97 Responses

1. truely a great post! I never feel my home measures up. But I keep at it. Keep trying. And heck…it is home! 🙂 Love your real life shots! Especially the one with boys and their toys. 🙂 I have been cleaning out toys all day. I think I have made a difference. But he will just get more at his birthday! 🙂

2. oh marian you are soo human. but your visions are incredible. how fun for you to see how others actually see you 😉

3. I so appreciate the honesty of this post. All of us only post our best and it often looks like many homes are just not realistic. Thanks for sharing reality. It doesn't take away at all from your amazing style.

4. I LOVE these posts. They make me feel normal and ease my ocd even if just momentarily lol. Thanks M!

5. Oh well, then, I can copy you perfectly! Specially in the toddler-changing-to-super-hero-3-times-a-day part!

6. Honesty is the best policy. I can attest to your lifestyle but that's what drives us to keep going, do more and make it better. Your inspirations are truly wonderful (and now we know what goes on behind the scenes!).

7. Wow. What a great post. And that took guts – it's true – your house always seems to look just right! Everything like it's right out of a magazine. I can't tell you how many times I've looked at that gorgeous picture of your dining room. Thank you for letting us all know that you ARE human!!! I just loved the photos you shared. I was so happy to see your little guy with the toys all dumped out on the floor. Those days will never come again. When it's gone it's gone. But the furniture and the decorating will always be there. Thank you Marian!

8. Love your honesty!

9. Your energy and creativity are unreal. Even if it does get rearranged a dozen times, each time it is an inspiration for all of us. Thanks for keeping on keeping on. Hugs, Marty

10. You are too cute to be so honest. But honestly, I never once believed your house looked so amazing all the time, because you have TWO boys! I have three kids, one set of twins, and only ONE boy. That one child was a one man wrecking crew by age 2. This is why we do what we do, because we can create beauty somewhere in a corner of our lives, and then be O.K. with the reality of the messes we see everywhere else. The only thing I am really, really sad for you about is that French chair with the gathered edge that you sold???? It was love at first sight for me. Seriously though, thank you for sharing. I feel better about the unfinished wingback chair, the unfinished office, the smears on my beautifully painted cabinets, well, you know the story! Have a wonderful weekend. -K

11. I am *SO HAPPY* you posted this! I have felt this way for so long, but have never been able to express it on my blog. I always feel like a failure, especially when it comes to the blogging aspect of my business. I work so much, and need to get so many pieces of furniure painted in such a short spam of time I NEVER, EVER even blog about them. I doubt my readers even know I paint furniture for a living. Because I paint it, deliver it and have to move on to the next piece. There is no time for setting it up, making it look pretty and taking photos.

    You have no idea how much I *envy* you (in a good way!) that you take so much time to share your business with your readers. I really need to work on that. Hard. ;o)

    Mary

12. O.K. could you be any more REAL and RELATABLE?! Serious love for you! I feel the same way about my perfectly positioned,fluffed pillow, photoshoped version of my life that resides on my blog, too. Our blogs are a good fantasy life to escape to once and awhile, and I'm o.k with that. Running water and giggling upstairs….back to reality. hugs, Sarah@NorthwestHospitaity.org

13. Gotta, make this funny tonight. it's Saturday night and I want to be funny…. The Challenge sound a bit like the Cash cab…. when he says "the bonus video challenge" OK maybe it's all the snow and being stuck in the house. What is one to do???? but look at all the enters and have fun in blogland.

    Pattie

14. Aren't we all guilty of putting our best face forward in our blogs? Thanks for keeping it real…and I get it, completely!

15. I've never met you in person, but you really are the sweetest! Loved the video btw!

16. Such a real post, how often we feel we don't measure up and yet it is so true, on blog posts we see things at their best! The reality is different for most of us:-)

17. Thanks for this post. I needed that. I have three toddlers AND a newborn, so you have to look past a lot before noticing that I've even made an ATTEMPT at decorating.

18. Silly girl…we ALL have crumbs on our counters!!! Some are just honest enough to admit it once in a while. You're running a very chaotic schedule, it seems. I wish for you relaxing moments, quiet time, pitter patter of little feet and the un-replaceable giggles of wee ones (undiluted by paint sprayers!).

