My Grand Botanical Christmas Tree

A look at my Grand Botanical Christmas tree decorated with magnolia, florals, embroidered bows, gingham ribbons, pink and green, and orange pomanders

Embrace the joy of a botanical themed Christmas tree with pink and green gingham ribbon, magnolia, orange pomanders, red berries, sugar pine cones, Danbury Mint ornaments, and glittery fern. Don’t miss the two video tutorials for adding sugar pine cones to your tree and tying a ribbon tuft! Oh Christmas tree, Oh Christmas tree How…

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First Look – Christmas Decor 2025

2025 Christmas Decor Theme - Grand Botanical mood board

The 2025 Christmas garland kits are here + I’m sharing a look at my Christmas theme for the living room and all the decor I’m loving to create it! I cannot believe that we are in the middle of October already and it is time to share what I’ve been dreaming and scheming for my…

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My Design Tent for The Clinch River Antiques Festival

Drexel Chinoiserie china cabinet, vintage 1970s Et Cetera collection

A look at my design tent for the Clinch River Antiques Festival and 5 tips for decorating a dining room with Grandmillennial style! Y’all, I’ve got to say I’m pretty proud of myself! I designed and sourced an entire room in about 6 weeks; set it up under a 15′ x 15′ party tent in…

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Our Antiquing Roadtrip North on I81

Antiquing roadtrip I81 - Chadds Ford - Brandywine River Antiques Market

Loading up your 76 year old mother and 19 month old toddler in an SUV and a trailer to hit the interstate antiquing sounds cuckoo, no? 9 tote boxes… 5 pieces of luggage… 4 rolls of bubble wrap… 2 ice chests… and 1 stroller later we made it through: 19+ hours of driving… 14 antique…

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Mushrooms & Oak Leaves: A Fall Mantel Garland

A close up view of the fall mantel garland made from oak leaves, bittersweet, magnolia, brown and white gingham ribbon, and glittered fern

Explore my autumn mantel decorated with golden oak leaves, bittersweet, glittered fern, velvet mushrooms, and one regal pheasant for a stunning fall mantel garland. Come trip along the oak leaves, Gathering glittering fern, And spring from cap to cap, Where field meets forest and the pheasants roam into the verge. Oh…me and my mushroom mantel…

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The Antique Collector’s Resource Library

Stacks of resource books for collecting antiques

You don’t have know everything about antiques and vintage curios, but you should know where to look for the answers! Whether you’ve spent years developing your knowledge base about decorative arts through formal education or you are new to the field, every collector and seller needs a group of resources to turn to when they…

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The Antique Collector’s Tool Kit

The antique collector's tool kit - magnifying loupe over engraving

Just 4 little things are essential to help you authenticate vintage and antiques! Sometimes our senses are not adequate to determine what a curio is, its date, or what it is made of, so we need the right tools to use when examining it. I recommend keeping a tool kit with you when you go…

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An Eye for the Good Stuff

Auction preview at Case Antiques

Tips to develop your eye to find quality antiques and vintage amongst the topsy-turvy hoard in thrifts, consignments, and estate sales! This can be such a frustrating maxim that experts in the antiques field throw out like confetti. As frustrating as it may be to hear when you start out collecting or selling antiques that…

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Nightstand Swap & Round-Up

Green and blue master bedroom with white nightstand

Check out my new nightstands in the master bedroom + I’m sharing a round-up of affordable nightstands! Nightstand Swap & Decorating Tip Ummmm….ick! Yep, that was my initial reaction to the new nightstands I put in our master bedroom. At first I was not happy with the swap. The description said “antique white” so I…

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China Patterns: The Rare & Valuable

The 50 most rare and valuable china patterns - collage post banner

Hello Lovely Peonies. Which china patterns are rare? Which are popular? Which are overdone? And how do I know if a pattern is valuable? My e-mail has been flooded with these kind of questions lately as well as requests for plate identification help (see this post on ID and this post for determining value). I’m…

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