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Decorating
All Things Home

studio transformation | part 2

I shared about priming and painting the studio walls and ceiling in PART ONE of the studio transformation and I shared about the oak hutch in yesterday’s post… Today, I am sharing my “working corner” of the studio… I purchased the drafting table off of craigslist in PA for $100 and it’s been a great work surface for art.  I clamped an old wooden lathe trip to it as a “shelf” to hold a palette, brushes, paper, etc.  The clamps are antique wooden canning clamps!  I picked them up any time I spotted them for sale, because they can be used for so many things! The drafting table does need to be refinished at some point.  I don’t ming it being splattered with paint and imperfect, but I don’t want a big water ring on it and it’s bringing a bit too much orange to the party for my taste.

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August 22, 2017 50 Comments
All Things Home

studio transformation | part 1

Believe it or not, we’re not trying to get the entire house completed in two weeks!  We are making a push, though, to get a bunch of big things checked off the to-do list.  One of those big things is painting the studio…all of it.  The walls, the floor, the ceiling, the trim.  Buckets and buckets of paint.  And painting like that is better done with help. But first, this is a room that wasn’t insulated or climate controlled.  That’s just not going to work when it’s 2 degrees outside.  The climate control is coming, but earlier this week, we had it insulated.  The floor and ceiling were both easily accessed, but the walls under the window had to be removed, insulated, and replaced.  This may have been a more advanced DIY project, but we decided to hire it out, so it was done quickly and professionally. The wall on

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August 11, 2017 74 Comments
All Things Home

working with your house

Every home has a personality.  It might be quirky, conservative, playful, regal, humble, sleek…  The home brings something to the table.  While there are some homes that need to be stripped to the bones and entirely reworked, most homes just need for you to cooperate with them – let them be what they are and bring out their best qualities. As I’m working on this new home, first of all, I’m falling more in love with it every day.  I was admittedly a little disappointed that buying an old house wasn’t going to happen at this season of life, so this house felt like a compromise.  A really good compromise, but a compromise none-the-less.  As our family and belongings have populated the space, I have come to realize I was selling this home short…misjudging it simply because it was young. One of my wise readers put it well, “All old

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August 4, 2017 137 Comments
All Things Home

but first, toilets

Warning: This post contains pictures of toilets that some readers may find disturbing.  Reader discretion is advised.   If you know me at all, you know I am bursting to break out some paint in this new house!  But I’ve learned from a few moves that a place feels more like home once the toilets are cleaned to my satisfaction. Sooo, before we talk about all of the fun stuff, I’m going to share about these toilets!  Yep.  A whole new house to blog about and we’re talking about toilets. This house has hard water and it’s been vacant for a while, so there was an ugly build-up in all of the toilet bowls and who knows when they last had a good scrubbing.  Our last house had hard water as well, so I learned how to clean it up lickety-split and I thought that would be helpful information for

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July 26, 2017 215 Comments
All Things Home

hostess kit | free mrs. meyers

I introduced you to Grove Collaborative just a few months ago and I wanted to share that they are running another FREE Mrs. Meyers Kit promo for new customers!  If you missed it last time, now is a good time to join. I’ll admit that when I was first introduced to Grove Collaborative, I was a little hesitant to sign up to receive cleaning, household, and beauty products on a subscription basis.  I had memories of the old CD and book subscriptions I used to sign up for.  Remember those?  You could get 8-10 books or CDs free (or for $.99/each) and then you’d have to order a certain amount of products in two years AND you had to keep checking “the box” noting that you didn’t want to receive their CD/book of the month?  Of course, I would forget and receive some random CD that I didn’t want and would have to go through the

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July 6, 2017 10 Comments
All Things Home

Dash & Albert Rug Design Competition

I have been a long-time fan of Annie Selke and Dash & Albert, so when I was invited to participate in their rug design competition, I was all in! Fifteen digital influencers, including some of my blog buddies, were invited to submit three rug designs that are reflective of their personal design aesthetic for a chance to have their rug come to life. The designs will be posted on the Annie Selke Instagram page (@AnnieSelke), where the public will cast their vote as to which designs they would like to see made available for purchase. The 10 designs that receive the most votes between July 6 and July 20 will be entered in to production, and then sold online by Dash & Albert, an Annie Selke Company. I’ll keep you posted on the voting, but I wanted to share the designs I came up with as well as the inspiration behind those designs. Of

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July 2, 2017 70 Comments
a slice of life

the stuff series | if the shoe doesn’t fit

If you’re just joining us for The Stuff Series, welcome!  This is a series all about our stuff, how we relate to it, and what we should do with it.  I say “we”, because it’s been a great dialogue between myself and my readers.  Just go back and read the comments for suggestions, insights, and some inspiring stories. We’ve already covered The Purpose of Stuff, Stuff with Strings, and had a heart to heart with those who are “The Keeper of the Stuff“. In this post, let’s chat about our wardrobes.  Those who have purse habits and entire shoe rooms are sweating right now. Don’t worry, though!  The purpose of this series isn’t to encourage you to purge everything and live a minimal lifestyle.  The purpose is to encourage you to really think about your stuff and why you have it. How does your stuff make you feel?  Do you

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June 30, 2017 53 Comments
All Things Home

little victories…

When you have an entire house and business to pack up, you have to celebrate the little victories. As I’ve been working through the house, I realize that I’ve done so much and there is so much to do that I keep going back to the same cabinets, drawers and closets, not remembering that I already emptied them. I decided I needed a system that didn’t involve keeping all of my cabinet doors perpetually open; a Sixth Sense moment in my kitchen.  So, I came up with a solution, using what was handy in the house.  When I finished packing up a cabinet and it’s empty, I stick a piece of green Frog Tape on it. It’s already been such a great visual cue for me to see what is done and what still needs to be done. And each time Jeff or I stick on a piece of green tape, we high five.

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June 23, 2017 14 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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