19. Thank you for your honest look at what our real lives are REALLY like…kids, toys, messes…the exact opposite of what we see mostly in decor blogs! it's always nice to escape to blog fantasy land though…and you defintely provide the perfect candy for that!!

20. Thank you so much for posting this today. I've been suffering from the same malady and it's hard to handle. Unlike you, I don't sell my furnishings but I've been so busy completing projects for others that I've not had the time to create for myself. I'm so thankful for the work but just feeling the need to tweak my own home! So thanks for sharing!
    You may start a new trend in window treatments with you pic of the drying clothes!

21. I had to use a very old picture because my house is always Craft Central!

22. Oh goodness, whoddathunk? I would have never imagined that to be a side effect of all of the wonderful posts! I just kept thinking, wow, what an utmost form of flattery – all of these people wanting to be like you, to do what you do, to love it so much that they bust buttons to copy you! But, we are all real (well, most of us 😉 ) and you have no much cloning/photoshopping I did to my carpet, cause if I was ever going to get a picture taken, I had to do it right then, forget vacuuming! LOL We all have our dirty little secrets – don't be so hard on yourself! There does come a point though, that you need to put yourself first, and decorate YOUR home………that's why you got started in this all in the first place right? To make your own home beautiful? Time to get back to roots, it will only help you in the long run 🙂 (((hugs)))

23. PS – I seriously was thinking today, I wonder if there's a clever way I could hang up worn out jeans (like thread a rod through the belt loops or something) for a window treatment in my son's room! Haha! Your shirts drying just reminded me of it 🙂

24. Great post! I can totally relate- I often neglect certain homemaking duties just so I can make something in the house "magazine worthy." I always have to remind myself about my priorities when I get too carried away on a project…

25. oh man. i *needed* this post tonight 🙂 thanks for reminding us that even miss mustard seed is a human being with a normal house 🙂

    seriously. thanks. 🙂

26. Oh Marian!

    You are so REAL. That is one of the reasons we love you so much. We can relate to you. You are US. Not perfect. But very good. We wish we could do it all, but we know that we can't. Therefore, we choose to prioritize and do we we REAALLY LOVE first. : ) It makes us happy. Happier than dust free shelves and perfectly organized drawers and closets. That's us.

    Hope you can stop in and read the post I just wrote about your "Copy Me Challenge".

    thanks once again for EVERYTHING,,

    Cori

27. As I do very much the same as you just on a smaller scale, there is always furniture leaving once fallen in love with, pathways to important rooms non existant, paint brushes in the dish rack, and just plan chaos. I do however have curtains hanging in the bedroom, but you have a dining table … and chairs. Smile … and know you are never alone in real life. Kristy

28. Oh thank God you're not perfect! Always good to send us all a reality check. Your "best" is always so grand that it's hard to imagine what everything is like outside the view of the lens. I so have this version of you down pat! I may not have a 3yr old and smushed gold fish but I have a 17 yr old with ice cream bowls stuck to his desk!

29. I'll see you're matchbox cars and raise you a dumped bucket of legos! One of the beautiful things about blogging is that our readers see what we want them to see of our house. Miss Mustard Seed isn't about goldfish-encrustulated carpets, its about beautiful things. 🙂

30. A pleasant reminder that we are all real people and have messes in our homes and rooms that are not perfect. I still have all the storage bins with Christmas stuff in them, lined up in my dining room to go back down in the basement. It will get done at some point! Not stressing about it! Glad you enjoyed your trip to Blissdom. You are one talented lady. Love & blessings from NC!

31. Love your honesty. Life is a work in progress, this season of mommyhood is short. We need to love like crazy, fake like we've got it together, make a little money, and praise the Lord!

32. Sad to say- BUT happy to hear it, your Home is amzing, and just so inspirational to me…LOVE IT…
    Thanks for all the great ideas-inspiration…
    Karryann
    (LOVE THE chairs)

33. I've always looked at beautiful homes on blogs and in magazines and felt nothing but inspired. I've always known that these thing are staged to look perfect…why else would we want to look at them? I am very grateful to creative people like you who share their genius with the rest of us. If the beauty is fleeting it still existed and somewhere someone was touched and inspired. Thank you for that.

