halloween time

Halloween is without a doubt my favorite time of year, as I am sure I have said before. I particularly love vintage Halloween items and drawings. There are some great examples on this vintage Halloween Flickr group.
When I saw this fabric, I was inspired to make my little spook into a modern day meets vintage Halloween girl. I used my own pattern, which I make a sell dresses from on my hyena cart. I think it turned out great, and I even made her vintage drink wet doll a matching dress. They look very festive walking down the sidewalk with fall leaves everywhere.
I have already made Ava's actual Halloween costume, which I will debut very soon. It was my first year making her a costume, and it was so much fun. When I put it on her, she gets a agleam in her eyes and I can tell she feels like a Halloween princess!

autumn apples

If there is one food that I love the most during early autumn, it is apples. Apples are so versatile and delicious. After reading a post on the blog Uncommon Grace last night, I was inspired to make baked apples.
They turned out divine, and we have leftovers to go with old fashioned oats Sunday morning.
Here is my recipe, which I have lowered the butter and sugar in to make them more waist friendly:

set oven to 350 degrees

cut two medium juicy apples in half, and remove cores

put in baking dish and fill hollowed cores with one tablespoon brown sugar, one half tablespoon butter, and sprinkle with cinnamon

put in the oven and check after 25 minutes

apples should be soft and core goodies should be melty

serve with vanilla ice cream if desired

enjoy!

fall is in the air

October is one of my favorite months of the year. In Oregon, t is apparent by October that fall is here. Nothing makes me feel quite as satisfied as a sunny, crisp fall day.
I have been baking-a lot. Chocolate chip cookies, banana bread, chicken pot pie, snicker doodles, coffee cake, you name it. This must be my body preparing itself for the impending winter. I’m quite sure that I have enough storage to make it through the cold, but my brain doesn’t seem to know that. So I continue to bake, and probably will do so until I see a shocking jump on the scale, at which point I will feel the urge to join one of those weight support groups. Ha!
Every October, we visit the pumpkin patch. I suppose not everyone has pumpkin patches near them, but they must cart pumpkins in on trucks and stack them somewhere for the kiddos to enjoy.
We get our pumpkin joy at a place called E.Z. Orchards, which has a nice small petting zoo, a corn maze, various plywood painted things with cutouts for your face(i.e pigs and cowgirls), and of course lots of pumpkins. Last year, Ava was barely able to hold a pumpkin, but this year she picked out her very own tiny pumpkins. It was so much fun watching her tromp through the corn maze and pumpkin fields with her blue and red cherry rain-boots on.
Soon I will be hit with the realization the the winter holidays are coming, and winter crafting will commence. Until then, I will continue to prepare for Halloween and stay strong on my baking spree.

It has been seven weeks since I have written here. It started out with a vacation seven weeks ago, and there has been another since then. I find it hard to believe that it has been so long, but the calendar doesn’t lie.
We have done so much during this time that I find it hard to know where to begin. We have traveled from Oregon to California, back to Oregon, and up to Washington. It has been great to travel, but now that fall is settling in I find myself ready.
I found a juried craft fair called Crafty Wonderland, that I have been preparing to enter. I have been sewing and taking photos in preparation for this weekend’s deadline. It isn’t until December, but it will take me that long to build up enough product to sell. If I don’t get accepted, I’ll have plenty to sell in my Etsy Shoppe through the winter!
I just got my huge shipment of Joel Dewberry fabrics. Now I find myself staring at it, not knowing what to make. I’m sure it will come to me, probably in the middle of the night after a pee break. It seems like this is when I get my best ideas, and consequently end up exhausted the next day.
I am ready for the cooler days and nights, long summer days can be so tiring. We harvested about 40lbs of organic tomatoes the other day, and turned them in to spaghetti sauce to can. They never made it to the jars though-I burned six gallons of premium sauce. It made me sick, and still does to think of it.
We have a very nice crop of butternut squash coming on, and are ready to plant our winter crops. There is always a anew cycle of food to be harvested with some garden planning. Today I am going to do some baking for the weekend. On the list is banana bread, cinnamon coffee cake and roasted butternut. I hope you have a relaxing weekend, wherever you are.

country life

Living in a small town surrounded by countryside, we are quite literally one minute away from breathtaking fields of flowers. Sometimes I forget that not everyone lives in a town or even a state that grows what we grow in Oregon.
Yesterday, my family and I went for a drive through the rolling hills to look for carpets of flowers. We found a radiant field of purple flowers (which I can’t remember the name of, but know I’ve grown). On one dirt road loop, the farmers always grow rows of different brightly colored flower crops, which I think is candy for the eyes to see.

