I am such a bad blogger. I’ve been so busy on other things that I forgot to announce the winners of Miss Mustard Seed’s Wuslu Pick of the Month (the small pedestal with glass cloche)
The winners are…
Miss Kitty of Miss Kopy Kat
and
Melanie, anonymous, but left an e-mail.
Congratulations! Yasmin from Wuslu will be contacting you about your prize.
About 3 1/2 years ago my friend, Laura Dreyer (who also painted Adele for me), came over to my house to help me out with a project. I wanted to paint a mural in my son’s nursery. After looking through children’s books for a few months, I settled on a page from Guess How Much I Love You. It’s a beautiful story with illustrations that are perfect for a mural. So, we took an afternoon and she painted the hares and I painted the scenery.
As we painted, chatted and sang along to the musical Wicked, a thought came to my mind. “I could do this…for other people. This could be my business.”
I had never thought of myself as a painter, but I enjoyed it and it felt natural to me. I kicked the idea around in my head, but didn’t feel confident to take the plunge. My mom finally pushed me into it (thankfully) and my family supported me and Mustard Seed Creations was born.
This eventually evolved into Mustard Seed Interiors. I don’t paint murals anymore and my focus has now shifted to my true passions – antiques, decorating, refurbished furniture, writing and photography.
I never wanted to paint over that mural, though. It’s so sweet, first of all, but it’s also a reminder of the spark that eventually led me here. So, in my office makeover project, I decided to cover it instead of painting it. It’s still back there, but it’s now covered in pine tongue and groove paneling. I finished it when it was dark, so I don’t have any photos, but here’s how it started.
I needed to create a “faux wall” to cover the door frame, so I used 1 x 3 pine boards as “studs.” This way, the wall can easily be removed if we (or a future owner of the home) want to use the doorway again.
I got to pull out the big guns for this project and I did it all by myself. I’m pretty proud, I must say.
I’ll share more soon. I also finished a couple of dressers over the past few days and will be delivering them and a few other things to Lucketts tomorrow. I was pretty cleaned out last weekend, so it’s time for a refill.
…and so it goes…
36 Responses
I am newer to your blog…and just starting to really follow– Amazing mural..kind of sad to see it covered, isn't it? xo Diana
Courage! You have an abundance of it. I see it in the changes you make. In the letting go of things you really like. I see it in your heart that you really know the important things in our world….and thanks for sharing it all so willingly. Beverlee
Hi Miss Mustard Seed,
Or can I call you Marian? I feel like I already know you so well. I have been following your blog for about 3 months now, and just recently got the urge to start from the beginning to see how you've made it to today. It took me about 2 weeks (reading a couple hours each day) but I made it – and let me say it was totally worth the read. You are such an inspiration to me, to expand my current skills and hopefully turn them into something great. My husband and I will be in a home improvement store, and I'll start talking about paint, or at a garage sale and point out furniture that needs some TLC and he will say, "you got that idea from Miss Mustard Seed, didn't you?" I just wanted to thank you for being a wonderful blogger and sharing your talent with the world. I don't care about celebrities, but I love to meet other bloggers I really look up to – maybe Haven 2012? Geez now I sound like a stalker, lol, I will try to be normal and comment here and there on your posts instead of writing you a novel. Keep up the great work!
Blessings,
Kristina
@PearlGateway
http://www.pearlgateway.com
I can't believe you've never showed that to us before! (I guess maybe you have. I haven't been around since day one)
Very sweet.
Im glad you didnt paint over it <3.
cant WAIT to see your new wall!! Sounds lovely. We had our couch delivered today- that we had to wait a freaking month for- im SO excited. 🙂
One day someone will remove that paneling to uncover your beautiful mural beneath. I'm sure it will be loved again! Thank you for sharing. 😉
Wouldn't it be cool if (and that's a big if) and when you sell the house you just casually mention "oh, there's a nice surprise under the paneling…)
Marian,
What a beautiful mural. I understand how you could not paint over it. I'm glad you didn't. Think of the lovely surprise some future diy home-owner will get when they take down the plank wall you are putting up. Their blog post will read: Can you believe someone covered this up?!
Your Friend,
Deborah
Perhaps you could take that photograph and put it on the desk you work on…so you can be reminded daily of your roots.
I paint murals as well {was an art teacher before I was a SAHM/blogger}, but my kids are still too little for me to pursue my passion FT…
To the moon and back, little nut brown hare. Great story…
Congrats to the winners! And thank you for being such an inspiration!
Debbie
That is such a cute book and you are right it was perfect for a mural. How sweet that you will know it is still there behind the paneling.
Traci
Love, love, love the mural and the meaning behind it. I'm such a sentimental that I would probaly end up framing it out just the hares or something. You are so strong. 🙂 Can't wait to see the finished prouduct!
Can't wait to see the wall! That mural is so sweet…I can see why you didn't paint over it! I wouldn't have been able to either!!
Hugs
SueAnn
So happy you are saving this beautiful wall of inspiration. You inspire me ~ thank you!
