Counting Your Blessings: Inspiration Spotlight

Showing posts with label Inspiration Spotlight. Show all posts

Parisienne Farmgirl Magazine

With all the talk this week around here about magazines, I have to mention my friend Angela's new digital magazine, Parisienne Farmgirl Magazine. If you haven't visited with Angela before, let me tell you that she is one of the most lovely people that you'll ever know. Her eye for decorating, her photography, her unabashed views on life, her gardening & cooking, her family stories and mostly her love for the Lord - Make me wish I were her neighbor! Luckily, we live within an hour or so of one another so I sometimes get to visit her in person.

I'm so excited for all of us in blogland to get the opportunity to view more of her talent!

You can visit her blog - HERE

Check out her new Parisienne Farmgirl Magazine

White Wednesday

Last week our family tagged along for a day-trip with my parents (They take the scenic route everywhere so they find the sweetest sales. Of course, it takes twice as long to get there but it's usually worth it). They led us to the Northwinds Perennial Farm's annual open air antique market.

There are barns and out buildings filled with all kinds of gorgeousness. LOVE those twisted, chippy columns!

(That kinda sounds like something my 13 year old would use to describe ME)

One potting shed had a beautiful Last Supper piece on the wall.

And on the floor in the same shed were these stone architecture pieces, just laying there waiting for someone to ooo and ahh over them.

The silo was my favorite! A lovely, echo-y gathering place.

In every direction there were so many picture-perfect spots.

So our daughter took advantage of one of them, snapping a quick pic of mommy and daddy.

I've posted a few more photos of Northwinds over at French Cupboard if you'd like to take a peek

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Three French Hens Market

This weekend Mr. Blessing and I had the opportunity to visit the Three French Hens Market in Morris, IL. I was surprised by the large crowd of shoppers in such a quaint, historic little town. We got to spend some time with Traci (Whimsy), Mark (Rome363 - Mark has loads of photos of the market!) and Monica (Ruby Begonias). I can only aspire to the talent these folks have with their displays!

We are thinking of setting up at this sale in August but I have to admit, I'm a bit intimidated. However, the inspiration is over-taking the intimidation. I'm excited to be part of such a great event!

So we may be packing our suitcases, loading up and hauling our wares to Morris in August. Of course, my suitcases don't look quite so lovely as these.

We also had the chance to visit some of the shoppes in this darling town. Of course, I had to stop by Traci's shoppe, Whimsy Decor.

Again, gorgeous displays! The kind of place that I'd love to stay in for hours and poke in every corner.

I spied some of my friend, Erica's, rosettes.

And I think this might be one of Jill's slip dresses.

Jill and Traci met at the Na-Da Farm sale. See, it CAN pay to shop barn sales. They are great places to find vendors for your brick & mortar.

Traci and her mom do amazing things at Whimsy Decor. If you find yourself in the Illinois area during your Summer travels, be sure to stop by Whimsy Decor and the Three French Hens Market. You can also shop Whimsy's Etsy shop online.

White Wednesday

Mr. Blessing and I took a stroll to new friends place this morning. He has a delightful warehouse filled with goodies removed from old Chicago buildings. I was in heaven when he let us poke around in his storage units and dig for antique ceiling tins! LOVE all the chippy whites, blues, greens!

I wish I would've taken more photos but I only had my cell phone with me so I just took a few from the outside. I think I found a new partner in crime!!

Return to White Wednesday at Faded Charm Cottage

Play Date

I'm so honored to have my pictures selected for a color inspiration over at The Play Date Cafe this week. If you aren't familiar with Julie's blog, you should stop over and take a peek around. There is a challenge every week. Loads of wonderful artists link up all week long, sharing their projects based on a particular color scheme. And there's prizes involved. It's not too late to enter your own art...

Vintage Christmas... gift

Debra at Common Ground is hosting a Vintage Holiday Inspiration party every Friday in December. When Mr. Blessing and I visited the Kane County Flea market a couple weeks ago, I fell in love with a vintage dressform (no surprise there, right?! I'm always falling in love with some vintage goodie). He said, "Go ahead and get it but it'll have to count as a Christmas gift."

She inspires me. That counts as Vintage Holiday Inspiration, doesn't it?

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Common Ground

Feathered Nest Friday

Show & Tell Friday

Spoiled Rotten

Last night I was watching that Lifetime movie On Strike For Christmas. It's about a woman who goes on strike from all the decorating, baking and entertaining so that her husband and sons will appreciate the work involved in the holidays. I know there are scads of women out there right now who can totally relate. I am not one of those people.

