my business story Archives | Page 6 of 6

my business story

Decorating

everyone starts somewhere

I’ve been asked on a few occasions to share pictures of the ornaments I painted when I first started my business three years ago. I always felt a little embarrassed to show them, so I haven’t. They’re not really my style, but I decided to keep the ones I didn’t sell. I knew they were a part of the history of my business and great reminders that oftentimes success comes out of failures and things don’t always go as planned. I also painted each one of these by hand at a time when I really needed a creative outlet. I stayed up late into the night and painted these over my kitchen counter while the rest of my family slept. I would sneak some time with them while my then 1 1/2-year-old was playing and my four-month-old was at my ankles. These are certainly not the best things I ever

December 18, 2011 4 Comments

the mural that started it all

I am such a bad blogger. I’ve been so busy on other things that I forgot to announce the winners of Miss Mustard Seed’s Wuslu Pick of the Month (the small pedestal with glass cloche) The winners are… Miss Kitty of Miss Kopy Kat DeeGeeRN and Melanie, anonymous, but left an e-mail. Congratulations! Yasmin from Wuslu will be contacting you about your prize. About 3 1/2 years ago my friend, Laura Dreyer (who also painted Adele for me), came over to my house to help me out with a project. I wanted to paint a mural in my son’s nursery. After looking through children’s books for a few months, I settled on a page from Guess How Much I Love You. It’s a beautiful story with illustrations that are perfect for a mural. So, we took an afternoon and she painted the hares and I painted the scenery. As we

September 7, 2011 36 Comments

Reinforcements

As most of you know, I’ve been a busy girl lately. Today, reinforcements arrived at the Dulles Airport and I had my guest room all ready. My mom flew up to help for a few days in any way she can. Don’t you just love moms? On the drive up to PA, we stopped by Lucketts, so I could show off my space with Karen… …and we visited Lynette at Wild Rose. It was great getting to show her what her investment has grown into. For those of you who haven’t read the story of how my business began, you should know that my mom took me out for a day of shopping and bought everything I needed to start Mustard Seed Creations (now Mustard Seed Interiors LLC.) She also sat in the van with my two boys while I shopped my hand painted ornaments all over Gettysburg. She

February 10, 2011 55 Comments

An Accidental Entrepreneur

When I was a little girl, I never thought, “some day, I’m going to own my own business!” I wanted to be an actress on Broadway. I never took a business class in my life. I never thought of myself as having a good business sense. Yet, here I am. A business owner. Dare I say it…an entrepreneur? I assure you, I’m an accidental one at best. I toyed for years with selling pieces in an antique shop. I would imagine making things that people would want to buy. I dreamed of being featured in a magazine. The thing that prevented me from following those thoughts and dreams was the fear of owning and running a business. The fear of being an entrepreneur. I thought that people were either born entrepreneurs or they weren’t. I didn’t realize one could grow and bloom out of anyone. Do you think you have

December 5, 2010 32 Comments

Starting a Business – The Nitty Gritty

If you missed my previous posts on Starting A Buiness, My Story and In the (Very) Beginning, make sure you check those out before you read this post. Before we get going, I want you to understand that this post is only a guide. The process is going to be different for every state and every business, so make sure you do some of your own research as well. Ok? This is also just a “fly over.” We’ll go over some of these topics in more detail and feel free to ask any questions along the way. Here we go with all of the Federal, State and Local stuff you need to take care of… Register Your Fictitious Name (State) What is a Fictitious Name? It’s the name of your business. I am the sole proprietor of my business, so my “Enterprise Name” is my full legal name, but Mustard Seed Creations is my

June 22, 2010 30 Comments

Starting A Business – My Story

When I put up my “Ask Miss Mustard Seed” post a few weeks ago, I received tons of questions about starting and running your own business. The time has come for me to answer those questions, share my own experience, give some practical advice, and highlight some resources. Welcome to my new Workshop Series, Starting and Running Your Own Business, brought to you by Mustard Seed Creations and Funky Junk Interiors. I will post this series as I can, so there is not a set schedule. Just keep checking your readers and e-mails, so you don’t miss a post! First of all, I thought it would be appropriate for me to share my own experience in starting my business. If someone had told me that I would be a business owner a few years ago, I would’ve laughed. I am not a business minded person. I have always dreamed of selling antiques,

June 13, 2010 99 Comments

Lucketts Day Two

Well, the main story on day two of Lucketts was rain. Major bummer. My feet were wet from 8:00 am until about 9 pm and I had some seriously pruney toes. My dad was an Airborne Ranger, so he was a real trooper and kept a smile through it all (except when he was nodding off from exhaustion!) It was pouring in the morning, so I retreated to the comforts of Molly’s booth inside. I had to snap some photos of her beautiful display as well as those of her co-workers at Chartreuse and Company. They all share a consistent style, so the booths blended together seamlessly. It was a real feast for the eyes. I think I would describe the style as French Industrial Chic. There was a lot of chippy paint, zinc, warm woods and sparkle. I am kicking myself for not buying this dresser. Molly’s partner bought this off

May 24, 2010 28 Comments

Where it all began

So, who is Miss Mustard Seed? I was one of those girls who would arrange and rearrange the furniture in my doll house. I liked vacuum marks in the carpet and a smooth bedspread with fluffed pillows when I was only in 6th grade. As an adult I discovered Country Living, Country Home, and Better Homes & Gardens. I would wait eagerly each month for my new issues and joined numerous book clubs to build my decorating library. I came to learn that I loved toile, ironstone, white slipcovers, french country style, and antiques. One month I received my Better Homes & Gardens magazine and there it was…this beautiful home with hand painted Swedish motifs on the walls in every room. I love the painted welcome in the entrance, the fresh white, creamy yellow, and soft blue. I replicated this painted wreath & swag in the family room of my

September 14, 2009 18 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.

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