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Holiday
All Things Home

little studio tree

When I plunked the little artificial tree on a stool in my art studio, I figured it would just be there temporarily.  It was more about putting it in a semi-finished place and less about feeling like that was the best spot for it.  But, as I got distracted by other things, the little tree stayed on the stool in the studio.  That is where it was going to be this year and it felt right.  I decided to decorate it fittingly for an art studio tree. (As a side note, I bought this tree six Christmas seasons ago from and it’s not been available since, sadly!  It is such a great little tree that comes in the basket.) Last year, I made some clay ornaments stamped with graphics of antique paint tubes.  You can read about how I made those HERE.  They were so simple, but I just love

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December 15, 2022 13 Comments
crafts

salt dough ornaments 2022 | Christmas crafts

This salt dough ornament-making is going to be an annual thing, I think.  They are just so fun, easy, personal, and pretty.  I made them last year, both traditional salt dough and cinnamon “gingerbread” salt dough, and I enjoyed it immensely.  I always thought of salt dough as sort of a kindergarten craft material, but it is definitely elevated when it’s put in pretty molds or even molded and cut by hand into custom shapes.  While it can look fancy, it’s also still a great craft for young kids.  It’s just a winner all around. Salt dough ornaments can be stored, but I knew that our belongings would be sitting in a hot container for an indefinite period of time, so I decided to let them go and make some new ones.  This also gave me the opportunity to try out some new molds that I bought over the summer.

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December 14, 2022 31 Comments
Decorating

Christmas foyer 2022 | Christmas decorating

I love that Christmas decorating doesn’t have to be complicated, time-consuming, or expensive to be really pretty and festive.  It really can be as simple as trimming a few branches from evergreens and tucking them around the house.  We have some nice bushes and trees in our area that are perfect to clip and take inside during the holidays.  We have cypress, pine, a bush that has needles that look like rosemary, our neighbor has a magnolia bush I have permission to borrow from, and I was even eyeing some beautiful juniper bushes with blue berries in the Walmart parking lot!  But this year, I just dove into the bin of artificial greens I moved with us from MN.  In our PA house, we didn’t have any artificial greens at all.  We had hot water radiators, so our heat wasn’t as dry as the electric heat we had in our

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December 13, 2022 19 Comments
All Things Home

Christmas living room 2022 | Christmas decorating

Since we spend most of our time in the living room, that is where I focused my Christmas decorating attention.  I would probably do that anyway, but my Christmas decorating is scaled back this year since we just moved into our house this fall.  While I love the Christmas season, it feels like it came early this year!  I have been more focused on working on the house and getting settled and I feel completely unprepared for moving furniture, putting things away, and getting bins of decorations out. There is comfort in knowing that Christmas will come no matter how much decorating I do and don’t do and that this season is about so much more than what is material.  So, as I shared before, I’m doing what I can do and enjoying what I can enjoy. You got a peek at our tree last week when I shared where

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December 12, 2022 41 Comments
Artistic Endeavors

Kitchin Sketchbook Wrapping Paper

In April of 2021, I went out on a limb and purchased something that spoke to me in a way that sticks out in all of my years of buying and selling antiques.  It was a lot of four antique sketchbooks from the late 1800s to early 1900s by architect and artist George Herbert Kitchin.  I bought them from my (now) dear friend, Julia Butler of Ponder & Purchase.  You can read more about them HERE. I wasn’t sure exactly what I would do with them, but I knew the possibilities were endless.  Aside from my own study and enjoyment of them, it would be fun to share the sketches with others in prints, patterns, and anything my brain can think up. These sketchbooks have led to all sorts of surprising places.  I’ve heard from some of George Herbert Kitchin’s extended family, from an author who has written books about

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December 9, 2022 47 Comments
Decorating

customizing a winter/Christmas wreath | Christmas decorating

Earlier this week, I showed how I made this full, fluffy Christmas/winter wreath out of two thinner wreaths.  Not only did it add fullness to the wreath, but it added more texture.  You can read all about it and see a video tutorial on how I did it HERE.  The two wreaths I used were and . I really loved the wreath without any additional decoration, but I thought it would be fun to customize it further.  I used things I already had on hand – sprigs of faux greenery, dried orange slices, and a blue and white checked ribbon.  You can see how to dry and decorate with orange slices HERE. I bought the ribbon from Hobby Lobby last year and I wasn’t able to find it online, but here are a few nice alternatives… JavaScript is currently disabled in this browser. Reactivate it to view this content.   The

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December 7, 2022 11 Comments
All Things Home

2022 advent stockings | christmas decorating

I got a text from Calvin on December 1 and it was one word.  “Advent.”  I was hoping he would just forget about it this year.  Since my boys were toddlers, I’ve done advent stockings for them.  Each day, I fill the stocking with a couple of small toys or treats, one for each boy.  Fun size candy bars, matchbox cars, little brain-teaser puzzles, Lego mini-figures, and other little things I could find.  Both boys have enjoyed it over the years, but it is sacred to Calvin.  I was hoping it could slide this year, but when I saw his text, I knew I needed to make it happen whether I felt ready for it or not.  If all I did was advent stockings, the tree, and presents, that would be enough for this year. So, I headed out to the store and picked up some goodies for the “elves”

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December 6, 2022 30 Comments
Holiday

fluffy full wreath hack | Christmas decorating

As I shared last week, Christmas decorating this year is about doing the best I can.  It’s about enjoying what I can do and letting go of what I can’t.  And, I have to say, it’s felt pretty good so far.  It’s been slow.  It’s been spurts and starts.  But, it’s been happening at a pace that works for me this season, making it manageable and joyful instead of stressful.  One of the things that inspired me last week was a couple of wreaths I found when I was picking up some lights from Walmart.  Both wreaths were a little on the thin side, but the texture was realistic.  I bought them because I had an idea to use them to make a full, fluffy Christmas wreath. This is the result… The best thing about this Christmas wreath “hack” is that it doesn’t require any tools or materials.  Just two

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December 5, 2022 16 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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