Miss you!

I have been a complete slacker when it comes to updating my blog.  I've been in a dollmaking slump and keep saying to myself "I will write when I have something new to share".  Well, after about 6 months and nothing new to share I decided to just write about things that are going on around here.  Who knows, maybe this is where my inspiration for new dollies will come from, right?

We have had a great summer this year filled with family reunions and a little beach time and lots of Grandbaby time!  Love this pic of our little man...with the 'xo' on the game behind him...perfect and I didn't even plan it that way. :-) 

We headed to Virginia for my niece, Laura's, high school graduation in June and then to the Northern Neck for a week on the water for our family reunion.  (That's my Bro and SIL - the happy parents of the graduate -to the right) That week with my sister and her family, my brother and his family and my Mom and Dad sure filled up my heart.  It's always nice to see everyone and especially to have everyone together in one place for an extended period of time.  :-)  We swam, canoed, ate, talked, ate some more, went crabbin', ate..well you know how it goes when you're on vacation.  (p.s. gained 3 lbs while we were there.)


Here is my Sis, brother and hubs hamming it up for the camera. 
And one of the pans of  yummy blue crabs we caught and ate below:

We were home for a couple of weeks and then it was time to go to the Outerbanks for a week on the beach with my sister and her family.  Talk about relaxation....ahhhhh...we spent all day, every day on the beach and collapsed at night from all the fresh air and sunshine.  Soooo much fun...
This is my neice, Leah, nephew, Sam and daughter, Alyssa with the intercoastal behind them.

This is me with my baby sis!

I've been doing some creating these days a new venture Roger and I have launched together...Pumpkinvine Primitives.  Roger is a very talented woodworker and has created so many nice pieces for our home.  We thought it would be fun to offer his work to others through Etsy and TDIPT Mercantile.  We've had fun creating new prims for TDIPT Mercantile on the first of each month.  We design together, then he does all the cutting, routing and sanding and I paint and stain and photograph.  It's been a real team effort!  We have a Etsy shop that we add finished and made to order prims to weekly and the customer base is starting to build now.  Here are a few pics of some of our finished pieces...

Fall is absolutely my favorite time of year.  This year it cannot come fast enough with the crazy hot summer we've had in Georgia! We are finally getting some cool evening temps and even cooler mornings.  My neighbor and walking partner is definitely a summer person so it's getting harder to get her out with me in the mornings.  We might have to switch it up a bit and move our walks to the afternoon.  :-)

Well, I hope you are doing well and I will do my very best to write more often.   Blessings to you..Susan

Feeling like Spring here...

All this warm weather has me daydreaming about Spring around here!  It's been unseasonably warm here in the Atlanta area...my daffodils are already wilting...that's how long they have been blooming!

 and check out our daylilies...they are already 5" to 6" above ground .  It probably doesn't help that we were on Tybee Island this month too.  Roger, my  hubby, and Mary, my sister, ran in the Critz Tybee Run Fest.  We enjoyed beach weather in the 70s and glorious, glorious sunshine for four days!!!  They both ran a good race and Mary even came in 10th in her age group over all!  It was a great weekend. 

Here's Mary getting ready to start her race (Roger is still working on his morning coffee hee hee)

And Mary hamming it up for the camera!

Well, somehow I managed to squeeze in a little bit of creative play this past week.  I just listed these two little Chicks on Etsy so I could spread the Spring Love around a bit.  If you are interested, you can click on the link to my Etsy shop and you will be able to take a closer look. 

Started a workshop this week...I'll share more about that as I get into it, but so far I am loving it.  There's art work and creative journaling so far so how could a girl go wrong, right?  

Wishing you a wonderful week this week....Susan

Wishing you a very Happy Valentine's Day filled with the love of family and friends!

Hugs - Susan

New Dollie on Etsy!

It's been a fun and busy week at Prim and Proper Folks...and it's only Wednesday! We have had a wonderful response to our Pumpkinvine Primitives wooden treasures...Thank you!!  I have been painting and staining my heart out, getting orders ready to fill and ship.  It's been a nice change of pace and has really sparked my creativity for my doll designs.  There are three new dollies on my worktable this week(that has got to be a record of some sort for me heehee) and this sweet little gal was just finished yesterday.  After a day of picture taking, she is finally ready to be offered in my Etsy shop.  Introducting LuElla Ladybug!




I hope to have another update for you this weekend.  Until then, thank you so much for stopping by...

