Peg & Awl | Small Business Spotlight
There are times when I have fleeting thoughts of quitting the online space. I think about how much time is sucked into the rabbit hole of Instagram or YouTube when I could be doing something more meaningful and productive… But then I think about the beautiful people I’ve met, dear friends I have made, and […]
proof of life & productivity
One of the little tidbits I jotted down in my phone and then in my commonplace notebook (a place where I collect quotes, lyrics, words, poems, thoughts, and such) recently was this: “A clean barn has no oxen.” I am going to confess that, as a pastor’s wife, I didn’t know that little nugget of […]
dusting off the sewing machines…
It’s been a minute since I had my sewing machines out. I had to reacquaint myself with winding the bobbins and getting the needles properly threaded, but I slowly figured it out. The funny thing is that I needed to wear reading glasses over my contacts to thread the needles this time. As an aside, […]
four things | seventy eight
I realized once I started working on this post that I was chattier than I expected! I only posted twice on the blog this week and twice last week, and I think I’m feeling that! Writing and posting on this blog have been part of my creative process for over 15 years, and when I […]
Move Slow & Make Things | Giveaway No. 2
Welcome to giveaway number two leading up to the September 1 launch of my new book, Move Slow & Make Things. For this giveaway, I’ve partnered with Luxury Brands of America, a US distributor for fountain pens, inks, notebooks, and other fine writing supplies. They carry some of my favorite fountain pen brands, such as […]
Annabelle hydrangea update
If you’ve been following our landscaping projects over the past few years, you are probably somewhat familiar with the Annabelle hydrangeas I was determined to plant. I purchased Annabelle hydrangeas for our house in Minnesota on a whim at the grocery store for around $15/each, and they thrived. They were the best hydrangeas I ever […]
Recent Blog Posts
four things | seventy three
It’s been a day of comings and goings. Rosa Jo is staying with us for a few days as my parents visit friends. Our contractor stopped by to open our pool and talk about a few upcoming projects. The refrigerator repair tech was out to make one last-ditch effort at getting our fridge working again (I’ll share all about that in another post). I’ve been trying to work between it all, but this post has taken forever to put together
A return to Lucketts Spring Market
Quickly, I wanted to highlight that today (April 28) is the last day to join Pup Club Prints as a founding member and receive the beautiful German Shorthaired Pointer fine art print. Pup Club Prints is a fine-art snail-mail print club for animal, art, and analog lovers. It’s just $10/month for a quality 5 x 7 giclee fine art print, and you can cancel at any time. As an inaugural member, you’ll also be entered to win an original 8
April garden notes
Most of my April gardening work has been tidying up the beds, pruning old blooms off the hydrangeas, raking leaves, and weeding. Oh, the maple saplings and onion grass have been prolific this year, so pulling them out of the beds has been my primary objective. Instead of spending a couple of long days weeding, I decided to work in small chunks. Every day, after my morning walk, I put on my gardening boots and gloves and would fill one
four things | seventy two
I decided I won’t talk about the weather in my little Four Things preamble today. (Although we have been having wonderful Spring weather, and I’ve been delighting in my morning walks and time in the garden.) I’m going to share some thoughts on embracing change… I used to love Instagram. It was such a fun community and an easy way to share and connect. Once the algorithm was imposed and Meta acquired it several years ago, it slowly became less
Bronzino & the Medicis
As I shared in THIS POST, the self-portrait gallery was the highlight of the Uffizi Museum for me, but another exhibit was a very, very close second. I mean, they are virtually tied, and I think you’ll see why. As my mom and I meandered through the light-filled U-shaped corridors of the Uffizi, a portrait of a woman and her child hung high on one of the walls. It was too high for me to lean in and appreciate the
Pup Club Prints | fine art prints for dog & art lovers
Thank you to everyone who is trying to subscribe! We had some technical issues, but it’s working now! Also, I decided to offer a big thank you to those who sign up for the first month’s print. Founding Pup Club members will be entered to win an original 8 x 10 commissioned oil painting (animal, still life, or landscape), a $300 value. I am so excited to finally launch Pup Club Prints, a monthly art subscription I’ve been working on
