I am so, so happy to share our daughter’s (future) nursery with you all today! It has been my favorite design project ever. As soon as I started, I knew I wanted to create something neutral and airy. If I could sum up in a few words the feeling I wanted this nursery to have, it would be childlike and cozy.
These past few months as I have been working on this space have been the most incredible emotional experience for me. The chance to set up a space where our daughter’s first memories could happen warms my heart so much. It felt like the first gift I could give to her!
This post is sponsored by one of my favorite brands: The Land Of Nod. I’m not ashamed to say I have stalked their site for years (and even purchased a few random things for our adult rooms from them—haha!). They do a beautiful job of making children’s pieces with a strong design backbone. Pretty things that adults can appreciate as well.
But, I have to admit, I got a little nervous because Laura and I were BOTH decorating girls’ nurseries at the same time (here is hers!). We have a lot of similar tastes, so I was scared our rooms would look exactly the same. But as it turned out, they are totally and completely different. It was so much fun to decorate in tandem with one of my best friends and see how different our nurseries turned out!
I know some of you have been following our adoption from the first steps, but for the rest of you I’ll give a quick recap! We started the process of adopting a child from China last summer. Currently, we are one year into what is (on average) an 18-month program.
The process has been a roller coaster, but we couldn’t be more excited. Currently, we are on our agency’s waiting list to be matched with a child. The wait has not been easy, but our hearts have grown SO much. It’s been incredible! I truly believe that life’s painful moments can be used for good if you let them. And I can see future me looking back at present me, being even more thankful for the child in my arms.
Although we have not been matched yet, we felt ready to create a nursery based on what we do know. Every adoption is different, but in our process we were able to choose our child’s gender (we chose girl) and age (we chose under 2) and we know that most babies adopted from China are at least 1-year-old, so we have a pretty good idea of the age range she will be. That said, we will obviously be doing a round of tweaks to this room after we are matched, before we travel to China. So you will probably notice a few practical things missing (I haven’t ordered a diaper pail yet, I closed the closet doors because we are waiting to fill up the closet until we have an exact age, and I have no idea what level the crib will need to be adjusted to). So don’t worry, we will get to all of that in due time.
Anyway, if you have any more adoption questions, I am happy to answer in the comments. But let’s get back to DECOR for now …
Our daughter’s name will be Winter Bloom Larson. We chose Winter early in the process—within a month of beginning to adopt. We had a list of names and it stood out to both of us as the one. It hasn’t been a secret, so all our friends and family use Winter’s name to talk about her, which has been a great point of connection for all of us (especially the little cousins!). We chose Bloom for her middle name after our niece, Penelope Bloom. Penny thinks it is the coolest thing ever. I’ve never heard of cousins sharing a middle name before, but it’s pretty special to us. In our family, she is lovingly referred to by the other kiddos as “baby Winter.”
ETA: After being matched, we decided to instead name our girl “Nova Winter Larson“. We just felt Nova fit her more perfectly and kept Winter as the middle name because it’s been a big part of our adoption journey (we have used this name for her for over a year!). It’s a little sad to not use Penelope’s middle name this time, but we may use it next time!
The elephant hamper is from Amazon.
On the wise advice of a friend, I decided to choose a dresser that Winter could keep all through her childhood and teen years. We chose this beautiful campaign dresser. To temporarily make it into a changing table, we added this changing table topper, this changing pad and this changing pad cover. Once we don’t need it anymore, it can be unscrewed from the dresser and saved for our next kiddo!
The rattan mirror is by Justina Blakeney and it’s called The Ayo. It was the first thing I chose for this room and I love the personality and ’70s inspiration it brings to the space!
The simple scallop shelves were a last minute addition. I have been restyling them with baby trinkets nearly daily and I’m obsessed. I thought the etched wooden blocks would be fun for writing little messages out. They have letters, numbers and symbols. The unicorn plush can be found here. The swan and flamingo are from a little wooden toy brand I like called Holztiger. I have been collecting them.
The wallpaper is by my favorite painter, Lulie Wallace. She announced she was doing a wallpaper line a week or two after we started our adoption, so it was just fate! You’ll have to look at all her patterns here—it was not an easy decision. I love the bunnies! The monkey doll is from Etsy. We did a loose animal theme.
I didn’t intend to at first, but it just kind of happened!
The hand woven bowl is from The Little Market. The pretzel rattle is from BlaBla Kids (as is the rainbow pillow on the rocking chair).
I knew I wanted a simple white crib. I almost picked the Jenny Lind style, but ultimately I chose the Carousel Crib in white. I love it! I was torn on whether or not to add a crib skirt (I think I will remove it when the crib is down to the lowest level), but for now I am loving the pop of pink. For the sheet, I got a bunch of options (you’re supposed to stock up, right?!) and my favorite is this botanical grey dot pattern. We chose this organic crib mattress (after upgrading to an organic mattress in our own bedroom two years ago we’ll never buy any other kind again).
Oh, by the way, I decided we didn’t need a mobile, but someone else please buy this one in my honor. It’s so cute!
The quilt hanging on the crib was a gift from an amazing Etsy seller called Quilt Kween. She let me pick out all the colors and I just love it so much. Is it bad that I don’t want my baby to ever throw up on it? Haha! “You have other blankets for throwing up on. This is your pretty blanket.” (Don’t burst my bubble!)
The pillow in the crib is from Kip & Co. The star pillow is from Oh Just Dandy (she’s from Nashville!) and the sweet velvet bunny is from Sleepy King.
And the elephant pull toy on the ground is just too cute, right?
The “yarn art” (Haha! Can we call it that?) I whipped up the night before these photos were taken. I’m not going to post a DIY on it because it’s literally just tying yarn onto a dowel rod. It’s easy!
I will change this up periodically, depending on our kiddos age and the season. I pretty much just made it so that the colors would tie together in these photos.
This giant wicker giraffe was Nova’s first baby gift from “Aunt Laura.” It’s extremely special to me because what a CRAZY gift to buy someone. It showed how much she really knows me and I just love that she was brave enough to pull the trigger. I have only seen another one one time and it was at the Rose Bowl Flea (and it was painted white—poor thing!). So anyway, this is a true vintage gem and I feel so lucky to have it in our nursery.
