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 […]
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, […]
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 […]
built-in fridge update
If you followed our kitchen renovation, you might remember that we went with a built-in panel-ready fridge. 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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Recent Blog Posts
travel journal workshop
I’ll give you fair warning that my posts will be all over the place for a few weeks. We’ll be bouncing around between Christmas decorating, gifting, and crafting, to early October in Italy, and then whatever else I’m working on. Welcome to my life. Today, we’re back in Tuscany at the La Dolce Vita Retreat. While this trip was a vacation, it was also work. I was here to teach a creative workshop for the retreat attendees. I wanted my
miss mustard seed tees & hoodies
Do you remember Miss Mustard Seed tees and hoodies? We’re going almost ten years back when I used to sell in retail spaces, at markets, and regularly added products to an online store. I loved designing and wearing my own tees and hoodies, and they were my uniform for many years. I finally let go of my last paint-splattered, faded sweatshirt a couple of years ago. I’ve wanted to relaunch tees and hoodies for years, but I always get hung
your creative super power
A question I received when I shared one of my paintings on Instagram earlier this week stuck with me. I posted a picture of a cat painting as an example when someone asked if I only paint dogs. It was this painting… Here was her question… Two of the questions are about method and technique, which I won’t go into in this post. But the second question is the one that hung with me. “Do you actually SEE them that
Arezzo Antique Market
After our day-and-a-half delay in London, we arrived in Florence late at night and sleepily went through customs and connected with the driver who would take us to the Prone to Wander retreat in Sovicelle. He was a kind gentleman who spoke a little English, so we exchanged the usual pleasantries, then sat quietly for the rest of the drive. The main excitement of the ride was his driving style. Mom and I referred to him as Mario Andretti the
salt-dough season | traditional salt-dough ornament recipe
One of my favorite holiday projects over all my years of Christmas crafting is making things with salt dough. It started with an impulsive purchase from an Instagram ad. I bought two wooden cookie molds, not really even sure what I was going to do with them. I just thought they were pretty and had good crafting potential. After languishing in my tin with cookie cutters and piping tips, inspiration hit. What if I used those pretty molds with humble
four things | fifty-three
I’ve spent a lot of time at the easel this week, painting every day. I am pushing through to get as many pet commissions done for Christmas presents before it’s too late for oils to dry in time. I used to sit in front of old pieces of furniture, and now I sit in front of small wood panels clamped in an easel. Both tasks are about transformation. Both involve paint, brushes, and creative decisions. I have grown and changed
my favorite realistic faux evergreens
I really loved my Christmas decorating last year, so I will probably do something very similar this year. It felt classic and beautiful, and looking back over the pictures makes me excited to pull out the bins and deck the halls. Well, almost. But, while I’m thinking about it and while you might be planning and shopping, and before everything Christmas is sold out, I wanted to share my favorite realistic faux evergreens for Christmas and winter decorating. Years ago,
Chawton House & Delightful Delays
The afternoon was fading into the evening as we finished touring the garden of Jane Austen’s House in Chawton, and we decided to walk down the road to visit Chawton House, home of Jane’s brother, Edward. He inherited the estate, including the house where Jane lived, from the Knight family, who named him their heir. We knew it would be closed, but it was worth the five-minute walk to see a bit more of Chawton, the house, chapel, and grounds.
tucking in the garden for winter
This is our fourth fall in this house, and I think we have finally figured out how to best deal with the leaves from the six large maple trees on our property. The first fall, we had just moved in and were completely overwhelmed by them. Our amazing neighbors jumped in and used their two riding mowers to help us out. Since then, Jeff (primarily) and I have been trying to figure out a system to stay on top of
four things | fifty-two
It’s hard to believe we’re in the final two months of 2025. Didn’t it just start? I remember someone telling me I pressed the fast-forward button on my life when I was holding a newborn Marshall in my arms, and she was right. The years seem so fleeting and precious, and our growing, maturing boys are a great measuring stick for the passage of time. I love this time of year, though—the cooler temperatures and build-up of anticipation to Christmas.
