shopping for vintage lamps
I tell you what… If you need a random something to put a smile on your face, go out to an antique store, thrift store, or secondhand shop and look at lamps. Lamps seem to be one of the places where home decor companies really let loose. Let’s make beige sofas and brown tables, but […]
antique umbrellas & canes | favorite things
I’m sure I’m not the only one who gets an idea about something she wants in her house and dives head-first into making it happen. Such is the case for me with having an umbrella/cane stand in my foyer and then, naturally, filling it with antique umbrellas and canes. I don’t have a foyer or […]
my DSLR camera gear & tips | creative business
This week, I was asked to give recommendations for a “real camera” and lenses. As I started answering the question, I decided digging up an old post I wrote about my camera gear and sharing that link would be a more thorough answer, but then I saw that post was 11 years old! Yeah, I […]
kitchen inspiration | decorating
As I’m thinking and dreaming about our next house, a room I’m particularly excited about is the kitchen. So, let me share some kitchen inspiration I’ve been rounding up. We were fortunate to have very nice kitchens in our last two houses. Both have been a nice size with tons of cabinetry and good counter […]
sketchbook tour | August 2022
The purpose of drawing and painting in a sketchbook is for practice, exploration, and experimentation. It’s really not meant for public consumption, but it is a personal endeavor. But, I admit that I find studying the sketchbooks of others to be more beneficial and interesting than studying the finished works. The sketches show the thought […]
decorating with antique paintbrushes
One of the things I love about old things that are well-used and carry a story, known or unknown, with them, is that their character makes them art in and of themselves. All of the dings, dents, splatters, imperfections, and the warmth that comes only from time, gives them character and interest and makes them […]
linen tie-up shades are back!
Do you remember the linen tie-up shades I made for my studio in our Minnesota House? I made them to cover all of the windows in the sunroom, which we finished as my studio. It was amazing having all of that light coming through south-facing windows, but it would be very intense and even too […]
buffalo china | bargain finds
Several years ago, I received a tip from one of my local friends in the antiquing community. She told me there was a huge stash of like-new vintage buffalo china at a thrift store and I might want to go check it out. Well, as an ironstone lover and an antiques dealer, I couldn’t turn […]