The scalloped cowhide rug was a big choice. My considerations were that I wanted something that A. did not shed fur balls (that annoys me so much and I know this room will be extremely high traffic) and B. would be easy to clean. Cowhide rugs are very easy to clean (I won’t take up your time talking about it here, but ask me in the comments if you care). I like that it is a rug that can literally last for a lifetime. Plus, I have this thing with scallops!
The light fixture. Oh. My. God. Do I ever love this thing. I was joking on Instagram that I want to raise a child who can both appreciate Jonathan Adler and enjoy garage saleing with me! I found it at Wayfair and the ceiling medallion is from Amazon.
For curtains, I stayed consistent with the rest of the house (we have these pom pom curtains in almost every single room).
One of the things I am looking most forward to is bedtime stories. I cry almost every time I read a new children’s book. They are absolutely wonderful! I love our cozy pink Everly rocking chair. I paired it with a moroccan pouf.
I am thinking of how to best add a lamp over here. I am thinking a standing lamp, but something on the ceiling or wall is an option as well. Weigh in if you have a strong opinion. I want something with really soft, diffused light. We did find an adorable night light for now.
On the side table we have a little camera toy from Etsy that I had customized with her name. I love it because the wooden lens and dials really turn. And a fun cactus toy that I bought locally at Rich Hippies (find it online here). It’s a balancing toy, so I won’t keep it there for long (it’s just cute for this photo!). I mainly added the side table so I’d have a place for glasses of water.
We taught how to make the book ledges here. It’s an easy, one day DIY project!
Book links: The Mermaid and the Shoe, The Littlest Family’s Big Day, I Wished for You (our favorite adoption storybook), The Littlest Gardener (obviously had to have that one!), Hug Me (thank you, Sherri), Gaston, Antoinette (super obsessed with the illustrations in both these), Last Stop on Market Street, Home, Triangle, What Can I Be?, I Can Fly, The Wonderful Things You Will Be, Home (A Chinese/English book … thank you, Mom!), When I Was Small, Day Dreamers.
Well, thank you for coming on my tour! If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask me in the comments. Thank you for all your love and support. It’s been amazing to me to learn how many of you are adoption advocates yourselves! I’ve truly never felt closer to my blog readers than I have these past few seasons, sharing this journey with you. xx. Elsie
Credits//Author: Elsie Larson, Photography: Amber Ulmer. Photos edited with A Beautiful Mess actions.
203 Comments
I’ve been checking all day for this post! I cried through the whole thing. Beautiful nursery, Beautiful name. Beautiful souls. Congrats. Can’t wait for you to get your girl!
Also my child shakes and tries to climb all standing lamps. So I’ve had to do some reconfiguring. He’s a year and a half
Thank you Rachel!!!!!
What an absolutely amazing space and beautiful name. It’s so optimistic. I know it may be a bigger ask, but I’m wondering if you could share some insight into the cost of adoption. It’s something I’ve always seriously considered, but have heard it can be pretty pricey. Did you find this to be true? Did you explore domestic adoption? How did the cost compare? If it’s not something you want to discuss publicly, I’d lot if you could email me (hello@michellegage.co). CONGRATS!
I don’t mind answering. China adoptions are on average around 35k. Domestic can be less, but the options we looked into were still around 25k. There is also Foster Care To Adopt (we did not look into, but I’ve been told it is free). Although adoption is very expensive, there are TONS of charities to help lower income families. There are also tax credits for a lot of programs, some of them very significant. 🙂 xx
The nursery looks so so beautiful! I loved to see how much thought you put into every little detail.
And Winter is a stunning name for a little baby girl!
I’m so excited four you two!!
lots of love
Thank you Irina!
:))
I am so, so excited for you, and so glad you’re willing to share this journey with us! I want to know so much about this process and truly appreciate your opening up your story 🙂
Thank you so much Juliette!
xx
Lovely room. Not to be biased (as it’s from my shop), but what about a vintage swag lamp like this:
https://www.etsy.com/ca/listing/285036142/vintage-60s-mid-century-swag-lamp-with?ga_search_query=swag&ref=shop_items_search_3
Would tie in with the subtle tones and your boho style. Congratulations on your beautiful girl.
Elsie this is SO beautiful! Your little girl is going to be so lucky to grow up here! I’ve loved following along with your adoption story and can’t wait to see the final pieces fall into place! Adoption is very near to my heart… my mom was adopted as an infant from a young woman here in the states, and I now work in the foster care system which often leads to adoption as well. It is a beautiful but heartwrenching process and not everyone can go through it with as much grace and joy as you.
So so cute! I actually specifically waited for this post today before buying a crib mattress because I was curious which one you got in case you went for an eco/organic version? I didn’t see it sourced above – would you mind sharing? Really excited for everything to come together for little Winter’s arrival!
Ooops! I will get that updated. We got this one- https://www.landofnod.com/classic-150-organic-crib-mattress-by-naturepedic/s492909?&a=0&source=igodigital&_=1480480436722
Thanks for pointing that out. xx!
Weee – thank you!
Elsie, what a beautiful room and a beautiful name! Winter will love her room!
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com
Aaah I love her name! And the room 🙂
Oh it is so lovely! I really like the “loose animal theme” haha! Perfect for a little one, I think. Winter is one blessed child to have you for parents. Can’t wait to meet her; thank you so much for sharing your lives with us on the blog.
I went to grad school with a girl from China who’s western name was “Winter.” Never seen the name used before then. Very pretty name and nursery! 🙂
Thank you! I’ve never met a Winter before (except for one Starbucks barista- haha!) so that’s really special!
It’s weird when you name a baby to imagine them as an adult and at every stage of life with that name…. 😀
Yes! I totally thought of my children at different ages with their names ♡
Lovely room, as always ?
I know families with Winter as a last name!
Also, I don’t know any cousins who share a middle name, either, but I share one with my cousin. She is Jessica Jean, I’m Katrina Jean, and we were both named after our Grandma, Jean Katie 🙂 it’s a special little connection!
So lovely! Your honesty and candor about your adoption process is really heartwarming to read, for all soon-to-be parents and families in their many unique configurations. Winter Bloom will indeed be as lucky to have you both as parents as you both will be to have her as a daughter.
