Oh, NO! My website is down!

Can you believe this crap? AGH! OK, so maybe I need a mental health day and this is the Big Guy's way of letting me know. I just wish I had more warning so I wouldn't be so stressed out! Anyway, please know that it will be up soon (I hope!).

It's raining on this end and it's really not a good day for GP who was headed to Canobie Lake this afternoon (I was driving but it really wasn't much of a trip for me. There is no fun to be had at an amusement park w/GP! It's all about making sure he has a good time; preventing disaster...and it's sooo stressful I would just rather crawl under a rock! But he loves it so off I go with a song and a prayer.) Today he is CRANKY! I need some St.John's Wort so I can stay calm and keep the situation under wraps. Please say a little prayer for me;
I need all the back up I can get! If only the rain would stop! =(

New Fabrics!

Have you seen the new Buggy Barn Flannels? They just came in last week while the floors were being put in. As I was getting ready to haul them up I thought I would check and see if there was a pattern to go with these and to my complete delight I found that the Buggy Barn ladies have designed a wonderful quilt for these gorgeous prints. You can see the prints in a slideshow I set up for the sidebar. I just love flannels, and I think I can actually make this quilt too... I'll have to make up some kits because this one is perfect for TV Time Snuggling!

78"sq.
The complete Flannel Essentials II is in stock and on sale! $8.49 yd

New Floors, Done!

This week has been full of challenges. It's been non stop excitement and pure mayhem here at the Pumpkin Patch. Look at the new floors... are they the bomb or what?! Hello! It was such a challenge to clear the studio to complete this facelift. It took hours upon hours and a full bottle Tylenol too! LOL! Who knew there was so much stuff in there? Oh, but it was sooo worth it...
I'll post more pics as I reclaim the space. Just wanted to share my progress; I'm slow but steady!

We're UP! New Website!

OMG! I did it!

I linked the new website! OK, so go to the little logo on the sidebar and click on it. It will take you to the New and Improved Pumpkin Patch Primitives website! ARGH! It's too exciting, someone get the St. John's Wort....

Here's another link: JIC your reading this on Bloglines or Google!

It's Giveaway! CLOSED!

Yep, it's official.

The August issue of American Patchwork and Quilting has hit the newstands and I am ready to give away a kit to make the little quilt I chose for my ad.

A kit to make Wooly could be yours in no time flat. Leave a comment and spread the word. Post about the giveaway and get an extra entry. Don't forget to let your friends know that if they let me know that YOU told them about the giveaway you get a third entry, yep, three chances to win. One for your comment, another for spreading the word (please link so I can go and check it out... Last time I had a giveaway some shady characters left comments about posting and then didn't post . That would be called??? Oh, that would be CHEATING! We'll have none of that! LOL!) Spread the word, share the lovin' and you could be the lucky winner of this great little kit.

All the fabrics for the top, backing and binding are included. Flats for the background and flannels for the applique. You add the buttons. It's a fun weekend project...

You know what to do, leave a comment and spread the word. If there are over 50 entries I will gve away TWO kits... the more, the merrier is what I say!

GP will choose a winner Aug. 7th...T-Choco's Birthday!

Please, PLEASE make sure you have an email associated with your comment. I would like to contact you if you win; but I wont hunt you down to give you a prize so... if you want to win and actually receive the prize you must leave an email address or have one on your profile! =)

Translate, please...

I'm sweating like a pig. I'm carrying bolts of fabric out of the Pumpkin Patch and I'm exhausted. GP says, "I can't find my sandals" while Gino sits there...with the patience of a sloth...just waiting for him to find the sandals. GP starts to get frustrated and things start to look bleak. I stop what I am doing to help him find his sandals, while I huff and puff and let the puertorrican in me get the best of me. I give my spanish growl, "Ay, Dios MIO!" and GP comes running from the living room, stands right behind me and says, "Translate, please!"

OMG! I looked at him and he was standing there absolutely serious...he was doing the little head tilt thing he does when he "doesn't get it". And I just started laughing. It never ocurred to me how weird that must seem to him. LOL!

Anyway, I never did tell him what it was because I had found the sandals and handed them to him in a fit of laughter, but I was just thinking of it and thought some of you would relate. Do you call the powers that be in another language? Do you huff and puff in your "native tongue"? I think I was having a Ricky Ricardo moment, LOL!

Proof of Life...

Have you seen that movie? Well if you haven't you should; it really is a good movie and when I went to upload the pictures from my little stash I came across this short film (well I did have to call it something!) on my camera and it reminded me of that film... I can only guess that GP was filming his favorite star, again. I can't tell you how many pictures I find of this little troublemaker in my camera. It seems like we have pics of her sleeping, snoring, laying down, pretending to be awake...but this one is different. In this one she is actually standing...my guess is it was dinnertime, LOL!

