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a slice of life
All Things Home

Federal & Black | A gorgeous shop in Middleburg, VA

Last Saturday, I had the opportunity to drive down to the quaint town in Northern Virginia’s horse country for a book signing.  I spent a beautiful late-summer afternoon at Federal & Black in historic Middleburg. First of all, everyone who came out to support me, the book, the shop, and Middleburg small businesses was awesome!  I brought along my easel and some paints in case it was quiet.  Working on a painting live would give me something to do and perhaps draw in people passing by.  Well, I was so busy with conversations that I never even opened up my painting bag or set up my tripod. When there were a few quiet moments, I browsed around the shop and admired Rebecca’s knack for curating.  She stocks antiques, home decor, gifts, accessories, books, and a few specialty lines like teas, cookies, lotions, and candles.  She also carries some of my

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September 16, 2026 10 Comments
a slice of life

little things that go right

Calvin had an appointment last Tuesday, and I debated whether I should go with him.  If you can believe it, my youngest son turned 18 this summer, which means he can go to routine appointments on his own.  At the last minute, and in a roundabout way, he asked if I would go with him.  That was the first in a series of events that went right. The appointment was quick and uneventful, as expected.  On the way home, though, we were first in line waiting at a stoplight.  We talked about music, and Calvin looked at his phone, playing DJ.  I stared unfocused through the intersection, waiting for our light to turn green.   We were definitely not on high alert or particularly attentive to what was about to happen in front of us. I heard a crash and, in a split second, realized an accident just happened at the

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September 14, 2026 46 Comments
Art

perfection vs. personality

Most of the time, when I’m working on a project that requires something of me physically, but allows my mind to wander – gardening, painting, cleaning, drawing, walking – I put on music or listen to a podcast or audiobook.  But sometimes, I give my mind quiet to see what thoughts bubble to the surface.  One day, as I was painting in a quiet studio, I thought about Vincent Van Gogh and his struggle with draftsmanship.  He was on my mind a lot lately since I had been listening to a marathon audiobook biography on his life.  (I finally finished it a couple of weeks ago, by the way!) He received a lot of criticism for his out-of-proportion figures, clunky faces, and wonky buildings.  He knew it was a struggle, and he practiced fanatically to improve.  He started using the grid method, but since he painted from life, he used

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September 8, 2026 20 Comments
a slice of life

Move Slow & Make Things x An Acre of Land Giveaway

I was meandering through Instagram one day and came across An Acre of Land.  I was immediately drawn to the photography, the styling, and the layers of feminine, generously gathered skirts.  I pressed the follow button.  For months, maybe even years, I would admire the clothes, which are just my style.  It was the appearance of a cyanometer, though, which made me realize the creative minds behind An Acre of Land were my people. A cyanometer is a scientific/art instrument used to measure the color of the sky.  I tripped across their existence in a book in 2021 and fell in love immediately.  I haven’t seen one referenced anywhere else, though.  (I still have my cyanometer, hand-painted in oils, in my studio.) The use of blue in An Acre of Land’s Blueprints Collection further piqued my interest.  Their featured collection when I started following the account consisted of black, cream,

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September 4, 2026 8 Comments
a slice of life

Why I take pictures at art museums

When I went to the Louvre in the fall of 2018, it was my first time visiting a museum as an adult who truly appreciated art.  Of course, Mom and I sought out the Mona Lisa.  It’s just something you need to do if you’re a tourist at the Louvre.  At the time, you didn’t have to wait in a line to access it.  We simply followed the signs and knew we made it to the right room when we saw a crowd of people arranged in a semicircle, holding their phones up to snap a picture of the famous painting.  I remember feeling a prick of annoyance at all of the black rectangles obscuring the view of people who wanted to look at the painting with their own eyes.  But, even as I felt that, I pulled out my own phone, opened the camera app, and tried to find

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August 28, 2026 5 Comments
a slice of life

Stories | the time I was lost in Russia

It’s hard to remember how we functioned before smartphones; before we had a map, a full phone directory, Google Translate, and all the information available by tapping a question into an internet browser in our pocket.  Well, this story happened before that time. I was supposed to meet my friend Misha that morning.  I don’t remember why we were meeting. It actually wasn’t to find potatoes or other rare summer produce this time.  I also don’t recall why I was going alone or why I was okay with navigating a foreign city with only vague directions.  To fill in my own memory gaps, I’m guessing I had gotten to the point that I felt at home in Izhevsk, Russia, and riding public transportation to get to a destination was a normal, everyday part of life.  Hopping on a bus to meet a friend didn’t sound like a harrowing adventure.  It

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August 18, 2026 7 Comments
book reviews

why you need to buy books & upcoming new releases

The launch of my new book, Move Slow & Make Things, is just over two weeks away!  I received my author’s copies last week.  Six heavy mystery boxes arrived on the small stoop by our kitchen door, leaving me stumped until I saw they were from my publisher.  I had already received an advance copy, but seeing stacks of my new book was thrilling.  After all of the thinking, writing, editing, photographing, and designing, it’s about to be released into the world.  I’m so proud of this book.  If you haven’t already, you can preorder the book HERE. In the weeks leading up to my own book launch, I’ve been thinking about books and how the publishing world has evolved over the last 10-15 years.  Libraries and the sharing of books have existed for centuries, but there have been significant changes in how we acquire, borrow, buy, and read books.

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August 17, 2026 14 Comments
Stories

Stories | the unreasonable quest for potatoes

I’m assuming most of my readers have easy access to a local grocery store, and if it’s like mine, you can pretty much buy anything you want there year-round.  You might have to hit a few places to find a specific, rare ingredient, but you can probably find almost everything on your list.  When shopping for groceries in Izhevsk, Russia, in 1995, you didn’t make a shopping list.  You set out, saw what was available, and then decided what you wanted.  Making a list was an exercise in futility.  This was especially true of produce.  You could only buy what was in season.  Oranges weren’t imported from tropical climates or grown in greenhouses.  Fresh tomatoes were not available year-round.   As a 17-year-old American who had only known the abundance, variety, and stocked shelves of Western grocery stores, I didn’t know this.  I learned quickly and did all of my

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August 11, 2026 6 Comments

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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