Posted in Cooking, Entertaining on February 15th, 2012 by Domestic Nest – 1 Comment
To celebrate Love Day, 16 of our favorite neighbors came over for a 7 course dinner. Our home filled with the warmth of friendship and the delicious aromas of fresh fruit, lobster, steak and cheesecake. Yum, what a feast! Each couple took turns preparing and serving. It was a fun and memorable gathering.
We were responsible for the final course – chocolate and espresso. I anticipated that following 6 delicious dishes, no one would want to ingest another bite of food. So, I looked for a lite and ultra-tempting recipe that would end a meal well without sending anyone over the edge. This mousse recipe struck my fancy. It’s from Bakers Royale. And…it’s super easy. I used almond & cocoa spread instead of Nutella and I wasn’t careful about measurements. The chocolate cups were made by spooning melted chocolate over tiny silicone muffin molds. Could be topped with fresh fruit or nuts.
Ingredients:
9 oz. Nutella
1.5 Cups Heavy Cream
1/2 Teaspoon Espresso Powder
1. Melt the Nutella and espresso powder until smooth and creamy. Let sit until cooled but not yet stiff.
2. Whip cream to soft peaks.
3. Gently fold cream into chocolate sauce. Pipe or spoon into containers and let sit for at least 4 hours, up to two days ahead.
Posted in Crafting on February 8th, 2012 by Domestic Nest – Be the first to comment
I purchased this grocery tote PDF pattern/tutorial from Keyka Lou for $5. I’m totally in love. I would ABSOLUTELY recommend this pattern to anyone who has just started learning to sew. It’s simple, the photos are excellent, and it’s the perfect way to practice basic sewing skills and still end up with a functional and pretty finished product. After having abandoned sewing for a few months, this was the ideal way to ease back in without getting overwhelmed.
For you expert seamstresses out there (NOT me!) Keyka Lou also offers plenty of options for more complex bags. I needed a hostess gift quickly and was able to turn this bag out in about half an hour. I stuffed it with yummy chocolate and tea and a handprinted tea towel. And, I was happy to use up some scraps from previous projects. I would like to make these in lots of colors, maybe even with vintage pillow cases. I’d love to have a few to store in my car for market trips.
Posted in Custom Orders on February 7th, 2012 by Domestic Nest – 2 Comments
We’ve had several requests for leather tool rolls lately. Someone even wants to use one for makeup brushes – very luxe. Oh, these are fun to make!
Posted in Custom Orders, Fun Times on January 17th, 2012 by Domestic Nest – 2 Comments
We interrupt this digital hiatus…to just start up again. We’ve no big news, launch, or surprises. But, we really miss blogging and are excited to share some updates with you. We’ve been on a technological diet. Haven’t been posting and haven’t been visiting our favorite blogs for quite a while. It’s given us time and space to create. Refuel. Evaluate. And grow. But, man oh man, we’ve got some catching up to do! Looking forward to seeing what our faves have been up to. Happy new year, everyone!
We had a successful and fun holiday season. THANK YOU to all of our customers who make it possible for us to keep creating and be part of the makers’ movement. What an honor! We both have full time careers outside of handmade and most of our time and energy gets spent at the day job. We don’t always talk to our colleagues about our second “job.” When in the teachers’ lounge last fall, I got brave and admitted that I spent the whole weekend making leather goods (not reading a book, sleeping in, or catching up on movies.) A fellow educator got really excited about our small business and said to me, “Oh, I think my husband may be able to help you.” GoodNESS, she was RIGHT! Her husband happens to own a laser engraving business. Oh mercy, my head has been spinning with new products and designs ever since. We’ve collaborated on a few projects, but I really can’t wait to generate new designs and laser engrave the heck out of ‘em! I’m so glad I told the truth and talked about our hobby-turned-business. Not sure why it takes courage to tell others what we do “on the side.” But for me, it doesn’t come easy. I’m still working on my cocktail line. The photos below are a few of the projects that just a little communication produced…a fun start to more creativity!
Posted in Travel on August 24th, 2011 by Domestic Nest – 12 Comments
The exterior of BHV (Bazaar de l’Hotel de Ville) is kind of unassuming. Looks like just another run of the mill gorgeous Parisian department store. Do not be deceived. BHV is a wonderland like none other. The French equivalent of ikea+macy’s+homegoods+home depot+restoration hardware+je ne sais quois. It’s everything you’ve ever dreamed of wanting for your home, under one roof. I saw lots of Parisians carrying around BHV bags and I vaguely recalled having heard it was a bit of an experience to visit. So…we ventured inside. Holy mother of home stores! It was easily a half-day excursion to start from the top down and visit each of the floors. The thing that is most impressive about BHV is the never-ending variety. They carry brand names that can be found elsewhere, but the breadth of availability is unmatched. Take the jump below to behold some of the beauty.