After touring the flower fields, we drove up the hill to feed and water one of our friend’s chickens. It was a drive full of fowl! On the way, a family of wild turkeys walked right in front of us. I had my camera in my lap, and was able to snap two shots of them before they scurried off into the brush. I love seeing wild turkeys, it is quite a treat!


When we arrived at our friends farm, which let me tell you I am very jealous of, we walked down to check on the birds. They have a beautiful assortment of Barred Rocks and Rhode Inland Reds, with one very friendly rooster. If you have ever met a mean rooster(and a lot of them are) you will know why I pointed out his lovely disposition. We dug around for hidden eggs, and filled the metal watering cans to the brim. The girls(and boy) were super happy to get fresh water, and even more excited by the plantain that I threw in for them to nosh on.
We drove back down the hill into our small town, and I started thinking about how I would love to have a farm like that someday. I guess I have always wanted that, but now that we own a home, the possibility of an upgrade to more property seems attainable. It is always good to have dreams, and even better when they become realized.

old things

I have always loved old things. The trendy thing to call them now is "vintage". My grandad has had an antique shop in Seattle for longer than I have been alive. I remember trips to visit him at the shop. I would spend hours dusting his treasures, in trade for one special thing that I picked out.

My family has been thrifting for generations. My grandad and mother both had their "trap lines", a route stopping at various junk shops, flea markets, and hole in the wall thrift stores. When I was young, I usually tolerated being guided through these spots, but the flea markets were my favorite.

Today Ava opened a bathroom drawer and peered inside. She found a very old blue glass bead necklace, that my grandad gave me. She put it on her topless torso, and danced around the room. I persuaded her to put on a shirt (stained with strawberry from our garden), and snapped a few shots of her. When I looked at the photos, I realized she was sitting on my favorite vintage chair. It was passed down from my mother, and is probably older than us both.

This got me to thinking about things that I love and cherish in my house that are old. I walked around and saw our old copper planted that hangs to the side of our sink, cheerfully holding some of this years lavender harvest. I looked to the lamp with the silk shade that lights up our living room. My mother had it for years before donating it with our purchase of her cottage.


It's not just things that are in the house either-it is the house itself. Our home was built in 1922, and carries so much history and character with it. At the end of our living room is a wonderful, quaint set or biult in cabinets that house my family's book collection.

I think a love of old things is a precious gift. Some are born with this appreciation, surrounded by it from birth. Others find their own way to the vintage world. Once you have seen the wonder of it, you will never look at new things the same.

summer bounty

blueberry peach jam, originally uploaded by trillium~mama.

Another thing I love about summer is the bounty of fresh foods. We are lucky to have a very nice garden in the city limits, with a variety of fruits and vegetables. Today I went out and picked our one lonely blueberry bush. It is the only one to have survived the introduction of a wild dog species(not really, but they are quite spastic sometimes)!

Anyway, this bush has withstood gnawing, exposure of roots due to dogs running around in circles, and yes even the occasional "shower". My dear husband was kind enough to save the poor bush this year by closing of the area in which it resides, to all foreign canine species. The bush happily thanked me by giving me enough berries for a batch of jam. I did have to throw in one peach, but that makes it taste all the more delicious!

I also tried a batch of refrigerator pickles due to the prolific nature of my cucumber plants. Note to self: We do not need 4 cucumber plants for a family of two adults and one cucumber despising toddler. This toddler does however love pickles, so I'm turning the cukes into something the whole family can enjoy.

I'll be sure to keep you all posted on my ongoing food storage adventure!

summer in a small town

One thing I love about summer in the Northwest is that everyone seems to beam out of their homes and a true sense of community is born again. It really is like a rebirth. When the first weekend of warm sunshine hits, the sidewalks and parks are once again filled with jolly conversation and children’s laughter.

A feeling of extended family lasts through the summer in my small town. It can still be felt in coffee shops and in cottages by a roaring fire in the rainy, often dreary months. Sometimes when I think the rain has lasted far too long, that first warm sunny weekend breaks through and I once again see familiar faces come out of winter hibernation.

