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a slice of life

a slice of life

chicken divan recipe

I’ve noticed that I’m not the only one into cooking comfort foods in these strange times.  Not only are they comforting, hence the name, but they tend to be a good way to use up ingredients that are starting to turn or to use some of the canned goods in stock.  I’ve used this excuse to make banana bread, blueberry muffins, and last night, I made a childhood favorite to use up some fresh broccoli that was yellowing – Chicken Divan. For years, I’ve doctored and tweaked the basic recipe found in The Heart of Hospitality Cookbook we got when our family was stationed in Germany… It’s a collection of favorite recipes by people who were a part of the Overseas Christian Servicemen’s Centers in the 70’s and 80’s.  There is Onion Pie from Vicky Rogers, Impossible Quiche by Chris Spader, Konigsberger Klopse by Delcy Davenport, and Fudgy Oatmeal Squares

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a slice of life

gratitude & hope

When the cancellations first started, the homebody in me didn’t mind too much.  I’ve been saying to Jeff for months that I wish I could just press the pause button and suspend all of the activities and busyness for a little while.  Well, this wasn’t exactly what I had in mind!  My oldest son, Marshall, expressed it well last night.  He said something the effect of, “I was pretty excited when school was canceled for a couple of weeks, but now it’s not so great.  I miss being able to see my friends and climb at the gym.”  And I know what he’s saying.  I wish I could pick and choose what was canceled or closed and keep my favorite things. Life for me feels pretty normal.  My work is done from home and primarily online, so I’m used to being home a lot and connecting with my team and

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a slice of life

swedish & german brushes

I am a brush-lover and have been for many years.  And my soft spot for brushes goes beyond those used for paint.  I love pretty brooms, dish brushes, make-up brushes, basting brushes, new brushes, old brushes…you get the idea.  When I sold in a retail space and at markets, I was on a mission to find some pretty brushes to sell beyond the antique and vintage brushes I would pick up here and there.  I imagined bouquets of dish brushes in ironstone pitchers.  I eventually found and started carrying Redecker brushes from Germany.  Not only did I sell them online, out of my studio, and at Lucketts… …but, I kept a whole hoard of them for myself to use in my home.  I’ve slowly been working my way through that stash, holding onto each brush until the wood is split and the bristles are nubs.  Now that I’m down to

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Favorite Things

the Scandinavian yarn shop

It’s hard to know what to write about at a time like this.  Even since I posted yesterday so many things have changed.  While I’m not feeling panicked, I do feel some anxiety about what the next few weeks and months hold.  Not just for myself and my family and friends, but for people who are hit hard by the virus or closures or quarantines. But, we can each only do what we can do.  We can keep “doing our verbs.”  I’ll keep writing, reading, painting, creating, and taking pictures.  I’ll continue to share, hoping it will be a welcome diversion.  I’ll prepare meals, clean the house, play games with the boys, and take walks when the weather is nice. One thing that I can do to support my community of readers is to pray for each of you.  Please let me know how I can do that.  Is there

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a slice of life

easy creamy potato & ham soup jars

We are just in one of those seasons of life when things are really busy.  I’m sure so many of you can relate.  You get a few months in a row when evenings and weekends are generally quiet and then you hit a stretch when there is something happening every single day.  Jeff has a meeting at church, the boys have climb team practice, I have a women’s event or a planning committee meeting, Jeff has a men’s thing, we have small group, Marshall has a 7th-grade boy’s hangout, the kids have tubing with the youth group…  It’s all good stuff and fun stuff, but it’s meant that we’re either eating early or late.   So, meal prep on the weekends has been key and a big part of that is making soup jars.  I cook one or two big pots of soup (usually a double recipe) and portion it out

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a slice of life

creamy potato & ham soup jars

We are just in one of those seasons of life when things are really busy.  I’m sure so many of you can relate.  You get a few months in a row when evenings and weekends are generally quiet and then you hit a stretch when there is something happening every single day.  Jeff has a meeting at church, the boys have climb team practice, I have a women’s event or a planning committee meeting, Jeff has a men’s thing, we have small group, Marshall has a 7th-grade boy’s hangout, the kids have tubing with the youth group…  It’s all good stuff and fun stuff, but it’s meant that we’re either eating early or late.   So, meal prep on the weekends has been key and a big part of that is making soup jars.  I cook one or two big pots of soup (usually a double recipe) and portion it out

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a slice of life

February’s Books of the Week

I have really enjoyed sharing a book of the week this year, but I’ve realized it’s just given me another excuse to buy more books when I really didn’t need another excuse!  I already have way more than 52 books to share and recommend!  But, it has been fun to look for new books and revisit old books that have stuck with me through all of the moves and purges. A couple of weeks ago, Jeff and I went out to dinner and then hit Barnes & Noble.  We usually split up, since we like to browse different sections.  He likes books about nature, fishing, history, theology, and I like books on decorating, art, cooking, gardening, crafts, creativity, and business.  So, yeah, we’re not hanging out in the same aisles!  I have my little route that I take from the magazines to the discount books to the cookbooks then to

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a slice of life

creative retreat | feb 2020

I went on my first creative retreat almost two years ago.  It wasn’t a conference that was packed with classes and activities.  It wasn’t a family vacation where I was wrangling kids between pockets of relaxation.  It was a time away specifically for the purpose of filling my creative tank and stepping outside of my daily routine, so I could think without distractions.  I came back from that first retreat with clarity and excitement and I immediately knew this had to be a regular thing. Since then, I’ve done a few creative retreats and they’ve all been beneficial in different ways. Last week, I went down to Panama City Beach to spend a few days with Shaunna at her parent’s condo.  We had a to-do list, but it wasn’t so aggressive that we wouldn’t have free time to read, journal, paint, walk on the beach, or just go to bed

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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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