Merry Christmas Everyone!

Hope this day brings you all much joy and cheer! We are celebrating in Little River, SC (coastline) and want to wish you all the happiest of holidays and a blessed new year!

Joe and Alisa

I'm back and going strong!

Just a quick note to let everyone know my surgery was a success and in a few weeks I should be better than ever! Thanks for all the kind notes, prayers and words of encouragement you so graciously offered before my surgery. Now, say a prayer for my husband - he's doing the cooking, the laundry and cleaning up the dishes!

I'll write more soon after I get the full use of my arm back. Everyone take care and in case I don't get back here - MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Alisa

Dec/Jan Prim Project Now Available For Download!

Hello everyone. I sincerely hope each of you had a beautiful and wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday. My hubby and I dined with friends and had a fantastic time. I won't keep you long, just wanted to let everyone know that the Dec/Jan Issue of The Prim Project Newsletter is available for down at http://theprimmerchant.weebly.com

Also, say some prayers for me as I return to the hospital next Wednesday for tests and surgery on my arm.

Here's wishing everyone the happiest of holidays!

Alisa

Not so good news.... And some pretty good news

Good morning readers. The news I have today is not very good. I went to Baptist Hospital in Winston-Salem, NC for my yearly heart/vascular check-up and was told that the artery in my right arm is either collapsing or has already collapsed. My blood pressure in that arm was only 61/59 with no pulse points found. Not good.

I am returning to Baptist on December 9th for two tests and the results of those tests will determine what surgery I will have on the 10th and be home by the 12th. Hopefully it will only be angioplasty or a stent. If it entails more, there is no telling when I'll get to come home.

The other news I have is actually good news - one of my patterns is a freebie download in the holiday issue of Rusty Tin Roof Ezine. That is quite an honor in my book. Just look for The Prim Merchant throughout the magazine.

Everyone have a fantastic week and a blessed Thanksgiving Holiday!

Alisa

The Prim Project Newsletter is now available.

Hello everyone! Take a jump on over to my website www.theprimmerchant.weebly.com and scroll down to the bottom of the page and download your copy of The Prim Project. It's loaded with freebies, information on hosting a cookie swap, and recipes. Also are pictures of the Barnful of Quilts which was held in Waxhaw, NC Saturday October 9th.

Calling all Followers.....

Okay, listen up folks! Would any of you fine artists like to write a newsletter article, share a recipe or offer some advice for a *new* newsletter? I am getting ready to launch "The Primitive Doll Maker Newsletter" and need just a few more little extras for the holiday season In exchange for your contributions I will give you a quarter page ad *FREE*. Just drop me an email at primmerchant@comporium.net.

Thanks bunches!

Alisa

Happy Monday Ya'll!

The big weekend rush is over, I'm pooped, still not unpacked the prims, and kind of still dragging a little!

The sale was good, but not great. I think this economy has a lot to do with the low sales. Some of my vendor friends said the same thing - very low sales. I made about 2/3 what I normally bring in, but you know what? I'm glad I sold what I did! Here are some pictures of the highlights of my booth at the Barnful of Quilts at Fox Farms in Waxhaw, NC.

Enjoy!

The Big Sale Approaches!

All right gentle followers - say some big prayers that I get everything priced, in order and ready to go by this Thursday for the annual Barnful of Quilts and Fiber Arts show in Waxhaw! This is usually my biggest selling weekend for the entire year! Let's just hope that with this economy people are still going to jump on the primitives bandwagon and buy, buy, buy!

As soon as this week is over, I will post a new thanksgiving pattern on my website and I'll post some pictures of the sale here on my blog.

Wish me well and Happy October everyone!

Till next week,

Alisa

Back In Action!!!!

Hello All! Fall is in the air and I am gearing up for the big fall sale in two weeks and have been in a pricing and finishing up odds and ends frenzy. Also, the new website www.theprimmerchant.weebly.com is up and running. I'm still adding some things, but for the most part is it completely usable now. Also, if you want the September free cross stitch pattern, get over there before Saturday, because the pattern will change for October. Scroll down the home page, look at the bottom on the right side and download the pattern.

Great Recipe for Autumn - Pumpkin Spice Cookies

This recipe is so easy - no one will ever need to know it took only minutes to prepare!

1 package spice cake mix

1 can (15oz) can solid pack pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie mix)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease cookie sheets and set aside.

