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Favorite Finds

1970 home renovation

the 1810 mantel

A few weeks ago, when I was out and about to pick up the recliner for the living room, I decided to stop in one of my favorite local antique shops.  In case you missed the recliner, I found it on Facebook Marketplace and slipcovered it with the help of my mom.  Here’s what it looks like now, but you can read about how we made the slipcover HERE. Anyway, my primary objective was to find antique and vintage frames for my original artwork, but right away, I spotted an antique mantel leaning up against the front of the store.  Just by eye-balling it, I thought it might be a good fit for our living room fireplace.  Before I get into the details of the mantel, let me remind you what the fireplace looks like… I really love the brick and the fact that it’s a wood-burning fireplace.  We’ve never

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Antiques

antique pine cabinet in the foyer

I picked up a charming antique pine cabinet at the Lucketts Spring Market and, because the house was in upheaval from the kitchen renovation still, it went straight into the garage.  It occurred to me today that I haven’t properly shared where it ended up here on the blog, so that’s what I’m doing today. I was looking for a wardrobe or cabinet that could replace some of the storage we were losing during the renovation and there were a lot of antique pine pieces that caught my eye at the market.  I would ooooo over them and decide to walk away and think about each piece.  I’ve learned that walking away helps me make better buying choices, especially when it comes to larger pieces.  I am eager and ready to fall in love with pretty much all beautiful antique pieces, but that doesn’t mean the piece is going to

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1970 home renovation

vintage brass “turtle” grater & a button fern

As I’ve been visiting second-hand stores in the area with my mom I’ve, of course, been looking for some fun pieces for my kitchen.  Admittedly, I didn’t really “need” anything, but it’s been fun to hunt for things that are special.  I did get a little overenthusiastic, but I have tempered myself now.  I did find the sweetest piece for my pot rail, though.  I spotted it at an antique store and was immediately drawn to it.  Can you spot it on the pot rail? It’s this vintage brass “turtle” shaped grater.  I paid about $40, which was one of my bigger purchases of that shopping trip, but I kept coming back to it and finally decided to buy it.  I looked it up when I got home and it turns out I got a pretty nice deal on it.  They seem to run in the $70+ range on Etsy

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All Things Home

vintage green-handled flatware

When I hit some antique and second-hand stores with my mom a few weeks ago, I found a lovely set of vintage flatware.  It was petite in scale and had green handles and forks with three tines.  If you’ve been hanging around here for a while, then you might know that flatware is a weakness for me.  I held the set, wrapped in a rubberband, in my hand for a few seconds as I contemplated.  I remember looking at my mom with an expression that said who am I kidding?  I took them up to the front of the store and put them on the counter. I have a similar twelve-piece set that has blue handles and gold-colored blades & tines and it’s one of my favorites.  These have a very similar feel even though the colors are different. The first thing I do when I unpack things from a

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Antiques

the duck casserole

During our secondhand shopping trip a couple of weeks ago (when we found the amazing teak patio lounge chairs) I also came home with another special find.  It wasn’t quite as amazing as getting $6,660 worth of patio furniture for $150, but it was still a good buy. So, as we were meandering through an antique store, I spotted this ceramic duck casserole and was a little surprised at my interest in inspecting it closer and checking out the price.  There was something sweet about it and it made me smile.  I’ve learned to listen to the inklings I get when shopping (most of the time.) Eh, you should put that back.  You don’t have a good spot for it.  There is something special about that.  Go back and get it! Typically, when I spot something I like, but I’m not 100% sure about it, I will leave it and

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Antiques

Antique French’s mustard jars

My focus when shopping at the Lucketts Spring Market was on finding big pieces for my kitchen, so I wasn’t taking the time to really comb over accessories and other small stuff.  I’m already looking forward to the fall market when I’m not looking for a special piece of furniture and I can meander and explore a bit more.  But, I did end up bringing home a few small things from the market. I bought a couple of lovely ironstone bowls as we were browsing booths on our way out.  One of my blog readers came up to say “hi” as I was carrying them to the checkout and I felt like I was busted.  I know I can buy whatever I want, but I’ve also said that I don’t need to buy any more ironstone!  I just continue to prove that the heart wants what the heart wants and

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Antiques

latest antique & vintage finds

Over the weekend, I felt the urge to get out of the house and explore a bit.  My mom and I have hit a few local stores now and then, but with renovations happening and lots of work to do, I’ve been home a lot lately.  I needed to go to the grocery store to get some fresh produce anyway, so I decided to drop in a few thrift stores first.  On the way, I remembered an antique store Jeff and I visited when we first moved here that is just a few minutes from our house, so I stopped in there first. It’s a store that is a bit hit or miss with some booths that feel more thrift-store-ish and some booths that have nice antiques.  I ended up finding a few great things for my kitchen, though, which is what I was looking for.  I was specifically looking

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Antiques

Antique European Mould Rack

When our kitchen renovation plans were in the very early stages, I had in mind that I wanted to find an antique plate rack.  I have always been drawn to them, especially since I have an extensive collection of ironstone and dishes.  There’s always a chance I’ll find one at an antique store or market, but I was combing Maria’s shopping and van-loading pictures as she took shopping trips to Europe to fill a container to ship back to the US to sell online and in her California-based shop, Dreamy Whites.  I spotted this pretty pine rack on her Instagram stories one day, circled it, and texted her the picture. Several weeks ago, before the kitchen renovation even started, a huge box arrived unexpectedly at my doorstep.  Maria is incredibly generous, so it’s not unusual for packages to arrive when I haven’t ordered anything from her.  I opened the box,

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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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