Move Slow & Make Things Giveaway No. 5
The launch of my new book, Move Slow & Make Things, is less than two weeks away! It’s like the countdown to Christmas. I know what the present is, but I can’t wait to share it with everyone else. This book was a labor of love and one of my favorite projects to date. As […]
Stories | the time I was lost in Russia
It’s hard to remember how we functioned before smartphones; before we had a map, a full phone directory, Google Translate, and all the information available by tapping a question into an internet browser in our pocket. Well, this story happened before that time. I was supposed to meet my friend Misha that morning. I don’t […]
why you need to buy books & upcoming new releases
The launch of my new book, Move Slow & Make Things, is just over two weeks away! I received my author’s copies last week. Six heavy mystery boxes arrived on the small stoop by our kitchen door, leaving me stumped until I saw they were from my publisher. I had already received an advance copy, […]
New Prints & FrameTV Art
First of all, thank you so much to everyone who shopped my original art sale yesterday. All of the original paintings are sold out! There are still some hand-painted color charts available, as well as blank color charts for those who want to make their own. You can find those HERE. All of the […]
Stories | the unreasonable quest for potatoes
I’m assuming most of my readers have easy access to a local grocery store, and if it’s like mine, you can pretty much buy anything you want there year-round. You might have to hit a few places to find a specific, rare ingredient, but you can probably find almost everything on your list. When shopping […]
Original Art Sale Preview | August 13, 2026
The next original art sale is Thursday, August 13, 2026, at 1:00 pm Eastern (New York) or noon for presale subscribers. If you subscribe HERE, you can shop the sale at noon before it opens to everyone else. (This isn’t a blog subscription. You will only receive emails with presale information for this and future […]
Recent Blog Posts
Lucketts Spring Market Wish List 2026
I’ve reached that tipping point in my life where I feel like I probably have enough stuff. Â No doubt, I passed that point years ago, but hunting for antiques and just the right piece for my house is still so much fun! Â I have noticed I walk out of more antique stores empty-handed or with just one thing these days, compared to my piles in the past. Â I think this house feels pleasantly full, and I find myself shopping for
learning charcoal
A few weeks ago, I was thinking to myself, Marian, you simply don’t have enough hobbies. Â You should pick up another one. Â Okay, not really. Â I have hobbies coming out of my ears. Â In actuality, I just found myself thinking about charcoal as an art medium and felt a pull to it. Â I struggle with drawing, specifically with a pencil or pen. Â I am much more comfortable working with paint, where I can focus on shapes instead of lines. Â 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. Â 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. Â 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. Â I’m also bringing along some of my original oil
four things | seventy four
It’s been a full week. Â 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. Â I got ahead on blog posts and worked over the weekend to be ready in case I was selected for a trial. Â Well, I never even had to set foot in the courthouse. Â My number was never called, and then I was released yesterday
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. Â Basically, you’ll know when you’re ready. Â 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. Â So, years ago, I started
growth
Growth doesn’t usually happen in leaps and bounds. Â It’s something that sneaks up on you; it’s masked by time and embedded in the act of showing up every day. Â 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. Â It was done in increments so small they were barely noticed. Â You hope for it, catch glimpses of it, and feel like you’re making some progress,
built-in fridge update
If you followed our kitchen renovation, you might remember that we went with a built-in panel-ready fridge. Â I never thought we would be able to fit one into our budget, but when I had the opportunity to work with Ilve’s US distributor on the range as a part of a blog/social media collaboration, they asked if I would also be interested in working with Forte on our fridge, dishwasher, and range hood. Â I knew that choosing a relatively unknown Italian
four things | seventy three
It’s been a day of comings and goings. Â Rosa Jo is staying with us for a few days as my parents visit friends. Â Our contractor stopped by to open our pool and talk about a few upcoming projects. Â 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). Â 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. Â Pup Club Prints is a fine-art snail-mail print club for animal, art, and analog lovers. Â It’s just $10/month for a quality 5 x 7 giclee fine art print, and you can cancel at any time. Â 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. Â Oh, the maple saplings and onion grass have been prolific this year, so pulling them out of the beds has been my primary objective. Â Instead of spending a couple of long days weeding, I decided to work in small chunks. Â 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. Â (Although we have been having wonderful Spring weather, and I’ve been delighting in my morning walks and time in the garden.) Â I’m going to share some thoughts on embracing change… Â I used to love Instagram. Â It was such a fun community and an easy way to share and connect. Â 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. Â 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. Â 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! Â 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. Â 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. Â Van Gogh only sold one painting in his lifetime. Â It’s often used as an encouragement to struggling artists. Â 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. Â 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. Â This time of year, I will wear a hoodie in protest when summer weather rears its head early, which is sort of ridiculous. Â 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. Â 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. Â Good question! Â I’m so glad you asked. Â 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. Â 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! Â If you’ve already ordered the book, thank you! Â 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. Â 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. Â Cool enough for a hoodie, but warm enough to spend lots of time outside. Â I donned my overalls for the first time this year, and Jeff and I worked together in the backyard on Tuesday. Â We pulled weeds, mowed the small patch of grass, pruned the hydrangeas, trimmed back the liriope, and cleaned up the leaves. Â 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. Â My aunt’s proposition changed that, though. Â We knew we would be transporting two large paintings in bulky frames home, so space would be at a premium. Â (We won’t mention all of the shells I was bringing home, too!) Â For that reason, we decided not to go to the antique store. Â I have a knack for finding
birthday happenings
This weekend, I turned forty-eight. Â 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. Â Dare I say, almost fifty? Â 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
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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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.
