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a slice of life

a slice of life

four things | six

My four things this week – admiring the patterns in the world, one of the greatest stories of adventure and survival ever, a quote from the 1500s that inspires me even my safe, suburban life, and a gift we’re giving to our future selves… what I’m reading A few weeks ago, I ordered the book Affinities after it had been on a wishlist for a while.  It’s a book of images from the Public Domain Review, which I thought would be an interesting read.  The images range from beautiful to the quirky and odd. What I have found most inspiring and interesting about this book, though, is the way it’s arranged.  Images aren’t grouped on pages by subject or date, but by how they relate to one another.  It’s sort of a study of a repeat of patterns more than a study of public domain images.  I found it fascinating

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a slice of life

Hilton Head Island | French Bakery & Fish Haul Beach

We spent last week at Hilton Head Island to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary. Our anniversary is actually in March, but we were already at the Isle of Palms with extended family, so we went to a nice dinner in Charleston and decided to plan a trip for the fall since this is a big milestone.  We were looking at a few different destinations, but when Jeff shared that we would be going on a trip soon to celebrate a quarter of a century together, a family from our church reached out and offered a week at a condo on Hilton Head Island.  They purchased it at a fund-raising auction but recently realized they had a conflict and couldn’t go.  They hoped to gift it to someone so the week wasn’t wasted and they offered it to us.  Of course, I was all on board.  The beach in late fall

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a slice of life

four things | five

Since I was traveling this week, my four things list is a little different.  I think that’s what I like about sharing some favorites in this format.  Each week will be different depending on the season and what I’m up to.  It’ll capture a snapshot of what I’m up to.  My four things for this week include periodicals, a Holocaust story, beaching, dining, and planning.  Enjoy! what I’m reading Although I brought a bag of books with me (naturally), I haven’t been reading any of them this week.  We’ve been busy going to the beach, driving through coastal towns, sightseeing, and eating all the good food around Hilton Head Island.   I brought along some sketchbooks, paints, and other ort supplies and I haven’t even opened the bag!  We usually have more time sitting around in the beach house, but this trip has been about exploration.  So, the reading I have

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Favorite Things

four things | four

Four more things I’m reading, watching, working on, and loving – Neuroscience, the Devil’s Thumb, celebrating a milestone and watching a young man grow into adulthood.  Enjoy! what I’m reading I pretty much seek out and gobble up any books on creativity I can find, so I was excited to discover and dig into Your Brain on Art: How the Arts Transform Us.  This is the kind of book I like to listen to on my daily walks and let them marinate through the day.  I often stop and make quick notes or drop a digital bookmark in a section and I’ve been doing that frequently as I’ve been listening to Your Brain on Art.  It is heavy on the brain portion of the title, so there is a lot of neuroscience jargon and studies that can get a little thick to wade through, but it is a fascinating read so

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a slice of life

four things | three

It’s time for another four things and this is a random smattering.  Commonplacing, Hemmingway, contemporary poetry, and a race with the weather.  Enjoy… what I’m reading I’ve been very interested in record-keeping the past few weeks, so I’ve been reading books on diaries, journals, letters, sketchbooks, logbooks, and commonplace notebooks.  This led me to the book How Romantics & Victorians Organized Information.  Unfortunately, it’s not available in audiobook format, so I’ve been reading a good old-fashioned paperback before bed.  As I understand it, this book is a doctoral dissertation and it’s definitely written that way.  The footnotes citing sources take up half of almost every page!  But, once I got through the introduction and preliminary information about the history of keeping a commonplace notebook, it became more interesting.  It’s not exactly a book I would recommend, but it’s worth a read (so far) if it’s a subject you want to

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All Things Home

Feels Like Home | three year anniversary giveaway

This giveaway is closed.  The winners are Naomi B, Gail J, and Judi Y.  Congrats, and thanks to all who entered and celebrated this book birthday with me!  Feels Like Home is still $11.99 on Amazon if you want some extra inspiration for making your house feel more like your home. Can you believe Feels Like Home turns three this week?  It was released on October 12, 2021, and we can’t let this book birthday pass without a little celebration.  (There’s a giveaway at the bottom of this post, so don’t miss that!)  This book is honestly one of the creative projects I’m proudest of.  Typically, when I’m in the thick of a project, I hit difficult and slow-going patches.  I question if it’s even a good idea any longer or if I’ve exhausted the energy I can give to it.  I used to be discouraged when I hit that

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a slice of life

October Walmart midsize try on

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Walmart Fashion.  As always, all words and opinions are honest and my own. I have had a great time trying on pieces from Walmart to share with you over the past few months.  As I’ve shared before, it’s outside of my comfort zone.  I would never claim that fashion is my forté, but that’s one reason why I say yes to these opportunities.  I’m a sweats and hoodie kind of girl, but I do need to have nice clothes to wear to church, out to dinner, for business meetings, events, etc., so it’s nice to play around with some options.  I have been so impressed with the quality and price of the pieces I’ve ordered and tried on from Walmart.  Jackets that are lined and tailored, sweaters made of 100% cotton, jeans that are made from thick and soft denim (instead of thin and

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a slice of life

Lucketts Fall Market 2024 recap

Another Lucketts Market is in the books!  Attending the Lucketts markets has definitely been a perk of moving back to the mid-Atlantic region.  My mom and I know the Friday of the Spring and Fall Markets are written in ink on the calendar and we need to work everything else around them.  Well, the Early Bird shopping of the 2024 Fall Market did not disappoint.  First of all, the weather was heavenly.  It was just what you want in a fall market.  We had sunny skies, a crisp bite to the air, and a slight breeze that was just enough to rustle the leaves.  We started the morning with sweaters and jackets and shed them around lunchtime. The vendors and the Lucketts crew, as expected, put on a great show.  Lucketts does a great job at creating “moments” throughout the event.  Places to take pictures, to sit and eat or

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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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