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

Tutorials

woodworking

Jeff's top three workshop tools

Jeff, my other half who is famous for his photobombing, has been working on the blog behind the scenes for a long time…shipping things, fixing things, building things, hanging things, carrying things… but now he’s stepping front and center. He has written a post sharing his top three indispensable workshop tools.  Enjoy… Everybody has their favorite tools. I have mine and you have yours. And the tools we depend on most are obviously determined by the kind of work we do. Marian, for example, would probably have an orbital sander in her top three because she uses it for just about every furniture makeover she does. For me, the sander may have an outside chance at cracking the top ten. Allow me to list a couple of ground rules. First, drills don’t count. Yes, I am aware that a drill is a tool. And yes, I use a drill all the

Read More
home improvement

French Style & a fabric wall

I received an e-mail a few months ago, asking if I would contribute to a new magazine, French Style.  Well, that sounds right up my alley!  Yesterday, I found the magazine in Target and snapped it up. First of all, it really is a beautiful magazine.  I loved looking through it and I felt so proud that I was a small part of it and I was very pleased with how my article and photographs turned out.  I always felt like my pictures in print looked yellowish and not as sharp as the other pictures in the magazine.  I felt like these were my best and that’s a great feeling. You can find the magazine on newsstands now. One of the rooms featured in the article is my master bedroom and the fabric wall behind the headboard.  Most people assume it’s wall paper, but it’s actually fabric!  I used an old Army

Read More
Before and Afters

the unpainted desk & hemp chair

Despite what some may think, I don’t paint everything. Most of the furniture pieces I buy are in need of some help.  They’re tired, worn, spotted with water rings, sporting chipped & bubbled veneer and have seen better days.  Because of that, I don’t feel the slightest hesitation about painting them. Some pieces, though, are just perfect as is.  Such was the case with this oak desk… The wood and finish were in beautiful condition and the vintage glass knobs were perfect.  We did have to add some new stops to the drawers to keep them from sliding all the way to the back of the desk, but that was a quick fix. Usually, I feel that painting a piece brings out the details, but the graining of the wood made the details, like the cubbies and carved embellishments, really shine. So, the only thing I did beyond adding drawer stops

Read More
Before and Afters

More French Chairs

We’re on the final stretch to Lucketts.  The truck gets loaded today and we’ll set up our space tomorrow.  I’ve been working on things and shopping for so long that I’m really looking forward to it finally being here. I told you I have French chairs coming out of my ears, practically.  I usually have four or five.  This year, I have nine…I think.  That might not sound like much, but I feel like it’s a lot. Here’s one I just finished a few days ago…. If you think that chair looks familiar, you’re right!  I bought this pair of chairs a couple of years ago and painted them in Shutter Gray with a wash of Ironstone.  I brought them to the Lucketts Holiday Open House when I was a vendor there and they didn’t sell.  So, I brought them home and used them for a while. I tried to

Read More
French Chair Makeovers - Miss Mustard Seed
Before and Afters

the French twins

I told you there were lots of furniture makeovers on the way!  Here’s another one… Remember this pair of French chairs?  I found them on Craig’s List for a good price and they were in really nice condition.  A reader asked why I don’t just leave them alone.  It’s true, I could probably sell them as is, but they aren’t really “me.”  Why does that matter if I’m selling them?  It matters because people aren’t just buying a French chair or a dresser from me.  They can buy those from any vendor at Lucketts.  What they can buy from me is something with my style stamp on it.  Plus, I want my booth to be full of things I love and would use in my own home, not things that are just nice. So, Cari stripped them and pulled out the thousands of decorative tacks to get them ready for

Read More
woodworking

Organizing the Workshop

I confess that I have a tough time keeping my work areas clean.  I know the other creative types out there understand.  I am a bit of a neat-freak, but when I’m working on a lot of things, I don’t take the time to clean up the workshop.  Scraps of wood get tossed on the floor, tools are piled up on the workbench and things are in a perpetual state of disorganization.  I just close the door. So, my mom and I worked on tidying up the place. We picked up some more hooks and tool holders from our local True Value to use on the pegboard surfaces in the workshop. We even hung the hammers and drills… We used long hooks on the table saw out feed table to keep extension cords handy. If you’re planning on organizing a workspace yourself, here are a few tips… It may be

Read More
Before and Afters

humble upholstery & an ornate frame

 This chair has been languishing in my basement for a while…almost a year, I think.  Sometimes I don’t work on pieces because I’m stalling, busy, uninspired or it keeps falling to the bottom of the to-do list.  I think other times, providence plays a small role.  I wasn’t really sure what fabric I was going to use on this piece and was just planning on defaulting to natural hemp.  Then, I found this PA grain sack at an antique store.  I happened to set it on the chair and it seemed like they were meant to be together.  I wasn’t sure how well the ornate frame would play with the humble grain sack, but they were perfect. Here’s what the chair looked like when I bought it.  Not bad at all, but the tapestry-like fabric wasn’t my style and there was flimsy cardboard backing that I wanted to replace. The

Read More
Hand Painted Furniture

Antiquing & Waxing Video Tutorial

I had a chance to finish the footboard and rails of the “Bavarian” style bed I’ve been working on for our guest bedroom.  You can check out part 1 and part 2 to see how the bed got to this stage.  I’m excited to get it set up in the guest room and take some pictures of it in natural lighting, but here are some I snapped in the workshop.  And to show you the process I used on this piece, Jeff and I made an antiquing wax tutorial… Jeff was a busy guy today.  Not only did he make the video, but he made great progress on the trim in the family room… Tonight all of the boys were at Awana, so that’s my night to get a few extra hours of work in (or sometimes just enjoy a movie and a quiet house).  Tonight, I filled and primed

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

May 20th, 2026 at 1pm EST

Now Available for Preorder

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

Spring Posts

Explore the Shop

Explore the Blog

Categories
error: Content is protected.

Pin It on Pinterest