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Move Slow & Make Things | Giveaway No. 4
The launch of my new book,  Move Slow & Make Things, is just a few weeks away!  September 1 feels like it’s far on the horizon, but it really is right around the corner. I’m excited to share our next giveaway to celebrate the book’s launch, showcase some of its themes, and highlight another artisan who shares her creative gifts with the world. If you haven’t already, you can preorder the book HERE.  Don’t forget to sign up to receive your
stories | 17-year-old me travels 6,000 miles
If you missed the first installment about my trip to Russia, you can find it HERE. Our first flight was from Orlando, Florida, to Miami. Â It was a short flight and a small plane that had me blaring music in my headphones, closing my eyes, and gripping the armrests, pretending I was anywhere else. Â I was relieved when we landed and had some time on the ground before we boarded our first international flight. Â We would first stop in
stories | 17-year-old me goes to Russia
I’ve actually considered sharing some of my personal stories here on the blog before. Â When I was organizing our house in Minnesota from tip to toe, I came across so many bits and pieces that brought stories to mind. Â I considered writing a Summer Stories series about some of my childhood summers. Â But, I didn’t. Â I was still in the season of my business when my blog felt like something that needed to stay exactly as it was at all
telling stories
I’ve been telling stories here on this blog since 2009, but they’ve mostly been stories about furniture, about my business, my work, and my creative endeavors. Â About refinishing floors as a novice, about my first magazine feature, about the exciting firsts for my business that unfolded as I shared online. Â As this blog continues to morph and I continue to evolve as an artist and a person, I have decided to start sharing some of my personal stories here. These
Move Slow & Make Things | Giveaway No. 3
Welcome to giveaway number three leading up to the September 1 launch of my new book, Move Slow & Make Things. Â This giveaway is in collaboration with Erin Callahan of Garden & Guild. Â I’ve been following Erin on Instagram and have purchased several heirloom garden tools and classic gardening books from her since learning about her small shop. Â Since I reference many gardening stories, analogies, and parallels in the book, it seemed fitting to have a giveaway centered around gardening
Peg & Awl | Small Business Spotlight
There are times when I have fleeting thoughts of quitting the online space. Â 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… Â But then I think about the beautiful people I’ve met, dear friends I have made, and endless encouragement and inspiration I have found from like-minded creatives and all-around awesome people. Â I know I would miss that community, and leaving social media
Seasonal
Fall
carrot white bean soup & croutons
When my shoulder pain was at its worst a few weeks ago, local friends from our church and community stepped in to encourage and support us by giving me rides to my appointments and bringing a few meals. You have no idea (or maybe you do) how amazing it was to have jars of soups and a “hot dish” (aka Minnesota for casserole) in the fridge just ready to go. I couldn’t cut food, maneuver pots & pans, or even
easy chicken and dumplings recipe
Today was another snow day for the boys and they’ve already canceled school through Wednesday due to the cold.  (The high on Wednesday will be -20 degrees F!) So, it’ll be a bit of a tough work week for me! I need an empty house to really focus and reach my maximum level of productivity. But, while we’re socked in with the snow and cold, I decided to make chicken & dumplings. I made them last week to use up
easy chicken & dumplings recipe
Today was another snow day for the boys and they’ve already canceled school through Wednesday due to the cold.  (The high on Wednesday will be -20 degrees F!) So, it’ll be a bit of a tough work week for me! I need an empty house to really focus and reach my maximum level of productivity. But, while we’re socked in with the snow and cold, I decided to make chicken & dumplings. I made them last week to use up
creamy potato soup | simple weeknight meal
Both Jeff and I are big soup fans. I discovered my love of soups when our family went on winter retreats to Beatenberg, Switzerland and they would serve the most delicious pureed soups with dinner every night. (This sounds fancy, but I grew up in Germany when my dad was stationed there in the military.) Now that we’re in the thick of winter and I’m working on eating healthier, soup makes a great dinner as well as leftovers for lunches
No-Fail Apple Pie Recipe
I attempted to make apple pie many times and it never turned out quite right. The dough was tough or the filling was runny or there was a big pocket of air under the top crust or the apples weren’t fully cooked, but the crust was burnt on the edges. I finally threw in the towel. We’ll just buy a stupid pie since I can’t make a proper one.  Then, I was taught the recipe and all of the secrets to
