49 Responses

1. When you’r ready to sell some of your ironstone let me know? Thanks

2. Love the ironstone. Have a great vacation!

   P.S. I thought you already had an assistant? NOw 2?

   1. Faith was supposed to be my assistant, but ended up managing the milk paint retailers. That job became too big for a mom working part time from home, though, so Homestead House is managing that. Faith is about to have her second baby, so she’s going to focus on them. 🙂

3. What beautiful ironstone pieces! They inspire me to start collecting more! Love the cheese board too!

4. I NEVER find sugar jars with lids. You have a knack…and apparently some very good resources!

5. Ahhh….be still my beating heart!! Love ironstone.

6. I love the ironstone and will be looking for the pedestal on Decor Steals.
   Have you or would you share where you shop for your treasures? I live relatively close to you and after years of living here have only found a few shops that I like.
   Now that you have an assistant(lucky girl) will you be opening your on line store?
   Have a safe and wonderful time on your vacation. That part of our country is absolutely beautiful.

7. Have a safe and fabulous trip!!! I’ll be following along for sure!! 🙂

8. I am an ironstone freak too so I completely understand! I started because it was white and went with everything! Now I can’t stop! You DESERVE an assistant….now you can take a deep breath!

9. Love the ironstone!!! The cheesboard is so cool to!!! Have a wonderful trip!!!

10. I love your ironstone. So beautiful and timeless. I have a small collection of plates and bowls that came from my husband’s grandmother. I love them.

11. Did you call them sugar jars? I haven’t heard that one before, we call them sugar bowls, whatever they are beautiful. What happened to Faith? I thought she was your assistant. Have a great trip.

    1. Faith was originally hired to be my assistant, but she ended up working with the milk paint retailers. That became such a big job that Homestead House had to take it over and now Faith is having another baby and moving on. Heidi is going to just be my assistant to help keep me straight!

12. I need them all.

    You deserve an assistant + Faith. You’re building an empire after all.

    1. Faith is about ready to pop with her second baby, so she’s moving on to bigger and better things. 🙂

13. Many hands make light work. I am glad to see you now have someone to share the load. You will be unstoppable now. The ironstone is beautiful, but I must say it was the pedestal that really perked me up. Can’t wait to see it on Décor Steals. I love that little beep on my phone around 10am that lets me know another little gem is out there waiting. Enjoy your trip!

14. I love that you are active on Instagram now! It is kind of addicting though. In a way it is like mini blog snippets. Have a great time out west! What a beautiful part of the country.

15. Marian,
    Your advanced painting class was my absolute favorite at Haven! Nice seeing you again this year.
    Kim

16. will you be selling any “extra” ironstone in your online shop?? if so, when oh when will it be up and running?

17. Such gorgeous pieces! I’m not overly familiar with ironstone. What are some of the tell tale signs when you are looking at a piece and wondering if it is ironstone?

18. Hope you have a wonderful & relaxing vacation! Love all the ironstone ~ so beautiful!

19. Marian,
    I love your white ironstone but wife and I keep adding to her “Liberty Blue Staffordshire” set.
    We used to have pieces like the blue and white ones you have on your table. I thought they were wedgewood? ironstone. Only so many dishes you can collect and use. 🙁

    Have a great trip and stay safe.
    rick

20. I love those ironstone pieces! Especially the tureen.

    Have a great trip, Marian! We’ll miss you, but some change in scenery and some family time would do you good. See you when you get back!

21. Hey Mrs. Mustard Seed!

    I just love all of your work! Have you considered using the raffle copter widget? I hear it is really useful when you have a lot of giveways!

22. Oh, Marian….Montana is definitely on your way….you should stop in! I have 3 guest rooms ready and waiting!

    1. Hi Marian – I agree with Jean you should stop in Montana! – I only have one guest room and it is filled with stuff with my daughter’s wedding, but I would clear it out if you and your family would stop by for a visit!!. I have looked for Ironstone at several estate sales and asked a couple of our local antique dealers, it doesn’t look like Ironstone made it out West.

       Jean – What part of Montana do you live in? I’m in Deer Lodge.

23. Beautiful ironstone Marian and can’t blame you for keeping that wonderful cheeseboard!
    Have a wonderful and safe trip!!…

24. MMS, I read your blog almost daily and read your book. Thank you for being so generous with your readers/followers. While “out west” if you’re going to be in Denver I would like to recommend wandering through two shops, “Patina,” and “Dwell Antiques & Home.” They are across the street from each other. Both are owned by hard-working, creative women who scour the country for special treasures and ironstone is almost always a part of their inventory. Also worth a stop is “Free the Monkey” Consignment Store in Salida & Buena Vista, CO if you opt to do some rafting on the Arkansas River.

    If you decide to avoid the cities altogether this is peach season in western CO so good for you! I’m told the farmer’s markets are full of them. I hope you and your family have a wonderful trip. Godspeed.