the business of art vs. the art of art
There is an anecdote about Vincent Van Gogh that I’ve heard and even repeated myself. Van Gogh only sold one painting in his lifetime. It’s often used as an encouragement to struggling artists. If his work, which was so unique, brilliant, and beautiful, wasn’t appreciated, then you’re in good company if you find yourself in the same boat. I’ve shared in my Four Things posts over the past few weeks that I’ve been reading THIS BOOK on the life of
four things | seventy one
We’re in the middle of a mid-April heatwave. This time of year, I will wear a hoodie in protest when summer weather rears its head early, which is sort of ridiculous. I’ve still been making a point to get outside by walking in the morning before it gets hot and then spending about 15-20 minutes filling a bucket with weeds and maple saplings from the garden beds. Maple saplings are my lot in life at the moment, but they are
styling pet portraits in interiors
I received a question a couple of weeks ago about how to style a pet portrait in a room without it looking like a shrine to your dog, cat, hamster, or horse. Good question! I’m so glad you asked. Let’s talk about animal art in interiors and how to make it work with your decorating. First of all, let me say that there really aren’t rules when it comes to style, art, decorating, or aesthetics. I mean, there are rules
Move Slow & Make Things Book Bonuses Available!
I am so excited to share that the preorder bonuses for Move Slow & Make Things: Pursuing the Delightfully Fulfilling Creative Life are now available! If you’ve already ordered the book, thank you! You can enter your order information on THIS to claim your bonuses. If you haven’t preordered the book yet, you can do that HERE. I will be released September 1, 2026, so you still have plenty of time, but I learned through the release of Feels Like
four things | seventy
It’s been my favorite early spring weather. Cool enough for a hoodie, but warm enough to spend lots of time outside. I donned my overalls for the first time this year, and Jeff and I worked together in the backyard on Tuesday. We pulled weeds, mowed the small patch of grass, pruned the hydrangeas, trimmed back the liriope, and cleaned up the leaves. I remembered looking out the window last week and feeling overwhelmed at all of the tasks that
the Gibbes Museum
When we planned our Charleston outing for our anniversary, we were going to visit a few antique stores and then have a nice dinner. My aunt’s proposition changed that, though. We knew we would be transporting two large paintings in bulky frames home, so space would be at a premium. (We won’t mention all of the shells I was bringing home, too!) For that reason, we decided not to go to the antique store. I have a knack for finding
birthday happenings
This weekend, I turned forty-eight. It made me think about all of the birthdays I’ve shared about here on my blog, and if you’ve been with me since the early years, you’ve followed me through most of my 30s and now well into my 40s. Dare I say, almost fifty? We’ve been through a lot together – my boys going from diapers to driving and college classes, two big moves, three different homes, and lots of twists and turns in
four things | sixty-nine
Wow, it’s hard to believe it’s April. I’m sure I’m not the only one who feels that way. Wasn’t it just January? With the warmer weather and longer days, I am feeling my usual pull to home and garden projects, but I haven’t had much time with my current workload. Home projects are usually a large part of my work, but with oil painting and writing becoming more prominent this year, they are getting pushed to the weekend and evenings,
criticism & what makes you an artist
I received a critical comment on social media a couple of weeks ago. It happens when you share online, and after over 15 years of posting, I’ve gotten used to it and generally have a healthy perspective. Most of the time, I can shrug off the comment. It’s from a stranger on the Internet, and in many cases, it’s not even about me at all. My inbox, DMs, or comment section is just where someone’s frustration, hurt, or bad mood
madame mére
I finished yesterday’s post about the Uffizi portrait gallery with a bit of a cliffhanger. I didn’t include the setting, though. This was at Isle of Palms a few weeks ago. Several extended family members live near Charleston, so we visit them (or they visit us) while we’re there. So, my aunt interrupted my story about people walking right past a Rembrandt with an intriguing offer. “If you love portraits, I have a proposition for you.” Now, I had no
my favorite part of the Uffizi Museum
