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

order the Book
Facebook Instagram Youtube Tiktok

My House
All Things Home

the little things | wooden spoons

I think it’s easy to be intentional when making choices about the big things you bring into your home.  The big commitment items like sofas and china hutches and statement pieces.  I don’t think it’s quite as easy to be intentional about the little things.  Things that are utilitarian and inexpensive. But, if you’re going to buy something, anything, even something little, relatively cheap, and utilitarian, why not buy something you love?  Imagine your home filled just with things you love. Well, that’s the goal, anyway. I’ll be the first to say that I don’t love all of my kitchen utensils, but I’m working towards it.  I feel very neutral about my can opener and pizza cutter, but I love my wooden spoons. I look for ones of different shapes, sizes and tone of wood, so they each have their own personality and I can justify having way more than necessary.  (There is an

Read More
January 19, 2016 49 Comments
All Things Home

living & dining rooms | Christmas 2015

My favorite rooms to decorate for Christmas are the definitely the living and dining rooms.  It’s hard to believe how dark these rooms were when we first moved in over nine years ago and now how light-filled and fresh they feel. For Christmas, I just add some fresh greenery and a few wool pom-poms.  That’s about all these rooms need. I shared video tutorial HERE showing my trick for dressing my chandeliers with fresh greens. The tie-top pillows I made last week ended up on the living room sofa… I was on the hunt for a potted blue spruce to put in my antique white bucket, like I did last year, but…no luck.  So, I asked Jeff if he would pick up a cut tabletop tree next time he was out and about.  I put it in a pitcher of water inside the bucket and it suits me just fine. On the other

Read More
December 18, 2015 27 Comments
All Things Home

master bedroom Christmas decorating

I don’t decorate every single room in the house for Christmas, but our master bedroom is right off the family room, so I like to bring a few festive touches in the room. I decorated the room pretty much as I did last year.  I don’t feel like I have to keep things the same, but I also don’t feel like I have to change what looked really pretty the previous year. My dress form is wearing an antique costume jewelry necklace that belonged to my Oma.  I also wrapped a length of wool mini pom-pom garland around her neck.  It’s the same Anthropologie garland I used on the Christmas tree, but I added some homemade poms on both ends. As I did last year, I draped our grain sack stocking advent calendar on the foot of the bed.  Each day, I fill the stocking with a mini Lego set and

Read More
December 13, 2015 13 Comments
All Things Home

Christmas room tour | family room

As a part of the Just a Girl “One Room Tour”, I’m sharing my family room all decorated for Christmas. If you’re coming from Decor Chick or Just a Girl for the first time, welcome.  (And, of course, my regulars are always welcome!) I decided to share my family room today, because it’s the room we spend most of our time in.  It’s where we play and do homework and watch TV.  In fact, I’m sitting on our family room sofa as I write this post…on my usual side, leaned up against my usual pillow. This is probably my least favorite room to photograph, though. The living and dining rooms get amazing light and they totally spoil me when it comes to photography.  This room faces north and it is just a tough one to shoot without bringing in lights and scrims and all of that gear that I would rather

Read More
December 10, 2015 19 Comments
All Things Home

the most popular horse in blogland

You know when you’re out shopping and you find a little gem?  Something that screams out at you to buy it.  It speaks to you. Well, I was rummaging around in the somewhat ransacked Christmas section of TJ Maxx and I spotted this sweet wooden horse, just one, with a red bridle and saddle and the sweetest shape.  I think it was $25.  I grabbed it up without hesitation and immediately imagined it painted with milk paint.   And then, as I was perusing Instagram, I realized that just about everyone else in the blog/Instagram world felt the same way about this horse and they bought it, too.  It would seem it’s the poster child for Christmas 2015. And my little gem was feeling more like the mass-produced, trendy horse it actually was.  Because it was everywhere!! I clung to the hope that my plan to paint it would make it my

Read More
December 10, 2015 20 Comments
All Things Home

teacup & pedestal advent wreath

Last year, I made an advent wreath out of an ironstone ring mold.  I was planning to do the same this year, but my ring mold was at the studio when I was in the heat of the decorating moment, so I shifted gears.  (Of course, I could’ve hopped in the car and made the two-minute drive to the studio to get it, but that seems like too much of a disruption to someone who is in the thick of a creative moment.) I tend to thrive on decorating MacGyver-style, anyway.  Well, sometimes.  Some of my best ideas have happened on the fly.  But then again, sometimes I get impatient and force things and it’s a disaster.  And the worst part is that I know it’s a disaster even as I’m doing it.  Like the time I thought it was a good idea to hot-glue exterior velvet ribbon to the

Read More
December 4, 2015 43 Comments
All Things Home

trading horses again

Remember my rocking horse?  The one I bought from Restoration Hardware and then painted with MMS Milk Paint to make it look chippy and old?   Well, in typical Marian fashion, I sold it. I wasn’t planning to, but a client asked if I could custom paint the same horse for her.  I agreed to the job and we tried to schedule a time for her to drop her horse off at the studio.  As we tried to schedule and reschedule, it occurred to me that it would save her a trip if I just gave her my painted horse, since she wanted hers to look exactly the same, and I could take the unpainted one and paint it again. Are you tracking with me? So, when I was in Virginia for the Holiday Expo, we met and traded horses. An interesting thing…  I really don’t mind buying and selling pieces, but

Read More
December 3, 2015 55 Comments
All Things Home

dear reader | to the one with “internet intimidation”

One of my milk paint retailers sent me an e-mail, asking for some decorating advice for her home.  I gave her my opinion on it and this was her reply… “Thank you. I lived so long with wrong decorating choices that I started to get too used to the way things are.  Wrong mindset. I’m tackling things now. I started with the toilet haha, it felt safest. All three bedrooms got a makeover. Working on the kitchen now.  It’s not blog-worthy but I got over that, it’s our home!! It kept me from moving forward: out of fear that it wasn’t going to look like a look book or magazine, I froze. Blogs can be inspiring and intimidating at the same time. Your before-after posts from a couple of months ago made sense. I realized that renovating and decorating your home was a long process.” I think this is a

Read More
November 13, 2015 56 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.

Facebook Instagram Youtube Pinterest Amazon

next art sale

August 13th, 2026 at 1pm EST

Get Early access →

NEW ONLINE ART COURSE

Paint a Pet Portrait You’ll Love

Learn to paint pet portraits in oils with confidence, even if you’re a beginner. In this new course, Marian will guide you step by step through creating expressive animal portraits filled with color, personality, and your own artistic touch. Join the waitlist to be the first to know when the course opens.
JOIN THE WAITLIST →

Now Available

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.

start creating →

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.
Explore the shop →

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.
Shop Now →

Recent Video

Fall Posts

Explore the Shop

Explore the Blog

Categories
error: Content is protected.

Pin It on Pinterest