34. I just want to say thank you for keeping it real. I was feeling a bit like a blog cheater after a post of my backyard where I stages, angled, and even Photoshopped a patch of dead grass.
    So I threw in a few shot of reality in to the mix just to show readers that while I can produce a great photo, in reality my yard has bare spots, dying grass, and a few dead flowers. I dont want to protrai that I am some mega woman who can keep all those balls in the air. We women need to support each other. Even though this is the first time I have seen your home I bet you would rather be by thru to you family

35. LOVE your honesty!!;) Your home looks beautiful even in "reality"!! Hugs, Rachel

    French Farmhouse 425

36. I KNEW you were a real person!!! (lol)

    xo+blessings,
    Anne Marie

37. First, Congrats on your 4000. So excited for you. You've worked hard!
    Second, LOVE this post. I was so wanting to whip something up to participate ~ just too busy at work. Prepared a wonderful winter wedding ~ so much fun. Your heart makes me smile ~ I believe the reason you and Miss Donna are exploding ~ you both have the gift of showing us your own style all along sharing your true blessings ~ Thank you for always keeping it real.

38. I love this post. I am new to trying to decorate my home and love that you showed some real life shots. I am inspired by your spaces and am trying to put some of that inspiration into my home. I am of course doing this on a budget. I am looking for new family room furniture now and it has been hard. Any suggestions for durable, neutral furniture?

39. Thank you for sharing that… It's good to know. I'm glad you don't live in a perfect place, you wouldn't be real if you did.
    Your job is setting things up for the "camera", your life is what goes on behind the scenes.
    I'm glad it's normal and that your house looks like most of ours on a daily basis!
    Susan

40. Great post! As a mom of two little boys I can totally relate. I think that is why I enjoyed the copy me challenge so much. Although it was only for a moment, my house (or one room in my house) at one time was perfect and I got a picture to prove it!

    dancingcreekdesigns.blogspot.com

41. I have to say that I loved this post because it is so true, Marian! I am sure that if you coould do a 180 and see what's behind almost evryone's "perfect" photo, you would see just what you have at your house…real life going on! That's the way it's supposed to be! 🙂 Happy weekend!…hugs…Debbie

42. Thank you for sharing today! I am a frequent reader, first time poster. While my style would more closely match Funky Junk, I have found beauty and inspiration here as well. When I look at both of your blogs, I am always impressed, and always looking around my own home thinking ugh, what a mess. Five kids, and a room remodel in the works since October has left me beyond frustrated. Thanks so much for keeping it real!

43. Hi Marian,
    Thanks for "keeping it real!"

    hugs
    Sissie

44. Okay. Love this, but I want to see the REAL mess. 😉 I bought a new sofa this past week the other old furniture in the room is hissing at the new pretty couch. Hey, I think I'll write about that. 😉

45. I like taking pictures of the best part of my house because it reminds me of the ideal, not the reality.

    It's good to know that your house is not always picture perfect. I'd have to not like you as much as I do if it was. 😀

    Your ideal inspires our ideal, but all of our realities are probably messy and in need of a good photo shoot to make them as presentable as we'd like.

    Thanks for the inspiration. You're amazing!

46. I think we all have these feelings to some degree. We're always comparing ourselves to some perceived degree of perfection that probably doesn't really exist in the real world.

47. awwww, sweetheart. I never for a minute thought your home stayed 'picture perfect' all the time. As a mom of little kids, I always knew you encounted REAL LIFE, even more than me, with no little ones around.
    It's not only your beautiful home that lands you in magazines, or HGTV or a top blog…It is your TALENTS and personality that make you who you are. And we all love ya and appreciate how you teach us things to do to make our homes pretty, too.
    I love how you take time to be with your family…I love the fact that you seem to have your priorities all in the right places.
    xo bj

48. thanks for reminding us that you are human!! No really, I know your house can't be perfect, not with all you've got going on and certainly not with toddlers! I enjoy your "perfect" pictures, I do hope that someday I can have a house that looks picture perfect occasionally, like when company is coming, or the kids are at grandmas. (hey I can dream!) But hey, this is real life with real kids, its okay to not be perfect!