If there is one type of event that exudes small town family togetherness, it is a parade. Our town has two parades every summer: the pet parade and the Homer Davenport parade. The pet parade is a splendid display of dogs in tutus, bunny cages on Red wagons, cowgirls on ponies, and everything in between. And I do mean everything- this year we saw a Chihuahua quite contentedly riding on the back of a pig!

The second parade which just occurred this past weekend, is a parade to honor our town’s most famous citizen, Homer Davenport. I didn’t really see too many homages to Homer, but it was a nicely done parade. The best part of the parade was watching the people, and waving to friends and family who were in the parade.

Ava and I sat next to a wonderful woman and her three sons. The two younger sons were identical twins who were turning one that very day. Ava was perplexed by them, as she has not seen many twins in her short life. To make things better, a set of two-and-a-half year old fraternal twin girls were sitting on the other side of the boys. The girls just had to come meet the boys, and cooed at the babies, and stroked their chubby hands. It was really very endearing.

After the parade the town stayed bustling for a few hours, before dying down to its usual summer pace. Looking around in the sunlight people were relaxed and beaming around from place to place. I sat with Ava on a bench and enjoyed a silent mother-daughter moment, and thought that soon people would be scurrying from doorway to doorway in their overcoats and goulashes, trying to avoid the rain. Even though the sidewalks may no longer be places of chatting and relaxing afternoons in the winter, I know that a step inside a cozy shop will find people glowing as they did in the summer. While some of my extended family does indeed hibernate through the winter, I still have many friends and mirthful conversations to pull me through to the next sunny day.

high school dance team, originally uploaded by trillium~mama.

river watching

river watching, originally uploaded by trillium~mama.

On our recent trip to Central Oregon, we stopped at the Metolius River for an afternoon so Andy could fly fish. Ava and I sat under a magnificent ponderosa pine, and breathed in the smells of the river and the forest around it. I once took a class where I had to read a book by Kathleen Dean Moore called Riverwalking. She spoke of our strong connections to rivers, particularly our home river. This is the river that you feel the most connected to-the one that embraces you the moment you near its banks.
My home river is the Metolius River. It is a wild river located in the Metolius Basin. I was blessed to live very near its banks for a time during my childhood. Before living there, my family had been drawn there. My former step father had gone there as a child, and we camped there during my young childhood.
Last term I had to watch a video for a college course on environmental ecology. I was half asleep during the intro of the speaker until I heard her name. It was the author of Riverwalking. She read excerpts from the book about her home river, and taking her daughter there. The book had stirred up emotions years ago when I read it in my early twenties. Now as a mother hearing her read about her home river and her daughter, tears rolled down my face.
Most people have felt a connection to a river. I am thankful to say that mine has been a beautiful wild river. Tragically, our state governor had just ok'ed the building of two mega resorts near the Metolius. This precious resource will soon be ruined for monetary reasons. The fragile wild habitat will be lost due to pollutants and excess vehicle and foot traffic. If you live in Oregon, please write to Governor Kulongoski and tell him you do not approve of the destruction of this precious resource.

there's no place like home

In case anyone has noticed, I have been gone for a couple of weeks. Andy had a ten day vacation, and this year we decided to take advantage of every day. We started by traveling(driving) to the southern coast of Oregon. Andy and I had never been past the central coast so it was a new world to us. It was so beautiful and different from the scenery up north. On the way, we stopped off to take some photos of a lighthouse. We got a couple of really nice shots, despite being on a windy bluff with no tripod.

We camped just outside of a town that is right on the border of California. The campground we stayed in was nice, but a little too nice for our more rugged camping style. It had showers, running water, a playground, daily movies and nature walks, a Laundromat, wireless internet, cable for Rvs, and even an evening ice/ice cream truck! It was almost to much for Andy to handle. I think having all of these amenities sort of cramped his manhood(even though we didn’t use and but the water and shower)!

After we has set up camp, we drove down the coast to find a good spot to play in the sand. Apparently our campground is host to Oregon’s largest off coast island, which is also a seabird sanctuary. So, there were a ton of people on the beach near our camp. We drove over the border(a first for Andy and Ava) and found a nice little county park. We toted Ava and her beach toys down to the warm sand. The weather was perfect-mid eighties, and the water was so warm. It was an amazing afternoon!