Jane Austen’s House in Chawton, Hampshire
After our morning in Minchinhampton and Winchester, we headed over to Chawton, Hampshire, to walk around the village and arrive in time for our scheduled unguided tour of Jane Austen’s House. This is the home that Jane lived in during the final eight years of her life (aside from the months of illness just before her death, when she lived in Winchester to be closer to her doctor). It’s also the home where she completed all six of her novels
Minchinhampton & Winchester
With some degree of sadness that it was our last morning in the Cotswolds and our last day together, Julia, my mom, and I packed up our belongings, tidied up the thatched cottage that had been our temporary home, and set off to see more of the English countryside before heading to the airport to catch an early flight the next morning. We had a bit of business to take care of before we could start the sightseeing. My camera
Handmade Christmas Garland Round-up
The past few Christmases, since our move back to the East Coast, I have been behind on sharing holiday and Christmas posts. After years of working way ahead on Christmas for retail, articles, and blog posts, it felt good to decorate, shop for gifts, and share in real time. I realized, though, that I was often sharing too late for people to make handmade decorations, or that all the products I was using were already sold out! So, I’m going
four things | fifty-one
It’s our final few days before it gets dark ridiculously early. I’m already feeling the darkness creeping in as I’m sitting at my easel in the afternoon. I love winter and all that comes with it—soup, Christmas, hoodies and wool socks, football games, and snow—but I wish it came with more sunlight. I know you can’t have one without the other, though, so I’ve pulled some extra lighting into my studio so I can continue to work a full day
Daylesford, holding history, & dinner at The Village Pub in Barnsley
After visiting Cotswold Farm Park and taking my fill of photos of rare breeds—cows, sheep, goats, pigs, and more —we went to meet Julia’s sister-in-law, Carol, at Daylesford Organic Farmshop. Even after spending only three full days in the Cotswolds, I feel confident recommending this shop as a destination to add to your itinerary when in the area. It’s not just a farm shop, but a beautiful store with lots of inspiration and eye candy, local British specialties, a garden
cotswold farm park | rare breeds farm visit
In case you haven’t ascertained this for yourself, I basically traveled across the ocean to take pictures of sheep and cows. Not really, but that was a highlight for me. Animals are among my favorite subjects to paint, and I couldn’t help but pull out my camera whenever we came across a cow, sheep, horse, dog, cat, quail, or pigeon. Julia knew this, so she arranged the perfect field trip for our third morning in the Cotswolds: Cotswold Farm Park, a
Broadway & Dover’s Hill
We spent most of our second day in the Cotswolds at Hidcote Manor, touring the house and gardens, eating cake for lunch, and plein air painting. It was late afternoon by the time we headed to our second destination – Broadway. After visiting several villages the day before, I started to understand that while each village is comprised of historic buildings, made from the same honey-colored Cotswold stone, they each have their own feel and flavor. Broadway was mostly flat,
four things | fifty
Autumn is in full swing here in Maryland, and we are in the thick of our yearly battle with the leaves falling from our six 50-year-old maple trees. Jeff takes the lead on the leaves, and I’m working on garden chores to give ourselves the gift of a tidy yard over the winter, and garden beds ready for spring mulching and planting. I plan to work more on that now that the pool is closed and I don’t have to
plein air painting at Hidcote
Let me start by saying plein air painting is not my sweet spot. While I enjoy painting outside and on location, I’m rarely very happy with the results. I prefer painting in my studio in a more controlled environment. The lighting is relatively fixed; I have my easel and chair set to my height, all of my supplies are readily at hand, and I don’t have to worry about bugs sticking to my painting. Whenever I paint outside, I feel
Hidcote Manor | National Trust Home & Garden
We had a slow start on day two in the Cotswolds. Mom and I were feeling the effects of being awake for over 24 hours and didn’t want to spring out of bed early for a long day of sightseeing. Over a breakfast of fresh bread, butter, and raspberries, we made plans for the day while a load of laundry cycled through the small washer in the kitchen. After village hopping on our first day, Julia suggested visiting a National
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
January 16, 2026 | original art sale preview
I’m so excited to share the latest round of original oil paintings for sale. It is the first of many collections (I’m sure) that include pieces inspired by my trip to England and Italy last fall. The original art sale is scheduled for Friday, January 16, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. Eastern (New York). In this original art sale, I have pieces ranging from 4 x 6 hand-painted color charts on antique linen ($50) up to a 16 x 20 painting
Artists’ Guild Notepads
