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a slice of life

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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a slice of life

My Daily & Weekly Planning Sheets | Free download

Historically, planners have lured me in and then fell short.  I would try to use them to get myself organized and stay on top of my schedule, but the format always felt forced.  It didn’t work the way I needed it to work.  So, a few months ago, I finally designed my own daily and weekly planning sheets.  In developing these, I discovered that I needed a planner that was content-driven and task-driven instead of calendar-driven.  I do have some appointments and meetings each week, but I don’t need a dedicated page with an hourly breakdown of each day.  I also have to put my appointments and important due dates on my Outlook calendar, so I can set alarms and reminders.  If things don’t ding, blink, and pop-up at me, I might forget them. So, for my planning sheets, I just need an overview of my meetings and appointments…  10:00

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a slice of life

florence | a walking tour

This is my final post about my trip to Europe last fall.  (If you missed any of the posts or you’re planning your own trip, all of the links are below.) During the car ride from Barga to Florence, I was feeling ready to go home.  I would’ve been completely okay with going straight to the airport.  But, after checking in at the Piazza Pitti Palace, shopping at a 163-year-old pen & paper shop, and being introduced to a gold & silversmith by our enthusiastic guide, I wanted just one more day.  Maybe two.  I was regretting the decision I made months earlier to spend just an afternoon in Florence. But, the flight was booked, so I needed to make the most of this time and soak it all in. We left the artisan workshop and Vanessa, our guide, led us through non-touristy narrow streets.  These streets were still bustling

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a slice of life

My favorite “egg pan” & book of the week

I used to be a bagel girl all the way.  Just about every morning (when I worked in the corporate world), I would pick up a bagel to eat on my long commute to work.  This was when my metabolism (and about 3 hours in the gym every evening) would keep up with such a carb and calorie-heavy breakfast.  Dieting for me back in those days always involved some lighter bagel-like offering, like Special K waffles with spray butter or whole wheat English muffins. After I had Calvin, I was the heaviest I had ever been.  There were no more three-hour-long workouts at the gym and my post-30 metabolism was catching up with me.  I needed to try something different.  So, I did the Core Plan by Weight Watchers, which limited bready, carby things that made up the bulk of my diet.  Despite my resistance to the idea, I made

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a slice of life

Dreams & Goals for January 2020

I was planning to share my dreams and goals for the entire year, but that seemed like overkill.  Let’s just do this one month at a time, slow and steady, with long-term results in mind. I don’t have a word of the year, but a phrase… “Do it for your future self.” It’s so, so easy to do things for the me-right-now.  I’d rather sleep in than start a healthy morning routine.  I’d rather eat what I want than make intentional choices to fuel my body.  I’d rather skip the walk or the shoulder exercises in favor of doing something more creative.  I’d rather buy this thing now than wait to see if it’s something I really want or need. But future me always wishes I did the opposite.  The future me never appreciates that I indulged on one more piece of cake.  The future me never wishes I watched

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a slice of life

Merry Christmas 2019

Oh, I wish I had a song to share with you this year, but this was a year of saying “no” to things that were too much.  Our (almost) annual Christmas song for my blog was something that ended up on the no list.   I was pleased with the fact that I was able to pick up my guitar and play last week to see if it was possible, but I was only able to play for short periods of time and my shoulder wasn’t happy with me afterward.  In addition, the “Parsons Family Band” was unenthusiastic this year. If you have no idea what I’m talking about or you want to watch past songs, you can find them here… Hope was Born this Night | 2018 Born is the King | 2016 Oh, What a Glorious Night | 2015 The Only Gift | 2013 I actually sang one more

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a slice of life

five new christmas tradition suggestions…

This isn’t a list of musts and shoulds.  I’m pretty sure we all have enough of those on our plate right now and we’re eagerly awaiting the day when things slow down…Christmas is done, the presents are opened, our bellies are full, and we can just have a moment without a pressing must-do or should-do list.  So, there are no obligations in this post.  These are just a few suggestions of new traditions you might want to add to your Christmas this year.  They are things I’ve enjoyed that aren’t as mainstream as caroling, gingerbread, and watching Elf. If I enjoyed them, you might, too… New Christmas Tradition No. 1 | Reading Secrets in the Dark Last week, we had the privilege of attending a Jason Gray concert at our church.  We saw him in February and it was an evening that was good for the soul.  It was worshipful

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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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