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All Things Home
1970 home renovation

sweet autumn clematis

I recognized it immediately when we first looked at this house.  It was hanging over a rickety fence that would need to be replaced, but my heart lifted when I saw it – sweet autumn clematis.  I had planted it in my Minnesota garden in the hopes it would grow up around the porch, adding some charm to our beige suburban house.  After a few seasons of nurturing, it finally grew along the porch, just as I had hoped.  And then we moved.  This sweet autumn clematis on the fence felt like a little gift to me. Maybe even a providential indication that this was the house for us. What I didn’t know about sweet autumn clematis is that the cold Minnesota winters keep it in check, but it thrives in Maryland and is considered invasive.  I have my hands full fighting invasive weeds in this yard, but the sweet

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September 8, 2025 27 Comments
1970 home renovation

installing shutters on brick | 1970 home renovation

When the weather first started warming up this spring, I had a long to-do list for the back exterior of the house.  New windows, paint, and install shutters, build a custom A/C surround, paint the trim, power wash the patio, and work on the garden beds.  We’ve been chipping away at these projects over the spring and summer, and I finally checked the last one off the list – hanging the shutters.  They had been sitting in the garage for almost a year.  I primed and painted them in early summer.  They were just waiting to be installed and, now that it’s done, I don’t know why we waited so long!  Actually, I do know why.  Jeff and I both had the notion that installing shutters on brick would be a tedious project. We have installed a few things on brick before, and it was a real struggle to drill

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September 3, 2025 18 Comments
Decorating

ideas from Cheri’s house that I’m stealing

As I shared last week (HERE), I had the chance to stay at my friend Cheri’s house when I took Calvin to Minnesota for a quick trip to visit some friends.  The trip was for him, and I was just there to drive the rental car and be the mom if he had any issues with his T1D.  But it ended up being a real gift to me as well.  It was a chance to step away from home projects and daily chores.  Aside from an occasional ride, there was nothing I needed to do, so the days felt long and luxurious.  I set up a temporary workspace and studio on the dining room table, where I spent most of my time painting and writing. Of course, I did poke around Cheri’s beautiful home to admire her collections and handiwork.  I set up a few still life vignettes and photographed

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September 2, 2025 1 Comment
a slice of life

A short trip to MN & upcoming art sale

Jeff is usually the one who takes the boys on trips so they can have some father/son bonding time, but he had recently been on a couple of trips, and it would’ve been a stretch to miss more work.  So, as we planned a trip to Minnesota for Calvin to visit his friends, it was clear I would be the one to take him.  At first, it felt like a minor inconvenience, something I was doing just for him, but it turned into a treat for me as well.  Since Calvin has plans for most of our short trip, I would have time to do whatever I wanted.  I decided to turn that time into a mini-creative retreat.  I would spend two days collecting inspiration, painting, reading, and resting. I had planned to stay in a hotel, but when I reached out to schedule a meal with my friend, Cheri,

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August 27, 2025 25 Comments
All Things Home

selecting the right height for nightstands

On Instagram yesterday, I was asked if there was a standard for selecting the right height for nightstands.  I thought that was a great question and one I never looked up, but I have typically chosen nightstands that felt like the right height for the bed they were paired with.  I like nightstands that are roughly the same height as the top of the mattress or perhaps a little bit taller.  This makes reaching for things easy when turning off an alarm in the morning, checking a text or call, grabbing a tissue, or turning a lamp on and off.  I decided to look it up to see if conventional decorating guidelines match my intuition on the matter, and they do.  There isn’t a standard height as there is for chair rail and countertops, but a guideline based on each individual room. I like a tall mattress.  It’s not right

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August 19, 2025 11 Comments
Art

oil painting video tutorial | white irises

After working on pet and animal portraits for most of this year, I decided to take a little break and paint some still life and landscapes.  First of all, I want the practice.  I don’t want to get rusty in those subjects, even though working on one kind of painting informs and often improves another.  These are also the most popular subjects for licensing, so I wanted to create some new works to submit and sell in my next original art sale.  I’ve been working on rural landscapes, oranges, and now irises.  While I’ve been painting, I set up my camera so I could make video tutorials for those who want to paint along.  So, here is a video tutorial on painting these white irises…   This painting is based on a photo I took while on a walk one morning this spring.  One of our neighbors keeps the prettiest

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August 13, 2025 5 Comments
1970 home renovation

power washing the patio

This project has been on my list since I did my Spring cleaning of the patio and pool deck in April.  The patio, particularly the old part, was so dirty and stained.  It’s the sort of project that keeps getting put off, though.  Not because it’s hard, but because it’s a pain to get the power washer out and set up and to move all of the furniture and heavy concrete planters.  We’ve been having great weather this week, though, so I finally convinced Marshall to help me get it done. Here is how the patio looked before… You can really see how dirty it was in this picture… When I took pictures of the patio, I tried to take them from an angle that would mostly hide the dirt, but you can still see it under the table and chairs… We moved everything out of the way, which was

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August 6, 2025 8 Comments
Antiques

antique purchases with mom

Most of you have my taste pretty nailed down!  When I asked which pieces you thought I bought while on my antique trip with mom, you were pretty spot on!  (You can read that post HERE.)  Truth be told, I wanted to buy everything I highlight, but I’ve hit that tipping point where I need to be very particular about what I buy.  Years of antiquing as a hobby and a business has my house pretty well furnished.  But, my kindred spirits get that it’s too fun to not mill around antique stores and markets now and then.  So, here is what I bought… Of course, the goose.  I love concrete pieces for the garden and this one was just too good to pass up, even with the repaired beak. The posture and patina are perfect.  My only hesitation was the break and strange repair (it’s like a putty or

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August 5, 2025 19 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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