2 Martins In A Nest

Yummy Cupcake Recipe

2012-01-16T21:34:00.000-06:00

Saturday I was inspired to make cupcakes while visiting my mom. Without my tried and true cupcake recipes at hand, I sifted through the recipes in her cookbooks. I came across a recipe for "silver-white cake" in a cookbook that was published in the 80's. It looked safe enough, so I decided to give it a try.
The results were incredible so I thought I'd share!

Ingredients:
4 egg whites
1- 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter
2- 1/4 cups flour
1 tblsp. Baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. almond extract
1 cup milk

1. In an electric mixer, beat the egg whites on high, until they form soft peaks. While still beating on high, add 1/2 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time until dissolved into whites. Continue to beat until stiff peaks form. Do not scrape sides of bowl, set aside.

2. Add the remaining cup of sugar and the rest of the ingredients to a mixing bowl and beat for three minutes until smooth.

3. With mixer set to low, slowly add the batter to the egg whites. Mix until just combined.

4. Spoon batter into cupcake wrappers and bake at 375 for 10-15 minutes. Checking with a toothpick often, so as not to over-bake.

Recipe makes 24 light-as-air cupcakes.

Enjoy!

New Adventures Are Growing!

2011-03-22T21:52:00.000-05:00

Hello! Boy it's been a while! Josh and I have been up to some exciting things! We were so inspired by Just Another Button Company's 15 and Fabulous Celebration of Pincushion series that we had to get in on the fun!

Just Another Button Company is celebrating their 15th birthday this year with a fabulous pincushion series! Throughout the year, they are releasing 15 adorable pincushion designs, that are sold as kits! Check out 1-4 below.

No. 1 - Jabco the Snowman

No. 2 - Stuck On You!

No. 3 - Pin Feathers

No. 4 - Carrot Patch

Aren't they adorable? So what does 2 Martins have to do with it, you ask? We're selling finished pincushions! We're up to our ears in felted wool! We've been busy all week making the latest pincushion, Carrot Patch! (See below)

Check out our new online shop to see these pincushions and all of our new JABC products!

www.2martinsinanest.bigcartel.com

Etsy Wedding Divas: Treasury Giveaway Sponsored by Etsy Wedding Divas!...

2011-01-30T12:05:00.000-06:00

Check out what this fabulous Etsy group is doing for brides! Giving away an entire treasury!!!! It doesn't get much better than this!

Etsy Wedding Divas: Treasury Giveaway Sponsored by Etsy Wedding Divas!...: "'Not just 1 item giveaway but an entire treasury!' New concept?...Yup! Inspiration board curated for you and for your wedding. ..."

Projects for the Shower

2011-01-17T11:49:00.001-06:00

Back in October, I attended an incredible estate auction! Most of the furniture was pre 1930's and in fairly good condition. I landed this amazing piece for a very low price. Take a look at the pictures to see what makes this piece unique.

It's in pieces! It's called a break-down wardrobe. There are nine total pieces that, when put together, form a massive and beautiful wardrobe. Popular for its mobility, these were all the rage when families in the U.S, were moving west in wagons.

It was pretty dirty when we got it home, so a couple of weeks ago I decided I would clean it up so we could bring it in, out of the garage. I vacuumed out all the dead bugs and then scrubbed each piece down with some magical, Murphy's Oil Soap. Here's the best part. Because it's in pieces I could fit in my shower. So rather than stand outside in the freezing weather with a hose, I did this piece while standing just outside my shower.

Here's what it looks like all cleaned up!

Hardware on the doors

Dove tailing on the corner

Based on the dove tailing, the use of wooden pegs and the repairs made with hand-formed nails, this piece is likely circa 1850. Though that doesn't really make much of a difference to me: I picked it because it was pretty! : )

Spider count for this clean-up job: live ones - 1, dead ones - 7

Can't wait for the next project!

