The inspiration for Little Evan’s room makeover was this piece of art:

Evan the Nap Monster, by ModTots.

I ordered a monster – any monster, since they didn’t exist yet – as soon as I heard ModTots would be releasing them. So I actually bought half the stuff for the room before I knew what this piece would look like. But I knew it would be adorable so it wasn’t exactly a hardship.

I thought monsters would be a super easy theme for a kid’s room. I was wrong. Everything was Monsters, Inc the Pixar movie themed – and even that was hard to find. But I’m going to predict right now that monsters will be big by the end of 2011. Just watch.

Before pics. The nursery theme was “nautical” slash “tropical island” slash “Where the Wild Things Are”. And also very messy.

View from the door

Left hand wall

Right hand corner

Right hand wall

And after pics:

View from the door (I know it looks like a different wall color, but that's just because I rolled up the black-out shades...something I forgot to do for the before pics)

Left hand wall (extra lines added by one very excited 2 year old)

Right hand corner

Right hand wall

Adorable monster prints from Lulufroot on Etsy (I think I need the green monster one too!)

Bookcase

Best bed friends - he kisses them both good night

Snake from Taradara, Bear handknit by me.

Daydreaming in his big boy bed

The rest of the details:
Bed: Ikea
Monster sheets & duvet cover: Garnet Hill
Dresser: Ikea
Ceiling lamp: Ikea
Standing lamp: Target
Rug (moved from our family room): Target
Curtains: Ikea
Bookcase: Target
Rocker: Ikea
Book caddy: P’kolino from Amazon.com

Close up of the book caddy because it's so freaking cute. Oh and also, when I bought it it was like $10, not $30+. Don't buy one until they go back on sale.

I’m sort of ashamed that the curtains are 84 inch curtains that you’re supposed to hem (and by hem I mean use the iron-on adhesive tape they came with) and yet I did not hem them. The problem is the radiator is right below the window on the right hand wall, so I’d have to cut them REALLY short to be safe. But I don’t want to hem the other set that short and I still want them to match, so I just tied them up. And truthfully, I kind of like how they look.

Also, we have a bed rail for the side of the bed so Little Evan doesn’t roll out while he’s sleeping. Not that I think he would – he’s not a super rolly sleeper – but he likes pushing his feet against something while he’s trying to fall asleep and since we took the crib rails away I thought it would be a good substitute. I just took it down for the pictures.

Night night!

So far, we’re having about a 75% success rate with the big boy bed. Wednesday was the first day nap time didn’t happen AT ALL, but he’s been pushing them back later and later since we made the switch. He does get out and run around and pull things out of the drawers and read all his books and climb in the chair…but when he gets tired he puts himself back to bed. And it’s nice that he can get himself out of bed and play in his room in the mornings so I have time to brush my teeth and get dressed before he starts yelling for me. But sometimes he cries a little because he misses his crib. I think he’ll get over it pretty soon though.

Disclaimer: This post was not sponsored in any way. All items were paid for with my own cash money.

I have a problem.

I think I need to admit it and consider getting help.

Although I’m not sure anyone makes a 12 step program for headband addicts.

Step 1: Accept that your hair has gotten out of control and you NEED those headbands to survive.

Wait, that’s not right.

I blame Gossip Girl. And Etsy. Although I think it really started almost exactly a year ago, right before Little Evan’s first birthday party. I went on a hunt for a jaunty (did I really just say jaunty?) red headband to complete my slightly-ringmaster-esque-without-being-costumey outfit. And you know what I found? TONS OF HEADBANDS. HEADBANDS EVERYWHERE. A PLETHORA OF HEADBANDS. At some point between when I was 8 and now they came back into style. Who knew? So I fought my way through cheap plastic earrings and fingerless lace gloves (which should NOT have come back) to the back of a Claire’s bought one. People told me it was cute. It made my boring just-hangs-there-hair look more fun. So a few months later I bought another one, black and white flowers, at Target.

AND THEN MY OBSESSION TOOK OVER.

Gold & Red headbands – Much Love Illy

Felt flower and purple feather headbands – My beloved Uff Da

Black & White Rosettes and Red & Yellow Rosettes – Twenty Five Design

Purple Ruffle and Red Polka Dot Ruffle – Gussy

Red Rosette headband – Allora Handmade

And my newest addition…

Blue Print headband – Rayna Jaye

You can see how this is getting a little out of hand. But the truth is, they make me SO HAPPY. Headbands are a new mom’s best friend. Greasy hair? Cute headband and no one notices! Boring outfit? Cute headband and no one notices! Bitchy receptionist at my OB’s office who “forgot” to put my appointment in the computer and tries to tell me they’re all booked so I’ll just have to get someone to watch the kids some other day and come back? Notices my cute headband and then finds a doctor who can see me! (True story.)

Also, headbands always fit, even when my pants do not.

But because spending our entire tax return on headbands would be an irresponsible choice, I decided to go about trying to make my own. Behold! The easiest, cheapest headband ever!

Glue gun, stretchy headband from Target (on clearance, 5 for $4), sparkly iron on applique from craft store (on clearance for $1.50), tiny piece of felt left over from my felt flowers.

FACT: I took this picture yesterday morning. I haven’t washed my hair in two days and I’ve been fluctuating between burning with fever and sweating like a pig as it breaks. Isn’t that a lovely mental picture? And yet, I am still willing to put this picture on the internet! Because my hair still looks cute! HEADBANDS ARE MAGIC!

Of course, the camera in from of my face is hiding the real tragedy. How many headbands does it take to hide the giant bags under my eyes and the zits on my chin?