…Not to mention this nursery gives me all the feels!
Awe thank you!!!!
You two just radiate so much light and positivity. Winter is going to be luckiest freaking kid ever. All of our love from LA!!!!
Thank you Jeff. Words cannot express how excited we are!
And can’t wait for her to meet Arlo. Too soon to plan the wedding?
Flowers in winter are so rare, so a “Winter Bloom” is even more special. Congrats on your journey!
Thank you Jenelle. :))
The nursery is gorgeous!!!
Winter Bloom is also a lovely name! You’re going to be such a sweet and cute Mama!!
so beautifully thought out and put together. We just adopted a little girl (in canada from our local children’s aid society) and she is our world. it may seem like a lifetime of waiting, but it will happen and when it does, all that waiting seems to be forgotten 🙂
So excited to see the nursery! It’s beautiful and love the name. I’m a family of five girls and we all have similar middle names: Hope, Harmony, Bliss, Bloom and Honor! Three of my littlest sisters are adopted from China ( two from the special needs program ) and I’ve really enjoyed following along with your adoption journey!
Winter is going to love her room!!! I really like how you choose her middle name after her cousin. That is so special, for both of them and besides being in the same family, it’s a sweet forever connection. You both were so thoughtful about every detail (even up to the dresser being used for her teen years). I’m so happy for you two. You’re already wonderful parents! xo
Finishing up our nursery as well and thought I’d share my find for “diffused” lighting. Target makes this awesome lamp that is both sturdy and beautiful. I really like that it has a disk inserted into the shade so there isn’t an exposed bulb. Hoping it’ll be perfect for story-time before bed. Elsie – this nursery is just so perfect. Your attention to detail is fabulous! What a lucky little girl!
https://www.target.com/p/-/A-17303201?clkid=ae2f3836N25fcf8c9367a0c922c7bd841&lnm=81938&afid=BabyList%20Inc&ref=tgt_adv_xasd0002
I love the name! A couple of my cousins and I share a middle name (although I was the first ). And I think it’s a really cool way to bond cousins together in name, especially if they don’t share a last name. Also the nursery is beautiful, I can tell it was a labor of love. <3
So special!!!
Omg I love it!! I’m crying at her name. So so beautiful. Just a note- Miko has the same custom camera and it has lasted through many many teething nights! I hope to see the room soon. Love you!
Are you coming to Nashville soon? I hope so! I can’t wait to meet Miko!
xx
It is beautiful. It looks like a very calm space for a child.
Only comment, about standing lamp, is that toddlers go through climbing phases, they need to work those muscles. Or if just learning to walk or cruising she will use everything to pull herself up on.
But really it looks like a sweet space.
Oh my goodness! Tears of joy with how precious this room and your future baby girl’s name is! You two have created such a warm and loving space for her. Excited for what the future holds in store for your family!
You can really tell when a post is written from the heart. I cried my eyes out with this one. I love the room, and the name and when you wrote that she’ll share middle names with Penny, I just couldn’t hold it in anymore. I always cry when people are happy and I’m just so happy you’re happy.
(Have you considered garland lights? I have a set on my favorite spot in my living room, where I like to read/write, the light is really soft and it looks very pretty when it’s not turned on or in the day).
Thank you Natalia! xx
Such a beautiful room! I’m so happy you are getting closer to a referral. Your daughter to be’s name is beautiful as well, though have you considered incorporating her Chinese name too? I’m an adoptive mom to 4 and 8 year olds. 🙂 I just want to give you a nudge to give some thought into honoring your daughter’s first culture, taking into account that a name is extremely important to a person’s identity. I hope you won’t take my comment in a negative way. I don’t in any way want to rob you of your joy or make you feel judged, but I know from experience that you will be thinking more and more about your daughter’s feelings as a transracial adoptee, and so I’m just looking to be helpful. Feel free to contact me if I can be of help in any way. I wish you only the best as you anticipate becoming parents!
We have absolutely put thought into that. I don’t want to get into it here, but we will definitely be honoring her culture throughout her entire childhood, even if we don’t keep the name from her orphanage. 🙂 We are already excited to take her back to China when she’s old enough to remember it. xx
What a beautiful space you’ve created!
https://dreamofadventures.com/
Beautiful nursery! My cousin and I share a middle name, too!
Augh! I love it! I had no idea it was “a thing”!
Winter has the most precious nursery that could ever be imagined, and is the luckiest girl in the world to be surrounded by such outstanding individuals! Thank you so much for constantly creating and sharing. I have been dying for this update! You are the first and only blog that I follow daily- I have loved everything ever posted, and am constantly inspired by the entire team!
This is perfect. What a lucky girl Winter will be!
Sorry if I missed it, but could you tell me what agency you are working with for your adoption? I am just in the beginning part of researching and would love your insight! Thanks!
We’re using Holt International.
xx
My mom was adopted from Holt Intl in the 50s when they were just starting out. I’ve been really wanting to adopt from them too.
WOW! That’s so cool! What country is she from?
xx
So gorgeous! My husband and I have been looking into adoption, but have no idea where to start. There are so many “agencies” out there that want a bunch of money up front and I’m not sure who to trust or where to go to learn more. Are there any resources you found particularly helpful?
Such a pretty name and such a pretty room! It’s wonderful that you guys have chosen to adopt and I can’t even imagine the mix of emotions that must happen on a daily basis! Here’s hoping you are matched soon!
Oh Elsie this room is perfection. And I love that you said you cry every time you read a new children’s book because I am an aspiring children’s book author, I think they are the best too!! Winter is a lovely name, and almost all of my female cousins and I share one of two middle names, Marie or Christine after our great-grandmothers and I love it.
So stunning, Elsie. I mean, “try and catch your breath it’s so beautiful” stunning. So happy for you and Jeremy. Also, what a lovely name! <3
I love this room! And that giraffe was an AMAZING gift! And the name is wonderful! I think the shared middle name will be really special. I have only ONE first cousin, and we are close, and we would have loved having the same middle name. I’m actually considering taking my partner’s middle name as my own when we get married. We both like our last names and don’t want to change, and I don’t have a middle name, so it seems like a nice, subtle, semi-private way to symbolize our joined lives.
Beautiful room, and beautiful name!!