Anyway, I just thought it was funny...because it's so short (One second...any shorter and it would have been a picture!) and because it's in Black and white... Oh, my budding film maker... and his star, LOL! Enjoy!

And the Winner is.....

ME! Can you believe it?! I actually won something, LOL! The very funny and talented Mr. Blue Nickel Studios himself, Scott Hansen, had a giveaway and I was one of the lucky winners. I won three fat quarters... and as a special somthing -something; he sent me two trading cards (you have to read his blog to get that) and a little quilt label. He's such a great guy! Oh, and his pictures are soooo good. You should most certainly add him to your bloglines. His pictures alone inspire. My camera wants to be like his camera when she grows up! LOL!

Thanks Scott for the goodies... my stash is happy too! Woo-HOO!

Charity, it's simple!

I have to share with you one of the most amazing acts of charity that I have received because I can't even begin to tell you how many times I hear of people who say, "It's nothing" when in fact it is HUGE, and I mean HUGE, if you are on the receiving end.

We went to one of our local Panera eateries in Nashua (one of the very few places I am fortunate enough to be able to go and enjoy a stress free meal with GP because they take "have it your way" very seriously, and they are FAST as lightning!) Needless to say, they made his sandwich just the way he wanted it and in no time flat we were seated.

It was only after we were seated that GP tried his drink and handed me the cup saying "I need Sprite!" and Tasted the drink and yep, it was soda, but the syrup was missing. No problem, I think they'll just switch the tank and it's all good. WRONG! They were out of Sprite and I was up the creek without a paddle.

I swear when that woman offered me a substitution I looked at her with terror in my eyes and said, "My son is AUTISTIC", but could not say anything else. I stood there, out of words, and felt my eyes swell with tears. I had to face the fact that my son who was enjoying a wonderful lunch would NOT understand that they are out of syrup, and all hell would break loose. Just like that...as fast as you can snap your fingers...yes, that's how fast that is...it's all over! And as I stood back catching my breath and fighting my tears before I had to return to try to explain and "control my son" (ahem, discipline) to effectively exit "quickly and quietly", a young lady, no older than 20 came running out of the "sandwich prep" area and handed me a bottle of Sprite, just like the one pictured here. She handed me the bottle and said, "I had this in my lunch bag and I think you need it more than I do". I grabbed her and hugged her so tight I think she needed CPR when I let go. All I could say was, "You don't know what this means to me" but she was quick to reply,"I babysit a little boy with Autism, I understand" and she walked away. I caught my breath and returned to my table where GP greeted me with a big smile and a "THANK YOU!" that was loud and clear. I couldn't eat my own lunch having just "dodged the bullet" (you know how your knees wobble and you can feel your hands shaking after you have had a really bad scare? That's how it feels when you recover from a "what could have been" episode!) and knowing how blessed I had been because of that one young woman's simple act of charity. B=)

Mom Humor!

I saw this button and I laughed. Can you read the small print? It reads,"But Thanks for your concern" . I often hear about unruly children and the "irresponsible" parents that are raising them but I tell you that I don't know of anyone who gives their child more structure, love and discipline than I do and at 13, my Prince still has tantrums. We're not talking terrible two's tantrums. We're talking BIG, YELLING, SCREAMING, PUSHING tantrums... and no amount of discipline will stop them. Only a cure for Autism will. No amount of discipline can cure Autism, of this, I am certain!
When the smells that you and I cannot perceive stop giving him a headache, when that "noise" that we typical folks cannot hear, stops beating into his head like the sound of a dripping faucet when we are trying to sleep....When the waiters remember that "the cheese cannot touch the fries" means that if the fries touch the cheese and you just remove the cheese he can still smell it and he cannot wait 20 minutes for a fresh entree because he has schedules 30 minutes for lunch and after 30 minutes he is off schedule, which throws his mind into panic mode... (how hard is it to understand that when a MOM says, "MY SON IS AUTISTIC!" before she places her order it means, pay attention!")
So when I read this I had to laugh because laughter heals the soul and if I had a dollar for every time I have been stared at, a check for every time we've been gawked at...well, I might be a rich woman today.
Oh, an let me tell you that a "Do you need help?" when your child is bigger and stronger than you, and yelling at you to "fix it!" when the dumb*** waiter lets the cheese touch the fries, it is sometimes a true blessing. And I tell you, I would be happy to pay for your dinner, appetizer and dessert... if you just give my son your plate of "cheeseburger with ketchup and lettuce only with french fries that do not touch the cheese".
Gawking and staring and asking why that child is out of control will do nothing...offering a helping hand might count as your "act of charity" for that day.
You learn something new every day, so I thought I'd share a little bit of my "experience"...
You gotta laugh, if you don't want to cry! I need a hug! B=)

An Autographed Quilt Block?