Combine together the cake mix and pumpkin until well blended. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto the cookie sheets. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Allow to cool for about 5 minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool.

This is a Thanksgiving favorite in my house with the grandchildren. For a little added "sweet" add a little vanilla frosting to the cookie tops. Enjoy!

Till next time,

Alisa

I don't understand what's going on with this X$%@#*&% Blogger Site! I just posted not five minutes ago and it showed up as a new blog with no followers, no nothing! ZILCH! ARGGGGHHHH!

One more time - go to my NEW website http:\\theprimmerchant.weebly.com and get the September free pattern. It should be listed on the right side of the home page.

One more time...............

September is here!

Okay, I know I promised a new pattern and here it is! Enjoy and send me your pictures when you complete it. I love to see what others have done to my original concept! Everyone have a happy Wednesday!

Alisa

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My Computer Has Been Sick!

Gee whiz! Sorry I've been missing for the past week or more, but got a nasty virus on the office computer and it blocked me out of Blogger, Etsy, everything! Took three days to clean up the mess and restore all 14,000+ registry files it had altered. Word of advice - BE CAREFUL AND DON'T GET A VIRUS! Still not sure exactly where it came from, but neither my firewall nor my internet security caught it before it could do its damage.

But, I am back now and no, I haven't forgotten the pattern for September. I will post it here on Wednesday. And as promised, it is a cutie!

Until then, hope everyone has a good day and the beginning of a fantastic week.

Alisa

It's Monday, again.

Well, the past week has been anything but boring. Everyone pretty much knows I cleaned out my fabric room and my sewing room. I still have to get Hubby's computer out to the barn and clean out the various and sundry office junk, and then I start on the closet in the bedroom and the laundry room. Don't know why I've been on such a cleaning frenzy lately, but I guess it's always better to do it now than procrastinate and do it later.

Tomorrow is my Mom's birthday, so today I am driving back to Gastonia (North Carolina) to meet her and Pop and my sister and some of their friends from church at Olive Garden for lunch. I'd tell you how old she is, but she'd probably disown me or worse.

Sitting here in staring at the computer is not going to get me where I need to get going today, so until later,

saattaa päivä olla täynnä onnea ja hyviä asioita, (may your day be filled with happiness and good things)

Alisa

Good Friday Evening.

It is almost done! I have worked for the past five days cleaning out my sewing room and my fabric/stock room. I hauled out 9 boxes of fabric, two odd chairs, various and sundry bits and pieces of this and that, two trash bags of quilt scraps I had saved up, the list goes on and on and on.... I feel like the Energizer Bunny, not stopping. But, now that I have it all cleaned out the fun really begins with getting everything back in its proper place. I also put two new shelving units inside the closet (bi-fold doors on the closet which is wide and long) and am working to get everything situated on the new shelving. Just wanted to let you know that I've made a lot of progress. Throwing out 30 years of sewing was a task I wasn't looking forward to, but now that I've done it, I feel much better and know I'm going to be more organized.

I'm going to try to rest for a day before I dive back in again. But knowing myself as well as I do, I'll be back at it first thing tomorrow morning.

I hope each and every one of you has a fantastic and wonderful weekend!

Alisa

Happy Monday.

Sorry I've been MIA the past week. Had a lot going on and not feeling well at the same time, had to attend a funeral Friday a.m. and met with dear friends up from the coast on Saturday and Sunday. Not to mention, buying a new sofa and chair, new serger sewing machine, two sewing tables... Now I've got to completely clean out my sewing room and my fabric/stock room to make room for the new stuff. Right now the garage holds nothing but the new stuff and my car is sitting in the ell of the driveway. Sometimes you have to make sacrifices and my Honda is making the ultimate sacrifice. I don't like leaving my car out in the sun and weather.

Once I get my rooms set back up I'm going to list all my Halloween stuff on Etsy. I've already taken all the pictures, now I've just got to make myself sit down and do the dirty work. I probably won't post again, till toward the end of the week, so be patient with me!

I've decided on the freebie pattern for September - a real cutie for Halloween! And no, I'm not telling you what it is just yet. You'll have to wait for it!

může být vaše týdne bude naplněný bohatý dobré věci, (may your week be filled with bountiful good things)

Alisa

Happy Tuesday....

