rope 'em and ride 'em, cowboy

What is it about pregnancy that invites bizarre dreams? Friday night I dreamed that the doctor told me I was ready to deliver now. "How could that be? The baby doesn't even have legs yet?!" I asked incredulously. But the doctor insisted, so at nine weeks I gave birth to a 4-month-old baby boy. He even looked up and thanked me after I nursed him. Creepy!

Regardless of how frightening that dream was, it was the first time I've dreamed of having a boy (I've had three dreams that it's a girl), so I started thinking about a nursery for a boy. I was born in Texas, and my husband and I have both lived there (it's where we met when I was three and he was seven, but that's another story), and you know what they say: you can take the girl out of Texas, but you can't take Texas out of the girl. So, naturally, I'm hooked on a rustic cowboy theme if we have a boy.

My problem is that I don't really like any baby bedding that's out there. And the more I read about babies, the more I realize that they don't particularly care for pastels, either. Babies first start focusing on high-contrast patterns and bright colors. They also love differing textures. And I would love the nursery we pick for our child to be something they can grow into. So needless to say, the typical baby bedding won't do for me (and thankfully, my husband agrees). This graphic designer will have to design from scratch (oh, darn!).

Nope, no cartoon horses, gingham and denim for this baby. This nursery (should it be a boy) will be cool and manly. Cowhide, suede, leather and rope accents provide different textures for the baby to enjoy. He'll be able to focus on the vibrant rust color and cowskin pattern. Burlap curtains with rope tiebacks make it a little rugged, as does a wrought iron chandelier. A western saddle and cowboy boots on display would complete the look.

If I had an unlimited budget, here are a few finds that I would include in this rustic nursery:

From top left:
Custom horseshoe and cowpoke bedding from babybedding.com

Wooden star bookshelf on Etsy

Burlap drapes from Pottery Barn

Metal stars from Rusty Accents

Wooden picture frame from Etsy

Wrought iron chandelier from hubpages.com

Leather chair found at Restoration Hardware