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Antiques

Antiques

ironstone cake stands | the holy grail of antique ironstone

Jeff and I were planning to work on the hall trim on his day off a couple of weeks ago, but the weather was rainy and cold and it was not the best day to set up a miter saw on the driveway.  On top of that, I was pretty tired from the long workday I had with my parents.  You can read about what we accomplished HERE.  So, I suggested we go out to breakfast and then hit some antique and used furniture stores to see if we could find a piece to use as a printer stand and for office supply storage.  Something for this spot… So we went to a couple of my favorite local spots and, when I rounded a corner, I spotted ironstone. I am at the place in my ironstone collection where I only buy pieces that are really special, but I still have

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Antiques

ironstone pitchers | which way should the handles face

This post has been sitting in the drafts for a while and I opened it up, looked at the pictures, and it made me smile.  So, let’s dust it off.  This post draft came from a few comments I’ve received over the years about the direction of the handles on the ironstone pitchers in my photos.  Obviously, I place things carefully and intentionally but had never thought about which way the handles should face.  I just arrange them in a way that looks aesthetically pleasing to me. Over the years, though, several blog readers have pointed out that most of my handles tend to point left.  Then people ask if I’m left-handed.  I’m actually right-handed, but I play several sports as a lefty.  I do left-handed cartwheels (when I did cartwheels), play mini golf, and hold a bat as a lefty.  I throw with my right hand, though.  All of

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Antiques

my favorite source for antique European antlers

I was at an antique store years ago with my mom and I spotted a pair of antique German stag antlers.  I immediately felt drawn to them.  I couldn’t express why at that particular moment, but I kept going back to them and finally took them carefully off the wall of the booth where they were hanging and claimed them by tucking them into a cubby by the checkout counter.  When I took time later to reflect on that purchase, I found vague memories of antique stag antlers mounted on beautifully carved wooden hangers in places we stayed when traveling around Germany and Europe.  I remember them hanging on the wall over corner benches, next to checked curtains.  I remembered them in restaurants and Gasthauses (a German “guest house” aka bed & breakfast that was often like staying in someone’s home.) I don’t remember taking great notice of them at

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Antiques

$40 dining room table & chairs

Since we moved into our house in September, I have been hunting for a dining table and chairs.  The dining room has been a bit of a storage room, so it hasn’t felt like too much of a priority.  I was looking forward to eating in there, though, and using the table for puzzles and projects.  And I was looking forward to it looking and feeling more like a proper room.  It was funny…we had our electrical panel replaced and the electrician looked a little stumped when he was trying to label that room.  From the studio, I called over, “It’s the dining room!” I found a few on Facebook Marketplace and at local used furniture and antique stores, but they were either too expensive, not quite the right style or the table or chairs were rickety.  I knew the right set would come along at some point.  I just

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Antiques

new antique fireplace tools

The first thing I bought specifically for our house was a pair of antique “cannonball” andirons.  My mom and I went to an antique store as a diversion from a tense period of waiting for our offer to be accepted and I received a call from our realtor on the way that the deal was done.  So, I was shopping with more intention and excitement.  I spotted this pair of andirons and they immediately spoke to me. As with most antiques I feel drawn to, I can’t always explain why one piece speaks to me and another doesn’t, but my mom pointed out that they look like the andirons that were in my Oma’s fireplace and I think perhaps her mother before her.  It was intuitive and familiar and, in this case, I had an explanation.   I knew we had a woodburning fireplace for the house and, while I

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Antiques

baby shoes, sepia portraits, & vials of color

“Well, you definitely got into the right business.”  My mom has said this to me many times over my 13+ years of writing this blog.  She knows I love happy surprises, mail, and gifts and, in this weird little line of work, I get some of the best mail.  It started with rolls of tape, a t-shirt here and there, and then a flood of vintage and antique sheet music when I wanted to make wreaths, ornaments, and tree toppers out of paper.  It’s continued over the years with thoughtful things people find that “have my name on it” or someone is ready to pass a cherished time or collection on to a new home where it will be appreciated.  I’ve been the recipient of many thoughtful gifts and encouraging notes through the years.  Many of those notes are on my inspiration board and remind me that even though sharing

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1970 home renovation

antique step-back hutch & breakfast nook

The kitchen will be our next big project in the house and I can’t wait to tackle this space.  As I’ve shared before, it’s a bit of an awkward room that is sort of a U-shape.  One side of the U is a hallway that leads to the pantry (the door to the right in the photo below), the foyer, and opens into a kitchen breakfast nook.  In the little hallway to the pantry, I put the antique step-back hutch that I purchased last summer at Gold Rush Days in Minnesota.  I bought the piece for the basement and never really did much with it.  It was a piece I wanted to keep for a few reasons.  First of all, it has a small footprint but offers a lot of storage.  Second, I didn’t really have the chance to enjoy it, so I wasn’t ready to let go of it

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Antiques

Antique French Louis Philippe Vitrine

Remember the piece I purchased from Ekster Antiques?  When I shared it on Instagram, one of my friends (who is a designer and European antique dealer) informed me this is an antique French Louis Philippe Vitrine.  I didn’t know it was called that specifically, but I knew that it was gorgeous and that I loved it.  It was even better than what I imagined when I put “glass front cabinet” on my furniture shopping list for the new house. I was at the Ekster Antiques barn to pick up a piece for my studio, but I kept getting pulled back to this piece.  One of my goals, when it came to purchasing pieces, was to only buy pieces that were “favorites.”  I want to have a house full of favorites, as I wrote about HERE last year.  There was no denying when I stood in front of this antique Louis

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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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