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Antiques

Antiques

polishing silver napkin rings

When I first started hitting yard sales as a newlywed, I noticed I was seeing two things over and over.  Well, aside from the footbaths and old Easter baskets that you see at every yard sale, but I wasn’t interested in those things. I was looking for old things, specifically old things I could use in my house.  The two things that caught my eye and I often came across were table linens and silver-plated dining and serving pieces.  Most were starched with tight folds and light staining at the edges.  Some of them were still in their packaging – wedding gifts that were never opened or things that had been passed down from one buffet drawer to another until they were finally surrendered to a yard sale.  What it came down to was usefulness and maintenance.  People didn’t want to do the silver polishing and ironing and, even if

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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

antique ironstone breadbox

As I shared last week in THIS POST, I did a bit of antiquing and thrifting and found some great pieces.  The outings also reminded me why I can’t do this too often!  There is just so much good stuff out there and it can be hard to not bring it all home.  I did pretty well at staying focused, though, and I found an absolutely incredible piece that deserved its own blog post.  As I combed through the booths at a local antique shop for copper for my kitchen, I spotted a bread box that caused me to lean in and examine it closer.  At first, I thought it was wood and enamel and nothing too exciting, but there was something that I recognized in the luster of the white material and I was certain when I saw the crazing.  I removed the things on top of the box

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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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Antiques

furniture follies

A couple of weeks ago, on the high of shopping at the Lucketts Spring Market and finding some great pieces for our kitchen, I spotted a charming pair of chairs on Facebook Marketplace.  Right away, I got those butterflies when I find something special.  They are unique, and adorable, and would be so perfect for our kitchen.  I double-checked the measurements and thought they would be perfect.  So, I arranged to pick them up the next evening. As soon as I saw the chairs in person, though, I knew something was off with the measurements.  What I thought were nicely-sized kitchen chairs were very small in scale with straight backs and shallow seats, and they were so light I could easily pick two up at a time.  If I could figure out the logistics, I could probably carry all six at a time. I knew looking at them and sitting

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All Things Home

Lucketts Spring Market 2023 recap

On Thursday afternoon, my mom and I set off for Northern Virginia to visit old friends and spend a day at the Lucketts Spring Market.  Throughout the weekend I thought, this is why we moved back…  So I could go to Luckettts again.  Just kidding!  It’s so we would be close to family so we can do things together and be there to support one another. We were invited by Chris Tigges to stay at her bed & breakfast and wedding event, Zion Springs, on Thursday evening so we would have a quick 30-minute drive to the Lucketts Spring Market in the morning.  The Clarke County Fairgrounds is almost exactly an hour from Hagerstown, so we could’ve made that drive pretty easily, but this makes the event more of a treat for us.  And, staying at Zion Springs is a treat. We stayed there during our last Lucketts Spring Market

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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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May 20th, 2026 at 1pm EST

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