i love craigslist...

i have literally furnished our entire home with craigslist or flea market finds...so i was so excited to find a used wood kitchen for beatrice on craigslist!  it's a $200 kitchen new, but i snagged it from a lovely hippie family in the canyon for only $85...

we are not going crazy with christmas gifts for bea...first of all, she's too young to really get into the whole thing and secondly, and more importantly, i really don't want to make christmas and the holidays so consumer and gift focused for her.  so we are going to get her one nice present for "under the tree" and since it's used, it's even better!  pre-loved from a sweet hippie family...so it's got good vibes to boot!

eco friendly wood toys...

of course, before i had beatrice, i had visions that she would only be clothed in pure organic clothing and play with eco friendly safe toys....well, that's not really a reality.  most of her clothes are organic, and most of her toys are eco-friendly and safe...but i've been so fortunate to receive many hand-me-downs {which of course are green since they are being re-used and re-loved!}, but many of those items have been plastic or made with other materials...and guess what, beatrice *loves* plastic toys...what's an eco friendly mama to do?  honestly, let it go...

but, when i do buy her toys, i do try to stick to wood, made in the usa, non-toxic paint and the like...i know i can't protect her from all toxins, but i do the best i can.  so i was really excited to see one of my favorite eco toy makers, wonderworld, on a zulily sale!  i've wanted to get her a cute stacker and a little push toy...our ped isn't thrilled about walkers, but i thought this little push toy she might enjoy...

the sale is only on for a couple more days, but go check it out!

bea's garden vintage nursery...

 

finally after nine months i'm sharing bea's little nursery with you.  i've shared some of my inspiration {here & here}, and i think it came together really well, considering most everything in beatrice's nursery was a hand-me-down...i had to work with what i was given...

 we inherited this dresser from a friend of patty's...it's beautiful and everytime i open one of the drawers beatrice crawls over like flash lightening and starts to pull all of her clothes out!  we've been collecting little cards that i keep meaning to frame...someday...

both the dresser and the changing table top were hand-me-downs, from two different people, but they work great for our changing station.  i use cloth diapers for beatrice, so i had to get some new shelves to hold them all...all her colorful diaper covers are in the drawers...i'll do a cloth diapering post soon...

 we've been co-sleeping with beatrice, but in the bed in her room.  this room used to be the guest room, so we just kept the bed.  it was easier to co-sleep with her in her own room in the beginning, and now we just stay here....we'll probably move back to our bed soon.  the cute wall decals are fabric...not vinyl...so sweet!

 since we call beatrice "bea," and pronounce it "bee," we've had some really cute bee gifts...so that's become another theme in her nursery.  how cute is this vintage bee costume from the 50's?  i can't wait until she can wear it...

i painted the walls a super pale pink, but really wanted to bring more color and pattern in...i found these cute buntings on etsy {triangles here and liberty here}.

the beginning of the reading nook...she *loves* the piano, though.  and she loves to pull all the books off the shelves...next step: actually sitting down and reading them!  we read together everyday, but she's really into eating the books right now {teething baby}...

 beatrice had a mobile over her changing table and for some reason she really got excited by the elephant, so we've started a little elephant collection...{both were handmade gifts}...

the crib was the first "baby" item we inherited...i wasn't thrilled about black, but now i love it.  she's never slept in it though!

 it's really just a resting spot for her toys and cute animals from blabla kids...organic sheets from plover organic...

 sweet mobile from blabla kids as well.  this mobile was one of my big splurges for the nursery...love, love, love it...

we inherited the rocker as well...i really wanted to re-cover it, but i didn't really have the money...so i just covered it with some of the many, many blankets that beatrice received.  i don't use it much anymore, so i'm thinking of handing it down to someone else...sweet custom rag doll from warm sugar.  this was one of my favorite purchases.  she made it completely custom for me...i gave her colors and picked socks, etc. and she made the cutest doll...it's hard to see but there are even bees are the fabric!  just for bea...

 some details from her dresser and bookshelves...cute wooden teether from little sapling toys...the vintage planters are from a friend...i still need to put plants in them!

and finally, her "uncle" dj lance gave her a sweet picture...she's still never seen yo gabba gabba {no screens until she is two}, but she's met all the characters!  patty & i are big fans and lance is a good friend of beatrice's uncle {her donor}...and remember my original nursery inspiration? well, of course he had to make it into her room...

next up: beatrice's vintage closet!

hippies buy used dresses

for $26!! not sure why i'm on such a hippie dress kick lately, but i simply can't ignore an amazing hippie wedding dress for $26, yes you read that right: twenty-six dollars, people!