Something I wondered about your daughters name- I’m assuming she will already be named before you meet her. I would be curious to hear your thoughts on changing her Chinese name. I hope this isn’t offensive to ask, I’m genuinely interested, and very excited for your family, thank you for sharing your journey!
(My older brother was adopted by my parents when he was 2)
No worries, it’s not offensive at all. She will have a Chinese name most likely given to her by her orphanage (most babies are abandoned without any note so you never know their real birthday or the name their birth parents gave to them). I know that some people use these names as a middle name (or a translated version), which is so beautiful! We considered waiting until we saw her Chinese name to decide, but I had told my mom we were considering Bloom and she told our niece. Penny was SO EXCITED, we decided to just keep Bloom after that. And I don’t want to have more than one middle name (Jeremy likes very short names).
So anyway! I personally do not feel that it takes anything away from her Chinese heritage to give her two American names. I understand if people would disagree- but we’re confident in this belief and not up for any debate.
We will of course, keep all of her Chinese documents and that name will always be a part of her story. We have tons of exciting plans for incorporating Chinese tradition into our home, but I will save that for another post on another day.
I hope I did a good job of explaining that. 🙂 xx
I think you guys have the right to make that decision, and with her being so young, it’ll be easier of a transition. I am not from another country, but was adopted and given a name by my parents. It’s very impowering to feel included by your family by sharing a name (last name and middle name in this case) and a name my mom picked especially for me. I can see Winter feeling so included with a western name, and think it’s so amazing you guys will incorporate her heritage as well!
This is all gorgeous and your designs are brilliant! The only “mom advice” for it would be to consider blackout curtains. They are so nice for babies and toddlers when sleep training! ?
What a beautiful space! You and your husband obviously have huge hearts and that is so lovely to see through this process. And that is a beautiful name!
I am curious what you are currently doing (or are planning on doing) to learn about Chinese culture to utilize in the future with your daughter to teach about her heritage. I know a few families who have gone through international adoption, and it’s so amazing to see how much their knowledge and compassion grows for another culture, along with the love of their child.
Sending posi thoughts for the rest of this process for you!
Wow, this room is really beautiful, and I love the name as well. What is an organic mattress though? Aren’t mattress usually made out of some kind of foam and metal?
This was such a beautiful and heartwarming post to read. Winter is already so loved and you can tell. Im not usually a fan of wallpaper but this one is really cute and fits the room really well. Hoping you get your match soon.
How can the title of this entry not be “Winter is Coming!” ?!? SO excited for you and your family Elsie!
haha! Yeah- I guess we’ll have to use that joke for the shower or something. xx
My thoughts exactly!
Exciting for your family, exciting for Game of Thrones fans…Winter coming in any capacity is clearly a very exciting event!
Congrats!
Absolutely love the name Winter! It is on our baby name list! AND obviously your nursery is GOLD. Wanted to comment and say our daughter and her cousins all share the name middle name! My husband and his brothers all had babies in a year of each other and used the name James as a middle name after their late father. Oldest is my husband’s twins little girl Kennedy Lauren James who is just over a year, our little girl Everlyn James Sailor who is 6 months old, and our nephew Ezra Daniel James who is 4 months old 🙂
Beautiful!
I will echo the sentiments of others in regards to a lighting choice. Babies/toddlers are little bundles of destruction as soon as they are mobile. My husband is still trying to come to terms with having to temporarily change things around for this chapter of life. His hold outs drive me batty as she is yanking records from low shelves and makeshift barricades to block his trinkets on bookshelves are so impractical.
So the more things that are sturdy or just plain out of reach will be best!
Scarlett has been rolling since about 2.5 months, sitting up since about 5 months, crawling and pulling to stand since 6, cruising furniture since a couple weeks after, and now at 9 months is standing and taking steps independently (also starting to climb).
She is a wiggly, giggly, little bundle of disaster waiting to strike at all times 🙂
Find a lamp you love, but find one that is out of reach! 🙂
So much love for this & you guys! This makes my heart explode. It’s been so lovely following your adoption journey.
Elsie, this is beautiful! We’re currently fostering-to-adopt two siblings, a boy and a girl. When you first announced that you were adopting, I FREAKED OUT. I’m so excited for you and Jeremy. Children are blessings. I cried when you told us all that you were adopting, and I’ll cry when you’re matched, and I’ll cry when you bring your girl home! Beautiful bedroom, and I love her name.
Congratulations Kara! That is so wonderful!!!
Winter Bloom. So perfect! Winter and Karina are my top 2 names for a future baby girl. <3 I love the idea of cousins sharing a middle name.
I love the sweet little elements of the room and the calming subdued color palette. It feels very timeless. You've done a wonderful job.
Ahhhhhh! My heart is seriously bursting for the two of you! Love love love!
I like how the room is very simple but still has a lot of interesting and fun little details. And it will be very easy to adjust as she gets older. She can really grow up in this room. You also picked a lovely name. I actually share a middle name with my cousin and my niece and I had never seen that before.
Love the name! So sweet that her and her cousin will share a middle name.
Also whether it was your intention or not, the middle name thing almost seems like a nod to the Chinese tradition of generational names (or characters added to represent cousins, sisters, etc.)! My Chinese niece’s middle name starts with Jia and so does her brother’s though they both have western first names. Their cousins in china have Jia in their surnames as well!
Thank you Abigail!
xx
What a perfect nursery and such a beautiful name! If my name wasn’t Summer, I would have loved to use the name Winter for a baby girl! Can’t wait til you get to bring your sweet Winter girl home!
It’s GORG!! I just love the soft colors! You definitely hit the cozy and airy vibe you were looking for. And darling name- can’t wait to see here. Couple things- my cousin and I share a middle name. And my husband has the same middle name and 2/3 of my children have the same middle name (???♀️) in fact my daughter was almost named Elsie and that’s how I found your site- googling the name to make sure it wasnt a weirdos name. 2- Totally acceptable not to let her use the quilt. My daughter begged to use one of hers and the night I said okay she got a bloody nose ? Last thing, the book that makes me cry every time is ‘someday’- don’t read it. It’s a heartbreaker! ? But bravo on the room. It’s fantastic and just missing onnnneee thing. Little Miss. Winter. ??
