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a slice of life
a slice of life

running on grace

Disclaimer: This blog is always going to be a DIY/home decor blog, but something big happened in our family this week and I know so many of you are praying for us and have encouraged us, so I want to share more of the story and give you an update.  I’ll give updates now and then and you may see buttons on my blog for diabetes awareness and fund raisers to find a cure, etc., but the focus of my blog isn’t going to shift.  Just an FYI. So, this week has been about me getting it together.  I planned to paint and make videos and work on the look book and some other fun stuff, but that’s going to have to wait a bit.  On Monday, my youngest son, who is five, was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes.  I made an appointment with our pediatrician after noticing that he

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January 17, 2014 232 Comments
a slice of life

Magazine Features & a Risky Outfit

Before we go any further, I want to clarify that the outfit mentioned in the title of this post is risky, not risque, lest there be any confusion. So, several weeks ago, I received a few e-mails in a row from magazines requesting content for a feature.  I can’t imagine a day when I casually sigh and say, “Yeah, I got an e-mail from another magazine editor…” like it’s a boring thing.  It’s always a giggle-inducing, spine-tingling moment.  I have backed off on calling all of my friends to tell them immediately.  Anyway, each magazine had a different kind of feature in mind.  For American Farmhouse Style, they initially asked for some ideas of things to feature in my home, but I saw this as a great opportunity to pitch a MMS Milk Paint feature, so I sent along some of the gorgeous images Maria shot for me and they were

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December 29, 2013 No Comments
a slice of life

a thoughtful gift & fitness update

I planned this week to get started on some of the pieces on my to-do list, but I have been knocked out with a bad cold/flu sort of thing.  It had me bed-bound for a couple of days and has left me dragging through the week.  I’m up and about now, but I just haven’t had it in me to start painting or stripping a piece of furniture and forget trying to organize the attic and guest room.  That’ll have to wait until I’m back to 100%…well, maybe 80% will do…realistically.  It’s tough for me to just sit, but I’ve been focusing on computer work and Jane Austen movies & BBC miniseries have kept me entertained.  (Is anyone else totally bummed that they didn’t make a third season of London Hospital?) So, I was hoping to have lots of fun stuff to share, but I’ve had to slow down a

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October 31, 2013 74 Comments
Miscellaneus

St. Elmo & Horses

 I spent the day at MMSMP retailer’s training again and it was such an amazing day.  I learned so much from my retailers and have all sorts of ideas.  I also learned some new techniques, which is so exciting.  I know a lot about how to use milk paint, but I can always learn more and it was so great to get outside of my little bubble and see how other artists are using it.  I’ll definitely share some of the tricks of the trade with you down the road.  Today, though, I decided to show off some photos from our vacation to Colorado this summer.  I meant to share them sooner, but I got busy and excited about other things.  With the packed days away from my computer, I figured it was a good time to share them. The first series of pictures was taken at St. Elmo, a

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September 25, 2013 24 Comments
a slice of life

Top 10 Vacation Moments

I’m back! What an awesome vacation.  I did hop on my computer here and there to make sure everything was happening that was supposed to be happening, but a lot of places I visited didn’t have bathrooms or grocery stores for miles, much less internet or cell phone.  That was sort of nice.  Anyway, I know you don’t want to read post after post about my vacation, so I thought I would compress my vacation into one top ten post.  I will be sharing some other snippets, but interwoven with the usual home decor stuff.  So, here are my top ten moments… 10 – Watching storms roll in… I’m a person who enjoys thunderstorms, anyway, but they are really magnificent in the mountains and so unlike those we have in PA.  Each storm is so isolated and it blows in, hits with force and moves on.  Each afternoon, you can

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August 28, 2013 81 Comments
a slice of life

P90X Results

I did it!  90 days of P90x.  Whew!  It was tough, but I really enjoyed it and I am very happy with the results.  I’m going to say upfront that I am not affiliated with P90x or Beachbody (the company that makes these workout videos) and I bought this program on my own, because I wanted to get in the best shape of my life and lose weight.  This is just something I’m doing and I wanted to share an update and p90x review on my blog. You can read more about my get-fit journey HERE and HERE. What is P90x? It’s a DVD in-home workout system that focuses on strength training with some yoga and cardio thrown in.  It takes 90 days to complete the workout schedule and you change things up each month. Why did I decide to do P90x? I love a challenge and, if you can’t

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July 2, 2013 No Comments
a slice of life

raspberriesgallery

I did it!  90 days of P90x.  Whew!  It was tough, but I really enjoyed it and I am very happy with the results.  I’m going to say upfront that I am not affiliated with P90x or Beachbody (the company that makes these workout videos) and I bought this program on my own, because I wanted to get in the best shape of my life and lose weight.  This is just something I’m doing and I wanted to share an update and p90x review on my blog. You can read more about my get-fit journey HERE and HERE. What is P90x? It’s a DVD in-home workout system that focuses on strength training with some yoga and cardio thrown in.  It takes 90 days to complete the workout schedule and you change things up each month. Why did I decide to do P90x? I love a challenge and, if you can’t

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July 1, 2013 122 Comments
a slice of life

Victories, Defeats & Christmas in April

I’ll start off with the victories.  I made it through the first block (4 weeks) of P90x.  I can already see and feel improvements in my fitness and have lost some pounds and inches.  I’m going for walks with my family and teaching my six year old how to play tennis. I’m finding some balance, so everything isn’t about blogging, antiques, home projects, writing and photography.  It’s been great and is a real victory. Now for the defeats.  More active time means more time away from the computer, e-mail and the blog.  That means I’ve been dropping the ball on some things and getting overwhelmed with everything I have to accomplish over the next few weeks.  It means my inbox is out of control, my wood floors are a little fuzzy and the Legos don’t get picked up at the end of the day. Tonight, I visualized a gymnast on

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April 24, 2013 43 Comments

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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