I've made so many great friends in Blog-Land. I can go without the TV, without hearing or reading the news but God knows I check my Bloglines, LOL! It's like "checking in on "the girls", most of whom I have never had the pleasure of sharing a meal (well, the occassional sandwich while emailing, but does that really count?), but whose lives I glimse from afar. I celebrate their good times and say a little prayer for them during their hard times. It kind of makes me remember that we all have ups and downs, and in the end we're all just trying to live a good life, just doing the best we can with what we have...

Anyway, my dear friend Melissa is hosting a Signature Block Swap, and I just signed up! Even though it was pieced, mind you! And I have to invite you all to join in . I think this will be just so much fun. Wouldn't it be amazing if your Blogging Buddies sent you a little block? I can't wait. I hope everyone appreciates my piecing efforts... and no one decides to "forget" to add my little guys to their finished quilt. I'd be so sad... Would you please go and sign up so you too can be in my

Blogging Buddies Quilt? OK, so now I better start on my practice blocks. I think I'm going to require quite a few of those before my blocks will meet swapping standards. Good thing she allotted ample time to complete these. Now go sign up ... you know you want to!

Tree Removal, Done!

TADA! The tree guys chopped up the fallen branches (turns out there were two in the mess) and the one that had fallen last week, which was still there since it has been raining and I was waiting for the other "shoe" to drop. Good thing I did too, because it was a biggie, LOL! Now doesn't that look so much better???? And Gino will never know, LOL! I've already scheduled the thinning out/trimming. Hopefully after that it will grow strong and tall. And no more falling branches! Whew!

New Australian patterns are here!

They're HERE! Finally! I ordered these patterns weeks ago and they just came in. I'm so excited. I already have them on my new website, which I am hoping will be fully functional next week, AMEN! I only ordered a couple of each (11 patterns were $32.50 to ship, hello?!) but will take orders for a second bach and reorder if need be. I've got you covered. Theses are the ones that just came in. Woo-HOO!
Twas The Night Before Xmas redwork BOM

Tiny Treasure Cones

Nellie's Sewing Box

Cupcake Capers
Blessings
Autumn Pathways, Wool BOM!

I'm so excited! Hope you love them too, B=)

Don't You Go Laughing At Me!

I know you want to laugh... even I was laughing on my way in to post this. It's just too funny. I can't make this stuff up. Yes, that is ANOTHER big bad branch that has fallen . No kidding. Does this poor tree want to go into retirement or what?!
Gino was sitting outside and there was a cracking...we waited and a small branch fell. He gave me the "I told you so" look, complete with the tilting of the head and the smirk... I pretended I didn't notice. So this morning I was headed outside to check on the pool filter and when I opened the door I could not believe my eyes...can you believe this crap? I swear, I can't make this stuff up! I called the tree guys and left an urgent message. If Gino sees this, oh my poor tree...

Pool Steps, Done!

Guess what we (yes, I did help!) did today... Gino and I set up the pool steps. Wow, now that was a very time consuming job but we managed to get it done in half a day. Woo-HOO! I actually had only a small part in this installation but it was the wet part. I was to get in the pool and adjust the liner and hold the steps in place while they were connected to the outside ones... pretty easy if you ask me. GP joined me in the freezing water but he was NOT helping, he was splashing, argh!!! It was fun and now we are ready for a heat wave... or just some more sunshine would be nice.=) Hope your day was fun too!

Happy 4th of July!

It's not all pumpkins in the Pumpkin Patch! Just thought I'd share some of my Americana baskets ...and a little bit of the "behind the scenes" here at Pumpkin Patch Primitives...

Gotta love that Red,White & Blue!

Pincushion Swap

I received my Pincushion Swap package this week. Woo-HOO! Look at all the goodies I received from my swap partner, Blondie Spencer. Not one or two pincushions but three! On top of that, I received a set of four needle keepers (think she'd mind if I used them as coasters? They're so cute!) and a Mary Engelbreit notepad and pinkeep. Oh, and she made a little note pad for me too. I just love them all. Thank you so much Blondie for your thoughfulness, and for the love and care you put into making these little treasures for me. I am humbled by your generosity. B=)

We're Blooming here!

The Bee Balm plants are in bloom, right on schedule! These plants are five FEET tall and bloom from the end of June through the end of July (in the red), the pink bloom July-Aug. Low maintenance and self propagating...gotta love that! Hope your garden is blooming too~ B=)

Teaching Faith, LONG!

