September is la rentrée – the French summer holidays are over, students return to school and tout Paris returns to work. La rentrée is a time of optimism and fresh beginnings – and treasure hunting! The world famous Paris flea market – le Marché aux
Auntie Toma’s Modern Day Grand European Tour
As I write this month’s blog I’m sitting at Le Deux Magots in Paris waiting as my 16 year old twin nieces explore Saint Germain des Pres and I take a moment to catch up on office work. They are visiting from Oklahoma. We’ve spent
Everything I Need to Know About Business I Learned in the Vogalonga Regatta
When I was asked to be the Drummer on a Dragon Boat for the Vogalonga I said yes because it was a Regatta and I liked the sound of the word “Regatta.” When else in my life am I going to compete in a 30km rowing
Designing A Life Less Ordinary
When I was in my 20’s and had first moved to Paris, I opened a new journal and I wrote one sentence. I’ve started a million other journals since then, living a million different lives, as my journey took me the last two decades from
Wanderlust With The Anthony Bourdain of Antiques
If you’ve ever attended one of my lectures at High Point Market or the D&D geared towards interior designers you’ll inevitably have heard me say “The most important tool you can have in your toolbox is a passport.” Mine is battered, covered with baggage tag
Behind the Scenes With Toma Only
Last month I wrote a blog sharing details of my personal life as well as in #Divaland. While you may know me as The Antiques Diva – I joke to my real-life friends “Don’t call me Diva!” The real me – Toma Clark Haines –
The 10 Year Challenge: Business Inspiration
Recently on Facebook, people have been posting their 10 Year Challenge – a photo taken 10 years ago versus today. Toma Clark Haines: 2009 – 2019 A decade ago The Antiques Diva & Co was almost 1 year old. In fact, there was no “&
Bar Essentials and Styling for Holiday Entertaining
I’ll ring in the New Year with my favorite Prosecco. I first became aware of the Prosecco house Bisol when I visited the winery earlier this year in Valdobbiadene for my birthday in the nearby Veneto region just an hour north of Venice. When I discovered
Cozy Tablescape for a Christmas S’mores Bar
For me, presentation is EVERYTHING. As a little girl growing up in Oklahoma, I never liked s’mores! I don’t know why, but their sticky, chocolatey, gooeyness never appealed to me. As an adult, I began to appreciate the luxury of one simple romantic bite – especially
How to Create Christmas Tablescapes with Antiques and Vintage Pieces pt 1
Your home is a reflection of who you are – your travels, your passions, your lifestyle. As The Antiques Diva, I always incorporate antiques and vintage pieces into my home, mixed with modern and far more practical items for everyday living! When I entertain, I
Antiques Up and Down the East Coast
Before I founded The Antiques Diva® & Co, I lived in Boston and worked in advertising. As a young woman from Oklahoma, Boston was my first introduction to New England interiors, design and art, and an opportunity to learn the history and culture of America’s
Where does design inspiration come from?
Amalfi Coast lemons While taking my summer vacation in the Amalfi Coast this summer one of my favorite things I did – besides merely lounge poolside in my BoxerinBlue swimwear under the wafting smell of the lemon trees – was visit the Ruins of Pompeii,
The NEW Neoclassical
Today while running errands in Venice, I popped down the Calle delle Mandole to the Punto Simply grocery store and popped into my friend Jewelry Designer Marisa Convento’s shop, where she sells her handmade creations using antique Venetian beads. She inquired about my new kittens Fortuny
Dreams Do Come True
Today you know me as The Antiques Diva. I’ve lived in Europe nearly 20 years, having lived in Paris, Amsterdam and Berlin before moving to Venice last year. But I grew up in Oklahoma and rarely traveled outside of the state as a child and
Online Antiques Marketplaces: Why I LoveAntiques.com
Buying and selling antiques has changed dramatically since I launched The Antiques Diva® & Co ten years ago – and no one knows that more than antique dealers. Like all changes, there is both good and bad about selling and buying antiques online. For antique
Collections Transform a House Into a Home: The Art of Collecting
As I transform my Venice apartment into a home, I take pleasure in the process of unpacking the pieces I’ve collected and arranging (and re-arranging!) them into tableaus that please my eye. The French art of mise en scène – putting things in place – to give my
A Day at the East Hampton Antiques Show – #NoPassportRequired
Last year I attended the East Hampton Antiques Show for the 1st time – and was gobsmacked by the quality, variety and quantity of antiques shown. So much so in fact, that we launched our annual Antiques Diva® Hamptons Group Antiques Tour to visit the EHAS,
Architectural Salvage: Architectural Antiques in Restaurant Design
One of the biggest trends in interior design is architectural salvage. Not only do architectural antiques salvaged from the past bring uniqueness, patina and history to your project, but salvaged elements are part of a booming movement fueled by millennials: reuse, reclaim and recycle. Nowhere
