The Farmers Market Opening for Hip-Threads, and finding balance

Last weekend was the opening of Hip-Threads at the Highlands Farmers Market in Denver.  I was pretty nervous and have spent countless hours working toward getting my items finished and booth ready to display in the months before the market.  In fact, I have spent so much time on the farmers market that I have neglected some other things, like keeping my website updated, blogging, and hiking.  Which has really forced me to think about finding balance with such a busy lifestyle.  How do you keep up with work + all the aspects of a business, plus blogging, hiking, cooking, cleaning, gardening...there just isn't enough time in the day!   I would love to hear some of your ideas and suggestions?!

As for the market, Hip-Threads did pretty well, not as great as I had hoped, but certainly not bad either.  I did get asked about children's clothing, which I did not have much of; so I hope to find some time to make some skirts and pants before the next market.  Now that the market is over for the month, I am working on all the things that I let slide, and getting prepared for our two week trip back to Michigan next week.  My sister is getting married and we leave to go home next week!   Below are some photos of my display; I'd love to hear any comments or suggestions on how I can improve my booth! 

My weekly thrift store finds

The Denver Farmers Market starts next weekend and I have been in need of supplies to display my items. This week, while looking for a display for my earrings, I found a huge bag of great vintage fabrics for just $2.99.

Many of the fabrics are really unique and like none I have ever seen before; there is a blue fabric with mermaids; several vintage black and white fabrics with people playing on them; lots of cotton fabrics in shades of red, which I need, and several yards of a vintage fruit and patchwork fabric shown in photo below. This is quite a good find, and I have already used several of the fabrics in my wall hangings. I did find an earring display; a bamboo tray (in photo above) that Josh added twisting back legs to it, so I can put the earrings on either the front or back of the tray. I just need a couple more things to make the table 3D and a little more unique.

Next Saturday is the market and I still have so many things to do, I am starting to wonder if I will get everything done in time. And worry if it will all be worth all the hard work. I sure hope so! I can only think of the last market I sold at, several years ago which turned into a huge disaster. But I am trying to think good thoughts and maybe the best will happen! This weekend it rained the entire weekend, so hopefully next weekend it will be nice and people will be ready to get outside and shop after a weekend inside. :)

My weekly thrift store finds

The Denver Farmers Market starts next weekend and I have been in need of supplies to display my items.  This week, while looking for a display for my earrings, I found a huge bag of great vintage fabrics for just $2.99.

Many of the fabrics are really unique and like none I have ever seen before; there is a blue fabric with mermaids; several vintage black and white fabrics with people playing on them; lots of cotton fabrics in shades of red, which I need, and several yards of a vintage fruit and patchwork fabric shown in photo below.  This is quite a good find, and I have already used several of the fabrics in my wall hangings.  I did find an earring display; a bamboo tray (in photo above) that Josh added twisting back legs to it, so I can put the earrings on either the front or back of the tray.  I just need a couple more things to make the table 3D and a little more unique. 

Next Saturday is the market and I still have so many things to do, I am starting to wonder if I will get everything done in time.  And worry if it will all be worth all the hard work.  I sure hope so!  I can only think of the last market I sold at, several years ago which turned into a huge disaster.  But I am trying to think good thoughts and maybe the best will happen!  This weekend it rained the entire weekend, so hopefully next weekend it will be nice and people will be ready to get outside and shop after a weekend inside.  :)

How does your garden grow?

This year I had high hopes of having a huge garden, bigger than all other years, because I am not working at a full time office job anymore, I thought I might have more time to tend to it. Boy was I wrong! We barely got two raised beds in and planted in time, and already my peas are looking hot and wilty, a product of the hot sun in Colorado and late planting. Other than my peas, the rest of my garden looks pretty good, I can already harvest salad and radishes are starting to come up! My spinach is not doing good, however, I am not sure what's wrong with it, but this is my first year planting spinach, so I wasn't sure what to expect.

In my second planter, I planted things that needed to grow after all danger of frost or snow, and as we know here in Colorado, snow can come in June. I planted these about 2 weekends ago and the onion bulbs are coming up, so are some green beans and one squash plant. I hope the raised beds help me contain the weeds a little better.

Unfortunately, when I went to check the plants today, I noticed the lettuce and radish are already being eaten by some bug! I never know what is doing this because I never see them, this is the earliest in the season we have had bugs and I am not too happy about it. I see some little flies around the plants and also teeny white wormy things in the soil, but I am not sure what either of these are.

Here is a photo of the leaves, if you have any suggestions.

I am going to go pick some lettuce and try some of the bug killer around the outside of the garden, hopefully that will get rid of some of the bugs without putting pesticide in our vegetables. But I guess it probably gets into the water and soil. *sigh* Isn't there a better way? The soapy water never works for me.

Hopefully your garden pests are staying away this summer season!

My second planter box in the photo below, I just planted about 2 weekends ago. The green beans are just sprouting out of the ground, as are the onions and squash. None of my chives or green onion came up, thus continuing my bad luck with herbs. I am going to try to replant something in those rows after camping this weekend and hopefully I can harvest something there before the summer ends.

How does your garden grow?

This year I had high hopes of having a huge garden, bigger than all other years, because I am not working at a full time office job anymore, I thought I might have more time to tend to it.  Boy was I wrong!  We barely got two raised beds in and planted in time, and already my peas are looking hot and wilty, a product of the hot sun in Colorado and late planting.  Other than my peas, the rest of my garden looks pretty good, I can already harvest salad and radishes are starting to come up!  My spinach is not doing good, however, I am not sure what's wrong with it, but this is my first year planting spinach, so I wasn't sure what to expect. 

In my second planter, I planted things that needed to grow after all danger of frost or snow, and as we know here in Colorado, snow can come in June.  I planted these about 2 weekends ago and the onion bulbs are coming up, so are some green beans and one squash plant.  I hope the raised beds help me contain the weeds a little better. 
Unfortunately, when I went to check the plants today, I noticed the lettuce and radish are already being eaten by some bug!  I never know what is doing this because I never see them, this is the earliest in the season we have had bugs and I am not too happy about it.  I see some little flies around the plants and also teeny white wormy things in the soil, but I am not sure what either of these are. 

Here is a photo of the leaves, if you have any suggestions. 

I am going to go pick some lettuce and try some of the bug killer around the outside of the garden, hopefully that will get rid of some of the bugs without putting pesticide in our vegetables.  But I guess it probably gets into the water and soil.  *sigh*  Isn't there a better way?  The soapy water never works for me.
Hopefully your garden pests are staying away this summer season! 


My second planter box in the photo below, I just planted about 2 weekends ago.  The green beans are just sprouting out of the ground, as are the onions and squash.  None of my chives or green onion came up, thus continuing my bad luck with herbs.  I am going to try to replant something in those rows after camping this weekend and hopefully I can harvest something there before the summer ends.