{photo credit here}

steady as she grows {seventeen weeks}

they really do grow so fast...just today i cleaned out the first batch of clothes that beatrice grew out of...so for that reason it seems so silly to buy a lot of new clothes! yes, i know i confessed to the occasional gilt group or zulily purchase, but that's not the norm. most of beatrice's clothes have been hand-me-downs or have come from re-sale shops like grow kid grow in our neighborhood. until now, i haven't had anything to sell them, but now i do! you can bring your clothes in to sell and you either get a credit or cash, i'm taking the credit every time if beatrice is outgrowing clothes every three months!

she's such a wonderful baby, so calm and such a sweet disposition. she is really actively grabbing & playing with toys {read: putting in mouth}...i've found some used toys for her, but with toys it's a bit tougher. they are not as easy to find...

she had so many activities last week: we went to a play group at the los angeles gay & lesbian center for the first time. it was really great to meet & connect with other lgbt parents! there were quite a few people there, it was really cool. i have to admit it's tough sometimes being the only gay at some of the support groups and yoga we attend...everyone is awesome and i've made tons of great mom friends...it's just nice to connect with folks who are doing the same thing we are doing as far as the "non-traditional" family {whatever that means}...

she's wearing:

{old navy top}

{children's place pants}

{trumpette socks}

{all gently used from grow kid grow}

+

{bla bla doll}

{blanket hand-knit by my grandma}

steady as she grows {sixteen weeks}

first of all, happy friday! i'm late on this post this week...

sixteen weeks is four months...so unbelievable that beatrice has been with me for four months...we're out of her so-called 'fourth trimester,' where she nurses and sleeps all the time...it's amazing to see her take in the world and learn to grasp, smile, laugh and start to play...

i'm so excited to continue to watch her grow and get to know her personality, but i really love this stage--she's such a small little bundle that still falls asleep when nursing. what an amazing gift that i've been able to nurse her, i hope that i can keep it up for at least a year, if not longer...

i've been reading about how facebook deleted, then re-instated, then deleted, then re-instated {confused yet?} the breastfeeding support page, the leaky b@@b...it really saddens me that the natural process of a mother feeding her child can be so provoking. breastfeeding obscene? really? i'm so grateful that i've had nothing but support as a breastfeeding mom. there's really nothing more amazing that a mom can give her child...

she's wearing:

first three photos

{baby gap dress & luvette leggings}

{hand-me-down socks}

{blanket hand-knit by my grandma for me when i was a baby!}

last photo

{splendid thermal}

luving luvette...

i have to say it's been pretty cold here in los angeles. i know, i'm spoiled--no snow blizzards or anything, but for sunny so cal, drops into the 4o's are considered cold. so beatrice has been keeping her little bum warm with cashmere. yes, cashmere. she got a pair of bum warmers as a gift from luvette.

luvette is run by an eco-responsible mom who re-purposes sweaters into adorable baby & toddler wear. you'll find pants, diaper covers, even blankets, all lovingly hand-crafted for your little one. how genius & adorable...beatrice's little pants are made from an old cashmere sweater {the sleeves are the legs!}...so soft & luxurious for her little tush!

i think beatrice needs to sport that little skirt...

{photo credit: luvette}

hand-made eco toys on etsy...cuteness abounds!

it's unfortunate that one needs to make sure that a toy is non-toxic these days, so i tend to stick to hand-made and made responsibly. plus, the hand-made ones are the cutest! so sweet and special. here are some of my favorites from etsy sellers:

{cloth play blocks from the polka dot spot on etsy}

{soft baby rattle, bee from by handmade by marika on etsy}

{crocheted organic rattle, monkey {there are lots of animals to choose from!} from locomomma on etsy}

{little anchor teether from little sapling toys on etsy}

{felted sheep from woolies on etsy}

{matilda, the eco friendly owl also from woolies on etsy}

steady as she grows {eleven weeks}

i cannot believe she's eleven weeks old already. so cliche, i know, but time flies...