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Posted in Thrift Finds, Travel on August 17th, 2011 by Domestic Nest – 5 Comments
Ever noticed on Apartment Therapy that people often list the Paris Flea as their dream source for home furnishings? Lots of friends have asked us about the famous Paris Flea…did we go there? Was it magical? Does it live up to the hype? Well, yeah, it’s pretty much a vintage-lover’s paradise. It’s stinky, crowded, disorganized, and filled with mounds of junk treasure! There are a few things we wish we’d known before we ventured into this fairytale land of age-old lovelies.
First, there are multiple flea markets in Paris. Some have more furniture, more crap, and more bargains. Do some research if you’re really into antiques or vintage and choose the flea market that best fits your interests. If you patron Les Puces of Saint-Ouen (that’s where we went), once you exit the metro at Porte de Clignancourt, head toward Rue des Rosiers and once you’ve ducked under the overpass, look left. When in doubt follow someone who looks like they know what they’re doing. Funky clothes + an old fanny pack may signal “tourist” elsewhere, but is likely to mean “serious antiquer” or “dealer” in these parts. Don’t get caught for long in the African market that you find before the flea market. It’s a tourist trap. If you get there when the market is supposed to be opening, you’ll be waiting a while. But a cafe & a croissant won’t leave you wanting for anything else as shops slowly come alive. Talking vendors down on price really isn’t as effective if you speak French with an American accent, but just being nice does make a difference in any language. Prices are high, especially if the euro is going strong. Most vendors take credit, but really aren’t willing to run a credit card for purchases less than 100 euros. If you walk away from something you love, you may return to find it lost, gone, or behind a prohibitive blockade of junk that wasn’t there before, ensuring that the shop owner can enjoy a leisurely lunch without having to deal with any customers. If you adore it, buy it. If you just kinda like it, wait. It may end up on the clearance table for half price in a couple of hours. Pay attention to signs telling you NOT to take any photographs. Snapping pics can quickly get you a boisterous talking-to from multiple shop owners.
Click below for photos of shopping at Les Puces. The last pic is of some of the trucs we simply couldn’t resist!
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Posted in Etsy stuff on August 15th, 2011 by Domestic Nest – 3 Comments
Leather envelope necklaces and iPad sleeves are in our shop!
Posted in Fun Times on August 13th, 2011 by Domestic Nest – Be the first to comment
To celebrate our 6th wedding anniversary, we took a long vacation. We’ve been gone almost all summer & have visited Montana, Virginia, Paris & Stockholm. It’s been an incredible adventure & we can’t wait to share pictures, stories and many of the things we’ve learned. The strange assemblage above is our anniversary gift to each other.
Wood: pepper mill from BHV in Paris
Iron: drawer pulls from the Paris Flea
Candy: chocolate covered fruit from our favorite local market
We like to stick to the traditional anniversary gifts, it’s fun to see what we find! We also like to look at old pictures, recap the preceding year, get away, and reminisce. This year was epic. We’re forever changed by the people we met and challenges we faced during our european extravaganza. It feels way less like the end to a year full of hard work & movement, and way more like the beginning of a year that promises to be loaded with change and challenge. Bring it on!
Posted in Fun Times on July 15th, 2011 by Domestic Nest – Be the first to comment
There are lots of reasons that handmade gifts are just not practical or convenient. Maybe you don’t like to craft. You don’t have time to order online. Your giftee just isn’t into handmade things OR seems to have everything they could possibly need or want. We like to gift services in these cases. Our neighbor & friend is a talented yoga instructor. I wish we’d thought long ago to ask her about her rates for one-on-one yoga instruction. It made us really happy to gift her services. We know the recipient is getting a valuable gift, and we’re happy we get to support our friend as she builds a client base.
Posted in Handmade Faves on June 22nd, 2011 by Domestic Nest – 2 Comments
We always try to give handmade gifts when we can. This sometimes requires an extra bit of planning, since running to the big box store is more convenient and can be done last minute. When we patron an indie market, we make sure to take a list of upcoming birthdays and people with whom we exchange holiday gifts. We keep a little present bin stocked with some of our favorite handmade things…that way we have them on hand when a special event pops up. One of our favorite handmade gifts to buy & give is the zippered pouch made by The Pleated Poppy. She sews up super useful, high quality necessities in the prettiest candy colors. We fill them with soaps from Fresh Batch, handmade eye pillows, and other nice smelling things. Add a ribbon & a card and…voila…a really nice gift.
