Order Move Slow & Make Things, and enjoy a collection of thoughtful bonus content created just for you!

All Things Home

Decorating

my home – the paint colors

I have recently received a lot of e-mails and comments asking for the name of the paint colors I use in my home, so I thought I would share them in a post.  (I’ve also been asked how I hang my plates, so that post is coming up.) Do you remember the era when everyone had a yellow kitchen, red dining room and beige family room?  Well, just about everyone I knew did!  Anyway, during that era, Jeff and I bought our first home – an 1100 square foot, two story condo.  I had been dreaming about paint colors the entire time we rented and lived with white white walls.  I also spent most of my childhood in military housing (with white walls) and with a mom who was a little scared of color (which meant white walls.)  She has since gotten more daring with “accent walls” and even beiges!

Read More
Decorating

about my jute rugs

Many of you noticed the jute and seagrass rugs throughout my house in the partial house tour and asked some questions, so I thought I would share a bit more about them.  After trying a bunch of patterned rugs in my home, I realized I didn’t want so much pattern on the floor.  I wanted the rugs to be quiet, so the fabrics and painted furniture could be the stars.  The rugs in the living room, dining room and kitchen were purchased from Joss & Main with credits I earned there.  They are the Barbados Rug by Safaveih.  I would describe them as nubby, but soft.  They don’t feel scratchy, but since they are so heavily textured, it feels better to wears socks or shoes when walking on them.  They’re definitely not rugs to snuggle on. I have found these rugs to be very forgiving with crumbs and spills so far.

Read More
Decorating

The Style Shift

As I’ve been working on my home over the past few months, a few realizations have hit me.  The first one was that I have too much stuff and I’ve talked about purging, selling, donating, organizing and paring down in recent posts.  I find myself grabbing more and more things to put on the sale pile.  The other day I was cleaning out kitchen cabinets and Jeff stopped and stared at me, sitting on the floor surrounded by kitchen gear and cook books, as he walked by.  I looked up at him and exclaimed, “I’m getting rid of all of this!  What is all of this stuff, anyway?  I don’t use it.  I don’t need it.  I don’t like it.  It’s gone!  I see STUFF in a brand new way.”  He just replied, “I know you do” and went about his day.  He’s pretty unbothered by the things I do

Read More
Antiques

the new horse

The new horse actually arrived yesterday, but I was so busy listing things in my online shop that I didn’t even open the box.  That’s unusual for me, because most of the time the arrival of a box causes me to drop everything as I get distracted with new, fun things.  But it had to wait.  Jeff and I spent hours today packing up almost 40 orders that were placed yesterday.  We’re still figuring out a good system, but we learned a lot today.  I am going to switch to a different kind of online shop that will work much better for the kind of shopping frenzy that ensued yesterday after I posted a bunch of stuff.  I’m holding off on listing more until we get the technical stuff figured out in order to minimize frustration for shoppers.  I also am aware that my site has been down some over

Read More
Antiques

The new sofa has arrived!

Today was the day!  For someone who usually hauls their furniture from a thrift store, yard sale, auction or antique shop, it’s a luxury to have a piece that’s finished delivered right to my home and placed in the very spot I want it.  I’ve only experienced that one other time – with the bed in the master bedroom. (For those who are catching up, I bought the Brooklyn Sofa from Pottery Barn a few weeks ago.)  Last night, I started getting nervous about it.  It’s a huge purchase and I am fickle when it comes to furniture.  Would it look as good in reality as it did in my head?  I started to imagine that it would look hideously orange in my space or too big or too small or just all wrong…  Or, that it was perfect, but had a huge slice in the leather or a leg

Read More
Organizing

organizinggallery

With the boys out of school, it’s been really difficult for me to get in my groove, but I have been able to pick away at some organizing projects.  Organizing is the kind of project that can be done in pieces between building Lego’s (I’m the “piece finder”), Ukulele practice, “snack picnics” and playing Creationary.  In the past few days, I was able to get my linens starched, ironed and organized for their next use.  The drawer looks so pretty now! And I’ve been working on my office shelves.  As I mentioned a few days ago, I’m moving my decorating books to our home office shelves, but I don’t want all of the spines to look too busy, so I’m wrapping them in brown paper.  Brown craft paper is pretty thick for this kind of project, so I’m actually using a roll of the thinner brown paper that’s sold in

Read More
Antiques

Horse Trade

I found this rocking horse at an antique store a couple of years ago.  I had seen it there for a long time…maybe even a couple of years and it always caught my eye, but I never took the plunge and bought it.  One day, though, I decided I couldn’t resist it anymore and I bought it with the intention to sell it at the Lucketts holiday open house.  As soon as I got it home, though, you can guess what happened.  I wanted to keep it.  So, I did. I liked the quirky charm of it, but the red details always felt a little off to me.  I was willing to overlook that, because I loved the horse so much. Now that I’m purging things that aren’t just right, I decided it was time to let the horse go to a home where it is just right.  (I actually

Read More
Decorating

Living with what you love

The past few years have been a whirlwind for me.  Moving…two baby boys born 19 months apart and a new business right on the heels of that.  I’ve been so busy that cleaning out closets, cupboards, drawers, the basement, the attic spaces, etc. has been neglected.  Earlier this year, I looked in my kitchen cupboards and noticed there were still baby bottles on the shelves and my boys still had jammies in their dressers that were 2T (they are 5 and 7 now!)  It was time to make time to get things cleaned out and under control.  So, over the past few months, I’ve been cleaning, purging and organizing.  As I’ve shared, the more I get rid of, the more I want to get rid of more.  Getting rid of the obvious like the baby bottles and 2T jammies has turned into selling pieces of furniture I really love, but

Read More

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.

next art sale

August 13th, 2026 at 1pm EST

NEW ONLINE ART COURSE

Paint a Pet Portrait You’ll Love

Learn to paint pet portraits in oils with confidence, even if you’re a beginner. In this new course, Marian will guide you step by step through creating expressive animal portraits filled with color, personality, and your own artistic touch. Join the waitlist to be the first to know when the course opens.

Now Available

Move Slow & Make Things

A book about creativity, intention, and making things with care. Sign up to receive updates, preorder details, and exclusive bonus content.

From the Studio

Artful pieces for your home and everyday life.

From original paintings and art prints to Pup Club releases and curated goods, each piece is created or chosen to bring warmth, creativity, and character into your home.

From the Studio and Home

Shop the Feed

A handpicked collection of items styled and shared throughout posts, projects, and social feeds. Every product is thoughtfully chosen to reflect a timeless, collected aesthetic.

Recent Video

Fall Posts

Explore the Shop

Explore the Blog

Categories
error: Content is protected.

Pin It on Pinterest