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a slice of life

a slice of life

four things | twenty-four

I was sick in bed last week, and the gunkiness and low energy have been hanging on!  Someone called it the yucks, and that’s exactly what it is.  I have been looking out my studio window at the garden bed, which has been covered in black plastic since last spring, and I am eager to get out there and start landscaping.  I’m just trying to be patient with myself and getting the rest I need.  I’m hoping I’m back to my old self by next week. Anyway, here are my four things for this week – Crafting a life beyond productivity, a race across the world, on limits and lack, and watching the garden wake up. what I’m reading I started listening to the audiobook Making Time by Maria Bowler and it’s so good so far!  I’ve followed Maria on Instagram for a while and feel like we’re on the same

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a slice of life

four things | twenty-three

Well, unfortunately, the virus that has passed through our household, taking us down one by one over the last few weeks finally landed on me this week and I’ve spent most of the last few days in bed!  I feel the pull of gardening work, I’m excited about doing some Spring Cleaning and home projects, and I have dozens of panels and reference photos waiting to be painted and instead I’ve been littering my bedside with spent tissues.  Well, this too shall pass. I didn’t have the mental clarity to write a blog post yesterday, but I already had this one partially done so it was pretty easy to polish it off. As a reminder, my next original art sale goes live tomorrow, Friday, March 28, 2025, at 1:00 pm Eastern.  You can find the sale preview HERE. what I’m reading I shared earlier in the week about the new

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a slice of life

Interiors of a Storyteller

I feature books I’m reading each week in my Four Things series, but every once in a while, I come across a book that needs its own blog post.  Such is the case with Interiors of a Storyteller by Stephanie Sabbe.  The official book release is tomorrow, but my friends at Gibbs Smith, who know my love of their decorating and design books, sent me an advanced copy.  (You can purchase it HERE on Amazon.)  I have followed Stephanie on her Instagram page @sabbeinteriordesign, but I didn’t put two-and-two together that this was her book until I started flipping through it and the style felt familiar. Stephanie’s decorating style is right up my alley.  It’s classic and sophisticated yet each room feels like a real, lived-in space.  It’s beautiful while not being overly starched and fussy.  None of the rooms feel like they should be roped off or just had

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a slice of life

four things | tweny-two

I was planning on writing a Four Things post when I was at the beach but then, well, I was at the beach and decided against it!  But, I have some good things to share today.  Having a short memory in order to do scary things, the best thing on television, the bit of mystery involved in great works, and catching up… what I’m reading I read several books at the beach, but most of them were to study art or to do research for the current book I’m writing, so I was mostly hunting and pecking, reading pages here and there and taking notes.  On the ride home, though, we listened to the audio book His Majesty’s Airship by SC Gwynne.  While I love novels, I find it hard to beat historical non-fiction and biographies.  In many cases, true life is more interesting, textured, and inspiring than fiction.  I also

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a slice of life

IOP Shell Collection Competition 2025

It started on whim in 2022 when my mom and I noticed the differences in our preference for the type of shells we collect.  Most of her shells were dainty, intact, and there was a wider variety of colors represented.  My shells tended to be larger, mostly shades of gray, and had more “character.”  (Meaning they were broken and looked like they had been rolling around in the surf for several years.)  We joked about my “antique shells” compared to her more traditionally beautiful shells and my ever-competitive mom suggested we put the collections to a vote.  Which collection did my Instagram followers prefer?  My mom’s collection won pretty handily and since that spur-of-the-moment Instagram vote, she has been borderline intolerable to be around any time the shell collection competition is mentioned.  Last year, she ever started telling strangers on the beach about her victories. After all of her unsportsmanlike

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a slice of life

IOP shelling diaries | part two

Every day, whether the weather is sunny and calm or blustery and gray, my mom and I are heading out to the beach to see what gifts it offers to us.  We both love collecting shells, a hobby that started with my Oma (her mom) and we’ve continued.  When we cleaned out the attic after my Oma and Opa passed away, there were about a dozen five-gallon buckets filled with shells.  At the time, we had so much to sort through, so I took some and we threw the rest away.  I wish I had gone through them more carefully, keeping some of the best ones and, of course, any olives.  But, I’m sure I could fill a dozen buckets with my shell collection now and I’m adding to it each year. If you want to know what I do with the shells I find, here are a few posts…

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a slice of life

IOP shelling diaries 2025 | part one

I started making little notes after each shelling excursion and I decided to turn them into a blog post series, so you could come along with me for the hunt.  It’s one of the things I enjoy most about being on the beach.  I get to walk while listening to the surf, feeling the sand underfoot, and looking for treasures.  It hits a lot of things I enjoy.  If you’re interested in shelling HERE is a post with general shelling tips and HERE is a guide to specifically shelling on Isle of Palms (IOP.)  I’ll update that again this year since I’ve covered more of the beach.  By the time this week is over, I think I’ll have walked the full length of the island! day one Our first day of shelling was uneventful.  We picked up a few shells here and there, but nothing notable.  We’re staying on a

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a slice of life

four things | twenty-one

Whew, it’s been a busy week for me!  For that reason, my four things post has been bumped to Friday, but I didn’t want to miss it entirely.  So, this week – books in my beach bag, freediving, words about mastery, and working ahead. If you missed my announcement yesterday about the upcoming fall creative lifestyle retreat in Tuscany, you can find the details HERE. what I’m reading I haven’t had a ton of time for reading since I’ve had a heavy workload this week, but I have a huge bag of books I’m taking to the beach and plan to spend some time sitting on the porch reading.  I’ll certainly give you a report.  Here is a peek in my bag… what I’m watching I watched this documentary a while ago, but I decided to share it this week because I haven’t been watching a lot of interesting TV

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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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