The Country Porch February 2004 Newsletter

COUNTRY PORCH
February Newsletter

Greetings from the Porch!
The snow has been piling up deep by the door, icicles hang long and crystal clear from the eves, but we’re cozy and busy as bees inside oooohing and aawwing over the new patterns and arranging them into new displays.

It’s February already! The month of romance, red roses, candy hearts, sweethearts, heart throbs, love and of course, cabin fever. Here at The Porch, we’ve got both cure and remedy for whatever ails you, whether romance or cabin fever.

So put the kettle on and get cozy because we have many, many patterns to browse and we’ve added new features to our, now monthly, newsletter. Look for our All-Time Favorites, Quilt of the Month, Candle Club, Decorating Hints and Seasonal Recipes. Oh, and don’t forget to bookmark so you can find your way back home!

All-Time Favorites

Sarah’s Quilt
Reminiscent of Grandma’s house, Sarah’s Quilt takes us back to lemonade and cookies and summer afternoons. A patchwork of butter yellow print and French country blue plaids and stripes complete this romantic cottage look. Sarah’s Quilt is a wonderfully fresh pattern for kitchens, bedrooms, laundry and bath, yet special enough for a little girl’s room. Sweet dreams! Then come take a peek at our Kitchen Decorating Themes page for more ideas.

Vintage Rose
Roses are a language in and of themselves and they speak volumes in this quaint and romantic Vintage Rose pattern with soft pink and burgundy colored roses and sage leaves on cream background. Read seed catalogs in the glow of a matching lamp shade or keep your seed packets in our matching country basket. Mix and match with Rose Lace for your kitchen, dining room, bedroom, bath or laundry (taking orders for March delivery). And don’t forget to treat yourself to some very pretty decorating ideas on our Kitchen Decorating Themes page.

Star Ticking
Little navy stars marching in a row, country red ticking putting on a show . . . as charming as a nursery rhyme, Star Ticking is simple, basic and straight forward. It’s one of those magic ingredients for mixing and matching with any of the Americana collection, like Patriot’s Quilt, Old Glory or Flag. And don’t forget to check out the Kitchen Decorating Themes page for more ideas.

Dakota
In the wilds of the Dakota Territory pioneer life was lived on a large scale with endless prairies and a limitless sky. Like our ancestors, Dakota is of strong character commemorated in homespun plaid of slate black on cream with threads of country red. Sophisticated or country, get bold and make a statement in your kitchen, family room, bedroom, library or bath. This is an especially handsome plaid destined to make the All-Time Favorites list – we voted the shower curtain most popular for a boy’s bath. Oh, and don’t forget to visit our Kitchen Decorating Themes page for more ideas.

February
Quilt of the Month
Crimson Toile Quilt
We love this absolutely beautiful, whole-cloth quilt of crimson red toile depicting graceful country florals. A simple yet abundant quilt with soft sketches of crimson on a soft white background and rows of quilting make this a treasure to own. Compliment your quilt with pillow shams, quilted pillows and quilted throws.

Meanwhile back at The Porch, the snow continues to fall and we continue to be busy. However, we are never TOO busy to eat! Serve at your next party or Italian dinner . . . it tastes killer! Quick and Easy!

Country Porch
Roasted Garlic & Red Pepper
Killer Bread
Large French Bread Loaf (cut in half lengthwise, open face)
2-3 T butter
Mix together:
1 C mayonnaise
1 C freshly grated parmesan cheese
3-4 T Roasted Garlic & Red Pepper Dip Mix seasoning

Spread butter on bread halves and lightly brown under the oven broiler. Remove from oven and spread cheese mixture with spatula over the toasted bread. Top with pesto or freshly chopped basil for an extra kick. Return to oven and broil again (watch carefully) until bubbly and brown. Remove and cut diagonal slices. Serve hot!

Bon Appetite!

February
Candle Club
Now we know why we think of food, it’s the candles! Our customer’s love the spicy scent of rose hips and treat themselves to the fragrance of summer with our Raspberry cake candles. After all the holiday rush, February is a month of gathering our energy before leaping into spring planting! Our cake candles burn 90-92 hours. Remember the scent of summer and sweet taste of fresh raspberries?

NEW! Decorating Ideas from The Porch
Make this simple country pillow by using table napkins! So easy and fun!
You’ll need:
Two 18 x 18 cloth table napkins (we used Pinecone table linens)
One 12 x 12 pillow form
5 large, wooden buttons or Velcro buttons
Embroider Floss

Lay one napkin down wrong-side up, lay pillow form in the middle of the napkin then lay the other napkin right-side up on top of the pillow form. Be sure both napkins are lined up. Using straight pins, pin the two napkins together enclosing the pillow form. With large basting (or running) stitches, sew the two napkins together using the pillow form as a guide. Don’t worry about uneven stitches, it will add primitive charm!

Now, sew a button on each corner and one in the middle. For an abundant look, the stitching in the middle button should go all the way through to the button on the other side. OR use Velcro buttons (found in most sewing notions).

It was so good to visit with you and we thank you for your business! Our creative energy is in overdrive and we’re all on a mission . . . to bring you the very BEST of everything that we and the shop have to offer.

New and exciting patterns are arriving daily, so visit often, anytime. We’re always OPEN on-line. Or call us at our toll free number @ 1-866-664-9182 and chat; we’d love to hear how you transformed your home with decorating themes from The Country Porch!

Happy Valentines Day and best wishes from our house to yours!

If you know someone who may also be interested in reading our newsletter, please feel free to forward them a copy! You can subscribe/unsubscribe to our newsletter via our website here.

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