early thanksgiving & a thrift store score
Today was one of those days that I tried to pack in more than was really reasonable, but I managed to get it all done! I have two Thanksgiving freelance articles due this week and one of them involved putting a spread together that at least looked like a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. So, in addition to styling a shoot, I was baking pie, roasting a turkey with stuffing, and all of the fixings. I took some shortcuts with pre-made mashed
at home
All Things Home
Lucketts Spring Market Wish List 2026
I’ve reached that tipping point in my life where I feel like I probably have enough stuff. Â No doubt, I passed that point years ago, but hunting for antiques and just the right piece for my house is still so much fun! Â I have noticed I walk out of more antique stores empty-handed or with just one thing these days, compared to my piles in the past. Â I think this house feels pleasantly full, and I find myself shopping for
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. Â Pup Club Prints is a fine-art snail-mail print club for animal, art, and analog lovers. Â It’s just $10/month for a quality 5 x 7 giclee fine art print, and you can cancel at any time. Â 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. Â Oh, the maple saplings and onion grass have been prolific this year, so pulling them out of the beds has been my primary objective. Â Instead of spending a couple of long days weeding, I decided to work in small chunks. Â 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. Â Good question! Â I’m so glad you asked. Â 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. Â I mean, there are rules
madame mére
I finished yesterday’s post about the Uffizi portrait gallery with a bit of a cliffhanger. Â I didn’t include the setting, though. Â This was at Isle of Palms a few weeks ago. Â Several extended family members live near Charleston, so we visit them (or they visit us) while we’re there. Â So, my aunt interrupted my story about people walking right past a Rembrandt with an intriguing offer. Â “If you love portraits, I have a proposition for you.” Â 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. Â Most of the time, it’s just me at my laptop, pressing publish and receiving a handful of comments as feedback. Â 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. Â She reached out
Everyday Moments
A Slice of Life
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.” Â I am going to confess that, as a pastor’s wife, I didn’t know that little nugget of wisdom was directly from the Bible. Â Well, it is. Â It’s from Proverbs 14:4. Â When I heard it, though, it resonated with me right away.
four things | seventy eight
I realized once I started working on this post that I was chattier than I expected! Â I only posted twice on the blog this week and twice last week, and I think I’m feeling that! Â Writing and posting on this blog have been part of my creative process for over 15 years, and when I take that away, I miss the outlet. Â It’s like when you haven’t called your mom or a friend you usually speak to regularly, and then
four things | seventy seven
This week started with the loss of power from a storm. Â It wasn’t really the storm that knocked out the power, but the wall of wind that came right before the rain. Â It took out trees, limbs, power poles, and made a general mess of our yard and pool. Â Jeff had just finished cleaning up the curb, only to have it littered with leaves and branches again. Â Such is life with six mature maple trees! Â We put our generator to
Visiting Clarkson’s Farm
When Julia (my English friend and host when visiting the UK) and I discussed what we should do with our time in the Cotswolds, we frequently kicked around the possibility of visiting Jeremy Clarkson’s concerns – The Farmer’s Dog Pub and Diddly Squat Farm Shop. Â Both of us are fans of the show, and we were going to be right in that neck of the woods. Â Our only hesitation was the tourist attraction factor. Â Neither of us wanted to wait
the notesbooks on my desk
I take a hybrid approach when it comes to running my life and organizing my thoughts. Â I like paper, pencils, and pens for writing down ideas, planning, and managing my day. Â 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. Â (Yes, despite
four things | seventy six
It’s been a full, exciting week. Â I’ve been walking each morning, caring for the garden beds, working on commissioned paintings, packing prints, and recording some test audiobook samples for Move Slow and Make Things. Â I’ve also been arranging some fun giveaways as we get closer to the launch, and this afternoon (Friday), I received my first advanced copy of the book! Â As an author, there are few things as thrilling as receiving the first copy of a book, holding in