we can continue to share the eye candy. However, all entries received prior to April 1, 2009, will be entered in our Grand Giveaway! This prize will include over $100 of merchandise from The Baby Gardner!

*Please note that by submitting your photos, you give The Baby Gardner’s Baby Bloggie permission to post your photos and information on our blog. The mailing address you email us will be kept confidential.

HERE’S A SAMPLE: Just to give one example of possible submission ideas, here’s a photo of a corner in Gracie’s room. Some of my favorite vintage collectibles are displayed here. In the back is a mohair teddy bear. He’s not vintage, but he was handcrafted a few years back by a talented artist in Australia. Moving counter-clockwise is a vintage photograph of a little girl holding her teddy bear from the early 1900s. It’s nestled in an antique frame. Next, a vintage celluloid rattle of mommy bunny complete with apron and glasses. Beside her is an unusual vintage tin toy. It’s a rooster pulling a pink, egg-shaped cart. I believe this was probably an Easter-themed piece. And finally is an adorable vintage planter of a puppy (Boston Terrier?) with a big pink bow around her neck and a bumble bee on her hip. So cute!

I love finding small spaces like this corner shelf to display some of my favorite things. I also love placing them in areas where the kids can enjoy their whimsy too (from afar).

So how many of us have hosted a baby shower and felt obligated to include a cheesy baby shower game? You know, one of those that usually humiliates the guests and the mom-to-be? Something like “guess how many toilet paper squares it takes to wrap around mom’s belly.” Yeh, you know the ones. Well here’s a few creative alternatives to the rescue!

IDEA #1: A Little Encouragement Goes A Long Way

I was watching Oprah several weeks ago and it was one of her ‘Favorite Things’ episodes. Usually she gives away an obscene amount of free stuff to the audience, but because of the economy, she was introducing ‘thrifty’ gift ideas. Anyway, she was talking about how (years ago) one of her producers had asked each member of the staff to write down what they liked about working at Harpo. They collected all the notes, put them in a simple box and gave them to Oprah as a gift. It was something she still cherished years and years later. Inexpensive but priceless.

That really struck a cord with me. I’m a sucker for sentiment. And then it hit me — baby showers! And after some brainstorming and staying true to my love for vintage, I came up with these: Baby Silhouette Encouragement Cards for the New Mom — now available exclusively at The Baby Gardner.

How to Play:

1. Pass these out to each guest as they arrive at the baby shower. Ask each of them to write a special message of encouragement for the new mom.
2. Collect all the cards towards the end of the shower. Place them back in the coordinating archival envelope.
3. Present the envelope to the new mom as a final gift and watch the tears flow! Allow her to read each one aloud if she likes.

Of course, you could always adapt this idea using your own card design (please don’t copy ours). Either way, you’re looking at a great alternative to the same old baby shower games and you’re giving the new mom something she’s sure to cherish for years to come!

IDEA #2: When Will Her Water Break?

Can’t take credit for this clever game, but it’s one of my favorites. And of course I love the fact that the little babies give it a vintage twist.

How to Play:

1. The night before the shower, fill ice cube trays with water (one cube per guest) and place a baby (available in packs by Wilton) in each slot. [Bonus: Make extra baby cubes to place in the punch bowl as an added touch.]
2. Pop cubes out right before the shower and place one baby ice cube in each drinking glass. Distribute a glass to each guest and point out their impending ‘birth’. Tell them it has to be a natural birth. No biting the ice!
3. The first to ‘deliver’ a baby floating freely in their glass wins a door prize!

IDEA #3: No Thanks Necessary

Here’s another great baby shower ‘game’ that actually gives a helping hand to the mom-to-be.

How to Play:

1. Purchase thank-you cards for the guest of honor before the shower. May we suggest a few vintage-inspired choices at The Baby Gardner?
2. At the shower, give each guest an envelope (those that came with the thank-you cards) and ask them to write their name on the envelope.
3. Collect all the envelopes and place them in a bowl. Draw one name/envelope to win a handsome door prize.
4. After the shower, give the thank-you cards and envelopes to the mom-to-be. She’ll have a helpful head start on her thank-you notes.