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

Exterior

1970 home renovation

home editing | 1970 home renovation

When we live in a house for a while, it’s easy to become blind to things that should be obvious eyesores.  Something that bothered us initially becomes something we don’t even notice.  Such was the case with the basketball pole off our driveway.  We walk past it almost every day and, occasionally, I would recognize it and comment that we need to remove it and then we would go about working on other things. We considered putting a new backboard and net up to make it functional, but we learned that it would have to be either customized or custom-made since the mounting hardware on the pole no longer matches up with modern backboards.  We then questioned if anyone in our house would use it enough to make it worth the trouble and expense and decided it would be best to just remove it.  We mentioned that it was going

Read More
1970 home renovation

fencing day two & DIY cost savings

We finished installing the second side of the fence yesterday and I took the time to take a few pictures to share how we did it for those who are curious or considering a similar project.  You can read about our first day of “fencing” HERE. The fence really needed to be replaced from the day we moved in.  Pickets were falling off and it was only getting worse.  In fact, the gate used most often fell off one day shortly after we moved in.  I had a neighborhood dog wander to our front door a few months ago and I put her in the backyard to keep her safe while I notified her owners and waited for them to pick her up.  Well, a fence that held Sebastian just fine was no match for this escape artist.  The owner came to get her and she was gone.  It was

Read More
1970 home renovation

fencing day one | 1970 home renovation

We were planning on rebuilding our crumbling fence a few weeks ago when the weather was still reliably cool and before the vines took off, but just as I went to order the fence pickets, Home Depot didn’t have enough in stock.  Someone else must’ve had the same idea because one day they were there and the next day, they were cleared out.  We already had sections of fence rebuilt with this style of picket, so we couldn’t just go with another option that was in stock.  We had to wait until we could source them. I called Home Depot regularly to check in on their next shipment and it finally arrived Friday and was delivered to us on Monday.  With the fence materials in our driveway and the weather cool and beautiful, we made the impromptu decision to start working on the fence right away.  Both Jeff and I

Read More
1970 home renovation

edging the front walk

If you can’t tell by my blog posts, we’ve been focusing our efforts on the exterior of the house over the past few weeks.  I’ve been enjoying it and have some good momentum, but we’re also trying to get as much done before it gets uncomfortably hot.  Spring and fall are my favorite times to be outside, so we’re trying to take advantage of it before we’re in the dog days of summer.  We started working on our fence yesterday and got the section on the right side of the house finished (except for a few finishing details) and we’ll get the other side done over the next 2-3 days.  I’ll share that process and the result in another post.  Something we worked on last week, though, was edging the front walk. While the front of our house is very visible, the front door is rarely used.  Since the driveway,

Read More
All Things Home

first willow garden structure project & an English dovecote

Several of you have asked about the English dovecote hanging near our front door as well as the willow garden support, so I wanted to back up a bit and share about those two pieces.  Since the English dovecote came first, let’s start with that. I was initially planning on making a trellis for this bit of wall that would complement the two larger trellises on the wall just around the corner, but I was wondering if that might be trellis overload.  This wall needed something, though. Maria of Dreamy Whites had sent me a dovecote from one of her shopping trips in England and Europe last year, but it had been waiting in the basement until we started working more on the exterior of the house.  I have long admired English dovecotes and knew I wanted to mount one somewhere in the yard or on the house, but there

Read More
1970 home renovation

update on the back garden beds | part one

[et_pb_section admin_label=”section”] [et_pb_row admin_label=”row”] [et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text”] The areas that were always a struggle for me when it came to gardening were patience and planning.  For years, I would make a feeble attempt at weeding and planting, but I didn’t take any time to learn about the plants themselves or how to make weeds easier to control and maintain.  So, I would plant bushes, annuals, and perennials in totally the wrong places.  Plants that would eventually get huge were in front of others that were a low, creeping ground cover, plants were in the wrong soil, the wrong light, and I wouldn’t even bother to water or prune.  When what looked decent right after I worked on it looked terrible in a few weeks or months, I would shrug my shoulders in resignation.  Well, I’m just not good at gardening.  I’m a little older now, wiser, more patient, and willing

Read More
1970 home renovation

garden updates | bishop’s weed, trellis design, & progress

In case you haven’t noticed by the subject of my recent posts, gardening has been my main focus over the past few weeks.  I feel like I have to take advantage of the weather before it starts getting really hot and also get the backyard cleaned up before we open the pool.  I keep feeling a pull to the easel to get some paintings done and I’m excited about finally painting the dining room, but I have to follow the seasons and plant when it’s prime planting time.  And, I need to get ahead of the weeds before they get out of control even more than they are.  In addition to the sense of seasonal urgency, I’m really enjoying it.  I put my headphones in and listen to an audiobook or music and completely lose track of time.  I’ve been gardening some evenings until it’s so dark I can hardly

Read More
1970 home renovation

progress on the garage-side garden

Last year, I focused most of my gardening on the backyard, specifically the area surrounding the pool.  We were in the process of having the pool restored and I wanted the area to feel tidy at the very least.  I didn’t want to be floating in our pool, trying to soak up the slower summer days only to be tormented by the view of garden beds filled with weeds.  So, I worked a little bit most days to clean weeds out of the beds, dig out rock, mulch, and plant.  I’ll share an update on those areas in another post.  This year, I’m still working on the back (specifically the area along the back fence), but I’m focusing more attention on the front and garage side of the house.  These are the two sides that are most visible from the street.  I wanted to work on them more last year,

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