The Unlikely Nest on Facebook

The Unlikely Nest is now on Facebook.  Become a fan, it comes with a number of benefits:

• Be entered to win a $30 Gift Certificate, redeemable in my online shop.
• Be invited to special events.
• Exclusive sales and promotions for Facebook followers.
• Exclusive giveaways and freebies.

Spread the word.

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2010... are you prepared?

Last year I created a printable calendar highlighting some lovely sights around Münster. I had a grand time choosing the images and have decided to make another one for 2010. Of course, my second year abroad has been a bit more eventful in the area of traveling. So this year has some highlights from Berlin, London, Scotland, and Ireland, and Salzburg. Choosing just 12 images was entirely too difficult so I made TWO calendars.

The first is a desktop calendar, sized to fit into a cd jewel case cover. The second can be framed, bound, or hung individually as you wish. You can decide which you like best. Just download the PDF (links are in the sidebar>>>) and print onto heavy white cardstock (two months per page). Below are the images used in each (click on image for larger view):

Contest Giveaway

Winners chosen

And there's more! One lucky winner can choose their favorite twelve images from my Flickr pool. to be added to the calendar of their choice (jewel case or regular) and the font and font color of their choice. There are loads of great photos of architecture, nature, historical sites, and graffitti from my travels to choose from. Don't want the custom calendar for yourself? Enter anyway and you have a lovely give to give.

How: Leave a comment on this post.
When: Comments open through Thanksgiving (November 26th). A winner will be randomly selected and announced November 27th.
What better way to launch the holiday shopping season that getting something for free? Please leave a way for me to contact you with your entry (a link or email address) or I will be forced to select another winner. All past winners on my blog are very much invited to enter for this contest as well.

*Reminder... this is a printable. I don't send you a finished product. But why is this so great? You can print loads of them to give as gifts. Simple, convienient, and gunstig!*

gunstig~ inexpensive

How my heart behaves

Details and a freebie (!) after the jump.


I have been wanting to make a huge art piece to go over my bed because my room has very little personality. I have a great idea for that, though it is a project that requires much time and patience. This small little piece came out of the brainstorming and I quite like it. I am challenging myself to spend no money on any room decorating right now so I am being resourceful as possible. I made the shadow box from an old cereal box and a page from a book I found on the street. And I don't consider myself that great at drawing so I am quite proud of my anatomical heart. I can, at the very least, tell what it is. The embroidery thread I had on hand. I am going to slowly work on the other small project and hopefully have something to show for it next week.

Freebie!

I had grand intentions to create a collection of printable candy bar wrappers for a swap I was participating in a while ago. It never really panned out and I ended up with just one made, albeit too late (see above). That does mean, though, that it is now available to you, dear readers. I hope more will come in the future, but I can't promise. All you have to do is download it, print, cut, and wrap. Then give it to someone radical. :) Any feedback on this little project is highly welcome. Thumbs up, down? Suggestions? I would love to hear from you.

{favorite spot} photo swap

For the last few months I have been participating in an online swap group at Swap-Bot. There is a whole variety of swapping options. Some are simple email swaps of links or surveys. I have had the most fun preparing music for mixed cd swaps and have gotten a lot of really great tea and cocoa from around the world. I would say that I have had a really great experience so far. I have been flaked on once, but it has still been not so long that I have lost complete hope of ever receiving the package.

Anyhow....I have finally now decided to host my own swap because there weren't any email swaps I was terribly interested in and I am now extending an invitation to you. What are we doing? Taking a photo of our favorite spot, whether in the home, nature, city... and emailing it to three people with a small description or story about why you love that spot. In return you will receive three photos. As you already know if you've been reading my blog, I love sharing and expanding community so this seems like a fantastic idea to me. Visit Swap-Bot and sign up for a free account, fill out a profile, then visit the swap's page to join. I'll keep the link in the sidebar until the swap is closed (May 19th). Hope you'll play along.

Another Go

Is the second time a charm on this one? In the end it comes down to just two. And the two are.......


Earrings: Karen
Mix CD: Melissa

Congrats girls and I will be in contact with you to find out where to send your prize. I am totally stoked to share my creations and look forward to compiling some music.

Thank you everyone for your entries. I loved reading all the comments and getting feedback about the music I choose. I will continue hosting giveaways and think I will make all of them a bit more interactive like this one. So keep on checking in because who's to say when it will happen next.

Also, inquiring minds want to know...  what do you think would make a good giveaway?  Do you like the mix cd idea?  How about product sneak peeks, gift certificates to the shop, random crafts, souvenirs from Europe?Recipes?  Give me your input and don't be shy about it.  My thought is, the more I give the more space I am clearing to receive.

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Are you just visting for the Weekend Exposure Project? Just scroll down or click HERE to find this weeks topic.

Getting Mixed Up

Winners Announced

Comments Closed

Okay, I know I just had a giveaway a week ago, but I just have to have another one. Why? Well, the lucky winner hasn't contacted me and I just don't feel right not sending of the dear earrings to someone (hehe, or, per the photo, deer earrings).   So, this giveaway is new and improved because this time there will be two winners and two prizes.  What?  Could she be serious, you ask... oh yes.  Yes, she is very serious.

