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a slice of life

a slice of life

what I do all day & five tips for running your own business

I will admit that my job isn’t a normal one.  I often say to my boys, “I know it doesn’t look like I’m working, but this is what my work looks like today.”  Sometimes it’s painting.  Sometimes it’s doodling in a notebook, working on ideas or designs.  Sometimes it’s doing photo shoots or editing photos.  Sometimes it’s playing on social media.  It’s working in the garden, it’s organizing, it’s hanging wallpaper, it’s building something, making something, writing something.  It’s working on a computer.  It’s working on my phone.  It’s recording a podcast.  It’s reading.  And, to make it even more complicated, my hobbies and business are so intertwined that even I sometimes can’t tell when I’m doing something for the fun of it or because I’m being paid to do it.  Because you (those who read my blog) have a front-row seat to this unusual occupation, I thought I would

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Favorite Things

Building a Home Library

Let’s talk about books, shall we? On Instagram last week, I shared my latest out-of-control stack of new books to read.  When I order new books, I’ll sit them on the low bookcase under the window of my studio until I take the time to sit down and read them.  When I say “read”, I mean actually read in some cases, but in most cases, I review the books.  I take my time flipping through each page, making notes, and flagging pages I want to revisit, before filing it on the shelf.  (I like to use to flag pages in my books because I can reuse them and they don’t ruin the pages.)  Sometimes, the book goes back in the stack, so I can spend more time with it.  Such is the case with the books sitting at the very bottom of the stack. Sometimes the stack can get to

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a slice of life

how I maximize productivity

I am often asked how I do everything that I do, so I’m going to attempt to answer that in this post and to offer some of the ways I maximize productivity.  The reason why I say I’m going to attempt to answer that question is that I really don’t believe there is one set formula.  Systems that work well for one person aren’t sustainable for another.  I also don’t know that I really have a set system.  Some of it is just how I operate.  Some of it is learned behavior.  Some is discipline.  We each have our own unique blend of traits and it’s important to be aware of them and not try to cram ourselves into a mold in which we won’t fit.  So, take what clicks for you and leave what doesn’t… milk painted dresser makeover maximize productivity tip one | most things don’t need to

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Favorite Things

may 2021 favorites

I can’t believe it’s June already!  In just a few short weeks, 2021 will be half over.  I remember a friend saying years ago, as I held an infant Marshall in my arms, that I just pressed the fast-forward button on my life.  There is something about living in the cycle of the school year, watching your kids mature and grow taller than you (Marshall just passed me by almost 2″), and the bustle of an active household, that makes time seem to pass just a little quicker. May was also a full month.  Busy with work, busy with the end of the school year, busy with getting ready for a trip, and getting settled and caught up when we got home.  But it was full and busy in a good way.  I feel like I’m settling more into my routine and workflow more than I have in months.  As

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Artistic Endeavors

isle of palms | part three | painting & sketching

Our trip to Isle of Palms in May was primarily about visiting with family and celebrating my parent’s 50th anniversary (51st now since it had to be postponed for a year), but it was also our first vacation in a long time, so I wanted to take intentional time to do things that were restful and restorative.  Being at the beach and gathering shells were a part of that, but so was painting and sketching.  Not only are those endeavors relaxing, but they help me really pay attention, be observant, be present, and appreciate the beauty around me.  So, I made a commitment that I would paint or sketch every day, even if it was just a quick pencil sketch while sitting at the beach.  And I stuck to that, even doing some quick landscape sketches in the car ride. I also wanted to work on watercolor sketches and drawing

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Travel

isle of palms | part two | day trip to Charleston

Get ready for a lot of pictures of classic low-country southern architecture, because today I’m sharing about our little excursion with my mom to Charleston, SC. When we first started talking about things to do in the general area of Isle of Palms, Charleston rose to the number one thing I wanted to do.  We didn’t really want this vacation to be about running around and doing touristy things, but the beautiful old city of Charleston was too close to not visit.  The guys weren’t really interested, so we left them back at the beach house. The best way to cover the most ground in Charleston is to do a carriage tour, so we signed up for one shortly after we arrived.  There are several companies who offer the tours at a couple of different price points.  We went with Palmetto Carriage Works because they had the earliest opening and

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Travel

tips on shelling

As I’ve shared before, my favorite thing to do at the beach is to hunt for shells.  I’ve been shelling since I was a little girl, helping my Oma hunt for olive shells at Long Beach, NC.  When we cleaned out her attic, we found several five-gallon buckets filled to the brim with shells she had collected.  She definitely passed that along to me and combing a beach is the first thing I’ll do when my feet hit the sand.  As I was sharing about shelling in my Instagram stories, I was asked if I’d share some tips on shelling, so here they are… tips for shelling | make sure it’s permitted The first step to shelling is to make sure it’s okay to pick up and keep shells from that beach.  When I shared the shells I found on Instagram, I received some questions about that as well as

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summer

isle of palms | part one | the house & the beach

This trip was supposed to happen last year in celebration of my parent’s wedding anniversary.  I remember in February of 2020, when I spent a few days with Shaunna at her parent’s condo in Florida, thinking how much I was looking forward to a week at the beach that summer.  I wouldn’t call myself a “beach person.”  I don’t like the grit of the sand and the sticky saltiness of the ocean.  I’m fearful of animals that might be lurking around my feet and powerful waves and currents.  I break out in hives if I get too much sun and I turn bright pink and feel nauseous in too much heat.  I am not a good candidate to be a beach lover.  But, I do love it and I find it restorative under the right conditions.  If I can enjoy the beach when the sun isn’t too intense and the

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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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