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

My House

Decorating

family gallery wall

When my dad was stationed on an Army base in Stuttgart, Germany, my mom had access to a framing shop.  She took some classes and started framing old family photos, eventually creating a huge gallery wall.  It didn’t matter how many times I looked at those pictures…I would still lean in and study them.  Who did I take after?  Do I have her eyes?  Does this one look like my brother?  That rocking chair is in our living room, right?  I love that expression, the bow in her hair, the delicate necklace, the dapper suit and slicked hair and the little kitten by her cheek.  That gallery wall followed us through all of our moves when I was a kid and is still one of my favorite things in my parent’s home. That gallery wall has inspired me to collect black and white and sepia toned family photos, letters, postcards and

Read More
Favorite Finds

finding an "antique" queen guest bed

I’m still sorting through all of the inquiries about the bed that I received in response to yesterday’s post, but I think it’s safe to assume I’m going to be able to find a buyer for it!  I also received a lot of interesting comments about the price of the bed, so I’m going to speak to that in another post. I think you’ll all be interested in know why I price some things so low.  It has a lot to do with who I am and where this business started.  That’s for another post, though.  This post is about what will be replacing the hand painted Bavarian bed.   Now that we’re switching the guest bed from a full to a queen, I wanted to find a proper frame for the bed.  Jeff didn’t understand this.  He said something like, “You just put it on one of those metal

Read More
Hand Painted Furniture

a full look at the hutch

I shared a preview of the hutch HERE, but many of you were asking for a full view of it.  So, here you go! It’s smack by my front door (in the living room) right now, so it’s not in a great place to be showcased.  Now, my usual rule is that if I don’t have the perfect place for something, I don’t keep it.  It’s getting a little tough now, as our house in on the market, so I have given myself some liberty to keep things that might work for our future home or studio.  I have the perfect place for it in the house we’re hoping to buy, but we have to wait for our house to sell, first.  Patience…patience… So, it’s just hanging out now, but I really love this piece. I did paint this piece in a custom-mixed MMSMP color, but had to be very

Read More
Decorating

"playing" & glass glitter beauty shots

This morning, I woke up with an intense desire to decorate.  I feel like I can’t touch anything, since our house is on the market, and it’s driving me a little nuts.  I really thrive on scooting around furniture and trying out new things in my home and I’ve been feeling very inspired lately.  I’ve also been feeling like the finishing touches in some of my rooms have been lacking.  I get enough done for the pictures and then I get busy with something else and don’t revisit the room later.  I’ve also come to notice that I buy very few things specifically for my house.  I usually end up claiming something from my furniture stash or keeping something that doesn’t sell. The things I have bought specifically for me are the ones I love the most, so I need to be much more intentional about what I sell and

Read More
Kitchen

a fresh way to organize

I’ve been working on organization for the past year or two, off and on when I have the time.  And I’ve been getting better and more proficient at decluttering and organizing with every pass.  I started with getting rid of the obvious items.  Then, I took it further and got serious and asked myself why I had certain stuff.  I think I just got used to the things around me, so I didn’t even think it.  But, if I don’t really love it or need it, why is it in my house?  Does it matter how much I paid for it or who gave it to me or how nice of a thing it is?  On a very rare occasion, it does.  Most of the time, though, it only dictates how I get rid of it.  Do I sell or donate the item or try to keep it in the family?  But I’ve

Read More
Dining Room

blooming & bringing an umbrella

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately.  I’m sure you know what I mean.  Sometimes you just plow through life and other times you stop and take stock.  Lately, I’ve been examining things a bit harder. What am I pushing towards?  How do I want to spend my time?  What do I really feel fulfilled doing?  What things bog me down and pull me away from the priorities? …and a lot of other things. Things like… …I want to say no more often …I want to use our linen napkins and sterling flatware every day …I want to grow things in a garden …I want to get rid of anything we don’t use or love.  Just have a huge yard sale and get rid of it. …I want to be more intentional about everything Yeah, just a lot of stuff to think about.  It’s pretty liberating and eye opening and

Read More
My House

wisdom from the prairie

We started watching through the classic TV show Little House on the Prairie as a family a few weeks ago and we’re enjoying it so much!  It was already a few seasons in when I was born, so I watched a lot of it as reruns when I was older.  I liked the show, but I have an entirely new perspective watching it as an adult.  It’s so refreshing to watch a TV show that, while it’s a little corny and too perfect at times, it champions things like hard work, strong character, being truthful and having faith.  We’ve had some great conversations because of it and I’ve even been reminded of some things along the way.  (And I have noticed some ironstone milk pitchers, too!) In one episode, Charles works in exchange for a set of blue & white dishes for Caroline.  At the end, Laura shares that those “fancy dishes”

Read More
home improvement

French Style & a fabric wall

I received an e-mail a few months ago, asking if I would contribute to a new magazine, French Style.  Well, that sounds right up my alley!  Yesterday, I found the magazine in Target and snapped it up. First of all, it really is a beautiful magazine.  I loved looking through it and I felt so proud that I was a small part of it and I was very pleased with how my article and photographs turned out.  I always felt like my pictures in print looked yellowish and not as sharp as the other pictures in the magazine.  I felt like these were my best and that’s a great feeling. You can find the magazine on newsstands now. One of the rooms featured in the article is my master bedroom and the fabric wall behind the headboard.  Most people assume it’s wall paper, but it’s actually fabric!  I used an old Army

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