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the replacement priciple

[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” _builder_version=”4.27.0″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”] For those who don’t know, my husband, Jeff, is a pastor. So, he prepares and gives sermons each week and one of the topics that come up in sermons (and in our home) is the replacement principle.  Replacing harsh words with kindness.  Replacing complaining with gratitude.  Replacing selfishness with generosity.  You get the idea of the replacement principle.  Of course, that’s good stuff, but I’m not writing about that kind of replacement principle in this blog post.  I’m talking about the replacement principle I learned from my Oma. On the middle of the dining room table, my Oma had a bowl of plastic fruit.  That plastic fruit was a nice stand-in for live fruit until she discovered alabaster fruit.  They are beautifully painted and have a luminance that

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All Things Home

collecting vintage & antique copper

As I’ve shared the renovation of our kitchen, one of the things I’ve been asked about most is my copper collection.  More specifically, I’m asked where I find it and what I look for when shopping for copper.  So, I thought I would write a blog post to answer all of the questions and share some of my tips.  I started collecting copper about 20 years ago when we lived in our first house.  It was an 1,100-square-foot townhouse in a bad neighborhood in Loudoun County, VA, which, if you’re familiar with the Northern Virginia area, you may know it is a tough place for a first-time homeowner to get into the market.  While we lived there, it was the fastest-growing county in the US and the wealthiest per capita. So, anyway, this little townhouse had a small kitchen with a box-bay window that looked out over the parking lot

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All Things Home

building an ironstone collection

I read an article on ironstone in a decorating magazine (I think Country Home) about 20 years ago and have been smitten with it ever since.  I can’t tell you exactly what draws me to it…  maybe it’s the simplicity of it, the creamy-white color, the variety of shapes and designs, the luster of the glaze.  I can’t tell you why, but I love it and it’s one of my favorite things to collect.  I’ve been collecting it since I found an ironstone pitcher in a dusty, crowded booth at an antique mall in Florida.  I’ve since bought and sold thousands of pieces of ironstone, adding to my collection along the way.  I’ve become quite the ironstone hound and can spot it from across the room. If you love ironstone, as I do, here are a few tips on building an ironstone collection of your own… Of course, the first

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All Things Home

five tips on shopping for fabrics

As I’ve shared pictures of my inspiration board and sewing room, I’ve been asked multiple times where I shop for fabrics.  The short answer is everywhere!  Since that answer isn’t helpful at all to those asking the question, I decided to write a blog post about shopping for fabrics that is a bit more specific. First of all, I am a fabric hound.  If I see a fabric I like, I will sniff it out, track it, and hunt it down.  I will dig in the resource sections of books, follow brand tags, comb websites, and send inquiries to find out the name of the pattern.  Once I have the name of the pattern and the maker, I will run a good ole Google search to see where it is for sale.  This means that I don’t buy from one specific website when shopping for fabrics, but I buy from

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All Things Home

real simple interview & craigslist tips

A few months ago, I was interviewed for an article for Real Simple about buying furniture secondhand on a variety of online marketplaces.  That issue is now available on newsstands (July 2019) if you’d like to grab a copy. While we’re on the topic, I thought I would share my tips and tricks when it comes to shopping for furniture secondhand, specifically off of craigslist.  I’ve been shopping off of craigslist for over 10 years, so it’s my go-to place, even though other online marketplaces have cropped up and are just as good.  It’s just what I’m used to and I’ve found some amazing things just by search regularly. These tips are primarily from a post I wrote a few years ago, but I’ve made some updates and additional comments. HOW I SEARCH CRAIGSLIST I search all “for sale” categories.  You can often find furniture, antiques and cool pieces with

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a slice of life

I gained 12 lbs in paris

You might think this title would fit better with the post about the patisserie tour, but I didn’t gain 12 lbs on my body…just in my suitcase.  Yes, this post is about shopping! I was looking forward to everything I would see and do while in Paris and a few towns in Tuscany, but I was also anticipating the shopping.   I had money saved, a wish list, stores pinpointed to visit, and even a guided Paris Perfect flea market tour lined up our very first day in Paris.  My suitcase was packed with just the essentials, weighing in at only 28 lbs.  It was so light, it even drew comment from the airport clerk at the check-in desk who questioned if there was even anything inside the mid-sized suitcase. “I’m planning to shop.  It’ll be heavier on the way home.” He laughed and easily slid my bag onto the belt.

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All Things Home

sharing my “honey holes” | west & south

Since I am moving out of the South Central PA area, I am sharing some of the shops, co-ops, and antique malls I frequent as I’m getting ready for an antique market or online sale. This isn’t an extensive list of all of the amazing shops in my local area, but these are the ones on my regular shopping circuit.  (I just needed to add that disclaimer, because I know some great shops are left off this list!) I shared those east & north of Gettysburg HERE and today I’m sharing the shops that are west and south… WEST Fayetteville Antique Mall, Fayetteville, PA Fayetteville Antique Mall is a little hard to describe, because it is four different buildings and each one is different.  I like two of the buildings and those are the ones I hit, but I don’t go in the other two, because they are mostly crafts

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All Things Home

sharing my “honey holes” | north & east

First off, thank you so much for all of your comments on my “moving story“.  I especially feel so loved by those in Minnesota who have welcomed our family to your gorgeous state.  We are really looking forward to moving there and I hope to befriend some of you.  I need some shopping buddies and friends for “art dates”! I know you’re all dying to see the house and I’m dying to share it, but I’m going to wait until the keys are in hand and it officially belongs to us.  That is scheduled to happen next week, so it won’t be long. While we’re all waiting, I thought I would share something many people have been asking me to share – my favorite shopping spots in the South Central PA area.  Since I won’t be hitting those up any time soon, I can dish all of the details! I’ll break

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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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