Honest To Nod

Get to Know Paloma's Nest

Caroline and Jose from Paloma's Nest

Hometown: Caroline- Mystic, Connecticut. Jose- Buenos Aires Argentina

Current city: East Lyme, Connecticut

Would you rather travel by plane, train, car or ship?

Jose- Bicycle! Nothing compares to being immersed in an environment- whether it's feeling the energy of the city, or spotting animals in the woods.

Caroline- Train! I love passing through towns and stretches of countryside, and being able to focus on the scenery, not on driving! Some of my fondest memories of living as an exchange student in Europe are of riding on the trains.

You can find us eating __for breakfast.

Scrambled eggs with diced ham and American cheese mixed in.  Or, maybe we should say: American cheese with a little bit of ham and egg mixed in.

On the weekends, you can find us__.

Insert some fantasy life kind of answer here- you know, like where we take the kids to a great New England museum in the morning, then take a family hike in the afternoon, then the two of us go for a romantic dinner later on. That kind of fantasy. Let's face it, those things happen only once in a while if we're lucky! We run our own business, and our kids are 2 and 7 years old. Most parents know what that means- sleep, house cleaning, cartoons, and leisurely coffee drinking when possible. But we wouldn't trade it for anything.

How many times do you usually hit the snooze button after your alarm goes off?

Jose sets his alarm to go off reallllllly early so that he can hit the snooze as many times as possible. Sometimes he pretends he doesn't hear the alarm at all. Caroline is an early riser and is up when Jose's first alarm goes off. By the third or forth snooze, she usually rolls over and bops Jose in the head with a pillow.

If you were a crayon, what color would you be?

Jose- black, because it works for everything.

Caroline- white, on colored paper. The best.

How long can food be on the ground and still be fair game for eating?

Depends on how good of a bite it is...

Tell us about your House Sitter Play Chair, how you made it or your inspiration behind it.

The idea for our House Sitter Play Chair originated when we started really noticing how our daughter was using toys and objects in multiple ways in her imaginative play.
We wanted to create furniture that is modern but timeless, pieces that could grow with her and inspire her for many years.  Our love of architecture (and the need for our children's furniture to function well in small spaces) blossomed into the idea of a child's chair that doubles as a doll house. (But its not just for girls, and certainly not just for dolls! Our little guy is equally in love with his for cars, animal figures, and other make believe!) We are thrilled to bring this concept to Land of Nod and can't wait for little ones all over to enjoy their own House Sitter Chair! 

A Bundle of Joy

Heart of Gold Shelf / Dumont Pendant Light / Plums Print / It Takes Two Print

Pink Lemonade Poster / Floral Doodle Print / Ice Cream Pillow / Sundae Sprinkles Crib Sheet

Sundae Best Crib Skirt / White Andersen Crib / Balloon Dog Bookend / Heart Pillow

Modern Cube Lamps / Hot Pink Dresser / Cherry Pillow / Multiplayer Wall Hooks

White Milo Glider / Bonjour Lucite Tray / Precious Metal Nighstand (Mint) 

Broad Stripe Rug (Pink) / Orange Stripe Bin / Get in Here Print

kiki and coco in paris

 

Remember that time you took your favorite doll or stuffed animal with you on a trip to a faraway city?  The charming story of Kiki and Coco in Paris will remind you of those jovial times.  One of the protagonists in the story is a lovely handmade doll named Coco, made by artist Jess Brown, and the adventures (and misadventures) she and her girl Kiki have together on a trip to Paris.  Avery’s favorite part is when a dog takes Coco and breaks her arm, which is later fixed.  We loved seeing all the sights and sounds of Paris through Kiki’s eyes.  This story would be the perfect theme for a party or play date!  Fill a pretty plate with some brioche and macarons and call it an afternoon.  Extra points if you whip up a cup of Parisian chocolat chaud!

Kiki and Coco in Paris was authored by Nina Gruener, photographed by Stephanie Rausser and the doll in the story was made by Jess Brown.

Post by Michelle Sterling of Avery and Augustine

You can see her work and read about her two young children and their first forays in cooking, art and everything in between at Avery and Augustine.