Online Inspiration

2011-01-11T13:04:00.001-06:00

via on Pinterest

Isn't this the coolest thing ever? I found this on Pinterest.com (my new favorite place). I went on the suggestion of a friend. It's an online inspiration board! Users post images that inspire them or make them happy and build collections using their own images and images that they borrow from other users. The photo is credited with the name of the original user who posted it.

I highly encourage you to take a little trip over to Pinterest! I can't wait to start building my own collections!

Exciting New Year

2011-01-04T12:49:00.000-06:00

Please forgive me. I'm afraid that I've been neglecting you. I'm just now getting back into my daily routine after the hustle and bustle of the holidays. I hope that I can make it up to you with all the exciting things I've got planned for the beginning of this wonderful new year.

The holidays are such a fun time of year. There's nothing better than spending time with family and friends, eating more than you should, decorating every inch of your house and having an excuse for spending way too much money! People are overflowing with kindness and cheer and all seems right in the world. The atmosphere is so magical!

I used to be so let down the day after Christmas because all the magic seemed to vanish but this year is quite different. I was actually happy to have the holidays end so I could get back to everyday life. I couldn't be happier to be back to creating, blogging and planning new adventures. I feel so lucky to finally have discovered that I can make my everyday life magical by doing something I love. Maybe that's part of growing up. Who knows?

Okay, on to a couple of announcements!

First I want to announce something that has been in the works for several months and is finally shaping up for its debut. The 2 Martins In A Nest website will be going online at the end of January! It feels so good to give it a debut date. In addition to having information about wedding flowers, the website will be home base for our blog and our Etsy shop. I'm so excited I can hardly wait!

I've also been working on building a new blog. It's called "The Daily Button" and I created for my mother's company (Just Another Button Company). I'll be writing to their fans about the inner workings of JABC, the new buttons, and the exciting 15th Birthday celebration promotions. I can't wait to get to know some of their fans. I'd like to invite all of you to stop by. I know there are several button lovers among us.

The biggest news of the season is yet to come. For now, it remains TOP SECRET. Well, maybe not top secret but I am having fun keeping a secret for once. All I can tell you is that it's a dream come true. Stay tuned for a post about it. I think you'll be excited!!!

I hope you've all enjoyed your holidays and returning to everyday life after the holidays! I look forward to spending this beautiful new year with you!

Meeting New People

2010-12-18T05:54:00.000-06:00

Look who we met this week!

It's Leigh, of Curly Girl Design! She was here in St. Louis and doing a signing at Christopher's!

Have you ever met someone and instantly felt as though they were a lifelong friend? That's how it feels to talk to Leigh. She has such a bright and beautiful personality! We had so much fun chatting with her!

For a taste of her fun personality, head over to her website and look at her artwork! It will brighten you day!

Holiday Collections

2010-12-16T16:27:00.000-06:00

Last year my husband, Joshua, received a very interesting secret Santa gift. His secret Santa, knowing that he loves Egg Nog gave him a Hazel Atlas milk glass Egg Nog bowl and cup. He fell in love with it, and so did I! It is such a cute, retro addition to a holiday party. Little did his secret Santa know, he loved it so much that he would actually spend the following year building a collection of these bowls and glasses. Every time we go into an antique store he is hunting these Hazel Atlas Egg Nog bowls. There are several different patterns, and he wants to own a complete set of each! This has been so much fun for both of us, because he's found something that he likes to look for in antique stores, which makes dragging him along so much easier! Almost a year has gone by since the original gift and we now own 6 bowls and and 26 cups, that's 4 complete sets (a bowl and 6 cups) and 2 extra cups and bowls!

This holiday season I wanted to do something special with our new collection and started playing around with the idea of having a New Years Eve Egg Nog Party. So last week I searched out an Egg Nog Cupcake recipe to audition for the party, and that's when it dawned on me...CUP cakes...I should bake them right in the Egg Nog cups! Joshua was a little skeptical, not wanting any of his collection ruined in a baking accident. He did finally agree to let me use one of the extra cups with slightly faded coloring to test it out on. I filled the cup halfway and put in in a cake pan with high sides to prevent any tragedies. It baked perfectly, no damage to the cup occurred and the cake tasted great!

