Work Ethic

Today, my grandson Alex who is three donned his granddaddy's hard hat and his little V-Tech computer and told me Bye bye and wanted a kiss. At first, I thought just how adorable he was but as i went on washing dishes, I realized that my husband had instilled in this little child his work ethic already! My husband has called in three times in his life from work. It about killed him earlier this year when he hurt his leg and had to have surgery to be out of work. Even the things he does around the house are not done hap hazard. My son has seen this growing up also and is the same way.

My husband is so supportive of my Primitives too. He is my biggest fan and that in itself is inspiring me to be the best that I can be! I am truly a blessed woman to have my husband. I love him so much.

Well, I'm so bad about this blog thing. I wish I could post at least once a week with all sorts of pictures of my handmades and things like others do. To be honest, I've been really busy trying to get my sewing room set up and run after the two little ones. I'm also chauffeur to my teen son and he works 20 miles away.  By the time I get to the end of the day and sit down to write something, my brain is BLANK! Then I wind up reading other blogs I follow and mine is neglected.. hehe.

I've got three dolls almost finished, but my hubby decided he was going to move a bunch of furniture around and they are buried alive. Then he decided my fabric would be better off on shelves inside a closet, so everything is a mess. It's funny how you have to be in a new house a little while before things start falling into place.

See? I told you so! It is a mess, isn't it?! This is only one corner of the room.  Back to work for me!

Back to Work.....

My first witch. Her name is Ursula and I made her for a special person. She's a big girl at 40" tall and has little wired fingers. Those were challenging for sure!

I'm already working on another witchy doll and I'll post some pictures as soon as she's finished.

The heat is still on here in North Carolina. We had Earl brush our coast last night. We're about 75 miles from the coast (as the crow flies) but didn't even get a drop of rain. The breeze has been heavenly though even with the temps being in the high 90's. The Tobacco is gone now and it is so dry the dust is kicking up.

Our daughter is moving out this weekend. When we moved, she was out of work and near homeless, so she moved in to get on her feet. She found her a full time job, saved and bought her a car and found a place to live in three months. Good job! Robin and A.J. will stay with us except on some weekends.  I'm going to move my sewing room into the spare room and I'm excited to get everything into one spot so that I can quit running around trying to figure out where something is!  My husband will probably wind up setting him up a spot in my room too because he has separation anxiety where I'm concerned.. hehe. I love him to pieces and enjoy being with him too except when he's snoring!

I hope everyone has a good Labor Day Weekend. We'll be helping Jerri move and we have plans to try out a church on Sunday. We'll probably take another trip to Little Washington on the Pamlico River on Monday. My husband has a job there and we like to go and relax a little and the children love to go play and fish!

In-between, I'm going to be working on some more dolls and trying to get this house clean!  Until next time...... Primitive Hugs!

A.J. playing on the Pamlico

Waiting for the frost on the pumpkins......

 

After an entire summer filled with 99+ degree days, I'm waiting for a nip in the air! We've had a cool day tease us here and there, but it will be 99° again today. Someone send the cool air down south, please! We're burnin' up down here!

I know that the air will be becoming more pleasant soon because the farmers are so busy in the fields. I have thoroughly enjoyed being surrounded by farmland once again. We're enjoying the layout of our new house and I'm trying to get over the old and icky places.

Autumn is my favorite time of year and I'm excited that we'll be able to take an October trip to the Blue Ridge Mountains here in North Carolina. We used to go every year, but like so many, had to cut our vacations out to make ends meet. We have not been in three years! 

This is Catawba Falls. It is located in Old Fort, NC and is in the headwaters of the beautiful Catawba River. We camp just down the road and a nice quiet campground along the river.

This is the Linn Cove Viaduct. It is part of the Blue Ridge Parkway and hugs Grandfather Mountain. It was built this way to protect the mountain from the damage that would have been caused by traditional methods. We love to walk the trails beneath the bridge and the view from this area is phenomenal! Read About the Viaduct

Have a blessed day everyone!

A New View!

On May 20, 2010 we moved into our new home. Well, a new old home built in 1955. Although the house needs a bit of work, it has a lot of character and is a perfect fit for our family. The kitchen has "issues" which we will address later and I'll post before and after pics when we get to it.

Fremont is a little town and the most obvious feature is a tall yellow and green water tower which is fully in our view... hehe.  My first thought was why in the world would they paint this water tower THAT yellow and THAT green. Well, Fremont was named "The Daffodil Town" many years ago and they have a Daffodil Festival every spring. Thus, the yellow and green.

