Saturday, November 17, 2012

Day 7 and Our Party has come to an End!!

Day 7 of our Holiday Party and as all things do start they must also come to an end.  Today our featured designers are Brenda Pinnick, Lizzy B Cre8tive and Kim Diehl.  Make sure you visit them and see what they have in store for you.  I do pray that you have been blessed in some small way by our Holiday Party.  A huge thanks to everyone at Henry Glass for allowing us to work for an amazing company.  And a special thanks to Linda Lum DeBono for organizing all of this.  I also pray that the Holidays are filled with rich blessings for all of you.  From my family to yours...we wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year,
Leanne

Friday, November 16, 2012

Day 6 of the Party!


Day 6…here we come!  Are you having fun at our “Very Merry Holiday Party?”  I know I sure am and have loved seeing the creative projects and traditions that other designers have shared.  Today’s featured designers are Jana Nielson of Izzy & Ivy Designs & Delphine Cubitt.  You can find Delphine's post at the Henry Glass site, her free project is at the end of today's post. Make sure to visit them and then go to the Henry Glass site to guess that baby photos.  
        


Have a wonderful day,
Leanne

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Day 5 of the Blog Hop


Day 5 of the Party and what wonderful ideas we have seen.  Today, Heather MulderPeterson and Kari Ramsay are our featured designers.  You have to look at their sites, the holiday decorating is so much fun and the projects are incredible.  I don’t know about you, but I have had so much fun at this party…it really has been getting me in the mood to decorate and get ready for Christmas.  Remember to go to the Henry Glass site and guess the designers, then you can enter the final drawing for all of the give-a-ways. 

I also wanted to tell you about our line that will be coming out in January…”God Gave Me You.”  It will be great for any little girl’s or boy’s room you want to decorate and be watching for our patterns to show it off.  

Have a wonderful day and remember to “Be Merry.”

Blessings,
Leanne

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Day 4 of the Holiday Party!


Day 4 of our Holiday Party…and today I am going to share with you some of my holiday favorites...but before I do, make sure you check out Beth Logan's blog.  She will be sharing some of her favorites and a free pattern today as well! 

I love to walk down memory lane during the holidays, it brings me close to loved ones I have lost and takes me to a place that is cozy and comfortable.  My first holiday favorite would have to be my wind up Santa that my grandmother made when I was a little girl.  It still plays Jingle Bells, and puts a smile on my face every year.  I think back of Grandma Ethel, her humor, her love of the holidays…she could make a pinecone wreath like nobody else.  I know that my love of sewing and creating came from her.  She was a bit blunt and rough around the edges at times, you never had to wonder where you stood with her, be we got each other.  I love you Grandma!!

Another favorite memory is singing Christmas carols, Christmas Eve with my Mom, Dad and brother.  We would go to the Candle light service at church, drive around town to see all of the lights and then come home to sing a few carols together.  Oh how I loved that time.  I also remember as a very little girl having my dad lather up with shaving cream and chase me around the house as Santa Claus…guess he didn’t traumatize me too much as I still think of it as a fond memory.  Oh how my Dad loved Christmas…sure do miss him but feel so close to him this time of year. 

As for my favorite recipe, well it would have to be cut out cookies, with LOTS of frosting.  If you know me, you know I love frosting.  My Mom and I would bake the cookies, and then we could be as creative as we wanted to frost the cookies.  I think I loved cleaning out the frosting decorator more than anything, I could lick the frosting!!  I can’t say that I have a particular recipe to share, just a simple sugar cookie recipe.  I do remember baking all kinds of cookies during the holidays.  We had so much fun baking and sharing with friends and neighbors.  I’m not too much of a connoisseur in the kitchen; I wonder what my children will remember from their childhood, I’m afraid it won’t be baking!!  At any rate, it’s so much fun to re-visit some old memories. 

I love decorating for the Holidays and since my girls and I opened our occasional store, “Patchwork & Primitives” it makes it even more fun.  We get to decorate the store and our homes for Christmas.  I'm also including a few pics from our last open house…you can see what we do in our spare time!! 


So with all of that said, we get to my free project.  I decided to include a couple of recipes with my projects this year.  We have some fun dry mix cookie recipes that are quick and easy and make great gifts.  To give them a “Caboodle” twist, we have added our “Holiday Cookie Coozies.”  They’re quick and easy and anyone would love to get one.

CLICK HERE to download the FREE pattern!

Download the pdf files with easy instructions and if you have any questions, feel free to drop us a line.  If you have problems downloading the free pattern, let me know and I can email it to you.  From my family to yours, we wish you Merry Memory Making this Christmas Season and a Happy New Year!!

Holiday Blessings,
Leanne

Day 3 of the Holiday Party



Greetings on Day 3 of our Very Merry Holiday Party.  I don't know about you, but I am having so much fun learning more about my designer friends and their holiday traditions.  Jill, I love the place mats and the snowflakes...may have to do that one here!!  

