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All Things Home

All Things Home

christmas decorating | one christmas bell four ways

Last year, I shared a budget-friendly Christmas bell decorating idea post showing six different ways to use some store-bought sleighbells.  You can find that post HERE.  Since I received great feedback from that post, I decided to do another one this year for a set of bells I bought last week. Like the bells I purchased last year, was also from Target and came on a red & white door hanger… You know that red isn’t my color, even during the holidays, but I loved the bells.  They have a nice shine to them, they are heavy, and they hand a handmade look about them.  I think they also have a pretty ring, very important for a bell!  I knew when I bought them that I would want to cut them off of the hanger and use them in different ways. Christmas bell decorating idea no. 1 All of these

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a slice of life

Christmas Gift Guide for the Neatnik

After reading this post, you might be glad you’re not on my Christmas list!  I actually have given steam mops as gifts before, because I think they are so awesome.  But, I’m one of those people who enjoys cleaning (most of the time.)  It’s a good time for me to think and I almost always get inspired when I’m cleaning.  I also love being productive and watching a room transformation from messy and fuzzy to clean and neat.  If you get it, you get it.  And, if you get it, here is a gift guide for my fellow neatniks… I think some things on this gift guide would make nice hostess gifts and stocking stuffers, especially crochet dishcloths and Swedish brushes, but some of these are just good gifts to give yourself to make cleaning a little more enjoyable or easy during the holidays and into the new year.  

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All Things Home

Non-Christmas Holiday Decor Ideas

I remember an article I read in a magazine years ago about a room that was completely transitioned from a spring/summer look to a fall/winter look by changing out some accessories and the slipcovers on the furniture.  The entire room went from feeling fresh and cheery to homey and warm without the addition of any traditional seasonal or holiday decor.  I love how the transition was relatively simple, probably done in an afternoon, but it completely transformed the room.  (Does anyone else remember that article?  I think it was in Country Home…maybe 15-20 years ago.) I think many of us make some of these changes naturally.  The throws end up draped over the arm of the sofa instead of folded in a basket.  We might play with the accessories, swapping out things that feel like summer and spring, like flowers and seashells, and trade them for pinecones and evergreens. One

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All Things Home

black Friday art sale & giveaway

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!  I’m still taking some time off, but I wanted to share just one Black Friday sale for those who are interested.  If you missed the original art sale I had last week, I have added some of my new paintings to Society6 and they are having a Black Friday sale today!  This includes 50% off wall art! Here are a few of the recent additions for the Black Friday art sale… abstract landscape pair 1/2 and 2/2 abstract seascape no. 5 nice view no. 1 nice view no. 3 …and Nice View no. 5, which is the Blue Nose II Schooner I also added some of my older paintings for the Black Friday art sale, like the Pair of Pears and a couple of the barns. I hope you find something you like if my paintings speak to you and you’re looking to

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All Things Home

Holiday Crafts with Walmart

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by .  All words and opinions, as always, are honest and my own.  Let’s make some holiday crafts… I have always loved making things for the holidays…for gifts, for decorations, or just as something fun to do to fill a quiet afternoon indoors.  This holiday season, I find the pull to making things even greater.  I know there will be a lot of time at home as opposed to some of our usual seasonal outings, like visiting family, black Friday gift-shopping, and going to the movies.  Instead, we’ll be doing more puzzles, family games, movie nights, baking, and I’ll be doing a few more holiday crafts.  Since we will be spending the Thanksgiving break at home (as I’m sure many of you are as well), crafting is a great way to get off electronics, gather together, and make some good memories. To share a few

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All Things Home

who’s making the decorating decisions?

I get random articles about decorating e-mailed to me on a weekly basis.  They cover everything from giving your kitchen a makeover with paint in a weekend (amusing notion) to kitchen trends to the latest design house triumph.  I usually just scan them briefly before they are deleted.  I received one earlier this week that got me thinking…  It was about decorating decisions and who makes them in the household.  Is the decision-making split between spouses or does one or the other make the bulk of the decisions?  The article asserted that 45% of couples make decorating decisions together.  It didn’t further specify if that was referring to large decisions like renovations, installing flooring, etc., or smaller decisions like where to place a lamp or the number of pillows that are reasonable for a sofa. So, let’s talk about it! Who’s making the decorating decisions in your house? In our

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a slice of life

cleaning a set of antique pastels

When I shared about antique and vintage art supplies in THIS POST, I also did a bit of window shopping to share some listings on Etsy and eBay.  Well, my window shopping turned into actual shopping when I found this set of antique pastels listed for a great price.  It was purchased by the seller at an estate sale in Scotland and it just spoke to me.  I snapped it right up! Unfortunately, when it arrived, it wasn’t packaged as well as it could’ve been and one of the pastels (it looked like black or close to black) was pulverized and made quite a mess.  It was all over the inside the of the box, the bubble wrap and the interior of the box.  I receievd a partial refund from the seller for the damage to the set, which I was happy with.  I now had to go about cleaning

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All Things Home

building an ironstone collection

I read an article on ironstone in a decorating magazine (I think Country Home) about 20 years ago and have been smitten with it ever since.  I can’t tell you exactly what draws me to it…  maybe it’s the simplicity of it, the creamy-white color, the variety of shapes and designs, the luster of the glaze.  I can’t tell you why, but I love it and it’s one of my favorite things to collect.  I’ve been collecting it since I found an ironstone pitcher in a dusty, crowded booth at an antique mall in Florida.  I’ve since bought and sold thousands of pieces of ironstone, adding to my collection along the way.  I’ve become quite the ironstone hound and can spot it from across the room. If you love ironstone, as I do, here are a few tips on building an ironstone collection of your own… Of course, the first

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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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