The next day after a delicious breakfast of diced ham and eggs on a croissant(from a local café), we headed down to the redwoods. We took a short drive and hike through an old growth redwood forest. The trees made Andy look tiny (he’s 6'4") and photos make our car look very out of proportion. Andy had never seen anything like these amazing beauties, and was in complete awe. It’s really difficult to get a feeling for how massive they are until you are standing on the forest floor beneath them.

We spent the next few days enjoying the coast, and driving north toward home. Along the way, we bought a kite because I found out my poor husband had never flown one! After spending a few hours with the kite, I’m quite sure he should go pro.

We rolled back into town and spent the night relaxing. The next night, we went to see George Clinton and P-Funk right here in our quaint town. We had a blast, and I feel privileged to have seen the King of Funk.

Friday we headed over to Bend for the weekend. We drove around looking at houses, went fly fishing, and took Ava to lots of good parks(which we are lacking in our town). By the time we got home, we both looked at each other and expressed our feelings that we not travel for a while. Our trips were excellent, Ava did so well during all of the hours in the car, but we’re so glad to be home.

It’s true.... “There’s no place like home” Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz

the county fair

I love going to the fair. I was in bunny 4-H for many years, and got to go to the fair every year. I love the smells, sounds, tastes, I love it all. I was excited to start sharing the fair with Ava this year.
We decided to go on Sunday a 4pm, when the admission was free. It is a small fair, so we figured we would have plenty of time to see everything in 2 hours. We started with the rabbits, chickens and guinea pigs. Ava wasn't to interested in them, but did point at a few.
We the moved on to the cows. We saw these two mama cows lounging on each other-it was really cute. Ava was excited to see a red/brown and white Holstein calf that looked just like her favorite stuffed critter pal, Maybell.

Next we went in to see the goats. Ava thought the Nigerian Dwarf goats were just her size. It was the only animal that she attempted to pet. We also saw pigs, one of which startled Ava so that she screamed and cried. Those squealing pigs can be quite frightening!
We ended our day with a trip through the exhibit hall which housed giant cucumbers and Christmas quilts. On the way out, we couldn't resist stopping for ice cream. It was a perfect afternoon at the fair.

yard sale

I have no photos to show you, my friend, because I have been slaving away at a yard sale the past two days. I have no photos to show you because it was hot and dusty and sticky, and I just didn't feel like dealing with the camera. I know some of you must have had these days before.

It seems like an awful lot of work to have a yard sale. One couple that came through looked familiar from my husband and my Sunday yard sale treks. I asked them about it. The woman said they hadn't been for three weeks (she was so proud). She said they collected so many things that it was time for them to have a sale of their own.
I told her that was what had happened to us. She found a few things to buy, and her husband reluctantly pulled out his wallet. I'm sure he was thinking "what are we doing buying more stuff if we need to have our own sale?!".

She was into crafting and asked what I did with fabric(I had stacks of it for very cheap). I told her about my bags and clothing, and my addiction to putting it on shelves. She asked where I sold my stuff and I told her-she vowed to look me up.
Before she left, I told her we'd probably see them at their sale when they had one.

I seem to have a problem going to them. My sale started at nine Saturday morning, so at eight my daughter and I hit a few sales. This was after we had already sat out in the heat at our Friday sale, for the entire day. What was I thinking?!

My husband was at work today so when the sale ended, I packed all the leftovers up (in the afternoon heat) and carted them off to charity. I folded all the tables and threw the against a wall, with the boxes and sawhorse carcasses. Someone else can deal with them.

In the end, we didn't do to bad in the money department. We got enough to pay for gas and lodging for our upcoming vacation. After all that work I thought I had learned my lesson, not to collect too many things. Then I went to take down our signs at all the usual yard sale sign spots. There they were-signs for Sunday sales. I found myself jotting down a few.

I'm sure I will be a much more finical shopper now.

dresses galore!

Because of my nature to want to have simple things and embellished things, I have now created two lines of dresses.
Here is a blurb from my product info page~

"The *fern collection* is a great everyday dress. It can be dressed up, but is also perfect for a summer picnic. Dresses in the fern collection include one set of snaps, and one fabric on the outside of the dress, with coordinating inner top lining.
The *orchid collection* is the perfect dress for pictures or a party or event. Dresses in the orchid collection often include 2 sets of snaps(depending on size) , a band of coordinating fabric along the bottom of the dress, and/or some sort of ribbon embellishment, and coordinating lining on the top. They are often made from top of the line name brand fabric collections."