As I’ve been bouncing around the house, alternating between studio work and decorating the house for Christmas, I came upon a stack of the notepads I had ordered and intended to list for sale earlier this year! You know, when you have an idea in mind, you stick the thing in a closet, and then you forget about it? Well, that’s precisely what happened here. I got sidetracked, and the notepads were a casualty of having my fingers in too
New Society6 Papers, Prints & More
Surface design is something I’ve played with on and off for a few years and this year, I decided to lean into that interest and create some new patterns for wrapping papers as well as other available products on Society6. While only one is specifically designed for Winter/Christmas, I feel like these designs work well year-round, including for Christmas. (Products are up to 50% off at Society6 for their Black Friday event.) I love Society6’s wrapping paper. It comes in
travel journal workshop
I’ll give you fair warning that my posts will be all over the place for a few weeks. We’ll be bouncing around between Christmas decorating, gifting, and crafting, to early October in Italy, and then whatever else I’m working on. Welcome to my life. Today, we’re back in Tuscany at the La Dolce Vita Retreat. While this trip was a vacation, it was also work. I was here to teach a creative workshop for the retreat attendees. I wanted my
miss mustard seed tees & hoodies
Do you remember Miss Mustard Seed tees and hoodies? We’re going almost ten years back when I used to sell in retail spaces, at markets, and regularly added products to an online store. I loved designing and wearing my own tees and hoodies, and they were my uniform for many years. I finally let go of my last paint-splattered, faded sweatshirt a couple of years ago. I’ve wanted to relaunch tees and hoodies for years, but I always get hung
your creative super power
A question I received when I shared one of my paintings on Instagram earlier this week stuck with me. I posted a picture of a cat painting as an example when someone asked if I only paint dogs. It was this painting… Here was her question… Two of the questions are about method and technique, which I won’t go into in this post. But the second question is the one that hung with me. “Do you actually SEE them that
Seasonal
Fall
farmhouse holiday series | fall family room
In this second installment of the farmhouse holiday series, we’re all sharing our fall family rooms… I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, but I don’t do much in the way of fall decorating. I’ll put out a couple of pumpkins, a bowl of apples, etc. and just leave it at that. In the case of my family room, I just put a mum in a bucket and added a couple of faux pumpkins in a wicker basket
apple orchard picnic shoot
Today was a whirlwind, but packed with activities that were good for my creative soul. Photo shoots are one of my favorite aspects of my job. If you read my very, very early posts, I share how much I love “playing magazine”. I loved that I had an excuse to take pictures of pretty things and share them. And I have never grown weary of it! Today’s shoot was for an “apple orchard picnic” table for HGTV.com. It was hot and
a harvest table, a dough bowl & succulent pumpkins
A few of the freelance projects I worked on late this summer for HGTV.com are live now, so I wanted to share a preview and links. I love how these turned out. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again…I could set tables and take pictures of them all day long. And sometimes I do. Harvest-inspired fall table This one came together with so many rich layers. Kriste and I were working on it together and I kept stopping
Finding Fall Home Tour
Today, my blog is the second-to-the-last stop in the Finding Fall 2015 Home Tour. There are a lot of amazing homes and decorating ideas that have been shared so far, so be sure to check out the links at the bottom of this post if you’re just jumping in on the tour. If you’re stopping from Unexpected Elegance and are new to my blog, welcome! Before we get into the pictures, I must be a bit transparent for a minute. Getting
fall table & buffet preview
As I shared the other day, I could do tablescapes all day long. Other than furniture, it’s probably one of my favorite parts of my job. I think it’s probably because I love dishes, serving pieces, ironstone, silverware, etc. I have a lot of it and, while we do use some of it everyday, I have enough to feed an army. So, I love when I get to pull it out and “play” with it. It’s sort of like a
autumn table & more glittered pumpkins
A couple of weeks ago, I showed a more traditional, spooky black & orange fall table with black glass glitter on pumpkins, crows, pinecones and a paper bat bunting. In this setting, I wanted to show glittered pumpkins in a totally different way, so Kriste & I set up a rustic autumn table with a little glam element in the form of gold (14 Karat) and silver (Tiara) glass glittered pumpkins. Kriste took the lead on glittering these pumpkins and opted to glitter
at home
All Things Home
small guest room updates
