When did this happen!? FIVE years?! It is with great happiness that this weekend we celebrate five years as Paloma's Nest. Happy Birthday, little baby business!

What started as an Etsy shop at our kitchen table has blossomed into the company that Jose and I always dreamed of creating. And we could not be more thankful for you, our friends, family, and clients, who inspire us to keep designing, keep creating, and keep innovating.

So what's next? We have lots in store for the next five years. We're finishing up construction on our new studios and workshops that will let us house tools and equipment to create things we couldn't before. We are embarking on a website/shop/ blog redesign in January, with the goal of  improving your experience when you visit us here. And, we will continue to share our experience with others through Handcrafted Consulting- because we believe that in today's world of technology, there are so many opportunities for artists to make a living through their work. (I'll be leading a round-table discussion on the topic at AltSummit this January!)

Through all of the highlights (The New York Times twice!?), and through all of the inevitable low points (roof leaks and electrical sparks in our old boutique, anyone?) we are so grateful to be on this journey and to have the opportunity to share our work with the world. Thinking of the person who may, one day fifty years from now, inherit a holiday ornament or a wedding ring bowl that was custom crafted by us for their grandmother or great grandfather, inspires us to continue to create heirlooms of the finest materials and craftsmanship. Here's to many, many more years of Paloma's Nest, and thank you, thank you, thank you!

It's that time of the year again! Seems like we were just sharing the news of Valentin's birth with you- and now here we are, nearly 10 months later, preparing for his First Christmas! Along with the joys of having an infant in the house again has come so much  inspiration for new designs and collections- both for commemorating milestones, and for outfitting his play space.

Like this Baby's First Christmas Rocking Horse Ornament- for years, many of you have requested something special for Baby, and this year we think we got it! Handcrafted of porcelain and wood, this personalized piece will be an heirloom any family will gladly cherish into adulthood.

This is just one of many new designs in the 2012 Holiday Collection, so settle in, click on over to the shop, and explore the merriment of the season! Cheers!

P.S. Don't forget to follow us on Twitter @palomasnest, and sign up for our newsletter here! You'll receive special offers and coupon codes!

What a whirlwind season we have had here at Paloma's Nest! We have been building our new studios from scratch (check out our Twitter and Instagram @palomasnest to follow along), designing and creating our newest Collections, and chasing after our 9 month old infant who has decided he is ready to walk (!), so we apologize that the blogging has been seldom here. But for good reason!

Have you seen our Neighborhood Chair Collection? We are just so proud of these. Not only are they a pint-sized place to sit and rest, but they double as a dollhouse! Perfectly sized for imaginative play with standard dolls and dollhouse accessories, animal figurines or dinosaurs, these are sure to keep your little one busy for hours. (Plus, they look so great, you won't mind having one in your living room!) Lucky for us, Paloma loves hers so much we were able to snap lots of photos!

Available in The Colonial, The Victorian, and The Modern styles, which one reminds you of your neighborhood?

How do you commemorate a family event- something so big that it affects your entire crew, from young to old? Whether a birth, an adoption, a cross-country move, or a new house, these new personalized tiles are a heirloom-quality reminder of the special, life-changing time. Each one is entirely handcrafted of porcelain and wood. Hang in your entry way,  or in the heart of your home, and pass them on to your children some day.

Ok. We admit it. We are hooked on Pinning. As with most social media things, we tend to be late comers- we stay on the sidelines and check things out before we dive in.  Oh, Pinterest. Now that we have started "pinning," we can't stop. What a fun burst of visual inspiration throughout the day (you know, just a "short break" here and there). When I was young, my mother always clipped and filed away images from her stacks and stacks of  magazines. Opening up those folders always filled my little mind with wonderful colors, textures, and ideas. And now, we have this modern way to store our own visual scrapbooks, and to see what our friends and colleagues are loving, too.  So join us. Pinteresteando un rato. Can't wait to see you there.

[caption id="attachment_1797" align="aligncenter" width="495" caption="image collage above courtesy of The Wedding Chicks"][/caption]

Over the years we have created hundreds- perhaps thousands- of our Ring Bearer Bowls. One thing is always true for every client we work with: the desire to infuse their wedding with their personal story, heritage, and dreams of the future. We noticed that for many couples, paying tribute to their family roots is a way to connect to their identity, history, and future family tree. Out of this desire to connect with the past as a way to lay a path for their future together, we created the "Language Collection" of Ring Bearer Bowls- based on languages and cultures around the world. We have started with Spanish, French, Hebrew, and Chinese, and look forward to adding Italian, German, and Portugese soon.