How do you teach Faith to a child with Autism? First you have to teach him how to pray, and then you have to believe that YOUR prayers will be heard, and answered.

Case in point:

It's been raining, and raining, and raining.... and on Wednesday GP had had enough. He woke up and was in one of those moods that is reserved for noisy, crowded places. He was upset! Yep, "Good Moring", >growl<,"Don't tell me that!" OOps, no more talking to Mr. Grouchy! The rest of the morning goes in silence, then I invite him to his favorite Japanese restaurant for lunch (If anything has the power to cheer this kid up, it's Sushi!) and he perks up a bit and says,"Sure!"

Off we go to SOHO and no sooner had we been seated than the "problem" was revealed.
First, we go to SOHO's all the time. At least once a week since they opened almost two years ago. He is known by name and he knows everybody's name too. He always has a great time when we go there and the great food is just a bonus. Well, Julian (the owner's college age son) is our server today. He greets GP first, "Gene Paul how are you doing today? Are you getting ready for the Fourth of July?" And GP says "It's raining all Summer long! It's never going to stop! We need to

Stop this rain! The Summer will end if this rain doesn't stop!" And just like that, I found out what was wrong with GP. He was upset about the weather, duh!

What to do about the weather? HMMM... not much we can do, is there?

Once the cat was out of the bag it just went on, and on, and on, and on....you get the picture??? And all the way home he is telling me he must stop the rain. Frustrated and growing ever more upset myself that I had to endure this mood due to no fault of my own, I tell him, "I cannot change the weather, only God can do that. You have to ask God to change that, I cannot fix it." End of story!

Back to silence (It was a LONG day at the Mercado's), any attempt at conversation was blocked with "It's raining, it's never going to stop!" so why bother? The "been there, done that" reasonable person in me says,"Just drop it!" and no more conversations are happening here. You can hear a pin drop in this house. Until it's time for prayers... I tell GP "don't forget your prayers" and he says, "Don't tell me that!" which means I will not be joining in the prayers, he will say them on his own. OK, so I just listen to make sure he is saying his prayers (from a safe distance in the next room). Well here you go:

"Dear Lord, we thank you for the blessings in our lives. We thank you for the health and happiness that you bestow upon us. We thank you for the food the nourishes our body and

the home that shelters us from the snow (yes, we say this prayer even in the Summer!). Dear Lord, we thank you for our pets and ask that you help us be good pet owners so we can can keep our pets happy and healthy." Then he says....

"Dear Lord please help Pepper to have good eyes so she can see better. And Dear Lord, please stop this rain so we can have a sunny day this Summer. Dear Lord, please make it "to" stop raining". AND, then he says a special Lord's prayer for his "extra" request. It's a Catholic "thing"...don't ask, LOL! Anyway, I was so worried I could hardly sleep...

I had after all, told him that God could fix the weather, and sure enough, he took it up with the big guy. OMG! What if God was too busy taking care of the sick and the hungry to hear my son's prayer? How do I teach him to believe in something he cannot see???? Autism is about "seeing". There is no "abstract" in the Autism spectrum! That's why it's so hard to teach them reasoning, duh! Needless to say, this was not good. So what did I do? I prayed! I asked that HE answer my son's prayer... I didn't ask for world peace, I didn't ask for a cure for Autism. I didn't ask that he restore Pepper's eyesight but I did ask for one big "miracle". I asked for HIM to do this one little thing for GP, show him that HE could do it...make the rain go away.

And hold on to your hats...we woke to a glorious SUNNY DAY! What did GP say? "I said the prayers and God fixed the weather!" and what did I say? "I told you!"

I think my sigh was heard around the world! Sometimes you just need a little Faith! Thank you God, for the Sunny Day!

I Love Punchneedle Embroidery

Is there anything not to love about Punchneedle Embroidery? Only the part where you start with a pattern, a hoop, lots and lots and lots of thread, and a very sharp needle you have to stab a gazillion times in order to end up with one of those little tapestries that looks more like a tiny little hooked rug than anything "embroidered", that's all. Now, if you can move past that part then you can enjoy the art of Punchneedle Embroidery, as I do.

My favorite part about PE is the part where you find a spot for it and put it on display. To that end, and because life is too short to do it all, I buy my PE pieces. I'm so bad...

Last week I purchased this wonderful horse piece from Debbie over at Woolensails and thought I'd share it since it came in the mail earlier in the week. I didn't have to look very hard for a spot to display it; it is just lovely and fits in everywhere. HAHAHA!

Debbie makes little works of art and I encourage you to watch her blog (Bloglines?) because she does sell some of her pieces and you might get lucky, like me .... and claim one as your own!