Oh my goodness, the nursery is lovely! And her name seems so perfect. Thank you for sharing this as well as your adoption journey ❤️
So beautiful! So exciting, brings back so many memories when we were waiting to adopt my twins! Exciting, scary, exhausting but worth the wait! My girls are now 15 and I still cry when I tell their story!! Its kind of amazing, I was in the delivery room when they were born, hubs & I were the first ones to hold them!! I have always meant to write a book, i should…i digress…. Love watching the process and felt the good & bad moments right there with you! Cant wait to “meet” Baby Winter!
PS-you were one of the very first bloggers I ever followed way back in the day, when you were making scrapbooks! You have been such a creative inspiration!
Thank you Tracey. I love hearing your story and I would totally read your book! You better do it.
xx
“Winter is coming” the GOT saying has a whole new meaning now 😉
I adore her name. It’s perfect! As I adore this room. Such a great earthy vibe to the nursery. And Jonathan Adler is the best in lights! I work for a lighting company and want to buy A L L the Adler lights for my home.
He’s so magical! I’m his biggest fan!
xx
I love the name and the nursery is perfection! I have loved this wallpaper since I first saw it and I love all of the other special details in the room, especially the giraffe!
I love her name!! But it made me laugh bc I thought your favorite season was summer 🙂 Such a gorgoeus space for any child to grow up in!
My favorite season is Autumn. Actually Winter is my LEAST favorite season (haha) but now it has a whole new meaning.
xx
I love your nursery for WINTER! It’s gorgeous, just like her name! Bright and airy and just your style. She’s going to feel so at home in this beautiful space.
xo
Cat
What a beautiful post! Thank you for sharing so much of your story. I’m hoping to adopt someday and it’s great to read about your experience. Also, the room is beautiful!
This space you created shows what a real mother’s love is. How amazing that you love someone so much that you haven’t locked eyes with? That’s what all mommas say and it is very true–you love them before you meet them. This room shows that in a big way.
Congrats to you two on creating a space for your daughter to be who she is and become who she will be.
Thank you Carla! That is so nice.
I love all the details and effort you put into each piece! As the wife of a photographer and a lover of all things minimal, I adore the wooden camera toy! I’ll have to get one when I have a little one. It’s so inspiring to see your journey with baby Winter (and what an adorable name)!
Recently saw this lamp, would be perfect for reading. I don’t know if it’s soft, but it has a hi and lo setting! Congrats, it’s so nice to hear all your happy news 🙂
https://www.shadesoflight.com/products/pharmacy-style-adjustable-arm-wall-sconce?sku=WS15025+++AB&product_id=WS15025AB&adpos=1o30&creative=72522552152&device=m&matchtype=&network=g&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIuq_Or6yq1QIVUi-BCh3qLAKTEAQYHiABEgLkc_D_BwE
How pretty! I love seeing nurseries and yours is an absolute dream.
Such a soft and beautiful color palette. And the name is adorable as well. I just wanted to point something out to you: “Swiss cheese” plants are poisonous. I don’t know if this is one of your fabulous fake plants but it’s pretty close to the changing table and little people get around crazy quick. Promise I’m not criticising just wanted to inform you, incase you didn’t know. Best wishes on your future family. ?
It’s ok- it’s so high up I can’t even reach it. Thank you for pointing it out, though. 🙂
Winter is such a sweet name, my cousin and I share a middle name and it is so special! I can’t wait to watch your family grow 🙂
You did an amazing job lady!!!! Well done! Where are the flower sunnies from??
It’s absolutely dreamy!! I went with similar colors for my daughters room (she’s almost 4!) and the palette carries on through childhood so well!! Winter’s room is so light and airy and whimsy and innocent! I love love love it. Since you asked, id go with a small table lamp so you can easily reach it and turn it off when Winter falls asleep in your arms while reading/rocking. What sweet times are ahead for you!! Xoxo
I LOVE how your nursery turned out. You did such a fabulous job, and I adore Winter’s name. So happy for you guys!
This is the most stunning, beautiful room I have ever seen! I can imagine it was such a therapeutic way to prepare for your daughter’s arrival, and Winter is so lucky you’re her mom! I’ve been looking forward to this post ever since you started posting sneak peeks on Instagram <3 Love how everything turned out.
Oh Elsie!!!! I have been following you and your adventures for many years from afar and I can’t even tell you how excited I am for you to get your girl!!! This is the perfect nursery for any little one. You will make a great mother to Winter!!
so beautiful elsie, you and your family. the name is perfect
Thank you Donna!
xxoo
This is hands down my favorite post I have ever read on ABM <3
Oh gosh, it’s beautiful. I absolutely adore the toys and books, I love wooden and unusual kids toys, I feel like they have so much more magic to them, Winter will love them I’m sure!
I love reading about your adoption process too, it is something I am interested in and your posts are so helpful and, most importantly, honest- thank you.
And if it makes you feel any better about not buying that cute mobile, a lot of people don’t think about the kiddo’s point of view, to us it’s adorable because we see flying elephants, but if you look at it from the underside as they would it’s probably no where near as fun. Most mobiles are made without bearing this in mind!
So lovely! It shows how much this child is already loved. All the design choices are just perfect. I have to echo what a lot of others have said about freestanding lamps. I think they always look prettiest, but from a practical standpoint, wall mounted or pendant is where it’s at. My daughter has almost pulled the lamp in our living room over on herself several times since she became mobile. Her nursery reading corner has a pendant light (that looks like a cloud!) hanging over her vintage rocking chair (I actually bought the chair from Amber Ulmer…and I see that she took your photos!)
Thanks so much for the info!
xx
What a gorgeous space and I love the books! I immediately thought of one of my favorite books that I read to my daughter. It’s called You Belong Here and I think it fits so perfectly with your story and the aesthetic of your beautiful nursery.
https://www.amazon.com/You-Belong-Here-M-H-Clark/dp/1938298993
Thank you! I can’t wait to read it.
xx
The middle name thing is very cool! My younger sister and I share the same middle name as our older half sister. My parents thought that because of our differing last names our middle names matching would be a nice way to bond us. I love sharing that bond with my sisters. ?
