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All Things Home
All Things Home

picture ledges

There are some decorating decisions you make that look nice and you think they will function well, and then they don’t.  Such is the case with a few areas in my studio.  I shared the overall plan HERE and we will start rearranging the furniture and working on those larger projects soon, but I’ve started on some of the smaller changes. One of those changes was making this skinny wall between the two doors work a little smarter… I hung two bulletin boards with the intention of pinning resources, inspirational pictures, color charts, etc.  I’ve pinned this and that, but I never really use it.  I also realized the top bulletin board was too high for me to reach all but the lowest part of it, so it remained mostly empty. With wet paintings leaned up all over the studio, I really needed some picture ledges to use for paintings

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February 3, 2019 109 Comments
Decorating

Home Style Saturdays

I don’t usually post on Saturdays, but I am making an exception to join Home Style Saturdays!  It’s a collection of bloggers who simply share one of their favorite projects or posts.  So, here are a few links for you to enjoy if you’re looking for some weekend reading… Miss Mustard Seed | Laundry Room Makeover • Sources & Inspiration On Sutton Place | Paint Colors & Fabrics Shabbyfufu | Home Office Design Plans So Much Better With Age | Clay Heart Dish for Valentine’s Day StoneGable | Easy Valentine Hand Pies Designthusiasm | Dramatic Kitchen Renovation without Removing Cabinets

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February 2, 2019 5 Comments
All Things Home

butler’s pantry drawers & the gardenia topiary

We’re still all hanging out at home because of the arctic vortex and just learned the boys have tomorrow (Thursday) off as well.  We did have a bit of fun and threw boiling water off our deck to watch it evaporate, but otherwise, we’ve just been lounging around and I’ve been trying to get work done as I can.  I’ve done some painting and I typically would’ve taken time like this to get some more cleaning, organizing, or home projects done, but my shoulder has been preventing that.  Well, we make plans and have to adapt when things out of our control won’t conform to our plans!  I’m having an MRI tomorrow, so they can see what’s going on and the boys should be back in school on Friday.  Hopefully next week will be normal. So, today I don’t really have anything new and super exciting to share, but I thought

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January 31, 2019 39 Comments
All Things Home

guest room design plan

Now that the foyer project is nearing completion, I’m focusing on a few other rooms I’d like to work on this year.  I’ve already mentioned some building projects and rearranging that will be happening in the studio in order to provide more storage and make the space more functional.  I’ll also be working on my home office to address my lack of filing, need for more desk space, and better storage.  Both of those rooms have to be hardworking and I’m looking forward to addressing some of the functional issues I’ve noticed over the past year and a half of use. The “fun room” I’ll be working on is our guest room.   Right now, it has a couple of really lovely anchor pieces of furniture – the French-style bed and the antique German wardrobe wearing original mustard yellow paint. Otherwise, it’s bascially a cream/beige box.  I’m taking those two pieces as

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January 30, 2019 41 Comments
a slice of life

easy chicken and dumplings recipe

Today was another snow day for the boys and they’ve already canceled school through Wednesday due to the cold.   (The high on Wednesday will be -20 degrees F!)  So, it’ll be a bit of a tough work week for me!  I need an empty house to really focus and reach my maximum level of productivity. But, while we’re socked in with the snow and cold, I decided to make chicken & dumplings.  I made them last week to use up a rotisserie chicken that was on its last day and many people asked for the recipe, so I thought I would share.  I also wanted to show how easy it is.  I think chicken and dumplings has the reputation for being complicated to make, but it’s pretty easy!  At least, this version is. When I made it last week, I started with a rotisserie chicken, so that sped things up

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January 29, 2019 No Comments
a slice of life

easy chicken & dumplings recipe

Today was another snow day for the boys and they’ve already canceled school through Wednesday due to the cold.   (The high on Wednesday will be -20 degrees F!)  So, it’ll be a bit of a tough work week for me!  I need an empty house to really focus and reach my maximum level of productivity. But, while we’re socked in with the snow and cold, I decided to make chicken & dumplings.  I made them last week to use up a rotisserie chicken that was on its last day and many people asked for the recipe, so I thought I would share.  I also wanted to show how easy it is.  I think chicken & dumpings has the reputation for being complicated to make, but it’s pretty easy!  At least, this version is. When I made it last week, I started with a rotisserie chicken, so that sped things up

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January 28, 2019 60 Comments
All Things Home

a lifetime supply of almond extract & honey

This week I’ve been working on organizing our kitchen.  It’s one of the spaces that has been bugging me the most (organizationally speaking).  I hadn’t moved things around since we moved in and, after cooking in this kitchen for a year and a half, it has become clear that some things were put in the wrong place initially. Everything looked neat and orderly from the outside, but there were a few messy cabinets behind those closed doors. One of the biggest problem areas was the deep, skinny cabinet to the left of the fridge.  I decided to use it for my baking gear and ingredients.  It ended up being okay for the gear since baking dishes, rolling pins, etc. fit well in a deep, narrow space, but it was not working at all for the ingredients.  All of the little jars and boxes were buried, disorganized, and things were hard

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January 24, 2019 65 Comments
All Things Home

half-finished stairs

I always have to fight the urge to wait to post something until it’s completely finished.  As I shared in yesterday’s post, I went to a concert over the weekend where Jason Gray performed a half-written song.  This also brings to mind that some of my favorite pieces in the Musée d’Orsay and the Louvré were those that were simple studies and unfinished works.  Much of what we experience in our life is unfinished or half-done. So, it is in that spirit that I am sharing my half-finished stairs today!  This was an unplanned project, but one I’m so happy we’re doing for reasons of practicality and aesthetics. Wall-t0-wall carpet is generally not my thing.  I’m okay with it in certain rooms but I draw the line at kitchens, bathrooms, and stairs.  Well, most stairs.  Our stairs going down to the basement are carpeted and that’s fine.  But 13-year-old beige carpet

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January 23, 2019 70 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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