We are back in Florence, Italy, in today’s blog post, but this story will circle back to Charleston and then to my house in a beautiful, serendipitous story about art. It started with my favorite part of the Uffizi Museum. Let me start off by saying that I loved most things about the Uffizi. The U-shaped building with light-filled halls was spectacular, and the art collection might be my favorite of any museum I’ve visited to date. It’s big enough
four things | sixty-eight
I didn’t get a Four Things post written last week. There was a lot of catch-up to do after being at the beach for ten days, and my work days just got away from me. As I shared at the beginning of this year, my business is also evolving, and I’m still figuring out how to balance blogging and sharing online with working on my books and painting commissions. I feel like I’m slowly getting into a rhythm, though, and
A visit to Charleston, SC
As it so happens, our anniversary has fallen on the boys’ Spring Break the past few years. That means we’re at the Isle of Palms to celebrate, with access to some amazing dining just over the bridge in Charleston. Jeff and I love finding great places to eat, and we spent a lot of time looking up restaurants owned by famous chefs, Michelin-starred restaurants, and those with great reviews. We narrowed it down to a few contenders and, in the
Spring Break Paintings
Painting really is like any other skill or strength-based activity. If you step away from it, even for a few days, there is a bit of dust to knock off when you get back to it. For this reason, I wanted to try to fit in some painting while I was at the beach. Not only is it good practice in general, but it’s good practice to get better at painting when away from my studio. I feel pretty confident
I’m Marian, a painter, writer, and lover of all things creative. From art and antiques to home projects and everyday life, I share my journey in hopes of inspiring you to embrace your own creativity and make beauty in the spaces you live.
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More from the Blog
From the very first coat of paint to custom cabinetry, Marian has been slowly transforming her 1970s split-level into a home filled with charm, character, and creative vision. Explore room-by-room updates, clever DIYs, and the stories woven into each renovation project. It’s a work in progress—and that’s part of the beauty.
In the Studio
Artistic Endeavors
the notesbooks on my desk
I take a hybrid approach when it comes to running my life and organizing my thoughts. I like paper, pencils, and pens for writing down ideas, planning, and managing my day. While old-fashioned notebooks are my preference for most things, I rely heavily on a digital calendar and reminder alarms to make sure I don’t miss appointments, important deadlines, or even mundane weekly chores like putting the trash cans on the curb and changing the pool’s chemical cartridge. (Yes, despite
Move Slow & Make Things Preorder Print Bonus
In case you didn’t hear, my new book, Move Slow & Make Things, comes out September 1, 2026! We’re getting into the final weeks before the launch, so I’ll be releasing more preorder bonuses, running giveaways, and sharing more about it in the lead-up to the release date. Of course, I’m sharing the book because that’s part of my job as an author, but I’m also sharing it because I am so proud of this book. I loved writing it,
Original Art Sale Preview | May 20, 2026
I typically post my previews a few days ahead of an original art sale, but May has been so busy that this sale snuck up on me! The next original art sale is tomorrow, Wednesday, May 20, 2026, at 1:00 pm Eastern (New York) or noon for presale subscribers. If you subscribe HERE, you can shop the sale before it opens to everyone else. (This isn’t a blog subscription. You will only receive emails with presale information for this and
learning charcoal
A few weeks ago, I was thinking to myself, Marian, you simply don’t have enough hobbies. You should pick up another one. Okay, not really. I have hobbies coming out of my ears. In actuality, I just found myself thinking about charcoal as an art medium and felt a pull to it. I struggle with drawing, specifically with a pencil or pen. I am much more comfortable working with paint, where I can focus on shapes instead of lines. Charcoal
Lucketts Spring Market Preview (available original paintings)
As I shared a couple of weeks ago, I’m heading back to the Lucketts Spring Market as a semi-vendor. Since my business has changed so much over the past eight years, I’m just testing the waters to see how my original art will sell at that venue. I’ll be there just one day, Friday, May 15, from 1-4 pm, to do a bit of painting and be available to say hello. I’m also bringing along some of my original oil