Elsie, thank you for sharing–every detail of this heartfelt post is beautiful and inspiring! By coincidence, the bedroom my husband and I hope to convert to a nursery in the near future has the same door, window and closet configuration and these photos are so helpful in visualizing how to best arrange furniture and utilize the layout!
I love everything about this. And I love your daughters name x
I love how the nursery room turned out! Your daughter name is just beautiful and unique. I’m happy for you, Elsie <3
I feel like the giraffe is watching out the window, waiting for Winter to come home. So precious! I’m so excited for you guys.
Love the room the rug especially and the cactus toy. I love that’s you get to geek out and say “winter is coming” (haha love GOT). While cousins sharing middle names is different my cousins and I have middle names that rhyme and I always thought it was cool and weird lol.
-Mia
As a mom who spent hours and hours reading and snuggling with all my babies, get a lamp you can easily adjust lighting. Look for bulbs or ability to have multiple clicks of light. Bright, subtle, night light, etc. The 1st night you fall asleep with your little bean and cant or just dont want to get up, you’ll appreciate the ease. Naps are a good thing
Winters is my mother’s maiden name and I have a cousin that’s named Winter! I absolutely adore the name and the nursery is STUNNING. That GIRAFFE IS SO KILLER! Everything is beautiful together, Elsie, you’re an amazing curator. I can’t wait for you to have baby Winter in your arms in there, singing her lullabies and tucking her in.
This is perhaps the cutest little room ever. It’s just perfectly airy, and neutral, but feminine. I’m so delighted and happy for you.
Adorable–and all in my most st favorite colors! Lucky little Winter! I have watched my son and daughter-in-law go through the process of adoption over the last several years…it’s a tough ordeal, to be sure! They welcomed their sweet, little Elliot a few months ago–so it’s well worth all the angst and waiting! All the best to you–I’m so excited to see this room filled with your little girl and all the love that will abounds as you welcome her! ?
Oh trust me, the side table is not superfluous and you’ll thank yourself for buying it. I have a 3mo know and it’s amazing what you need in arms reach when holding or rocking a baby. Or when you need a place to set the bottle down so you can burp. Or you need a place to set the book down after you’re done reading it to her. Or checking your phone to see what time it is when she’s sleeping on you . . .
My cousin and I share a middle name! So sweet that you’ve decided to bond your daughter and her cousin like that!
Congratulations! Cool name. What a beautiful nursery.
Who Let the Mum Out?
Ok. Teared up reading this post. The name you chose gave me chills (could you two have chosen a more beautiful name?). This space is so serene and calm; Winter will love it like we all do. Simply ecstatic for your family, and so grateful for your transparency in letting all of us follow along on this wonderful season you’re in. Blessings and prayers for a smooth/divine finish to this adoption! Xx
I have been waiting for this reveal for so long! And, it definitely did not disappoint! I love every single detail! Winter Bloom will be so blessed to have you as her Mommy. She will thrive in this beautiful room!! Congratulations on everything!! And, thank you for always being such an inspiration!
this room is beautiful and the love and care you put into it really shines. Thank you for sharing with us and congratulations!! Winter will bring so much joy 🙂
This post is just sweet! I’m thrilled for you guys and love that we readers get to pal along on this journey! We hope to adopt someday and I’m so glad you are getting that concept out there. Little Winter is already so loved by so many and I can just picture her little face when she sees her room for the first time!
I just had a long comment written and I think I lost it, so apologies if this is a duplicate! Short version is: have you encountered the Facebook group Transracial Adoption 101? I’ve learned so much from them! (I’m a mom via adoption) I wish I’d had access to their wisdom before we adopted because it can be very thought-provoking. There are some incredible adult adoptees who share their perspectives–it’s a priceless resource. Best wishes to you on this journey!
So excited for you … what an undertaking, you must be exhausted …my best friend has 2 adopted girls from Korea (now in their 30’s) amazing women, beautiful family
All the best
My heart is bursting for you guys! Your nursery is beautiful and Winter is such a lucky girl already to be surrounded by so much love.
Thank you lady!!!!
xx
She is gonna be a very happy kid in this beautiful nursery! <3
Why did you decide to choose the baby's sex and why a girl?
All of this is so beautiful! It warms my heart so much that all of this is coming together for you guys. I wish you guys the absolute best, and can’t wait to read more about your little lady.
I love this room so much! You did such a great job and her name is adorable!
Fun fact- my cousins, siblings and I all share a middle name. We joke that my mom and aunt weren’t creative enough to come up with different middle names, so they just gave us the same one. But, our middle name is their maiden name. To carry on that tradition, when we had our daughter, we gave her my maiden name as her middle name and who knows, maybe it’s something she’ll carry on with her kids.
Elsie! I’ve been a follower of your blog since the thrift store days! I’ve never commented on anything until now – and I just had to say this nursery is so beautiful. Your sweet daughters name is just so perfect and I am so so so happy and excited for you. You’re going to be such a wonderful mama! All the love! -Maxine
Thank you so much Maxine!!!!
xxoo
Well this is the most gorgeous nursery EVER!!! Winter is going to be one lucky lady- you can see all the love you poured into this space!
Also- I might sound like an idiot but even if you don’t do a full diy- would you share a close up of that yarn hanging front/back so I can see how you tied it? (Even if it’s on insta stories or anything!!!!) Definitely making one of those for our new house!
I will share it on IG stories!!! (ABM account)
Thank you so much!!
What a wonderful room baby Winter is going to love every minute of growing up in there! Thanks for sharing your beautiful journey it must be so hard to wait for her arrival but so lovely to be able to get things ready for her. I love the book corner – reading is so important to me I have read to my now 3 year old daughter since she was a baby – it’s part of her bedtime routine and she loves to choose the stories now which is so special and fun xx
Ahh this is so beautiful and soft!! Also, I’m really curious about the cowhide rug, do you think they could work in a dining room?
This type of rug is great for basically any room because it is so easy to clean.
Since it’s natural fiber it’s basically the same thing as shampooing your hair!
xx!
Elsie.
I really want to send you a copy of the children’s story my husband wrote. He surprised me with it for our five year anniversary. A year later I made him start a Kickstarter to get it published and he did 🙂 I feel like you and a Jeremy might have a special connection to it and I would love to share it with you.
