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 […]
antique-inspired color charts
I’ve been making and selling color charts on linen for a few years. My first one was inspired by color charts found at an artist’s estate sale. I was so smitten with them when I first spotted them online – the colorful squares in oil framed by age-stained fabric – that I decided to make […]
Live Painting at Lucketts
This post has been sitting in my drafts for weeks! I know some of you must have been losing sleep because I left you hanging about the Lucketts Spring Market. I will not torture you any longer. Here’s how the afternoon of painting went back in May… After my triumphant antique find and a morning […]
four things | seventy seven
This week started with the loss of power from a storm. It wasn’t really the storm that knocked out the power, but the wall of wind that came right before the rain. It took out trees, limbs, power poles, and made a general mess of our yard and pool. Jeff had just finished cleaning up […]
Recent Blog Posts
A review of my business for 2026
As I’ve been taking some time to plan for the new year, I decided to revisit the Creative Retreat Guide for Business Owners that I created a few years ago. I based it on questions I asked myself as I reassessed my own business during a time of upheaval, as well as those I asked clients during one-on-one coaching for creative business owners. I honestly didn’t know how effective it would be, since I wrote it myself, but my past
christmas gifts
Well, this has been the Monday-est Tuesday I can remember! I spent almost my entire morning on the phone with tech support because of a Carbonite (backup) glitch that put a 4.2 terabyte log on my hard drive, taking up over half of my enormous hard drive and choking my computer. Anyway, I’m relieved it was a simple problem, but it’s thrown my day off schedule. Anyway, such is life. I wanted to share a few of the gifts I
What I did on my 2025 Christmas Vacation
I hope you had a wonderful Christmas with your loved ones, and a restful time during the (generally) quiet week between Christmas and New Year’s. My Christmas vacation, like many things in life, was a mixed bag. While I wasn’t sharing online, I still spent a lot of time working – planning for 2026, working at my easel for the next original art sale, reading, and writing. That was balanced with rest, though. We watched movies and TV series, ate
Christmas Break 2025
When I first started posting on this blog in 2009, I posted every single day. I enjoyed it and was excited to share, but I also saw this blog as a commitment. I wanted to take it seriously. I posted when I was sick, when I traveled, when I had surgery, when I worked at an antique fair all day, and on Christmas Day. Finally, in 2015, after six years of posting daily, I took time off between Christmas and
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
Christmas dining room 2025
I wasn’t sure I’d get my dining room decorated before Christmas this year, but I took some time Friday morning to finish it up and photograph it. Until then, the tree was up, but I was using the table and corners for incoming packages, storing bins of decor as I worked on other rooms, and wrapping presents. So, I tidied up the mess and finished decorating. We have our Christmas brunch in this room, so it’s nice to have it
four things | fifty-six
I cannot believe we are a week away from Christmas! When I was a kid, I felt like December would last forever. It was torturously long. As a middle-aged adult, it flies by. I blinked, and over half of it is gone. Such is life, though. The hours are long and the years are short. I’m looking forward to the quiet, slow days between Christmas and New Year’s, though. I think that might be my favorite week of the year.
straddling creative fences | creative business
In my creative work, I’ve often straddled fences. One foot in refinishing furniture and another in writing a book. One foot in managing a paint brand, while the other is in freelance articles and photography. I have always enjoyed the flexibility and stimulation that comes with hopping from one side of the fence to the other. I have also learned over the years that one creative endeavor often speaks to another. I get writing ideas when I’m working in the
Christmas 2025 Living Room
If you missed it, I shared the details about our 2025 Christmas tree HERE. In this post, I’m sharing how the rest of the living room looks dressed for Christmas this year. Here is the view through the doorway from the kitchen… curtain rod | curtains | rug | pillows | sconces | paint color I do need to say that we don’t usually have this many pillows on our sofa! I learned a long time ago that sofas and
Our 2025 Christmas Tree
I used to put up our Christmas tree, string the lights, and decorate it all in one day, but I’ve learned I enjoy it more if I do it in stages. When I’m not pushing to get it all done, I feel more freedom to experiment and play if I want to. The funny thing is that I didn’t get super creative with our tree this year, even with that extra time. I just made a couple of very small
four things | fifty-five
It’s been a cold week here in Maryland, and even as I write this, flurries are gently falling. We’re not having any sticking snow, but it’s been nice to watch little flakes flutter out of my studio window this morning. I wish we had more snow! When we moved here from Minnesota, everyone commented on how happy we must be to leave those winters behind. In truth, I mourn Minnesota winters. I loved having snow on the ground all winter,
Christmas trees over the years…
As I’ve been working on decorating for Christmas this year, I thought it would be fun to look at pictures of our “main” Christmas tree through the years. I am now wishing I had done that before I decorated our tree for this year, because I found so much inspiration from things I’ve done in previous years. I love it when that happens! It was a little challenging to find pictures of Christmas trees from my early years of blogging,
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
copper mold candle centerpiece | Christmas decorating
I was working on decorating for Christmas – draping garland on the tree, putting fresh batteries into the LED tree candles, topping cabinets with greenery – and I got sidetracked, as I often do. My collection of copper bundt pans hanging from the potrack in my kitchen caught my eye. Oh yeah, I’ve always wanted to make a Christmas centerpiece out of one of those. That thought sent me on the rabbit trail of making this copper mold candle centerpiece…
