Camas Plant Fair

I have been looking for an event to debut my floral designs and it was suggested that I try the Camas Plant and Garden Fair. This is a popular event that takes place every year the day before Mother's Day, so I decided to give it a try. I spent weeks planning which designs I would create. I got a business license and buyer's pass at the Portland flower market. I bought all of my supplies including folding tables, a canopy and banner. I placed my flower order 2 weeks in advance. Then, about a week before the fair we all got sick with a bronchitis type illness. I was able to rally when Thursday rolled around to pick up my flowers and start working. Thursday was spent prepping the flowers and making 14 orchid corsages. Friday was the big work day. I started at 6am and didn't stop until 4am on Saturday. I'm not sure why I thought I would be able to quickly create over 20 arrangements because everything took so much longer than I had anticipated. By 3am I decided to stop arranging and started wrapping all the extra flowers I had to sell them in bundles at the fair.

My garage workshop

After a couple of hours sleep, Jason and I got up to go set everything up at the fair. By this time I was not in a good mood. If you know me you know that I get grumpy if I don't get enough sleep. I was actually pretty surprised that I hadn't had a mental meltdown by that point. We set up our stuff and Jason went back home to get the rest of the flowers. We got everything set up just in time for the 9am opening.

My corsages and handmade felt gift card holders

After looking at everything I had accomplished I was very proud of myself. The arrangements looked great and I got many compliments. It was funny how many people asked if the flowers were real! I wish I had taken photos of each arrangement, but I was just too tired. It was pretty much miserable after a short downpour that got everything and everyone wet and cold.

Caleb got the biggest snow cone ever!

I really didn't want to take two trips home with unsold flowers, so I had somewhat of a fire sale at the end of the day. I came home with only one arrangement.

After all was said and done, it was a great learning experience, but not something I will be doing on a regular basis. I thought the flowers turned out great and it gave me a boost of confidence that I was able to accomplish what I did. I couldn't have done it without Jason's support. He did so much to help out. It felt sooooo good to get lots of sleep afterward and have a very relaxing Mother's Day.

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter everyone! I always miss family on holidays, but we managed to have a little fun today. We had a wonderful dinner of ham and cheesy potatoes. For dessert we had Jason's latest creation. It was a sugar cookie with white chocolate mousse and chopped strawberries on top. It was SO GOOD! We had our Easter egg hunt in stages because of the on again, off again rain all day. First, we hid one large plastic egg for each of the boys and they took turns finding theirs with the gps.Here's Hiram looking for his. It's hidden under that tree in the foreground.
Then we did the "golden egg" hunt for a large prize which was a frog habitat. This year we didn't have a golden egg so we used an Easter bunny decoration. Jason hid it in a junky car in our backyard. Hiram found it.
After that we were soaking wet, so we brought the hunt inside. We hid the eggs in the living room, so that didn't take too long. In true mom fashion, I left he eggs that had money in them in a sack in our bedroom, so we took the hunt outside again and Jason hid them in the front yard.


After all that Jason and I decided that the kids are getting too old for Easter egg hunts. Maybe we'll have to think up something new for next year.

Sunny Day

Yesterday was the warmest day of the year. It got up to 70 degrees. When speaking about weather, living in Washington really makes you live in the moment. When it's sunny, you better get outside fast before it starts raining again. You can't go to the store without the cashier saying, "Get out there and enjoy the weather while you can!" Yesterday was one of those days when you just wanted to be outside. I spent the day cleaning out the garage and setting up my new canopy that I'll be using in a couple of weeks at the Camas Plant and Garden Fair.
Ethan mowed the lawn. Whenever he thought no one was watching him I saw him either racing around or doing new tricks on the lawn mower.
Later we dyed our Easter eggs.
Everything went off without a hitch until I left Jason alone in the kitchen. I while later I saw Mia walk by.
I'm sure she'll have an easy next life after putting up with all of our antics. She gets her revenge by throwing up all over the carpet.

Tiptoe through the Tulips

Today, Jason and I took a trip to the Wooden Shoe tulip farm in Woodburn, Oregon. I love driving through the quaint countryside and seeing all the lush farmlands. The tulips weren't bad either. 40 acres of blooming tulips is quite the sight!

If it ain't Dutch, it ain't much!

This looked like hard work!