XO
Amandalee
email me! elsie@abeautifulmess.com
That’s a really sweet story!
xoxo
So happy for you guys. I can see how much joy you two as parents will bring to her. 🙂 p.S. my cousin and my brother have the same first name. Weird, but 2 sisters named their kids the same name! My brother is 3 years older than my cousin of the same name. Also my two children have almost the same middle names. Daughter has Georgia and son has George. Both are family names from each side. 🙂
What is the length of the floating bookshelves? Love love love the nursery 🙂
You can make them any length you want to fit your space. Ours are probably 3 feet… ish!
Elsie, this is so beautiful. Others have said it already, but I also want to say how much admire and am grateful for your openness about your journey, it’s amazing! We’re going through IVF at the moment and the parallels (the paperwork, the appointments, the waiting!) are incredible. I loved your Things That Help post – it helped me!
The beautiful thing about the name Winter is that it has a Chinese character, so even though she has an English name, she’ll be able to write it in Chinese. 冬. I’m sure you can do it with Bloom using the character for Flower (or similar)花. But I bet you knew that! 😉
Thank you! This is so wonderful.
I’m sending you all the positive energy and crossing my fingers for you!
xxoo
Oh my goodness! It is perfect! And I love her name! How sweet to be able to bond through her name with your family!!! Praying for your journey!
Elsie, what an amazing job you did working on this nursery!! Absolutely, touching and inspiring! Love all the details that went into creating this space. Been reading all the adoption related posts and i can just say how amazing you and Jeremy are!!! I am sure Winter Bloom Larson will love it!! She is a blessed daughter to join your family!! Your story is so touching!!! Love, love what you are doing!! Cheers! Nazgul http://www.creativesis.com
Elsie,
Such a beautiful nursery. The wall paper is glorious, I want it for my own room lol!
I don’t want to criticize you and I know it takes courage to post each and every post, but I just want to express my concern with having the loose yarn so near the crib. Perhaps it is completely out of reach, in which case; disregard! But if not perhaps it could work better farther from the crib?
No worries- like I said in the post, I pretty much just made it for these photos (it ties the colors together). I will most likely be taking it down before she arrives. I looked for months and months and never found the perfect thing to place there (but I think that in real life the perfect thing might be nothing). xx!
Love the name and love the wallpaper! ?
Beautiful room and beautiful name. <3
She is a one lucky girl to have such a pretty room all to herself! When I was that little, I used to live in my parents’ bedroom to save some space in the flat 🙂
I’ve been following your journey and I can’t wait to see your Winter Bloom. She is going to be loved and cherished for sure.
2 of my sisters used the middle name of ‘Rose’ who was our Grandmother. So I have a Katie Rose, Melissa Rose, Rebecca Rose and a Erica Rose in my family.
Much ?
This is the sweetest nursery! I also love the idea of cousins sharing a middle name. My family is Estonian and my little cousins share the middle name Kai 🙂
Hi Elsie, the room looks absolutely magical and I am so happy for you and Jeremy. I’ve followed you from the UK since you had the Red Velvet shop and check the website every week. We’re a similar age and even got married in the same year so it was lovely following your story along with mine. We’re hoping to have a baby soon aswell yay! I just wanted to say that you are a huge inspiration in my life and now I have a website shop of my own making crafts to make people happy. I think your super fab and thanks for being you. You will both make amazing parents and I can’t wait to see baby Winter Bloom and follow your next big adventure. Xoxo
I follow your blog from where I live in China, so I’m excited that you are adopting a child from this country. I wish you the best!
Thank you Liz!!! So nice to “meet” you!
xx
What a beautiful nursery and name! My daughter is Rooney Jane (Jane is my mom’s first name), and one of her cousins is Myah Jane. So I think it’s definitely a thing if it’s a family name, but how sweet that you are using Bloom. So cool!
Beautiful nursery! We use a salt lamp for my daughter’s room. It casts a nice warm (and dimmable) light and also has some good healing/air cleaning properties if you buy into that sort of thing. But the orange/pink tint is nice for bedtime.
This room is stunning! I love it so much! You really did an amazing job!
Paige
http://thehappyflammily.com
I was so emotional after reading this post yesterday that I couldn’t even…….! My heart is deeply happy for you and your growing family. I absolutely LOVE your choice of name and it’s connection to Penny. Thank you for your honesty, openness and general REALness on this incredible journey. All the very best to you and Jeremy. xoxox
The nursery turned out beautifully! The Wonderful Things you will be is my absolute favourite children’s book to read to my girls, it makes me tear up every.single.time. And I used it as my “colour palette” to base the colours for our home on, it’s just so pretty to look at!
Looking forward to seeing the rest of your family’s journey towards adopting!
Elsie’s nursery is absolutely beautiful! The pops of color and light fixture are my favorites. I can’t wait to adopt one day. There are so many children who need good forever homes.
You’ve got me intrigued .. . How do you easily clean a cowhide rug?
Since it’s a natural fiber you can basically shampoo it like your own hair (or as if you were washing a dog). This can be spot cleaning it inside, or taking it outside to get the whole surface! These rugs can last a lifetime.
xx
Congratulations Elsie and Jeremy! I’ve been waiting for this name reveal for a long time and oh my gosh it is perfect 🙂 So excited for you both and wishing the rest of the process goes smoothly!
So beautiful Elsie! Thank you for sharing your heart through this process! I’m sure you are helping a lot of soon to be mothers feel a little bit less alone in that waiting game. Thank you for choosing strength and patience, even though they can be the hardest of paths. You’re shining some incredible light on a much needed subject. You’re a gem girl, keep being you. ❤️
Thank you Kimberly.
xx
I absolutely love children’s books! Reading to my son every night is quality time that I cherish. It is as sweet as you would expect. You will love this new part of your nightly routine.
What a beautiful nursery for a lucky little girl! I hope she’s with you soon!
This room is so inspiring for a nursery!
And the name you have chosen is beyond adorable ♥
– Rebecca ♥
Your nursery is absolutely beautiful!!! The Lulie Wallace is a dream. I am sure you would like to keep some things unique to your nursery, but was curious where you bought those adorable sunglasses that are on display on the LON scalloped shelves? They are so sweet!
