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DIY & ready-made tie-up shades

I’m bringing you a “twofer” in today’s post – a tie-up shade tutorial and a ready-made version! So, a few months ago, I made three linen shades with my mom for my studio. I did the cutting, pinning, and sewing, and she did the ironing. With the two of us working together, we were able to get three done quickly, but we didn’t have time to finish the remaining three before she left. I’ve been dragging my feet since January, feeling like the project would eat up a couple of days of my time. I finally got to work on them and finished all three in about three hours! It’s so ridiculous how I can build projects up in my own head when they really won’t take that long. Anyway, while I was stalling, I spoke with Decor Steals about making a reproduction shade for those who don’t sew or

May 21, 2018 50 Comments

All Things Home

kitchen chair makeovers

Remember the French-style chairs I purchased for our kitchen eating area last fall? Here’s a reminder of what they looked like… I knew when I purchased them that I would eventually make a slipcover for the seats and reupholster the backs. I can have some light-colored upholstery in the house, but I knew it was not going to survive in our main eating area long term. And it didn’t. Even Jeff pointed out how spotty they were getting and that’s saying a lot. They finally got so bad that it was time. I used a checked fabric called Zippy in the color Lakeland by P Kaufmann for the seat slipcover and the front of the back. The back of the chair is upholstered in an antique grain sack. Now, I goofed on the fabrics a bit. Not a big deal, but I was actually planning on using the larger scale

May 17, 2018 66 Comments

All Things Home

installation of the new kitchen counters

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by HanStone. All opinions and words are honest and my own. Monday was the day and it was like counting down the days to Christmas. I think HanStone needs to make an advent calendar to countdown to counter install day. Filled with dark chocolates and bite-sized samples of coordinating backsplash tile. Anyway, before the install could happen, our fabricator and installer had to come to the house to measure for the new counters. We used a local company, The Pinske Edge in Rochester, MN. (And, just to explain, the material for the counters was provided by HanStone as a part of the sponsorship, but we paid for the fabrication and installation.) On the day of measuring, I had to clear off the counters, so they could have full access to those as well as the walls and cabinets. I was expecting a guy with a

May 16, 2018 45 Comments

All Things Home

Plans for the steps

I hope you had a wonderful Mother’s Day weekend! I know this particular holiday can be bitter sweet for some, remembering mothers or children they have lost or never knew or had. But I hope some joy could be found, even for those who are mourning. I celebrated mother’s day by being a mom/wife…cooking pancakes for the boys, making one of Jeff’s favorite meals for an early dinner, supervising chores and Nerf wars, cleaning the house, and yes, even doing some laundry. I received a button necklace made with only blue and green buttons and white beads. I was also given a bouquet of white roses, a card with a singing cat, and a piece of my favorite lemon cake. And I was given some quiet time to paint in my studio. All around, a pretty nice day. So, today I’m sharing about some more plans I have… One of

May 14, 2018 47 Comments

All Things Home

pine desk refresh

One thing that has been on my shopping list for a while is a desk for the master bedroom. Since Jeff has an office at the church, he doesn’t need one at the house. He occassionally does work at home and requested a desk in our room, since it’s a quiet room, pretty well removed from the rest of the house. I didn’t know exactly what I was looking for, but I knew I would know it when I saw it. I was thinking it might be along the lines of a simple writing desk, but when I came upon this pine desk in a local antique shop a couple of weeks ago, it caught my eye and I thought it would work in the space… It had some short-cut repairs, was missing a knob, and it was dirty, but it was solid, had a nice shape, and a pretty

May 10, 2018 52 Comments

All Things Home

adding layers to the living room

As I mentioned in my post about painting the stairwell walls, I decided to change the color of the living room from Wickham Gray to Stonington Gray. It’s a very subtle change, but it will ultimately flow better with the rest of the first floor. Wickham Gray was looking a little green in comparison and, since you can see the foyer and kitchen from the living room, it was feeling off. I needed to finish painting the trim in that room, which would involve moving the furniture and taking the curtains down, anyway, so it made sense to change the color at the same time. You can see the subtle change in color. Stonington is on the left and Wickham on the right… It’s a little bit warmer, darker, and feels more sophisticated for some reason. (I need to keep telling my boys to turn off the fire! They really

May 9, 2018 54 Comments

All Things Home

faux boxwood topiaries

I have been a fan of topiaries for years and am always drawn to buy them, even when history tells me I won’t be able to keep them alive for more than a few months. In our new house, my studio is a sunroom, so it is a sanctuary for plants during the winter and I’m having more success with plants than I ever had before. The light in the studio couldn’t save these topiaries I bought last summer when we first moved in, though. I didn’t bring them in before the first frost and they were toast. Even if I had brought them in before the frost, I couldn’t handle the smell! They stunk up the studio and I was almost glad the frost got them, so I had a good excuse to pitch them. Over the winter, I put a pair potted of evergreens next to the door

May 8, 2018 50 Comments

All Things Home

dining room | new arrangement & plans

This squared-shaped dining room has been a little tricky to figure out, but I think I’m getting a little closer. The primitive blue hutch has felt wrong from the beginning, but it’s what I had and I needed time to live in the space and think about it before I bought anything new or made any big decisions. After thinking about it for a while, I decided to try something free…swapping around the furniture. I had an oak sideboard that I moved up to the master bedroom, really as a place-holder more than anything else. I decided to move it back downstairs and try it out in the dining room… Obviously, everything is low and the space is a little naked, but I really like this option better than the hutch. It seems to open up the room a bit more and the pieces of furniture, while found secondhand on

May 4, 2018 78 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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All Things Home

DIY & ready-made tie-up shades

kitchen chair makeovers

installation of the new kitchen counters

Plans for the steps

pine desk refresh

adding layers to the living room

faux boxwood topiaries

dining room | new arrangement & plans

next art sale

August 13th, 2026 at 1pm EST

NEW ONLINE ART COURSE

Paint a Pet Portrait You’ll Love

Now Available

Move Slow & Make Things

From the Studio

Artful pieces for your home and everyday life.

From the Studio and Home

Shop the Feed

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