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Antiques
Antiques

books, antiques, and yarn | stillwater outing

I was hoping to take a few day trips during my break to check out some new antique shops, used book stores, and local craft boutiques, but I just didn’t have the kid-free days to do it.  Jeff could tell that a day out would really be good for me, so he took on school/kid duties and I took a day trip to Stillwater, MN.  We went there in the fall (you can read about that trip HERE) and I loved that town!  There are several antique malls, an amazing used book store, and a yarn shop that I didn’t go to during our previous visit. It was 2º and windy, so it wasn’t exactly a delightful day to be walking around outside, but it was still refreshing to get out of the house and soak up some inspiration that comes from being in a different environment. I tried to

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February 1, 2022 26 Comments
Antiques

the Christmas victrola

A few of you noticed my early Christmas present in the Holiday Home Tour I shared a couple of weeks ago.  If you were with me when I lived back in PA, you may remember that I owned a Victrola.  I bought it in a lot of furniture.  It was thrown in as a freebie, but it was the piece I was most excited about.  The cabinet was in poor condition, but the Victrola worked and I enjoyed it so much.  I would play records on it now and then, although it’s a bit impractical to play one song at a time when compared to an infinite playlist on an iPhone.  When we moved to MN, I decided to let it go.  I just didn’t see a 100+-year-old Victrola really working aesthetically in a typical suburban home. Over the 4+ years we’ve lived here though, I have found myself browsing

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December 24, 2021 21 Comments
Antiques

customizing a vintage ceramic christmas tree

You know when you’ve owned something for so long that you’re just sort of seeing past it?  You no longer see the potential in it, but just what it is and what it’s always been.  Such was the case with this vintage ceramic Christmas tree.  We’ve had one in our house for as long as I can remember and it’s always looked the same.  My mom made one at a make-your-own ceramics place in the early 1980s and my uncle’s wife at the time made one as well. When I was snooping around in my Opa’s attic over 20 years ago, I found the tree my uncle’s wife made nestled in a box of paper.  It’s exactly like my mom’s tree that I grew up with, so I asked if I could have it.  For many years, this ceramic Christmas tree was just a nostalgic decoration, one that didn’t particularly

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November 30, 2021 38 Comments
Antiques

a new use for an antique typewriter table

When I hit the local antique stores last week, I shared this amazing antique oak Toledo typewriter table on my Instagram Stories.  I loved it immediately, but at $175, it was a bit more than I wanted to spend on this piece.  I was also wrestling with the fact that I just put “the last piece” of furniture in the studio, the antique post office register.  I made the decision that I couldn’t fit in another piece, even a small typewriter table with sides that folded down.  I passed it up. Well, all evening and into the next morning, I was thinking about that antique typewriter table and how absolutely perfect it would be as a side table for my easel.  I’ve used stools and other little rolling carts, but they were never quite the right thing.  This antique typewriter table would offer enough room for a palette, brushes, mediums,

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November 3, 2021 14 Comments
Antiques

cleaning an antique book cover & other little finds

Last week, my antiquing buddy, Cheri, took me out to my favorite local breakfast place to celebrate the launch of as well as her home being featured in the book.  It’s been an exciting journey for both of us and I’m glad she invited me to spend a morning together acknowledging that.  Afterward, she had to go home to do stuff with the grandkids and I decided to hit a few local antique stores.  There were a couple I hadn’t been to in a while and I felt like I needed a morning away from screens and work.  I ended up finding a few lovely little things and one bigger thing I thought about overnight and went back for the next day!  But today, I’ll share about the little finds and how I went about cleaning an antique book cover. This was the antique book cover in need of cleaning…

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November 2, 2021 14 Comments
Antiques

decorating with antique quilts

I was recently asked to share suggestions on decorating with antique quilts and, since I love collecting, using, and displaying them, I was happy to write this post.  I just needed to round up a few pictures showing how I currently use them in my home and how I’ve used them over the years. When it comes to collecting antique quilts, there really isn’t one place to find them.  I have found them all over including antique stores, antique markets, flea markets, yard sales, thrift stores, and online from and.  (Affiliate links.)  I typically pay between $50 – $200 for a quilt, but most of them are in the $80-100 range.  I am not looking for pristine quilts, though.  Generally look for two-color blue & white quilts that have pretty fabrics, an interesting design, and hand-stitching.  I don’t mind if the fabric is worn, faded, or there are some holes

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October 26, 2021 27 Comments
Antiques

antique winsor & newton charcoal box

There are some finds that you just know are special.  You know they probably won’t come around again or at least in a very long while.  Such was the case with the antique Winsor & Newton charcoal box and, when it was offered to me, I jumped at it.  And even though I knew it was special simply based on the fluttery feeling it gave me, I quickly discovered that this box was providentially meant to be with me.  Well, maybe that’s overstating it, but there was a pretty cool coincidence at play.  So, for my non-art-supply people, stick with me on this one.  It’s a good story with a great bit of encouragement at the end. So, let’s first talk about this amazing charcoal box… This antique Winsor & Newton charcoal box is meant to be used as a palette.  It’s small and very lightweight and even has a

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October 25, 2021 17 Comments
Antiques

painting a vintage splint basket

Rewind, if you will, back to the day I went to innocently pick up the pond yacht from a local consignment store.  I ended up buying the pond yacht, an antique post office register, an antique quilt (I’ll share that soon), and this vintage splint basket.  It was all just too good!  This vintage split basket/bassinet was a particularly good buy at just $13.  It had a very faint stencil on it as well as some aggressive spray-painting marks, so I decided this vintage splint basket was in need of painting.  Here is how I gave it a fresh coat without taking away from the aged, chippy appeal. I first tried lightly sanding the stencil off before painting the vintage splint basket, but sanding revealed a yellowy-white color that was not really what I wanted.  It was worth trying, though, before breaking out the paint. I thought that MMS Milk

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October 21, 2021 6 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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