Here's the recipe I used from Baking Bites. You should try it out, even without the Egg Nog cups, it's a wonderfully festive holiday treat!

Now I can't wait for New Years Eve!

Do you have a holiday collection? Tell me about it!

A Button Christmas, Part 5

2010-12-10T17:13:00.000-06:00

Today is the final day of A Button Christmas! I've had so much fun doing these projects that I'm planning to do it again next year. I'll have all year to think of some awesome projects for you! If you missed any of this years posts, you can find them here...Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4. Today's project is my favorite; it's a Button Kissing Ball!

This project was so much fun! I hung mine in the doorway between the kitchen and the living room; I can't wait to try it out with my hubby! ; ) Even if you don't use it as an excuse to smooch, this kissing ball will make your guests ooo and ahhh!

Button Kissing Ball: Difficult: Depends on your level of patience

Supplies:

Styrofoam Ball (size of your choice)
26 Gauge Floral Wire
Buttons
Glitter
Spray Adhesive (I used 404 -Spray and Fix - A permanent reposition-able craft adhesive)
Ribbon (for hanging)
Embellishment (I used vintage millinery supplies)
Newspapers or Scrap Paper
A Bamboo Skewer

Directions:

Lay your newspapers in a shallow bucket and place your styrofoam ball inside. Spray your styrofoam ball with the adhesive and coat with glitter. I used a clear glitter (to look like snow) and later wished I had used red because the clear looked just like the styrofoam.
Poke the ball all the way through with the bamboo skewer.
Measure a piece of wire that is a little over double the diameter of your ball. Thread a large button onto the wire.
Thread the long wire through the hole that you made with the skewer.
Wrap the excess wire around your ribbon and twist tightly.
Cut several 5 inch wire segments (one for each of your buttons).
Pinch a piece of wire in half and thread the button onto it. Twist the excess wire on the back of the button, leaving at least 1 inch. Repeat with all your buttons.
Poke your buttons into the styrofoam.
If desired, spray the buttons with more adhesive and add more glitter.
Hang your kissing ball in a door way, stand underneath and wait for the kisses to come!

I hope you've enjoyed A Button Christmas as much as I have! I wish you a Merry Christmas...and a stocking full of buttons!

A Button Christmas, Part 4

2010-12-08T19:00:00.063-06:00

Brrr! Icy!

I can't believe we're already to Part 4 of this series! If you've missed any posts up to this point, check them out now, Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3. Today we're making Button Icicles! These icicles are simple to make and won't freeze your fingers!

Button Icicles: Difficulty Level: Easy, easy, lemon peezy

Supplies:

26 Gauge Silver Floral Wire
Buttons (plastic and pearl)
Wire Cutters
Paint Brush Handles or Markers (various thicknesses)

Directions:

Cut a long piece of wire (mine was about 24 inches long).
Thread your buttons onto the wire, leaving space according to your taste. I used molded plastic, aqua buttons and pearly shell buttons because the combination reminds me of ice.
Once your buttons are threaded, wrap the center section around your paintbrush handle (make this the thickest section). Repeat with both ends using a smaller paintbrush handle.
Once you've finished curling the whole piece, stretch it out and manipulate into a shape you like.
Have fun hanging them, either on your tree or in a row on your mantel.

Have fun!

A Button Christmas, Part 3

2010-12-07T16:37:00.000-06:00

Do you love buttons? I sure do! My love for buttons is second only to my love of paper. In the spirit of the holidays, I've been posting a series of button projects for you to do at home. If you just found this series, check out what you missed in Part 1 and Part 2.

Ok, so I know I promised you that button icicles would be up next but I'm still not satisfied with the pictures I've taken for that project so I'll need a bit more time for them. Instead of icicles, today I bring you Button Luminaries! This project is actually something I used at my wedding last June. It's a very simple project but the effect is mesmerizing!

