Charlotte Lee in Wonderland

Ever since I was a little girl, I fell in love with the story Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. I always wanted to have a daughter and adopt, thus a baby girl's nursery has been in the works for years--4 to be exact (way before we decided to adopt) and anyone that knows me, knows I love to bargain shop for unique decorating pieces. TX has the best second-hand/antique stores, where I have spent hours walking and around hunting for treasures. So as you can already imagine--Charlotte’s nursery was the perfect canvas to put my creative mind to work, bargain shopping skills and combine my childhood love to create my own little wonderland. 

So first the inspiration came from a duvet cover that was in the room long before the nursery came to be.  I love the whimsical print and let's face it, I designed the wall color to match and I hate to paint.  So I thought the sea-blue palate was pretty and a perfect match for the reds I would also use. After finding the perfect Alice in Wonderland vintage prints on Etsy, I then bought  a copy of 9 small prints for $5.00 and enlarged them at local office supply store. I scored a 70% off sale at Joanne Fabrics and framed four in a vintage wood frame-- for less than what a regular frame would cost at the Target. So many of the trinkets that make the room so unique and fun were all finds at local second-hand stores in Georgetown, Florence and Bartlett, TX: these include a vintage Cheshire cat, White Rabbit, charming little teapots, key print, doorknob, and wire heart.  The bookcase was an amazing find at my favorite store, Gatherings, in Georgetown, TX.  I bought it as-is for $35.00, and it was the perfect addition to the room and very functional too. I found 3 copies of Alice in Wonderland printed circa 1909-1929--each less than $20.00 and one was free after sharing my story of adoption and love of Alice in Wonderland. 

The dressers, side tables and small chair were also in the room prior to becoming Lottie's nursery. They are the perfect size for a children's room. I re-purposed the light fixture with some spray paint and sand paper. At night, the shadows make a whimsical pattern on the ceiling. One of my favorite pieces has a little story behind it, the small red canvas with a bird says "When I look at you, I can't help but smile." it was made by a local artist in New Orleans, we met the artist and spoke with her for a few moments-I just loved it and thought it would be the perfect addition to the nursery.  The piece was in her clearance bin and after explaining how much I loved it, and it would be a beautiful addition in my soon to be daughter's nursery, she only charged me $5.00. My friend Natalie introduced me to a wonderful, local seamstress who is amazing, and she made the crib bedding with the original duvet cover, I also used "clearance" fabric from Joannes and used our old bedskirt and old sheets to make pillows... it would have cost me more to buy a clearance set from any of the big baby stores, and this had a story for every piece of the fabric used.  The red blanket is the prayer-shawl from a dear friend and is my most favorite part of the room, and it will travel to China with us when the time comes.

This room is honestly my most favorite room in my house- often I find myself wandering upstairs and sitting in the room to read, study, and yes even brush my teeth (strange I know).  I have had long multi-hour conversations with my family and best friends just sitting on the carpet in awe of the beauty of the room. It is my most favorite room in the house and creating it has helped me through this process. However your journey into Motherhood may be, it's not always an easy process, but filled with so much joy, excitement and love.  This wonderland has already given me so much and I cannot wait to share it with Lottie Lee.