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All Things Home

Slipcovered Chair & Latest Finds

The dentist office called… …they want their fabric back.  Oh, why on God’s green earth would someone want to cover a chair in fabric that looks like it belongs as wallpaper in a doctor’s office?  Why would any doctor or dentist want that on their walls, anyway?  I don’t know, but they all do.  Anyway, someone did this horrible thing to these chairs.  It’s like a pretty girl wearing an ugly dress to the prom.  So, I made these girls new dresses.  They need a bit more ironing, but cut me a break…they look a lot better! My dear friend, Leslie, gave me this set of four chairs.  The shape is great, but you already know how I feel about the fabric.  I made custom slipcovers for two of them out of drop cloths.  Much better.  These are coming to the barn sale set-up with me on Monday…after being ironed. 

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Grain Sack Pumpkins? Oh yeah.

Today, I have the privilege of being a guest on one of my favorite blogs, Dreamy Whites.  (I’ve been guesting a lot lately, haven’t I?)  Anyway, Maria is one of the sweetest people you’ll ever “meet” and she has an impeccable style sense and knows how to wield a camera.  If you have not been to her blog, you must check it out.  Maria asked me to share a fall decorating idea with her readers and I was happy to come up with something that’s “me” as well as “her.”  I decided to make a “grain sack” pumpkin.  Does that sound like “you”?  If so, click here for the full tutorial. This is grain sack pumpkin project is a great example that fall decor doesn’t have to be all about oranges and reds.   It can be in blues and whites, which is what I like!   To create these grain

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DIY Club Tutorial & a Tea Tin Makeover

I am honored to be a guest blogger today over at the DIY Club!  I was challenged with using some of their sponsored products to come up with a DIY project and this is the result.  Would you like to know how to turn a dated burlap shade and a “scratch and dent” Goodwill lamp into something unique and chic?  Check out my full tutorial over at the DIY Club.  On another note, I mentioned that Leslie brought me a bunch of goodies to makeover when she visited me at the grand opening of Wild Rose and Co. Marketplace.  One thing I spotted in the box was a vintage tea tin.  I didn’t take a before picture of it, but you know what I’m talking about.  I decided to give it a new life by painting over the label with chalkboard paint.  I love how versatile and updated it is, now.  This would

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The Making of a Sign

I am finally coming good on my promise to reveal some of my sign-making secrets.  Before you get intimidated and think, “I can’t paint.  I can’t draw.  My lettering always ends up looking all funky and like a second grader made it.”  Let me assure you that anyone can make these signs.  Start off by finding something to paint.  I prefer old doors and boards that I find at antique stores, yard sales and flea markets.  I like that they have an age to them already, so I don’t have to create that. Try to look at things in new ways.  I’ve used sides of an old crate, table leaves, and a dismantled shelf to make signs.  If you can’t find old doors or wood, though, don’t despair.  Some crackle medium, distressing and glaze can make any piece of wood look old.  The second thing you need to do is create your design. 

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New Finds & A Mirror Makeover

It was one of those nights.  My three year old came downstairs crying and burning up.  He was up throughout the night with a crazy high fever and was delirious at times.  This morning, my hubby took the sick boy to the doctor’s office and we decided it would be best to get our healthy boy out of the house, which was my job.  What’s a girl to do when trying to get out of the house, but go hit some yard sales?  (On a side note, the doctors were pretty worried about my son, but he is doing much better this afternoon  We’re making sure he drinks his “get better juice” and uses his “get better blanket” and he’s being a real trooper.) It just so happens that this is the weekend of Pippin Fest, a yard sale/craft show kind of event in Fairfield, PA.  Most of the town sets up their yard

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Something For Me

As most of you know, I have been a busy girl making things for Lucketts, for my new booth, for clients and writing tutorials for HGTV.com, so my poor house has been neglected.  I’m ashamed to say that there were a few weeks where I hardly cleaned the place.  (I did clean my bathrooms, but the dust, the carpets and the floors were a disgrace!)  I finally got caught up with my cleaning and I mopped the floors, shampooed the carpets and cleaned every room head to toe.  Now, I’m feeling the itch for some “me” time.  Some girls want to go shoe shopping, read a novel or get a message.  I want to work on my house.  I still have a huge business to-do list, but I snuck about an hour of time for myself and finally made a cover for the pillow form that’s been sitting on my

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A Star Burst & A Trumeau

  I have two new mirrors in my house, now.  One found and one made.   Some free antique spindles, a $1.00 craft mirror, hot glue and a scrap piece of hard board came together to make a chic star burst mirror.  This is my kind of craft.  I have enough of these old spindles to make one more, so I’ll do a full tutorial on this.  I had to make sure it wouldn’t look lame, first.  It was super simple and could easily be reproduce with chop sticks, dowel rods, paint brush handles…lots of things.  These spindles came out of the Gettysburg sewing factory and they are supposed to be used like this… …but, I don’t have any more of the “hubs”, so this was a good way to transform them into something else.  I love the varying lengths and patina on the wood.  Among all of the other things I’m

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Antiques

Ironstone 101

I have received a lot of questions lately about ironstone, what it is, and how to identify it. I am certainly not an expert, but I have been collecting ironstone for about ten years now and I have a pretty large collection (I’ve lost count), so I know it when I see it. I remember reading a magazine years ago, drooling over the ironstone collections in some of the featured homes.  I loved how beautiful and simple it was and immediately added it to my “to collect” list right away.  I found a pitcher several months later and the collection has grown from there.  I’ve been fickle about other things I hunt for when shopping, but never about ironstone.  It’s been a constant over the years. Pieces of ironstone can be found for only a few dollars (or a dime, like this past weekend), but pieces that are very old and in perfect

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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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