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All Things Home

All Things Home

subtle seasonal dining room

The week after I got back from Europe, summer was still hanging onto Rochester, but it finally released its grasp.  The trees are turning fiery hues at their tips, there is a refreshing chill to the air, and I donned my favorite leather boots in church this weekend. Fall is here. Having missed a week and a half of September, it feels like autumn will be shorter this year than usual.  For that reason, I’m not going to spend too much time or money decorating for it.  I’d rather put our decorating dollars towards the work we’re having done in the foyer (painting and new tile flooring) and my time playing catch-up on work that was neglected during the more relaxed pace of summer. I couldn’t let it pass without some recognition or subtle nod in the home, though!  While out running errands last week, I bought a couple of

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All Things Home

hutch makeover in tuscany

I must admit, when we got on a plane headed to Florence, Italy, I wasn’t ready to leave Paris, yet.  I loved our time there and it was tough to pack up our belongings and leave that apartment.  I was excited about Italy, but Paris would be hard to top. Well, Tuscany was not going to be upstaged or underestimated.  It charmed me throughly with mountains, walled cities, narrow cobblestone streets that opened into piazzas, olive groves, and sun-kissed paint colors. I can’t wait to tell you all about it.  As I did with Paris, I’ll tell you about the trip in stories instead of in one long narrative. Today, I am going to tell you the story of a hutch hidden in an attic in Tuscany that needed a little TLC. Do you see the red building on the left side of this tiny street in Barga? This ancient

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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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a slice of life

where julia shopped

One of the things on my to-do list when visiting Paris was to buy a copper sauce pot, either a useable antique one from the flea market or a new one from E. Dehillerin, the kitchen supply store that was Julia Child’s favorite. The copper at the flea market was mouthwateringly gorgeous, but it was way out of my price range.  Most of the pots were in sets that were thousands of dollars and many of those needed to be re-tinned to be functional.    Beautiful as they were, I decided to wait to purchase a new one. And I am so glad I did.  I found the perfect copper pot… Shopping at E. Dehillerin was quite the experience, though! After a morning cruise on the Seine and a couple of hours at the Louvre, we walked over to E. Dehillerin, which was “just a short walk away”.  Well, it

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a slice of life

the 1820’s silver dip pen

Well, I am in Paris and sitting on our balcony overlooking the Eiffel tower as I write this.  There is just no way in the world I can write about all of the events of the past two days in one or two posts.  I think that most of my writing will have to happen when I get home or on the airplane, so I’m not spending precious moments in Europe pecking away at a laptop. But, I do want to pop in here to share small stories and moments from my trip and then I’ll share the entire narrative (well, the parts that I deem interesting) to flesh out these little stories. Today, I am telling about the antique sterling silver dip pen I bought while at a flea market. We went to Marché aux puces de Saint-Ouen and were met there by a Paris Perfect tour guide.  Eric

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All Things Home

but first…Europe

I recently had a Q&A session on my Instagram Stories and one question that was asked repeatedly was about furniture makeovers. (I will be answering some of the other questions in a blog post soon.)  Will I do furniture makeovers again?  Will I sell furniture again?  Will I sell at shows again? The short answer to that is yes. The long answer is that I was burnt out and I needed a break from retail and the volume of furniture I was churning through my studio.  My back needed a break.  My creative brain needed a break.  And I needed time to move my family across the country, get settled, work on our new house, and explore other creative endeavors, like fabric design and oil painting. Now that I’ve taken that break, I’m ready to start buying some furniture and painting it to sell.  I think my shopping day at Gold

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a slice of life

apple tart recipe review – fall desserts

My mom and I leave for Paris on Saturday and I have been a bit of a crazy person the past few days.  I’m pretty set when it comes to packing my suitcase, but it’s the backpack/purse I’m going to be carrying with me daily that has been causing all of the angst and I started to second-guess my plan.  In a nutshell, I ended up buying two anti-theft bags and one was too small and one was the right size, but very uncomfortable.  I’m returning both of them and sticking with my original plan! Does anyone else turn into a maniac and change your mind a million times before packing for a big trip?!  I can’t wait until I’m all packed and out the door.  I feel like then I can settle in and just be excited. Anyway, I decided I would try a French recipe before we leave,

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a slice of life

apple tart recipe review

My mom and I leave for Paris on Saturday and I have been a bit of a crazy person the past few days.  I’m pretty set when it comes to packing my suitcase, but it’s the backpack/purse I’m going to be carrying with me daily that has been causing all of the angst and I started to second-guess my plan.  In a nutshell, I ended up buying two anti-theft bags and one was too small and one was the right size, but very uncomfortable.  I’m returning both of them and sticking with my original plan! Does anyone else turn into a maniac and change your mind a million times before packing for a big trip?!  I can’t wait until I’m all packed and out the door.  I feel like then I can settle in and just be excited. Anyway, I decided I would try a French recipe before we leave,

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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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