49. Wow, it just dawned on me that when I see all these gorgeous homes on the blogs I read, they are being staged for photographing, and then 5 minutes later probably look like my house on a daily basis with school papers everywhere, dishes in the sink, tubs full of toys,etc. I feel like the pressure is off knowing no one else is perfect either! Thanks for making me see this!

50. Thanks for a dose of your reality, Marian! The coffee table scape thing made me chuckle. I recently completely ditched the idea of decorative stuff on the coffee table. It looked good when I set it up, but never again in real life.

51. Thanks for opening your "kimono" to us! As a mom of a 4-year-old, I deal daily with the train track dragged throughout the house, matcbox cars in the sofa cushions and juice box spills. Glad to know I'm not the only one whose house is a bit less than perfect!

52. what a beautiful post! thank you.

53. This is wonderful, Marian. You know as I was awaiting the "entries" on the CMC here and at Donna's I was contemplating the same notion. Photos are just that. Life is actually LIVED – messy, unorganized, sloppy, "mushy" and absolutely wonderfully – the greatest and truest of life's photos are those in our hearts and memories! The photos on the blog are dreamy and represent creativity and possibility in our homes and daily lives; something to inspire creation! YOU and DONNA are the front runners of that inspiration. I speak personally on this issue. So, to me, there is a little bit of you and a little bit of Donna in just about everything I create NOW – because the two of you have been on the cheering lines for me and my inspiration!

    Love you gals,
    ~Kolein

54. Marian, I just laughed out loud about the toddler accoutrements, you described my house everyday!!

55. i think we all feel that way! i have three kids and i am vacuuming constantly and picking up after everyone. unless you are martha stewart i think we all realize that with families our homes are never perfect all the time like they are when we share them! have a great day and for keeping it real! susan

56. A truly amazing "real" post about "real" life.
    THANK YOU!!!
    Amy (Mom to the Four Sisters)

57. This makes me feel just a little better…. 🙂 But your house still looks amazing!

    stellaandgray.blogspot.com

58. Thank you so much for posting this, I love your blog and so many others like it and although in my heart I knew it couldn;t look so beautiful all the time, it was so refreshing to see you say so. Like many other mothers, I work and study, spend time with my family and so my house is fairly near the bottom of the list. It is therefore never as I would like it to be and I often feel overwhelmed. Just knowing that there are so many others at the same party is a comfort.
    Thank you for taking the time to blog and share your work and life with us,
    Seona x

59. Hey, I can finally perfectly replicate a MMS window treatment! 😉 You go, girl – personally, I thrive on chaos! If you didn't have those messes and imperfections, you'd have to move to a little town called "Stepford."

60. Well for one, I am truly grateful for the sacrifices that you are making, I am a new follower and I adore what you do. And if I can whisper a little secret, sometimes I think a lot of us out here in 'real-ville' get a little overwhelmed by perfections. So kudos to you kido!

61. Ah, now I can proudly say that I have the same window treatments as Miss Mustard Seed!

    Oh, dear Marian. You are a treasure–for the beautiful things you create, yes, but mostly for the beautiful heart you possess. God bless you to be able to enjoy the fun of having people copy your best and all of us learn from your real-ness. You're great.

62. Marian, I only found your blog a few weeks ago but have already learned so much from you. You have inspired me to create more and to keep working on my blog. I dedicated a post to you and the truth we all share. Thanks for keeping it real!

63. Hahaha fantastic , thank you SOOO much for sharing, makes me feel a heck of a lot better.Just managed to get the Xmas tree tidied up and it's FEBRUARY :-)))))))

64. One of the reasons I love to read your blog is that you are so authentic, in your voice and in your projects.
    Thanks for letting us see you are human -it lets us be more comfortable with our human-ness, too.
    Blessings to you!

