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a slice of life

a slice of life

circa 1886

When I was in my mid-20s, I became a Food Network junkie.  We had just moved into the first home we owned, a 1,100 sq ft townhouse, and I had my own kitchen after living in my in-law’s basement for a couple of years while Jeff finished his undergrad degree.  I had a lot of pent-up creative energy and I was very excited about painting, decorating, cooking, and baking.  I had also left my corporate job and committed my days to being a stay-at-home wife and supporting Jeff in his first full-time ministry job as a Youth Pastor.  It was a rare season of life when I didn’t have to work and wasn’t yet occupied with caring for babies.  So, I relished in all things domestic!  Of course, I painted the walls, refinished furniture, installed trim, and wood floors, and worked on our small house, but I watched the Food

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a slice of life

collectors collect

If you have followed my Instagram Stories while I’ve been on vacation at Isle of Palms, it’s obvious that I’m a collector by the number of shells I add to my beachcombing bag to take home with me.  I embraced the fact that I was a collector a long time ago.  I allow myself to collect things because I enjoy it, but I’m also aware of my tendencies enough to prevent things from taking over our house.  Collections are only valuable if they can be seen, enjoyed, and interacted with in a meaningful way.  But, as I was intently examining the piles of shells on the beach, I realized I wasn’t just collecting shells when I set out for our daily beach walks. Shell collecting was number one.  I was on the hunt for whelks, olive shells, fossils, interesting oyster shells, and anything else that caught my fancy.  To me,

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a slice of life

the 2024 IOP shell collection contest

My mom and I started talking about the IOP shell collection contest of 2022 before we even found our first shell this year.  Once the competition was mentioned, though, my mom became unreasonably competitive.  “I found the first olive shell!!  I think that should earn me bonus points!  I found the first lady’s ear so I get another bonus point!” “Mom, people vote on their favorite shell collection.  Bonus points are worthless.” She has made it clear that she doesn’t need bonus points anyway because she’s going to wipe the floor with me.  While she’s being a little intense about the contest, she did earn bragging rights by beating me with over 85% of the votes.  She’s been insufferable ever since, so thanks for that. The 2022 shell collection contest was spur of the moment, but this year the contest was going to be a bit more organized.  We collected

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a slice of life

wabi-sabi shells

We’ve been spending Spring Break at Isle of Palms, a beach in South Carolina we’ve visited with extended family a few times over the past four years.  The thing my mom and I most love about this beach is the shelling.  We can find wonderful shells and it’s my favorite activity to go out once or twice a day to comb the beach.  One of the best parts about shelling with my mom is that we look for different things.  It’s sort of like when we go to antique stores together.  I know I’m never going to have to wrestle her over a piece of ironstone or a writing slope.  At the beach, I am mostly drawn to the shells with character – shells that “speak to me” in a way that others might not get.  When you see my collection of shells set out together, you can see the

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Favorite Things

My favorite period drama series & shows | part 3

Well, I am still spending most of my time in bed and all of my time in jammies with the flu.  I’ve felt lousy, but I’m so thankful it hasn’t been as intense as I know it can be.  I’m just trying to be gentle and patient with myself even though I’m eager to get back to work.   I’m also thankful that I love my work and miss it when I’m sick!  Anyway, as you can imagine, I’ve been watching a lot of TV as I’ve been under the weather for most of February and that got me thinking about past posts I’ve written sharing some of my favorite period drama series and shows.  I feel like they can’t make period drama series fast enough for me to consume them!  I just love that genre (the costumes, the scenery, the houses, the props) and I enjoy series specifically so a

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Favorite Things

artist spotlight – Maryfrances Carter

One of the things I love most about the online world is learning about artists and creative business owners with whom I might never cross paths.  I have gotten to admire the work of people who are wildly creative and make amazing works of art out of paper, paint, clay, metal, and more.  It’s inspiring to see their work, how they conduct their business, and how they continue to produce while nurturing their artistic voice.  One of the artists I tripped over on Instagram is the ceramicist and surface artist Maryfrances Carter. (All of the photos in this post are used courtesy of Maryfrances Carter.) When you see her work, you’ll understand why I was drawn to it.  Her predominately blue and white color palette attracted my eye right away along with her designs that feel both traditional and fresh.  Her flagship product is coffee mugs that are offered individually

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encouragement

front porch confessions

On Instagram over the weekend, I shared a confession.  I posted, “I don’t know who needs to hear this, but I still have pumpkins on my porch.”  Of course, I meant it to be a bit of self-deprecating humor, laughing at the fact that I had let pumpkins sit on my front porch almost three months past their prime.  Most people got the joke and a surprising number shared that they still had pumpkins on their porch as well.  A few people, though, were confused as to why I still had pumpkins on my front porch and why I would be sharing them on social media. While the post was just meant to be a bit of levity, there was something deeper behind it.  It was a way of saying, I’m a bit behind and it’s okay if you are, too.  I knew those rotting pumpkins would be familiar to

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a slice of life

better & done

What started as “feeling under the weather” and having a bit of a sore throat early last week turned into being flat-out sick mid-week.  So instead of photographing things I’ve worked on, painting in my studio, and getting things ticked off the to-do list, I was blowing my nose raw and redecorating my nightstand with coughdrops, saltines, a thermometer, and an array of beverages.  While I didn’t appreciate the little detour my week took, the kitties loved the extra snuggles and hardly left my side.  I’m still dealing with a cough and fatigue, but I am definitely on the upswing. Since I didn’t get to take those new pictures and work on putting new posts together, I am picking up a post I started writing a few months ago.  I looked back over my drafts and this one made me smile as I reread what was already written and I

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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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