Good morning. Sorry I went MIA yesterday, but I just wasn't feeling very well. Everyone has days when they're just not 100% and yesterday I was hanging in at about 60%. I just felt extremely tired and had a headache straight out of Hades. With my medical condition and heart maladies, believe it or not, the mighty Alisa does not always stand tall and straight. Hubby knew I was not up to par when I took a nap before noon. Usually once I'm up, that's it till I hit the pillow around 10:00pm. I feel a little better today, like I have a little more energy, so I'm going to take it one step at a time and not overdo and revert to a repeat of yesterday.

I'm glad everyone is enjoying the free patterns! I've received some nice comments and each and everyone of you is so very welcome! Thanks for becoming followers and just know that I strive everyday to do my best and be a good "friend" to all.

Okay, enough sappy stuff. It's time to take the dog out, feed the cats and get hubby out the door and down to the old barn for another day's work. He's delivering a 1943 Chevy truck to the powder coater's today and has a 52 Ford coming in. Here are a few pictures of his work. These cars were rusty buckets of bolts when he started on them. The three-wheeled trike was made from a Volkswagen. It was a custom make for our neighbor and the lovely lady sitting upon the seat is his daughter, Stephanie.

Well, it's time for me to get off here. Wish me luck that I have a good and fruitful day.

fred, kærlighed og sand lykke til dig (peace, love and true happiness to you)

Alisa

Happy Weekend!

I was beginning to wonder if Friday would ever get here! My plan for today is still a little sketchy, but I'm definitely going to get some goodies photographed for my Etsy site. Come hail, rain, sleet or snow I'm going to do that today. Then I'll have tomorrow to get it all uploaded and listed. Ain't my life grand?

We had terrible thunderstorms yesterday evening - started around 7:30 and went on till after 10:30. That was the last I remember since the sandman closed my eyes and I went for a nightly visit to Dreamland. And speaking of dreams, I had some strange ones during the night. I dreamed about - take a guess - PRIMITIVES! Imagine that. Hubby says I've been going at it too hard.

Everyone have a great Friday and an even better weekend and we'll catch up on Monday!

być może twój weekend pełen dobrych niespodzianek (may your weekend be filled with good surprises)

Alisa

Thursday is here.

Good morning everyone. Just a quick post this morning. I've got my quilt guild today and got to leave in less than an hour. I hope everybody has a most wonderful Thursday. My husband calls Thursday the prelude to the weekend. The day with my neighbor's son went okay. He got on my nerves just a little bit when he serenaded me on the piano for close to 15 minutes. Finally I put the bench back under the piano and closed the lid. He didn't get the message, so I verbally requested he not "play" the piano anymore. He also wanted to take home all of my antique toys and ride my 1940's spring horse. We had a long chat as to why he couldn't ride the horse - my own granddaughter doesn't get to ride the spring horse. Anyway, I doubt very seriously a repeat of yesterday will ever happen again. Hubby says I have a hard time just saying no, and sometimes I do have a hard time. But after yesterday, I can definitely say no.

Ah well, quilt guild awaits. We are learning a new border technique today. From the pictures it's just a pieced border, small nine-patch blocks, but hey, some of the ladies wanted a class so we're going to learn how to do it. Yee-hah.

Mei moyo wako kujazwa na mambo ya ajabu, (May your heart be filled with wonderful things)

Alisa

Happy Wednesday....

Good morning friends. This is going to be short this morning since I was asked to watch a very active 7 y/o young man today. His parents are neighbors and good friends, his mom has a Dr.'s appointment and since he can be a little rambunctious at times, I'm going to keep him for a while. Hubby said "good-luck" with a smirk.

I am working on my doll/cloth storage room a little bit today after Mom picks up her son, and if the rain holds out I'm hoping to take some pictures outside at the barn of some prims to be listed on Etsy. We'll wait and see how it goes.

Hope your day is pleasant, beautiful and overall just plain terrific.

قد بلوبيرد زيارة السعادة التي كثيرا ما (May the bluebird of happiness visit you often)

Alisa

This post is going to be short and sweet, just like me! I was up pretty late last night (after 1:00), trying to fix hubby's email. My gosh, men do not like change. He harped for more than 30 minutes because I installed the latest and greatest MS Office 2010. The look of his Outlook "page" had changed, he couldn't find his address book, blah, blah, blah. Oh, the humanity of it all. So.... I put his email back in the old Outlook version. I love him to pieces, we've been together for years, and he is the pure sunshine that runs through my veins, but sometimes he's just a pain in the butt. Men!

