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Miscellaneus

Apron Strings & a Fog Horn

First of all, thank you so very much for all of the amazing ideas for color names. I was blown away with the creativity, thoughtfulness and just how many of you pay attention to the things that are important to me. It was touching.  I wish I could express it in a more articulate way, but the words are getting muddled.  So, anyway, thank you. The color name I decided on was… Apron Strings  …in honor of Diane’s grandmother’s “company apron.”  There were so many names I loved, but this one fit so well with the rest of the names in my line and those two words immediately evoke a feeling or memory.  Neither of my grandma’s had aprons this color or even wore aprons, but I can imagine a grandmother mixing some biscuit dough or crimping a pie crust with beautiful coral apron strings hanging down the back of

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Miscellaneus

coralgallery

First of all, thank you so very much for all of the amazing ideas for color names. I was blown away with the creativity, thoughtfulness and just how many of you pay attention to the things that are important to me. It was touching.  I wish I could express it in a more articulate way, but the words are getting muddled.  So, anyway, thank you. The color name I decided on was… Apron Strings  …in honor of Diane’s grandmother’s “company apron.”  There were so many names I loved, but this one fit so well with the rest of the names in my line and those two words immediately evoke a feeling or memory.  Neither of my grandma’s had aprons this color or even wore aprons, but I can imagine a grandmother mixing some biscuit dough or crimping a pie crust with beautiful coral apron strings hanging down the back of

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Miscellaneus

Painting my Front Door

If you recall, I posted a few weeks ago about replacing and painting my new front door. Well, the tutorial I wrote for it is now live on True Value’s site – Start Right Start Here. I share the products used and some tips on painting the doors in your own home. (By the way, I know that the door looks really streaky in the final picture on the tutorial.  The door is solid black and smooth in person, but the light reflecting off of it in the pictures shows every bit of grain and tiniest undulation in the finish, unfortunately.  It looks great in person, but I wasn’t able to capture that in the picture.) The door looks great, but I do still need to stain the back.  Man, the to-do list is endless!  Such is the life of a DIYer… I was one of the bloggers selected by True Value to

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Decorating

Wax Puck Tutorial

I’m just getting in from enjoying the beautiful Collegiate Peaks in Colorado, so I’ve asked our MMS Milk Paint Primary Educator, Abbe Doll, to share a tutorial with you.  I haven’t had a chance to shoot or write a tutorial on using Wax Pucks, one of our new products, so Abbe, who is a machine, made one for me!  Enjoy! Let me just start by saying I love this little thing! It fits so perfectly in the palm of your hand and creates such fun effects. Here are some benefits of using the wax puck: You can create smooth, precise distressed lines on edges. If you want to expose color under color without sanding down to the wood, this allows you to control the amount of distressing you get It will allow you to expose or bring out the details of that great wear and tear of an old piece,

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Hand Painted Furniture

waxpuckgallery

I’m just getting in from enjoying the beautiful Collegiate Peaks in Colorado, so I’ve asked our MMS Milk Paint Primary Educator, Abbe Doll, to share a tutorial with you.  I haven’t had a chance to shoot or write a tutorial on using Wax Pucks, one of our new products, so Abbe, who is a machine, made one for me!  Enjoy! Let me just start by saying I love this little thing! It fits so perfectly in the palm of your hand and creates such fun effects. Here are some benefits of using the wax puck: You can create smooth, precise distressed lines on edges. If you want to expose color under color without sanding down to the wood, this allows you to control the amount of distressing you get It will allow you to expose or bring out the details of that great wear and tear of an old piece,

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Miscellaneus

What is it?

This has been in my Opa’s house for as long as I can remember.  It’s always sat in the corner by the fireplace, so I always assumed it was a bellows.  As we were cleaning out his house, we had a pile in the middle of the family room that was the “up for grabs” unclaimed pile.  Believe it or not, this was in that pile.  Although I love all things old and appreciated it, I don’t have a fireplace and I didn’t want to take it home to sit in my basement. But then, my uncle started playing around with it and he told me what it was.  Well, it was too cool to stay in the middle of the room, so I moved it to my pile. Does anyone have any idea what it is? It’s about 3 1/2′ long, so it’s pretty big. Maybe I’ll send a

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Miscellaneus

DSC_1871 (640×424)

This has been in my Opa’s house for as long as I can remember.  It’s always sat in the corner by the fireplace, so I always assumed it was a bellows.  As we were cleaning out his house, we had a pile in the middle of the family room that was the “up for grabs” unclaimed pile.  Believe it or not, this was in that pile.  Although I love all things old and appreciated it, I don’t have a fireplace and I didn’t want to take it home to sit in my basement. But then, my uncle started playing around with it and he told me what it was.  Well, it was too cool to stay in the middle of the room, so I moved it to my pile. Does anyone have any idea what it is? It’s about 3 1/2′ long, so it’s pretty big. Maybe I’ll send a

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Antiques

Chapel Market Inventory Preview

It’s not until October 19, but I’ve already started shopping, gathering and collecting for The Chapel Market in Pikes Road, Alabama. Here are some of the things I will be bringing… …an old scale… …a mini alarm clock… …a brown transferware ironstone sugar jar…   …a bunch of antique European grain sacks, fabric and tea towels….   …a pig butcher block board… …and TWO of these antique shoe racks… They’re so cool and offer some really neat storage possibilities.  AND I found them at a yard sale.  A YARD SALE, people!  You don’t even want to know what I paid for them.  Well, maybe you do and I would tell, but I’m reselling them for a lot more, so that would probably be tacky. I also have a cool industrial stool, some hand painted camp banners, a pretty antique globe, old shoe brushes, a typewriter and a lot more. Of

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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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May 20th, 2026 at 1pm EST

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