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

All Things Home

All Things Home

things for sale & Lucketts leftovers…

As I was getting ready for Lucketts, I pulled a lot of pieces from my house and studio and I felt like I was digging deep.  Well, now that we’re in the thick of packing and planning our move, I realized I want to unload more.  Each piece has to be moved and stored and if someone in our family isn’t 100% in love with it, we should just sell it and buy something else once we’re settled. I know that part of the fun of a new space is finding the perfect things for it, so I’m going to give myself the chance to do that.  I realize we’ll have some holes to fill wherever we land, but we have one table to eat at, plenty of dishes, beds, and a sofa, so we’ll be set. So, here are a few more pieces I’ve decided to sell (for local pick-up

Read More
a slice of life

146 ironstone plates

So, I have a question that I’m going to ask on behalf of a dear friend of mine. She is about ready to move and…um…as I…I mean, she is packing, she realizes she has a large number of plates (and other dish ware.)  She decided to count said ironstone plates and learned she has 146. And that’s not even including the ones hanging on the walls.  And that’s only the dinner plates. Soooo, is that too many plates? Yeah, I agree.  It’s a completely reasonable amount and that’s what I told her. Okay, okay, IT’S ME! It didn’t seem like a lot of plates when they were just sitting in my cabinet, but when I faced packing them, it seemed a little crazy.  I mean, who needs that many plates in a normal household?  And who collects plates that don’t really serve a purpose except that the owner likes stacks of plates? I

Read More
All Things Home

Lucketts Guide 2017

I’m getting this guide in at the last minute!  It’s just been that kind of day! Since it’s late and I’m pooped, here are the details… LOCATION Just a reminder that the Lucketts Spring Market isn’t at Lucketts any longer!  It’s at the Clark County Fairgrounds in Berryville, VA.  That is where we’ll be and that is where you’ll want to be! More specifically, I’ll be in the “Show Barn”. DRESS CODE… Obviously, there isn’t really a dress code, but I’ll tell you that there is a lot of dust that gets kicked up on the grounds, so wear some digs that you don’t mind getting dirty!  You will be wearing the Clark Country Fairgrounds home. CHECKOUT… You can pay for your purchases with cash, checks, or credit/debit cards. We will have FOUR checkouts running during the busy times, so we hopefully will get you out and on your way

Read More
All Things Home

the doodle book & an empty studio

Just in case Lucketts wasn’t exciting enough, this weekend is also the launch of my newest book – The Home Design Doodle Book! This book was such a labor of love, partly because of the content, but also because it was drawn/written entirely by hand!  I had no idea what I was getting into when I made that suggestion, but it made this book so much more personal.  (In the end, we did have to use a hand written font for some of the text, because we realized editing a hand written book was ridiculous!  But, the first draft was written entirely by hand.) It’s different from any of my other books.  It’s part journal, part decorating book, and part encouragement.  I wanted this book to feel like a conversation we would have if I was in your house, holding your hand through finding your style, reworking your rooms, putting together

Read More
All Things Home

La-Z-Boy Design Dash | Vote & Win

A few months ago, I was invited to be a participant in the La-Z-Boy Design Dash this year.  It’s a design competition that starts with a sofa and ends with a day and a half of racing to claim furniture & accessories in a showroom to put together an entire space in a few hours that will be photographed and voted on!  Eeep! Here’s a quick video preview of the event… My first thought when I was invited was that I would be totally out of my element.  I’ve always worked with antiques and second-hand pieces and I’m used to putting my stamp on everything.  Would I be able to put together a room with all new stuff?! I didn’t know the answer to that question, but I like that this opportunity pulled me out of my bubble and would be a challenge.  Plus, I’ve had the chance to work with the people

Read More
All Things Home

finished “French twins”

Now is the time when everything I started gets finished.  Well, it’s also the time I buy new things that need to be finished, because it’s my biggest event of the year and I have to give it everything I’ve got, but that’s another post. One thing I finished this week was the sibling to my French twins of 2017… I finished one of them a few weeks ago, but then I shelved upholstery work for a while and opted to work on painted furniture. While upholstery is something I can do, it’s not something I enjoy.  I like the end result of the transformation and, unfortunately, the process has to happen in order to get to the finish line.  So, I give myself a pep talk and make it happen. They turned out great.  The second one, that I had been avoiding for weeks, ended up being a piece

Read More
All Things Home

a trunk, a wicker chair & a side table

The studio has been a flurry of activity so far this week.  It’s our last full week before Lucketts and we’re making a push to get everything finished, photographed, priced and packed.  There are so many pieces that I haven’t even had the chance to share!  A market scale, a barrel scale, an amazing clock (that works) from a telegraph office, textiles, baskets, fans, totes, and lots of ironstone. I do find myself wrestling with the familiar doubts that always nag me before an event.  Am I bringing too much?  Not enough?  It really feels like overkill one moment and nowhere near adequate the next. Even though it’s all a little ridiculous, I think it’s a part of that nervous energy that balls up before something exciting.  I always felt it before a performance when I was into that sort of thing and it always drove me to do better.  I

Read More
All Things Home

slipcovered settee

I usually don’t work on the weekends, but it’s crunch time as Lucketts is quickly approaching.  So, after sitting out in the rain most of the morning to cheer my boys on at soccer, my mom and I spent a few hours in the studio to cross some more things off the to-do list. My mom priced the shipment of German dish brushes, hemp twine, and fly swatters as well as the antique pieces I purchased last week.  I worked on a few pieces of furniture and styled and photographed the settee I finished on Friday… This started out as a Queen Ann settee I purchased off of craigslist.  I honestly bought it because the price was so good.  It had a nice shape, but I didn’t expect much from it.  It looked a lot like a piece that would be in the waiting room of a dentist’s office.  I was

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