As many of you know, I’m ready to pop! This holiday season has been an interesting lesson in balance; in previous years I have worked myself silly down to the final moment. This year, with Baby due in January, I have had no choice but to physically put on the brakes a bit and rely on our amazing team at the studio to take care of things (and thank goodness for them)! Our shops will all continue to run as normal while I take a brief maternity leave in the New Year, and you’ll all still be hearing from me personally on Twitter and via email on a regular basis.

From top left to bottom right: Felt Duckling by Cynthia Treen Studio; Teething Necklace by ChewBeads; Birthstone and Wood Teethers at EggboxKids; Organic Baby Blanket with Marimekko fabric by Sewn Natural; Bijou Baby Boots by Zuzii; Baby Spoon Set by Bee Hive Kitchenware.

Despite many requests from sweet, sweet friends to throw me a baby shower, that’s just not my style. I shy away from being the center of attention and always prefer to be the one giving the gifts rather than receiving. But, that doesn’t mean I don’t indulge in some dreaming-of-baby browsing and shopping (or hint dropping)! Here I’ve gathered a few beautiful things from my wish list that I have discovered throughout this pregnancy. With this being our second baby, I’m a lot less worried about the functional things (many of which are never used anyway!) and more in love with things that I know will be cherished and enjoyed by our family both on a daily basis, and for years to come.  (And of course, both of our children will continue to be the proud owners of all of our samples and prototypes from our own Baby & Child gift and decor collections! Lucky ducks.)

What are some of your special favorites for Baby?

This year we were so honored to have the opportunity to work with artist/ illustrator Julianna Swaney of Oh My Cavalier! It all started with a Tweet I saw from Julianna last New Year’s Day, mentioning her resolutions and goals for 2011; one of them was that she would like to collaborate with a ceramic artist. Having long admired her work, but not knowing Julianna personally, I took a leap of faith and emailed her to let her know we would be interested in partnering with her.

And here we are, almost a year later, with a beautiful collection of collaborative pieces that includes both holiday ornaments and tiny bowls. Be sure to see them all here; they won’t be around forever, so add these limited edition, rare beauties to your wish list today!

There is still time for holiday delivery within the US! We are shipping Standard Mail until 11 AM EST on Monday, December 19, and Express until 11 AM EST Thursday, December 22. Be merry!

This season we will be offering our Holiday Collection and a selection of our Keepsake Gifts for sale at the Junior League of Austin’s annual “A Christmas Affair” holiday market here in Austin! Jose is busy at work designing and building our festive booth displays, and we are all working like little elves to stock the shelves!

If you are in Austin, this extravaganza of holiday gifts (over 200+ vendors!) fills the extensively decorated Palmer Events Center to the brim with inspiration and cheer. The event, open both during the daytime and in the evenings, is a perfect event to attend with friends- go enjoy lunch in the JLA Tea Room or have a drink from the bar, and browse until your heart is content, crossing items off your holiday shopping list as you go! There are also fun family events like Breakfast with Santa or a Ginger Bread House Building Workshop, that also take place at the market.

We will be there daily from November 17th-20th and will be featuring several stocking stuffers and ornaments that will be sold EXCLUSIVELY at the market- designs that won’t even be available online! So be sure to come visit us in booth #710 and pick up a few of these rare pieces to add to your collection. Visit the Junior League of Austin website for details, event schedule, and ticket information. See you there!

It’s with full, happy hearts that we introduce you to this year’s annual Holiday Collection!

The 2011 Holiday Collection is our largest yet (since we started the annual tradition back in 2008) and this year we offer over 40 new, innovative, modern heirloom designs that we hope will find a place in your family for generations to come.

Featuring Ornaments, Decorations, Ribbons/Cards/Wrap, and Keepsake Gifts, entirely handcrafted in wood, clay, and cloth, the 2011 Holiday Collection includes collaborations with some wonderful designers such as Agnes Blum of Knock-Knocking, Julianna Swaney of Oh My Cavalier, and Moya Minns of MM Ink. We also partnered with our dear friend, Gretchen Brossa, who brought her professional sewing skills to the studio to create our new personalized Christmas Stockings, limited edition Tree Skirts, and darling Zippered Pouches. (Over the next month I’ll share some stories about these artists and our collaborations with you here on the blog!)

So, grab a cup of tea or cocoa, feast your eyes on our pride and joy, and find the perfect thing to add to your collection this year. The Holiday Collection is available now on our main site palomasnest.com, in our Etsy Shop, and in our Austin and Chattanooga brick & mortar locations. We are truly looking forward to you seeing all that we have been working on for the past year, and we hope to exceed your every expectation.

Enjoy, and be merry!

We are honored to announce that InStyle Magazine has named Paloma’s Nest one of their “Best Online Shopping Sites” for 2011! We are proud to represent the Etsy community in the “We Heart Etsy” section of the magazine’s Best of the Web story this year. Be sure to pick up a copy of the November Issue to see the feature along with InStyle’s list of other great sites and shops.  Thank you, InStyle!

