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All Things Home
All Things Home

how to get rid of bishop’s weed | goutweed update

It’s time for the highly anticipated update on my war on bishop’s weed/goutweed!  I’m kidding, but I know some people are looking forward to an update and some advice on how to get rid of goutweed (or at least get it under control).  Before I get into the different methods I’ve tried and which have been most effective for me, I want to share a fresh perspective on this aggressive ground cover.  While searching online for advice and support can be a good thing, I’m not sure it’s always 100% helpful (except this blog post, of course!)  It’s sort of like Googling a surgery you’re about to have or an appliance you want to buy.  The majority of the stories, reviews, and advice you find will be negative, especially on open forums.  People who are upset about something have a more compelling reason to get online and share their misery

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May 28, 2025 9 Comments
1970 home renovation

progress on the front garden bed

I’ve been chipping away at gardening projects this week and have most of the front garden bed planted. After looking at black plastic for a year, it’s nice to see plants and mulch out there.  As a reminder, I laid down black plastic to smother some weeds and get a fresh start with this bed.  A couple of weeks ago, I started lifting up the plastic to plant a boxwood hedge along the house.  I received several comments from experienced gardeners, encouraging me to move the hedge away from the house and porch… As I started spacing out the rest of the plants, I decided it would be best to listen to seasoned advice and move the hedge. I removed the plastic section-by-section, planting, laying down cardboard as a weed barrier, and mulched.  I planted a small square boxwood hedge around the birdbath and surrounded that with English lavender.  I’m

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May 27, 2025 21 Comments
All Things Home

mock orange blossoms

We bought our house in the late summer, so it wasn’t until the next spring that I was surprised by the beautiful white blooms on an overgrown bush in our side yard.  To say it’s overgrown would be a bit of an understatement because it’s literally falling over to one side under its own weight.  I wasn’t sure what it was, but my keen-eyed Instagram followers told me it is a mock orange bush.  They are apparently prized bushes for their fragrance and beautiful blooms, and I can see why!  I feel like having a mature one in our yard is such a gift.  Jeff wanted to take it out, but I am willing to lie on top of it in protest to prevent that, if need be.  It won’t be necessary, though, because he has heard my pleas to keep it, but it does need to be trimmed back. 

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May 21, 2025 17 Comments
All Things Home

Lucketts Spring Market 2025 Purchases

I must say, I was pretty proud of myself for the restraint I showed while shopping the Lucketts Spring Market.  With the exception of one piece, I stuck to my list (you can find my list HERE) and didn’t buy small things that would add clutter to collections I’ve been trying to thin down.  I had the perfect spot for everything I purchased, and I didn’t regret leaving things I felt tempted to buy at the market for others to enjoy. But, here is what I did buy… As I shared yesterday, I made a beeline for these antique oil paintings.  First of all, I just love portraits and the character they bring to a home.  Second, I love that these are old, likely from the mid-1800s, based on the clothing and date of their restoration.  While I can paint pieces to hang on the wall, I can’t paint 150-year-old

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May 20, 2025 21 Comments
All Things Home

Lucketts Spring Market 2025 Recap

The Lucketts Spring Market 2025 is in the books!  Oh man, what a special group of people who work so hard to put on an amazing event for their customers.  I’m constantly impressed with their attention to detail and desire to make every event with the Lucketts name memorable.  The Lucketts team doesn’t have to create a new theme for each market.  All of the signage and displays they’ve used are spectacular and could certainly be used again.  However, each market comes up with new themes, displays, signs, tote bags, and little details that make the market an experience in and of itself.  Speaking as someone who has been a part of these markets in the past, they really don’t have to do that.  It is above and beyond, and you can tell it’s done out of a love for the customers and the event. The vendors also put on

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May 19, 2025 17 Comments
Antiques

Lucketts Spring Market 2025 wish list

It’s time for another Lucketts Spring Market!  Right on cue, the rains have come in just as vendors are setting up, and there is more rain in the forecast.  If an area is ever experiencing a drought, they just need Lucketts to set up shop, and the rain will come!  As a former vendor who has experienced spring rain at Lucketts, I’m only partially kidding.  Fortunately, the Clark County Fairgrounds has good drainage, and most vendors are in covered buildings.  I’m hoping for everyone involved that we get some sunshine!  No matter, I’m heading to the VIP day on Friday, rain or shine. Here are a few things on my wish list for this market… I have almost completed the first draft of my book manuscript, and I’m moving on to work on the photography.  The book is about creativity, so I’ll be styling photos of creative tools and materials,

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May 14, 2025 11 Comments
1970 home renovation

planting the front garden bed | part one

I feel like I’m way behind with gardening chores and projects, but when I looked back at last year to see when I did most of my gardening work, I’m pretty much on schedule.  I might just be a week or two behind, but not as far behind as I feel!  My two biggest garden projects this year are planting the front bed and cleaning up the left garden bed.  Since I want to get plants in the ground as soon as possible, I decided to start with the front.  I’ve been a little bit daunted since it involves adding new soil to fix the grading and revive the soil as well as planting bushes, perennials, and annuals, but I’m just taking it one step at a time, and I’ve made some good progress this week. This is how the front garden bed looked last spring before I started working

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May 13, 2025 29 Comments
All Things Home

what to get rid of, what to keep | organizing

As I’ve been sharing my organizing and purging efforts, I have been asked by several blog readers how I decide what to keep and what to get rid of.  One reader expressed hesitancy to get rid of something for fear she might need it down the road.  So, I thought I would share some of the rules I used for deciding what to keep and what to get rid of.  These rules aren’t unbreakable, but they are guidelines that help me make better decisions about stuff.  Not only the decisions of what to keep and what to let go, but also what I buy in the first place. rule number one – space The first filter everything has to run through is do we have space for it in our house.  Space can be subjective because you can have space for a lot of things and not be able to

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May 6, 2025 17 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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