Check it out!

Here it is when it's lighted and sitting in a dark room!

And in the light, it's just as beautiful!

Button Luminary: Difficulty Level: Very Simple

Supplies:

Large (at least quart sized) Mason Jar
Clear Votive Holder (plain cylinder shape, no lip)
Votive Candle
Sticky Tac
Buttons
Ribbons (for embellishment)

Directions:

Place a piece of Sticky Tac on the inside, bottom of the jar.
Carefully place the votive holder in the jar and push firmly into the Sticky Tac. Drop the candle inside the holder. If you have trouble placing the votive holder, use the end of a wooden spoon or a chop stick to push it into place.
Drop the buttons, one handful at a time into the jar to fill the space between the edge of the votive holder and the jar. Fill to the same height as the votive holder.
Embellish with ribbons to match your style and holiday decor.

I hope this project will light up your home this holiday season! Enjoy!

If you find, like me, that you always long to see new button ideas check out this awesome blog, Bonkers About Buttons.

See you again soon for Part 4!

A Button Christmas, Part 2

2010-12-06T01:28:00.000-06:00

Okay, okay, I know I didn't make it by midnight (or even 1 am), but hey, those night owls on the west coast will get this while it's still December 5th! Today's button project is so worth the tardiness! The other day I was looking at a picture of a Christmas tree with popcorn garland draping its branches and remembering how much fun I used to have making those (admittedly eating every-other piece while I was stringing) for our family's tree. While I was remembering the joys of childhood and admiring the picture of this extra-special popcorn garland that had an occasional cranberry strung among the popcorn, the idea occurred to me. Why not cover our Christmas tree in a BUTTON garland?! Eureka!

Notice the colors I chose? White for popcorn and red for cranberries! Just couldn't resist!

So now I will pass along to you, the stringing technique for making your very own button garland!

Button Garland: Difficulty Level: A little hard, but only on your fingers

Supplies:

LOTS of buttons (Note: if you've got a big tree I hope you're related to someone who owns a button company!)
26 gauge floral wire (any color)
Wire cutters
Eager fingers
Time

Directions:

Plan on making several short strands (under 40 inches) rather than one long garland or else your wire might not be able to handle the weight. Cut your wire pieces, allow four extra inches at each end for making loops to hang the garland, and expect some shrinkage from the stringing process.
To start the stringing, make a loop at one end of the wire and twist to secure.
String the first button by thread the wire through only one hole and sliding all the way to the end.
When you thread through the first button's second hole you will put the wire straight into the first hole of the second button. In essence, the second hole of the first button will be lined up with the first hole of the second button. Confused yet? Take a deep breath and try it. Ok! Now repeat with the third button following the same technique, pulling the wire tight every time so there's no space between the buttons. It's important to understand that this is a double-sided garland, which is why you're lining up the button holes.
When you reach the end (with about 4 inches left) make your loop and twist! Ta Da!

Check out these pictures to get a closer look at the double-sided...ness.

And here's the tree.

Up next: Button Icicles

A Button Christmas, Part 1

2010-12-04T13:00:00.002-06:00

Oh, how I love buttons! A good vintage button can make me weak in the knees. I don't mind this obsession, in fact, it's the one inherited family trait that I fully embrace without shame! Okay, so maybe there's more than one of those, but don't tell my family. Don't want them to know that I'm not completely embarrassed by them! ; )

My mother and I have a button collection that could fill an entire room in our house (and it does)! We just can't get enough of them! They're so enchanting! A few days ago it occurred to me that we had never done anything special with buttons for Christmas. What a waste! So I came up with a couple of holiday projects to make use of these adorable, double holed wonders!

I'll post one project a day, until I run out of ideas or use up all my buttons.

First up: Vintage Button Holiday Ornaments Difficulty Level: SO EASY!

