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Decorating

All Things Home

aging terra cotta pots

There are some people who like things shiny and new. They want to be the first person to own something. They like the smell of a car with 32 miles on it. They want their furniture to be delivered, tags still attached. I am just not one of those people. Unless we’re talking about electronics, mattresses or toilets, I want things in my home that have the patina that only comes with time. Or a bit of trickery. I have a few antique terra cotta pots and, while I’d love to fill my whole potting bench with them, that would get too expensive. So, I have some new ones mixed in. Can you tell which one is the new one? Yeah. It’s pretty clear and the new ones were bugging me a bit. While I had the Ironstone (white) MMS Milk Paint out to paint the sides of the potting bench, I decided

August 20, 2015 16 Comments

All Things Home

dear reader | to the one with the tiny room

You hear me talking about rearranging furniture and you look around your “cozy” room and laugh. Everything is wedged perfectly in the space and any rearranging would be impractical at best and a fire hazard at worst. You want to change things around, to experience the joy of getting a new look without spending any money. But you feel stuck. You’re not alone. Several people have walked into my house, after having seen it only on the blog, and most of them say, “Oh, it’s smaller than I thought it was!” Aside from the kitchen and family room, which are generous in size, the rest of the rooms are average or on the small side. Or at least small compared to newer homes. (That rug in the living room is 8 x 10, so the actual room is about 10′ x 12′.) And there are several rooms in my home

August 19, 2015 26 Comments

All Things Home

the antique, hodgepodge potting bench

Don’t you love it when projects come together perfectly? Such is the case with this hodgepodge of a potting bench. We just finished it today and it looks even better than I imagined. It’s especially exciting, because we already had the workbench in the basement (it was free with the house) and I bought the chicken nesting box without a solid plan on turning it into the top-part of the hutch. This morning, Jeff bought about $40 of pressure treated wood for this project, a couple of 2 x 12’s and 2 x 4’s. While he was out, I took care of the red overspray marks on the front of the work bench. It wasn’t a big deal, but they just bugged me. So, I brought out my big-boy sander, the belt sander, and I went to town. I really love how the paint looks distressed, with some of the

August 18, 2015 33 Comments

All Things Home

megan’s office makeover | part 3 | the plan

After a few weeks of marinating on things, sourcing, kicking around ideas, I have come up with a plan for Megan’s office makeover. If you missed the first two posts in this series, you can check them out here… part 1 | the before part 2 | the “franken-chair” And now, I’m finally sharing the plan, letting you know the direction we’re heading. Here’s what the office space looked like the day I made my house call. Please remember that Megan had the door closed and curtains drawn on this room, which was used to dump things in when she cleaned the house for my visit, and I stuck my nose in and then took pictures of it and then posted them on my blog. (Good friend that I am.) So, Megan is not really in love with anything in this space, but it does have great bones…windows that let in pretty

August 11, 2015 35 Comments

All Things Home

dear reader | to the one who is scared to sew

This time of reassessing my business and blog has been so rejuvenating for me. I find myself flooded with ideas, anxious to create, bubbling to write…almost to the point of being overwhelmed by it. It’s like my ideas are little children who keep interrupting one another and I have to tell them to pipe down and wait their turn. So, I’m making lots of lists and trying to shape them into a plan of action that does involve time to eat and sleep. I’m working on it. One of the ideas that keeps surfacing is doing more series on my blog. Not just individual blog posts, but ones that are strung together by a common topic or tell a story that arcs over several posts. I have three blog series currently underway – how my business began, the evolution of my house (we’re almost done with that one) and Megan’s

August 10, 2015 78 Comments

All Things Home

how to make a chair cushion | deck chair makeover

I’ve been working on my deck off and on throughout the spring and summer and it’s finally starting to come together. I know I’m not going to break any makeover speed records with this project, but that’s life, right? Spaces take time to come together. So, there is still more to do, but last week I jumped a big hurtle – I made new chair cushions for the vintage iron armchairs my mom passed along to me and I thought I would share a tutorial on how to make a chair cushion. They really, really needed new chair cushions. The old ones were deteriorated, mildewed, faded and ripped. They were beyond cleaning or recovering. I needed to start from scratch. The chairs are comfortable and in great shape, though, so it was worth the time to make new cushions. I actually tried to find pre-made cushions that were the right size,

August 8, 2015 26 Comments

All Things Home

if you think a beautiful home is out of your budget…

…it’s not. When I asked for feedback a few weeks ago, some readers brought up how they “miss the days of me decorating on a budget.” To some, it felt like I’m dangling a home out there that is out of reach unless you’re “rich”. When I read those comments, I wanted to reach through the screen and hug the women who felt that way. I wanted to apologize for leaving them with the impression that you have to have a lot of money to create a beautiful home. I wanted to take them on a tour through my home and show them the things I got for free on the side of the road or dug out of an attic or picked up at yard sales or on Craig’s List. And I wanted to look them in the eye and tell them that I know exactly how they feel, because I’ve been in their shoes. As

August 7, 2015 84 Comments

All Things Home

tips on finding the “rare finds”

We’re been spending a few days at Myrtle Beach and it’s been such a fun time. My boys are really taking to the water, sand and surf. They want to spend every minute at the beach or the pool. It’s been a delight watching the discovery and excitement. I really enjoy the beach, but only aspects of it. I’ve never liked salt water and sand. From the time I was little, I preferred sitting in a 5 gallon bucket filled with hose water over swimming in the ocean. Seriously. The entire ocean was yards away and I would sit in a bucket (with my night-night blanket, sucking my thumb.) I do love the sound of the waves, walking in the surf and combing the beach for treasures, though. The pickings are pretty slim at Myrtle Beach, at least where we are. It’s a popular beach and it has a pretty rough surf,

August 5, 2015 35 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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Decorating

aging terra cotta pots

dear reader | to the one with the tiny room

the antique, hodgepodge potting bench

megan’s office makeover | part 3 | the plan

dear reader | to the one who is scared to sew

how to make a chair cushion | deck chair makeover

if you think a beautiful home is out of your budget…

tips on finding the “rare finds”

next art sale

August 13th, 2026 at 1pm EST

Now Available for Preorder

Move Slow & Make Things

From the Studio

Artful pieces for your home and everyday life.

From the Studio and Home

Shop the Feed

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