Harvesting Blessings

We don't do Halloween at the Blessing farmhouse but we definitely do apple orchards, pumpkin patches, apple cider donuts, pumpkin soup and woodfires with family all around. As bloggers, it's a great time to celebrate how God made us in His likeness.

God the artist

Then the land will yield its harvest, and God, our God, will bless us. (Psalms 67:6) All the colors we use in our art, God created them.

God the chef

Mary Jane's Farm has the neatest article about how various foods look like our organs and how they promote health for those organs. A walnut looks like brain and helps develop neurontransmitters for brain function. Sweet potatoes - pancreas. Sliced Carrots - eyes. Tomato - chambers of the heart. Kidney beans - the kidneys. Avacados - a woman's womb.

God the decorator

In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. (John 14:2)

As you prepare the treats for tonight, remember to delight in the treats God has given to inspire and nurture your art, your hobby, your home, your health.

Harvest His Blessings.

Vintage Jewels

I thought I'd show you a couple of my favorite finds from our trip to Texas.

You know my weakness for cameos.

This piece was made from an old spoon and cherubs from an estate sale.

(Made by Tina)

I think my jewelry "box" is getting a little front heavy. But I like to keep the pretties out where I can enjoy them. Doesn't everybody keep their jewelry on display in the dinning room?

Mr Blessing Pursues Romance

So here's a funny story...

Last March my husband intercepted an email from one of the editors at Romantic Homes asking about my website. Apparently Mr. Blessing thought that if they liked the website, surely they would love to hear more about me. So he told them more. Imagine the all scary things that could've come up! He emailed back and forth with one of editors and then came to me one day saying, "Romantic Homes is sending some questions over. You need to reply..."

I'm so honored to be part of the Christmas issue! It's due to hit the shelves a week from today.

And if, like me, you're wondering what manner of bizarre conversation it took to convince the editor, I've pasted a bit of his email (I found it in my archives):

Polly is a true and real person of lovliness, graciousness, passion and is very talented in all that she touches. She is humble and grateful for all that she has and does. Her life story is amazing and I have asked her when she will write her story but she is not at that point in life yet for that to happen. I believe that if you take a look at the things she has created and nurtured, you will see that this is a person that would be a wonderful addition to Romantic Homes.

Have I mentioned that this man is a blessing?!!

Vintage Holiday Market

Happy Friday!

Even though we work from home, Steve and I still look forward to Fridays. There's just something about the idea of turning off the work and doing something spontaneous that is so cheering. We don't have any specific plans this weekend so that means it's fair game for all sorts of fun possibilities.
In this season of craft shows and flea markets, there's a bunch of Autumn & Holiday things going on every weekend! I know lots of you are setting up (to sell) at various shows and some of us are visiting for inspiration. It's one of my favorite times - weekends in the Fall!
If you're shopping from home this weekend (It's cold here in the Midwest!), check out Friday Flea Market and the new vintage holiday market, Christmas Past.
Have a beautiful weekend!

Shopper's Remorse

I'm having shopper's remorse!

Or, at least, I think that's what it would be called. You know, that feeling you get when you walk away from something that caught your eye only to wish upon wishes that you would've bought the silly thing. It doesn't happen to me often because I have fallen prey many times to the theory that if you love it, buy it (I think some wicked wealthy person made up that saying). But I so wish that I would've bought that Farm Ballads book. I'm just dying to know what's inside! Is it really a book filled with poems about farms?? I'm going over to ask Shelley right now...

(photo taken at Sweet Pea Home)

Marburger - At Rest

Every Sunday we take the day off as a day of rest.

(And if you'd like to see Round Top at rest, after the shows have come & gone, visit here.)

May your Sunday be full of beautiful junk and lots of peace!

"If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on my holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight and the LORD's holy day honorable, and if you honor it by not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle words, then you will find your joy in the LORD, and I will cause you to ride on the heights of the land and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob." The mouth of the LORD has spoken. (Is 58:13-14)

Warrenton - Jill Suzanne

It's cold and rainy here in the Midwest! Our family is enjoying a wood fire and the scent of holidays approaching - flickering from the best candles I've ever had. A couple that we met in Warrenton, TX shared one of their handmade candles with us and I'm so smitten that I had to tell you about them.

While you're browsing Marburger photos this weekend, stop over and visit Jill Suzanne and her husband. They have a wonderful mix of interesting vintage items...

and oh so delicious candles!

And when you're done, pop in and visit the Friday Flea Market for 24/7 shopping!

Marburger - Magnolia Pearl

As soon as the gates open, I'm like a heat seeking missle! I beeline to Magnolia Pearl. But this year I determined to have some amount of decorum. I couldn't stand there like a doe-eyed Cindy Lou Who. I had to exert some self-control. Afterall, I'm a professional & this was a business trip!

But how can you not get lured in when there's lace dolies and ballet slippers hanging from the burlap tent walls? Every show the Magnolia Pearl team seems to out-do themselves!

Can you imagine sewing these curtains??

How is one supposed to behave like an adult in the midst of all this lacy heaven?

Oh, and do you remember last Christmas when everyone thought it was crazy that I had a lace tree?!

Well, who looks crazy now?!

White Wednesday

Over at Porch, we're feverishly gathering photos from some of the great 2009 Fall shows around the country. We hope to have this big fat magazine loaded to the hilt with pictures & available for purchase in a couple weeks!

But I just had to give you a little peek into the shows that I covered in Texas. I'll try to list a couple pictures each day. Visit French Cupboard today for a few White Wednesday pics from Warrenton too.

Photo 1 taken at Judy Hill Designs

Photo 2 taken at Sweet Pea Home

Sent

(Sign available at Reborn Rubbish 225-445-4463)

Have you ever had a strong sense that you were just meant to be somewhere? That's how I felt about going to Texas this year for the Round Top, Warrenton, Marburger Antique Shows. We certainly didn't have the extra funds to take a trip but I felt so strongly that we should go, I was near weeping when Steve & I talked about the possibility. No, it wasn't just the junking that was romancing me, though you know how my heart flutters at every junking possibility!

You see, last year I got yelled at by one of the vendors for taking pictures and when I say yelled at I mean that she literally chased Steve and I down, shouting loudly. Everyone was staring and I was MORTIFIED! Of course I apologized profusly but she continued to be rude. All the other vendors assured me that this was not the norm and that they welcomed pictures. Needless to say, I was apprehensive about going back this year.

Steve and I drove into Warrenton to attend Theresa Cano's blog party last Sunday, fresh off the plane. I stopped on the way at a tent full of beautiful, white, gauzy shirts and skirts. As I was browsing through the shirts, I heard a loud southern drawl. "OH MY GOSH - Are you Polly from Counting Your Blessings?" I shirked back a bit ready to defend myself. Afterall, I hadn't even taken any pictures yet. Why would someone be yelling at me already??

Turned out to be a sweet blog friend, Lauri - from 2Chippys. We've only met online so you can imagine our surprise. We hugged and laughed at how we could run into each other out there in the middle of all this farmland and thousands of shoppers. I just know that God put her there, at my very first stop, to reassure me. That's her up there on the left wearing a telltale white jacket.

Lauri has amazing found object necklaces that I adore- click here to see some - but I don't adore them nearly as much as I adore her for rescuing me from my own apprehension.

I'm delighted beyond words to have been at the shows this year! We had such fun and were able to really talk with some of the vendors. I can't wait to share our stories and pictures with you.