To The Wall

I keep having this dream. I'm 32 weeks pregnant (just about) and the baby comes... THIS WEEK! Waking up suddenly in a cold sweat is not an easy task when pregnant. I can no longer get out of bed gracefully. I walk past the nursery every morning on my way downstairs, only to have it haunt me.

Thankfully, we're trusting in the Lord that His timing is the best, and He will take care of us no matter what happens or when our little Peanut arrives. My fears are set at ease.

So, this past weekend we kept putting things together - cleaning, organizing, etc - in our little man's nursery. In a frantic fit of "oh-my-goodness-I-have-nothing-ready-for-this-baby," I even went and bought some new pajamas and a robe to wear in the hospital...and a few little outfits in Newborn size for the Peanut to wear. I even began packing the hospital bag. Just in case. You may call it neurotic, but I call it nesting on high gear. So there. Ha.

Our latest project was a big milestone in my vision for the nursery. I had been eyeing a particular wallpaper ("Woods" by Cole&Son), but I know Bobby would never go for it...and my mother would probably never speak to me again ("Do you know how much WORK wallpaper is to take down?!"). In going with our "look" of Woodsy Forest, I had to find something similar.

I scoured Etsy forever, trying to find something that wasn't overtly "baby." The cartoony stuff just isn't what I've had in mind for this nursery. So I had to find something a little more realistic and modern. I came across a wall decal that I LOVED from an Etsy seller (it can be found HERE), so we bought it, stared at it for a few weeks, then decided to put it up. Today.

We were a little intimidated at first, but it turned out to be pretty easy. Since they aren't supposed to look perfect, it made the job a whole lot easier...for Bobby. For those of you interested how decals work, here's a little tutorial for you.

First, each part is labeled, and each tree was cut up into sections. I cut out each section and kept the pieces with each respective tree. I cut out the "free" pieces (birds, extra leaves, squirrels, etc) and left those for last.

The decals are cut out of vinyl, and sandwiched between contact paper and contact paper backing. The vinyl is sticky on one side so it stays on the walls, but still peels off without taking the whole wall with it. We started at the top and just worked our way down. Bobby was very meticulous about making sure each piece lined up exactly so there were no gaps.

Once the decal was on the wall, the kit included a "squeegee," in which you smooth out the decal and apply it firmly to the wall. You would get rid of any air bubbles this way. After smoothing out the decal, just peel off the contact paper and voila! The decal is on the wall.

We had no problem with the decals peeling off. We also had no problem moving the decal once it was on the wall. If you do need to move it, they recommend using a Blow Dryer to heat up the decal and reapply it. I would not recommend doing this more than once though, as it will lose it's stickiness the more you mess with it.

Once all the trees were on, we then placed the loose leaves, birds and squirrels. I love how they are flying around randomly, and how all the birds are different... more natural. You could order the decal in any number of color combinations, but we chose white and brown to go with our nursery colors. I love the contrast!

And... the finished product! Overall, it took us about an hour and a half from start to finish. WAY easier than wall paper, and in the end, you get a similar effect! The crib will be on this wall, so Peanut can spend his waking hours staring at the birds and falling leaves!

What do you think?