Remember to visit our featured designers today, Shelly Comisky and Wilma Sanchez and see what they have been up to during this Holiday Party.

One of my favorite memories growing up was having an Advent Calendar to track the days before Christmas...it was such a fun countdown, and we had so much fun placing the ornaments on the tree.  Now, our tree was one my mom stitched onto a large piece of fabric, there were pockets that ran on the top and bottom of the panel, and in the pockets were a scripture that was read every day, and an ornament that was cut out of old greeting cards.  You know, my parents didn't have much as I was growing up, I may know that now, but back then, I thought I was the richest kid on the block.  No worries, great memories and just simple living.  I wanted to replicate that feeling when I designed "Let Us Adore Him" a few years ago, giving the quilter an opportunity to do an Advent Calendar, celebrating the Advent Season.  It was very well received, so Henry Glass has allowed me to do another Advent collection called "The King's Arrival."  I can't wait to bring this into your homes, helping you to celebrate the greatest season of all, the arrival of Baby Jesus.  Keep an eye on our website www.thewholecountrycaboodle.com for the arrival time of this collection.  Make it one of your holiday traditions.  

Have a Very Merry day,
Leanne

Sunday, November 11, 2012

Oh Happy Day!!


It's day 2 of our Very Merry Holiday Party and Linda and Mary Ellen had such fun posts.  I hope you are all having fun.  Today our features designers are Dawn Heese and Jill Finley.  I know they will have some festive posts.


I thought today, we could get to know one another a little bit better.  For those of you who don't really know me, I have been designing since 1992, and fabric since 1994. I love my job...I can sit out in the middle of Iowa, work with wonderful people in New York City and create fabric for all of you.  I'm known for my whimsical characters, and since I started designing for Henry Glass, I have been given an opportunity to design in an area I have a real passion for and that is my faith.  I do believe that God has given me the gifts to be able to do this, therefore I do believe I must give Him the credit.  Some of the collections we have co-created in this area are "Noah & Co.", "The Great I Am", "Let Us Adore Him", "In the Beginning", "Two by Two", "God Gave Me You", and "The King's Arrival".  With all of that said, I have to say that God has given me so much.  Besides my business, probably my biggest achievement has been raising our three amazing children.  My husband Ed and I have been married for 32 years, having been blessed with Shelby - 28, Taylor - 27 and Kaytlyn - 24.  I have 2 wonderful daughter/son-on-laws and 2...very soon...3 beautiful grandchildren whom have served to be the inspiration to many of my collections.  Christmas is one of my favorite times of the year...and I love celebrating it with my family.  Some of my favorite smells and tastes would be evergreen, the taste of hot apple cider and homemade cut out cookies with lots of frosting and the feeling of the crisp air while cutting our Christmas tree.  


Christmas last year.  Ed & I with Toby & Leighton!

All the kids!!
Had to show how much these two cuties have grown since Christmas!!  Can't wait to make more memories this year with them, and the new baby girl!

Please share some of your favorite traditions with me...I would love to hear about them.  I will be sharing my favorite holiday recipe and ornament on my special day, November 14.  I pray you are all having a wonderful time at our Holiday Party!

Have a very Merry Day,
Leanne

Saturday, November 10, 2012

The Henry Glass "Very Merry Holiday Party"


Good Morning Friends!

The Henry Glass Blog Hop "Very Merry Holiday Party" begins TODAY and we are so glad you are a part of it.  If you are not familiar with the blog hop there are only a few things you should know! Every day a few designers are scheduled to share some of their most favorite holiday traditions, recipes and treasured ornaments, along with many other favorites. You will want to go to their blogs on that day and read their post as well as get their free project!! The schedule is listed below!

Christmas is such a special time of year, and with so much negative that has recently been hitting the airwaves...don't know about you, but glad the election is over...it's going to be a lot of fun sharing some positives with all of you.  Our first two designers are Linda Lum DeBono and Little Quilts .  I know they will have some fun projects and lots to share so make sure to check out their blogs today!    
  
Linda Lum DeBono

Little Quilts


There will be a grand prize giveaway at the end.  To enter all you need to do is to go to the Henry Glass site and guess the names of the designers from our baby/child photos, collect the names and then submit them.  The catch is there will only be a couple up each day- so you will have to check back to get them all and email Henry Glass (henryglassinfo@gmail.comat the end. You will have a week to submit the names.  This year we are giving away a large fabric bundle and each designer will be giving a gift as well!  

Now on to one of my holiday favorites…Andy Williams Christmas !  Nothing helps me get into the Christmas spirit more and I look forward to it every year! Do you have any favorite songs or a particular artist that you really like...let me know!

Have a wonderful time attending our "Very Merry Holiday Party!" 

Below is the schedule for the designers, and keep in mind a lot of us may be doing our own giveaways as well.  Enter everything-you never know what you could win!

Delphine Cubitt

November 17:
Kim Diehl 
http://www.kimdiehl.com/
Lizzie B Cre8ive 
http://dreamlaughcreate.blogspot.com/



Blessings,
Leanne