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
proper heights for wainscoting
I don't usually care for "decorating rules." They are typically preferences and gimmicks more than actual rules. "Blue and green should never be seen." is one rule that I threw in the garbage bin...
four things | thirty-eight
It was a slower week for me, but sometimes we need those slow weeks. Life can be a constant flurry of work and activities. Sometimes I enjoy those slower weeks, but this week of forced rest felt...
options to improve a drop ceiling
Since it comes up every time I show our basement here, on Instagram, or anywhere on the Internet, let's discuss the eyesore that is drop ceilings and some of the available options to improve them. ...
Amazon Prime Day Deals
I usually don't do shopping/sale posts, but as I was checking out Amazon Prime Day Deals, I noticed several items I own, love, and have shared in previous posts over the years are dramatically...
painted basement paneling
When I shared the basement last week, the wallpaper was primed and painted, and it was already looking worlds better! I have learned that when I have momentum, it's best to let that carry me into...
four things | thirty-seven
As I type this blog post, new LED panel lights are being installed in our basement! I can't wait to see that space properly lit and bright. I put off my painting until the new lights were...
Celebrating 3 Years
Feels Like Home
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 Summer
The days are longer, the sun is warmer, and the garden is in full bloom. Summer invites slow mornings with coffee on the porch, afternoons spent painting in the studio, and evenings tending to the plants that seem to double in size overnight. It’s the season of full project mode—outdoor updates, creative bursts, and long walks that end just before dusk. While winter holds a special place in my heart, there’s something lovely about a season so filled with light, color, and the quiet hum of life all around.
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
_____
proper heights for wainscoting
I don't usually care for "decorating rules." They are typically preferences and gimmicks more than actual rules. "Blue and green should never be seen." is one rule that I threw in the garbage bin pretty quickly when I started decorating. I want to ask the person...
Artistic Endeavors
_____
photo tips for pet portraits
I have been drawn to portraits for years, so it was only natural for me to explore portraiture once I started drawing and painting. Painting portraits of living people can be tricky, though. Winston Churchill famously burned a commissioned oil portrait capturing his...
Creative Business
_____
Traumwohnen & tips on being featured in a magazine
My very first magazine feature was thrilling. It was a small blurb about my blog in Flea Market Style magazine and I was over the moon. When I started my business, I was interviewed by the college student who designed my business cards, logo, and blog as a class...
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
_____
four things | thirty-eight
It was a slower week for me, but sometimes we need those slow weeks. Life can be a constant flurry of work and activities. Sometimes I enjoy those slower weeks, but this week of forced rest felt like an interruption. My body appreciated it, though, and I'm ready to...
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
_____
