allium

**I'm taking the last few weeks before the school year starts to soak up the warm Michigan sun rays and spend a the last bit with my family. I promise to rate as soon as I'm back in early September!! :) **

I'm originally from Prague, Czech Republic. I love to travel, go camping, learn new things. I'm a stay at home mom of two girls. I love staying at home because it lets me do a lot of creative projects, garden, sew, and lots of other fun stuff and share it all with my two little ones. We sing, read, draw, go on bike rides and walks, and giggle most of the day.

Scouring thrift stores is a favorite past time for me and my older daughter (5). When we are camping and head into the local town for the farmer's market, we also find all the thrift and antique shops. We love to find forgotten treasures, beautiful old fabrics, vintage patters for kids, vintage toys, sewing notions of all kinds (buttons, thread, zippers), old books, etc. My thrifting habit has gotten a bit out of hand so, with the encouragement and assistance of my husband, I started my etsy store VintageSurplus.

I also have AlliumDesign children's clothing store on etsy. I love to sew when my girls are close by playing or sleeping. I used to do metal jewelry work but switched to sewing when my first daughter was born and I realized hammering and playing with chemicals in the next room (my studio) was not an option during naptime. I hope to return to metal in a few years and pick up where I left off.

I love minimalism and wish I could be a minimalist...but it's just not possible because I also really love folk, modernist, art nouveau, art deco, japanese simplicity and I value beautiful, handmade, natural, aesthetically pleasing and functional things. My house is a reflection of this eclectic style. So you see, I really can't be a minimalist...though, I'm not into knick knacks. My grandmother taught me that they collect dust. (My other grandma taught me that a little bit of dust is OK). I love unique and beautifully designed functional items.

Please send me things that you think are aesthetically pleasing, well made, funny, unusual, colorful, happy, handmade, vintage. Things with a story to tell and personality. Something you would be happy and proud to give to your best friend. No dollar store items, cartoony, country, cult, or goth please...I'm just not into it. :)

Other things I like: Vintage sewing stuff and linens, retro fabric-natural and man made material (the wilder the better!!), patterns, all sorts of fabric scraps, old tins full of old thread spools, beads, Nancy Drew, really good quality colorful socks (I really kind of splurge on these since there is nothing better than warm, comfy, and happy feet).

Please note that I send out all my swaps. I'm here to learn new things, experiment with crafts unfamiliar to me, try different art and craft methods and really just to have fun, not to get free stuff (believe me, I've got enough stuff at home!). If you don't receive a swap from me, let me know and if time and finances allow, I'll be happy to send out a replacement. I also keep all my post office receipts with the swap recipient's city/country/zip code, weight, cost of mailing, and payment method as well as photodocument all my swaps--just in case there's ever a question of a swap being sent out.

I'm looking for 2 knitted winter hats for my girls (3 and 5)made from a soft wool or other natural material. Kind of like little red riding hood with a pointy hood/elf theme.

And, as always, large colorful vintage buttons and retro fabric.