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Antiques

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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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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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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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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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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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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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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All Things Home

Antiquing Jaunt

When my in-laws were visiting for Calvin’s graduation, I decided it would be a good opportunity to hit a few antique stores with my mother-in-law.  She is happy to sit and read while I work on things, and over the years, she has helped with many sewing and slipcover projects during her visits, but we also enjoy going to antique stores together.  She rarely buys anything, but she likes antiques and is good company.  I needed to shop for frames for original paintings, so we hit a couple of local antique stores during a rainy afternoon. We have several antique stores and consignment shops in the area, but I only venture out now and then.  I really don’t need to go hunting for things very often since I no longer sell antiques and our house is furnished, so seeking out frames has been my primary excuse to go on antiquing

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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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