Preorder Move Slow & Make Things, and enjoy a collection of thoughtful bonus content created just for you!

Cleaning & care

All Things Home

How to Clean Stinky Furniture

One of the questions I’m asked most often is about how to clean stinky furniture.  Here is the most recent e-mail I received about that… “I have an older dresser that smells awful! I have no idea what to do to alleviate the smell. It was my mom’s and now it’s mine. There hasn’t been anything smelly stored in it but I’m stumped as to what to do to have fresh-smelling drawers without having to sand the inside of the drawers down or douse it with chemicals. My only other thought is to spray or paint it with KILZ. Do you have any thoughts or suggestions?  Thanks for your time!” Having bought and sold thousands of pieces of furniture over the past 10 years, I have done battle with many pieces that were stinky, musty, smelled like smoke or animal pee, or were just completely dirty and gross.  Sometimes it’s

Read More
a slice of life

my silver patterns

I often receive comments about my flatware, even if I am posting about food or styling or something else entirely.  I will admit that I have a thing for flatware and have inherited and collected some beautiful pieces. The pieces I inherited from at least five different women in my family are stunning and hard to ignore, which is the main reason why I started using them as our everyday flatware several years ago.  They are just too pretty to keep in a box 363 days of the year, only making appearances at Thanksgiving and Christmas. So, despite being valuable heirlooms, we use them every day for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  I doubt my boys remember using anything else and I know they just see them as regular ole forks and spoons. HERE is a post about why I use my silver every day and how I clean and care

Read More
All Things Home

cleaning & reviving old wood

A few weeks ago, I took some time to hit some of my favorite local antique and thrift stores.  I had been inside a lot during my shoulder recovery and then catching up on work through January and I just needed to get out…not to go to the grocery store or to run the boys to an activity, but to meander without much purpose.  While I was out, I ended up buying a couple of old wooden spools for $1.  I thought they would be nice to wrap yarn or twine around that had come unraveled.  They were dirty and the wood was dry, though, so I took some time to clean them up and get them hydrated. The first thing I did was scrub them with dish soap and water.  I know some people are nervous about getting wood wet, but it really is the best way to clean

Read More
All Things Home

repairing a broken stool

I was going to call this post “how to fix loose stools”, but I realized that sounded like an Immodium commercial or something and came up with a different name.  You’re welcome for that. Anyway, moving past the potty humor, I have a thing for antique stools.  They are multi-functional and, since they are hard-working pieces, they are typically worn to perfection.  They are very soulful pieces of furniture in my view. Often times, though, the rungs that connect the legs on stools (and chairs) loosen over time, especially if they’ve been stored in a garage or attic where extreme temperatures can loosen the glue. Fixing this issue is so simple, though!  Just get some wood glue… …and brush it onto the end of the lose rung and the recess it fits into. Push it back in… …and wipe away the excess glue.  In my experience, most of the chairs

Read More
All Things Home

cleaning an antique grain sack

I recently bought an antique German grain sack off of .  As an antique textile junkie and a lover of German things, I have been drawn to them for years and I’ve actually bought and sold a few after reworking them into projects.  Intact, ornate grain sacks from the 1800’s are rare and therefore expensive, so I usually just admire them and leave it at that.  Well, I finally had a specific project I wanted to use one for, so I bit the bullet and bought one that was really special. I felt a little better about the splurge, because I bought one that has painted detail on two sides.  Most of them just have stenciling/hand painting on one side.  Of course, the side with the design is the feature and what makes the grain sack valuable.  Without that, it’s really just a dirty old sack. With the hand painting,

Read More
All Things Home

five reasons you need hemp oil in your life & answers to FAQs

When you’re around something for a while, whether it’s a smell, an environment, something you created or wrote, it’s easy to not appreciate or notice it any longer. Sometimes I’ll go back and read a post I wrote years ago, that I have completely forgotten about and it makes me laugh and I can see my blog in a fresh way.  It’s a reminder.  Oh yeah, this is why I like doing this every day.   I recently saw a piece someone finished in Miss Mustard Seed’s Hemp Oil, a product I have used, promoted, and sold for over six years now.  The piece was an old wooden trunk and it was so beautiful and rich.  It almost glowed.  Oh yeah, that is why I love hemp oil so much. It’s not that I’ve stopped using, but I may have stopped appreciating it for how amazing and versatile and simple it is. 

Read More
All Things Home

craigslist confession

Sooooo….about that “no spend February”… I’ve actually been doing well with it and have said “no” or “later” to many things I wanted to buy in the moment. But, I made the mistake of browsing on craigslist.  Even as I was doing it, I knew it wasn’t smart.  But, we’re working on my office and I needed a storage piece.  I just couldn’t help myself!  Well, I could, but I didn’t. And, of course, I found something that was perfect.  So, the “no spend February” became a “low spend February.” What I found was an antique bookcase with original glass doors.  The size was right and it’s just the sort of thing I’ve been looking for.  I forwarded the link to Jeff and asked if we could go pick it up.  To his credit, he did not point out my no-spend pledge.  He said it was a great piece and

Read More
All Things Home

looks can be deceiving…

Let me take you back to high school. Remember that first day of a new class, looking around the room, scoping out your classmates?  Who might be your friend?  Who is going to be a troublemaker?  And where is the – oh, there he is… The hot guy. Perfect hair.  Great smile.  Gorgeous eyes.  At first glance, he is your dream guy. And then you get to know him a bit and you realize that attractiveness stops as soon as he opens his mouth? Yeah, that is this cabinet. And what’s so funny and true about this analogy is that I was so busy making heart-eyes over this cabinet that I didn’t even notice!  My mom pointed it out to me, though, as mothers do.  (With boys and furniture.) She was sitting in a chair next to it on Friday and said, “Eeeew, this cabinet really needs to be cleaned” “Oh, I know.

Read More

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.

next art sale

May 20th, 2026 at 1pm EST

Now Available for Preorder

Move Slow & Make Things

A book about creativity, intention, and making things with care. Sign up to receive updates, preorder details, and exclusive bonus content.

From the Studio

Artful pieces for your home and everyday life.

From original paintings and art prints to Pup Club releases and curated goods, each piece is created or chosen to bring warmth, creativity, and character into your home.

From the Studio and Home

Shop the Feed

A handpicked collection of items styled and shared throughout posts, projects, and social feeds. Every product is thoughtfully chosen to reflect a timeless, collected aesthetic.

Recent Video

Spring Posts

Explore the Shop

Explore the Blog

Categories
error: Content is protected.

Pin It on Pinterest