Find Inspiration & Encouragement
Welcome to the Miss Mustard Seed’s blog, where creativity, vintage charm, and farmhouse elegance come to life. Explore inspiring DIY projects, furniture makeovers, and curated vintage finds that infuse warmth and personality into your home. Discover budget-friendly ideas, painting techniques, and creative inspiration that will elevate your living spaces with love and creativity. Welcome to a haven of creative possibilities where you can create a home that tells your unique story.
to customize your house to feel like home
to nurture your creativity & artistic growth
to find new favorites & never stop growing
Blog
Original Art
Commissioned Paintings
Miss Mustard Seed’s
Most Recent Posts
adding doors back on a hutch | dining room makeover
The dining room makeover has been at a standstill since I painted the ceiling last weekend because I have been in bed sick for several days. I am up and about now but still moving slowly and not...
why I read multiple books at one time
As I've shared before, I pretty habitually have a stack of books sitting in my studio at any given time. I try to stay tidy and keep the stack under control, but I keep adding to the stack and it...
painting the dining room ceiling
Well, I finally did it. I've been dragging my feet for over a year, but I painted the dining room ceiling. I have been hung up on working on this room just because I knew the ceiling had to be...
tonal floral still life sketch | oil painting tutorial
It's been a little while since I've done a painting video tutorial, so even though this was just a sketch to get into the groove of oil painting again, I decided to set up the camera and turn it...
redefining what it means to be bad at something
One theme that often comes up in e-mails, comments, and messages from blog readers and social media followers is being good at something. I get all sorts of comments in that vein... I'm not good...
a bench, a fountain, and garden lights
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Lamps Plus. As always, all words and opinions expressed are honest and my own. Do you remember some of the lighting fixtures I've gotten from Lamps Plus for...
Feels Like Home
Marian’s new book on customizing your home is
now available!
Miss Mustard Seed’s YouTube
This channel shows a progression of my business from my early years of painting and refinishing furniture and dealing antiques to my current passions of art, painting, and design. I just love all things creative and I love encouraging and inspiring other to discover and use their creative gifts.
Free Art Classes
While most of the world was under stay-at-home orders in the Spring of 2020, I connected with my online community by offering live art classes every Friday for a few weeks. It was such a pick-me-up for me each week! I received wonderful feedback from the class participants who joined me live or have taken the classes since, so I decided to put them into an online course format and offer them for free. Sign up and learn to paint with oils in nine classes that cover everything from making a color chart to painting a grazing cow…
Recipes, projects, and decorating ideas for Fall
Celebrate the season’s arrival with our curated collection of fall decor and inspiration. Discover simple ways to infuse your home with the warmth and charm of autumn, from cozy accents to earthy color palettes. Make your space feel inviting as the season changes.
Marian’s Home Tours
Maryland Home
_____
Marian shares her journey of transforming her new 1970s Maryland home into a modern marvel. Discover inspiring renovations that marry vintage elegance with contemporary flair. Explore her latest blog posts, featuring DIY projects, interior design ideas, and budget-friendly tips that breathe new life into this charming abode. Delight in the art of renovation and witness the magic of infusing every corner with personality and timeless allure. Join Marian on this exciting chapter of her Maryland home transformation and uncover a treasure trove of creativity and inspiration.
Latest Posts by Topic
All Things Home
_____
adding doors back on a hutch | dining room makeover
The dining room makeover has been at a standstill since I painted the ceiling last weekend because I have been in bed sick for several days. I am up and about now but still moving slowly and not feeling the greatest. It's just normal virus stuff - congestion, sore...
Artistic Endeavors
_____
tonal floral still life sketch | oil painting tutorial
It's been a little while since I've done a painting video tutorial, so even though this was just a sketch to get into the groove of oil painting again, I decided to set up the camera and turn it into a tutorial. Really, it's more of a paint-a-long than a tutorial...
Creative Business
_____
Lucketts Spring Market 2023
I feel like I'm going home in a way! The Lucketts Spring Market was a big event in my business for almost a decade and it's so fun to be back. I'm just going as a shopper on VIP day, which is a lot less work than being a vendor! In case you have never heard of...
Furniture Makeovers
_____
Giving an antique whirligig a makeover
A few months ago, I decided to check out an antique store I hadn't been to in a while - the Fayetteville Antique Mall in Fayetteville, PA. I used to go there regularly when we lived in PA, but I noticed more vendors were leaving over and the quality of the...
Slice of Life
_____
why I read multiple books at one time
As I've shared before, I pretty habitually have a stack of books sitting in my studio at any given time. I try to stay tidy and keep the stack under control, but I keep adding to the stack and it gets comically high again. Sometimes it's because I've acquired new...
Tutorials
I love learning and sharing what I’ve learned with others. Since 2009, I’ve been writing and filming tutorials on everything from furniture refinishing and slipcovers to woodworking and crochet. What would you like to learn to do today?
Try Something New
Refinishing Furniture
_____
Fine Art
_____
Upholstery
_____
Knitting & Crochet
_____
Sewing
_____
