I’ve mastered two arts since welcoming my baby – swaddling and laundry. And if you are in the same boat, two great finds are up for grabs this week from one of our very favorite companies, JJ Cole!

We adore our friends at JJ Cole for always rolling out fresh new designs. Their new muslin blankets are a must. Haven’t tried muslin yet? Don’t worry, it was new to me too. They just weren’t as popular with my first son but now I would never purchase any other type of receiving blanket. Made from 100% cotton, muslin blankets are breathable wraps ideal for swaddling, receiving and at 48″x48″ inches even make for a great “hooter hider” while breast feeding on the go!  And because they are so breathable, I also use them to drape over my son’s stroller and shield him from the bright lights and chaos of a busy restaurant. Check out JJ Cole’s trendy giraffe, elephant and birdie designs…

What I love most about JJ Cole’s hamper is that it retails for only $29.95. Every nursery needs one and it’s the first good looking hamper for your kids room that isn’t made of expensive wicker or cheap mesh (with a frog’s head lid!). Their latest color palette of slate gray with a contemporary touch of orange is neutral enough to compliment with any room.

Win It! TWO lucky PN readers will win JJ Cole’s new slate hamper AND a set of muslin blankets of choice (a $52 value). Enter by visiting JJ Cole and comment back by letting us know which hamper and blanket set best suits your nursery’s style. Contest ends Friday, March 19th, 2010 at 11:59pm PST.

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About The Author: Melisa resides in Los Angeles, CA. Mom to two little active boys Austin & Chase and partner in Little Apple Design, a children's interior design firm specializing in e-design inspiration boards.

I am often asked when designing a collection what inspires me and what is my process for putting a room together. Since I have been doing this for a while for my own children, it has become second nature to me. But I also realize that some of the designs and ideas I have often come from other inspiration. Fashion, architecture and nature all play a part when I design. When I first begin a new collection of prints I usually go to my design journals where I keep things I have collected like patterns on tiles, gates, floral patterns, etc. that have captured my eye. They do not always make it into the final selection and sometimes when I revisit them I often wonder, why did I save this? It’s through this process of gathering and then sifting through newspaper clippings, magazine spreads and other items of curiosity that I begin to form some vision of a collection.

When I was designing the first ever collection under the Annette Tatum label, I pulled out all of the scraps and bits that I could find from my pile of “kids rooms ideas.” To give you an example of how this process worked I thought it might be fun to show you the connection to the inspiration to the finished product. A process that often takes months of trial and error that finally results in a design.

One of my favorite groups this season is Goa Sand. I have never been to Goa, India but  I have a good girlfriends who has taken me through her scrapbooks, stories and textile collection. I am dying to go to India. Hopefully someday soon…

Indian elephant decor as well as the Indian culture offers lovely colors and patterns.

The earthy colors made me offer not only offer the brightness of India, but the softness as well.

It is from this point that I collage a collection of everything that I think could work with this collection. Objects, fashion, furniture, textiles and more make up the collage of inspiration. In the Annette Tatum collection you will find an inspiration board for every group I have designed. See our catalog to learn more and discover a way to create your own dream room. Collect things that you like, keep favorite room spreads from magazines. Notice color combinations in fashion or print and save them for the next time you need to create. Have fun and be inspired.

About The Author:
Celebrity interior designer & author, Annette has been designing for over 15 years. She is the creator of the home decor lines, House and Little House, as well as the newly launched Annette Tatum Collection.

I was in need of somewhere to hang my new lil’ dudes towels and such but wanted something fun and modern…oh…and educational.  My solution? I’ll make it myself! And this is what it looks like…

I purchased three brushed nickel house numbers and hooks from a home improvement store. They have various styles available and if there isn’t a finish you like you can just paint them to the color you prefer.  The numbers and hooks come with the screws necessary to secure to the wall. Depending on your wall and what you will be hanging on them, you may need to set drywall anchors.  I measured the distance I liked and also placed them at “kid height” so my guys could help hang their belongings all while counting. Now I have a fun place to hang their whos-its and what-nots making it as easy as 1-2-3!

About The Author:
Rebecca resides in Gilbert, AZ. She is an interior designer by trade, a residential property manager and full time mom to Brandt and his new baby brother Blake.

Welcome to the new and improved Project Nursery! We’ll it’s been a few months now but we’re finally ready to roll out our wonderful Project Gallery of real room designs and party decor, all created by YOU! our loyal readers. For those of you who have put up with our “slow as molasses” gallery loading times, we thank you. It’s much improved and will continue to be improved upon as Pam and I work to grow this site. We think we have something pretty special here and hope you’ll agree. Just take a look at our first “Gallery Round Up” –  a compilation of editors favorite projects that deserve some extra special attention!

Modern Nursery by LolaT

Recessed lighting, simple sleek shelving, a zebra rug and a punch of orange!  Everything about this room is so cool, it makes me want to get a ceiling fan now. I don’t even really like ceiling fans but that’s just me.

Marylou’s Sweet Retreat by vickybruner

Balance: The three elegant panels of art above the changing table made by Grandma are perfectly proportional. Oh and do you love the painted consignment shop mirror as much as I do?

Modern Whimsy Nursery by swankyswell

More people should place their wall decals behind the crib! What a cool vibe thanks to some cool crib fabric.

Betsy’s Birthday Party

Mom made the cake and get this, it was her first attempt at a tiered cake and fondant,  now that’s inspiring!

So what do you think? We hope you’ll share your opinion or enthusiasm for the projects above by joining, rating, and commenting within our new real rooms and real parties photo gallery. Or better yet, upload your own project to inspire others with your cool kid design. We look forward to recognizing you in the near future!

About The Author: Melisa resides in Los Angeles, CA. Mom to two little active boys Austin & Chase and partner in Little Apple Design, a children's interior design firm specializing in e-design inspiration boards.

The selection of canvas nursery art has soared in the past few years. Five years ago when I was decorating my first nursery the choices were very limited and the canvas wall art concept was much newer. Thanks to Project Nursery reader Jennifer, we were just introduced to Taut Canvas. Created by a husband and wife team who after completing a complete renovation of their home realized they needed very specific artwork for their daughter’s room.  With clean, modern and classic lines in mind, Taut Canvas felt it was important to combine a modern design aesthetic with a message of value. Their “Core Value Series” also includes kids tees and growth charts.

I chuckle when creator and father Rodney explains that certain kiddie themed artwork was just not going to make it up on the walls in their newly renovated, modern home. I too cringe when I have to display anything in my home that isn’t at least kid chic! He says about his home and daughter’s room “You could see directly into her room from the rest of our open concept home. We simply weren’t going to hang purple dinosaurs, little red monsters, or princesses on her walls. That’s what was out there and it just wasn’t us”.

About The Author:
Pam lives in San Francisco, CA and is expecting baby number three later this year. She is partner in Little Apple Design, a children's interior design firm specializing in e-design inspiration boards.