four things | fifty-four
Between Thanksgiving break spent with family and trying to get my gift guides posted, I didn’t share my four things last week! It’s that time of year when I start feeling a little crunched to post everything in a timely manner. But I really love writing this post each week. It gives me a catch-all place to share bits and pieces of my work and life. Here are my four things for the week: Art & Fear, Dickensian, “they call
Christmas momentum
When I’m in the early stages of thinking about decorating for Christmas, before I pull out the bins or lights, faux greens, and ornaments, I usually feel pretty resolved that I’m going to keep things simple. As you may notice if you visit my blog regularly, I’m always busy with something. When Thanksgiving is over, and the calendar turns to December, I’m already looking forward to the post-Christmas slow-down. The glorious lost week between Christmas and New Year’s Day, when
plein air painting in italy & podere tour
After a late night of travel followed by two full days, touring Arezzo and teaching a creative workshop, I was feeling run down and decided to skip the group activity planned for the next day. It was a tough call, but I wanted time to slow down and soak up our beautiful surroundings. I didn’t want to feel rushed to go to the next place and do the next thing. I also wanted time to catch up on my journal
homemade christmas gifts
I’ve loved making and giving homemade gifts since I was little. As you may have guessed, my favorite medium was always paint, but I have made a lot of other things over the years, as I learned new crafts. Homemade gifts are not flashy or trendy, but they are meaningful, thoughtful, and show that time was put into a gift, which feels like a rarity in this age of one-click shopping. I have shared loads of projects on this blog
small business Saturday
As a small business owner myself, I love supporting other small business owners. It takes a lot of work to turn a vision into a reality and a lot of faith to take that big scary step. While I’m not a huge fan of the post Thanksgiving gauntlet of sales (although it is admittedly good time to start your Christmas shopping), I love that there is a day to celebrate and encourage support for small businesses, so I thought I
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
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.
NEW ONLINE ART COURSE
Paint a Pet Portrait You’ll Love
Now Available
Move Slow & Make Things
A book about creativity, intention, and making things with care. Sign up to receive updates, preorder details, and exclusive bonus content.
From the Studio
Artful pieces for your home and everyday life.
From the Studio and Home
Shop the Feed
Recent Video
Fall Posts
Explore the Shop
Explore the Blog
Categories
More stories, inspiration, and creative ideas await
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
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
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
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
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
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
the great shutter debate
Some people might argue over politics or what kind of music is appropriate for a wedding reception, but what people who love architecture argue about is shutters. They argue about everything from the proper shutter-to-window ratio to whether hinges and shutter dogs have to be functional. It’s pretty amusing to see the kind of heated dialogue that can happen in comment sections. So, let’s talk about it. We recently installed vinyl shutters on our house, selecting a size and scale
how to install vinyl shutters on brick | tutorial
Over the weekend, we installed shutters on the left side of the house. That was the last side of the house that needed shutters, so I can finally check that project off the list! This home had wood shutters on all the windows originally, but they had rotted and were removed. Before we bought the house, vinyl shutters had been installed on the front and right side of the house, but the windows along the back and left sides were
hard pruning a mock orange bush
One of my favorite things in our yard is an old mock orange bush. I had no idea what it even was when we moved in, since it had bloomed months before the home was put on the market. I was surprised our first May in the house when the large bush was dotted with dainty white blooms. It was beautiful and so fragrant. Every May since, I have eagerly awaited the mock orange blossoms to make an appearance. Here
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
Everyday Moments
A Slice of Life
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
shell collection competition 2026
The jokes, comments, and ribbing about the shell collection competition started happening the first afternoon we arrived at our rental house on Isle of Palms. I walked out to the beach for our first visit of the vacation and found a small pale gray whelk at the base of the sign at the beach entrance we use most. I posted to my Instagram Stories, “Let the games begin.” There’s always a lot of banter around the competition. My mom accuses
shelling diaries 2026 | part three & “whelk graveyard” map
You can read my 2026 Shelling Diaries Part One HERE and Part Two HERE. Jeff jokingly said we should bring shovels to dig in the whelk graveyard, but then he actually found some decent sand shovels in the garage of our rental house, so it wasn’t really a joke anymore. We were going to visit that spot again and, this time, we were going to do some serious shelling. The morning was brisk, in the low 50s, so we all
shelling diaries 2026 | part two
While we’ve all been getting lots of steps from walking on the beach. Jeff has been the grand champion with over 24,000 steps each day. (I’ve been clocking in 15,000-20,000.) Since he’s been covering so much ground, we asked him to do some shell reconnaissance for us. He found some gray olives and whelks for me (he’s redeemed himself from his traitorous act earlier in the week ), and some pink whelks for my mom, but he also found a
four things | sixty-seven
It’s Four Things: Isle of Palms edition! We’ve been at the beach since last Friday, so we’ve been going for lots of walks, eating great Lowcountry food, preparing for the annual shell-collection competition, doing puzzles, playing Bananagrams, and visiting family. We always have a grand time, and it’s been a great week. Here are my Four Things… what I’m reading My friend Cheri gave me the book Theo of Golden a few months ago, and I’ve been saving