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Decorating

Decorating

family gallery wall

When my dad was stationed on an Army base in Stuttgart, Germany, my mom had access to a framing shop.  She took some classes and started framing old family photos, eventually creating a huge gallery wall.  It didn’t matter how many times I looked at those pictures…I would still lean in and study them.  Who did I take after?  Do I have her eyes?  Does this one look like my brother?  That rocking chair is in our living room, right?  I love that expression, the bow in her hair, the delicate necklace, the dapper suit and slicked hair and the little kitten by her cheek.  That gallery wall followed us through all of our moves when I was a kid and is still one of my favorite things in my parent’s home. That gallery wall has inspired me to collect black and white and sepia toned family photos, letters, postcards and

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Before and Afters

glass glitter milk bottles

Before I get into the project, I want to share that Miss Mustard Seed’s Glass Glitter (used in this project) is the Decor Steals daily “steal” today!  They are offering Tiara Silver, Fallen Snow and 14 Karat.  I’ve partnered with them for a long time, so it’s fun to see them carrying a product with my brand on it.  As always, it’s offered at a discounted rate due to their savvy shopping skills, so this is a good time to buy… I’ve been browsing Pinterest a lot over the past few weeks and have been pleasantly surprised to find a lot of glitter projects and products out there.  Hmmm…is glitter trending right now?  Some of the glitter went a bit too far for me, but it was fun to see all of the ideas.  I love glitter, but I prefer it in small doses…as an accent that adds a little sparkle.

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crafts

german glass glitter letters & giveaway

I have been making German glass glitter letters for years.  See the old school watermark? I was so excited when I finally found German glass glitter and some great chipboard letters in amazing fonts.  I made them for myself in the beginning and then started making them to sell in my retail space and it was a staple for several years. Great chipboard letters have become harder and harder to find, though.  I am hoarding three sets of the original letters I used in the first picture, but otherwise, what I’ve found has been pretty run-of-the-mill.  I thought I found some great ones, but when they arrived, they were different than what was pictured.  Bummer!  So, I’ve been looking for some alternatives and I found a good option… These plastic letters don’t come in the prettiest fonts, but they are simple, cute and already have magnets attached, so it saves some

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Decorating

"playing" & glass glitter beauty shots

This morning, I woke up with an intense desire to decorate.  I feel like I can’t touch anything, since our house is on the market, and it’s driving me a little nuts.  I really thrive on scooting around furniture and trying out new things in my home and I’ve been feeling very inspired lately.  I’ve also been feeling like the finishing touches in some of my rooms have been lacking.  I get enough done for the pictures and then I get busy with something else and don’t revisit the room later.  I’ve also come to notice that I buy very few things specifically for my house.  I usually end up claiming something from my furniture stash or keeping something that doesn’t sell. The things I have bought specifically for me are the ones I love the most, so I need to be much more intentional about what I sell and

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Decorating

stainless is the new avocado?

…I remember thinking that very thing about ten years ago when the stainless steel appliances hit the mainstream and became all the rage.  Because, let’s face it, there was a time when this kitchen was sweet. For a long time, I put stainless appliances in that camp.  I imagined the decorating world collectively looking at them with a smirk while thinking things like  “That looks like my Nana’s kitchen” or “Those are so 2008.”  I figured I would be the smart one who stuck with safe, reliable white appliances. But then I see a beefy stainless range and I go weak at the knees and I can’t help but love it. (source – Evars + Anderson Interior Design) So, have I just hopped on the bandwagon?  Or is this a classic design choice that’s here to stay? Right now, I have all white appliances.  They are not high end at all, but the white blends

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german glass glitter

children's book bunting

We launched our line of MMS German Glass Glitter just before Lucketts and, in such a busy time, I didn’t get to announce it until after the fair.  Now that I’ve had the chance to catch my breath and get back into a bit of a routine, I’m ready to start giving you some ideas for how you can use the glitter and showcase the different colors.  Really, it’s simple.  You can use it anywhere you want glitter, but I know some people like a bit more direction than that! Here’s what I came up with today… This project is a good example that a little glitter adds just that extra something and it doesn’t have to be reserved for froo-froo-sparkle-princess projects. I started with a tattered vintage children’s book.  I love the old illustrations and the colors, but the book was in really rough shape with a lot of scribbling,

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Hand Painted Furniture

painting a primitive cupboard

A week or two prior to Lucketts, I spotted an amazing primitive cupboard on Craig’s List.  I intended to buy it to sell at the event, but I was absolutely smitten with it and decided to keep it.  Believe it or not, I’m usually pretty disciplined about that sort of thing, but this piece was just so special and I could imagine it filled with ironstone and other pretty things. I actually bought the piece sight unseen.  I was busy painting and I sent Jeff & my dad to pick it up for me.  I gave Jeff “override authorization” if it wasn’t as amazing in person as it was in the pictures, but it was and he brought it home.  The lady he bought it from was delightful and a blogger/photographer and was very happy it was going to a good home.  I actually got to meet her at Lucketts

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home improvement

French Style & a fabric wall

I received an e-mail a few months ago, asking if I would contribute to a new magazine, French Style.  Well, that sounds right up my alley!  Yesterday, I found the magazine in Target and snapped it up. First of all, it really is a beautiful magazine.  I loved looking through it and I felt so proud that I was a small part of it and I was very pleased with how my article and photographs turned out.  I always felt like my pictures in print looked yellowish and not as sharp as the other pictures in the magazine.  I felt like these were my best and that’s a great feeling. You can find the magazine on newsstands now. One of the rooms featured in the article is my master bedroom and the fabric wall behind the headboard.  Most people assume it’s wall paper, but it’s actually fabric!  I used an old Army

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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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