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All Things Home

Antiques

polishing silver napkin rings

When I first started hitting yard sales as a newlywed, I noticed I was seeing two things over and over.  Well, aside from the footbaths and old Easter baskets that you see at every yard sale, but I wasn’t interested in those things. I was looking for old things, specifically old things I could use in my house.  The two things that caught my eye and I often came across were table linens and silver-plated dining and serving pieces.  Most were starched with tight folds and light staining at the edges.  Some of them were still in their packaging – wedding gifts that were never opened or things that had been passed down from one buffet drawer to another until they were finally surrendered to a yard sale.  What it came down to was usefulness and maintenance.  People didn’t want to do the silver polishing and ironing and, even if

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Decorating

decorating with shells in the garden

I have loved collecting shells since I was a little girl.  Anytime we went to the beach, my Oma and mom would take walks and collect lady’s ears, olive shells, whelks, sand dollars, and whatever caught their eye.  I remember shells drying on the deck railing of the beach house and we would spend a quiet evening or rainy afternoon making animal sculptures out of some of the found shells.  When we cleaned out my Oma and Opa’s attic after my Opa passed away, we found about 10 five-gallon buckets filled with shells she had collected over the years.  I kept some, but couldn’t possibly keep them all.  Also, searching for the shells and making memories while doing it is a big part of the appeal.  So, I’ve carried on the shell-collecting tradition whenever I’m at a beach that permits it.  (It is illegal to collect shells, rocks, sand, beach

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Antiques

the duck casserole

During our secondhand shopping trip a couple of weeks ago (when we found the amazing teak patio lounge chairs) I also came home with another special find.  It wasn’t quite as amazing as getting $6,660 worth of patio furniture for $150, but it was still a good buy. So, as we were meandering through an antique store, I spotted this ceramic duck casserole and was a little surprised at my interest in inspecting it closer and checking out the price.  There was something sweet about it and it made me smile.  I’ve learned to listen to the inklings I get when shopping (most of the time.) Eh, you should put that back.  You don’t have a good spot for it.  There is something special about that.  Go back and get it! Typically, when I spot something I like, but I’m not 100% sure about it, I will leave it and

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1970 home renovation

1970 kitchen renovation | waypoint cabinets & customizations

I wanted to write this post a few weeks ago, but I kept putting it off because I’ve had so many fun things to share.  I am glad this post was pushed back, though, because it gave me a chance to really use our cabinets and to give a report on how we like the customizations we made as well as the choice to have some of the cabinets sit on the counter.  Was that a mistake?  Do we miss the counter space?  Would I change anything about the cabinets? Also, I’m asked almost daily to share the color of the cabinets and, since I bought the cabinets in this color (Painted Sage by Waypoint), I don’t have a specific paint color to share.  I am going to pull out my paint decks this week, though, to see if I can find at least one good match to share.  It

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1970 home renovation

thrifted teak patio lounge chairs

When I shared the ironstone breadbox last week, I teased that I found something even better during my next outing to some thrift and antique stores.  What I found wasn’t as rare, but it’s something I’ve been hunting for and I scored big time. My mom and I have been enjoying going out together to check out some local antique, thrift, and second-hand stores lately and we’ve had such a good time!  We have both found some treasures and we simply enjoy spending time together now that we’re 40 minutes apart instead of 20 hours!  On this particular day, we hit an antique store (Memory Lane Antiques in Hagerstown) and then went to the Salvation Army, which is practically next door.  I hadn’t been to this thrift store, but I had heard good things about it and the parking lot is always full and hopping!  A swarm of locals is

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Antiques

Antique French’s mustard jars

My focus when shopping at the Lucketts Spring Market was on finding big pieces for my kitchen, so I wasn’t taking the time to really comb over accessories and other small stuff.  I’m already looking forward to the fall market when I’m not looking for a special piece of furniture and I can meander and explore a bit more.  But, I did end up bringing home a few small things from the market. I bought a couple of lovely ironstone bowls as we were browsing booths on our way out.  One of my blog readers came up to say “hi” as I was carrying them to the checkout and I felt like I was busted.  I know I can buy whatever I want, but I’ve also said that I don’t need to buy any more ironstone!  I just continue to prove that the heart wants what the heart wants and

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Decorating

vintage & new kitchen rugs

I usually don’t post here on the blog on Fridays.  I keep the day open so I can paint, work on projects, go shopping, and not be tied to the computer.  But, I have so much to share about the kitchen, the pool, my upcoming art sale, and other house projects, so I’m taking some time to get a post up!  And, today, I am sharing the rugs I picked for the kitchen. First of all, I found the most perfect kilim rug from my favorite source for vintage kilim rugs, THIS Etsy shop, for the area under the sink.  I wasn’t looking for a rug that was 11′ long, but when I did the measurements, it would perfectly fit along the cabinets under the window.  I was worried it might look like overkill, but I love that it spans the floor from the range to the sink to the

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Antiques

antique ironstone breadbox

As I shared last week in THIS POST, I did a bit of antiquing and thrifting and found some great pieces.  The outings also reminded me why I can’t do this too often!  There is just so much good stuff out there and it can be hard to not bring it all home.  I did pretty well at staying focused, though, and I found an absolutely incredible piece that deserved its own blog post.  As I combed through the booths at a local antique shop for copper for my kitchen, I spotted a bread box that caused me to lean in and examine it closer.  At first, I thought it was wood and enamel and nothing too exciting, but there was something that I recognized in the luster of the white material and I was certain when I saw the crazing.  I removed the things on top of the box

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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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