James' Safari Nursery

From the moment I found out I was pregnant, I started daydreaming about nurseries. I knew in my heart that a baby boy was going to be joining our family, and so once I got the confirmation of the ultra sound, Mike and I got to work. We were so excited!

 I wanted to create a magical place for our baby boy to grow up in, but I also didn't want to break the bank. After a lot of brainstorming I decided to go with a safari theme. We had so much fun putting everything together (with the help of my fabulous interior designer friend Teresa). Everything in the nursery was carefully selected. I wanted the items decorating James' nursery to be special and meaningful.

 Some of the meaningful heirlooms and items included in the nursery design are:
 - The vintage cedar chest that my grandfather gave my grandmother before their wedding over 50 years ago. - My grandfather's old fishing net.
 - A box of Chocolates Mike got on his mission that says, "Cleveland... a sweet place to be" (Mike and I both served our missions in Cleveland, which is why James' middle name is Cleveland).
 - A photo of the Kirtland temple (again, important because it was such a huge part of our mission and I served at the historic Kirtland church sites as a missionary)
 - Masks, drums, wooden animals, cloths, and other African treasures my grandparents got when they lived in Ghana.
 - A chest of drawers that was purchased for $20 on the side of the road in Africa (Pottery Barn has one just like it)
 - National Geographic magazines my grandparents have been collecting for years and years - A huge turtle my grandfather got somewhere in Asia long ago
- A globe that Mike and I purchased in Sun Valley, ID (a very important place to our family)
 - A huge giraffe that Grandma Alison gave James
- A photo of Christ from his Grandma Carol

 My grandparents were kind enough to offer to let us use so many of their african treasures, and we were given so many gifts, that the only things we had to buy were the crib, the rug, and some of the photos on the wall. I absolutely LOVE how it all turned out. Every time I walk in I have to smile. It's my favorite room in the house. But most importantly, I LOVE the little babe that lives there.

 Here are some photos (thanks to the incredible Jen Herem)......