The Nest is Ready (Whereupon I Also Gloat Upon My Cousin)
Posted by Will on December 21, 2010
Probably one of the questions we have fielded the most is to the tune of “Where is Nola going to be?” Meaning, in some variation, where will she lay her sweet head down to rest (and scream) at night?
When people ask me, “Is her nursery ready?”, well, I just have to chuckle.
Our place is probably a little south of 500 square feet. Sure, it is probably not a big place compared to the places our friends live. We have worked pretty hard, over the past three and a half years, at mastering the arts of reduction and space maximization. In some regards, having less space, which therefore forces you to own less possessions, can create a sense of satisfaction and exhilaration. These times mostly occur when it is time to clean (tasks seem much less daunting when the ground you have to cover is small).
The little basement we call home works for us. I do kind of wonder what we are going to do when we actually have more than one bedroom someday. It is pretty safe to say we are very happy where we are and we will make what we have work. Sure, it might seem unconventional, but we have a wealth of insight from friends, especially those in D.C., who have paved the single-room with baby road before us.
So, the following is a small peak at the small corner that, for now, we will call Nola’s nook.

The mini-crib. Bumpers are going to be removed later this week. Apparently they're dangerous.

After a bit of hand-wringing, debate, and duels, this is the print for Nola's bedding.
We have been very, very blessed to have family, friends, co-workers, colleagues, and even people we don’t know who have given us a multitude of gifts for Nola. So, I don’t think we can say it enough but again, thank you, thank you, thank you (again) to those who have given us things in preparation of our child’s external arrival.
One of the special things, for us, was to receive a hand-crafted hope chest from my cousin Andrew. Now that I think of it, his family also gifted us the mini-crib so 2/3rds of Nola’s nook suite came from the Timms.
But, back to Nola’s gift. This thing is completely superb. As Andrew had been out of the country the previous year or so, Brittany and I had been the benefactors of some of his other small pieces of furniture. Also, through conversation and first hand experience, we have been privy to his other work and processes so we know the time, thought, and skill put into everything he makes. Much to our delight, Andrew created a piece that Nola will hopefully carry through her entire lifetime.

Our pièce de résistance – Nola's hope chest.

The script was laser cut from bloodwood, inlaid into the cherry body, and sanded smooth. Simply incredible craftsmanship and a special touch.

Inside is a sliding/removable tray and plenty of room for a small multitude of Nola's belongings.
7 Comments on this post | Published in General, Photos

7 Comments to The Nest is Ready (Whereupon I Also Gloat Upon My Cousin)
Cassie
December 21, 2010 at 1:39 am
Beautiful! Love the print.
[Reply]
Will Reply:
December 22nd, 2010 at 1:00 pm
It came down to this or dinosaurs. Actually, we liked both so it was a hard decision.
[Reply]
Tori
December 21, 2010 at 10:26 am
Andrew did an awesome job! And I love Nola’s nook!
[Reply]
Andrew M
December 21, 2010 at 7:53 pm
Nice, very nice so excited for you guys. To avoid sounding cliche from one new parent to another, let me just say that, in all ways, all ways, you have no idea…..
[Reply]
Will Reply:
December 28th, 2010 at 11:36 am
Thanks! It also sounds like an intriguing episode of MTV’s “True Life”.
Hope you guys had a good Christmas.
[Reply]
Molls
December 31, 2010 at 5:44 pm
That chest is beautiful. Do I recognize that knitted blanket? :)
[Reply]
Ben
January 2, 2011 at 11:16 am
I second the beautiful look of that chest.
[Reply]