Hello Marian,
I too used to paint murals. I painted a mural HUGE mural for a little girls newly constructed bedroom a while back. She loved animals, so I painted a quaint farm scene with grazing Mom and baby horses, barns, a huge oak tree with a rope swing. I included lot's of beautiful bluebirds and of course I had to paint a birds nest with eggs in the tree.
It was all very whimsical and childlike….she LOVED it.
That little girl is grown now and I often wonder if the mural is still there.
But we do need to change and move on…don't we?
Looking forward to seeing the new office.
See you at Haven!
janet xox
http://theemptynest-janet.blogspot.com/
I know those bunnies well. I think I painted them at least three times on nursery walls. I just love that book. So sweet. I had a small bunny inspired by that book curled up sleeping in my Emma's room under a tree. I just met a sweet gal at The Cottage. She knew you from your teen group at church I think.
I'm feeling sentimental just looking at the mural. I like the idea of taking a photo of it to have on your desk as a reminder. I find it interesting that this is where you got your start. You also have a way of writing that draws us in to what you do. You are gifted in many ways and you're so likeable as well.
As usual, we're all anxiously waiting for the next big thing from you…what ever that is!
I have painted murals for people and I must say I don't like too.It's not that I don't like to paint it's just that the pressure to make it perfct for them is toooo much.I see all the imperfections. I get sick to my stomach just going to the house to do it.I can't seem to get it together to put anything on an etsy account.I have made and sold alot of different things in my sisters decor store,even a discarted chair I redid. But for some reason I always feel like it all needs improvement. I make pillows,redue furniture,holiday wreaths,watercolor prints,cards,merchandise a store for any season.Oh but lack the ohmf to make it happen.Any thoughts on getting past this?Bible verse maybe that I can say over and over. Thank you for sharing your talents.
Mary
RENONFL@YAHOO.COM
Congratulations to the lucky winners!
I just adore that mural. I tend to hang on to sentimental things and would not be able to cover it up. But how exciting it would be years down the road for someone to uncover this wonderful piece of art.
Your mural is adorable, but I am partial. In my boys nursery we framed original book plates from that book. It's so darn sweet!
It was neat reading about how you got started. Thanks for sharing! Can't wait to hear more about the wall and see how it turned out.
What a GREAT idea to spare it and just cover it. I've done murals myself and wondered what to do as painting over it is such a painful choice. You're so smart!!
🙂
It'll be like that show Treasures in the Attic where they uncover it one day to find the hidden diamond! Oh, the BIG GUNS are such F-U-N!
Good thought to keep it! That's what I did with my very first item that made me start with my stuff. I was even up to buying it back because I did not know if it was sold. Lucky enough it wasn't, so I could keep it.
It's good to have a piece that reminds you of a great moment in your life!
That is such a sweet mural! And I love that you preserved it…
So the thing in this blog post that stood out to me was that you and her were singing along to Wicked. lol. My friend Cindy and I use to sing along to that all the time while we were knitting. It just made me smile to know that some other friends were out there doing the same thing. 😉
My six year old granddaughter's most favorite book and saying!
What a beautiful mural !! And I love that saying too 🙂
Sure hope that you haven't had an ill effects of all this rain and flooding we're having.
I had to chuckle when I read that you couldn't bring yourself to paint over the mural. When I offered to paint a mural in my grandson's nursery, my daughter-in-law said, "thanks, but no thanks" because she could never bring herself to paint over it. So I ended up painting whimsical pictures instead.
That really is a beautiful mural. You are such a great artist. My kid's walls are plain (at this moment anyway!). I can't wait to see it when it's done and that tool looks like some serious FUN – LOVE Dewalt!
Thank you for the give away… Just got an email notice from WUSLU that I actually won. I have never won anything and just last week "won" a trip to a medical conference that I so wanted to attend which would allow me to also visit my two grown boys in LA. I have not seen them since they moved a year ago.
Off the subject but wanted to tell you thanks.
You are such an inspiration and I love your blog. Have probably read it for about 4 months now..
Also love WICKED and "Guess How Much I Love You"
Thanks again and keep doing what you are doing!! Hugs from Indiana!!!
I LOVE that mural. BEAUTIFUL! I also love that "crap I'm awesome" pillow you featured. It made me laugh this morning. Thanks for having the party.
Sweet story about the mural 🙂
Alright, I think it's time I introduce myself. I am Becky. I have been reading your blog for a year. I believe the first couple of posts I read were when you had a booth at the Luckett's fair last August. I thought you absolutely had to be the sweetest and most talented person I'd ever met. Except, we hadn't met exactly. Minor detail. 🙂 I just remember you were worried that you had taken too much stuff and you would just have to pack it all back up. I was thinking, is she crazy? Her stuff is amazing! I'm pretty sure I teared up when you posted that you had sold almost everything and had to go get more stuff from your house. I just wanted you to know that I absolutely enjoy reading your blog and that you inspire me. You are actually my go-to place for refinishing questions or how-to projects.
I thought you might want to know.
I have read this book to my kindergarten students or my own kiddos no less than 5642 times!
I love the project, but super love the story!
Kerry at housetalkn.blogspot.com