Okay, I've vented, my blood pressure has lowered to a reasonable level, and I'm feeling good again. And my coffee cup is empty which tells me it's time to push back the old chair, close this post and get moving. Dear Friend is coming back this afternoon. She just can't get enough of me!

Everyone out there in cyberspace, go out and make those primitives and be fruitful!

Von þinn dagur er allt sem þú þarfnast hennar að vera, (hope your day is everything you need it to be)

Alisa

Free Pattern for August!

Good morning and happy Monday! I'm posting a little late this morning and not because I slept in. My right hand is numb this morning. I have Reynaud's Phenomenon, which is severe inflammation in the digits of the hands and feet and it is really taking a toll on my right hand today. If there are spelling errors in this post, I humbly apologize.

Went to our pool party Saturday and wouldn't you just know it - it rained the entire time. That was okay, we got wet from the rain instead of the pool. But when you get all us old geysers

together, a good time is to be had by all and we had a blast. And yesterday was glorious temperature wise. It only reached the low eighties with fluffy cloud cover. Today, is cloudy and overcast, but as long as it keeps the temp down, who cares.

Dear friend is coming this afternoon for a visit. I'm dragging her to Rock Hill. I've got a few things I need to get from Staples and she absolutely loves $1 stores, so since there is mighty dollar store conveniently beside Staples, guess where we're going. What she gets out of those things is beyond me. Well, let me rephrase that. I know what she buys - reading glasses (yes, she trusts her eyes to $1.00). She is so funny! We have been friends since the first grade, known each other all these years. Although our tastes and lives have taken us in separate directions, we're still the best of friends.

Now down to business. For August I'm offering a free pattern for "Charles". He is a happy

snowman and has always sold well at shows. He is very easy to make and can be completed in a relatively short time. Go to the bottom of the page and get your free pattern and enjoy. It may still be summer, but I'm already thinking ahead and planning for Christmas. It will be here in just four short months. I'm already stockpiling Christmas presents.

Time has gotten away from me this morning, it's almost 9:30 and I'm still in my jammies. It's time to get in gear and ready for another busy day.

jkollu jum pjaċevoli u produttiv, (have a pleasant and fruitful day)

Alisa

TGIF!

I was starting to think Friday was never going to get here. I thought the high heat temps had maybe melted Fridays for all eternity. On the news last evening the weatherman said with the humidity levels and dew point, at times the temperature was close to 106! When I got home from Mom's yesterday, I looked like an overcooked, limp noodle. My hair had lost it's bounce, my mascara had turned to a muddy substance that had smudged under my eyes and I had sweat trails starting at the temples and running down the sides of my face. I looked pretty rough, worn out and just overall blech! I gave my car's air-conditioning a run for it's money yesterday and I still came home looking like something the cat had dragged home (half-eaten lizard, hind quarters of a mole, and once a dead koi fish that the neighbor always wondered what had happened to it, need I say more?).

Enough complaining. I'm looking at a somewhat fruitful day. Got things to do in the house for the weekend. i.e. mopping the kitchen and bathrooms, emptying trash cans, changing the sheets, normal house-cleaning stuff. And tomorrow it's "Pool Party" with our bestest friends in the whole wide world. Gotta come up with some finger foods that won't spoil in the heat to eat poolside. Do 50+ people eat PB&J? Just asking. Also gotta shimmy into a bathing suit, may God help me and my friends. Got two new ones, both black, after all black is supposed to be slimming, just got to figure out which one doesn't show the excess belly fat and cellulite. But you know what? At this age, who cares! We don't stay young forever, fat happens, cellulite happens, just like menopause, it's one of those things that, once it's there, you never get rid of it.

Thanks so much for your thoughts and prayers about hubby getting the contract with the furniture manufacturer. He got the contract and materials are being ordered as I write this.

Well, it's that time again. It's time for me to get a start on my day and hopefully it will be a productive one for you and me.

Till våra vägar kors igen, (till our paths cross again)

Alisa

NEW PATTERNS JUST ADDED ON ETSY

I've been busier than a beaver since my post this morning. I just uploaded/added 16 new patterns on my Etsy site. If you get the chance, go over there and take a look. Gonna work on another new pattern today and hopefully get it completed tomorrow.