65. Marian it was very interesting to me to read your reaction. I just would've never seen that one coming. It's really easy to get caught up in the pictures and forget there's a whole lot of work going on behind the scenes. So refreshing to hear your account of what it's REALLY like! And yes it makes me feel so much better! But keep in mind what you're being shown probably isn't their reality either *winks* Vanna

66. Your Post says a lot about you, I have only been a follower for a few weeks now. But what a humble, sweet post…only a dear sweet lady would post such a real honest post…I like you ever more now…blessings
    julie from
    lifeatfirelakecamp.blogspot.com

67. Marian, I can't tell you how much you have encouraged me with the honesty of what real life looks like at your home, too. I remain in the middle of at least two or three projects that need to be completed, in between my real job as a wife, a Mom then Occupational therapist, grandmother of two and the third on the way, friend, and daughter. You reminded me that I need to enjoy the journey. You are so generous with your talents and skills that you share and encourage others, I pray God's richest blessing on you and your precious family.

68. I think this post is FABULOUS and REAL! None of our homes are perfect all the time…heck I'd take once in a while! We've had a couple very busy weekends around here and last night my 7 year old daughter and I were snuggling watching tv and she had a HUGE sigh and just said how nice it was to be HOME …. TOGETHER. That's what it's all about. Allow yourself to have one room to enjoy for yourself (just one room that is changing with the stuff you love but for YOU!) Enjoy the beauty you create! You're worth it!

69. I love to read your blog because you are so authentic, and your visions are incredible.
    Sherman Unkefer

70. Your photographed vignettes are amazing and the unfinished ones inspire too! Makes me not feel so bad! Ha!! Your style is great! Finished and unfinished…!! Ha!
    Hugs
    SueAnn

71. haha! Love this post.

72. Oh Marian, I love you for this post! I've just spent the day cleaning out a barn & henhouse after weeks of snow n cooped up critters, taught two lessons, and then tried to cook, clean n stage my house for a few friends coming for the Super Bowl… It's exhausting and almost impossible to live up to our blog "faces" isn't it?! No matter what, your home is gorgeous – the projects and mostly, the people! Hope Lucketts went well for you too!
    xo
    Leslie

73. I have one question….Where did you get those bagels from?! They look delicious !

74. Thanks for you honesty! I feel like I have a continual unfinished project and am always wondering how you fabulous decorating bloggers manage to have such lovely homes, do projects and be stay at home moms too! Thanks for being real and letting us know we can be real too!!

75. Your transparency is so refreshing…and appreciated. It's so easy to say, "Look how 'together' Maion or Donna have it." When the reality is that behind the photo viewfinder is a whole other side we don't (usually) see.

    We all have dirty laundry, dishes stacked, and sometimes the flu hits us all.

    Thanks for letting us know that while the "Grass might seem greener on the other side of the fence" – it still must get mowed…and sometimes there are even piles of fertilizer. 🙂

76. Oh my goodness I remember those days. My daughter tried to sleep with her goldfish. Only he woke up dead, Oh you know what I mean. I am feeling for you, been there.

77. I have enjoyed seeing all the blogs that have entered your contest. Amazing is right. I wanted to say THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for showing us that you live just like the rest of us. Sometimes we look at blogs like yours and think of ourselves as less-than because our homes don't look like yours (or any of the other "perfect" homes we see). Then you do a post like this and it reminds us that you too are just like one of us : ) We just heart you : )

78. Well….I know ONE thing I'm going to copy from you…

    That new fangled idea of a "tee-shirt" curtain is just faaaabulous!! lolol!

    Seriously, we all love you the way you are, the way your home is comfortably lived in, and your beautiful soul, Marian! (oh, and your beautiful singing voice too – because I happened to come across that Christmas video you made). hehe! ♥

    But thank you for confirming with us that all of the blog homes that we see are really just like ours. Comfortable. Lived in. Embracing. and just plain home. 🙂

    xoxo laurie

79. FABULOUS post! You're the best!

80. Hi Marian,

    You know, I often think how funny it is that we all spend so much time and effort to fix up a perfect little spot and try to take really nice photos of it to show everyone, when probably for most of us it's a very small area that will never look that good again. I guess we would all like to live in a house that's always clean with fresh flowers, flattering lighting and no clutter, but that is not reality. Sometimes I catch myself thinking that once my girls are on their own, my house will look perfect all the time, when honestly, I'd put up with sinkloads of dirty dishes and piles of clutter forever if only they wouldn't grow up.

