Preorder Move Slow & Make Things, and enjoy a collection of thoughtful bonus content created just for you!

Antiques

Antiques

antiquing with mom

After visiting the local art museum and grabbing lunch at a bistro, Mom and I went to one of my favorite antique stores.  Since purging ironstone and antiques earlier this year, I’ve been disciplined about not bringing a bunch of stuff back into the house.  I do love milling about in antique stores, second-hand shops, and markets, though, and I’m resigned to the fact that there will always be some amount of stuff coming and going.  It just needs to be intentional and in moderation!  So, I kept this in mind as we walked the aisles of Beaver Creek Antique Market. Right off the bat, my attention was grabbed by a concrete goose sitting on the counter.  Typically, pieces sitting on the counter were placed there by shoppers who intend to buy them.  The absence of a tag also made me think it was already claimed.  I asked about it

Read More
All Things Home

facebook marketplace find | vintage oak desk

If you followed my blog during our move to Maryland three years ago (can you believe it’s been that long?!), you probably remember that I sold a ton of stuff.  One of the pieces I sold was the vintage oak teacher’s desk I used in my studio.  Oak teacher’s desks turn up pretty regularly on the used furniture market and are generally not very expensive, so I figured I could find a replacement pretty quickly.  Three years later, I was still using a table as a makeshift desk!  Since I still hadn’t found a desk I liked after over a year of casually looking, I purchased the small drawer cabinet so I had a place to store my desk accessories.  It worked, but I continued to search Facebook Marketplace and at local antique stores for a vintage oak desk. I finally found one a few weeks ago and, after some

Read More
All Things Home

Lucketts Spring Market 2025 Purchases

I must say, I was pretty proud of myself for the restraint I showed while shopping the Lucketts Spring Market.  With the exception of one piece, I stuck to my list (you can find my list HERE) and didn’t buy small things that would add clutter to collections I’ve been trying to thin down.  I had the perfect spot for everything I purchased, and I didn’t regret leaving things I felt tempted to buy at the market for others to enjoy. But, here is what I did buy… As I shared yesterday, I made a beeline for these antique oil paintings.  First of all, I just love portraits and the character they bring to a home.  Second, I love that these are old, likely from the mid-1800s, based on the clothing and date of their restoration.  While I can paint pieces to hang on the wall, I can’t paint 150-year-old

Read More
All Things Home

Lucketts Spring Market 2025 Recap

The Lucketts Spring Market 2025 is in the books!  Oh man, what a special group of people who work so hard to put on an amazing event for their customers.  I’m constantly impressed with their attention to detail and desire to make every event with the Lucketts name memorable.  The Lucketts team doesn’t have to create a new theme for each market.  All of the signage and displays they’ve used are spectacular and could certainly be used again.  However, each market comes up with new themes, displays, signs, tote bags, and little details that make the market an experience in and of itself.  Speaking as someone who has been a part of these markets in the past, they really don’t have to do that.  It is above and beyond, and you can tell it’s done out of a love for the customers and the event. The vendors also put on

Read More
Antiques

Lucketts Spring Market 2025 wish list

It’s time for another Lucketts Spring Market!  Right on cue, the rains have come in just as vendors are setting up, and there is more rain in the forecast.  If an area is ever experiencing a drought, they just need Lucketts to set up shop, and the rain will come!  As a former vendor who has experienced spring rain at Lucketts, I’m only partially kidding.  Fortunately, the Clark County Fairgrounds has good drainage, and most vendors are in covered buildings.  I’m hoping for everyone involved that we get some sunshine!  No matter, I’m heading to the VIP day on Friday, rain or shine. Here are a few things on my wish list for this market… I have almost completed the first draft of my book manuscript, and I’m moving on to work on the photography.  The book is about creativity, so I’ll be styling photos of creative tools and materials,

Read More
All Things Home

the fate of the open kitchen shelves

I’ve been looking for and considering an alternative to the inexpensive open shelves we added during our kitchen renovation.  We were at the end of the project and the budget, and I was also experiencing decision fatigue.  But I quickly realized I didn’t have a place to put my mixer or all of my ironstone collection, so I came up with an inexpensive solution – open shelves made out of stair treads and metal brackets, all painted the color of the wall.  It was budget-friendly, pretty easy to install, customizable, and would meet the immediate need.  I always thought they would eventually be replaced with something else, but I keep coming back to the same problem when I look at antique wall shelves or even when I consider building something – there is simply too much stuff. This is one of the realizations that urged me to start thinning my

Read More
All Things Home

the practice of letting go

Over the weekend, I started cleaning out my ironstone collection, pulling the pieces I felt ready to part with. As I was sharing pictures of the growing piles of stuff, I started getting messages essentially asking if everything was okay; if I was okay. Was there some big life event that was forcing this purge? Did I need some quick cash? Were we moving, or had I just received a worrisome diagnosis?  It made me smile that letting go of things, some of which have been synonymous with my aesthetic for over a decade, brought such concern.  I put those fears to rest and shared a link to the blog post I wrote about hitting my “stuff threshold” a couple of weeks ago.  (You can read that post HERE.)  This wasn’t brought on by any major life events but by a slow and subtle change within me that made me

Read More
Antiques

small business spotlight | my white porch shoppe

One of the things I enjoy about the online community is getting to know other creative entrepreneurs and business owners.  There was a time when starting a business meant one needed a physical place to sell from and a place to hang a shingle.  There was a time when one had to physically visit those stores in order to meet other business owners in their field or associated fields.  It’s pretty amazing we can do it online.  I remember when I first found the online world of home/DIY/decor bloggers and thought, I have found my people!  Grace Miller of My White Porch Shoppe is one of those people. We met on Instagram (you can follow her HERE) and she asked if she could select a few things from her shop to share with my audience.  Whenever I get these requests, I take a look at the shop to see if

Read More

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.

next art sale

May 20th, 2026 at 1pm EST

Now Available for Preorder

Move Slow & Make Things

A book about creativity, intention, and making things with care. Sign up to receive updates, preorder details, and exclusive bonus content.

From the Studio

Artful pieces for your home and everyday life.

From original paintings and art prints to Pup Club releases and curated goods, each piece is created or chosen to bring warmth, creativity, and character into your home.

From the Studio and Home

Shop the Feed

A handpicked collection of items styled and shared throughout posts, projects, and social feeds. Every product is thoughtfully chosen to reflect a timeless, collected aesthetic.

Recent Video

Spring Posts

Explore the Shop

Explore the Blog

Categories
error: Content is protected.

Pin It on Pinterest