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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Recent Blog Posts
four things | forty-four
This week has been jam-packed! It was the first week of school for the boys, which always feels jarring after the relaxed pace of summer. This year is very different, though, as we essentially have two college students and we’re trying to juggle cars and rides to classes that start and end at different times. I must admit, though, I am happy to be past the ages of school supply shopping hauls and packing lunches. That was never my favorite
A short trip to MN & upcoming art sale
Jeff is usually the one who takes the boys on trips so they can have some father/son bonding time, but he had recently been on a couple of trips, and it would’ve been a stretch to miss more work. So, as we planned a trip to Minnesota for Calvin to visit his friends, it was clear I would be the one to take him. At first, it felt like a minor inconvenience, something I was doing just for him, but
late summer bedroom refresh
The master bedroom was the first room we worked on when we moved into this house. Literally, on day one, mom and I were pulling off wallpaper. We were going to have hardwood floors installed, and I wanted to get the walls stripped and painted before that happened, so that we could have a clean slate. I didn’t want to look at to-dos while I was trying to get to sleep. We worked hard and got the wallpaper and glue
painted gables
We’ve knocked out two more projects on the left side of the house this past week! This was the side of the house that had been most neglected over the years. Even though it does face a street (our house is on a “peninsula” lot), it’s not a side of the house we see very often. It’s opposite the garage, driveway, and side entrance of the house; you don’t see it at all from the backyard because of the fence,
four things | forty-three
Today is a travel day for me. I’m heading to Minnesota, back to our old hometown. Marshall has been able to make a couple of trips to visit friends, and now it’s Calvin’s turn, so I’m taking him for a few days. I’m planning to meet up with a friend or two, but I’ll use this downtime as a mini creative retreat. It will be nice to step away from home projects and my studio to spend some time on
creativity conversations | finding your style
As I was writing in my journal a few days ago, I thought about my handwriting. It started as uniform, traced over block letters made with pale dotted blue lines on exercise sheets. I then reproduced the letters on my own, on printed lines, making sure each hump of an m met the middle line and each mast of an L spanned all three lines. I wrote each letter hundreds of times, copying and practicing the same printed letter that
selecting the right height for nightstands
On Instagram yesterday, I was asked if there was a standard for selecting the right height for nightstands. I thought that was a great question and one I never looked up, but I have typically chosen nightstands that felt like the right height for the bed they were paired with. I like nightstands that are roughly the same height as the top of the mattress or perhaps a little bit taller. This makes reaching for things easy when turning off
Guest room wallpaper removal
When we first looked at this house, I knew the wallpaper was going to be an issue. Most of the wallpaper was at least 20-30 years old. At least. In addition, it was in almost every room. Floor to ceiling. I had never stripped wallpaper before, and I knew it wasn’t a fun job, but I was brimming with optimism and felt like it was doable if I tackled it one room at a time. After removing wallpaper from the
four things | forty-two
The summer is just flying by. I can’t believe the start of school is just around the corner. I always look forward to the return of routine, but I also miss the slower mornings and more relaxed schedule. This year will be different, though, because Marshall is officially in college and Calvin will be taking all of his classes at the local community college for his senior year, except for one. Marshall is already driving, and Calvin will be within
oil painting video tutorial | white irises
After working on pet and animal portraits for most of this year, I decided to take a little break and paint some still life and landscapes. First of all, I want the practice. I don’t want to get rusty in those subjects, even though working on one kind of painting informs and often improves another. These are also the most popular subjects for licensing, so I wanted to create some new works to submit and sell in my next original
replacing more windows | 1970 home renovation
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Window World. I have worked with them as a paying customer twice before, and I am thrilled to partner with them to share more about their amazing brand. I am a big fan and delighted to tell you more about working with Window World to replace the windows along the back and side of our 1970 ranch house. When we first embarked on this home renovation, I thought that replacing windows would be a
creativity conversations | on longing, finding inspiration, and “good enough”
Years ago, I used to write “Ask Miss Mustard Seed” posts. I would open up the comment section for questions from my blog readers and would then write posts answering those questions. We’d talk about decorating, DIY, furniture refinishing, upholstery, creativity, and running a business. I realized the other day that I miss those posts. I always appreciate curiosity and inquisitiveness, so I want to encourage that more often and write blog posts in response to what you’d like to
four things | forty-one
Despite another allergic reaction happening on one of my arms (what in the world is happening), I spent time working on the side garden bed again this week. The weather has just been too much of a gift not to be outside. I also did some mowing, trimming, cleaning up along the curb, and helping Marshall with power washing. I’m starting to enjoy keeping up with the little things that make a house look sharp, especially when the weather is
power washing the patio
This project has been on my list since I did my Spring cleaning of the patio and pool deck in April. The patio, particularly the old part, was so dirty and stained. It’s the sort of project that keeps getting put off, though. Not because it’s hard, but because it’s a pain to get the power washer out and set up and to move all of the furniture and heavy concrete planters. We’ve been having great weather this week, though,