We live amongst farmland and right next to a tobacco field. I have enjoyed watching the tobacco grow and being taken care of. They've topped them out and the leaves are beginning to turn yellow. It won't be long before they'll be pulling those golden leaves off!

It's beautiful here. I've always loved this part of North Carolina.

The move was fairly smooth despite being so hot. We were excited that we had a huge storage room in the garage but we found it to be FULL of Black Widow spiders when we opened the doors. They've sprayed, but I am a chicken when it comes to things like that! NOTHING and I repeat NOTHING that I will be touching will go in there! My chickeness (is that a word?) really messes up my workroom / playroom plans so... time for plan B!

Our daughter and her fiance were having troubles, so since they helped us move, we invited them to stay with us until they could get on their feet. They have found pretty good jobs here and will be getting a car soon. They'll find their own place to live after that. It has not been easy for any of us, but we're making the best of it. It has been good that the children have gotten to know their mother better and hopefully she'll be able to keep them on the weekends to give my husband and I some much needed alone time.

I'm still working on getting settled. The heat has been horrible with weeks of 100 degree days. I hope to have my studio finished soon and back to my primitives. It has been too long!

Until next time.........

All Roads Lead Home...

Well, after desiring to move for many years, it looks like we'll be doing so in May. It almost does not seem real. My husband began working for a company in Goldsboro, NC several years ago, so it is time to get closer. It has been time, but we've had many obstacles keeping us from it.

We have spent a good amount of time in the eastern part North Carolina now and have a good idea of where we want to go. There is a house that we're eyeing. It isn't perfect, but it large enough and the floor plan fits our lifestyle very well. We have an option to purchase it, but we think we may rent for a while just to make sure we're where we want to be before we put down roots. I'm nervous but excited!

I have been packing for three years now, but it is time to get serious! I won't be posting much for a while. I don't know how long, but I will see you then! Your prayers for a safe/smooth move would be so nice. Thank you!

Too Busy for Me.. Just Venting!

Frustration leads the day today. I was supposed to open my Etsy.com shop yesterday, but alas, my items to list are not quite finished. I am so busy cooking, cleaning, laundry, feeding five people and two dogs, laundry and did I mention LAUNDRY, that I NEVER have time to sit down and sew. I'm not complaining, I just wish I could figure out how to fit everything in. Anyone else have this problem? I see other Primitive business owners just producing their product like crazy and very creatively, I might add. If I ever do get a moment, I'm so physically tired or brain dead from all of the noise that I can't think!

You ask how am I finding time now? Well, the dryer is going, the kids are eating lunch and I'm on hold with an important phone call, so thought I'd drop a line or two on my blog while I wait.

Here's the deal for those of you who do not know. I just turned forty-four a couple of days ago. I have two grown children, a daughter 25 and a son 18 (picture to the right.) My daughter has two children ages 3 and 4 1/2. She went into the Air Force at eighteen, got married, he turned out to be a bum. The Grandchildren have been with us all but about 3 months of the oldest and all of the youngest life. I was there for my grandson's birth and was the first to hold him. That was special. My son was a C-Section and I didn't even get to hold him for hours.

Alex age 2

You know, in  1996, I began praying for the Lord to allow me to have more babies. My doctors gave me a 3% chance of ever having more children... my son is truly a miracle.  God doesn't always answer our prayers the way that we think He will, so I can't argue that these two precious babies are looking to me for their care right now.  However, I'm getting a little old for the energy they have, Soooo.... sometimes I get fussy and I wonder how in the world I'm going to keep up. I was supposed to be doing this.. and doing that.. blah blah.. then they smile and hold their little arms up to me... then it's all heaven on earth again.

Robin, age 4

I don't know why things happen the way they do. We just have to hang on and trust that there is a higher Power in charge. Of course, I'm a Christian, so I believe Jesus/God is that one and only higher Power.  He knows how much I can handle and I can just call on Him when I think I can't do it anymore. The trick is finding joy in it all and not getting upset when things aren't quite going the way I think they should.

In closing, I'm going to try harder to find joy in all things. I enjoy making my primitives, so I will keep striving to do so. Lord, help me to keep my attitude straight, my eyes on You first and the children in my life happy and safe... including my "grown-up" ones.
By the way... I'm still on hold!

Some of My Dolls

I know.. I know.. I haven't posted anything in a while. This blogging thing is hard to get used to. We've been real busy too, which makes it more difficult to remember to update things!

