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

Writing

a slice of life

the notesbooks on my desk

I take a hybrid approach when it comes to running my life and organizing my thoughts.  I like paper, pencils, and pens for writing down ideas, planning, and managing my day.  While old-fashioned notebooks are my preference for most things, I rely heavily on a digital calendar and reminder alarms to make sure I don’t miss appointments, important deadlines, or even mundane weekly chores like putting the trash cans on the curb and changing the pool’s chemical cartridge.  (Yes, despite being the only female in our household, I am the pool boy.)  As I was looking around at the collection of notebooks I interact with each day, I thought I would share each one, why I like it, and how I use it. Practical Planning | Full Focus Planner This is the daily planner that I use to manage tasks and larger projects.  I also use it for meeting notes,

Read More
Artistic Endeavors

Move Slow & Make Things Preorder Print Bonus

In case you didn’t hear, my new book, Move Slow & Make Things, comes out September 1, 2026!  We’re getting into the final weeks before the launch, so I’ll be releasing more preorder bonuses, running giveaways, and sharing more about it in the lead-up to the release date.  Of course, I’m sharing the book because that’s part of my job as an author, but I’m also sharing it because I am so proud of this book.  I loved writing it, and I hope it will be a great encouragement to those who read it.   If you weren’t aware of the ins and outs of the book world, preorders have become a key part of a book’s success.  Of course, you have sneak-up, surprise bestsellers, but booksellers rely heavily on preorder numbers to decide which books to put on their shelves and feature online.  Strong preorder sales get a book

Read More
Art

Move Slow & Make Things Book Bonuses Available!

I am so excited to share that the preorder bonuses for Move Slow & Make Things: Pursuing the Delightfully Fulfilling Creative Life are now available!  If you’ve already ordered the book, thank you!  You can enter your order information on THIS to claim your bonuses. If you haven’t preordered the book yet, you can do that HERE.  I will be released September 1, 2026, so you still have plenty of time, but I learned through the release of Feels Like Home that preorders have become an important part of a book’s success in the current market. Preordering is one of the best ways you can support an author and champion their work.  It tells booksellers how much interest there is in a book, helping them determine how many to order for their physical and online stores.    It can also put books on bestseller lists once they are released. So,

Read More
a slice of life

refillable ballpoint & rollerball pens

I’ve been promising this post on Instagram for a while, and it’s finally here – a round-up of beautiful, refillable, and relatively affordable ballpoint and rollerball pens.  I say relatively affordable because, like fountain pens, rollerball and ballpoint pens can get very, very expensive depending on the brand and materials used.  I never thought I would spend more than $20 on a “nice pen”, much less over $50 or $100, but I have been wooed into the world of beautiful writing instruments and now I’m hopelessly in deep.  I have come to believe that anyone who is an artist or writer should have at least one special pen that is a delight to use and speaks to them. A few years ago, I shared some affordable fountain pens ranging from $5 – $85.  You can find that post HERE.  I use fountain pens often for drawing and writing, but I

Read More
Marian Parsons Miss Mustard Seed
Artistic Endeavors

my next big project(s)

After working as a creative entrepreneur since 2008, I have learned that projects come in seasons.  Sometimes those seasons last for years and sometimes they are brief, fleeting.  Some seasons I repeat, in new ways, over and over again because I enjoy them so thoroughly and feel called back to them.  Some seasons are experienced and then come to an end.  I’ve written and published two books, both in their seasons.  Both were a part of my growth, my story, and my body of work.  While both were about home, they were not a part of a series or a pair.  They were standalone books, chronicling my two previous homes, my work on them, and how they built into me. After the first book, Inspired You, I thought that might be it.  I wasn’t only an author/writer.  I did many other things and wasn’t sure how writing another book would

Read More
design

creating a book cover | feels like home

If you missed it, I have a that is all about customizing your house (or apartment, condo, townhouse) so that it feels like home.  I would definitely consider writing a book a labor of love, but this book wasn’t a slog or a tiring push to the finish line.  It wasn’t, as they say,  like “cutting myself open to let the words bleed out.”  It did demand a lot of me, but it came easily and I thoroughly enjoyed the work and the process. I overshot my word target by a mile and we had more pictures than we had room for!  In my creative joy, I was able to produce an overabundance of what we needed and I hope the result is a book that is enjoyed by many. One of the places where I got a little stuck, though, was shooting the cover of the book.  I wasn’t

Read More
a slice of life

this is the project I’ve been working on…

For the past several months, I have mentioned here and there that I’ve been working on various projects – writing, working on my house, and doing photo shoots.  These smaller projects are all a part of one big project.  This project hasn’t been a secret one, but I wanted to wait to announce it until I was a little further along in the process. Here’s the big news… I wrote a book! Well, more accurately, I’m in the process of writing a book.  I wrote the complete manuscript and took hundreds of photos and turned them all in to start the editing and layout process a couple of weeks ago.  There is still a lot of work to do, but the heart of the work is complete. So, let me rewind a bit and tell you the story of how this came about… I have written a book before, Inspired

Read More
Art

barn quilt coloring book & art journaling

I have been working on several projects over the past few months and one of them has finally hit the market!  The Barn Quilt Coloring Book is now available. This project was something totally different for me.  First of all, it involved drawing instead of writing!  But it felt like a project that worked nicely with my brand, despite the fact that it wasn’t like anything I’d done before. I never even thought of doing a coloring book!  But, the company who is publishing the Home Design Doodle Book presented this project and we developed the idea together. I first had to do a ton of research on barn quilts and traditional quilt squares.  Since I live in Pennsylvania, a place where barn quilts are pretty commonly seen, I was familiar with them, but I didn’t know the history.  (For those who don’t know what a barn quilt is, it’s a

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