antique purchases with mom
Most of you have my taste pretty nailed down! When I asked which pieces you thought I bought while on my antique trip with mom, you were pretty spot on! (You can read that post HERE.) Truth be told, I wanted to buy everything I highlight, but I’ve hit that tipping point where I need to be very particular about what I buy. Years of antiquing as a hobby and a business has my house pretty well furnished. But, my
exterior window apron panels
As I’ve shared the exterior of our home, I’ve been asked a few times about the panels under some of our windows, so I thought I would write a post about them. Let me start by saying that I’m not a tremendous fan of apron panels under windows. I don’t mind the ones on my house, but I would prefer just to have taller windows. While they were an intentional and original design feature of the house, they give the
four things | forty
It has been a quiet week, but a busy one! We had new windows installed yesterday, and while I wasn’t the one doing the work, I lingered around to see the progress and take pictures. I can’t wait to show you the results. The back side of the house is looking amazing! And, thank you so much to everyone who has asked how I’m doing. I’m doing well. My arms are still red and splotchy in places, and a little
antiquing with mom
After visiting the local art museum and grabbing lunch at a bistro, Mom and I went to one of my favorite antique stores. Since purging ironstone and antiques earlier this year, I’ve been disciplined about not bringing a bunch of stuff back into the house. I do love milling about in antique stores, second-hand shops, and markets, though, and I’m resigned to the fact that there will always be some amount of stuff coming and going. It just needs to
Washington County Museum of Fine Art
While I spent most of my week of rest at home, I knew getting out would be beneficial. I also knew that it would be good for me and my mom to have a fun day together since our last day together was so sad. We both burst into tears when she came to the door, feeling acutely that Sebastian wasn’t there to greet her, wagging his entire hind end with happiness. But once we hugged it out, we were
nurturing creativity
Taking last week off was exactly what my heart and body needed. I went to bed early, slept until I woke up naturally, lingered in bed, watched TV in the middle of the day, played with watercolors, wrote in my journal, read, painted, and made myself a big diner-style breakfast one day with home-fried potatoes, a cheese omelet, and sourdough toast. My mom and I visited the local art museum, had a lovely lunch, and shopped at a few antique
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
photo tips for pet portraits
I have been drawn to portraits for years, so it was only natural for me to explore portraiture once I started drawing and painting. Painting portraits of living people can be tricky, though. Winston Churchill famously burned a commissioned oil portrait capturing his appearance in his retirement years because he hated it. It was a good likeness, but he was wounded by how the artist viewed and portrayed him, to the point that he threw a high-quality piece of original
what happened to my willow projects
If you were following along last summer, you might remember my obsession with weaving willow cloches and plant supports. (You can find that post HERE.) I went on a deep dive, sourcing willow branches locally and online, watching tutorials and reading articles, searching for inspiration, and then testing out what I learned. It involved setting up a baby pool in my driveway to soak the willow and experimenting with several weaving styles and methods. It was a thorough effort, and
Original Oil Paintings Available at Lucketts
Late last summer, I received a message from some Instagram friends I met through the Lucketts Fall & Spring Markets. “Would you like to sell some of your original oil paintings in our space?” I had considered getting a booth to sell some original oil paintings in antique frames, but I would get overwhelmed at all of the logistics and set the thought aside. Maybe I will one day, but this offer gave me an opportunity to test the waters
refillable ballpoint & rollerball pens
I’ve been promising this post on Instagram for a while, and it’s finally here – a round-up of beautiful, refillable, and relatively affordable ballpoint and rollerball pens. I say relatively affordable because, like fountain pens, rollerball and ballpoint pens can get very, very expensive depending on the brand and materials used. I never thought I would spend more than $20 on a “nice pen”, much less over $50 or $100, but I have been wooed into the world of beautiful
the colors currently on my palette
I started painting with oils over seven years ago (in the fall of 2017), and my palette has evolved over that time. I think this evolution is a natural part of the process of finding oneself as an artist. Being one who loves color, paint, and trying out new art supplies, I was quick to buy way more colors than I needed! In addition to buying colors I was curious to try, I bought any colors recommended in books and
beach photos with 70-200 Sigma lens
It’s been over five years since I bought a new piece of camera gear. As I grew as a photographer, I kept upgrading my camera body and lenses so my gear could grow along with my ability. When I’ve taught photography workshops over the years, I would discourage fledgling photographers from going out and buying a bunch of new gear. Use and get to know what you have, even if it’s just the camera on a smartphone, and you’ll know
Seasonal
Fall
HGTV.com Halloween Tutorials & Matthew Mead
I know it’s only August, but Hobby Lobby is already gearing up for Christmas, so I can share my HGTV.com Halloween tutorials, right? I actually worked on all of these last November. Wow, how time flies. Here they are… Chalkboard Treat Bucket Witches Broom Place Card Holders Burlap Halloween Table Runner Foam Halloween Tombstones Vintage Inspired Halloween Banner Halloween Applique Pillow Pumpkin Topiary “Grain Sack” Pumpkin Fall Leaf Lampshade We never decorated for Halloween when I was growing up,
Happy Thanksgiving!