So now I have two collectios to choose from! Visit my hyena cart shop to see them.

As some of you know, I have been selling my large trillium mama bags at a local knitting shop called the Purl District for a while now. I have received very positive feedback, and nothing makes my day more than seeing one being toted around town.

I have decided to sell them in my shops, and just listed the first one on my hyena cart shop. These bags are multi purpose-they can store knitting projects, cloth diapers, beachwear, etc. I try to use fun fabrics, that will set the bags apart from the others out there. I hope to be listing some in my etsy shoppe soon as well.

an evening to remember

Yesterday was a scorcher here in the Willamette Valley. Temperatures soared to nearly 100 in my quaint little town. I’m sure people were down dipping their toes in the crystal clear creek that winds its way through downtown. Not Ava and I though, we were getting ready for our first official summer dinner party.
I started with the lasagna the night before. It was not as hard to make as I’d thought lasagna would be. Because of the pure cheesy nature of lasagna, I tend to stay away from it. This version was much lighter, vegetarian, and let the tasty summer tomatoes shine.

In the early afternoon, I worked on these cute little green bean and asparagus rafts. They took a bit of prep work, but they were delish and stayed on the grill without falling through the rack. Worth the extra time if you ask me! I also worked on a salmon rub, dressing for our salad, couscous, and watermelon.

Here is what our menu consisted of:

Fresh Wild Alaskan Copper River Salmon
with a Lemon Tarragon Rub

Farmer’s Market Tomato Lasagna
with Ricotta and Fresh Mozzarella

Couscous with Garlic and Olive Oil

Grilled Sesame Green Bean and Asparagus Rafts

Local Mixed Greens with Balsamic Vinaigrette

Chilled Cubed Watermelon

It was still unbearably hot when our guests arrived, so we started out with some cool refreshing drinks. Included on our guest list were our friends Paul and Vanessa, and their two children Maya(9) and Mica(4). Ava had great fun watching Mica do big kid things!

The air cooled off by the time we sat down to eat. I made Maya her own little table, which she adored and artfully decorated with stones. The food was great and didn’t last long. We had a very peaceful dinner in our lovely backyard-can’t wait to do it again soon!

roger and theresa's 3rd of july extravaganza

rene lance and theo, originally uploaded by trillium~mama.

I was looking back over my blog post about the party I attended on the 3rd of July, and I decided that it was much to mundane and simple for such a superb event. So here it is, the newly revised blog titled “Roger and Theresa’s 3rd of July Extravaganza”.

Tuesday was a hot, humid day in the Willamette Valley. The weatherman said 85 degrees, but I was quite sure he meant 105 degrees(you know weathermen). My poor husband Andy was out slinging tires in the heat all day, had to skip lunch, and ended up working ten hours straight. When he got home, we relaxed ate dinner, and got ready to go to the local botanical gardens to watch the fireworks(which we have on the 3rd).

We drove across town, which never takes more than 10 minutes, even in traffic. We turned into the gardens, and as we did, noticed an angry looking man driving out. We soon found out why. The gardens were full, and we were told to look elsewhere for a spot to watch the show.

Just down the hill is a nice shady park. Across from that park is the annual Roger and Theresa’s 3rd of July Extravaganza. We had never been technically invited by anyone who counted, and Andy didn’t want to crash the party. So, we walked around the park with Ava, waiting for the show to begin.

I wanted to go in so badly. I saw carloads of all the cool cats in town pouring into Roger and Theresa’s secluded country farm. The final straw hit when I saw this super annoying guy that moved to town only a year ago, weasel his way in. I said to Andy “We have know most of these people forever, we deserve to be in there”! He said he knew that, but still felt uncomfortable going in without an invitation.

Suddenly I noticed a white van coming down the road-was it Maria?! Closer....closer...Yes, it is Maria! Finally one of my close friends has shown up! I tried to look cool and calm as I walked quite desperately and quickly to her van. She asked what we were doing, and I told her the whole story. She immediately said she was inviting us in, so in we went.