What you need:

26 Gauge Wire

Your Favorite Buttons (I used vintage, but only because I like their colors)

Glass Ornaments

Wire Cutters

Skinny Paintbrush (or similarly shaped object, you'll see why)

What to do:

1. Cut a piece of wire to measure 7 inches (you may want to customize the length, depending on the size of your ornament)

2. Pick out three buttons of varying size and arrange in the order you'd like them on the ornament. (I arranged mine by size, medium at the top, large in the middle, small at the end. Beware, placing the large button at the top will make the wire hang funny)

3. Thread the first button (or top button) on the wire, leaving 1 inch of wire at the top, that you will use to attach to the ornament. When the first button is in position, cross the wires on the back of the button.

4. Leave approximately two inches of wire, and thread the second button, crossing the wires on the back.

5. Leave approximately two and a half inches of wire and thread the third button on, crossing the wires on the back. Your buttons don't necessarily all have to face the same direction.

Now it's time to curl those bits of wire that we left between the buttons.

6. Begin with the space between the top and middle buttons, hold the top button against your paint brush handle and tightly wrap the wire around the brush. Pull the brush out and gently stretch the wire curls to the desired shape.

7. Repeat with the space between the middle and bottom buttons, and with the wire at the end (below the bottom button) Still leaving the wire above the top button alone.

8. When you're happy with the shape of your wired button curl, thread the wire at the top through the loop on your ornament and wrap around the whole loop until you run out of wire.

And there you have it...your very own button ornament! Cover your whole tree with them; that's what I did! If you just plain don't have the time to make these, they are available in our Etsy shop.

Do you have a Christmas button project that you want to share? Post a link below! I'd love to see!

Etsy Finds

2010-12-02T13:04:00.000-06:00

We were THRILLED to find one of our Paper Flower Holiday Wreaths front and center on the Etsy Finds daily email yesterday!!!!

We're still jumping up and down...
Check it out!!!

http://bron.to/fs09s35g7z8y6z6

Happy Holidays!

2010-12-01T14:13:00.000-06:00

It's that time of year again! There's always so much activity during the holidays! Don't you find that you're busiest during the holiday season?

Well that's certainly true around here this year! Take a look at what we've been up to at 2 Martins In A Nest!

We visited Joshua's sister in Colorado for Thanksgiving and had the opportunity to visit the most enchanting shop! If you ever find yourself near Denver, Colorado I strongly recommend a visit to Old Glory Antiques!! They have such an amazing selection of shabby chic antique furniture pieces! Here's one I fell in LOVE with! It's an old store counter that has drawers and storage shelves on the back side. Oh, I wish I had brought a truck!

The shop is exquisitely decorated! It was just what I needed to get into the holiday spirit! And of course the women in the shop were so friendly!!!! I really enjoyed visiting with them! I'm actually quite jealous that they get to visit all those beautiful antiques everyday!

You can see more pictures of the shop and find their contact information on their website www.oldgloryantiquesinc.com or visit their Facebook page www.facebook.com/oldgloryantiques

Can't wait to go back! Next time, I'll bring a truck!!!

We had someone new to keep us company on the long car ride to Colorado. Meet the newest addition to our nest!

Isn't he a cutie!?

We've also been busy creating! Look at our newest holiday goodies!

This tree is built from strips of scrapbooking papers that have been looped and quilled, and attached to an antique bobbin! I can't tell you how much fun I've had putting these together!

And this is one of our paper flower holiday wreaths! The surface of the wreath is decoupaged antique sheet music topped with festive paper flowers!

Look for both of these in our Etsy shop! www.etsy.com/shop/2martinsinanest

And as a holiday gift to you, enjoy 20% off anything in our Etsy shop with the code, BLOGFRIEND20. After all, what would holidays be without friends!

Happy Holidays from 2 Martins In A Nest, we wish you a calm and relaxing holiday season!

Omaha here we come!

2010-11-11T11:16:00.000-06:00

Today is the day! We're leaving for Silver Bella! I'm so excited I can hardly stand it!

