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a slice of life

a slice of life

May 2019 Favorites

May was a good month.  That’s a simple, but true way to say it.  I’ve loved the cool spring weather in Minnesota.  I enjoyed being out on walks in the mornings and sitting on the porch in the evenings.  And, while it’s been stressful at times, I have been loving work.  I am working on all sorts of new things…things that make me uncomfortable in a good way because they are vulnerable and pushing me into spaces where I’ve been scared to go.  But, I’ve been working diligently, pushing and praying through any fears that rear and any anxieties that taunt me.  And it feels good. I am launching one of my newest projects to my newsletter subscribers tomorrow (Friday, June 7), so if your curiosity is piqued, make sure you’re subscribed and you’ll hear all about it tomorrow.  You can subscribe HERE (and get the Personal Retreat Guide for

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a slice of life

simple summer dinner

More and more, I don’t mind cooking dinner, but  I hate having to use creative energy to figure out what I’m going to make for dinner.  I do like meal services for that reason and we do those occasionally, but I’m on my own most of the time.  That means that I keep things pretty simple… naan pizzas, breakfast for dinner, soup, etc.  We also do the tried and true standby of chicken, veggies, and a starch. One of our favorites during the late spring and summer is asparagus and chicken.  It’s such a simple dinner, but it’s very tasty. Let’s start with the asparagus.  I prefer skinny asparagus since they are more tender, but I was only able to find the big boys when I was at the store this week.  In that case, I’ll cut them in half or quarters length-wise. I put them in a shallow pan

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a slice of life

What’s your number?

I’ve heard about the enneagram number for years, but I never even looked into taking a test.  Finally, enough people mentioned it to me that I thought I might as well take the test and see what my number was.  I found one online that claimed to be fast and accurate (and free), so I took it. You can find that test HERE. My result was a 7 – The Enthusiast. The description of The Enthusiast fit me pretty perfectly.  I always feel pulled in a million directions with all of my ideas and interests! I was intrigued to learn more, so took a second test offered by the Enneagram Institute that was a bit more in-depth and cost $12.  The result of that test was a tie between 7 and 3 – The Achiever.  Yep, that sounds pretty spot on! I also scored high as a 8, which is

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a slice of life

2019 April Favorites

My word…April flew by!  I can’t believe it’s May already and the end of the school year is just weeks away.  Crazy.  I’m not sure if I’m ready for summer just yet!  Anyway, before we get ahead of ourselves, let me share some of my favorite things from April… Les Misérables on Masterpiece I’m pretty eager to like just about any period miniseries, but I have been eagerly anticipating Les Misérables on PBS for a while!  I was introduced to the story through the musical when I was 11.  It was actually the first CD I ever listened to!  Anyway, the story is so beautiful and I have enjoyed the miniseries so far.  It’s still playing on PBS and you can also watch it on the Masterpiece channel on Amazon Prime. New Notebook I think I have finally found the perfect notebook (and, believe me, I have certainly bought and

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a slice of life

March Favorites

Wow!  I wasn’t expecting such a response to selling the postal sorter.  I can assure you, though, that I’ve bought and sold a lot of beautiful things over the years…things that were rare, unusual, and things that I loved.  But I’ve learned that I can love something for a while, as long as I have the perfect place for it and a use for it, and then I can let it go if ever that changes.  I find just as much joy sending the beloved item off to a new home.  And I haven’t regretted selling anything.  There are times when I remember a piece with fondness or I think about a piece I sold a few years ago that would now be perfect for this house.  But, if I kept everything I might have a spot for in a future house, I would have to rent a storage unit. 

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a slice of life

how the world has changed

Today, I turned 41 and I found myself thinking about how the world has changed since I came into it in 1978… I saw my first VCR at the age of four.  I watched Dumbo and thought it was the most magical thing ever. My brother and I played Frogger on Atari, hooked up to a boxy, wood-encased TV with a turn dial. It was a major crisis when my tape player ran out of batteries and I couldn’t listen to my Annie tape as I fell asleep. Cabbage Patch dolls were the thing. ET was the first movie I remember seeing in the theatre. $2 bills were still in circulation. We loved The Muppet Show, Little House on the Prairie, and The Greatest American Hero. When we went on road trips, we didn’t go through a drive-through, but we found a pretty spot on the side of the road,

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a slice of life

dwelling book & a giveaway

When I was organizing my decorating book collection on the new bookshelf in my office, something struck me.  Most of the books were written by people who I now consider friends and professional acquaintances.  When I was first joining decorating book clubs 18+ years ago to start and grow a collection, I never would’ve guessed that.   And today, I am celebrating adding another book written by a friend to my shelf.  Melissa Michaels of The Inspired Room is launching her new book, Dwelling, this week. In full transparency, I haven’t had a chance to read it from cover to cover, but I took some time and hopped around to each chapter to do some skimming and quick reading.  What I love about this book is I was able to do that and still walk away with some encouragement and great ideas. What I also like about this book is it focuses

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a slice of life

carrot white bean soup & croutons

When my shoulder pain was at its worst a few weeks ago, local friends from our church and community stepped in to encourage and support us by giving me rides to my appointments and bringing a few meals.  You have no idea (or maybe you do) how amazing it was to have jars of soups and a “hot dish” (aka Minnesota for casserole) in the fridge just ready to go.  I couldn’t cut food, maneuver pots & pans, or even eat with my right hand, so knowing that we were stocked with easy-to-heat-up and easy-to-eat meals was such a tremendous gift. All of the food was great, but one of my favorites was a Carrot & White Bean Soup my friend Cheri brought over to me.  I must admit that when I saw what looked like large jars of carrot baby food, I was thankful, but a little skeptical.  But, I’ve

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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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