Buying individual pieces at Target -- thoughts and opinions?

[kaitlinsmommy]

First, let me say (again) I love the PBK animals bedding & would have gotten it had it been out when I was pregnant.

We still live in an apt. & did things really simply for dd's nursery. We have crib sheets, bumper & skirt from PBK (dragonflies) & then just picked up other stuff that goes with it (gingham lamp shade from Target, primary color stars on the wall, dragonfly print off ebay). It's definitely not all-out coordinated like many people's nurseries but we like it. No matter what you decide, you will love your baby's nursery & enjoy spending time in it before he/she even arrives. So much to look forward to.

I was at Target today and looked at thier crib sheets. I thought many were really cute & thought how neat it would be to not spend a fortune on one set so you can switch things out and change things sometimes so I think you have great ideas!

I like all the things you've picked out. I think the Blossom set is cute, but personally like that kind of stuff for older girls (I'm looking at similar things for dd's big bed now). I think the Amy Coe set is really pretty. And I love the Safari set (reminds me of Malawi) - could be used for a boy or girl. All of them are beautiful so it just depends on what you and dh want. Have fun!!

p.s. I'm sure Target will have different lines this fall.

[Karenn]

I just ordered parts of the Blossom set from Target for my little girl coming in October. I'm going to keep it, but be aware that the colors I saw on my computer screen were not like what it really is. The colors are actually much more pastel (including the yellow.)

Also the colors on the rug are not the same shade as the ones on the valance and wall decorations. The pink on the valance for example is a very light pastel. The pink that one would expect to be the same shade on the rug is actually a fairly dark dusty rose. The "Plush Wall Hangings" do match the valance. I didn't order any other pieces, so I don't know what the rest of the set is like, but I was disappointed with the rug.

HTH,

[stellavino]

I am also thinking of going with Target's Safari pieces for the economy, colors and unisex quality. Unfortunately, I have not been able to find any of the pieces in stores near me (San Francisco Bay Area, California), so I have only been able to view them online. Most of the reviews there are good. I haven't seen the reviews for the other styles you mention, but you might want to look on Target's website to see what reviews are there.

By the way, I was trying to find information on the Tiddliwinks brand, and it wasn't in the Baby Bargains book. Does anyone know where to get info on them?

[Susan Santos]

I have pretty much decided that I am going to get the Target Safari bumper. It looks great in person, and you can't beat the price. The best picture of it was the quilt recently on ebay, but it actually looks better in person. I was thinking of getting two cute "Chico" brand sheets (in the Target store but I did not see them online) and a few Ultimate Crib Sheets (UCS). The "Chico" sheets are inexpensive poly/cotton, but if I use the UCS, the baby won't come in contact with them.

[tigeratty]

I'd check out the reviews on Target's website. I was all set to go with the Amy Coe Three Acre farm boy, but the reviews all said that the crib sheets shrank. And remember Target doesn't have the best return policy.

Why don't you look for that PB bumper on ebay? There is tons and tons of PB kids (and regular PB stuff) there, new. I got my PB ticking stripe crib skirt new in the pkg and 1/2 price on ebay.

Hope your baby isn't so shy next time . . . our guy was a regular flasher, leaving no doubt!

And b/t/w, I am totally with you on the simple nursery idea!

[amazz]

I don't have any decorating ideas for you--we did Winnie the Pooh and that doesn't sound like what you are interested in. BUT, I noticed we have the same due date!! Can you believe our babies will be here in 2 months and 12 days!!! :7

Angela
EDD 10/15/04

[KBecks]

It's hard to believe it's August, and that the babies will be coming soon -- there's quite a bit I want to get done before then, but I'm confident it will all work out.

I'm going to...

1. Paint my kitchen cabinets and walls

2. Paint the baby's room a creamy/yellow color, probably restoration hardware buttercream

3. Paint 2 dressers for the baby's room

4. Clean out the closet in the baby's room.

One step at a time! Is this your first baby as well?

KBecks

[CiderLogan]

Hi,

Although we didn't buy our stuff from Target (I didn't realize they had such cute stuff until we'd picked out our things), we did the mix/match thing and ended up quite happy with our nursery. We did the following:
-inherited some PBK crib sheets that were blue gingham, so decided to go with that color and painted the room to match (this is despite having a little girl -- we knew the sex but I love light blue rooms for either gender)
-found a bumper at PBK outlet for some low price like $20 that matched the blue and had some cute lambs on it (in hindsight, I wouldn't have gotten a bumper at all since we used it for such a short time, even though it was very cute)
-bought a plain white eyelet cribskirt at PBK
-used white for other accents (changing pad cover, baskets on the bookshelf, etc.) and bought some white eyelet lampshades from PBK (on sale) and white/blue lamp bases from Target
-used a green dresser we already had and bought a light green ottoman
-found a cute blue, green, white rug at PBK (also on sale) to tie everything together

In the end, we thought it turned out quite well (we actually ended up moving during DD's first year and her new room happened to already be light green so we used all the same stuff but now the green is the primary color). The whole thing didn't cost all that much because we just looked for matching stuff while we were out shopping and were lucky to find things in outlets or on sale. I think the separates are as cute as the sets and I like that her room doesn't look so matchy and that we had to hunt for each thing. Also, now we're not stuck with a theme, so little things she's gotten as gifts look good in her room.

