Preorder Move Slow & Make Things, and enjoy a collection of thoughtful bonus content created just for you!

All Things Home

All Things Home

My Favorite Local Antique Stores

I have been asked several times since I moved back to the mid-Atlantic region if I would share some of my favorite antique stores.  I will start by saying, there are a plethora of fantastic antique stores, markets, co-ops, barn sales, consignment shops, and thrift stores all within about an hour from me.  There is no way I can give an exhaustive list, but I wanted to share the places I regularly check out that are either in Hagerstown or within about half an hour. Beaver Creek Antique Market is my favorite local antique mall.  I used to drive from the Gettysburg area when I lived in PA to shop there every few months.  It has a nice mix of vendors, and I reliably find quality antiques there.  Prices can range from premium to affordable, depending on the vendor and the item, but it’s safe to say there is something

Read More
Art

DIY wet panel carrier for oil paintings

In my previous post about traveling with oil paints, I mentioned I would share a DIY wet panel carrier tutorial, and here it is!  If you don’t use oil paints, you may wonder what a wet panel carrier is and why it’s necessary.  One of the wonderful things about oil paints is that they are slow-drying. This gives you a lot of time to blend and nudge the paint around, or even just scrape it off.  I find it’s even more forgiving than a pencil, which is one of the reasons I love working with oils. The downside of working with a slow-drying medium when traveling is that you now have a wet painting to transport home.  That is why artists who work with oil paints need a wet panel carrier.  I usually use premade wet panel cases from Raymar when I’m painting on the go, and they work great. 

Read More
All Things Home

the great shutter debate

Some people might argue over politics or what kind of music is appropriate for a wedding reception, but what people who love architecture argue about is shutters.  They argue about everything from the proper shutter-to-window ratio to whether hinges and shutter dogs have to be functional.  It’s pretty amusing to see the kind of heated dialogue that can happen in comment sections.  So, let’s talk about it. We recently installed vinyl shutters on our house, selecting a size and scale that matched the existing shutters on other windows and likely the original shutters on this 1970 brick ranch house.  I did this knowing full well that they are not proper shutters.  Most of the shutters on American homes built in the last 50 years aren’t proper shutters.  Most of them are strictly decorative, and they aren’t even trying to pretend that they are functional shutters.  Americans collectively decided somewhere along

Read More
1970 home renovation

how to install vinyl shutters on brick | tutorial

Over the weekend, we installed shutters on the left side of the house.  That was the last side of the house that needed shutters, so I can finally check that project off the list!  This home had wood shutters on all the windows originally, but they had rotted and were removed.  Before we bought the house, vinyl shutters had been installed on the front and right side of the house, but the windows along the back and left sides were left without shutters.  We wanted to bring that architectural element back in, so we ordered, painted, and installed shutters this summer.  You can find a tutorial on how to prime and paint vinyl shutters HERE. In this post, I’m sharing a tutorial showing how to install new shutters on brick. Let me start by saying we built this project up in our minds as one that was going to be

Read More
Exterior

hard pruning a mock orange bush

One of my favorite things in our yard is an old mock orange bush.  I had no idea what it even was when we moved in, since it had bloomed months before the home was put on the market.  I was surprised our first May in the house when the large bush was dotted with dainty white blooms.  It was beautiful and so fragrant. Every May since, I have eagerly awaited the mock orange blossoms to make an appearance. Here is the problem, though.  It was so overgrown that it had fallen over on itself, and it was getting worse each year.  On top of that, honeysuckle, ivy, and other weeds and vines were mingled around the base and in the branches, and a white mulberry tree had grown right in the middle of it.  This summer, it grew to the point that it was towering almost six feet over

Read More
All Things Home

small guest room updates

Painting the guest room is still on the to-do list, and it might be there for a while.  As is often the case, decorating the guest room isn’t usually a top priority.  I’ve always loved working on the guest rooms in our homes, though.  Since I’m not in these rooms daily, I feel I can take a departure from my usual color palette and try something different.  The style remains the same, but I step outside my predominantly blue and green palette.  In our previous guest rooms, I’ve featured yellow, and I think that will carry into this room as well.  I already have the upholstered bed and the pretty gold quilt, so it makes sense to work with that. This week, I swapped out the rug and made a couple of small tweaks while I continue to consider wall and trim colors as well as window treatments.  (Disclosure: The

Read More
All Things Home

how to paint vinyl shutters

When I shared the installation of the new vinyl shutters along the back of the house, several people asked if I could share the specific products, tools, and techniques I used, so here is a post all about how to paint vinyl shutters. When we moved into our PA house way back in 2006, there were vinyl shutters on the front windows that were a faded country blue.  Not long after moving in, I took them down and spray-painted them with exterior spray paint made for plastic.  I don’t think I primed them or anything.  When I look back at photos of those shutters, I can see the spray paint marks.  Ooof. I’ve learned a lot about painting over the past 20 years, so now I use a combination of a brush and roller to apply a quality exterior primer and paint.  I will say, though, that paint is still

Read More
All Things Home

how to find the right next house

“I would love to have a post about how you find such great houses. You always seem to get such great neighborhoods, lots, “raw material” even when you’re moving across states. Do you have a method? I’d love to hear about it. Thank you.” I thought this question was interesting because I feel like most people are a little baffled by the houses we buy! With our last two home purchases, I received lots of questioning comments, but I think readers eventually saw my vision for the house as it was brought to life. We bought our PA house before sharing anything online, but it wasn’t love at first sight.  It was the best we could afford.  It was quirky and needed work, but it wasn’t falling apart or reeking of smoke, unlike a couple of other homes we looked at with our realtor.  Half of it was a relatively

Read More

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.

next art sale

May 20th, 2026 at 1pm EST

Now Available for Preorder

Move Slow & Make Things

A book about creativity, intention, and making things with care. Sign up to receive updates, preorder details, and exclusive bonus content.

From the Studio

Artful pieces for your home and everyday life.

From original paintings and art prints to Pup Club releases and curated goods, each piece is created or chosen to bring warmth, creativity, and character into your home.

From the Studio and Home

Shop the Feed

A handpicked collection of items styled and shared throughout posts, projects, and social feeds. Every product is thoughtfully chosen to reflect a timeless, collected aesthetic.

Recent Video

Spring Posts

Explore the Shop

Explore the Blog

Categories
error: Content is protected.

Pin It on Pinterest