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Decorating
a slice of life

the race vs. the pace of Christmas

I have loved Christmas for as long as I remember.  I have been blessed to have happy memories of Christmas with my family and it’s always been my favorite time of the year.  I love the food, the music, the baking, the decorating, the presents, the surprises, the anticipation, the traditions, the weather, the clothes…I just love it all.  When I was younger, I would try to hurry things along by insisting we put up the decorations as early as possible.  My parents would make me wait until after Thanksgiving and, I reluctantly would.  But early on Black Friday, I wasn’t thinking about shopping.  I was asking my dad to get the tree down from the attic so we could get started.  We’d put on an Amy Grant Christmas album and the Christmas season would officially begin for the Wagner household. Even as an adult, setting up the tree and

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November 29, 2023 56 Comments
Favorite Things

Black Friday Deals with Walmart

Disclosure | This post is sponsored by Walmart.  As always, all words and opinions expressed are honest and my own. Almost 15 years ago, I decided I would set out on Black Friday to see what all of the fuss was about.  I love getting a good deal, but I wasn’t excited about braving the parking lots and crowds.  I ended up waiting in a line wrapped around a store to buy a Playdough set for Marshall and my curiosity about the hoopla was satisfied.  But now, there is no need to wait in line or even wait until Black Friday to get amazing deals.  has thousands of Black Friday deals available today and you can shop them all without fighting for a parking spot, sitting in traffic, or waiting in lines. They are offering sales of everything from toys and electronics to clothes and housewares and more.  As you

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November 22, 2023 3 Comments
1970 home renovation

new plans for the mantel

I shared early in the fall that I found an antique mantel removed from a local home built circa 1810.  I was so excited about bringing that piece of history into our house.  Overall the measurements seemed like they were going to work, but after we got it home and inspected it more carefully, we realized that it would need more than the few tweaks I initially thought.  I was pretty bummed, but Jeff and I were sort of excited at the idea of designing and building our own mantel.  So, I sold the antique one on Facebook Marketplace and started looking for some inspiration. This is mantel option number one and the one I looked at initially when I searched for inspiration about a year ago.  I liked the uniqueness of the curve above the firebox and I felt like the simplicity of it would work nicely in our

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November 21, 2023 30 Comments
All Things Home

custom garland for a headboard (or mantel)

When I shared about our winter bed last week, I said I would share some more details about the garland draped over the headboard, so that’s what this post is about!  Before we get into the details of the garland, I want to address the practicality of having a garland draped over your headboard.  Our headboard is very high, probably about 5′ tall, so the garland is up and out of the way, even if we’re sitting up in bed to read.  The greenery used for this project is also artificial, so we’re not going to get any shedding.  If the garland was going to get tangled in my hair or drop needles all over us, it wouldn’t be a viable option.  But, as it is, it works and I really do love the way it looks.  If your headboard is shorter, you can always drape the garland on the

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November 20, 2023 8 Comments
All Things Home

dressing the bed for winter

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Brooklinen.  As always, all words and opinions expressed are honest and my own. I don’t remember the last time I had sheets on my bed that weren’t white or cream.  It just became my go-to since it’s classic, timeless, and looks fresh and beautiful in all seasons.  But, as I was thinking about decorating our room for Christmas, I decided it might be a good time to try out some color. If you know me, you know I would’ve selected one of two colors.  Blue or green.  I picked blue.  More specifically, Brooklinen’s limited edition Indigo Washed Linen Core Sheet Set.  I really underestimated how much punch changing the color of the sheets could add to a room! If you’ve read my blog for a while, you may have read about Brooklinen here before.  I’ve worked with them as a blog sponsor and I’ve

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November 16, 2023 17 Comments
1970 home renovation

tips on painting wood paneling

I know that some people are scared to paint paneling or perhaps are against it, especially if it’s wood.  As with any to-paint-or-not-to-paint debate, I take this stance.  If you love it as is and/or you think that painting the subject of the debate will devalue or damage said subject, then don’t paint it.  If you don’t love it as is and it’s a good candidate for paint, then paint it.  There are always what-ifs to consider but the thought that someone else down the road might not like it painted isn’t a good reason to not transform it into something that feels more like your style.  And I am no stranger to painting paneling so I figured I would share some things I’ve learned. The first paneling I painted was in my friend Shari’s farmhouse.  Not to confuse her with my Minnesota antiquing buddy, Cheri.  Shari and Cheri are

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November 14, 2023 16 Comments
1970 home renovation

1970 home renovation | only making decisions as needed

There is one thing I’ve reminded myself over and over as we’ve been working on our 1970 home – I only have to make decisions about the house when I need to make them.  Of course, decisions that really and truly NEED to be made about a house are few and far between.  When we’re talking about aesthetics, preferences, cosmetic changes, etc. the decisions are typically self-imposed.  But, once you get rolling on a renovation, there is pressure to make every decision about it as soon as possible when the truth is, there are a lot of decisions that can wait until you see how everything comes together and live with it for a while. I still get asked about a backsplash (or the lack of one) every time I show my kitchen.  I knew that was a decision I didn’t have to make right away when we were working

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November 13, 2023 21 Comments
Holiday

drying whole limes for decoration

It all started when I was shopping on a couple of months ago, deciding which artificial garlands I wanted to purchase to add to my Christmas decor this year.  Since they often sell out of their most popular items before we even hit the Christmas-decorating season, I wanted to shop early and take my time making intentional purchases.  As I was perusing the site, I came across this wreath made with some of their products and I had to stop and admire it.  I loved the combination of textures, the blue berries of the juniper sprigs, and the use of pinecones, dried limes, and a simple velvet ribbon.  I would love to make something similar for my kitchen. As a side note, I found a lovely and inexpensive velvet ribbon that comes in a couple of widths and over 30 colors .  It’s under $10 for 25 yards. So, I

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November 8, 2023 20 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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