Mussels in White Wine

I love mussels, I love the simplicity of them, the drips of broth on my fingers and that they come together easily – really without a recipe. Mussels are versatile – add to the pot what you like and you’ll end up with a wonderful light broth – nothing too heavy. This was the perfect dinner after having pizza the night before.

As in most recipes, wine is optional, but I do believe it gives the broth a deeper flavour – a few simple ingredients will shine in this recipe. 

Mussels in White Wine

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 bag of mussels
• 1 tablespoon of butter
• 1 onion, slices thin
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 stalk of celery, cut in half lengthwise and chopped
• 1 cup of dry white wine
• 1 large can of diced tomatoes (28 oz)
• 1/2 cup of heavy cream
• salt and pepper
• Chopped parsley
• Chopped green onion

Instructions

1. Clean the mussels with lots of cold water. Pull out any beards or seaweed. Throw out any that have broken or cracked shells, or ones that don't close when lightly squeezed.
2. In a large pot melt the butter over medium heat, add onion, garlic and celery and cook until soft. Season with salt and pepper. Add wine and increase heat to high, after a couple of minutes add diced tomatoes. Stir well and add mussels. Cover the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes or until mussels open. Shake the pan a few times so they cook evenly.
3. At the end of the cooking time discard any mussels that didn't open. Add the heavy cream and stir well. Serve immediately with some crusty bread and a garnish of chopped parsley and green onion.

Notes

When buying mussels, make sure the bag they come in isn't sealed - mussels need to breathe until they are cooked.

Post by Giulia Doyle : Audrey's

Jump for Joy

 

Hangin' Around Light, Pink / La Pina Print / Multiplayer Wall Hooks 

That Bowtie I Like Print / The Moths Print / Car Love Print

Cali Love Print / Get in Here Print / Ice Cream Print

Sprinkle Pachyderm / Maple Andersen Crib / Dobby Dot Panels

Pattern Party Heart Sheets / Grey Stripe Crib Skirt / Heart Throw Pillow

I Love Lamps / Vintage Dresser (great inspiration for refinishing a vintage piece!)

Retro Rocker / Brass Giraffes / Hot Pink Neon Nightstand

Pinwheel Rug / Color Weave Toy Box

Post by Joni: Lay Baby Lay

We’re stopping at Papabubble LA in the Nod Tour Bus

When we found out about the amazing candy making process at Papabubble, we knew we had to make a stop during our first Nod Bus Tour at their location in Pasadena, CA. We were even more excited after we discussed partnering with them to create some exclusive custom candy to hand out on our #nodtourbus stops around California in April.

We sat down with Mike from Papabubble LA to find out a little more about their delicious and creative candy. 

What exactly is Papabubble?

We are a handmade candy shop that specializes in hard candy with images or words inside, the perfect candy for weddings, parties and special events. 

When did Papabubble begin?

Papabubble was founded in Barcelona in 2004 with the goal of bringing back the charm of hand crafted sweets. Since then, it has grown to more than 23 stores throughout the world. The stores are independently owned, and each store is free to create delicious flavors that suit their market.  

How is Papabubble candy made?

Our candy is made from 5 simple ingredients: water, sugar, glucose, flavor and color. We do not use corn syrup or preservatives in any of our products.

After boiling and melting all the ingredients, we pour the molten sugar onto our water cooled table. It is then cooled down and colors are "painted" into the candy.

After further cooling, we cut the candy into different pieces according to color. We then move to our heated table where we assemble all the pieces together and form a big roll of candy.

The big roll of candy is then stretched out by hand, and cut into arm’s length. After rolling and cooling down the smaller rods, we hand chop them into smaller, bite-sized candy. The entire process is done by hand, similar to making glass. Except that in our case, the finished product is edible.

Check out this video on how Papabubble candy is made: 

papabubble from Pilgrim on Vimeo.

How long has your shop been up in Pasadena? Where are the other locations?

The Pasadena shop opened May 11, 2013. There are Papabubble shops in New York, Tokyo, Taipei, Seoul, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Amsterdam, Lisbon, Brussels, Kuwait, Qatar, Jakarta and Sao Paulo. 

P.S. There will be a store opening up in San Francisco this summer! 