25. You have a great collection of ironstone … I collected covered casserole for a long time, but just got too many. I mostly love white ironstone and have a big collection…… just goes with everything.
    Love how you display yours and that riser is on my ‘want list’.
    Have a great trip.
    Blessings,
    Audrey Z. @ Timeless Treasures

26. I too love Ironstone and white pitchers! I hit Home Goods, Marshall’s and TJ Maxx regularly for their white pottery at cheap prices. Love your Blog and your ideas. Thinking of starting my own blog too, started making and selling jewelry and lots of other ideas. Check my jewelry out on Facebook/dukeandnellie

27. Have a nice vacation!! Looking forward to your online shop( after the kids are back to school
    I imagine!!) Looking forward to buying a sugar jar or two!!

28. Love the ironstone but the goblets caught my eye! Where are they from?

29. Will you share your favorite shop where you got this ironstone?

30. I’m in love with the gold-framed print you have of that cow! I feel as though I should know the name of the artist – can you give me any details? It’s so serene!

31. I think they call it “Burying the Lead” when you just happen to mention throwing away some pants that were too big! Congratulations! That must be such a great feeling! You go girl!
    Enjoy your vacation!

32. Ironstone Tureen’s…. can NOT get better than that! Be-U-Tiful!!! Looking forward to your on-line sale 😉

33. Have a wonderful vacation – Arizona and Colorado are both so beautiful. Hope you make it to Colorado Springs to see the Garden of the Gods. It is so pretty.

34. It was so good to speak with you at Becoming this past weekend. Should have brought the ironstone I have in my booth for you to take a look at. I have a few Red Cliff Ironstone pieces that I have from my Sister’s MIL estate. I have looked them up and priced them accordingly, but what would you recommend is a good price to ask. One is the tureen, ladle and lid, one tureen no lid and I also have a very pretty matching teapot. I figure you are an expert on what would be a good price. Hope you have a wonderful remaining vacation. That area of the country is beautiful!

35. Love the Ironstone-so crisp!!! Have a wonderful and well deserved vacation! You are going to my favorite state Arizona! I hope you get a chance to go to Sedona- so much to see and enjoy! Godspeed -I’ll be checking FB for pics!! Enjoy!!!

36. We retired to Tennessee after almost 30 years living on the Arizona/Utah border…. Page, AZ at Lake Powell to be exact. Lake Powell is kind of the center of it all there…. Grand Canyon, Bryce, Zion, etc… SO, if go through that way give a wave from me! 🙂 Have a wonderful trip!

37. Gorgeous ironstone, and that cheese board…wow! I don’t blame you for not wanting to get rid of that one! Have a wonderful vacation!
    Debbie ::)

38. Hello Marian… Just letting you know that I follow your blog all the time. I also live just right up the road from you in Hagerstown, Md. I have spoken to you quite awhile back when I was decorating my grandsons nursery in our home a vintage cowboy theme and wondered if you had anything that you had painted that might work in his room. Not really much luck there but, we talked a bit on the phone and you said that you would come and help me get my kitchen fiqured out also especially with painting my kitchen cabinets. well I still getting to them as I have worked on so many other rooms and haven’t gotten to the kitchen yet. But I think we are here as it gets alittle cooler outside and before the holidays. But my real purpose for commenting is because I am looking for some outside job, preferably working from my home since I have Multiple Sclerosis that I would really enjoy. I thought about painting furniture too, as I do this for myself or some type of secretarial work as I love dealing and talking to people and I love, love, antiques and thrifting(?) So I wish I had known about you wanting help! Everything about you would work out for me. Your location, your love and hobbies. So just keep me in mind if you are ever looking for anybody again. Or a 2nd person since like the other poster said you are building an empire right! lol!
    Ps. I really would love to meet you sometime. I also need help with making of some slipcovers, I am just so needy! lol!

39. It would be sooo much fun if you and Jeanne Oliver did a house swap and left your own personal touches on each home! You are going to Colorado and she is visiting Gettysburg……

    I was also wondering if there is any way to get the discoloration out of ironstone where it is crackled? If not, can it be used like that (for food) or is it merely decorative at that point?

    1. Oops! I should have just read your post from February 2012! Thanks for the info

40. Gorgeous! Love, love, love the cheese board! Thank you for sharing your incredible knack for decorating and remodeling! Please come to my house and work your magic! =) Eager to follow you now on Instagram! If you could hire an assistant remotely, I am the one! Have a wonderful trip!

41. Have a wonderful trip! I love instagram I am on there too 🙂 whitelacecottage.
    I love white ironstone too but I am pretty frugal so I don’t come across it often enough at the right price.
    xx
    Anne

42. That cheese board is to die for!!!

43. I had to write and tell you about my morning. I have recently discovered you and your blog, and am a kindred spirit (blue and white, my husband a minister, two small boys…). I needed a few small things, and your thrifting success inspired me to stop at Goodwill to try my luck. There on the shelf sat – ironstone dishes. Ah! Silent scream! I happened to be in the market for 4 cereal bowls, which were marked $10, and I was fine with that. When I got to the counter, the staff was horrified that I would pay $10 and not get the whole set (more silent screaming)! I walked away with the bowls, 8 dinner plates, 8 cups and saucers, a platter, and a serving bowl. Thank you for your inspiration, your work, and your willingness to share it all with others.

44. Wishing great and continued success. I love your cow painting, as i fondly refer to it. What is the story there…. does he/it have any brothers or sisters? 🙂

    With Kindness,
    Mary