3 Minute Christmas Corner

 With all the markets that we have set up at, we have been surrounded by gorgeous Christmas displays since September.  But our home doesn't have a single bit of holiday cheer yet.  And I've never been good at Christmas decor.  Every year I really want to have beautiful decorations but I never quite pull it together in time.  So today I decided to do a 3 minute Christmas makeover on an empty little spot at the top of the stairs.  We have a huge old house that usually has more toys and school work and half finished projects on display than pretty things ("Hoarders With Glitter", as Jen Rizzo says).  But I'm determined!  It's December 1st for goodness sake. I'm not going to let all the loveliness that Christmas can be slip by! So I grabbed some Christmas-y things from a box leftover from the Hens market.  I fumbled up the stairs with an awkward armload, kicked the hotwheels out of the way and decided to give it a go.   

My tattered french chair from Anne Marie has a new spot.  I'm not sure that I'm in love with the result of my on-the-fly Christmas corner but maybe that's because it's a lone beacon of holiday cheer. So I'm challenging myself to do a 3 minute Christmas makeover each day in the hopes that I'll actually have Christmas decorations in time for Christmas!

On the Run

    

We are heading out to the French Country Market in Morris, IL (see our Events tab above for directions).  I hope that we'll see you there.  

P.S.  I promise - I'll do a "real" blog post soon.  *smiles*

In the meantime, stop by and visit all the French Inspiration at French Cupboard's Voila - HERE

Setting up Farmstyle Shop

 As the kids are getting a little more independent and able to spend a day or two with grandma, Mr. Blessing and I are delighted to have the opportunity to set up an open-air, farmstyle shop at some local markets this Summer!  

You can checkout our event schedule HERE.

It's been a number of years since we have been part of regular brick and mortar type selling so I'm a little rusty at the art of display. But I'm excited to throw myself into practicing!  And it's fun working together.

We've been picking up lots of fun pieces, and working on handmade items.  

Love the French market basket!  

It's a lovely but odd business...  Buying old pieces, cleaning them, painting them...

 Adding hardware... 

And then making them look old again!
Yes, I know, it's missing a drawer pull - but I promise, it won't be sporting any naked drawers at the sale.
We're having lots of fun adding a new layer to our business for the Summer!

Linking up today with French Inspiration, White Wednesday, Vintage Inspiration, Chic on Shoestring

Voila!

 Last week I made a burlap banner for a friends French inspired booth.  It was about a billion degrees outside so I decided to paint indoors.  I guess I was having one of "those" days because after an hour or so on the floor stenciling the phrase "Desirable Corner", I was making the final cuts to the burlap when I noticed that there was a bit of paint on the floor under the "D".   When I peeled back the letters...  Guess who had 15 perfectly stenciled letters on her hardwood floor!!!

*sigh*  Yes, I forgot to put the drop cloth under the burlap.

 I hollered for all the kids to grab a wet rag and start scrubbing!

 It took about the same amount of time to get the letters off the floor as it took to put them on the burlap.

After weighing it out, I can now say with confidence that I should've opted for the heat!

Linking up today with French Cupboard's Voila - French Inspiration, Open House, Vintage Inspiration Friday

French Inspiration

 The hardest part about getting ready for a big farm sale AND a big event at the house is trying to decide what stays at the house and what goes to the sale!

 I made this card wheel with the intentions that it would be inventoried and tagged for Na-Da but it looks so french-ish sitting on my dinning room buffet/dresser.  

The other hard part is wanting the outdoor living areas to be just as "spruced up" as the indoor areas and we have had a late start to Spring here in the Chicago area.  Last week we still had freeze warnings but all of a sudden yesterday it was 90 degrees! 

Many of you know that I'm not a famed gardener.  Neighbor Bob is my tutor. I'm such a beginner! 

But I want my kids to grow up with an appreciation for sowing, watering and eating the food that God has grown for us.  So this year Neighbor Bob and my 10 year old daughter are planting together.

