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Decorating
a slice of life

Peony & Lilac | Free Mrs. Meyers Products

I learned a few years ago that I love the smell of lavender.  I don’t ever get tired of it and anytime lavender is a scent option in a product, that’s the one I’m going to pick. That is what first enticed me to purchase a bottle of Mrs. Meyers cleaning products.  Well, after over two years of using the multi-surface lavender cleaner, I’m sold.  And that led me to other lavender-scented Mrs. Meyer products, like the laundry soap, fabric softener, surface scrub and glass cleaner.  My love of lavender also led me to start using Jāsön lavender body wash and liquid hand soap. The issue for me with buying some of these products is that I live in a small town and the full range of Mrs. Meyers products isn’t always available and I have to drive about 30 minutes to get it.  Now, I get them sent to my

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March 7, 2017 42 Comments
All Things Home

how to fix “sticky” drawers

Have you ever had words with a piece of furniture that just would not cooperate? Well, I had to have a few words and get physical with this bottom half of a step-back cupboard yesterday.  The drawers that came out of it, so they could be cleaned, just would not go back in.  And, when I tried to force them in, they wouldn’t come back out.  This resulted in lots of grunting and “good griefs” and using my feet to steady the piece as I pulled with all of my might. Unless you’re a furniture dealer, I bet most of you haven’t had a piece this extreme, but you might have come across a few drawers that are sticky and stubborn. Here is how I fix them… #1 I figure out where the drawer is sticking.  This is sometimes easier said than done and can take a bit of trail and

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January 25, 2017 26 Comments
All Things Home

5 tips for building a killer collection

Yesterday, I talked about paring down and today I’m talking about collecting!  Believe it or not, but the two can very much go hand in hand.  I believe editing is an important part of building a killer collection. As I was working on the process of purging, deciding what to keep and what to box up to sell, I realized that there has been some method behind building the ironstone collection I have today and I thought I would share it. Collection building tip no. 1 | Collect what you love This might be obvious, but if you’re someone who likes a lot of things, it’ll be hard to pin yourself down to focus on one main collection.  (Not that you have to, but having too many collections can get a little overwhelming!)  So, what gets you most excited?  What do you always gravitate towards?  What have you loved consistently enough over

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January 24, 2017 38 Comments
All Things Home

paring down

It’s that time of year again when I get the itch to purge and organize.  I worked through my cabinets, closets, drawers, and storage spaces the past couple of years and have gotten rid of a ton of stuff, but there is always the accumulation of new stuff that needs to be dealt with.  The fact that I have done some thorough decluttering already is making the process easier this time around, but I find more stuff with each pass that I can let go.  I do find the more I get rid of, the more I can get rid of.  And I’ve come to really like empty or sparsely filled storage space. I also notice that through the year, some of my open shelving gets a little cluttered.  Between using the pieces, adding some, and taking away others, what was once a tidy cabinet starts to look a little haphazard.

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January 23, 2017 26 Comments
All Things Home

Room Refresh & Renew with Birch Lane

I have shared in the past that rugs are my nemesis when it comes to decorating.  It’s just so hard to find a rug that works with everything happening in a room.  I threw in the towel and had pretty much all jute and seagrass rugs in the house.  I love the look of them and I have found certain styles that feel comfortable underfoot, but the one that was in our bedroom was not one of those.  It was scratchy and rope-like and definitely not comfortable.  The problem was that I needed a large rug, 9 x 12, and it had to work with the fabric wall and I didn’t want to spend thousands on it. I’ve been looking for a long time and haven’t found anything that I loved for a reasonable price. When I was asked by Birch Lane if I would like to work with them on

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January 16, 2017 34 Comments
All Things Home

top 5 tips for decorating on a budget | part 1

When I was in New Hampshire, speaking at the Sage Farm Antiques Market, I gave a presentation on decorating on a budget.  As I prepped for that and then as I was teaching, I was reminded how passionate I am about the subject. Yes, it’s nice to have a generous budget when you’re decorating and yes, there are things that are worth saving for and splurging on, but oh, the creativity you have to have when your funds are tight!  And honestly, while most of the “million dollar homes” I’ve seen are beautiful and there are some amazing amenities, they don’t look like “home” to me.  Some of my very favorite decorating ideas came out of thrifty necessity and make-do-itive-ness. So, I decided to take that presentation and turn it into a series here on the blog. And tip #1 is… SHARPEN YOUR DIY SKILLS I think it’s a no brainer

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January 12, 2017 36 Comments
All Things Home

Decorating Dilemma | Marie – Hélène’s Kitchen

Remember Marie-Hélène?  (Look! I figured out how to do the accent marks above her name.  That actually came about compliments of my broken E key.  I had to hold it down to coax it and realized that other E options would pop up!)  Anyway, I featured her family room in a Decorating Dilemma post just before Christmas.   I received an e-mail from her the next day sharing that she was up to her eyeballs in furniture rearranging, mood boards, and creative energy!  I hope she’ll send some updated pictures, so I can share her progress. Today, though, we’re going to take a look at the other half of the room – the kitchen.  Here’s a little tour… The first thing I noticed right away, as well as the thing Marie-Hélène shared puzzled her most, was the window/mirror thing.  She calls it a “mirror mantle”.  Don’t you just love weird little things

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January 9, 2017 20 Comments
a slice of life

Christmas 2016 recap

For the second year in a row, I actually took a break over the Christmas holidays.  I did some inbox maintenance and spent a little time on business stuff here and there, but I didn’t write any blog posts and I didn’t work at the studio.  I was even pretty quiet on social media. I spent a lot of time, like entire days, in my jammies.  I played video games and board games with Jeff and the boys.  I watched TV at night without a computer in my lap.  I was a general unproductive loaf, which is not usually my style, but it was welcome and needed. Unfortunately, I seem to be coming down with a cold or something, so I’m not feeling ready to hit my stride at full speed just yet, but it’s time to start at least heading in that direction. Before I get into my plans, changes, ideas, and

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January 2, 2017 13 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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