One thing I found useful was to take something out whenever we went shopping (at the outlets or the mall) - like a sheet or whatever - so I could find things that matched our specific blues and greens.

Good luck decorating! It's such fun!
Jenny
Mom of Julia, 8/03

[tigeratty]

We are doing the mix and match just like Ciderlogan. Got a pb bumper from a friend that was white with squares of various blue menswear type fabrics; got a pinstriped pb crib skirt off ebay; got navy twill button curtains from domestications; will order a white crib; bought a sturdy wood dresser we will paint white; got a pb teen rug in blues from ebay; will get crib sheets in solid and gingham, and will splurge on a few of those baskets from pb . . . It seems to be coming together. I think I will use a few splashes of red around the room as accent, but overall it will be very cottagy.

Shari

EDD is 10/11/04

[C99]

>I'd check out the reviews on Target's website. I was all set
>to go with the Amy Coe Three Acre farm boy, but the reviews
>all said that the crib sheets shrank.

I have 3 Amy Coe knit crib sheets and they all wash and wear well -- minimal shrinkage. I only have 1 other sheet, a Carter's flannel sheet, and the Amy Coe sheets are by far my favorites. They're also the only kind that I've bought more than 1 of, so I suppose that's enough of an endorsement.

[amazz]

Sure is. I have some things to do, but I am still ready for it to be Oct. in some ways. For one thing, I am cookin' down here in TX! It is hot hot hot and I am very pregnant. :)

Do you have your crib and everything already? We have a crib and dresser and bookcase done. And the walls are painted and decorated in the nursery so I think we are doing good on that end. We have our first shower this weekend so maybe we will get more "good stuff" in a couple days. :)

Good luck on getting everything finished before your little one arrives!

Angela
EDD 10/15/04

[Sangiovese]

Are you doing the actual painting? I'm dying to paint (rooms, furniture, etc.), but my understanding is that it isn't a good idea while you are pregnant (fumes, etc.) I'm considering doing some, but only after I buy a good mask from Home Depot.

We just did gingham yellow sheets, skipped the bumper and the skirt for our first child. We did a themed room in Curious George, but most of the theme was in the accessories. We are having a second child, and, if you pick a color, it seems easy enough to coordinate. I'm going with lavender gingham sheets (Company Kids), and I bought a white lamp with a lavender pull from Target. I'm hoping to make a "no sew" valance in a coordinating fabric. It seems like you can do enough mix and match to look great, not too matchy, and save some money. Target has a lot of cute accessories (baskets, lamps, etc.)

Enjoy!

[C99]

>Are you doing the actual painting? I'm dying to paint
>(rooms, furniture, etc.), but my understanding is that it
>isn't a good idea while you are pregnant (fumes, etc.)

It's not that harmful, really. I painted the nursery, several pieces of furniture and the playroom while pregnant. I was fine.

[Mommy2calebnAidan]

>For a Boy
>-- Tiddliwinks Baby Travel
>http://www.target.com/gp/browse.html/ref=sc_fe_l_1/601-2743282-9197751?%5Fencoding=UTF8&node=10831391
>My husband and I both think it is very cute.

I have this set of my son. And it is the most bright and fun room I could have ever decorated! I don't even have the border up yet, and I may not put it up. "Why? You are thinking" Well we are planning to move in the next couple of years and I want to keep the theme of this room when we move, and I am worried that I won't be able to find more border in a few years! I know it is really stupid! But that is how much I LOVE the set!!!

[KBecks]

My OB said that as long as there's good ventillation, it's OK to paint. I'm using latex paints with light pigments, not anything super strong or smelly.

I also talked with a nurse through my health ins. who emphasized that I should take regular breaks while painting, and drink a lot of water, so I'm going to make sure I stop once in a while, and go outside for a few minutes to rest and breathe fresh air.

She also was concerned about climbing ladders, but I don't have much high work to do at all.

Painting the baby's room will probably take a day. The kitchen... well, it will take longer!

KBecks

[KBecks]

We purchased the crib in July, I don't have a mattress yet.

