Outside of the Box

We always strive to go beyond the ordinary. So when we decided to start crafting chalkboards we wanted to make them a little different and make them a keepsake for the bride and groom. Well, we first chose to craft them from reclaimed wood and make each piece slightly different from the other. Because the wood is so beautiful, we wanted to make sure the happy couple could enjoy the frames forever. So, we decided to offer a set that includes the table number chalkboards, a chalkboard sign, and glass for them all so they may be used as frames. What a great way to display your favorite wedding photos!! The set are available now in our Etsy Store.

Awesome Find

So in our quest for the latest greatest treasures, we came across an old looking machine with lots of little parts at an estate sale. After a closer look, we noticed these beautiful cedar boxes. Of course looking for a bargain, we were able to get them for next to nothing. I will tell you we did not buy the machine and all the curious little pieces. It is totally normal for us to research any finds when we get home to see exactly what kind of treasures we have purchased. We quickly realized that for $35.00 we should have bought the machine and all the parts. It was an old letter press that is still worth a lot of money! We grabbed our purses and keys and jumped in the car and headed back to the estate sale. You probably know how this ends. Someone beat us to the punch!! Moral of the story "Research what you find with one hand on the unknown and the other on your Droid!!"

We really want to sell these great boxes to a collector, but they are just so darn cute we haven't gotten that far. I imagine them at a rustic vintage wedding as centerpieces with beautiful flowers peeking out.

I just wanted to share that little story. It's not often we get the privilege to go to an estate sales but next time we are going to be ready!!

New Burlap Bags

New!! Here we go again. We didn't want to limit ourselves to just reception decor. These burlap bags are great for aisle decor but of course can also be used for the reception. This size is 4x8, but we most definitely be glad to do custom orders. I just love the rustic wire handle. You could also hang a cute little tag off one of the whimsical swirls. They are available in our Etsy store. Bulk discounts are available!!

Gold Rush

We were lucky enough to find this brilliant gold wire. Now all of favorite holders can also be made in gold!! The same pieces look totally different much more formal in the gold wire. We are excited to be able to serve more brides. All of the items are currently listed in our Etsy store.

HALLOWEEN DECORATIONS

These adorable little holders are great for place cards, buffet markers, or just get creative. All of these Halloween items are listed in our Etsy store and are sold in sets with the cards included.. By the way, that is a real spider in the first photo. She has been named Spiderlina by the kids. I was so excited she decided to have her photo taken today!

On the Move

So, earlier in the week when I decided to share our studio with you I had no idea that it would include a move. The week was so unbelievably busy. There wasn't one space that wasn't being used for an order, a project or stacks of supplies. We have decided to take on a little more space. We are going to keep the space we have, but acquire a space that has a better outdoor working space. I am excited about a new studio and the decorating ideas are already running through our minds. We will share pictures along the way!
As for the pictures above, you can see that we were working on everything from place card holders, table number holders, chalk boards and much more.

Toniann and Kyle's Wedding by Heather Elizabeth Photography

We just wanted to share these beautiful photos taken by Heather Elizabeth Photography. These are the most beautiful photos ever taken of our hand crafted bud vases!!

Something Old

Back by popular demand! We stopped selling the wire wrapped wall vases for a short time, but now they are back. They have been one of our all time best sellers so we couldn't retire them forever. I have them listed in our Etsy and on our website. They look so charming hanging from trees for your outdoor wedding and reception, but look just as cute in your kitchen or bathroom.

All in a days work

Here is just a little peek at how our day goes. Just so you know, I crammed 6 hours into 4 photos. The pics make it look easy, but most days we are rushing and overcoming some sort of obstacle to get the orders out to our brides. We always start our day with coffee (lots of it) ! While we are getting settled, we discuss the important goals and the "must go out" packages. Then we get down to business. Time is limited and the school day sometimes seems so short. Most days Jennifer gets to work bending wire to create all those cute little holders and I work on the packing, paperwork, errand running and you name! We are a great team and have found out what works and doesn't work for us. Well, that isn't really true. Change is a constant in the studio, but that makes it all the more interesting. I hope you come back to see more!!

Catering and Bakery Supplies

Over the past couple of months we have noticed that our orders from bakeries and caterers have increased dramatically. This is market that found us but we are having a great time customizing orders to fit their needs. From chalkboards to buffet markers, we have tweaked and re sized to fit specific needs and food items.