The address of my site is: www.primmerchant.etsy.com

Go take a quick peak!

Alisa

Good Morning, Ya'll.

Heavens, I'm late this morning. I slept in till almost 8:00. Don't know what's wrong with me, unless I was just simply pooped last night. Hubby woke me up two different times, said I was snoring and would I please roll over. LOL. I don't snore often, but when I do, apparently, I can shake the rafters.

Keep your fingers crossed and say a prayer for hubby today. He is meeting with a potential new client today, a custom furniture manufacturer, about making custom stainless steel furniture for a new Atlanta showroom. If all goes well, this will be a long term contract. Hubby will essentially make the original piece, showroom perfect of course, then the following pieces will be made on a "designer order" basis on a production line. The furniture itself isn't very attractive to me, it's neo-modern, very upscale. But I like old chipped furniture, flaking paint, missing knobs, etc. Yeah, my house is an eclectic mix of antiques passed down through the family and modern pieces I have repainted and beat with a hammer so they look as old as the antiques. But what do I know?! Some people like it, some people don't.

I completed another pattern yesterday, and just as I was beginning to list it on Etsy, a storm came up out of nowhere, severe thunder and lightning, so I shut down the computer and pretty much prepared for the worst. As hubby's brother-in-law says, "the sky looks like it's gonna clabber up and buttermilk". Good thing we were having hamburgers for dinner last night because we did lose power for a while. The natural gas grill on the patio did a fine job of cooking those fat, juicy burgers. Yum.

Anyway, here's the picture of the completed pattern. Please meet Pumpkin Head and Raven.

BTW, I won't be posting until later tomorrow, if at all. My mom's transmission bit the dust in her Buick. She needs to go a few places, grocery store, pharmacy, etc., and since my Stepdad has a doctor's appointment in Charlotte, I volunteered to drive up (1 hour drive) and take her where she needs to go. She absolutely hates the feeling of being stranded. The good thing is, she and "Pop" are car hunting. Pop is the ultimate man - he will pick out which car they buy, he will decide how much to pay, and he'll tell her exactly how she's supposed to drive it. I love the old guy, but he would drive me nuts.

Well, I guess it's time for me to get moving and my fanny in gear this morning. I hope everyone has a beautiful, wonderful day and that you accomplish what you set out to do.

Дано ви ден е изпълнен с хубави неща , (hope your day is filled with good things)

Alisa

Good Tuesday Morning

Hello all, hope you are having a pleasant and productive day. It's a little before seven and I've already been up nearly an hour. Yeah, I know, I'm a morning person. Hubby is definitely not. He says my feet hit the floor and a smile just automatically registers across my face. He's lived with me all these years and has survived it and I'm not planning on leaving this old earth anytime real soon. He's generally not good till around 9:00 am and even then, sometimes, it's a stretch.

I have a lot of things on my plate this week. I'm working on another pattern for a Halloween make-do, have a new quilt class coming up on Thursday, trying to get things listed on Etsy, need to weed the flower garden (just a little too hot for that), going to a pool party at a neighbor's this Saturday, whew! It's no wonder I fall into bed at night. Oh, I failed to mention catching up on laundry, cleaning the house, a veterinarian appointment.... My life never stops. But would I trade it? Heck no.

I hate rude people. A woman broke in the check-out line in front of me at Harris Teeter yesterday. She actually had the nerve to turn around and smile at me and shrug. The appropriate thing to do would have been to say "I'm sorry, were you here first?" But no, she turned around and actually smiled, like everything was perfectly okay and normal. I bit my tongue to keep from saying anything, but I was steaming. The cashier, Dawn, apologized profusely like it was her fault. I reassured her it was none of her doing, just the rudeness of others and a total lack of respect. People!

Okay, I'm done complaining. It's time to get in gear and get my day going for real. So many treats in store today.

Mag die son skyn van die lewe op julle, (may the sunshine of life shine upon you)

Alisa

Hello All!

Good morning. It's not quite 8:00 am here, and believe it or not, it's not too steamy outside just yet. It's in the upper 70's but tolerable. The temp yesterday reached 101. This heat wave has to break sometime!