We walked through the blackberry lined gate, and under an orchard. I saw familiar faces everywhere. The older artsy community, the younger creative crowd, and tons of kiddlets. There were belly dancers, drummers, and everything in between. It was everything I’d always dreamt it would be. It was like a dream-all of my friends were there, happy, basking in the afternoon glow.

We ate good food, had good drinks, conversation, and laughs. We watched children play in the tall grass, and run in and out of the child sized yurt. I got to see my favorite people, and sat and chatted with my girlfriends while we nursed our babes.

Finally darkness came over the little farm, and we all settled down on our blankets, families reunited. The fireworks began, and were spectacular. There were all sorts of comments and noises coming from the crowd. My favorite moment was when I looked back over the crowd during a flash of light. The hillside was lit up, and I could see all of the smiling faces gazing up into the sky. It felt so incredibly special to be here with my large(100+ people) extended family.

When the fireworks ended, we gathered out things and headed home. The first thing we both said to each other in the car was that we can’t wait for next year.

Thank you Roger and Theresa for helping us make such an incredible, unforgettable memory.

(photo of friends Rene and Lance, and baby Theo)

reconstructed dress

reconstructed dress front, originally uploaded by trillium~mama.

The other day, I saw another flickr member's photo of her daughter in a reconstructed shirt dress. I found a men's shirt at Goodwill, and used this tutorial to whip up this dress. It turned out pretty well, but it was super hard to photograph it on the moving toddler!

vintage and vintage-ish buttons

vintage and vintage-ish buttons, originally uploaded by trillium~mama.

So the other day I was having thrifting fever. Ava and I drove to a nearby city and went out to a Goodwill that usually has good crafty stuff and books.
They had moved the books to the front, so we started there. We found a great 1980s Sunset kids crafting book, and a 1960s Hardy Boys book. I have actually never read the Hardy Boys, so I picked it up for a light mystery read.
Next we made our way to the men's shirt isle. I was searching for a shirt to turn into a dress for Ava, for my little brother's wedding next weekend. I found a perfect shirt, and will post pics as soon as I'm done with the dress.
I saved the best for last-the crafty isle. I found an embroidery hoop to add to my collection, which will become fabric art someday. Then I saw it. Up on the top shelf was a large plastic pickle jar. It was full of tons of buttons! I snatched it up quickly, looking around to fend off the other button hounds ready to attack me. There wasn't anyone else in the isle. I couldn't believe I had just scored such a find!
When I got home, I went through the jar. Lots of nice vintage looking(I'm not a judge of actual age, just looks) buttons galore. I still have to take photos of the best actual vintage buttons on cards that were in the jar. There were some great ones!
Anyway, it made my week, and I can now officially say I am a vintage button collector!

*chocolate meets peony pink* set

I have just listed this absolutely gorgeous set in my Shop, as an auction. It is so lovely, I almost want to save it until Ava grows into it! I did this collaboration with the talented Lina of LuLubands. She makes some totally adorable headbands, that last from infant-hood to pre-teen!
Please visit the shop and check this extra special set out!

trillium baby quilted triangle bag . minty dots .

trillium baby quilted triangle bag . minty dots ., originally uploaded by trillium~mama.

With all of the interest I have had for these bags, I am now going to offer them in my Etsy Shop.

trillium baby quilted triangle bag . neapolitan dots .

trillium baby quilted triangle bag . neapolitan dots ., originally uploaded by trillium~mama.

With all of the interest I have had for these bags, I am now going to offer them in my Etsy Shop.

trillium baby quilted triangle bag . minty paisley .

trillium baby quilted triangle bag . minty paisley ., originally uploaded by trillium~mama.

With all of the interest I have had for these bags, I am now going to offer them in my Etsy Shop.

trillium baby quilted triangle bag . summery flowers .

trillium baby quilted triangle bag . summery flowers ., originally uploaded by trillium~mama.

With all of the interest I have had for these bags, I am now going to offer them in my Etsy Shop.

trillium baby quilted triangle bag . rainbow stripes .

trillium baby quilted triangle bag . rainbow stripes ., originally uploaded by trillium~mama.

With all of the interest I have had for these bags, I am now going to offer them in my Etsy Shop.

trillium baby quilted triangle bag . coral pink paisley .

trillium baby quilted triangle bag . coral pink paisley ., originally uploaded by trillium~mama.