Tomorrow night we'll be participating in the Bella Market. It's an evening of hats, drinks, and shopping (what could be better?)! 2 Martins In A Nest is bringing their new line of holiday products! I'll post all the goodies when we return but here's a sneak peak!

Holiday Corsages!

Can't wait to see you at the Bella Market!

Sweet Escape

2010-10-09T21:11:00.002-05:00

You know those wonderful shops that you see pictured in magazines like Where Women Create that are teaming with beautiful products and creative energy? I've always been annoyed that I didn't know of any shop like that near the St. Louis area. Well today we flew the nest and visited the best-kept secret (at least kept from me) in Missouri, a little town in the hills called Augusta. Well, now I can tell you, that a shop like this does exist near me! Two little shops,The Finishing Touch and Stoneledge Antiques, sit side by side in this beautiful historic town. Owned by the same person, the shops offer a complementary array of decor, collectible antiques and BEAUTIFUL vintage furniture! Take a look at some of the photos from the day.

It's a horse! And it really is horse-sized!

Blurry picture but use your imagination and you're looking at the beautiful display at the entrance to The Finishing Touch.

I wish I could have gotten a better picture of this. It is an antique display case from a clothing store. There are three compartments with glass doors that slide up so that the display can be changed on the inside. The whole piece is probably ten feet wide...and maybe eight feet tall! I'll have to go back just to take more photos of this display case!

Neat reflection of the cafe across the street in the shop window...unintended.

Rumor has it that the owner is working on a new section of The Finishing Touch. We tried peeking behind the room dividers and curtains that were hung but didn't get as much of a look as we'd like. Coming at some point in the future, is a section devoted entirely to vintage papers and ephemera! CAN'T WAIT!

So at the end of the day we're back in the nest and feeling refreshed and inspired!

Tell me about your sweet escape!

Elbow Grease

2010-10-08T21:18:00.001-05:00

I am no farm girl. I enjoy the outdoors in moderation but lack the ability to tolerate bugs or mess. When I was a kid I would sit with my brothers and play in the dirt all day long, but now I really don't care for getting dirty. However, if I have a good reason for going outside and getting dirty, I will! It's funny to think about, but sometimes in order to make something beautiful, you have to get yourself a little dirty.

Here's what Josh and I have been doing the past few days. This is definitely what I consider an exception to my "no getting dirty" rule.

This was a very lucky find at a sale that Josh and I recently attended. It's an old hardware store cabinet. Unfortunately it needed a little cleaning before it was allowed in the house. When I say, "a little" I'm being very nice. We literally hosed it off! I think it must weigh at least ten pounds less with all of the dirt that we clean off of it. We used Murphay's Oil Soap, hard bristle scrub brushes and a hose. We scrubbed and scrubbed and scrubbed and now I can barely move my arms!

As you can see the inside of the cabinet has been painted green but a lot of the paint has chipped off. I really love the paint, even though it's spotty and the original wood color is showing through! So we just hosed off all the chips and didn't scrape any paint that generally held on.

When it was all clean the wood looked a little dried out so we rubbed it with Watco Danish Oil and VOILA!

It's my new favorite piece of furniture! I haven't been able to stop staring at it since we brought it inside! It stands a gigantic 8 feet tall! I'm already dreaming of what I'm going to put on the shelves!

It was definitely worth the elbow grease! Total spider count at the end of the project, 8! Gross! But at least I had the help and support of my wonderful husband Joshua! He's in charge of killing spiders at our house!

Do you have any fun furniture stories? Leave me a comment and tell me about it!

Life and Creative Energy

2010-10-05T11:06:00.000-05:00

What do life and creative energy have in common? (This isn't one of those why-did-the-chicken-cross-the-road-jokes.) They are both like rollercoasters! Just as life takes us through all of those twists and turns, wonderful highs, and horrible drops; creative energy can do the same. The Creative Connection left me at a creative high, as I'm sure it did for most of the attendees! Approximately three weeks later, I think I've finally touched back down.