this is a really fun time, she's still very cuddly, but really starting to wake up to the world. she really loves to look around and see what's going on around her. she loves mirrors and mobiles...she's even starting to grab for toys and smile a lot more. she's still a pretty serious baby, though! everyday it seems like there are huge milestones. she still doesn't want to take the bottle, so i've had to stick pretty close to her...i'm trying to concoct some plans so i can stay home longer with her. production hours don't really work too well nursing a new baby. so fingers crossed...

she's wearing:

{ralph lauren dress & bloomers} from kids re-sale shop, grow kid grow

{baby gap tights}

happy friday...we're still thankful...we have everything we need

happy friday! have a great weekend...

today we went for a nice walk, drank lots of nursing tea and visited with some friends...avoided the black friday sales altogether. isn't it ironic that the biggest shopping {consumption} day of the year falls the day after we are reminded of all the blessings in our lives...

i'm definitely guilty of being a consumer...i'm signed up for sales at zulilly and gilt and immediately click over when i get a notification to see what cute baby clothes are on sale...i've gotten some great deals there, i'll admit it!

but i also try to buy the bulk of my baby clothes and gear used...either at a great kids resale shop, etsy or on craigslist. i've also done the spending hiatuses, which really help put things in perspective...

but every time i'm tempted to make a purchase, i try to ask myself: "do i need this?" if so, "can i buy it used?" at the very least, i can be conscious of what i purchase...but today i refrained an opted out of the consumerism...

vintage clothes go on vintage hangers...

i've been falling down the etsy k-hole a lot lately...the other night i was up until midnight favorite-ing {i'm making that a new word} a TON of cute vintage baby clothes. i didn't purchase them all yet, but i'm close. {expect a post about that soon.}

so what do vintage baby clothes hang on? vintage hangers of course. so cute, i can't stand it. yes, they are plastic & i'm anti-plastic...but they are vintage {and mostly made in USA}, so i'm not contributing to the plastic consumption, right? it's reducing and reusing...

{photo credits: 1. thl vintage; 2. my favorite finds; 3. squirreley girley; 4. scrappy jessi}

baby nursery inspiration...

i don't mean for this to turn into a baby blog, but i got baby on the brain! so my posts have been a bit erratic, as all i can think about is baby, and i don't only want to post baby, baby, baby!!

but...it is a girl! and now i'm working on the nursery. eventually it will be a bit more rock'n'roll like this nursery, but now i just need the basics. plus, i think we'll have her in our bed for the first six months at least, but i feel like i want to have the nursery ready before she comes, as i'm sure i'll be overwhelmed once she's here! so here's some inspiration...

{nursery color palette: black, grey, pale pink, dark pink, green}

we inherited a black jenny lind crib. i wanted a jenny lind crib, but not necessarily in black. so now i'm working with what i have...i'm so grateful to have a hand-me-down...now i just have to buy an organic mattress! the other items i have in the room are a vintage vanity and a vintage chest of drawers, both in an oak wood. i also inherited a wood diaper changer that fits perfectly on top of the chest of drawers...so the overall look is definitely going to be antique eclectic...pretty much my style! as with everything, reduce, reuse, recycle. so i love the hand-me-downs and vintage pieces!

wall color...i'm thinking a very pale, pale pink likebehr (zero VOC of course!) reverie pink. that way, the black crib will look great and since the crib is black we can go pink accessories without going too girly!

so for the basic bedding, i think we're going for a simple grey with pink throw pillows from plover organics. one thing that was really important to me was to find organic bedding. the baby will be spending a lot of time in this bed and it should be free from pesticides. it's pretty hard to find organic crib bedding that i like, so i was pretty excited to find plover organics.

i love this sweet bird mobile from bla bla kids. everything on their site is so sweet. i'm trying to avoid plastics, so i only want knit & wood toys, organics even better!

the lighting in the room right now is not so cute...i'd love to get a cute chandelier like this one from ginger's choice on etsy.

maybe some cute fabric organizer bins like this one from sew gracious on etsy to organize all the eco-friendsly, wooden & knit toys!

so those are the basics of the nursery...we have a small bookcase and rocker that i need to figure out. the rocker is white fabric & i'd love to cover it in something cuter. i also have way more books than will fit on the tiny bookcase, so i'm on the hunt for a cute bookcase...i'll probably troll craigslist to find something that will work with the eclectic decor...

and artwork! there is so much cute artwork out there, i'm going to have to do a separate post...

{photo credits: 1. making it lovely; 2. home depot; 3 & 4. plover organics; 5. bla bla kids; 6. ginger's choice; 7. sew gracious}