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Antiques
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
Antiques

the vintage pond yacht

We’re going to talk about the vintage pond yacht in just a minute, but I have to say this is book launch eve!  While the books have been shipped and some are already on store shelves, tomorrow is the official launch day and I am about to burst with excitement! If you preorder early enough today, you might be able to receive the book in the mail tomorrow!  I also spotted it at my local Barnes & Noble store this week, so you might be able to pick up a copy at your local store even today.  You can check for availability HERE. Or you can preorder Feels Like Home from any of these retailers…  |||| And claim your preorder bonuses HERE and find instructions on claiming your preorder bonuses HERE if you need some help.  The preorder bonuses are an original art download, a bonus chapter (The Feels Like Home Renter’s Guide), and five videos including

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October 11, 2021 28 Comments
All Things Home

reshaping an antique german basket

This antique German basket was a last-minute purchase at Gold Rush Days antique market this year.  I had pulled up my van to load in the antique cabinet I got for the basement and spotted a stack of antique German baskets at a nearby booth.  I have bought a couple of baskets from that vendor before and I knew the prices and pieces were good, so I thought it was worth taking a quick look even if my van was questionably parked.  The vendor had two antique German baskets.  One was in better condition, but it was so large that I had no idea where I would even put it!  The second one was a better size, but the top was crunched, likely from being stacked under the weight of other loaded baskets. These lidded baskets were used as shipping containers, trunks, and suitcases for goods and possessions.  Can you

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October 5, 2021 34 Comments
All Things Home

the antique post office register

As someone who enjoys unique antique finds and getting goodies in the mail, last week was a banner week!  I received several highly anticipated packages (I’ll share about those in other posts) and I made a trip to one of my favorite local consignment shops to pick up a vintage pond yacht I spotted and reserved on their Instagram stories.  Of course, while I was in the shop, I needed to take a look around and just a few steps in the door, I knew I was leaving with more than just the pond yacht when I spotted this amazing antique post office register… I had a silent dialogue with myself of how I didn’t really need this piece and I wasn’t even sure if I had room for it in my studio.  But, the price was so good for such a unique, quality piece ($228) and all of the

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October 4, 2021 41 Comments
Antiques

favorite things | marmalade crocks

I remember in my very early days of antiquing, I saw a little marmalade crock sitting on a window sill in an antique mall.  I was immediately drawn to it and, at $8.00, it was something I could afford to buy.  I used that jar for years to hold pens and pencils on my desk.  Now, I own at least a dozen antique marmalade crocks, much older and larger than the $8.00 purchase that started my collection. A few years ago, I bought several large lots of advertising pots, including marmalade crocks at a wholesale price.  While I sold most of them at the Lucketts Spring Market, I kept a few favorites for myself. I use them all over my house.  Marmalade crocks hold antique flatware in the kitchen… …knitting needles and crochet hooks in the studio… …scissors, rulers, pens, and pencils as well. And brushes.  Of course, brushes. I

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September 20, 2021 17 Comments
Art Supplies

back-to-school supplies for mom

Back-to-school is such an exciting time.  We make sure the pants are not high-waters, everyone gets a new pair of shoes, and we get to go shopping for pens, pencils, notebooks, and hand sanitizer.  But, we also need to take a minute to acknowledge that it’s such a hard time for moms.  The house is so quiet and clean and there isn’t anything to do but sit around and be sad until your kids come bounding home from school, ready to eat a snack the size of a meal.  It’s just a really rough time and moms deserve some consolation goodies to fill up that quiet, clean hole her kids leave in the house all day. When we get the boys’ supplies ready for back-to-school, we take an inventory of things we already have and then shop for the things that aren’t crossed off the list.  Moms are exempt from

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September 14, 2021 30 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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