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Favorite Finds

antique hose reel

There are certain things I’m always on the hunt for in antique stores…ironstone, cool scales, French chairs, etc., but the rest of the pieces I buy are ones that speak to me.  It’s hard for me to explain it, but I just know when I see a special piece.  It has a character about it, a patina, a color, a style.  Some pieces are kind of close, but don’t hit the mark.  Other are spot on.  For me, this antique hose reel was spot on. I saw it hanging on the wall in an antique store.  The chippy blue paint was what jumped out at me first, then the delicate metal wheels, then the overall interesting shape.  When hung on the wall, this once-utilitarian piece looked like art.     When I’m looking for pieces to resell and use as photography props, I’ve learned that I need to trust my

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September 6, 2014 24 Comments
Artistic Endeavors

adding casters to the counter

A couple of weeks ago, I found this amazing antique counter on Craig’s List.  My mom and I cleaned it and then I sealed the paint to prevent further chipping. I want everything in the studio to be very easy to move, so we have a lot of flexibility with the set up and I can scoot things around by myself without shredding the floors.  So, my dad came to the studio yesterday to put casters on the counter.  We thought we might need to build a frame underneath to support the casters, but when we flipped it over, we saw that the wood was thick and in good condition to accept the screws required to hold the casters in place. Adding casters was as simple as lining the caster up and screwing it in. I bought some vintage casters, but we ended up using new ones, so they would lock

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September 5, 2014 20 Comments
Artistic Endeavors

french ironstone compote

I had my second full day in the studio and it was awesome.  I am loving getting up in the morning and heading out of the house to a place of business.  I’m still a little scattered, because there are so many things I want and need to do and I don’t know where to start.  I would go into the bathroom to get a trash bag and I’d end up cleaning something, then moving something else and then I’d entirely forget what I was supposed to be doing until I tried to throw something away and saw there was no trash bag!  Welcome to my day. I know I’ll get settled into a routine soon and will find my stride. As I was working, Jeff brought in a package I was waiting for… Come on…it was mailed in a French potato box!  I’m sure those are very boring in France,

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September 3, 2014 52 Comments
Artistic Endeavors

sealing the crusty counter

I shared this crusty counter I bought off Craig’s List last week… It is a fabulous piece, but it was shedding paint chips all over the place and it was dirty and had quite a number of cobwebs hanging out in the drawers and corners.  So, if I’m going to make it functional, it needed a good cleaning and needed to be sealed. Many of you ask how I deal with pieces like this, so I thought I would share. Before I get into the how, I want direct you to the EPA website for information about working on pieces with lead-based paint.  I am not an expert, but I’ve worked on a lot of old, chippy pieces and I’m always mindful of the dangers of lead.  Please educate yourself before tackling a project like this. This process is for pieces that do not contain lead-based paint. My mom and

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August 31, 2014 45 Comments
Artistic Endeavors

crusty counter & other finds

I went shopping with Kriste today and I kept pausing to declare how excited I am about the new studio space.  I got a call while we were shopping, letting me know that I can sign the lease on Friday and move in.  I feel like I’ve been let out of a box, but even so much more than that.  Oh, to have a place to work that’s not my home!  To have a place for boxes to be delivered and furniture to be dropped off and a dedicated space for videos and photos shoots and to teach workshops and have sales and whatever else I want to do!  It’s incredible and I am bursting to be able to move in and get settled. I don’t want to have a ton of permanent furnishings, but I prefer to have pieces that I buy, fix up, use for photo shoots and tutorials

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August 27, 2014 43 Comments
Decorating

3 minute, no-sew bolster pillow cover

I was working this weekend on my guest room, getting it ready for a photo shoot.  I was in a bit of a crunch, because of some unexpected delays, so I wasn’t able to put this room together in a leisurely way.  The mattress was delivered and I had to put the room together in two days.  I didn’t have time to shop, so it had to come together with what I had. It was like old times and I think it brought out the best in me.  For years, I had to make my home look the way I wanted it to without buying a lot of new stuff.  That’s how I learned to thrift, sew, paint and refinish in the first place!  Now that I buy and sell things, have a home decor business and this blog, I’m able to constantly shop my own inventory to get what I

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August 25, 2014 20 Comments
Decorating

the winner of the debate

If you’re up to speed on my living room, you know that I have been pondering taking down the curtains in the living and dining room.  Yesterday, after this photo shoot, I took them down… The sunlight poured in and it was so bright and wonderful.  I was convinced that I would go drape-free.   I continued removing the curtains from the dining room.  In case you can’t figure out how my house is situated, which is hard online, these rooms are basically one long room with an archway dividing them.  So, what I do in one, I really need to do in the other or it looks funny.  (We were shipping out of our dining room, so it’s a little untidy at the moment.) Again, the light poured in and the dust was flying.  It seemed exciting and like it would be the perfect change.  But, I’m sure you

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August 24, 2014 54 Comments
Decorating

rugs are my nemesis

When decorating a room, I really struggle with area rugs.  I’m sure that was evident in my family room… Yeah, I know.  I still love those rugs, but they just weren’t working. That’s why I have a tendency to buy, sell and swap rugs pretty regularly.  I struggle with finding the perfect pattern that fits my style, colors that work with the fabrics I already have going on and finding a size that fills the room properly. Take the master bedroom…  an 8×10 rug just floats at the end of the bed, looking a little odd that it’s not under the bed.  It’s like I need a 10×15 rug or something, which I have not come across. So, I’ve decided in recent months to just go neutral with the rugs.  I have a few different types of natural rugs and I’m learning which ones I really like.  I love the flat,

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August 18, 2014 49 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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