Blessings....Susan

New Adventure - Pumpkinvine Primitives

I have some exciting news to share with you...my hubby, Roger, and I have started a new business...Pumpkinvine Primitives!  Roger has a natural talent for working with wood and has created many, many pieces for our home.  Now, we are working together to bring our love of primitive wooden treasures to you. We are offering finished and made to order pieces through our newly opened Etsy shop.  There are a few finished pieces there now and we will be adding items weekly, so I hope you can stop by often to take a look around the shop.  And, be sure to sign up for the Pumpkinvine Primitives Newsletter to receive updates when we have new items available!

We are also thrilled to have been accepted into the T.D.I.P.T Mercantile and will be offering finished pieces on the 1st of each month.  Pumpkinvine Primitives debuts today on the Mercantile with several warm and wonderfully prim and early American pieces and one sweet (if I do say so myself) Prim and Proper Folks original dollie!

More to come soon, my friends.....thanks for visiting....Susan

Puppy Haircuts today!

With the temps reaching the high 60s not a cloud in the sky, today became puppy haircut day! hee hee Cody and Prissy were starting to resemble wooly sheep more than bichons, so haircut day came none too soon. Here is their before picture:


and here is Cody's before:




As soon as we picked them up to carry them out to the make shift outdoor puppy salon, they knew something was up.  Since Prissy (who just turned 15) was the 'fluffiest' she got to go first, and then my 11 year old Codybug.  After a lot of scissoring and a quick run through with the clippers to finish them up I have my two little bichons back.
 



I'll be honest....giving them a haircut is not my favorite thing to do, but once we get started, they LOVE all the praise and attention and that makes it all worth while.  Hope you are having a wonderful day....Susan

Happy 2012!!

I've been soooo busy this week getting my studio (I always giggle inside when I say that since my 'studio' is really just half of our bonus room in the basement :-)) cleaned and organized. It's been ages since I've been able to play in my studio. I'm so excited to be able to get back to my art.

Some of you may know that I injured my back and left hip while painting our house. I simply took a misstep on the ladder and, well, the rest is history...as they say. I could hardly sit or stand or lay down for more than a few minutes for most of last year. I'm happy to report, though, that through physical therapy and lots of determination, I am back on my feet and feeling great. I started super slow with just some stretching and worked my way up to going for short walks. Little by little I added to my walks and now I walk about three miles per day, five times per week. Lately, my hubby and I have started challenging each other with pushups and dips (or arm killers as I like to call them!!). We are putting in about 60 pushups and 60 dips on our way around the park where we walk. At first, let me tell you...my 'wings' were soooorrrre. Now though, I can crank those babies out. It's great to be feeling healthier. I would love to lose more, and hope to do so this year. Side note...I've also lost about 50 lbs with all this exercise and healthy eating. Yay!!!THAT is a wonderful thing in my book! It's been a long journey and I don't think I will ever take my good health for granted again.

Here's to a wonderful year of creativity. Wishing you and yours a joyous and blessed New Year in 2012! Let's keep each other in our prayers for good health and prosperity this year, ok?

Wishing you many blessings....Susan

Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year in 2012!

Hugs...susan

How about a yummy cookie recipe?

I just made these delicious cookies and had to share the recipe with you. These are Cran-Pistachio cookies and the recipe is courtesy of Betty Crocker.



Look at these delicious cookies and, honestly, they could NOT be easier to make.

Cran-Pistachio Cookies
Source: Betty Crocker

1 pouch Betty Crocker Sugar Cookie Mix
1 box (4 serving size) pistachio instant pudding and pie filling mix
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 eggs
1 cup dry roasted salted pistachio nuts, chopped
1/2 cup dried cranberries, chopped
optional - green food coloring (I didn't add any but if you wanted them extra green you could)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl stir cookie mix, pudding, and flour. Add melted butter and eggs and stir until incorporated.

Add pistachios and cranberries and mix well.

Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto a parchment lined cookie sheet.

Bake for 8-10 minutes. The only way you can ruin these cookies is to overbake them! If you bake them too long you will lose the soft texture and they won't be as green. They will not look done but take them out and let them sit on the pan for about 2 minutes. Trust me.

Cool on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container. Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

Enjoy....Susan

Glitter and Tinsel Ornament

Hello everyone! I'm a little late with this next tutorial, but for good reason. My son graduated from college Saturday! We are so proud of you Patrick! Our family started arriving Tuesday and we've been celebrating all week!



Now for today's Christmas fun..I found this beautiful ornament tutorial that Karen over at My Desert Cottage has created and generously shared. Isn't it a beauty? Her instructions are very well written and so easy to follow. Thank you Karen! I hope you will enjoy creating this beautiful ornament.



Cathy over at Hazleruthe's has generously shared some Santa paper doll puppets on her blog. If you get a chance, pop on over. These little Santa's are adorable and I LOVE Cathy's idea to include them in her Christmas cards this year.

Well, I'm signing off...we're watching The Polar Express tonight....

Blessings to you...Susan