I worked on my Etsy site just a little while last night, and uploaded 3 patterns and 2 paper clay sculptures. Go check it out at www.primmerchant.etsy.com. I really need to get all my Halloween stuff listed, but I have so much it may take a while. The only reason I stopped last night was because I was tired, sleepy and really needed to go to bed. Not sure if I'm going to work on patterns today or the Etsy site. I'll just wait and see which way the wind blows.

I know this is a short post, but the cat is meowing. Princess Puss suffers from EDS, empty dish syndrome, and she definitely lets me know when the food gets stale or her dish is empty. She has now moved from meowing to yowling, a pretty good sign she's getting ticked off at being ignored. And people wonder why her nickname is Princess.

Okay fine folks, it's time to go out into the world and prosper. Considering I'm still in my pajamas, the back patio is the extent of my world.

直到我們再次談話， (til we chat again)

Alisa

Blessed Sunday is Here!

Good morning all. Hope this day brings all the joy and happiness your hearts can stand. As for me, I'm up early, ready and raring to go. Already on coffee #2, been out with the dog, let the cats in, checked my tomatoes and blooey! Deer have come in the night and munched. About half the tomatoes on the upper vines have those perfect teeth marks, bitten through the middle of those succulent tomatoes. I'm a little disgusted. But, I guess deer gotta eat too, but why they have to dine on MY tomatoes is a mystery. There's a perfectly good cornfield right next door to our property, its stalks high and loaded with juicy, sweet corn. I think I'll put a sign on my tomatoes that says, "free corn buffet, turn now".

It was 100 degrees here yesterday with a heat index of 105. It was absolutely miserable. I made the mistake of deciding to walk down to the mailbox for a little break and exercise yesterday. By the time I made it back and opened the kitchen door, the cold air conditioning hit my glasses and I had instant fog, my hair was damp, and overall, I felt drained. I don't see how hubby works in that barn all day, welding and grinding, and bending metal. I would absolutely suffocate. Machine shops aren't meant to be cool, classy or even clean for that matter, or so hubby says. But he enjoys it, makes a pretty decent living at it, and hey, it keeps him out of the house and my hair 8-10 hours a day. I'll upload some of the old classic cars he's restored sometime. It's amazing how they come in here looking like a rusty bucket and leave out of here looking showroom shiny

and brand spanking new.

Ah well, gonna work on some patterns today. The pic is the new doll I was working on earlier this week. I finally got her finished, I just forgot to upload the pic. Darn, my coffee cup is empty again. Time for a refill, for me to get my fanny in gear and hit the ground running. My life never slows down.

Auf Wiedersehen und einen schönen Tag ,

(goodbye and have a great day)

Alisa

I FINISHED IT!

The Primitive Doll Maker is finished! I have been working since 6:30 this morning, and just put that baby to bed. Whew. It has been sent to be proofread and double checked and then it's on to publication. As soon as I get it back from proof, I'll post an email to contact me if you're interested. Not sure on the pricing yet, but it will be affordable. Us doll makers do have dry spells and with this economy, everybody needs a break.

The book has four sized patterns for dolls and clothing, instructions, including rusting, staining, and a small tutorial on pinch stitching. I have included photos of my dolls and critters also. Now I can go back to my other patterns and prims and get geared up for the fall.

Okay, hubby has been patient, so I need to get started on dinner. And I won't cut any fingers tonight.

Adios Amigos,

Alisa

It's Friday!

Good morning everyone. Hope this will be a great start to a weekend of fun, sun and relaxation. Heaven knows it's going to be a hot one. The old thermometer on the patio said 98 degrees yesterday. I took the dog out this morning and it was already steamy. I guess that's the price we pay for living in the South - mild winters (which we love) and super, hot, humid summers.

The doll above is one that I made last year - Mavis and Kitty Kat. She is truly one of my favorites. Hope you like her!

I'm typing a little slowly today, nearly cut the tip of my finger off last night making dinner. We had fajitas with guacamole on the side with some fantastic chips. Anyway, I cut around the avocado, twisted it apart, jabbed the knife in the pit and wham! The knife slipped and sliced the end of my left index finger. Hubby ran and got a bandage, said something about being careful, and then looked at it and said, "ah, that's not too bad". The concern just touched me. (sarcastic) I asked what would he do if I had cut off the tip of my finger. He answered, "starve".