I've been busy working on my new website that will open in March. I've also been busy working on some items for my Etsy.com shop that will also open in March! Spring is coming and those primitive bunnies are soon to emerge!

Since my last post, we've had three snow storms. One was a little one, but when snow is so rare, even a couple of inches is noteworthy!

 

Also, my husband fell three weeks ago scraping his leg. It was a very large spot on his calf. I told him to go and let a doctor look at it, because it just didn't look right. Well, he's stubborn and he said it'd be fine. It wasn't! Two weeks went by and it turned into a huge hematoma under a closed abrasion. It became swollen enough that he finally went to the emergency room. They did surgery on it and kept him for a week! He now has one of those wound VAC's. He's unable to work right now which is driving him mad! I believe it has been a blessing in disguise because his attitude has changed like night to day about his health. Thank God!

I've had a few requests to see some pictures of my dolls and I'll close today with those. I promise to post more often!

THINK SPRING!

Okay, I'm still alive! We have all been so sick that the doctor wanted to put one of us in the hospital, namely me. However, the Mother of the family can't get sick, right? So.. it took six weeks and I'm still sniffly, but I'm still kickin'.

Having a bit of my energy back, I've been busy today cleaning house really good. I'm so ready to start sewing again. If you are a fellow doll maker, you know how that fabric and sewing machine faintly call your name. About the only thing I've been able to keep up with is the kitchen and laundry. I still have to finish taking the Christmas tree down.

I am hoping to finish a Valentine doll that I've been fiddling with this week. I may just move on to Springy stuff as Valentines is just not my thing. Now, don't think that I'm unlucky in love as I have the most wonderful husband of twenty-two years, BUT I've never been the Valentiney type of gal. I'd much rather have my pick up truck and blue jeans than diamonds and frilly things. I do like to play with dolls though. It's all good, right!?

With that said, I'll post some more pictures very soon of Muddy Britches prims for 2010! If you do Facebook, you can add my page by searching for Muddy Britches Primitives. I'd love to see you there!

I hope that everyone had a wonderful Christmas and that your New Year is the best ever. I know I am looking forward to 2010 as 2009 was a bit rough for our family. God bless you and yours!

Merry Belated Christmas

Chaos! That's why I haven't posted in a good while. We've had a time the past few weeks fighting sickness and other junk.

I hope that everyone had a wonderfully blessed Christmas and that you got everything you expected. That doesn't necessarily mean just material things either, of course!

Our Christmas was very good except for being so sick. Russ (hubby), me and our granddaughter, Robin all had bronchitis, double ear infections, eye infections like pink eye but caused by the upper respiratory infections! I have NEVER been so sick, but we all piled into the doctor's office on Christmas Eve, got poked, prodded, stuck and left with a bag full of prescriptions. We're not well yet, but a far sight better than we were! I got to thinking about all those people in the hospitals that are that sick or sicker in hospitals that don't have much hope of feeling any better. It made me so sad thinking about that.

Christmas Eve was nice. Russ wrapped gifts and fixed supper for me while I cleaned house and finished the Christmas tree. I normally have it up right after Thanksgiving, but not this year! Our daughter came by and we all opened a gift a piece. We put the little ones to bed and all played Santa until 2 a.m.  Wheew!
Christmas morning was wonderful. Our grandson got a train that he was enamored with and our granddaughter got a big doll house that was a big hit.
My in laws came up from Georgia yesterday (Dec 26th) and we've been enjoying their company. Tonight we'll have our family Christmas meal which consists of a standing rib roast, sweet potato casserole, salad and fried green beans. It's just a tradition we've had for quite some time IF we can't afford the rib roast, we sub something else. That happens some times!

It's almost time to say goodbye to 2009. I'm hoping that Muddy Britches Primitives can rise up once again and I can get my dolls back out there. There are three shops that I've found semi locally and I hope that I can get some of my items in those this next year. Please pray that the economy gets better for all of us and that the primitive look will come down south more!

Anyway, we survived and now it's time to look forward to a new year. I'm happy about that because 2009 was a tough one!  I hope that 2010 is a productive, healthy and happy year for you and yours!

God's Blessings from Dana / Muddy Britches Primitives

Rain Has Abated from Ida and the Sun is Wonderful...