What's your personal favorite Papabubble flavor?

My personal favorites are the mango and cinnamon apple.

Do you have any special events in your shop?

We have a candy making show every Saturday and Sunday at 3 p.m. It lasts between an hour to an hour and half depending on what design we are making that day. It's a family friendly event with lots of samples given out!

Be sure to follow us on Instagram @papabubblela to see what we'll be making that weekend.

Thanks, Mike for telling us more about Papabubble. Be sure to join us at the #nodtourbus stop on Tuesday, April 15 from 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. at Papabubble LA Candy Shop in Pasadena. We will be bringing along tons of giveaways, a photo booth and of course, free exclusive Papabubble candy! 

Easter Egg Bath Bombs

I've been wanting to make bath bombs with the kids for quite some time now. One morning I was plotting how exactly we'd go about this, when I realized that all those plastic easter eggs I've got sitting in the storage room are very similar in shape to the plastic ornaments everyone uses to mold their bath bombs. And I was even more excited that I had this idea right before Easter. Perfect timing!

I researched and tested all the different bath bomb recipes I have pinned on my DIY Crafts + Projects board to come up with the best possible recipe. All the recipes have the same ingredients: Citric Acid, Baking Soda, Epsom Salts, Cornstarch, Essential Oils, Coloring and some water and/or witch hazel. Simple enough, right? Except I had no idea where to get citric acid and the wide world of essential oils is completely foreign to me.

I ordered citric acid from Amazon, which was easy enough. Then I popped into Whole Foods to grab some essential oils because I thought seeing my options in person would help. Nope. That made it worse. I was surrounded by a mind-boggling assortment of little vials, and I had no idea where to begin. I quickly left more confused than before. So I turned back to Amazon and ordered some oils from Eden's Garden. Mostly because I liked the labels, and they were inexpensive. That's some informed purchasing, huh? Pretty labels, and good prices. Yep.

Anyway, there are a bazillion tutorials for bath bombs out there. And some great YouTube videos, too. So I won't go too in-depth here. But here's the winning recipe:

• 1C. Baking Soda
• 1/2 C. Citric Acid
• 1/2 C. Epsom Salts
• 1/2 C. Cornstarch
• 2 tsp. Essential Oil
• 2 1/2 tsp. Safflower Oil (or any other light oil)
• 3 drops food coloring
• 1 tsp. water

You'll also need a glass bowl, a mini spritzer bottle (I got mine for 79¢ in the travel section of Target) and a whisk. Round up your old plastic Easter eggs and throw on an apron while you're at it, too.

• Combine all the dry ingredients in the glass bowl. Break up any lumps with the whisk.
• Combine all the liquids in the spray bottle.
• Start spritzing the dry ingredients with the liquids…just keep whisking. You're trying to keep it from fizzing…so keep it moving.
• I used all the liquid in the bottle, then had to add a little extra water. You want it to be moist enough to clump in your hand without crumbling, but not so wet you can hear it fizzing. 
• When you've got the right consistency, start molding. I found it worked best when I packed a bit into each side of the egg, then scooped up extra and squished the two halves together. 
• Give it a little shake for good luck, then gently pry the pieces apart. It takes a few tries to get the hang of it, but once you've got it down, you're good to go. 
• Cover a soft towel with some waxed paper and lay the eggs there to dry overnight.

Wrap up a bunch and give them out as Easter gifts. They'd be great for friends, teachers, and I can tell you my kids are HUGE fans. We've got a big bag of eggs, but they're all ready asking if we can make more when they're gone.

A couple more ideas: 

• Add some sprinkles or glitter to add some excitement. 
• Hide a small toy in the center so they have a surprise when the egg dissolves. 
• Try different combinations of scents and colors
• Use different molds. Cupcake tins, ice cube trays, tartlet tins, etc.

And here's what they look like when you add too much water to the mixture. They mold up like a dream, and you go to bed thinking you're a DIY rockstar. Then you wake up in the morning to find your eggs have "hatched" and you're not as cool as you thought you were. My daughter was pretty excited to see we've got some that are hatching, so she made a nest for them. Maybe she should make a nest for my bruised ego while she's at it.

