All Things Home Archives | Page 166 of 263

All Things Home

Raleigh flea market & antique finds

Last Saturday, when I was in Raleigh visiting Jeff’s family for Thanksgiving, I spent the better part of the day shopping local with a great group of ladies. We met up at the Raleigh Flea Market, hit a few antique stores and lunched at a local soup & sandwich shop. This is the second time I’ve done a meet-up like this in Raleigh and it was such a special day. I loved getting to connect with other women who enjoy decorating and antiques as I do. We were an eclectic mix, but we all had that common ground. And not only did I get to connect with them, but they connected with each other. And we all found stuff that “spoke” to us. I found this cool stool for $25 right off the bat. Of course, I’m going to make a cover for the seat. A photo posted by Marian aka Miss Mustard

December 5, 2015 41 Comments

All Things Home

teacup & pedestal advent wreath

Last year, I made an advent wreath out of an ironstone ring mold. I was planning to do the same this year, but my ring mold was at the studio when I was in the heat of the decorating moment, so I shifted gears. (Of course, I could’ve hopped in the car and made the two-minute drive to the studio to get it, but that seems like too much of a disruption to someone who is in the thick of a creative moment.) I tend to thrive on decorating MacGyver-style, anyway. Well, sometimes. Some of my best ideas have happened on the fly. But then again, sometimes I get impatient and force things and it’s a disaster. And the worst part is that I know it’s a disaster even as I’m doing it. Like the time I thought it was a good idea to hot-glue exterior velvet ribbon to the

December 4, 2015 43 Comments

All Things Home

trading horses again

Remember my rocking horse? The one I bought from Restoration Hardware and then painted with MMS Milk Paint to make it look chippy and old? Well, in typical Marian fashion, I sold it. I wasn’t planning to, but a client asked if I could custom paint the same horse for her. I agreed to the job and we tried to schedule a time for her to drop her horse off at the studio. As we tried to schedule and reschedule, it occurred to me that it would save her a trip if I just gave her my painted horse, since she wanted hers to look exactly the same, and I could take the unpainted one and paint it again. Are you tracking with me? So, when I was in Virginia for the Holiday Expo, we met and traded horses. An interesting thing… I really don’t mind buying and selling pieces, but

December 3, 2015 55 Comments

All Things Home

Sarah’s Fireside Room

Do you remember Sarah’s wood stove decorating dilemma that I posted about this summer? Well, I received an update from Sarah on her progress and her plan, so I thought I would share it with you. Here is the inspiration board Sarah sent me… Here’s how the room looked when I shared it back in August… And here is how it looks now. She decided to paint the walls in the kitchen and fireside room in a Benjamin Moore color called “Cloud Nine” and it really unified the two spaces. The rust color wasn’t bad at all, but it looked disconnected from the rest of the space. The white walls look fresh and are now ready for warm layers to be added. There is brick behind the stove, but they discovered that it doesn’t cover the entire wall, so they are going to install a thin brick wall covering to

December 2, 2015 25 Comments

All Things Home

slipcover series | part two | cutting the fabric

Hello, all! I hope you had a great holiday weekend. We just got back from visiting Jeff’s family in Raleigh, which is always a fun trip. I had the chance to meet up with some readers for a day of flea-ing and antiquing and I’ll share all about that in another post. Today, I am continuing the new slipcover series. You can see part one, the introduction and a tutorial on making custom piping, HERE. This series is a remake of one I did a few years ago, but my equipment, filming & editing skills and sewing know-how have improved a lot since then, so it was time for an update. In this segment, I show how I cut and lay out the fabric for the slipcover. I have found it’s helpful to do this all at the same time, so I don’t run out of fabric mid-project, which has

December 1, 2015 22 Comments

All Things Home

freestanding kitchen

Just imagine a kitchen without built-in cabinetry and long stretches of counter tops. That’s a pretty radical idea in the US in this day and age, but, for our next house, that’s exactly what I want. photo via I’ve been thinking about it for a while now…a kitchen that is gutted and furnished with freestanding antiques mixed with some modified or custom-built pieces to make the space functional. I get giddy at the thought! Imagine being able to rearrange your kitchen when you get the itch! (Jeff, don’t read that part.) But seriously. Not only do I love how custom it will look, but also how economical it is. And, I must confess, I have already been quietly keeping pieces that might work for my future freestanding kitchen… I already have an amazing antique counter that would be a great centerpiece and provide loads of storage. Imagine my shirt counter with

November 28, 2015 108 Comments

All Things Home

super market sign | black friday “steal” & giveaway

When I shared my freshly painted custom-built cabinet last week, several of you asked about the “super market” sign and I said I would tell you about in on Friday. Well, now it’s Friday. Black Friday, to be more specific. And the super market sign is the Decor Steals special Black Friday steal-of-the-day! The thing I really like about this sign is that it’s made of metal and the lettering is raised, so it’s a great reproduction of an antique sign. (I’m always bummed by the ones that are just a flat board with a picture of an old sign glued to it!) This one looks right at home among my antiques. And, since it’s Black Friday, Decor Steals is offering it at an amazing deal – $39.95. Some of you also asked about the metal trug and that is going to be the flash steal today. This steal will be available at

November 27, 2015 458 Comments

All Things Home

milk paint 101 | surface prep

Now, you know what milk paint is (part 1), you’ve mixed it for your project (part 2), and now it’s time to get your piece ready to paint. This is the part that many people are confused about and where many projects go off the rails. I’ll be honest in saying that I have contributed to that confusion, I’m sure. In this day and age where no sanding, priming or prep is the trend, there is an assumption that you don’t ever have to prep anything before painting it. So, can you paint a piece without prepping it? Yes. You definitely can. And I have many times, which is how I’ve contributed to the confusion. But, I’ve painted enough to know which ones need to be prepped before applying milk paint and which ones don’t. And that’s what we’re going to cover today. So, which ones need to be prepped and

November 25, 2015 28 Comments

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.

All Things Home

Raleigh flea market & antique finds

teacup & pedestal advent wreath

trading horses again

Sarah’s Fireside Room

slipcover series | part two | cutting the fabric

freestanding kitchen

super market sign | black friday “steal” & giveaway

milk paint 101 | surface prep

next art sale

May 20th, 2026 at 1pm EST

Now Available for Preorder

Move Slow & Make Things

From the Studio

Artful pieces for your home and everyday life.

From the Studio and Home

Shop the Feed

Recent Video

Spring Posts

April garden notes

power washing the patio

painted garden obelisk

Explore the Shop

Explore the Blog

Categories

Pin It on Pinterest