The dressers are from when I was a girl, and I need to put on a new coat of paint to spruce them up. The white color is pretty yellowed.

I've also spent probably as much as I would on a bedding set, though I had the best of intentions to save money on bedding. Here's what I did:

-- PBK explorer crib sheet via ebay - about $12
-- Fleecebaby crib sheet at Babycenter -- about $35
-- Waterproof mattres pad protector from Amazon -- about $30
-- SPLURGE - Blue chambray dust ruffle from PBK - $50
-- SPLURGE - Yellow chamois changing pad cover from PBK - $20
-- Lamp shade in matching explorer fabric from Ebay - about $30
-- Light switch cover in matching explorer fabric from Ebay - about $8
-- Lightly used Symphony in Motion mobile from Ebay - $26.

Yikes! I did quite a bit of shopping, and also purchased a sling for the baby and a diaper bag, based on research here at BBB.

The room is going to be creamy/light yellow, and I'm keeping the current window treatments - they're cream vertical blinds.

The girl stuff at Target was much better than the boy stuff, and I started out thinking I would SAVE money by using EBAY -- but got carried away a little.

My shower is 9/11, and I'm excited for it. The nursery is currently trashed with "stuff" that needs to be organized and stored in the basement to make room for the kiddo.

I'm thinking of painting a giraffe or other animals on the wall using the design from the sheets, but only if I get my other work done first!!

KBecks

[Vetnita]

I also did a simple nursery. We were planning on more than one child so we picked a neutral individualized theme--Fairy Tales. With some awesome thrift store and antique store finds to set the theme we merely bought solid color pieces for basics. Our sheets, dust ruffle, and blankets came from Target and Babies R Us in several different colors--average price $9-15. We found a pretty rag braided rug at Target for about $30 and matched curtains($11) also from Target to the rug (most of Target's home stuff is set up in coordinating colors). With a simple wrought iron lamp (Target), rocking chair, and a quote written on the wall from Shel Silverstein we were set. The whole room (not including furniture) cost me about $200. Everyone loved the room and said it was so creative and then we ended up moving before my second baby was due. :( However, all the pieces are still incorporated in my new house somewhere.

[KBecks]

I'm planning on only buying a few nursery decorative items. Here's the list.

-- Fleecebaby sheets (2)
-- Dust ruffle
-- Lamp shade (maybe)
-- A couple blankets

The goal is to have a cute, but simple nursery. We had our ultrasound yesterday, but the baby was shy! I'll have to wait another month to find out if it's a boy or girl.

We'll have a white crib and a dresser with a changing pad on top. What patterns do you like the best -- and does anyone here have these bedding pieces?

For a Girl
-- Baby Martex Pink Collection (dust ruffle and lamp shade only, with maybe the decorative pillow.)
http://www.target.com/gp/browse.html/ref=sc_fe_l_1/601-2743282-9197751?%5Fencoding=UTF8&node=10794761
The pattern is pink, a golden yellow and white. I wonder if I would get sick of all the pink, though!

-- Target Blossom Collection
http://www.target.com/gp/browse.html/ref=sc_fe_l_1/601-2743282-9197751?%5Fencoding=UTF8&node=3578611
The yellow looks overly bright on screen. Not sure if I love it, but not sure why I wouldn't love it.

-- Amy Coe Girl / Boy Collections
http://www.target.com/gp/browse.html/ref=sc_fe_l_1/601-2743282-9197751?%5Fencoding=UTF8&node=3073851
Here's a link to the girl -- I'd only buy the dust ruffle, which is pink/green/white for a girl, and blue/green/white for a boy. Maybe a lampshade too.

For a Boy
-- Tiddliwinks Baby Travel
http://www.target.com/gp/browse.html/ref=sc_fe_l_1/601-2743282-9197751?%5Fencoding=UTF8&node=10831391
My husband and I both think it is very cute.

For Either

--I really, really like the Pottery Barn Kids velour animals bedskirt - but $59!! A bit pricey. I think it would look very cute with a yellow or green fleecebaby sheet.
http://ww2.potterybarnkids.com/cat/pip.cfm?src=shpab%7Ccbdgnbd%7Cda%7Crshop%5Fb%2Fshp ab%7Ccbdg%7Cda%7Crshop%5Fb&pkey=cbdgnbd%7Cab&gids=pk461

--Target Safari print
http://www.target.com/gp/browse.html/ref=sc_fe_l_2/601-2743282-9197751?%5Fencoding=UTF8&node=3073841

I'm due October 15 -- wonder if Target will change their lines by then?

Any decorating ideas or stories from people who have done a minimal / mix and match are appreciated. DH is handy and I might ask him to build a wall shelf like they sell at Pottery Barn, etc.