Hi Andrea! The sunglasses are Oui Fresh and they come in four different colors! 🙂 https://www.hellomerch.com/collections/oui-fresh
What an exciting post! It has been wonderful to follow your journey – thank you for sgaring it!
I did want to share a tradition with you that a friend does each year with her adopted daughter from Ethiopia:
Every year, in addition to a birthday celebration, my friend throws a party to celebrate “airplane day” – the day her daughter came to the US. Over the years it has morphed from a family-based party to sleepovers with her girlfriends (she’s 13 now), but I think the gesture of marking how grateful everyone is to have her here -and how much she is loved- is beautiful.
Awe- I love it!!!!!!!
Such a well thought out room!
It is very important to teach children from a young age about different animals and the extreme importance of conservation. I love the animal theme! Magical! On a side note, I love the “giraffe inspired” head scarf you are wearing for the photos.
Spying those sunglasses and her name blocks made my heart melt. Afterall, Winter means “rebirth of Spring”.
Looks amazing!!! Can’t wait for you all to fill it up with baby girl 🙂 xo
You’re so good with words!you perfectly described the feeling of a mom, decorating a nursery for her daughter! The first gift indeed! Congratulations and as early as now I welcome you to the wonderful world of parenting and motherhood!!!
This is one of the cutest baby nurseries I’ve ever seen! I love everything! And that wallpaper is lovely.
-Jacqueline
https://jackieomy.blogspot.ca/
Curious, why china when there is more risk of them just stopping your proceedings for no reason (and no legal ramifications) and also a MUCH longer wait compared to domestic..?
Oh my gosh! Looks beautiful! I LOVE “The Last Stop on Market Street”! It is such a great book, and I know that little Winter is so blessed to have you guys.
What an absolutely lovely room! I don’t have children so no baby/toddler advice to share, but it’s so heart-warming to see how excited you and your husband are about little Winter Bloom! All the best wishes to you!!
Oh God!! The wooden cactus is by my absolute favorite toy brand!!! Beautiful room. I’m so happy for y’all and thankful you have shared this journey
We named our dog Antoinette because of those books (Antoinette & Gaston)!! My mom is a first grade teacher and she got Gaston in a box of books parents bought for the classroom at the book fair a couple years ago. Then, as soon as we saw that Antoinette was available for preorder on Amazon, we ordered it! Our dog isn’t a poodle, but I think it fits so perfectly, and the pictures in the books are so so cute! There are so many truly pretty books for kids!
It’s just beautiful!!! SO excited for you guys. I became a parent for the first time nine years ago and was completely unprepared for how my world turned upside down — I felt in awe of how overcome by love I was. I’m such a skeptical person and not naturally maternal, and it truly shocked me in the best way possible how life-changing and earth-shattering my love for that baby was. I hope you find parenthood just as beautiful. <3 also, Winter — what a perfect name.
Love her name. I’m due with my first daughter in October and her middle is actually going to be Bloom as well. Bloom is my maiden name and changed my middle name to Bloom once I got married. Congrats to you. Oh- and your nursery is stunning. ❤️
I have to ask – how did you hang the scallop shelves to prevent them from “sagging?” We’ve tried everything! THANK YOU!!
Hmmm. I’m not sure. I didn’t have a big problem with it. It may have to do with the size of the shelves. You should call Land of Nod and see what they say! xx
Hi Elsie!
I have not visited your Blog/Website for a few years, and am SO HAPPY to read all the good news about your impending adoption of a baby girl from China. I love the name you chose. the nursery is beautiful. Congrats to you both. So happy I decided to visit your blog again, you have done so well for yourself as I always predicted from the early days of reading your blog. Congrats!!! xo
Your nursery is so beautiful. I love every happy detail. Can you share where the rainbow pillow is from? I might have missed the link somehow but my daughter would love that piece and her birthday is right around the corner.
Hi Lisa! You can find it here- http://www.blablakids.com/ 🙂
I love this unique space. It’s lovely and playful. I just found this Pom Pom Pillow you need! The swan print would be the cherry on top to this space for Winter. http://www.lavenderandclover.com/store/p80/Swan_Pom_Pom_Pillow.html
Dear Elsie,
your little daughter will be one of the luckiest little persons in the world. There is so much love in this room already, it can be felt even through pictures. As for the lamp, do you know the Dutch designer, Tord Boontje? I think one of his lampshades would be just perfect in this room. E.g. this one: http://tordboontje.com/projects/lights/bouquet/ or this one: http://tordboontje.com/projects/lights/midsummer/.
I wish you all the best from my heart!
Gabriella
Love the room, as always! So so sweet, Elsie 🙂
My sister and two of our cousins share a middle name. It’s after my aunt. I have 17 cousins and we are all really close and the three girls who share a middle name are especially so. It is such a beautiful thing to share a name with someone!
Congratulations! Hopefully, your little one arrives soon <3
Love love love. (The name, the nursery, your choices:) ). Have you considered cloth diapers? You would ABSOLUTELY LOVE all the fun prints you can get! (And it is so much better for the environment 😉 )
Oh no! You forgot to link the other ‘Home’ by Carson Ellis!
Thanks! Just added it. 🙂
‘Nova’ was my grandmother’s name! It’s truly a precious one to me, and so unique. She used to tell us it meant ‘new’ and my grandfather always called her his Supernova. Congratulations! The nursery is gorgeous.
I don’t check my blog feed like I used to (obviously!) but saw a newer one about little Nova, so backtracked a bit.
The nursery is so pretty! I’m not sure about your faith, and it doesn’t matter, I just saw the book shelves and thought of this Max Lucado book that I LOVE and think would be great for Nova. It’s called “You Are Special” and it’s about being different from the “popular” people, but discovering that you are perfect as you are. I’ve barely gotten through it without crying with my babies so many times; it just touches my heart so much <3
Congratulations on your little girl, and Merry early Christmas!
What a fun nursery and I love all the attention to detail you have put into this. I’m sure you will have lots of fun times and make loads of happy memories in this room x
What an adorable nursery! I love all the wood & wicker accents. And the book shelf display is amazing! I sent the post to my husband, because now I want to do something like this in our daughter’s nursery as well! Love it.
Where did you get that adorable rainbow pillow on your rocker??