I think we've got to learn to be the master of our own creative rollercoasters. We've got to plan the low's and high's. How? Well, I haven't figured that out yet! How do I get myself back to that wonderful place?

I think I'll ditch my have-to's today and play with my want-to treasures!

Here's today's cure for the creative blues!

What's next?

2010-09-22T12:53:00.000-05:00

What's next for 2 Martins In A Nest? The list is too long to put in one post...but I can tell you what we're planning for November. Though it's not completely official yet, we have almost convinced ourselves to go to the 5th Annual Silver Bella event. Check it out at Paper Bella Studio's website. It looks like they've got an absolutely fabulous weekend planned and I'm hoping that we'll get to be a part of it this year.

One of my favorite parts of this event, that I've read about (so far), is the fact that everyone wears a hat to the Bella Market. Attendees are encourages to make or find a hat, and plan a whole outfit around it! How fun! Look at the Logo!

"Oh! I love travelin' by hat!" -Dormouse

You might be surprised...

2010-09-21T16:56:00.000-05:00

While I live in a world of bright colors and patterns and choose to dress in a similar fashion, I discovered at The Creative Connection that that is not always the case for my artist friends. Most of them have been dressing in very elegant blacks and charcoals. Jessi and Jennifer suggested we make a black flower to appeal to this crowd. I was completely put off by the idea of a black flower, thinking it would be far too "goth." But after hearing it over and over I finally broke down and went out and bought some new papers to play with. "What happened?", you ask. I LOVE IT! By the end of the week it will be a completed headband as well, just waiting for the velvet ribbons and birdcage veil in the mail. I'll post pictures when it's completed. My pictures don't really do it justice, some of the layers are shimmery which really makes the silver dresden pop! The flower is finished off with a beautiful faceted black glass button (my favorite). Can't wait to take this to my favorite photographer friend, Charity of Charity Lynn Photography, for some better photos!

Here's the flower, pictured with all my stamen choices for the headband.

I'm also playing with the idea of putting some flowers on wider headbands...another idea from a new friend.

So what's the moral of the story? Don't stick to what you know! Try something new! You might be surprised...

The Creative Connection

2010-09-20T13:53:00.000-05:00

Wow! What an amazing week at The Creative Connection! So much inspiration, so little time! Here's just a tiny portion of all the friends we made while we were there!

Here's Josh and me in the 2 Martins In A Nest booth! Our booth theme was a bakery, hence the chef hat!

Here's Mary Jane Butters and her daughter, Megan, in front of our booth, modeling their new paper flower headbands (coming soon on our Etsy page). We had a chance to hear Mary Jane speak at the keynote dinner...highlight of the week! She's such an inspiration as well as a super sweet, genuine woman.

These two lovely ladies are Jennifer Hayslip, of Eye Candy Creations, and Jessi Nagy of the blog, Scrappy Jessi. Here they are modeling our couture headbands.

And here's a final shot of our bakery! We had so much fun with our booth!

We feel so lucky to have gone to the first ever Creative Connection and met all kinds of wonderful people. We really owe our thanks to so many, who offered inspiration, kind words of encouragement, and suggestions for the future of 2 Martins In A Nest. Thanks to Elaine Tolson of Vintage Charm, Jessi and Jennifer, Virginia from the Vintage Barn, Mary Jane Butters for her inspiration speech, Ree Drummond for stopping by our booth and taking pictures for her blog, and of course....Jo Packham and Nancy Soriano, the co-founders of this spectacular event! We couldn't thank you enough for letting us be included in this wonderful week!

Ok, so let's start packing for next year! : )

Wedding Day Is 17 Days Away!

