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Favorite Things
a slice of life

my silver patterns

I often receive comments about my flatware, even if I am posting about food or styling or something else entirely.  I will admit that I have a thing for flatware and have inherited and collected some beautiful pieces. The pieces I inherited from at least five different women in my family are stunning and hard to ignore, which is the main reason why I started using them as our everyday flatware several years ago.  They are just too pretty to keep in a box 363 days of the year, only making appearances at Thanksgiving and Christmas. So, despite being valuable heirlooms, we use them every day for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  I doubt my boys remember using anything else and I know they just see them as regular ole forks and spoons. HERE is a post about why I use my silver every day and how I clean and care

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April 2, 2020 60 Comments
a slice of life

swedish & german brushes

I am a brush-lover and have been for many years.  And my soft spot for brushes goes beyond those used for paint.  I love pretty brooms, dish brushes, make-up brushes, basting brushes, new brushes, old brushes…you get the idea.  When I sold in a retail space and at markets, I was on a mission to find some pretty brushes to sell beyond the antique and vintage brushes I would pick up here and there.  I imagined bouquets of dish brushes in ironstone pitchers.  I eventually found and started carrying Redecker brushes from Germany.  Not only did I sell them online, out of my studio, and at Lucketts… …but, I kept a whole hoard of them for myself to use in my home.  I’ve slowly been working my way through that stash, holding onto each brush until the wood is split and the bristles are nubs.  Now that I’m down to

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March 19, 2020 35 Comments
Favorite Things

the Scandinavian yarn shop

It’s hard to know what to write about at a time like this.  Even since I posted yesterday so many things have changed.  While I’m not feeling panicked, I do feel some anxiety about what the next few weeks and months hold.  Not just for myself and my family and friends, but for people who are hit hard by the virus or closures or quarantines. But, we can each only do what we can do.  We can keep “doing our verbs.”  I’ll keep writing, reading, painting, creating, and taking pictures.  I’ll continue to share, hoping it will be a welcome diversion.  I’ll prepare meals, clean the house, play games with the boys, and take walks when the weather is nice. One thing that I can do to support my community of readers is to pray for each of you.  Please let me know how I can do that.  Is there

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March 17, 2020 96 Comments
a slice of life

February’s Books of the Week

I have really enjoyed sharing a book of the week this year, but I’ve realized it’s just given me another excuse to buy more books when I really didn’t need another excuse!  I already have way more than 52 books to share and recommend!  But, it has been fun to look for new books and revisit old books that have stuck with me through all of the moves and purges. A couple of weeks ago, Jeff and I went out to dinner and then hit Barnes & Noble.  We usually split up, since we like to browse different sections.  He likes books about nature, fishing, history, theology, and I like books on decorating, art, cooking, gardening, crafts, creativity, and business.  So, yeah, we’re not hanging out in the same aisles!  I have my little route that I take from the magazines to the discount books to the cookbooks then to

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March 4, 2020 17 Comments
a slice of life

January’s Books of the Week & Goals Update

At the tail end of last year, I decided I would share a Book of the Week each week of 2020.  I love learning from books and going back to them again and again for inspiration, ideas, wise words, lessons…  I view it as continuing education and I make frequent trips to the book store to browse for new reading materials.  I mention these books on my Instagram stories or here on the blog, but I thought it would be nice to share them in a more organized fashion for those who are interested. I’m going to feature a mix of new books and ones that have been favorites for years.  I’ll also share books on a variety of subjects from art and home decorating to design and business.  They will all be books that I consider to be “resource books” – books that can be referenced repeatedly in order

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February 5, 2020 35 Comments
a slice of life

My favorite “egg pan” & book of the week

I used to be a bagel girl all the way.  Just about every morning (when I worked in the corporate world), I would pick up a bagel to eat on my long commute to work.  This was when my metabolism (and about 3 hours in the gym every evening) would keep up with such a carb and calorie-heavy breakfast.  Dieting for me back in those days always involved some lighter bagel-like offering, like Special K waffles with spray butter or whole wheat English muffins. After I had Calvin, I was the heaviest I had ever been.  There were no more three-hour-long workouts at the gym and my post-30 metabolism was catching up with me.  I needed to try something different.  So, I did the Core Plan by Weight Watchers, which limited bready, carby things that made up the bulk of my diet.  Despite my resistance to the idea, I made

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January 13, 2020 66 Comments
a slice of life

five new christmas tradition suggestions…

This isn’t a list of musts and shoulds.  I’m pretty sure we all have enough of those on our plate right now and we’re eagerly awaiting the day when things slow down…Christmas is done, the presents are opened, our bellies are full, and we can just have a moment without a pressing must-do or should-do list.  So, there are no obligations in this post.  These are just a few suggestions of new traditions you might want to add to your Christmas this year.  They are things I’ve enjoyed that aren’t as mainstream as caroling, gingerbread, and watching Elf. If I enjoyed them, you might, too… New Christmas Tradition No. 1 | Reading Secrets in the Dark Last week, we had the privilege of attending a Jason Gray concert at our church.  We saw him in February and it was an evening that was good for the soul.  It was worshipful

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December 19, 2019 No Comments
a slice of life

October 2019 Favorites

I have been out of my sling for a week and it’s been going pretty well!  The first couple of nights were tough, so I have been wearing the sling to sleep.  Otherwise, I’m gaining a teeny bit of mobility each day, but those gains are adding up.  I can drive, type, write, get dressed by myself, and more.  I have a whole new appreciation for these everyday things, I can tell you that!  I’ve also been able to get off of all medication, so I am feeling more like myself and it gets better each day.  I will have to be faithful with my PT and pace myself, but I feel like I’ve turned a corner. Since I spent the majority of the month of October in a recliner, my favorites are mostly about little things… Chicken Pot Pie One of my sweet friends, Cheri, brought us a chicken

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November 22, 2019 18 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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