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a slice of life

a slice of life

family work day

As I shared a couple of weeks ago, this is the year we get our yard looking more presentable.  Not only were the beds overrun with weeds and filled with plants I had no affection for, but things were just looking messy and untidy.  The black plastic borders were popping up, grass was creeping into the beds, certain spots along the hills were eroding, 15-year-old landscape fabric was ineffective and exposed, bushes and trees needed to be pruned, and the area under the deck was a dumping ground.  I have been largely avoiding all of it for the better part of almost three years.  It just all seemed like too big of a project. My renewed energy from a mostly-healed shoulder and our collective cabin fever from being under stay-at-home orders since March became the perfect recipe to get our whole family out in the yard and working together. In

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a slice of life

the antique french paint box

One of the things on my shopping wish-list when I went to Europe last fall was a paint box.  Most of the items on my list were, in fact, art supplies…  a silver ink well, a blotter, a tabletop easel, a fountain pen.  As you may have noticed, antique and vintage art supplies have been a favorite of mine lately!  I was really hoping to find a wooden artist’s pochade box in France or Italy, and I did come across a couple, but just not the right one.  I almost talked myself into buying one particular box, but it really was too new.  It didn’t have the soul and patina I wanted. So, I’ve been browsing Etsy and eBay now and then for antique and vintage pochade boxes.  I’ve gotten so far as to put one in my cart only to abandon it.  After all of my years of buying

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a slice of life

April’s Books of the Week

I must pat myself on the back for picking some great books in the month of April!  I feel like I can say that because I just picked them off of a shelf, read them, enjoyed them, and I’m sharing them with you. The Art of Beatrix Potter I enjoyed this book on a few different levels.  First off, I liked learning more about Beatrix Potter as a writer, artist, and creative.  This book is part biography with family photos and details about her childhood and how her stories and art began and evolved. I also enjoyed this book as a subject to study as an artist.  There are so many delightful sketches and watercolor paintings, as you would imagine.  I always learn so much from studying other artists.  I feel overwhelmed at the idea of sketching a street scene, but I can learn how to do it by making

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a slice of life

this & that

Our weekend was mostly rainy, but it was much needed.  I’m watching our grass green up and our front garden spring to life (along with weeds that need to be pulled) out of the drenched soil.  I spent Sunday cleaning and making soup to get the week started off well.  I did take some creative time when everyone else was occupied, though.  I did prep for the next slipcovers I’ll be working on as well as some painting and drawing. I also sent out some more happy mail! I am taking another Jeanne Oliver class – The Working Art Journal with Pam Carriker and I’ve been making value scale charts with my pencils… I love making little tools for art and Pam has all sorts of fun suggestions for getting to know your art supplies and making pretty and functional reference materials. The bulk of the class is working on

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a slice of life

make-do banana bread recipe

In the early days of quarantine, I remember feeling a little panicked about food.  Maybe panicked is too strong of a word, but I was worried about the unknown.  I have some small experience with food shortage and not knowing what you’re going to be able to get each day.  I spent a summer in Russia, just a few years after the wall fell.  I lived in an apartment with my dad and, as the lady of the house, I was responsible for the shopping and cooking.  I liked homemaking even then and my dad was always one to push me into the deep end to see if I could make it. We shopped together the first few times and I learned that it was nothing like going into an American grocery store.  Their stores were small, more like the size of a gas station market, and the shelves were

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a slice of life

milk paint backdrops, blueberry ink, & creative community

Last week was the first week that I felt like I was settling into a new routine.  The previous weeks were about figuring out this new normal…the stress of feeling like I’m bringing toxic waste into the house when I order groceries or check the mail, the struggle of learning how to do school from home, the worry of the unknown, trying to sleep after reading the news.  I know so many of you can relate to the upheaval. But, I’m settling now, just as one would after a move or starting a new job, having a baby, or some other life-changing event. I’ve grown used to having groceries delivered and wiping them all down before bringing them into the house.  The boys have gotten into their own routine and have been doing schoolwork with more independence.  We’ve been able to treat ourselves with one outing to Home Depot to

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a slice of life

pick-me-up plants

Saturday night was a rough one.  Jeff and Marshall (my oldest) slept in a tent set up in our backyard, so that meant I was on overnight diabetes-duty on my own.  For those who don’t know, Calvin, our youngest is a type 1 diabetic.  This is just a normal part of our lives and we all work together to manage it, but the most wearisome thing about diabetes is it never takes a break.  It doesn’t sleep.  It doesn’t care if you’re traveling or if you want to have a special treat on a holiday.  It has to be considered and dealt with all the time.   And Saturday night, it was demanding.  His equipment wasn’t working, so I had to test his blood sugar every 1.5-2 hours and try to sleep in between with alarms sounding.  I woke up grouchy, groggy, and with a headache. It felt like jetlag; like

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a slice of life

#happymailmovement giveaway no. 1 | mini oil paintings

Today is my first #happymailmovement giveaway for my blog readers!  I have been working on these for a couple of weeks and I have over 20 to give away.  Some of them I’m sending to friends, people who have sent me happy mail, and a few members of my mentoring group, but I’m going to be giving away ten here today! And, for those asking, I will be painting more to sell.  At first, I wanted to build a healthy stash to give away as happy mail. I have absolutely loved painting these!  They are quick and give me a huge sense of accomplishment when I can paint 4-6 in one sitting.  I’m also learning a lot through the process.  It’s easy to experiment and not feel too uptight on a tiny piece of canvas.  I can just throw it away if it doesn’t work out. You can tell that

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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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May 20th, 2026 at 1pm EST

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