2010-06-09T17:30:00.000-05:00

Everyone here at 2 Martins In A Nest is getting very excited as June 26th is just around the corner! Every surface in our workspace (and home) is covered with bits of paper, glue, hat pins, and buttons! It's like going through an obstacle course just to get through the kitchen. One entire bedroom has been designated "The Wedding Room," where we keep all the finished projects. But amongst all this chaos, we keep reminding ourselves that the amount of fun we're having is well worth the trouble!

Our "to do list" is about a mile long so I feel bad making a long post. I'll just put up a few new pictures!

Flip flops for my bridesmaids to dance the night away in!

A hair clip for one of my bridesmaids. Each girl will have a custom hair accessory to compliment their hair style choice!

That's all for now! Check out our new Facebook page!

Rachel

International Quilt Market

2010-05-29T13:17:00.000-05:00

This past weekend I was fortunate enough to accompany my mother to the International Quilt Market in Minneapolis. My reason for going was to meet some of my mother's long-time friends from the market. It was nice to put faces with the names of so many people that my mom has talked about for the last 15 years! A few of these friends are Theresa, Janice, and Jolene of Hillcreek Designs. Hillcreek Designs hand dyes buttons in various shapes and sizes with the most beautiful colors! We've used these buttons all over my wedding, so I was certain to bring some show and tell for them.

You see, I'm not the average bride. I enjoy handmade and unique things. I wasn't so keen on pointing to a picture of a bouquet and having a florist recreate it. So my mother and I started looking for ways to make a bouquet that matched our unique style. We found inspiration in pictures of clay flowers so we tried that avenue, but it didn't line up with the whimsical style we were looking for. Finally we landed on paper flowers!

Paper flowers. It brings all sorts of odd images to people's minds. It's definitely a "see it, to believe it". The flowers are made out of card stock papers and they have button centers. This is where Hillcreek Designs comes in! The bridesmaids bouquets are a whimsical red, white, and blue mixture with Hillcreek button centers! My bouquet is more vintage inspired. It's a deep red with pink highlights, complemented by vintage button centers. So for show and tell I brought along my bouquet, my wedding headband, and a few more special headbands (see next paragraph).

After making the flowers for my wedding, 2 Martins In A Nest has decided that they will begin the production and sale of paper flowers! We're very excited about this new adventure! More details are sure to be posted soon but the basics are: we will be selling paper flowers on head bands and hair bows for little girls and young women but we will also be available to custom design wedding flowers. We're also considering miniature bouquets for gift giving!

Below are some pictures from the International Quilt Market. The first is me with my bouquet and wedding headband. The beautiful background in the first picture is the work of another of my mother's friends, Nancy Halvorsen from Art to Heart. I enjoyed finally meeting her! She's quite an inspiration!
The pictures following that are one of the bridesmaids' bouquets and then a boutonniere.
The next pictures are the first of a line of headbands that I'm designing for 2 Martins In A Nest.

Mary Engelbreit Home Companion Workshop

2010-05-02T21:47:00.000-05:00

This weekend was one of the most inspiring experiences I've ever had! The very first Mary Engelbreit Home Companion Workshop was held in St. Louis. The city flooded with crafters, artists, and fans to spend a weekend swapping stories as well as scissors in the workshops taught by artists like Wendy Addison, Kaari Meng, and Linda Solovic.

To accompany the amazing list of artist teachers for the weekend, Marcia Ceppos of Tinsel Trading Company attended, bringing with her a vast collection of goodies! She participated in the panel discussion about the future of handmade. Her stories were one of the most delightful parts of the workshop!

I met many wonderful women this weekend who encouraged me to begin this blog and to write about my experiences planning my upcoming wedding. So here is my first post, which I'm dedicating to Mary Englebreit, for inspiring this weekend's workshop which spoke to my heart and mind. May this be the beginning of a lifetime of creating!

The pictures are: top left, (My mother Cecile, Myself, and Kathy Curotto after the class she taught on making award ribbons), middle right (Myself with Kaari Meng of French General), and bottom left (The gift we gave to Mary Engelbreit. A handmade paper flower like the ones in my wedding)