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Decorating

All Things Home

orange clove pomanders & free mrs. meyers

In recent years, I have enjoyed making most of my Christmas decorations from natural elements.  This year, I was inspired to make orange pomanders by Mrs. Meyer’s Orange & Clove holiday scent. I’ve been wanting to make them for a while, but this promotion gave me a good excuse. That’s right…  It’s that time, again!  If you’ve been thinking about joining Grove Collaborative and taking advantage of their FREE Mrs. Meyer’s promotion, here is another chance to do just that! If you haven’t heard of Grove Collaborative, let me share.  They are a company committed to carrying products that are uncompromisingly healthy, beautifully effective, sustainably minded, and amazingly affordable.  I started working with Grove as a blog sponsor, but I have since become a regular customer.  They carry products I use and love (like Tom’s toothpaste and Mrs. Meyer’s laundry detergent) and I can have them delivered to my door for

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All Things Home

the slow evolution

I’m sure you would agree that our society as a whole suffers from “instant-itis”.  We want it all now, fast, and simple. And the expectation for a room makeover has been altered ever since Trading Spaces.  A room can be completely (debatably) finished from top to bottom in 2 days.  And, while some transformations can be quick, like changing the wall color, truly finishing a room is typically a slow evolution.  It’s a scavenger hunt; a journey of discovery. It’s taken me a long time to embrace that, because I like things to be finished!  But I have learned over the years that working on a room is something that can be (and is perhaps best when) savored like a good cup of dark hot chocolate.  You might take some big swigs right in the beginning out of eagerness, but the cup is finally drained in slow sips. My kitchen

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All Things Home

seasons of home | christmas kitchen

Soooo…in blog land, it’s time to decorate for Christmas and, I must admit, I’m just not there, yet. I am usually anxiously awaiting the time when I can turn on the Christmas music, bring out the bins of decor, and start baking gingerbread. But, we just moved here late this summer and haven’t hit our rhythm and I honestly don’t feel ready for Christmas!  Decorating for Christmas feels like a finishing touch on a readied foundation and, while we’ve gotten a lot done, it’s not where I want it to be. On top of that, I shared on my Instagram Stories that I injured my shoulder last week.  It has been improving, but I learned that I have a partial labral tear, calcific tendonitis, an inflamed bursa, and advanced arthritis! I don’t have to have surgery, thankfully, but I do have to take it easy, which I’m not good at

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All Things Home

art studio organization

This art studio is totally different from my last one.  It’s about a 20th of the size, maybe even smaller than that.  It doesn’t have storage closets, rolling dividing walls, or many zones for different tasks.  This studio is designed specifically for small-scale creative endeavors and photography. No shipping, no office work, no big sewing or furniture projects. Even small-scale creative endeavors require lots of gear, though so art studio organization is vital! I am still figuring out how to maximize the space I do have, but this is what’s working for me so far… The large, antique hardware store cabinet is the focal point, statement piece, and most of my storage rolled into one.  It’s perfectly sized for art supplies – everything from tubes of paints and brushes to canvas and papers. (For those who missed it, I found the cabinet on Craigslist.  It came out of an old

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Art

studio organization

This studio is totally different from my last one.  It’s about a 20th of the size, maybe even smaller than that.  It doesn’t have storage closets, rolling dividing walls, or many zones for different tasks.  This studio is designed specifically for small-scale creative endeavors and photography.  No shipping, no office work, no big sewing or furniture projects. Even small-scale creative endeavors require lots of gear, though!  I am still figuring out how to maximize the space I do have, but this is what’s working for me so far… The large, antique hardware store cabinet is the focal point, statement piece, and most of my storage rolled into one.  It’s perfectly sized for art supplies – everything from tubes of paints and brushes to canvas and papers. (For those who missed it, I found the cabinet on Craigslist.  It came out of an old hardware store in Maryland.) Someone asked and

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All Things Home

Finishing Touches & $500 Arhaus Giveaway

We’ve only been in our home for a few weeks, so we’ve mostly focused on the big picture – painting the walls, giving the kitchen a makeover, and finishing the porch-turned-studio.  But, as we’re getting settled, I’m also looking for those finishing touches that can be added to bring a room closer to completion. I was able to work with Arhaus as a sponsor to bring in some of those finishing touches to a few of the rooms in our new home. First up, an ottoman to prop our feet and complete the seating arrangement in the living room. The Baldwin Ottoman in Trinidad Flax was the perfect size and, while the textured fabric isn’t exactly like the fabric on the sectional, it’s a close visual match and the color is spot on. The Arhaus product developers travel the globe working directly with skilled artisans to make sure their products

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All Things Home

decorating above the kitchen cabinets

Decorating above the kitchen cabinets is something I haven’t given dedicated thought to for years! I do remember the time, though, when above the cabinets was prime decorating real estate.  I had my kitchen looking like a Cracker Barrel with varying heights, carefully crafted vignettes, and lots of unique collectibles.  We’re talking a vintage Coke can tower, German Lebkuchen tins, baskets, and lots of fake ivy. I wish I had pictures. But then we moved to a townhouse with bulkheads above the cabinets, displacing all of my above-the-cabinet-goodies.  When we moved to our house in PA, I was over the whole idea and wanted to move towards a simpler, cleaner look.  So, my kitchen cabinets remained without tchotchkes topping them off.  (Man, I had to look up how to spell that one!) But, for some reason, in our new house in Minnesota, I feel like these cabinets need something.  Am

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All Things Home

counter & tile options & $30 shelves

Yesterday, I needed to run some errands and play some catch up, so I didn’t have a chance to start painting the kitchen island.  I must admit that it’s nice to have a break from cabinet painting, although I’m looking forward to having it done! While I was out, though, I picked up samples from Home Depot to “try them on” in my kitchen.  I can picture design elements in my head pretty well, but it’s nice to be able to see something in place and get a feel for how it relates to the colors and textures already happening in a space. I picked up a Grecian marble floor tile and beveled subway tile mosaic backsplash… When Jeff saw it, he commented how much be loved the beveled subway tile, but he raised his eyebrow at the floor tile.  “We’re not going to use floor tiles for our counters,

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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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August 13th, 2026 at 1pm EST

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