my first nikon mirrorless camera | nikon zf review
My suggestion when it comes to camera gear (or just about any creative tool) is to upgrade when your skill level outpaces your tools’ capabilities. Basically, you’ll know when you’re ready. There is no need to buy a $3000 camera if you only know how to use a point-and-shoot, you’re not super picky about clarity, and you’re not interested in getting the most out of the bells and whistles that accompany the high price tag. So, years ago, I started
Seasonal
Fall
back-to-school supplies for mom
Back-to-school is such an exciting time. We make sure the pants are not high-waters, everyone gets a new pair of shoes, and we get to go shopping for pens, pencils, notebooks, and hand sanitizer. But, we also need to take a minute to acknowledge that it’s such a hard time for moms. The house is so quiet and clean and there isn’t anything to do but sit around and be sad until your kids come bounding home from school, ready
soup recipe round-up
If you follow my Instagram stories, you know that I make soup almost every weekend. We usually have it for an easy dinner on Sunday and then I’ll put the leftovers in jars to eat for lunches and quick dinners through the week. Since we’re heading into soup season, I thought I would do a soup recipe round-up to share some of the regulars in our soup rotation… (Click on the soup titles to go to the post with the
five things | fall decorating favorites
Because I’ve been busy with home and work projects, I haven’t done much fall decorating. I did buy one heirloom pumpkin yesterday and some heather, but otherwise, I’m not going to do too much this year. I may change my mind in a week or two! The temperature was a crisp 40 degrees this morning on my walk and a couple of trees in our yard have turned a fiery red, so I’m definitely in the mood for fall. It’s
easy creamy potato & ham soup jars
We are just in one of those seasons of life when things are really busy. I’m sure so many of you can relate. You get a few months in a row when evenings and weekends are generally quiet and then you hit a stretch when there is something happening every single day. Jeff has a meeting at church, the boys have climb team practice, I have a women’s event or a planning committee meeting, Jeff has a men’s thing, we
decorating a mantel for fall in the living room
Disclosure: This post on decorating a mantel for fall is sponsored by Walmart. As always, all words and opinions expressed are honest and my own. I have resigned to the fact that decorating for fall isn’t going to be a priority this year. Each year, I think I’ll just put out a couple of pumpkins or something, but each year, I’m wooed by the cool temperatures, the crunching of the leaves, and the piles of heirloom pumpkins at the market.
how to dry annabelle hydrangeas
I have been patiently waiting until my Annabelle hydrangeas were just right, so I could cut off the blooms and dry them. I did this last year and I have been so pleased with how long the dried flowers have lasted! I cut them almost a year ago and they still make a nice bouquet. So, for those who have asked, this is how to dry hydrangeas. I’m specifically working with the Annabelle variety. how to dry hydrangeas | when
at home
All Things Home
A return to Lucketts Spring Market
Quickly, I wanted to highlight that today (April 28) is the last day to join Pup Club Prints as a founding member and receive the beautiful German Shorthaired Pointer fine art print. Pup Club Prints is a fine-art snail-mail print club for animal, art, and analog lovers. It’s just $10/month for a quality 5 x 7 giclee fine art print, and you can cancel at any time. As an inaugural member, you’ll also be entered to win an original 8
April garden notes
Most of my April gardening work has been tidying up the beds, pruning old blooms off the hydrangeas, raking leaves, and weeding. Oh, the maple saplings and onion grass have been prolific this year, so pulling them out of the beds has been my primary objective. Instead of spending a couple of long days weeding, I decided to work in small chunks. Every day, after my morning walk, I put on my gardening boots and gloves and would fill one
styling pet portraits in interiors
I received a question a couple of weeks ago about how to style a pet portrait in a room without it looking like a shrine to your dog, cat, hamster, or horse. Good question! I’m so glad you asked. Let’s talk about animal art in interiors and how to make it work with your decorating. First of all, let me say that there really aren’t rules when it comes to style, art, decorating, or aesthetics. I mean, there are rules
madame mére
