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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 1 Comment
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 10 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
All Things Home

antique portrait in the kitchen

Remember the portrait I found at the Lucketts Spring Market earlier this year?  The one I saw a couple of years ago at the fall market, thought about, wished I had bought it, and then came face to face with it again?  The woman in the blue dress with the dog on her lap?  Yep, this one… Well, I realized I never photographed where I hung it in the house!  I used to share home updates, even small adjustments, almost the same day they happened.  Now, it’s two months later, and I finally got the camera out and took some pictures of it. Last year, as I was thinning down my ironstone collection, I decided to take down the open shelves on this small wall in the kitchen eating area.  I enjoyed the shelves while they were there, but they started to feel a little crowded, so I took them

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July 20, 2026 17 Comments
Exterior

June Gardening Notes

In my May gardening notes, I shared that I put some compost around my Annabelle hydrangeas in the hopes they would do better this year.  I have used Hollytone fertilizer on them in previous years, but that didn’t seem to be enough, and the compost has, so far, seemed to be the ticket to healthier, more prolific Annabelles.  Here is how they looked last July.  They were yellowing, losing leaves, and looked generally unhappy. And here is how they look this year.  Technically, this picture should be in July’s gardening notes, but I didn’t take a picture of these bushes in June, so here we are. They are a little flopped over from recent heavy rainstorms and have, just this week, turned from white to pale green, but you can see how much fuller and healthier they are.  They also have greener leaves. Here is the one by the front

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July 14, 2026 13 Comments
Gardening

Move Slow & Make Things | Giveaway No. 3

Welcome to giveaway number three leading up to the September 1 launch of my new book, Move Slow & Make Things.  This giveaway is in collaboration with Erin Callahan of Garden & Guild.  I’ve been following Erin on Instagram and have purchased several heirloom garden tools and classic gardening books from her since learning about her small shop.  Since I reference many gardening stories, analogies, and parallels in the book, it seemed fitting to have a giveaway centered around gardening – a creative endeavor that requires both moving slow and making things. In addition to managing her shop, Erin tends a garden with her family in their 1949 cottage, Plot 49.  “I think the best part about what we are doing here is the simple fact that we are doing it together. From digging holes, to planting new flowers and shrubs, and everything in between. The whole process is a

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July 7, 2026 1 Comment

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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