Christina Williams is a blogger and graphic designer living in Salt Lake City, Utah. She's a night owl and a bookworm, as well as a mother to three children ranging in age from two to eight. She shares her latest DIY and design projects along with her adventures in parenting on her blog, Just Call Me Chris.

Setting a Natural Spring Table

A few weeks ago we hosted a small dinner party in our backyard. I didn't have a lot of time or money to spend, but sometimes that turns out for the best doesn't it? I wound up clipping a few branches from each of the different trees in our yard and laid them out as a table runner on top of some plain butcher paper. The blue patterned napkins.... yeah, those are actually dish towels from Ikea. Pretty right? And that was basically all it took. We had a grand old time and ate ourselves silly on southern bbq, red beans + rice, cole slaw and king cake.

Post by Becca: CAKE

Becca spends her days working for a strategic design firm in SF, and her nights trying to find time to blog, design + create while raising an adorable three year old hellion named Caitlin and newborn son, Theo.

Buckle up. The Nod Tour Bus is coming to visit.

We’re hittin the road, Jack. (or whatever your name is) And we’re bringing along tons of giveaways, activities, concerts and more. Stay tuned to see where we’re going next at landofnod.com/nodtourbus or come along for the ride on Instagram at #nodtourbus.  

Meringue Easter Nests

I wanted to create something really cute and precious for Easter. I was thinking of something whimsical in pastel colours, something sweet, but not a cupcake. I’m not sure why, but that’s where my mind was taking me. I had seen these Martha Stewart Meringue nests, which were cute; but then Sweetapolita upped the ante by colouring her nests blue. I wanted to make my nests pink at first, but realized that I didn’t have any red food colouring left – so blue it was. I kept them simple by adding a couple of chocolate eggs in beautiful pastel colours. This way they make an instant Easter treat and are easy to hand over as a gift as well.

While meringue is not hard to make, it does take time. So make sure you’ve got a couple of hours at home. Once you have the nests, your options are limitless. Fill them with candy like I did above, add some butter-cream like Rosie did, add fruit like Martha did, fill them with melted chocolate or make some lemon curd with the left-over egg yolks. I made this lemon curd and filled a couple of nests. It makes for a nice flavour combination, but they do get messy with all that sticky sweetness.

You can also store your meringue nests in an air tight container for a couple of days, just make sure you don’t crush them as they are quite fragile. The perfect bit of pastel whimsy just in time for Easter. And yes, we did give most of them as gifts, because there’s only so much sweetness I want to keep in our house.

Meringue Easter Nests – adapted from Sweetapolita and Martha Stewart

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes

Yield: Approximately 14 three inch nests

Ingredients

• 5 egg whites, at room temperature
• Pinch of cream of tartar
• 1 cup superfine (caster) sugar or regular sugar
• Drop of food colour or food gel colour of choice

Instructions

1. Line two baking sheets or one large baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat oven to lowest temperature (for my oven this is 175°F).
2. Separate your eggs (best done when cold) and add the 5 egg whites into a clean metal mixing bowl. If you get any yolk into the mixing bowl, remove all contents and begin again. Leave bowl on counter until they come to room temperature.
3. Once egg whites are room temperature (warm is best), place bowl back on mixer and fit with whisk attachment. Mix on low speed until egg whites become frothy, about 2 minutes, and add cream of tartar.
4. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until soft peaks form, about 2 minutes. Gradually add all of the sugar and beat on high speed until stiff peaks form. You should be able to hold the bowl upside down over your head with no meringue falling out. Add food colour and beat until combined.
5. Fit a large pastry bag with a large tip and pipe approximately 3-inch circles, working from the middle outwards, followed by two full rings atop one another around the perimeter of the nest. Pipe 14 nests placing a few inches apart.
6. Bake in oven until completely dry and crisp, but not browned, about 90 minutes (this can take much longer, depending on your environment). Nests should lift from parchment with ease. Turn off oven and leave nests inside until oven has cooled, then remove nests from oven.

Notes

If you don't want to pipe your nests, you can spoon the meringue on to the parchment and use a spoon to create a small indentation. This will create more organic looking nests.

Post by Giulia Doyle : Audrey's