What’s that you say? It’s January and so no one CARES about Christmas anymore? Blah blah blah I CAN’T HEAR YOU.

I realized after I had wrapped and mailed all my gifts this year that I really went overboard with the knitting. I mean, sure scarves are awesome, but maybe someone would like a gift that isn’t quite so…heartfelt. Stuff from the store is nice too. Like a Starbucks gift card. Or a bottle of wine. Or a Starbucks gift card AND a bottle of wine. But hey, it’s been really cold this winter so hopefully everyone’s using their fair trade Latin American artisan gifts and thinking nice warm thoughts about me.

If it helps, next year I promise not to be so crafty.

For my dad

Gray cabled scarf made with undyed eco-wool – which means this color came straight off a sheep. I think that’s REALLY COOL and kept telling random people about because LOOK, it’s SHEEP COLORED WOOL I am impressed and amazed at something that is neither impressive or amazing! It’s also about 6 inches shorter than it should be but the cable pattern was driving me BONKERS so…I quit. Sorry Dad.

For my friend Erin

This is my favorite scarf pattern to knit. It works with lots of different yarn, it’s fast, and it’s really useful – you can wrap it several different ways and use any of the holes as button holes…

For my sisters-in-law

…Which explains why both of my husband’s sisters got the same scarf knit with sparkly yarn. I should really make one of these for myself so I’m not tempted to keep other people’s presents.

For my mother

Ok, so the mittens were a total failure – my mom is a small person so I made them a little smaller than the pattern called for…and ended up making teeny tiny thumbs even my toddler can’t wear. Because when I tried for “a little bit smaller” I basically made them for a double thumb amputee. Since Mom did not tragically lose any fingers to frostbite (Yet! Without mittens she might! And then these will be SO USEFUL! See, I’m just PLANNING AHEAD) I made Mom the cowl to make up for the defective mittens. It’s just a big tube knit with super soft sock yarn and again I was VERY tempted to keep it. I need to go buy another skein and start on one for myself. Right after I finish the TWELVE project I’m currently working on/already bought the yarn for/promised to make for people.

For my friend Sara

This right here may be the MOST AWESOME thing I have ever knit. It is an exact replica of the Ravenclaw House scarf from the Harry Potter movies (also the books, but in the books Ravenclaw colors are blue and gold)(there’s some useless knowledge you’ll never get out of your head). If you watch the movies though, Hogwarts upperclassmen wear a different scarf and for a while I considered ripping this one out and making the other version – because my friend Sara is obviously not 11 and would certainly be an upperclassman at Hogwarts – until I remembered IT’S A BOOK YOU IDIOT. THERE IS NO ACTUAL MAGIC SCHOOL. But despite its lack of wizard powers, it’s still super warm and long and I hope it’s keeping Sara’s face from freezing off as she walks around NYC.

For my nephews and niece

And this one wins for most creative gift I gave this year. It’s a pair of mittens for each of my sister-in-law’s kids – kid, toddler and baby sized – and a copy of The Mitten by Jan Brett. I WIN AT CLEVERNESS. I even made the mittens red (unlike the white one in the book) so they would be easy to see and find in the snow.

Things I didn’t take pictures of: fingerless gloves for my BFF, a nice warm hat for her husband, and approximately 20 coffee coozies. I still need to make 4 or 5 more as “Sorry I didn’t get this to you in time for Christmas but I was busy giving birth” presents, but now I’m busy with keeping that thing I gave birth to alive. It’s really cutting into my knitting time.

How’s that for perhaps the cutest shop name and logo ever in the history of handmade shops? Alison makes adorable wristlets, bags, hair pins and more out of bright interesting fabrics and sells them in her online shop, aPearantly Sew.

Alison found me via Twitter (which is another reason everyone should tweet – awesome people like Alison!) and offered to participate in my giveaway week. After exchanging a dozen or more emails, I can assure you she is just as cute as her product – and clearly very talented, to find time to make stuff with TWO boys only 18 months (to the day!) apart. She is also happy to answer frantic questions about double strollers from those of us who are obsessed with such things. So I like her.

I liked her even more after she sent me this:

Do those colors look familiar? That's because they're ALL AROUND YOU. Alison says it wasn't intentional but she totally made this wrislet with my blog colors!

The attention to detail is fantastic - don't you love the matching lining?

And although it’s a great little bag for coupons or make-up or a pencil case, I prefer to use it when I’m pretending I DON’T regularly carry poop-filled diapers around with me for several hours.

iPhone, keys, driver's license and credit cards - everything I need for a babyfree shopping trip!

That's with all the stuff in it, including my giant keys! It even has a handy wrist strap for carrying, which makes me feel classy.

And to help you feel just as classy, Alison is offering one of my readers a $20 shop credit! (For the record, that will totally get you one of these wristlets.)

All you have to do to enter is visit aPearantly Sew and leave a comment on this post telling me which item is your favorite! And yes, you can totally say “all of them”, because that would be my answer.

Alison is also rather new to the blogging world, so I know she would love if you checked out her blog or followed her on Twitter too. Although all her blog does is make me jealous I can’t sew worth crap.

Giveaway will be open until November 5th, winner will be chosen using Random.org and notified via email, so make sure you use a real email address when you comment.

Disclaimer bit: Alison sent me my wristlet for free so I could review it honestly and take pictures. No other compensation was received and her gift did not influence my opinions in any way. Neither did her patience in talking to me about double strollers.

Day 1 is open until November 1st! Allora Handmade
Day 2 is open until November 2nd! Uff Da Designs
Day 3 is open until November 3rd! Taradara
Day 4 is open until November 4th! Peggy Ann Design