My husband and children totally indulged me this last weekend. We spent Saturday at the Kane County Flea Market so that I could visit with Rebecca Ersfeld (Vintage Living). I have been dreaming of her Christmas stars for weeks... Seeing them on her blog, yearning in that wistful kind of way (The Merriam Webster definition of wistful is: desire tinged with meloncholoy. Yep - that was me). I was like a kid waiting outside the toy store as we made the long drive. This was going to be my one extravagance this year for my holiday decor.

Once I got there, it was hard to choose. She had so many delicious lacy creations! I wanted one of everything.

I've been pining away for one of her journals since forever but I HAD to have a Christmas Star!

I can't even begin to tell you the flip-flops my elated heart was doing when I paid for my star and Rebecca gave me a second star as a gift!! I nearly screeched. Maybe I did screech. I think I might have even clapped my hands like an excited school girl. Oh, I know, you don't have to tell me...

I'm spoiled rotten!

By the way, Rebecca is having a to-die-for giveaway for her birthday. Stop over, sign up and give her huge hugs from me!

Filling the Days

I thought I'd show you a few of the things that have filled my last few days. We finally made this itty bitty spot out back a little more comfy...

Made treats for thank-you bags...

Experimented with blueberries...

Visited with Freckles (he lives nearby)...

Worked on a few lacy projects...

And came across the most delightful cottage in the woods!

You've GOT to go see it.

Second Hand

Last week I got an email from my friend Ann at Nellie's Barn letting us know about some shows coming up this weekend that she thought we might like to attend. I had previous plans to visit shops of some friends but my mom took Ann's advice and went North to hit the annual Northwinds Perennial show. That's the booth of Chippy-Shabby above.

One of the shops that I visited was Second Hand Rose. She doesn't have a website any longer but you can view some of the pictures of her shop on my flickr page. Mr. Blessing and I have been working long days lately but I am planning some time for reloading my shop, playing with my camera (and my sweet babas!) and cleaning my house. While that may not sound like "down time", I'm looking forward to it.

The first weeks of Summer are such a blessing!

The One That Got Away

I meant to show you these pictures a couple days ago but the week got away from me! Look at this cool old table that we saw at Pec Thing last weekend. I really wanted to sand it down to the naked wood and give it a weathered, aged look. If it weren't for that crazy gorgeous Victorian cornice I got and the upcoming Na-Da Farm sale, I would have been in mourning that I lost this one.

And the bench has storage too. I might have cried over it...

Except that this weekend was the Na-Da Farm barn sale! I'm so glad that I saved a bit of money by not buying that table so that I could spend it at Na-Da! I'll share some more pictures tomorrow. Wait until you see Anne Marie's Hay House and the Patisserie!!

(And for those who know me best... Yes, I bought that Room For Rent sign)

Le Chateau de Fleurs Market

We are already gearing up for another issue of PORCH Magazine. Can you believe it? I haven't even posted about all the things that I wanted to from our Romantic French issue. Like this amazing sign that Rita Reade sent me!

Aren't those spindled sides cool?! Rita hand makes all her signs. She sells them at various shows that she does with her sister-in-law Christie Repasy. PORCH is going to show you pictures from Christy's first Le Chateau de Fleurs Market in our upcoming issue. Isn't that a lovely name for an outdoor market?

Did you know that Christie Repasy makes stationary? I didn't, until she sent me this sweet gift. You can see more of her stationary HERE.
And if you would like to visit their next Le Chateau de Fleurs Market, you can read more about it HERE.
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Goodie Bags

How was your weekend? Steve and I were busy making up goodie bags to ship off to Marburger. The lovely Theresa from Garden Antiques is having a blog party on the 28th and since the French Cupboard can't be there, we packed up an amazing assortment of gifts from our members that Theresa is going to hand out at the party! So if you're going to the Texas shows at the end of the month, stop by Garden Antiques at Zapp Hall and get a gift bag!

I couldn't get pictures of all the gifts that are going but here's a little sample...

Ewa I Walla

I took to the couch yesterday and didn't do a lick of anything the entire day. Well, I played on the laptop (You know how I can't do nothing). And while I was doing nothing/playing on the laptop, I came across the most wonderful site, Ewa I Walla. Here's their catalog if you'd like to peek. It's all so lovely, you have to go see.

P.S. Thank you for your prayers for my sister. She is still in the hospital and is recovering but having some trouble with nausea still so they will be keeping her until she's able to eat a meal without any trouble.