Ah well, I am very busy working on my book, The Primitive Doll Maker, and got all the patterns completed yesterday. Thank goodness I've been working on the text for several months and it's nearly finished. I was hoping to have it completed and available for purchase by October, but that may not happen. I'll either have to give up on dolls and make-do's for a while, or crack the whip and work double-time until it's completed.

I'm working on restocking my Etsy site. Will let you know as soon as I get my pictures uploaded and everything in place there again. Several people have asked why my Etsy site has been empty for a little over a year. The answer is: I had heart and aortic surgery in the late spring of 2009, went through about a year and a half of intensive rehab and as of my last check-up, I'm doing very well. I'll have to have another battery of tests done this November, but I don't anticipate any problems.

Okay, my finger is now throbbing, I'm getting hungry, and my coffee cup is empty. I'm going to go get started on my day. Hope yours is as fruitful and pleasant as you need it to be!

Have a fantastic weekend,

Alisa

Happy Wednesday Everyone. I'm a little late posting today because I've been busy working on finishing up the doll. And hubby is sick, yuck. Doc gave him some meds for a serious sinus infection and they're making him feel worse. Guess it's true - sometimes the cure is worse than the disease.

Waiting on a friend to come by, and she's late, she's late, for a half-way important date. LOL Just kidding. She has a family to take care of and of course family always comes first. If she doesn't make it to me, I'll go to her. Wish you could have seen my kitty Catfish and Buford Hound Dog last night. They were hilarious rolling around the floor, playing with one another. Catfish would bite Buford's ear and Buford would bite Catfish's hind legs. They don't hurt each, just the opposite, they're best friends and get along like two peas in a pod, but every once in a while the play gets a little rough and tumble, but they both love it. Hubby tells everybody that we bought the dog a cat, and I guess it's true.

Tomorrow I will be at my quilt guild so I won't be posting until much later, if at all. So, take care and if not tomorrow, I will see you all on Friday.

Caio for now,

Alisa

Good Tuesday Morning. Don't know what's in store yet for the day, hoping to finish up the clothes for my dollie, and probably get into a few other things like picking tomatoes and jalapenos. My garden has taken off big time. I hope hubby can eat lots of tomato sandwiches and salsa! Sorry this post is so short, but I've got to get my fanny in gear this morning, still in my jammies drinking coffee. I was lazy and slept in this morning. Have a great day and I'll check back in later, that is if I get my butt up and get moving.

Alisa

Oops.. Almost forgot! I wanted to show you the adorable jack-o-lanterns I have been working on. Just completely overlook the mess around them. My fabric and doll storage room (son's old bedroom - and he ain't moving back in) is in total chaos right now. After the fall selling season has died down, I'll do what I always do, shut the door and forget it till January! Anyway, check out the JOL's! See Ya!

Happy Monday Everyone! And what a Monday it has been. Had a Dr.'s appointment this morning, along with my hubby, got new prescriptions, we got checked out, said we were going to live. We take off, go get lunch, go to Lowe's Home Imp. for a few things hubby needed, back to the grocery store then on to the pharmacy to drop off prescriptions. Well... Dr. didn't give us the two prescriptions we needed most! So..... turned around, went back to the Dr.'s (they love it when I show my smiling face twice in one day), got the prescriptions, returned to the pharmacy, and then FINALLY home to the air conditioning.

It is hot in South Carolina today, the old thermometer outside says 92 degrees and it feels like 100% humidity. Ah, summer in the south. Anyway, worked on a new doll yesterday, haven't gotten her clothes figured out just yet, but I have a good idea of what I want to do, just got to pick out the fabric. I'll try to post a picture of her as soon as I finish. I've got to start thinking about dinner. Hmmm. I'll come up with some fantastic as always. Anyway, have a great Monday!

Free Stitchery!

It is a beautiful Sunday here in SC, the sun is trying to break through the clouds, it's not too hot just yet and so far, it's been a great day! This is my first blog post and, hopefully, will not be my last for many moons to come! If you love primitives as much as I do, or if you're into the Handmade Lifestyle, just like I am, then you'll want to visit often. For my first post I am offering a free stitchery pattern for your enjoyment. This is just a small sample of what's to come! Enjoy and please come back and visit often!

Just right click and choose Save As.

Have a beautiful day,

Alisa