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Favorite Finds

All Things Home

the Repoussé pitcher

When I shared my Christmas dining room last week, I received so many comments and questions about the silver water pitcher on the table. It’s a sterling silver pitcher by Kirk Stieff in the Repoussé pattern that was first introduced in 1828.  I’ve shared about this silver pattern before since it is my family’s silver and it makes a regular appearance here on the blog. Four generations of my family have collected this pattern and a portion of the collection was passed down to me, including this stunning water pitcher. Some of the pieces I inherited date back to the mid-1800s. Since Marian is a family name, a couple even have my name on them. My Oma collected things she loved, including this silver pattern that was passed down to her and added to over the years. I know this pitcher was hers because it wears her monogram. It may

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Antiques

Lucketts Fall Market 2024 Purchases

I already shared the antique ironstone milk pan I purchased at the Lucketts Fall Market in THIS POST, but I wanted to share the rest of the things I bought.  I ended up coming home with a relatively empty van because I didn’t buy any large pieces, but I still brought home several treasures. My first purchase was this little notebook from Hearth & Home Mercantile.  It’s not an antique, but I loved the French book cover, and fabric spine, and the papers were heavy-weight craft paper with a mix of designs.  There were small grids, lines, and blank pages.  It’s hard for me to resist a unique notebook even though I have a more-than-ample supply! I wanted to find chunky, antique gold frames in smaller sizes and this one from Amanda’s Mercantile was exactly what I had in mind. I mean, it is chunky and so beautiful! I’ll have

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Antiques

the story of the ironstone milk pans

One of the vendors that’s been a favorite at the Lucketts Spring & Fall Markets each year has been Barn Fresh Designs.  They always have lovely pieces, an eye-catching display, and reasonable prices.  I’ve bought a few things from them over the last few markets and was excited to see them in a new space at the 2024 Fall Market.  I recognized their pieces right away and exclaimed, “You moved!”  I was pulling a couple of chunky gold frames off of a wall to purchase and Bob came over to hold them for me and say hello.  In addition to their new location, I was also surprised by the presence of a large ironstone milk pan I had passed up at the Spring Market.  So, let me tell you about the ironstone milk pans… I bought a nesting set of them from Barn Fresh Designs at the Spring 2023 market. 

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a slice of life

field trip | emporium antiques in Frederick, MD

Yesterday, I drove down to Frederick to meet Jodie of The Past Restored to drop off my oil paintings for the Lucketts Fall Market with her.  You can read about that spur-of-the-moment partnership HERE.  I had to pick Marshall up in a couple of hours, so instead of going home, I decided to poke around an antique store for a bit.  I shopped at Emporium Antiques years ago when I was an antique dealer, but I hadn’t been since moving back to the mid-Atlantic region.  I decided to spend my free time checking it out.  It was very much as I remember it, which was nice to see.  It always makes me sad when once wonderful antique stores fall into the decline of booths filled with NASCAR memorabilia, novelty candy, collectible shot glasses, and creepy dolls wearing a half-inch of dust.  Sometimes those stores can be awesome because you can

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All Things Home

antique empire buffet

When I painted the dining room ceiling a few weeks ago, eagle-eyed readers might’ve noticed the new buffet in the corner under the plastic dropcloth.  I haven’t shown that corner of the dining room often, so it may have been overlooked entirely.  I recently acquired the beautiful antique Empire buffet from a local consignment shop after hunting for just the right piece for that corner for over a year. And here it is!  Isn’t it a beauty?  I spotted this handsome antique Empire buffet when I stopped in a local secondhand store on a whim just to see what they had.  It’s a well-kept shop with a nice rotation of inventory, but the prices can be all over the place.  Some really nice pieces are a bargain and others are more expensive than I would expect, but I’ve learned from buying and selling that pricing is always subjective when selling

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All Things Home

Giving an antique whirligig a makeover

 A few months ago, I decided to check out an antique store I hadn’t been to in a while – the Fayetteville Antique Mall in Fayetteville, PA.  I used to go there regularly when we lived in PA, but I noticed more vendors were leaving over and the quality of the merchandise was going downhill.  But, I’ve learned with antique malls that it’s always worth checking it out.  Even one or two new vendors that carry things I like can make a place worth visiting.  Well, they have really stepped up their game since I was last there.  There were more vendors with quality antique pieces.  The store was tidier and more pleasant to shop.  I bought a nice collection of things and liked many pieces that I just didn’t have the right spot for.  I’ll definitely make regular visits!  Anyway, one of the things I bought was this antique

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All Things Home

two antique watercolor boxes

We’re going back to April when I first took these pictures and started this post-draft.  You see, my birthday is in April and, even though I just turned 46, I still celebrate my birthday like I did as a teenager.  It’s not just my birthday, but my birthday month which means I can splurge on a few things and buy goodies I happen to come across in very specific searches on Etsy.  It means treats, gifts, cards, and well-wishes are welcomed the entire month of April.  I’ve already shared a few things I bought with my birthday money or received for my birthday as well as some treats I bought for myself, but there are two more things I haven’t shared yet.  I found both of them at the end of March and bought them in anticipation of my birthday month.  They are both antique art supplies, which probably doesn’t

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All Things Home

antique French drawing box & other goodies

If you can believe it, I added a few antique art supplies to my collection earlier this year (timely happy-birthday-to-me purchases) and I haven’t shared them here on the blog!  I’ve been so busy with other things that I haven’t written about them even though I took pictures a while ago.  Anyway, today is the day I’m going to introduce you to an antique French drawing box I purchased from Julia of Ponder & Purchase.  I used to order a box of goodies from her a few times each year, but I was feeling pretty stocked with antique art supplies, so I haven’t ordered what we jokingly call my “P&P subscription box” in over a year.  I have some very nice art boxes, palettes, brushes, and all sorts of pens, pencils, and rulers that I’ve gotten very picky about what I buy.  This French drawing box was like nothing else

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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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