The pictures above are from Royal Fig Catering which is located in the Austin area. Their catering style can fit any need you may have from a whimsical wedding to an outdoor family event. We were thrilled to see our holders on their beautifully delicious tables.

This week we will be shipping a custom order to a catering company that is located in the Chicago area. I will have the big reveal later this week.

Anyway, if looking for a creative touch to mark food on your buffet table we have many styles to choose from. Please also check out our Etsy store for more styles.

THE TEAM

I still remember this day. We thought we were so funny all buttoned up in Mom's coat. Well, it didn't always stay that way. As a lot of sister do, we went through a "love hate" relationship through out teens. As we got older we grew closer again and had some really great and crazy times together. Then came time for us to start our families and chaos ensued. It has been a roller coaster ever since. It was hard to believe that my wild little sis had her family and was sewing and painting and making beautiful things from garage sale finds. Meanwhile, I had my own thing going on. My husband worked days and I bartended at night so that one of us could always be home with the kids. I was slinging drinks and Jen was creating art. We both did what was best for our families. I knew that is was time for me to start thinking about a change so I took that leap of faith. It was not a hard decision and it was one of the best ones I ever made. Jen and I are so alike and so different all at the same time. We get a long great and spend so much of our day laughing and giggling about the stuff that only sisters could understand.
We work the business around our families and that is so important to us. We have a lot of big dreams and with God on our side we know we handle anything that comes our way!

The Studio

We have been through a lot of growing pains, rearranging, organizing and of course decorating to make our studio a fun and inspirational place to work. It is a never ending project but that is good because it means we are constantly growing. I couldn't ask for a better place to work and play. I say play because we have so much fun that it doesn't seem like a job. Over the next few weeks we will be giving you a glimpse into our studio and our lives. It is important for us to feel that connection with our customers and readers which is hard to do when our business is 99% online sales. We converse through emails and occasionally phone calls with customers when helping to create the perfect event. Mostly are orders are just a name on the screen and we have to use our imaginations to picture the type of event they may be having. Our main purpose in sharing our workspace with you is to bring you into our world for a moment. Even though we may have only an image in our mind of the person that belongs to the name we take pride and enjoy knowing we have helped make that special day or event even better. Nothing goes out our door unless it is perfect and if you know my sister you know that statement is 100 percent true! Thanks for coming back and reading our blog and please return soon so we can share a little bit of our sunshine with you!! Dawn

EYE CANDY

Here it is! As promised yesterday, we are unveiling our newest creation. It is an adorable little place card holder that doubles as a favor. It is available in our Etsy store so check it out.

A Little Piece of History

I know that I have mentioned many times the old farmhouse that we lost in a fire and how my husband pulled apart each board and nail so we could keep a part of our house close to our heart.

We have used the wood to make farm tables, coffee tables and frames.
When we decided to make mini chalkboards we didn't realize how much of a hit that they would become. Our talented carpenter , who happens to be our father, has now spent many hours cutting each piece of wood and masterfully nailing them together creating wonderful rustic chalkboards and frames. Each piece of wood is so unique that a frame can only be made from one board or the edges will not fit smoothly. I just wanted to share a little bit of the process with you so that you can fully appreciate this little piece of history.
These adorable chalk boards are available in our Etsy store. Just click here to order.

By the way, you will absolutely love our newest creation. I will share it with you tomorrow.

Enchanted Forest

Here is just a little preview of what is to come. We are planning an awesome photo shoot with Fearless Photography that will happen later this month. We are using it as an opportunity to share with you all of our new whimsical and rustic creations. We are excited that Hilary will be shooting for us and sharing her talent. We are lucky enough to have awesome models and it just happens to be close to their anniversary. I will keep you updated as we prepare. We have been playing around with our decor and that means a lot of trips down to the creek where it truly is enchanted.

Awesome Reclaimed Wood Centerpiece

We delivered this one of a kind centerpiece to a friend today and I was so excited about how charming it looked I wanted to share it with you. We make these from wood that came from my sister's 1800's farmhouse. This is one of the beams and you can see the nail holes and the history in the grain of the wood. You can put a candle or a bud vase in any of the holes. It looks fabulous with both flowers and candles. It is so versatile and can be used for any occasion from casual to elegant. These are custom made and can be made in different lengths. For more information just contact Jennifer and she would be happy to put her husband to work making your new centerpiece.