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Favorite Finds

more skytop & shopping

As I shared a few days ago, Jeff took me to the Poconos for a couple of days.  We stayed at a beautiful stone lodge that was built on 5500 acres in the 1920’s – Skytop. I loved getting to know a bit about the history of the place.  The architecture and intact original details were beautiful.   …and it was fun looking at pictures taken over the years… The service and food were spectacular.  Since I’m a vegetarian, it can be a little tricky sometimes when I eat out if I want more than a salad or a plate of mushrooms, but they were so accommodating.  The chef made a dish for me of a cheesy risotto with fresh vegetables.  It was delicious and the food altogether was a highlight. Unfortunately, the weather was rainy, misty and foggy, so we didn’t get to enjoy all of the outdoor activities

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woodworking

Jeff's top three workshop tools

Jeff, my other half who is famous for his photobombing, has been working on the blog behind the scenes for a long time…shipping things, fixing things, building things, hanging things, carrying things… but now he’s stepping front and center. He has written a post sharing his top three indispensable workshop tools.  Enjoy… Everybody has their favorite tools. I have mine and you have yours. And the tools we depend on most are obviously determined by the kind of work we do. Marian, for example, would probably have an orbital sander in her top three because she uses it for just about every furniture makeover she does. For me, the sander may have an outside chance at cracking the top ten. Allow me to list a couple of ground rules. First, drills don’t count. Yes, I am aware that a drill is a tool. And yes, I use a drill all the

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Favorite Finds

skytop & shopping

A couple of weeks ago, Jeff declared that we needed a little getaway.  I am a homebody and I love my work, so I don’t usually feel like I need to get away, but he’s almost always right with that sort of thing and it ends up being really great. He always picks the destination and accommodations, so the arrangements are not on my shoulders.  And I love that.  He always does a fantastic job in the planning.  This trip, he chose Skytop Lodge in the Poconos of Pennsylvania. It is a beautiful lodge that was built in the 1920’s. It was rainy, misty and/or foggy the entire time we were there, but we still managed to get in some outdoor activities.  I’ll share more about the lodge next week. Since the weather was a bit of a bummer, Jeff suggested something he knew I would enjoy…hitting a few antique stores.  What a

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Hand Painted Furniture

painting a primitive cupboard

A week or two prior to Lucketts, I spotted an amazing primitive cupboard on Craig’s List.  I intended to buy it to sell at the event, but I was absolutely smitten with it and decided to keep it.  Believe it or not, I’m usually pretty disciplined about that sort of thing, but this piece was just so special and I could imagine it filled with ironstone and other pretty things. I actually bought the piece sight unseen.  I was busy painting and I sent Jeff & my dad to pick it up for me.  I gave Jeff “override authorization” if it wasn’t as amazing in person as it was in the pictures, but it was and he brought it home.  The lady he bought it from was delightful and a blogger/photographer and was very happy it was going to a good home.  I actually got to meet her at Lucketts

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Favorite Finds

Ironstone 201

I get asked a lot of questions about ironstone and you can read about the basics in my Ironstone 101 post.  In that post, I answer questions like, “Is all ironstone white?”, “What is ironstone?” and “How do you identify it when it’s unmarked?”  In this post, I’ll get into more details about price, which you all have been asking about, identifying the age of pieces, as well as use and care. What’s a fair price for ironstone? This is such a tough question to answer, because, like any antique, it depends on rarity, age, desirability, size, condition, aesthetic, etc.   So, a sugar bowl, for example could be priced too high at $20 if it was made in the 1970’s, has a big crack in it and is missing a lid and it could be an amazing bargain if it’s mid-1800’s in a beautiful pattern.  You see my dilemma?

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Favorite Finds

alarm clock jackpot & other finds

Today, our realtor had a “broker’s open house” at our home, so I had to find something to do away from home.  I’ve been having a lot of tightness and, not quite pain, but discomfort in my shoulders and neck.  My trapezius muscles to be more specific.  That’s where I hold my stress and it gets tight when I’m, well, stressed.  The weeks heading up to Lucketts were busy and stressful, culminating with my tent collapsing from torrential rain the Friday before Lucketts.  For some reason, the event this year really took it out of me and that manifested itself in a hoarse voice and tired body. I set aside the week after Lucketts to relax…hang out in bed, watch Netflix and movies and only work when I wanted to.  You may have guessed that I’m not very good at loafing around.  I did extend my “break” into the following

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home improvement

French Style & a fabric wall

I received an e-mail a few months ago, asking if I would contribute to a new magazine, French Style.  Well, that sounds right up my alley!  Yesterday, I found the magazine in Target and snapped it up. First of all, it really is a beautiful magazine.  I loved looking through it and I felt so proud that I was a small part of it and I was very pleased with how my article and photographs turned out.  I always felt like my pictures in print looked yellowish and not as sharp as the other pictures in the magazine.  I felt like these were my best and that’s a great feeling. You can find the magazine on newsstands now. One of the rooms featured in the article is my master bedroom and the fabric wall behind the headboard.  Most people assume it’s wall paper, but it’s actually fabric!  I used an old Army

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FURNITURE FEATURE FRIDAY | favorites & link party

Good evening everyone!  We’re finally back for a normal FFF.  Between Lucketts and then recovering from Lucketts, I haven’t had the chance to pick favorites in a while, so here we go… My first favorite is by Danielle of Finding Silver Pennies.  Come on…a blue dresser with white detail, pretty knobs and a wood top?  What’s not to like?! These beautiful white cotton twill slipcovers were made by Denise from twill slipcover studio.  The sofa and love seat set were in great condition, but the fabric was formal and too fussy for Denise’s client.  The white slips make them more casual and versatile.  You just can’t go wrong with white slips. Lastly, I can’t help but highlight Meg from Oliver & Rust and this pretty little cabinet.  And everything else that goes along with it.  She is a brilliant stylist.  I actually had the chance to meet her at Lucketts

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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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May 20th, 2026 at 1pm EST

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