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Favorite Things

a slice of life

fall Walmart fashion | classic blue & white staples

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Walmart.  As always, all words and opinions expressed are honest and my own.  blue star sweater | white tie blouse | gold tunic sweater | jeans | striped shirt | ballet flats | navy sweater | olive stripe sweater We moved into our house almost a year ago!  Can you believe that?  We still have things in boxes and areas that have remained largely untouched since we first settled in.  When I see those areas, I feel a little frustrated with myself, but I have to remember how much upheaval and many major renovations have happened since we moved in.  I also had to remind myself that it took two-to-three years to really get settled when we moved to our house in Minnesota.  Even though this house is much smaller than our last one, there is so much stuff to organize and so many

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Favorite Things

July 4th Marlow Pillow & Cooling Cover Sale

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Marlow.  As always, all opinions and words expressed are honest and my own. I’ve shared about the Marlow Pillow a couple of times here on the blog and today, I wanted to let you know their July 4th summer sale is running now for a limited time.  If you’re not familiar with the Marlow Pillow, it was designed to be a well-price pillow that is comparable quality to pillows almost twice the price.  They are thoughtfully designed to offer adjustability, and cooling, as well as mite and bacteria resistance.  In addition, the pillows are designed to work for side, back, and stomach sleepers.  Marlow is so confident in their product that they offer a 2-year warranty and free 365-day returns. In previous posts about the Marlow PIllow, I highlighted the adjustability of the pillow.  Jeff ordered an “adjustable” pillow once and it came with an

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a slice of life

summer bedding with Brooklinen

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Brooklinen.  I have partnered with them for years and love sharing about their products.  As always, all words are honest and my own. Brooklinen is having their big 20% off Memorial Day sale now through May 31, so it’s a good time to buy new sheets, bedding, and towels. One place that has been a haven for Jeff and me (and the kitties) during all of the renovation work has been our bedroom suite.  Other than the boy’s rooms, it’s the one place in the house that isn’t acting as storage for displaced items from the kitchen, dining room, and foyer.  It’s on the opposite side of the house from the kitchen, so it’s also been isolated a bit more from the noise and dust.  And I can’t tell you how much I appreciate having a comfortable bed with fresh, soft bedding to sink

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Art

my birthday art supply bag

If you’ve followed me for a while, you know I’m always dabbling in new things.  I like to learn, grow, and find new ways to express my creativity.  I’ve been that way for as long as I can remember.  You may also know that I take a lot of art classes and read many art books so I’m learning a variety of techniques and styles from various artists.  I tend to lean towards being tighter and more traditional in my work, both in decorating and art, so I like to expose myself to creators who are totally free spirits.  They slosh around their paints with abandon.  They scribble and play and end up creating something that I find myself attracted to.  It’s not really my style or the kind of artwork I want to make, but it’s a kind of play that can help loosen me up a bit. So

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a slice of life

my 45th year

I have been sharing here on this blog since I was 31 years old and today I turn 45.  If you’ve followed me since the early days of blogging, you might remember my boys streaking across photos in diapers and little addendums to my posts about the funny things they’d say.  Now, both boys are in high school and my oldest just got his learner’s permit.  Oh, the passage of time and I’m definitely feeling it today.  Not in an arthritis-in-my-joints kind of way, but in a way that reminds me the time we have is precious. This year, I told Jeff that my birthday could be low-key.  I’m getting a kitchen for my birthday.  And, it can be rightly argued that I got three 1800s ironstone cake stands for my birthday. But, then I confused him a couple of days ago by saying that I want to make a

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Antiques

baby shoes, sepia portraits, & vials of color

“Well, you definitely got into the right business.”  My mom has said this to me many times over my 13+ years of writing this blog.  She knows I love happy surprises, mail, and gifts and, in this weird little line of work, I get some of the best mail.  It started with rolls of tape, a t-shirt here and there, and then a flood of vintage and antique sheet music when I wanted to make wreaths, ornaments, and tree toppers out of paper.  It’s continued over the years with thoughtful things people find that “have my name on it” or someone is ready to pass a cherished time or collection on to a new home where it will be appreciated.  I’ve been the recipient of many thoughtful gifts and encouraging notes through the years.  Many of those notes are on my inspiration board and remind me that even though sharing

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a slice of life

fashion gift ideas from Walmart

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by   As always, all words and opinions are honest and my own. Oh man, Christmas shopping!  Some years, I am right on the ball, and other years, it sneaks up on me.  Just today, Jeff and I were talking about Christmas shopping and he said, “Wasn’t Thanksgiving yesterday?”  If you’re feeling that way and you’re still looking to put up a few gifts, I have picked out some from Walmart that might help you with someone on your list.  I trolled through the to see if anything jumped out at me. I don’t like to recommend things I haven’t bought myself, so I found some stuff I liked or already own and love… I loved for the boys and buying a couple of pairs was a no-brainer.  (Their shoe size changes hourly, it seems.)  I’ve bought some slippers from before and I like that

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Favorite Things

a secret to savings & air fryer zucchini recipe

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by eBay.  As always, I only partner with brands I use, love, and enjoy and all words are honest and my own. I am pretty sure that the first thing I ever bought online was an antique piece listed on eBay.  Whether it was the first or not, what I vividly remember is feeling nervous about the entire idea of buying something online.  Clearly, I’ve gotten over that!  Not only has my confidence grown in buying online, but eBay continues to grow, evolve, and find ways to bring the best products to their customers in the most secure way.  One of their latest programs is eBay Refurbished, which is the most trusted way to purchase certified refurbished products from vetted sellers online. There was a time when I was skeptical about buying refurbished products, but when a couple of professional photographers shared with me that

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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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May 20th, 2026 at 1pm EST

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