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Antiques
All Things Home

eclectic south carolina home tour

When we were down in Isle of Palms, we had the chance to visit my great aunt and uncle’s house for a tour.  It’s such a lovely home that I asked if I could take pictures and share them on my blog and my aunt agreed.  I think this classic South Carolina home is a great example of a style that has been curated over time.  My aunt has saved and displayed family pieces in addition to things she has picked up over the years.  And she displays it all in a way that feels both homey and stylish. I love a classic southern storm door along with the soft green and cream color scheme on the exterior of the house. My aunt added built-ins, a beefed-up fireplace surround, and converted a closet into a built-in wet bar to make this room suit their style better.  The shelving also gave

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May 3, 2022 58 Comments
Antiques

georgian paintbrushes

I’m going to share more about packing and moving soon, but let’s just take a minute to admire some antique art supplies.  Specifically some amazing Georgian paintbrushes. Between getting a house ready to sell, traveling, packing, and being sick, I haven’t had anywhere near as much time in my studio, playing with all of my favorite little things.  While I won’t be in my studio, I do hope to take a lot of gear with me so that I can paint and create while we are nomads for the summer.  We’ll knock around, stay with family and go to Airbnbs while we’re waiting to see where we land.  It’ll be hard for me not to have a home to care for, but I do see potential in the extra creative time I might have.  I plan to take advantage of it. So, let’s talk about these beauties.  When texted me

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April 27, 2022 10 Comments
a slice of life

my perspective on letting go of things…

As I’ve been selling a lot of pieces from my home, the question that has come up most often is, “How can you let go of these beautiful things?”  The short answer is, “It’s all a matter of perspective.”  But, that’s sort of a non-answer answer, so let me give you the long answer. There was a time when I would’ve asked the same question if someone was selling a bunch of beautiful antique pieces that are likely one-of-a-kind.  I came from the perspective that those one-of-a-kind pieces were irreplaceable, so I could never let them go.  That perspective led me to the feeling that I had to keep everything.  Everything was precious and needed to be saved and preserved, especially things from family. There were two things that shifted my perspective on this.  Number one – I started going to auctions.  Auctions are exhilarating and exciting, but they are

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April 26, 2022 63 Comments
Antiques

yard sale details & more large pieces for sale

If you don’t follow me on Facebook or Instagram, then you might be wondering what happened to me!  I got hit with a virus and was down and out for a good four days.  I’m on the upswing now, but my mind is way ahead of my body.  I’m ready to resume packing and getting ready for my upcoming yard sale, but my body says I can just work for about 15 minutes and then I need to sit down.  The problem with coming down with a virus in the middle of packing is that the state of your house deteriorates even quicker than it normally might.  Stuff is already in disarray and it just goes downhill from there.  I know I’m sick when I don’t even care.  But, the urge to tidy up came back on Saturday.  I finally got past the stage where I just stepped over crumpled

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April 25, 2022 25 Comments
All Things Home

splurge vs. save chandeliers

A few have asked about my chandeliers and if I’m selling any of them.  The chandeliers are going to convey to the house, but we did decide to keep the one in the dining room.  It is my favorite and even Jeff said it was worth the trouble of taking it down and replacing it before we even listed the house. This chandelier has been with me for a long time.  I bought it when we lived in my in-law’s basement as Jeff was finishing school and I was working in the corporate world.  I came across it at a yard sale, dismantled and packed up in a small box with “chandelier $5.00” written in marker on the top.  I peeked into the box and caught a glimpse of the brass arms and bags of crystals.  I lived in a basement, but I couldn’t pass it up.  I can’t believe

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April 7, 2022 17 Comments
Antiques

antique ivory/bone notebook

“You pretty much have it all by now, don’t you?” Julia often states this when she asks what requests I have when she is at antique markets in the UK.  I assured her that there are always new and different things for a collector like me to latch onto.  Such was the case when I came across an antique ivory notebook. I was looking through a beautiful book about Jefferson’s and saw a picture of an ivory notebook he carried around in his pocket.  He would use it to write down notes, ideas, reminders, and fleeting thoughts.  It’s sort of a 1700s combination of a pocket journal and a whiteboard.  Quite clever, actually.  Jefferson’s was used so often that lines of writing have been etched in the ivory. I snapped a picture of the ivory notebook in my book and sent it to Julia.  “This is a long shot, but

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March 30, 2022 21 Comments
Antiques

the brush holder by the kitchen sink | antiques

I’ve received the same question a few times on my blog and Instagram, so I thought I would answer the question for everyone in a post.  The question is, “What is the pot/jar holding your brushes by the sink?”  It is an antique sugar bowl/jar that I found years ago at an antique store.  I don’t remember how much I paid for it, but I think it was around $10 due to the fact that it was missing a lid and had a broken handle.  But, as with most old things, I didn’t mind the imperfections it was bringing to the table. I put it next to the sink to hold my dish brushes and it has been there ever since – in our previous house in PA and in our current house in MN.  It’s one of those decorating decisions I don’t even think about.  Well, the broken sugar

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March 23, 2022 16 Comments
All Things Home

antique french finds & handmade goods

I spent the morning packing up all of the paintings from Friday’s original art sale.  Thank you so much to everyone who shopped.  We had over 3,000 people on the site at one time, so if you had trouble getting the painting you wanted, that’s why!  I am also pleased to share that all of the paintings sold and I was able to donate $1250 to Samaritans Purse for their field hospital in Ukraine.  Thank you for being a part of supporting that.  So, I need to paint a lot more, which I’m not mad about.  I’m heading back to Isle of Palms later this week, so I hope to get in a lot of beach paintings while I’m there. I will be listing some of those paintings as prints in as well. I spent the weekend mostly on errands and this morning packing up the paintings to ship out,

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March 21, 2022 3 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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