Prize#1:  Personalized mix cd just for you.  I have shared some lovely music on this little blog and want to share even more.  And do you see that photo above? I just found some great "vinyl" cds, how very retro cool. Now if only I had this to make a modern day mix tape.

Prize#2:  A pair of innertube earrings in the style of your choice (cascading or sweet dangles).  These will be offered in the shop after the giveaway.

How to enter:  Click on the "hears" tab in the menu bar, browsing through the music I have shared so far.  Then comment on this post about which song/artist you like the best and why.  I will create your cd based on what you tell me...plus it will give me an idea of what to share in the future.  WooHoo! If you do not have a registered blogger account please leave a way for me to contact you.  You will have three days to claim your prize.

Entry cut off date:  Friday, February 6th-Noon (PST)

Winners announced:  Saturday, February 7th

We have a winner

Thank you everyone who commented and entered the contest.  The time has come and I have drawn a winner.....drumroll please.........

...........Marigold! Congratulations. I will soon be sending you an email to see where to ship these off to.

Thank you also for those of you that made suggestions. I will be working on these and others and posting them for sale very soon in my shop so keep your eyes peeled.

I hope to do this again very soon.

Product Preview Giveaway

After my last little giveway was so much fun, I swore that it would be something I would do regularly. Well here it is, over four months later, and I am finally doing another. So excited.

In December I got a flat tire on my bicycle. In this city, that sucks. And I suddenly had a useless inner tube on my hands. What was I to do? Create of course. I got inspired and came up with, drumroll please, these beautiful earrings....

...I LOVE them. I love the unexpected material they are made out of. Plus that they can be a little rock'n'roll or a little elegant. What was intended as a geeky project just for me became quickly popular with people I showed them to. So, despite the fact that my shop is a crochet shop, I have decided to start offering these as well. (I got another flat tire, so I am at supply surplus at the moment).

Do you want a pair? I really hope so because I am offering up a pair of these earrings to one lucky person before putting them in my shop. All you have to do is leave a comment on this post and that counts as your entry. On Thursday, Jan 22 at 12:00 MST I will post the winner. Please, please, tell me what you think and what other variations you might like to see (I have a few other designs in the work). Happy commenting.

(Click on photo to enlarge)

*Updated*A little bit of my home for yours

I live in a really beautiful place. Really. Beautiful.

I am entering that period of reflection that always comes with the holidays and approach of a new year.  I will save the "woo" and sappiness for a later post.  But I have gone through my hundreds of photos that I have taken since April and have chosen a few to be featured in a printable calendar that I now want to share with you. I realize a calendar is no replacement for a roundtrip ticket to Germany, but it will just have to do for now.


*Update- December 16th*

The previous has a mistake.  If you are wanting to actually know which day is truly which during February, then please download the calendar again.  

I have also now included a German version for any one who wants that one.

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It's pretty simple really.  Download the file, print the calendar on heavyweight cardstock (2 months per page), do a little cutting and hole punching and you have yourself a calendar.  If you download I would love to hear from you...  Thanks all.

Just for You

Hi.  You read my blog.  You show up for me and are a part of my life.  So if you are interested I would like to offer you a little somethin-somethin.  For all orders placed between now and Monday, December 1 you can get free shipping from my little online shop.  Here's what you do:

1.  Visit the Unlikely Nest on Etsy.

2.  Place your order.

3.  Add "BChronicles" in the note to seller.

4.  Your shipping charges will be refunded to you prior to shipment.

It is one small way I can say "Thank You" for joining me on my journeys.

And it's finally upon us........

Bad planning on my part means that two exciting events are fighting for the spotlight this afternoon. So earlier today (at a time that may be considered yesterday by most my readers) I posted the next Weekend Exposure question. Please do go check that out, I can't wait to see what you all have.

But now is the moment I have been anticipating all week, what a thrill. In the end there were just seven entries for this little drawing so your odds were not so bad. Without further ado.............

...the lit chick from Oregon. Hello there Sarah!  Congratulations, you are the new owner of set of custom coasters (hehe, I just like how that sounds). Let's chat soon about what colors/style you want as well as where I can send them when I am all finished.   I don't think I have your email so just send one to me here.

Thank you all for entering and keep your eyes peeled because at some random point in the future I plan on having another drawing. Inspired by a few of my current projects and the current weather? Most likely. 

I am hoping you all have a beautiful weekend.

worth a stab

My little heart is in love with wool and all the possible loveliness it can be transformed into.  So today I finally sat down and tried my hand at needle felting. This is a process of making felt in which you take wool roving and stab it again and again with a barbed needle. Sounds like a fun way to take out some frustration, right?   My first project was this simple coaster in the photo above.  

So now I want to make more....but have no need for coasters. I sure hope you do though because I am having a drawing.  You know, where you enter your name to WIN SOMETHING.  And in this case that something is a set of four coasters designed, felted, and lovingly shipped off by yours truly.  I feel so excited I am quivering and warm all over.  I love creating for people so this is an indulgence for me every bit as much as a gift for you.

Logistics?  Leaving a comment on this post is your entry.  On friday, August 29, I will draw a name and announce the winner on this here blog.  Let's just say at 12:00 p.m. MST for fun.  Then I will have a chat with the winner about what colors they like and where to send the darn things.  Oh lovely giveaway.  I hope this is the beginning of a beautiful tradition.