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All Things Home
All Things Home

zinc-top table gets a second chance

I brought this amazing zinc-topped table a few weeks ago to sell at the Market on Chapel Hill.  I didn’t have time to fix it up the way I wanted to, though, so I was sort of glad when it didn’t sell.  It was great as is, but needed a little TLC. And when it comes to furniture, TLC is something I can (and often do) do. Here’s how the piece looked when I brought it to the market… (If you get seasick, you might want to have a barf-bag handy.  Yes.  I just wrote barf-bag.) The front, left leg is an inch shorter than the other legs.  To say the table was wonky was a bit of an understatement. The floors in our studio are so un-level, though, that I didn’t notice it until the day before we packed it. Here was my quick fix… …a stack of sticky

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October 7, 2015 19 Comments
All Things Home

decorating dilemma | massive, masculine furniture

Leigha has been a thrifter her entire life.  The talent to find a good deal was used to furnish her home and she eventually sold her finds out of two booths at antique malls.  She’s recently been honing her style and realizes that “her home no longer speaks to her.”  While Leigha’s ready to sell it all and start over, the fact that she has a busy life (works as a librarian, married to a firefighter, three boys), it’s a little more than impractical. She would really like to make her bedroom a haven, though.  A place she really loves. Right now, there are only two things she likes in the space…the pictures of her boys (not the thrifted leopard frames) and the tall secretary her parents gave her.  That’s it. Leigha wants a lighter, brighter, cozy space.  She wants to move away from the heavy, masculine furniture.  She loves green, crocheted cream

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October 6, 2015 42 Comments
All Things Home

market recap & milk-painted wooden toys

We are back home from our trip to Alabama, safe and sound from the Market on Chapel Hill. It is a long trip, but it’s always worth it. The worth isn’t in the profits made.  (I told someone I would probably cry if I really took the time to figure out my hourly rate for all of the prep, shopping, etc. that is put into these events.)  The worth is in the moments with people…readers, shoppers, fellow vendors, bloggers, the community who hosts this event with so much concern for detail. So often, I’m in a bubble.  At my computer, in my studio, in my house.  I’m comfortable there.  But when I step outside of that bubble, I almost always find encouragement.  I feel challenged and inspired in new ways.  Most times, there’s at least one conversation or hug or story that moves me to tears.  A moment that emphasizes…this

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October 5, 2015 22 Comments
All Things Home

Guide to Shopping Market on Chapel Hill 2015

Tomorrow is the big day!  The Market on Chapel Hill in Pike Road, Alabama kicks off at 9:00 am, Saturday, October 3.  My space is all set up and ready to be shopped.  I know that last year, a few people knew just what they wanted and my pictures were helpful in them getting to their target quickly, so here’s how the space looks…   I did have to leave all of my cute plants at home, since you can’t take them across state lines, but I did find some here in Alabama, including a couple of beautiful rosemary topiaries that I planted in hand painted (with MMSMP Linen).   (Oo.  I need to close that drawer in the morning!) Some tips for shopping my space… Our checkout is to the right of our booth, so the line won’t clog up the booth like it did last year. We accept

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October 3, 2015 17 Comments
All Things Home

Painting with White

When I see someone who doesn’t know what color to paint something, they almost always default to white.  It’s neutral.  It’s easy. Right? I will admit that it is hard to go wrong with white.  I love white and mix a lot of different whites in my home.  All three of the whites from the MMS Milk Paint line are represented. Ironstone on the dining table base and chairs… Linen on the jelly cupboard… …and Grain Sack on the 1800’s marble-topped dresser and Gustavian sofa frame to point out a few. So, I’m a fan. But, white is actually one of the hardest colors to paint with.   It doesn’t matter what kind of paint it is, white just doesn’t cover as well and almost always requires more coats.  This is especially true with milk paint, since it’s thinner than modern paints.   Here are some tips and tricks I’ve

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October 2, 2015 19 Comments
All Things Home

steal-worthy office organization

If you missed it earlier this week, I finally finished Megan’s office and revealed all of the details.  You can see the full post and series HERE.  But, in this post, I wanted to share some of the amazing office organization happening in this space… As I shared in the post, Kriste and I worked together to develop an overall floor plan and feel for the space.  We worked on the specific pieces of furniture, the Craig’s List wardrobe, the revamped desk chair, slipcovered arm chair, etc.  I shopped and selected accessories for the room, like the rug and antiques. When it came to really pulling it all together and making it personal and functional, that was all Megan.  Other than nudging something in one direction or fluffing a skirt, we left things as she put them.   And I think she made some very clever choices that were both

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October 1, 2015 13 Comments
All Things Home

Market on Chapel Hill

Well, I am in serious need of an epsom salt bath, but Kriste and I got the trailer all packed up today and we’re ready to head to Alabama for The Market on Chapel Hill this Saturday (October 3, 2015).  Just to clarify, it’s in Pike Road, Alabama, NOT Chapel Hill, North Carolina.  It’s called “The Market on Chapel Hill”, because the market is in and around a chapel/meeting house on a hill. We stay in the Chapel Loft, which is just a stone’s throw from the chapel on the hill.  I took this picture from the door, the morning of the market last year. Anyway, I am really excited about my space this year.  It’s my third year selling at this market and I feel like I’m bringing really special pieces this time.  I was very particular when I was shopping, more than usual, and tried to find pieces

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September 30, 2015 44 Comments
All Things Home

dear reader | to the one who’s waiting for the next house

Dear Reader, Have you ever had a moment when you look around your current place of residence, make a mental list of things you’d like to do, things that would make you really love the space, and then you resign and decide to just wait for the next house? You can’t execute your vision or live out your dream in this place, so you’re going to raise the white flag and imagine the day you can pack up and move on.  The next house will be better. You’ll love the next house. I feel like I’ve been looking to the next house my entire life. As an Army brat, I grew up in military housing.  Enough said.  When we moved back to the states from Germany, my dad bought a house and we didn’t see it until the day we moved in.  My mom cried when we walked through the front door.  And it

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September 29, 2015 63 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.

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