I finished yesterday’s post about the Uffizi portrait gallery with a bit of a cliffhanger. I didn’t include the setting, though. This was at Isle of Palms a few weeks ago. Several extended family members live near Charleston, so we visit them (or they visit us) while we’re there. So, my aunt interrupted my story about people walking right past a Rembrandt with an intriguing offer. “If you love portraits, I have a proposition for you.” Now, I had no
Kim’s Coastal Bedroom Twin | room makeover
Every once in a while, I get to see how something I share on my blog inspires someone else. Most of the time, it’s just me at my laptop, pressing publish and receiving a handful of comments as feedback. Over a year ago, though, I received an e-mail from one of my blog readers, Barbara, who was so in love with my design for my parents’ bedroom that she decided to replicate it in her own home. She reached out
Christmas Kitchen 2025
I’m squeezing in the last room decorated for Christmas just before Christmas Eve. When I started sharing Christmas content in November, it felt really early, but now I remember why I do! I end up crunched for time in the last week and don’t have the time to share everything I had planned. Sadly, I have a few project ideas that I didn’t photograph. Those will get kicked to next year. Anyway, I wanted to show you how the kitchen
Everyday Moments
A Slice of Life
four things | seventy five
I had an original art sale yesterday, so I spent the bulk of the day babysitting the sale (answering questions, managing presales, etc.) and packing paintings that sold. I am always bubbling with nervous energy before a sale, so I channeled it into cleaning the house and doing small, mindless tasks, like sprinkling some of the shells I collected over Spring Break around the garden and patio. I was thinking about nervous energy before an event like this as I
four things | seventy four
It’s been a full week. I was called for jury duty, so I didn’t know whether I would have a day of sitting at the courthouse or a normal workday until 4:30 pm the previous day. I got ahead on blog posts and worked over the weekend to be ready in case I was selected for a trial. Well, I never even had to set foot in the courthouse. My number was never called, and then I was released yesterday
growth
Growth doesn’t usually happen in leaps and bounds. It’s something that sneaks up on you; it’s masked by time and embedded in the act of showing up every day. One day, you look up and realize you’ve traveled a great distance, closing the gap between where you want to be and where you were. It was done in increments so small they were barely noticed. You hope for it, catch glimpses of it, and feel like you’re making some progress,
four things | seventy three
It’s been a day of comings and goings. Rosa Jo is staying with us for a few days as my parents visit friends. Our contractor stopped by to open our pool and talk about a few upcoming projects. The refrigerator repair tech was out to make one last-ditch effort at getting our fridge working again (I’ll share all about that in another post). I’ve been trying to work between it all, but this post has taken forever to put together
four things | seventy two
I decided I won’t talk about the weather in my little Four Things preamble today. (Although we have been having wonderful Spring weather, and I’ve been delighting in my morning walks and time in the garden.) I’m going to share some thoughts on embracing change… I used to love Instagram. It was such a fun community and an easy way to share and connect. Once the algorithm was imposed and Meta acquired it several years ago, it slowly became less
Bronzino & the Medicis
As I shared in THIS POST, the self-portrait gallery was the highlight of the Uffizi Museum for me, but another exhibit was a very, very close second. I mean, they are virtually tied, and I think you’ll see why. As my mom and I meandered through the light-filled U-shaped corridors of the Uffizi, a portrait of a woman and her child hung high on one of the walls. It was too high for me to lean in and appreciate the
Explore painting at your own pace—no experience needed
Free Art Classes for the Creative at Heart
While the world slowed down in the spring of 2020, I found connection and creativity by offering live art classes each Friday—just a simple way to share something joyful during uncertain times. What began as a small spark turned into something truly special. After receiving such kind and encouraging feedback, I decided to turn those lessons into a free online course. Inside, you’ll find nine beginner-friendly oil painting classes covering everything from mixing colors to painting a sweet grazing cow. It’s a gentle, joy-filled place to start (or continue) your painting journey.