I never thought the sun would show itself again! I've been busy this morning cleaning up the debris left from the storm. You couldn't even see the driveway and patio for the leaves and pine straw!
The two little ones have been really sick with a cold this week, so I've been running around with medicine, snot rags and water for the vaporizer every day! I'm just so thankful I didn't get it this time and they're feeling much better today!
I made the best chicken soup though. I'll post the recipe on my other blog tonight, so remember to go print it out. YOU WILL NOT BE SORRY! Hey, I am tooting my own horn this time.. yum!
I've been working on Snowman Head Ornaments for a few days now. I just wear so many other hats that I can't sit down and finish something in a timely manner, but I'm trying. My son is seventeen and is a little jealous of the two little grandbabies, so I try and "baby" him a little more. He acts all gruff and bullish, but I know he appreciates the little extra attention of me bringing him ice water or hot chocolate to his room. He's working hard and I'm proud of him.
Raleigh had a fire last night and he was able to help them do the finishing touches. He's part of the Explorer group, btw. He's always in a better mood for a week or so when he's able to go to a fire and help!
I hope to get much accomplished today and if I do, I'll post pictures tonight. Hugs to everyone!

A Productive Saturday...

Well, here I sit eating popcorn and watching an old Robert Mitchum movie at 11:30 pm on a Saturday night. An exciting life, right?  I love it! Everyone is asleep and it's quiet in the house other than me and Maggie (the Pekingese.)

We cleaned out a storage building out back today. Well, it's not really a storage building, it's more one of those big polyethylene carport sheds. We bought it for temporary storage until we moved. It's almost a year later.  Our neighbor has asked us to move it because the reason why he moved into his house is so he could see the "woods" through our back yard. Hmmm.... Well, we're taking it down. Seems like we're always trying to accommodate someone else! I'll be so glad when we're able to move out of a neighborhood. We're clean, quiet and have a well groomed yard by the way..hehe.

Anyway, we depleted our stuff by more than half today. We're not pack rats, but after fourteen years in this house and raising our children here... my son parted with a bunch of his old toys. He's almost eighteen and he chose to do it, but it's still kind of sad. My husband is the one who likes to hold onto things, but I was proud of him today.

I finished another Santa last night. I call him "A Child's Wish" because he holds a stocking full of what a child wishes for for Christmas... for Santa to come with toys, candy and for snow.

I didn't get to work on anything today, but tomorrow is a new day.

I'll post a picture of the new Santa here once my image hosting site is back up... or you can look at him on eBay http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=150386889962

Take care all!

My First Doll After Soooooooooo Long!

Well, I have completed my first doll after a long long time of no thread and needle in hand. It feels so good!
 

Today is the first Monday of a new month and I'm hoping to get a lot done this month, not only with making dolls, but also in the house. I have quite a bit of storage to go through. I'm hoping to get it all done this week, but I'm sure it is an ambitious wish.

It has rained for days, but the leaves have fallen like showers themselves and it has been so beautiful. I love the autumn with the scent and rustle of leaves on the ground.. my cinnamon clove candle burning and the cool breeze blowing in the window. I wish it would last longer, but know that winter is upon us. From the looks of the squirrels and my little Pekingese, it is going to be a cold one. They are extra fuzzy!

 Thank you for reading!

A New Day... A New Adventure

Let me first say welcome to my first ever blog. My name is Dana and I make primitive dolls under the name Muddy Britches Primitives.
We live in Garner, NC which is just south of Raleigh. We've been remodeling our home for FIVE long years and are near completion. Next step? Trying to sell it and move to eastern North Carolina where we hope to have a small farm.
I've been married to my husband, Russ, for twenty-two years and we have two children, a girl who is twenty-four and a boy who is just shy of eighteen. We have two grandbabies (daughter's) a girl, age 4 1/2 and a boy, age 3. Both grandbabies have lived with us since the oldest was two weeks.  Our son is working and heavily involved with the Raleigh Fire Explorer Program. He'll begin to pursue his firefighting career next year with school and volunteering, so he's busy busy.

I've been out of the primitive loop for a little over three years as my husband and I have taken on the loving task of raising our two grandbabies thus far. Now that they are getting pass the baby phase, I feel that I can venture back into my creative side and I sure need it! I know I'll have four little enthusiastic hands helping me along the way.

I've called this first post A New Day, A New Adventure partly because I've never blogged before.... and because I need to take time for me as a person, which I have not done for twenty-two years. I've been raising my children for those years and to be brutally honest, I feel as if I lost _me_ somewhere! I'm also very shy and it puts a new twist on everything I do. Call it a mid-life crisis (I'm 44) or whatever you will, I'm ready to get out there and shine! (Those words are so strange coming from me.)

So again, hello, my name is Dana and thank you for taking the time to read my blog!