I love being able to explore places that we wouldn't take the time to see if we were on vacation here. Living in the northwest IS like being on vacation!

The Smallest Park in the World

Mill Ends Park was dedicated on March 17, 1948, and officially became a city park on the same day in 1976.

What’s most remarkable about this park is the story of its origin, oh, and it’s paltry size. Mill Ends covers an area of 452 square inches, about 2 feet square. Mill Ends Park is the smallest park in the world.

Oregon Journal columnist Dick Fagan wrote a popular column called Mill Ends, covering whatever whimsy he came up with. In 1946, from his office window overlooking Front Avenue (now Naito Parkway), he spotted a 2 square foot hole in a raised bit of concrete in the median. A light pole was, presumably, intended for the spot, but was never installed. Fagan invented stories of leprechaun exploits in the tiny “park.”

One story, described in the Oregon Encyclopedia entry for Mill Ends, addresses the park’s origin:

One day, as Fagan told the story, he looked out his window and saw a leprechaun digging in the hole. Fagan ran downstairs, dashed across the street, and caught the leprechaun. According to Irish lore, if you catch a leprechaun, he has to grant you a wish. Fagan wished for his own park, but he never specified where or how big the park should be. The leprechaun granted his wish and gave Fagan the hole in the traffic median as his own personal park. Fagan named the spot after his column.

Today was the first sunny day in a LONG time. I knew I had to get out in the sun if I am to survive another week of rain. Mill Ends park has been on my list of places to visit, but I haven't been able to convince anyone to go with me. Caleb agreed to go to Portland with me after I threw in a trip to Powell's books and lunch at Noodles and Co. I probably played up the "park" a little too much because Caleb was expecting tiny playground equipment and who knows what else. Can you see the disappointment in his face? On a high note he claimed he saw Mark Zuckerberg. Then again he thought he saw Jake Gylenhall at Walmart last week "for reals."

We also went down to the waterfront to see the beautiful blossoms and enjoy the blue sky.

Can you tell Caleb loves to get his picture taken?

Steel Bridge

Spring has definitely sprung in Portland!

Beachy Keen

Ethan had been asking for weeks to go to the beach and the answer has always been, "If it's not raining on the weekend." We finally got a bright and sunny Saturday, so we headed to the kids' favorite spot, Indian Beach. Every time I see this place I wonder why everyone doesn't live here. I guess they don't know what they're missing. Then I laugh when Caleb says he's going to stay in car and read a book while we play on the beach (he didn't) and when Hiram asks to stay home. I could feel my body producing Vitamin D as we watched the sun set . . .ahhhhh.


Of course we didn't have the foresight to bring a frisbee or ball, so Jason and Caleb played "catch" with a rock. This is one of Caleb's "under the leg" moves.

This shot could go straight into a Land's End catalog.

Ethan and his friend Chris were the only ones brave enough to get their feet wet in the freezing water.
A romantic walk along the beach
Hiram poking around
Look how blue the sky is!

The far off Tillamook lighthouse

Coming Up Roses

Much has happened since I last posted. I was only one week into my floral design classes and I have since finished the four week course. Here are some of the things I made:








Our instructors encouraged us to go out and get a temporary job in a flower shop during Valentine's week so we could see what it's like and get some real world experience. Last Wednesday I set out with my fancy resume and a list of 15 flower shops in Vancouver to visit. On about the fifth one the owner proceeded to tell me that the money I spent to go to the Institute of Floral Design was a waste and that I didn't know anything. As I was walking out the door she said she wanted me to make her an arrangement and then she would rip it apart. I was so nervous, all I was trying to do was not cut myself with my knife. The arrangement was totally pathetic. I guess she was desperate because she said I could work there until Valentine's Day. It was hard work. I cleaned and cut so many flowers and mostly greened in baskets and vases for a dozen roses. I learned so much just by seeing what goes on in a shop right before their busiest day of the year. I also learned that I really don't want to be working in someone else's shop. Right now I am thinking about applying to sell my arrangements at the Vancouver farmers' market and I am kicking around a couple of other ideas. My business name is Chickabloom. My fellow students in my floral class thought the name fit my personality. I think it's kind of clever myself. :)
In other news, Jason took two weeks off while I was in flower school (and did a fabulous job holding down the fort) before he started a new job with US Bank. He is adjusting to his new job and is really looking forward to being able to work 2 days a week from home.