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All Things Home

All Things Home

haviland 12 days of Christmas plates

First of all, I loved reading through all of the comments on Wednesday’s post!  I didn’t intend for it to happen, but everyone gave me great ideas for blog posts next year.  It sounds like many of you need simple decorating ideas, inspiration, and some solutions to dilemmas you’re facing.  I think I’m going to have to bring my Decorating Dilemmas post series back! You have also taught me that not everyone follows me on all of the platforms where I post and, even if you do, you still miss a lot!  And all of my readers haven’t read all of my posts!  So, I’m going to make sure I’m spreading my content out more evenly and I’m going to dust off some of my old tricks for new posts and tutorials.  I’m really excited about it. But today, I’m going to share a bit more about the vintage Christmas

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All Things Home

layering for winter & DIY book lover’s giveaway

I was planning to get this post up sooner, but today ended up being busy!!  I did some work this morning, ran a few errands, went to PT for my shoulder (I can put on eyeliner again), had a meeting, did a few photoshoots and editing, then Marshall wanted to make chicken pot pie when he got home from school, and here we are.  Pot pie made and eaten, Jeff and Calvin are out about Rochester delivering hot chocolate and doughnuts to Salvation Army bell-ringers and I have a few quiet moments to write. When I think about winter decorating, I think about layers.  Of course, there is the obvious…layering throws on a sofa, more blankets on a bed, a textural throw pillow on a side chair.  But, I also think about layering when putting together vignettes.  The layers add a hominess, a visual warmth if that makes sense.  A

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a slice of life

florence | the 163-year-old pen & paper shop

Once we were settled in our room at the Piazza Pitti Palace, my mom and I decided to walk around and explore until we were scheduled to meet our guide at 4:00.  We didn’t have a specific destination but were just planning to meander and wander into pretty shops.  Just a couple of blocks from our hotel, I was drawn into a shop by a beautiful display of papers in the window. There were old cabinets filled with hand-bound leather journals and rolls of colorful printed papers. Of course, I was drawn to the dip pens and inks, but I didn’t see anything I felt like I needed to buy. But then, some antique school notebooks caught my eye.  I was excited about seeing something old.  Perhaps they had more old things.  There were things in every nook and cranny and it would be easy to miss if you didn’t

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All Things Home

christmas decorating in the living room 2019

I hope you had a great Thanksgiving!  We spent much of the time hanging out in our jammies at home.  It’s really what we all needed after a busy couple of weeks and right before we run the gauntlet of Christmas parties, concerts, and other holiday happenings. Initially, we were planning on heading out east to visit family for Thanksgiving, but decided to stay home due to my healing shoulder.  We ended up having Thanksgiving dinner with my friend Cheri and her family.  It was an amazing meal and a wonderful time with friends.  It’s just what you want Thanksgiving to be…good food, football, board games, and even a blanket of snow outside. We also took the time to get our Christmas tree up and added some decorations to the living room. I’ll add a few more decorations here and there, but I’m going to primarily focus on just the

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All Things Home

green, blue, & white Christmas table

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Walmart.  All words and opinions are, as always, my own. Do you remember my green & white tablescape for summer?  Well, I think it’s important for pieces I buy to be versatile, so I wanted to show how many of these same pieces bought from Walmart Home can transition and work just as well for a Christmas tablescape!  So, don’t just shop the Christmas section online or in the store.  Look all through home, crafts, kitchenware, etc.  Roam around and see what inspires you and make those low prices stretch even further. First of all, I added some that remind me of a Christmas sweater.  I ordered these pillows from the holiday section of Walmart.com and was so pleased with the size and quality for the $12 price (and it comes in a variety of colors!)  With a zipper closure and feather-filled insert, these

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All Things Home

farmhouse christmas blog tour 2019

If you’re hopping over from Love Grows Wild, then welcome!  If you’re a regular here, you’re most welcome, too! Sooo, when I said yes to participating in this year’s Farmhouse Christmas Blog Tour organized by Sheila of Maison De Cinq, I had no idea I would be just a few weeks out from major shoulder and bicep surgery.  Because my arm is still a noodle and I can’t lift anything at all, it may come to no surprise to you that I have not decorated for Christmas, yet.  I have started thinking about it if that counts! Really, if I didn’t have my current physical limitations, I think I would have my decor out, but I’m not as independent this year and I can’t just pull out the bins when the mood strikes.  We had our first snow followed by January-like temperatures and I am feeling that mood.  I’m for

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All Things Home

basket full of yarn & crochet update

So, I have fully embraced the crocheting thing!  I made three trips to the craft store last week, which is no small thing because I couldn’t drive.  I had to ask someone to take me and witness me exploring this new world of yarn.  I’ve actually always been drawn to yarn and have found excuses to buy some here and there for projects, but what makes good yarn for pom-poms and garlands doesn’t necessarily make good yarn for a crochet project.  I learned that as I made the most ridiculously thick and heavy hat that I ended up turning into a thick and heavy scarf that’s only a little less ridiculous. I love learning, finding new creatives to follow, and having an excuse to buy some new supplies!  I know yarn can really add up, but crocheting is a pretty thrifty endeavor, especially if you buy yarn on sale.  I

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All Things Home

Customizing a sofa & arhaus giveaway

** This giveaway is closed.  Congratulations to the winner, Brooke Morrow!  ** This post is sponsored by Arhaus.  As always, all opinions and words are honest and my own.  (And you’re going to want to stick around, because this is one of the biggest giveaways I’ve ever hosted!) Shopping for a sofa can be an intimidating process, especially if you’re buying it online, which is fairly typical these days.  Even if you are fortunate enough to see the piece in person, it’s usually not the exact piece.  You’re still customizing the fabric, finishes, and perhaps even the configuration.  You don’t know with 100% certainty that the piece will work until it’s sitting in the space.  BUT, there is a lot of leg work you can do upfront to greatly increase your chances of success and get the odds close to 100%. So, let’s talk about customizing a sofa! If you

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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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