It’s with great pride that we present you this week with our newest work: the Menagerie Furniture Collection for Children.

First, a  little background: since José and I first met many (many!)  years ago, from the earliest days of our relationship, we have been designing together. Furniture, home interiors, artwork, tile- anything we could wrap our little brains around. We learned from each other.  I, from his background in woodworking and building, and he, from my work as an artist and designer. Aesthetically, we complimented each other well, and our relationship blossomed well beyond our mutual love of design! We dreamed of one day starting a house ware and gift company, and, (Jose’s biggest wish) a furniture company.

We continue to design together almost daily, and continue to inspire and learn from each other. This weekend we celebrate our 6th wedding anniversary, so it is a pretty neat coincidence that this same week we bring you our first foray in the world of furniture for the Paloma’s Nest collection. In essence,  these new pieces are the embodiment of our dream,  realized.

The Menagerie Furniture Collection starts with these darling animal-shaped chairs, and a tree-trunk table. Sturdy and functional, and entirely handmade of smooth birch plywood, we created these pieces with the little ones in mind: no screws or tiny parts to come loose; sized right, with room to grow; and crafted with care so that they will be passed on for generations to come. Take a peek, and while you’re there, be sure to look at the other decorative accessories we have recently added to our Baby & Child line.

Happy Anniversary José, Mi Amor, and thanks to all of you who have continued to encourage our dreams!

It is with MUCH excitement and anticipation that we announce the release date for our 2011 Holiday Collection!

On Monday, October 24, 2011, you will find our Annual Holiday Collection- which includes ornaments, decor, limited editions, and more- on our main website, in our Etsy shop, and in our Austin and Chattanooga Boutiques!

This image here is just a teeny-tiny snippet of what’s to come (you didn’t think I’d spoil the surprise, did you!?). We’ve been receiving lots of inquiries from eager collectors waiting patiently for this year’s lauch, so we just wanted to make a formal announcement here so you can mark your calendars!

The 2011 Holiday Collection is our BEST and BIGGEST YET. We have collaborated with some of the best craftsmen we know, and pushed our own skills further than ever before, to bring you the finest, most unique holiday heirlooms and gifts you can imagine. I am just bouncing with excitement for you to see it all.  This year we have dozens of designs to share, and they go way beyond just ornaments…

If you can’t wait to get a taste of the holidays until October 24 (I mean, I am already drinking pumpkin spice lattes, so it’s practically Thanksgiving already. I understand!), you can always find some classic holiday favorites all year ’round in our main shop and on Etsy. Cheers!

The interior of our Chattanooga Boutique back in July, then a work-in-progress.

The exterior of Cobblestone Rue Portrait Studio, located at 55 East Main Street in Chattanooga.

This summer we loaded up the car for a big road trip, and headed northeast, through the beautiful mountains of Tennessee, to the charming city of Chattanooga! There we were greeted by a lush green landscape,  oodles of historic architecture, and the warm, open hearts of Garrett and Joy Nudd of  Cobblestone Rue Portrait Studio,  the home of our second Paloma’s Nest Boutique, located within the Nudds’ beautiful studio space at 55 East Main Street.

We are so happy to partner with Joy and Garrett, who are internationally known for their wedding and portrait photography company. We are confident that their dedication  to their clients and passion for their craft is right on par with ours here at Paloma’s Nest, and we are excited for them to welcome you into their studio and the Paloma’s Nest Boutique!

If you are in the Chattanooga area, be sure to visit them. They can assist you in placing a custom order, and also have a full range of Paloma’s Nest pieces in stock, ready for your next gift-giving occasion or special event. Also be sure to look for our 2011 Holiday Collection there as the season gets closer.

Their current store hours are Tuesday – Friday 10a.m.-5p.m., and you can reach them at (423) 228-2860. They will also be open for the Chattanooga Southside Art Stroll on the evening of  September 30, 2011, from  5:00-8:00pm.

*Did you know we also have a tiny boutique in Austin, adjacent to our studios?  See details about location and store hours here.

I’m happy to introduce to you our newest heirloom design: wedding cake plates!

We have received many requests over the years for an heirloom-quality dessert plate in our signature white-on-white inscribed style; something elegant but timeless, especially for newlyweds to share their first bites of wedding cake on. Finally, after much trial and error, prototypes and test designs, we are thrilled to debut these plates, custom stamped with the couple’s names and wedding date. They are the perfect way to commemorate the wedding day and to celebrate anniversaries, whether the the fiftieth or the first! Plates are available in our shops, sold  individually or in a set of two, and make such a thoughtful wedding gift.

Use code CAKE for $5 off your order of these plates, at www.palomasnest.com, now through Sept 15, 2011. Valid online only, cannot be combined with other coupons.