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Decorating
1970 home renovation

new bedroom windows | window world review | 1970 home renovation

This is a non-sponsored review of working with Window World to replace the three windows in our Master Bedroom.  Since I wrote this post, we have been repeat customers, and I’m now working with them as a blog sponsor. When we first started our home renovation projects, I felt like we had more than enough saved and dedicated to comfortably do all of the projects we wanted.  As I’m sure many of you have experienced in the past, that money can go a lot quicker than you expect.  Some projects have come in delightfully under our expectations, but the ones that have been over have been way over.  The floors cost about double what we anticipated.  And the roof, which we weren’t planning on doing for a few more years, came in about 30% higher than what we expected.  All of the little projects, materials, and required tools have also

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January 17, 2023 56 Comments
1970 home renovation

the jewelry of the house | grandeur hardware

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Grandeur Hardware.  As always all words and opinions expressed are honest and my own. The projects on our house slowed down a little bit over the holidays, but we’re starting to ramp up again with more wallpaper removal, a few new windows, the installation of recessed lights, dining room built-ins, and a kitchen renovation.  While there are so many big things to do, we’re also working on some of the little details like sewing and hanging curtains and replacing some rickety old doorknobs with some luxurious solid brass doorknobs by Grandeur Hardware. I was excited about replacing some of the key doorknobs in the house, those to bedrooms and bathrooms, but I underestimated how stunning they would be in person.  We have very simple hollow core doors, which we’d eventually like to replace, but just adding a beautiful knob with a classic Carré short

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January 12, 2023 21 Comments
Antiques

new antique fireplace tools

The first thing I bought specifically for our house was a pair of antique “cannonball” andirons.  My mom and I went to an antique store as a diversion from a tense period of waiting for our offer to be accepted and I received a call from our realtor on the way that the deal was done.  So, I was shopping with more intention and excitement.  I spotted this pair of andirons and they immediately spoke to me. As with most antiques I feel drawn to, I can’t always explain why one piece speaks to me and another doesn’t, but my mom pointed out that they look like the andirons that were in my Oma’s fireplace and I think perhaps her mother before her.  It was intuitive and familiar and, in this case, I had an explanation.   I knew we had a woodburning fireplace for the house and, while I

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January 5, 2023 34 Comments
All Things Home

making & using paint sample boards to select colors

Yesterday, I worked on making some paint sample boards to nail down the colors I’ve been mulling over for the main living areas of our house.  Usually, I would just slap a swatch on the wall, but this house has slowed down my typical go-for-it approach.  The biggest obstacle has been all of the wallpaper and wallpaper glue still on the walls.  Several steps have to happen before I can even paint a swatch!  I also need to live with and learn the light in this house, which is so different from our last house.  I can’t just assume that what I know works will actually work in this house.  I have to take time to relearn what I think about color.  So, making paint sample boards was the way I could make some decisions. The colors I have selected to test out are  Light Blue, Oval Room Blue, Calke Green, Card Room

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January 4, 2023 30 Comments
1970 home renovation

kitchen cabinet shopping & selections | 1970s home renovation

This is the year of the kitchen makeover and I am so, so excited about it.  Every house we have lived in has had a kitchen that was too good to completely redo.  We’ve always been fortunate to have solid cabinets, a great layout, and good bones, so I have always focused my attention on cosmetic changes.  I was ready to gut a kitchen, though, and design one from scratch with what I choose.  This 50-year-old kitchen gives me the opportunity to go kitchen cabinet shopping for the first time ever. Let me say, any room that is as hard-working as a kitchen and lasts for 50 years was well done.  These cabinets are solid wood from the back to the sides to the shelves and they are still sturdy.  But, the kitchen is getting tired.  Most of the drawers on broken or on their last leg.  The finish on

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January 3, 2023 46 Comments
All Things Home

Christmas decorating favorites from the past

Well, I played hooky from writing on the blog yesterday.  I felt lazy, tired, and really ready for my own Christmas break to start (the boys are already on break from school.)  So, I took a slow morning to cuddle with the kitties and rewatch some of Portrait Artist of the Year.  I gave myself a little bit of space with an unstructured morning.  And, an interesting thing happened…  I started to get an energy to create.  I completed two paintings, flitted around the dining room hanging plates and antlers, did some pen and ink sketches, and even started an art class.  It was just what I needed.  So, I have decided to quit fighting the urge to start my Christmas break and I’m going to start it.  For my final blog post before Christmas and New Year’s, I thought I would share a few of my favorite Christmas decorating

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December 21, 2022 27 Comments
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

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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