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a slice of life

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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a slice of life

Happy Mail Movement

As I’ve shared on my blog over the past few weeks, I’ve been the recipient of some pretty awesome “happy mail.”  I always love getting mail and packages, whether they are gifts or things that I’ve ordered, but that sentiment has been amplified during this time of isolation.  Every little thing is precious and the connection with the people who made it, sourced it, packed it, shipped it, and delivered it is appreciated even more. Opening each package is like Christmas morning, filled with anticipation and excitement.  And I have found so much joy in finding the perfect spot for all of my new treasures.  Just the act of moving things around to find a home for whatever arrived on my doorstep that day has been a happy distraction from checking the news or feeling overwhelmed at managing the boys’ schooling. Last week, I received some more happy mail… A

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a slice of life

“Can I pull it off?”

Disclosure: This post is a sponsored collaboration with Magnolia Pearl.  We received a great response from our last collaboration, so we decided to work together again!  As always, all opinions and words are my own. I saw a pair of shoes in an e-mail from Magnolia Pearl a few weeks ago and right away, I was smitten.  They look like antique leather baby shoes, but they are shoes for adults!  Oh my…I couldn’t send Red an e-mail fast enough to see if they had them in my size. While I was waiting for the reply, doubt crept in…  “Can I pull them off?”  I’ve been marinating on this question and how I squashed my own excitement for a pair of shoes I was immediately drawn to and excited about wearing.  And I realized I do that to myself all the time.   Can I pull this off?   What is that question

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a slice of life

March’s Books of the Week

Welp, it’s April 23 and we’re just now getting to March’s books of the week.  That’s just how things have been going lately.  I have definitely put too much self-imposed pressure on myself in a variety of areas and it’s starting to compound.  I know other over-achievers will sympathize.  You know you’re doing fine, but every little thing that slips through the cracks or gets done a little later than desired starts makes you feel like you’re not doing enough.  It’s completely unfair to ourselves and completely ignores the numerous things you’re doing right and well, but it’s a cycle that’s hard to break nonetheless.  Especially when busyness is a kind of sanctuary during stressful times. So, I’m typing it out in the hopes that acknowledgment works as a kind of antidote.  And I’m sharing it in the hopes that others who are feeling the same way will find safety

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a slice of life

happy mail

Over the last couple of weeks, I received a few surprises in the mail from a few of my artist/maker friends.  Happy Mail has a whole new meaning now.  Everything that’s delivered is a thread connecting us to someone else…  someone who made something, packed something, delivered something.  When it’s just us at home, everything that comes in seems precious; a bright spot.  I think each of these packages would have felt like that even under the best of times, but in this time of isolation, they made me pause and appreciate thoughtfulness and connection. When I opened my mailbox a few days ago, the scent of lavender wafted out.  Right away, it made me smile.  It’s my favorite scent and I breathed it in deeply before pulling my mail out into a plastic grocery bag to minimize touching it.  When I opened my mail later the next day (we’ve

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a slice of life

online shopping hack

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Wikibuy.  As always, all words and opinions are honest and my own.  This is a free product I use personally and I’m happy to share it with my readers.  This post also contains affiliate links.  Wikibuy compensates me when you get the Wikibuy extension using the links in this post. I remember making one of my first online purchases about 20 years ago.  I don’t remember what I purchased, but I remember experiencing the angst of pressing the buy button.  Was it a scam?  Would my credit card number be stolen?  Would I actually get what I paid for?  It seriously took me about an hour to go through with it.  I would add it to my cart, remove it, add it again, enter my credit card information, delete it, enter it again, walk away, take a deep breath, and finally pressed the buy

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a slice of life

classic white bread recipe & bread-baking tips

There was a time, before kids, before I started a business, when my main focus for two sweet years was being a homemaker. I left my corporate job and supported Jeff as he served full time as a youth pastor. Leaving my job with a demanding schedule and limited time off meant that I could go on all of the youth trips and participate in all of the activities. It also meant that I had a lot of free time during the day, which I used to throw myself into decorating, keeping house, and becoming a better cook and baker. I dove into new territory with recipes like this classic white bread recipe.  I had Food Network shows like Good Eats and Sara’s Secrets running in the background most days and I would jot down notes about searing meat, making the perfect roux, and developing deep flavor in a sauce.

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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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