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a slice of life

a slice of life

quick turkey avocado burgers

Back in January, I started taking pictures of what I was eating through the day…mostly breakfast, lunch, and some snacks, and sharing it on my Instagram Stories.  I didn’t plan to continue doing it, but I’ve received so many comments from people who have found it inspiring and encouraging, so I’ve kept sharing.  As a side benefit, it’s helped hold me accountable, too.  I want to eat healthy, pretty meals that I’m proud to share. I have been making some progress in the weight loss department, but being sick has slowed down my weekly workouts.  I hope to get back to them consistently when I get back from my trip to Florida next week (to have a mini creative retreat with Shaunna.)  I haven’t been following any consistent plan, but have been trying to eat whole foods, more protein, healthy fats, and lower carbs.  I also try to “eat my

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a slice of life

turkey avocado burgers

Back in January, I started taking pictures of what I was eating through the day…mostly breakfast, lunch, and some snacks, and sharing it on my Instagram Stories.  I didn’t plan to continue doing it, but I’ve received so many comments from people who have found it inspiring and encouraging, so I’ve kept sharing.  As a side benefit, it’s helped hold me accountable, too.  I want to eat healthy, pretty meals that I’m proud to share. I have been making some progress in the weight loss department, but being sick has slowed down my weekly workouts.  I hope to get back to them consistently when I get back from my trip to Florida next week (to have a mini creative retreat with Shaunna.)  I haven’t been following any consistent plan, but have been trying to eat whole foods, more protein, healthy fats, and lower carbs.  I also try to “eat my

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a slice of life

German Cucumber Salad Recipe

One thing I grew to love during my childhood spent in Germany was German food!  Oh, my mouth waters just thinking about it the warm pretzels with fresh butter, spaetzle with brown gravy, potato pancakes topped with fine applesauce, and crispy schnitzel.  I also loved German cucumber salad. Several years ago, I received this recipe from a German woman who gave it to me after we got into a conversation about German food.  I’ve made it multiple times over the years and it’s always a winner – fresh, crispy, and tasty. Lately, I’ve been working on eating healthier.  Specifically, I’m eating whole foods, watching my portions, lowering my carbs and sugars, and increasing protein and healthy fats.  (And it’s even better with homemade mayo.)  This cucumber salad fits right into that plan, so I’ve been making it every couple of weeks to eat with lunch or dinner (or even as

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a slice of life

January’s Books of the Week & Goals Update

At the tail end of last year, I decided I would share a Book of the Week each week of 2020.  I love learning from books and going back to them again and again for inspiration, ideas, wise words, lessons…  I view it as continuing education and I make frequent trips to the book store to browse for new reading materials.  I mention these books on my Instagram stories or here on the blog, but I thought it would be nice to share them in a more organized fashion for those who are interested. I’m going to feature a mix of new books and ones that have been favorites for years.  I’ll also share books on a variety of subjects from art and home decorating to design and business.  They will all be books that I consider to be “resource books” – books that can be referenced repeatedly in order

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a slice of life

dollar shave club review (for women)

Thanks to for sponsoring this blog post! #ad  As always, all words and opinions shared are honest and my own. Whenever I accept a sponsored post, it first has to pass through some filters.  Is it a product/brand I already use and love or is it something I’ve been curious about trying?  Do I think my readers would be interested?  If the answers to those questions are yes, then I usually agree without hesitation.  When this opportunity came through, though, I hesitated.  Would I have to shave my legs on my blog?  And that gave me pause!  So, I did a ton of research on and came away from that research excited to try it.  Many non-sponsored reviews I read raved about the razors, the toiletries, the convenience, and the cost-savings.  Okay, I’m intrigued and I think my readers might be, too. Don’t worry… I’m not going to shave for

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a slice of life

meal prep for busy weeknights with Blue Apron

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Blue Apron.  As always, all opinions and words are honest and my own.  Oh, and the first 50 people to sign up will get $60 off their first 3 weeks of Blue Apron!  More details below… We have entered a season of life when things are just busy!!  Our evenings are regularly booked with homework, climb team, swim lessons, small group, church committee meetings, and getting to the gym as a family.  It’s all good stuff, but it often means we have to grab a quick dinner.  I don’t want to live off of take-out or feed my kids cereal for dinner every night, so I’ve been working on prepping meals on the weekends, so we’re stocked and ready for healthy, but quick lunches and dinners. I make soups and portion them into pint-sized jars. I pre-make salads and also put them in grab-and-go

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a slice of life

My Europe Sketchbook

Just an FYI to those who might be thinking about Mustard Seed Mentoring, but you’re on the fence.  We close our doors tonight (Thursday) at midnight, but before we do, we’re offering the opportunity to have a full membership for ONE WEEK for $1.00!  You can snoop around, join us for a live session and see if this group is right for you and your business. You can get more details about Mustard Seed Mentoring HERE. When my mom and I traveled to Europe a couple of years ago, I brought all sorts of art supplies and sketchbooks and ended up doing two sketches at the airport.  (Insert eye-roll at self.)   I did keep a journal, but I was so disappointed that I let the fear of not living up to my own expectations get in the way of a dream-come-true experience.  See how that worked?  I was scared of

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a slice of life

how I make grab & go salad jars

I’ve learned that when it comes to healthy eating, I need to make it easy.  If I have healthy food on hand that’s visible, fresh, quick, and tasty, I will make better choices.  Well, editing the fridge and pantry helps, too, so I don’t have a stash of something that’s going to derail my efforts. For the last few years, I’ve been making salad jars to keep in the fridge, so it’s easy and convenient to eat a quick veggie-loaded salad for lunch or as a side with a quick dinner.  I’ve also found that the glass keeps the lettuce and other veggies crisp for several days. When I shared these salad jars on Instagram, I received tons of questions!  What do I put in the jars?  How do I eat them?  When do I add the dressing?  Etc.  So, I decided to make a video showing how I make

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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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