Painting the guest room is still on the to-do list, and it might be there for a while. As is often the case, decorating the guest room isn’t usually a top priority. I’ve always loved working on the guest rooms in our homes, though. Since I’m not in these rooms daily, I feel I can take a departure from my usual color palette and try something different. The style remains the same, but I step outside my predominantly blue and
how to paint vinyl shutters
When I shared the installation of the new vinyl shutters along the back of the house, several people asked if I could share the specific products, tools, and techniques I used, so here is a post all about how to paint vinyl shutters. When we moved into our PA house way back in 2006, there were vinyl shutters on the front windows that were a faded country blue. Not long after moving in, I took them down and spray-painted them
how to find the right next house
“I would love to have a post about how you find such great houses. You always seem to get such great neighborhoods, lots, “raw material” even when you’re moving across states. Do you have a method? I’d love to hear about it. Thank you.” I thought this question was interesting because I feel like most people are a little baffled by the houses we buy! With our last two home purchases, I received lots of questioning comments, but I think
sweet autumn clematis
I recognized it immediately when we first looked at this house. It was hanging over a rickety fence that would need to be replaced, but my heart lifted when I saw it – sweet autumn clematis. I had planted it in my Minnesota garden in the hopes it would grow up around the porch, adding some charm to our beige suburban house. After a few seasons of nurturing, it finally grew along the porch, just as I had hoped. And
installing shutters on brick | 1970 home renovation
When the weather first started warming up this spring, I had a long to-do list for the back exterior of the house. New windows, paint, and install shutters, build a custom A/C surround, paint the trim, power wash the patio, and work on the garden beds. We’ve been chipping away at these projects over the spring and summer, and I finally checked the last one off the list – hanging the shutters. They had been sitting in the garage for
ideas from Cheri’s house that I’m stealing
As I shared last week (HERE), I had the chance to stay at my friend Cheri’s house when I took Calvin to Minnesota for a quick trip to visit some friends. The trip was for him, and I was just there to drive the rental car and be the mom if he had any issues with his T1D. But it ended up being a real gift to me as well. It was a chance to step away from home projects
Everyday Moments
A Slice of Life
what makes you an artist
This is a quote from Junot Díaz, a Pulitzer Prize-winning author, that I wrote in my notebook years ago. I’ve probably shared it here before, but I thought I would share it again. “A writer is not a writer because she writes well and easily, because she has amazing talent, or because everything she does is golden. A writer is a writer because, even when there is no hope, even when nothing you do shows any sign of progress, you
our hotel in Florence
In previous years, we’ve just spent one night in Florence and left early the next morning to fly home. Both times, we happened to be there on a Monday when all the museums were closed. For this trip, we decided we would stay two nights, so we could visit a couple of the museums and see a bit more of Florence. The drive to Florence was uneventful. Our driver dropped three women from our group at the airport before taking
the last day in Sovicelle, Italy
Our last day of the Prone to Wander retreat was spent at the farm (podere) with a relaxed schedule. After a late breakfast, we gathered for a cooking class taught by Orsa, our host and the culinary mind behind the lunches and dinners we ate at the retreat. She has her degree in culinary anthropology, so she has abundant knowledge of regional food, dishes, and cooking techniques. She taught us how to make Pappa al Pomodoro or “bread soup.” With
four things | sixty-four
I’ll share why in the “what I’m working on” section of this post, but it was a big week for me! So often in creative work, when you pass a huge milestone or complete a marathon task, there isn’t any fanfare. You just turn in the work, mail it to the client, press the submit button, and it’s done. There’s no bell to ring or a team gathering for a celebration after work. You just do it and then move
health & fitness update
I shared here on the blog that I made several lifestyle changes in 2024 to increase my fitness level, improve my overall health, and lose some weight that crept on during Covid, our move, and six months of being in an orthopedic boot after I broke my foot. I walked three miles daily, increased my activity by gardening and getting outside more often, and tracked my food. I lost almost 30 lbs and was already feeling so much better. In
marbled paper & bookbinding workshop in Italy
Our second-to-the-last day of the Prone to Wander retreat was spent at “home”. Instead of taking the bus to an experience, the experience came to us. Maria Giannini, a paper maker and bookbinder from Florence, came to teach a paper marbling and bookbinding workshop. The interesting coincidence of Maria and me both teaching workshops at this retreat was that we had met six years earlier when I popped into her family’s pen-and-paper shop. Their shop was just a short walk
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.