With all of the interest I have had for these bags, I am now going to offer them in my Etsy Shop.

Lovely Madelyn

Lovely Madelyn, originally uploaded by trillium~mama.

Yesterday Ava and I met with our friends Jenny and Madelyn. We had chai and scones, then made our way over to the grassy park in my little town.
I did a collaboration with another crafty mama, and I needed a model that it would fit(2t). As you can see, it fit lovely Madelyn perfect! The dress is mine, and the cute flower top is a LuLuband.
We meant to have it listed this week, but hyena cart has been down, so check for updates!
Madelyn was such a good sport, she was very curious about my camera. She just kept walking around me in circles checking it out!

Deep Breath

trillium mama triangle bags, originally uploaded by trillium~mama.

It has been a while since I have posted here. Last week was my dear husband Andy's vacation, and we had great fun camping and cleaning our house. We had more fun camping than cleaning, but we were long overdue for a complete house overdrive, and it feels great to be in a home again.
I also just finished my last final for the term, last night. I feel like I haven't been breathing all term, and now I can relax a bit more. I get one whole week off before a splendid summer biology course. The lab is right next to the human anatomy lab-ah the smell of formaldehyde in the humid summer air!
On a lighter note, I have begun my summer of sewing! I started opening some custom dress slots on my hyena cart, and have made more luscious quilted triangle bags. They are available at The Purl District, and will soon be in my Etsy shop.
Today Ava and I are sailing off to the craft store for some ribbon. I am making a to die for brown with pink polka dots dress to go with an adorable custom made Lulu Band. Keep your eyes open for this great collaboration coming soon.
Happy crafting,
Chelsea

Hong Kong Top

Hong Kong 2T top, originally uploaded by trillium~mama.

This was supposed to be a dress, but it ended up shorter than I planned. Voila! A top! See my Shop.

checking out chickens

checking out chickens, originally uploaded by trillium~mama.

We took some time out yesterday to do some work around the house. Andy built some things, including new cedar window boxes for our henhouse. We drove out to a really nice local nursery and bought some plants to fill them. It was a nice afternoon outing.
I also took the winter door off the coop and Ava was excited to see the hens on her level. She was peeking in on them all afternoon!

our shade garden

our shade garden, originally uploaded by trillium~mama.

We have been having divine gardening weather here in the Pacific Northwest. This year I actually managed to start some tomato and cucumber seeds indoors, and they lived to get transplanted!
We have four varieties of tomatoes: brandywine, Italian heirloom, Martino's roma, and silvery fir tree. Eight of the plants have been moved out to one of our two large raised beds-the other five are here in the shade garden waiting to go in the other bed.
The shade garden is my own little haven. This photo is looking out my bedroom window, into my future craft room window. The garden is home to a variety of plants from wild geranium to bluebells and ferns. My husband Andy even built a nice pergola to support our evergreen clematis and wisteria vines.
I can't wait to get out into my new craft room, and put in a bigger window to view my shade garden. It's one of life's little pleasures.

creamsicle finches dress

creamsicle finches dress, originally uploaded by trillium~mama.

I have been having so much fun making dresses this week! This one is made of one of my favorite fabrics. You can find it in my Shop. I have enough of this fabric that you can even pick your toddler or baby's size.

Spring Chicks

Teen Chicks, originally uploaded by trillium~mama.

Here are this years chicks. Last year we bought two chicks in hopes of getting at least one hen. We found out they were both roosters-our poor hens! They went to nice new homes, and this year we started over.
We have weeded out the roosters, and now have what we believe to be four hen chicks. Our two old banty hens are 11 and 12yrs old, so they are no spring chickens (groan)! We wanted to get some new girls to keep them company.
It's been great-Bleu adopted half of them, and Broody adopted the other half. It's amazing at their ages they have the energy to keep up with babies! I'm young and I can barley keep up with mine!
We look forward to Ava growing up with backyard chickens. I can't wait for her to have a little egg basket and gather fresh eggs. I'll keep you all posted on our chicken farm adventures.

Vintage Mama's Kitchen Dress

Vintage Mama's Kitchen Dress, originally uploaded by trillium~mama.

Yet another cool summery dress. This time I am sizing up by request from lots of mamas. Check this dress out at my Store . More fun prints to come!