 Though I adore our historic farmhouse, all the farm land it used to sit on was sold in pieces over the years.  We don't have a backyard to speak of and the front yard is pretty tiny.  But God has given us such beautiful neighbors!   Our pool sits in Neighbor Bob's yard.  Our garden is actually a section of his garden.   Our raspberries grow on his raspberry bush.  Our grapes grow on his vines.  

 So if the house isn't perfect and all the pretty creations go to the sale, life at Blessing Farmhouse is beautiful regardless of my attempts at sprucing up.  We are blessed to share an old fashioned summer and a stone garden-path!

French Blue

 As we work our way through the house doing paint therapy, the living room has become a controversial color. I say that it's a grey/green (and I spent lots of time picking the exact color that I wanted so I firmly believe that I'm RIGHT!).  Steve says it's blue.  The kids say it's green.  My mom says it's French Blue.  It's called Verdigris and apparently it changes colors throughout the day with the lighting.

(This is the old terra cotta color, by the way.)

Here's a little more "french blue" for French Inspiration over at French Cupboard...

 Come on over and visit the other gals who are participating in Voila today!

French Inspiration

 I had planned on working on my sleeping porch studio this week but instead I have landed myself on the sofa with a stomach bug (It hit quite suddenly but I'm better today than yesterday and yesterday was better than the day before but it's kinda slow going).  So I've had some time to draw inspiration from old magazines.  I love the French tone of this photo.

 It reminded me that I had some old pottery in similar colors as the magazine picture.  And Voila! I get to participate in French Cupboard's French Inspiration right from the sofa. 

If you would like to share some of your French Inspiration, feel free to join in!

Visit French Cupboard's French Inspiration.

Mademoiselle

Do you include a gift with purchase when someone buys from your website?

My gift stash was running low so this week I've been working on some inexpensive handmade items.  I certainly don't consider myself a paper artist (It really is a craft that requires patience and talent) but I have lots of photos from beautiful boutiques and from traveling to amazing flea markets.  So I thought I'd use some of those pictures to make cards.

 The lovely mademoiselles were styled by Rebecca at Vintage Living.  And the Gypsy Soul sign was taken at the Junk Gypsy tent at the Texas Antique Shows. 

Come on over to French Cupboard and see what the other talented mademoiselles made this week!

Linking up today with
Debra @ Common Ground

French FLOUR girl

About six months ago Mr. Blessing made a chicken wire mini dressform for me.  It was a practice piece for him.  He was trying to find the materials that would be just right for an idea that he had in mind.  I LOVE that he loves this junking business.  I also love that I get to use the pieces that he discards  =)

The other night while he was working at one of his "real" jobs, I pulled out the old chicken wire girl and made a batch of homemade paste with flour and water.  As I sat watching tv and talking with the kids, we ripped pages from a vintage French Literature textbook, dipped them in the paste and had a night of French paperie couture.

  A lace netting collar...  A cheesecloth rosette...

 A paper pocket...

Flared cuffs...

And Voila! 

If you would like to meet our French FLOUR girl in person, she'll be at the Spring Na-Da sale.

Come on over today to French Cupboard and visit the other Voila! participants of our French Inspiration party this week.
Big thank-you hugs to Jill (Gypsy Brocante) for hostessing the event for us.
Linked today with:
http://commonground-debrasvintagedesigns.blogspot.com/
Rebecca for Vintage Living

FRENCH farmgirl???

Hold onto your hats!  French Cupboard is hosting a weekly French Inspiration blog hop/party!!

Finally, finally we get to share all that French stuff we love!

I'm excited to explore my French Farmgirl side.  And to see all the French inspired goodies that you'll share.  Come on over on Thursday to see the French side of this Blessing Farmhouse. 

I hope you'll play along with each week and show us your French side.  Click HERE to learn more about how you can link up and show off your French inspired blog posts.