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Antiques

Lucketts Fall Market 2026

Mom and I left early Friday morning to get to Lucketts in time to set up my paintings, books, and prints before the gates opened at 8:30.  Jeff and I drove down the day before to drop everything off, but we left everything packed in plastic bins under a tarp.  Not only was the weather iffy, but I was sharing the tent with the lovely ladies from Twin Oaks Tavern Winery again, and they hadn’t arranged the furniture yet.  We coordinated through text and, when mom and I showed up, they had arranged everything perfectly.  They set up their roped-off area to keep the alcoholic beverages contained while putting me in an accessible, visible spot for people milling by.  We learned during the Spring Market that I was a little hard to find when tucked farther back in the tent, so this was a great solution.  The Lucketts Store furnished

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October 19, 2026 8 Comments
Antiques

Display Ideas for Selling Art at a Market

I figured the 2017 Lucketts Spring Market, the last market I went to as a vendor before we moved to Minnesota, would be my last one.  We had a huge crew of helpers and two 20-foot trucks packed with antiques and furniture I had sourced, painted, repaired, upholstered, tagged, loaded, unloaded, styled, photographed, and written about over several months.  It became overwhelming, and I needed to take a step back and do something different.  I’ve sold a few things here and there, mostly online, out of my house, or once at the Junk Bonanza in Minneapolis, but I never thought I would consider popping up a tent and manning a booth again. But it keeps coming up.  People ask if I’ll be a vendor here or there.  I get invitations to fill a booth.  And, after testing the waters at the Lucketts Spring Market earlier this year with some success,

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October 13, 2026 3 Comments
a slice of life

Country Living Fair | Lovely People & Pretty Things

It’s going to sound like a cliché, but I think the highlight of my trip to the Country Living Fair was the people I met.  I connected with some friends and acquaintances I’ve known online for years, a few I haven’t seen in a long time, and some familiar faces I’ve bumped into regularly over the years.  As I’ve shared before, running a business based out of your home, shared primarily online, can be lonely at times.  These events give me the opportunity to experience this creative community in person when I usually engage through scrolls, likes, clicks, short comments, and emojis.  It reminds me that the connections made online aren’t enough for the human heart.  We need those IRL (in real life, as the kids say) events to see, speak with, and hug each other. I met a lot of lovely blog readers and social media followers.   It became

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October 8, 2026 3 Comments
All Things Home

Shopping Wish List for the Country Living Fair

I have become a big believer in sharing my shopping wish lists publicly before going to an antique market.  It’s a bit like wearing my “lucky sweatshirt” when the Commanders have a game (which I do), but it often proves to be effective. Remember before the Lucketts Spring Market when I posted that I was looking for an antique portrait painting similar to this one… ….and then I found the exact painting I had photographed two years prior and shared in that post? Yeah, that’s some spooky lucky sweatshirt kind of happenstance.  So, I thought I would share what I’m looking for while at the Country Living Fair this weekend.  In case you missed it, I’m attending as a speaker (you can find the details HERE), but I will have lots of free time to shop the event, so I want to bring a list to keep myself focused. The

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September 30, 2026 5 Comments
Antiques

Country Living Fair, here I come!

It is not lost on me how cool it is that I get to wake up each workday and decide what I want to do.  Some of that is dictated by deadlines and commitments to clients, but since 2008, I’ve been able to jump into working on my house, refinishing a piece of furniture, doing a photoshoot, writing a blog post, or painting at the easel.  In addition to getting to do creative work as a profession, I have been invited to do some pretty amazing things over the years.  I’ve been to New York City twice for guest appearances on TV shows; I’ve been a mainstage speaker at the Toronto Home Show and other home & blog conferences, and I’ve been able to teach creative workshops in Italy. And a few weeks ago, I received another exciting invite – to be a part of a speaking panel at the

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September 21, 2026 16 Comments
All Things Home

Federal & Black | A gorgeous shop in Middleburg, VA

Last Saturday, I had the opportunity to drive down to the quaint town in Northern Virginia’s horse country for a book signing.  I spent a beautiful late-summer afternoon at Federal & Black in historic Middleburg. First of all, everyone who came out to support me, the book, the shop, and Middleburg small businesses was awesome!  I brought along my easel and some paints in case it was quiet.  Working on a painting live would give me something to do and perhaps draw in people passing by.  Well, I was so busy with conversations that I never even opened up my painting bag or set up my tripod. When there were a few quiet moments, I browsed around the shop and admired Rebecca’s knack for curating.  She stocks antiques, home decor, gifts, accessories, books, and a few specialty lines like teas, cookies, lotions, and candles.  She also carries some of my

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September 16, 2026 11 Comments
All Things Home

Slipcovered recliner ottoman

Last week, I shared about the hand-me-down recliner I slipcovered.  You can read about that HERE.  A couple of weeks after I finished sewing the slipcover, I made a cover for the matching ottoman.  I’ve shared here many times over the years that I don’t particularly enjoy sewing, but I continue to do it because I enjoy the results.  I enjoy the freedom it gives me to accept free furniture or pick up cheap pieces with good bones but dated or tired upholstery.  Over the years, I’ve enjoyed being able to shrug off spills and dirt that come with having boys and a dog because I know I can make it look new again. If I didn’t have sewing experience in my toolbox, I wouldn’t have accepted a burgundy chair no matter how comfortable it is.  As I admitted in the last post, this was a tricky job, and I

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August 4, 2026 10 Comments
All Things Home

slipcovered recliner | take two

I shared a couple of weeks ago that my parents gave us an old recliner that was much better than the Facebook Marketplace recliner we’d been using.  I was hesitant to replace it simply because I spent so much time making a slipcover for it, but it wasn’t the best recliner ever.  There was a reason it was listed for $50.  The recliner my parents gave us is very comfortable, but it’s also bulky.  The padded back and wider arms aren’t as graceful as one I would select new, but it was hard to turn down a comfortable free chair that’s been well cared for and still has a lot of life left.  I felt like a slipcover, and a blanket folded over the back would camouflage the padding that isn’t to my taste.  I could retain the comfort while making it work better with my aesthetic preferences. So, my

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July 27, 2026 24 Comments

I’m Marian, a painter, writer, and lover of all things creative. From art and antiques to home projects and everyday life, I share my journey in hopes of inspiring you to embrace your own creativity and make beauty in the spaces you live.

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