81. Love this post! It is honest and frank…..Great job!

82. Fabulous post, it's always nice when we get a little peek behind the curtain, so to speak. 🙂

    Hugs,
    Anne

83. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for keeping it real <3

84. Marion, Thank you! for your honesty and once again your human and generous qualities! The danger in blog world is often that we show only the best of the best and not reality, but then we compare our own reality with the best of the best we see in others' blogs and never feel like we can quite measure up! Thank you for sharing these little tidbits with us, makes us all feel better!

85. Sigh refreshingly honest..love that!
    I can relate to that too..I love that you are comfortable with just being "you", and you are so very beautiful Marian.
    Inspiring in your decorating and in your honesty…
    Glad I dropped by today to visit 🙂

    Deborah xoxo

86. Your honesty is so refreshing. It makes me feel so much better too. I love everything you do and sometimes I want to tear my whole house apart and start over to make it look like yours.

87. Oh to have a house that might not measure up! Your honesty is lovely and my son wants that train set now.
    I do have to say I am LOVING the copy me challenge, although I've no place to decorate at the moment. I just want to smoosh your two styles together. I love the elegance of your style and the funk of hers. More, more more!

88. On the upside, you had some cute tops hanging up to dry there!

89. I would sooooo love to meet you one day!!! Thank you for being real….and so what "dis-array" may live at your house!!!! I smile every single time i look at the gorgeous picture of your dining room reveal!!! You absolutely have such a vivid sense of decor!!! Amazing. I do not know the upside from the down on a sewing machine… but i have a friend who is going to make me some chair covers just like yours !!! YES DROP CLOTH AND ALLLLLLL!!!!! Thank you thank you for being real and doing what you do and for sharing!!!!!! Terri

90. i understand that your pics are set up for photo shoot. my goodness you have todlers! when my kids were young i would never have been able to do half of what you accomplish.
    but may i suggest that you finish your bedroom and call it done . never shop this room unless you have found something you love more! this should be for you and your husband.just me tho 😉

91. Ohhhhh my gosh that totally
    makes me feel better !! I am in the
    process of switching over my decorating
    and for some reason my home is
    a constant rearranging ~ I have the dining room
    table set up for photos right now ~ I am not
    thinking we have eaten there for awhile 🙂
    Thank you for making me feel better
    about myself today ~ hehe!

    xoxo
    Lori

92. So often I've left laundry undone, dishes in the sink…and dinner to be made because I'm painting something…rearranging something….'being artsy' as my kids say…lol
    Thank you for letting me and all of us know….we are not alone in neglecting things for our creative endeavors!!

93. Did i read right that you sold those french chairs?!?!?!??!?!?!

    loved this post but i knew you were normal all along =)

94. Love this. Your photo vignettes are of course beautiful, but I love the honesty of this post. I totally hear you — I do the same in my own home for blog or product shoots. And many times my "studio" is the laundry room because it's south-facing and it's got a nice frosted window for perfectly filtered natural light! Here's to making pretty pictures between wash/spin cycles!

95. Oh honey, that was the sweetest, most real post I've read in a long time and it makes me love you all the more! You are a true inspiration lady… not only your talent, but your heart…

    thanks!

96. Of all the posts I've read of yours this is by far my favorite. I'm a home stager/designer/furniture refurnisher and I always struggle to get my own home together. It actually makes me feel anxious and stressed when I see blog posts about what others are accomplishing in their homes while I'm stealing furniture from mine to stage a property! Thank you for being so open and honest 🙂

97. I'm a recent fan and love the fact you are a REAL person. You're down to earth, humble quality is what wins us over…not to mention your talent! You have an incredibly busy life and need to take care of you too. We appreciate all that you do.