May your table be beautiful, your turkey be tasty and your family be nice to each other… …and may you be thankful even if they’re not. Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.
Preserving Fall’s Bounty
My seasonal decorating is all out of order. I have been working on Christmas stuff since September and now I’m working on my fall decor for next year! HGTV.com has me writing several holiday decor tutorials for them and I need to work on the ones that require fresh pumpkins and the great outdoors before the season changes to winter. Our “leaf peak” has passed in Pennsylvania, so I needed to preserve some leaves for my photo shoots before they were
Grain Sack Pumpkins? Oh yeah.
Today, I have the privilege of being a guest on one of my favorite blogs, Dreamy Whites. (I’ve been guesting a lot lately, haven’t I?) Anyway, Maria is one of the sweetest people you’ll ever “meet” and she has an impeccable style sense and knows how to wield a camera. If you have not been to her blog, you must check it out. Maria asked me to share a fall decorating idea with her readers and I was happy to
at home
All Things Home
painting wallpaper | 1970s basement makeover
Let’s talk about painting wallpaper. In most cases, I am not in favor of it. Painting wallpaper bonds the wallpaper to the drywall in a way that makes it almost impossible to remove down the road. Some wallpaper will bubble and crease when dampened by a fresh coat of paint. It’s a shortcut that will almost always require more work at some point, such as replacing the drywall entirely or covering it with paneling. But, there are times when the
a love affair with card room green
My love of Card Room Green started when we first moved to Minnesota. I had a Farrow & Ball paint deck as part of my paint deck stash, and while I would occasionally pull it out to look for a particular color, I had never used their paint or one of their colors in my home. If you were reading my blog when I first shared our house in Minnesota, you might remember that it was a celebration of beige
painted garden obelisk
When I decided to make custom lattice for our DIY A/C surround, I measured and counted out how many 1 x 2s I thought we would need for the project. I estimated that we would need 85 1 x 2s and figured I should round it up to 100 to have some extras in case some were warped or in bad condition. I was confident in my math, so Jeff and I primed and painted all 100 pieces, even though
DIY custom A/C surround reveal
Jeff and I noticed a stretch of stifling days in the forecast, so that gave us the push we needed to get the DIY custom A/C surround installed and finished this weekend. I shared the progress we made on building the surround a couple of weeks ago HERE. Since I had all of the pieces painted and two of the panels of the A/C surround built, it was pretty quick and easy to install. We had a general plan of
facebook marketplace find | vintage oak desk
If you followed my blog during our move to Maryland three years ago (can you believe it’s been that long?!), you probably remember that I sold a ton of stuff. One of the pieces I sold was the vintage oak teacher’s desk I used in my studio. Oak teacher’s desks turn up pretty regularly on the used furniture market and are generally not very expensive, so I figured I could find a replacement pretty quickly. Three years later, I was
what happened to my willow projects
If you were following along last summer, you might remember my obsession with weaving willow cloches and plant supports. (You can find that post HERE.) I went on a deep dive, sourcing willow branches locally and online, watching tutorials and reading articles, searching for inspiration, and then testing out what I learned. It involved setting up a baby pool in my driveway to soak the willow and experimenting with several weaving styles and methods. It was a thorough effort, and
Everyday Moments
A Slice of Life
Shopping at the Siena Maket
I was going to share about our day trip to Siena all in one post, but as I was uploading the photos, I realized the post would be ridiculously long with a million photos! So, I decided to break it up into a few shorter, more easily-digestable posts. Our group was going to Siena to shop at the weekly market, tour the city, and meet in the afternoon for tea at the home of one of our Italian hosts and
four things | fifty-eight
As a reminder, my next original art sale is tomorrow, Friday, January 16, 2026, at 1:00 EST. You can see a sale preview HERE. This week has been a busy one for me! I came home from helping my parents on Sunday afternoon, so I had to hit the ground running Monday morning to catch up on things I couldn’t do last week away from my studio. I’ve been catching up on photography, painting, and other things that require more
Dinner in a Castle | Tuscany Creative Retreat
The last time I posted about my time in Italy, I shared about my day spent “home” catching up on rest, writing in my journal, exploring, taking pictures, and sketching and painting. If you missed that post, you can read about that day HERE. In the early evening, the rest of our creative retreat group returned from a day visiting a local organic farm and making pizza from scratch. As much as I didn’t want to miss out on that
four things | fifty-seven
I’m at my parents’ house for a few days to help them as my mom recovers from surgery to repair her broken wrist, so my work has been a little different for a couple of days. That’s also why this blog post is coming out a day late, but hopefully you’re too busy with life and your own creative work to notice. I did bring along things to do, though, as I continue to plan for 2026 and prepare to
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
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.