Do you have a favorite foreign language text that would be perfect to incorporate into your wedding? Is the language or birthplace of your parents or grandparents something you'd like to honor? We can always create a personalized bowl just for you from our selection of Custom Ring Bearer Bowl styles...in almost any language. Love knows no borders!

PS...save $5 on ANY of our Ring Bearer Bowls with coupon code RING now thru June 30 in our shop!

[caption id="attachment_1853" align="aligncenter" width="456" caption=""Cross the Ocean" Art Print by Dearmusketeer on Etsy"][/caption]

In the words of Wiliam G.T. Shed, "A ship  is safe in the harbor, but that's not what ships are for."

We love this quote because it reminds us that we are capable of so much more than we think. Sometimes opportunities present themselves and you have to spread your wings and fly with what feels like no preparation. Other times you have to jump off the deep end to get to where you know you want -and need- to be. Jose and I have a project debuting this summer that will focus on these scenarios and more...

Our venture will push us through our (self-imposed) limits, and hand in hand, we will be working with many of you to break through your own road blocks and imaginary lines... as artists, creators, and business owners.

Stay tuned to find out the who, what, where, when and how you can be a part of our maiden voyage! We can't wait to share the details later this month. You can also follow us on Twitter for the latest news from the Studio.

We had the wonderful opportunity to partner with some dear friends to bring you this Gift Set by Tool and Tack, perfect for Mother's Day! Together with Miss Natalie and Leah Duncan, this set is available exclusively at Canoe. It features one of Leah's organic cotton tea towels, Miss Natalie's hand painted apple box, and our I LOVE YOU tiny text bowl- all packed together in a wooden crate wrapped in a printed illustration and finished with a leather gift tag. Every detail was lovingly addressed, making a sweet heartfelt gift for mom or any special lady.

Around here we believe that everything happens for a reason. Sometimes things happen when you least expect them,  or when it may not seem very convenient upon first glance. But, everything happens in good time and with good purpose in the end.

If you follow us over on Twitter, you may remember that we have been dealing with  a leaky roof at our Austin studio/showroom space since last October. Obviously rain coming into your workspace is no fun; being tenants in a commercial building that is not being properly repaired is no joke.

For example:

Water + Clay = Mud.

Water + Wood = Sad Animal Chairs.

Neither of these things add up when trying to handcraft in the studio on a daily basis.

So, when the opportunity recently presented itself for us to move  into another location close by, we  jumped at the chance (with our landlords' rain-sprinkled blessing) to do what we feel is truly in the best interest of our business. We are looking forward to a fresh, inspiring environment starting next month. A new, dry environment that will allow our production to continue to soar!

The downside? The new space isn't designed to have a showroom open to the public. Now please don't worry your pretty heads, Austin friends. We have loved having a space to welcome our clients, so plans are in the works for a new proper retail showroom in the near future, in a separate location that we hope will be more accessible, bigger and better than the last one. The only difference is that it won't be adjacent to our workspace, so you probably won't see us coming in from the back with sawdust  in our hair and clay under our fingernails. We'll miss that a bit. And we will we miss meeting and greeting you all on the weekends at our little shoppe for a short while. Until then, keep visiting our online store, and stay in touch here and on Twitter. (Remember, that's where we let you know about coupon codes, too!) We also have a few local pop-ups and shows happening on the calendar soon, too.

The last day to come visit our current showroom location at 4402 South Congress Avenue will be Saturday, April 28. We'll be open from noon until 4pm.  After that, it's onwards and upwards. No umbrellas needed, blue skies ahead. xo

Spring has arrived here in Austin! We have been graced with warm breezes and sunshine, and are cherishing the mild days -while the grass is still green- before the heat of the summer sets in. Here in the studio we have been enjoying the new addition to our little family (see our previous post about welcoming Valentín!), and José and I have been designing the newest additions to the Paloma's Nest collection!

Just in time for Easter, we have created a darling Easter Basket Tote (which also looks great all year 'round as extra storage in a child's room); it's ready to be filled with our personalized wooden eggs, a yo yo,  and (of course) a chocolate bunny! Also new for Spring are the custom wooden puzzle (makes for a sweet surprise marriage proposal, baby gender reveal, or fun gift for a child or adult ) and this delicate jewelry box that features a personalized ceramic plaque on the lid. Head on over to the shop and see all that is new and fresh for Spring!