Running a Business Archives | Page 10 of 49

Running a Business

the business of blogging | social media

Welcome to part 5 of my series “The Business of Blogging“. In this installment, as advertised, we’re talking about social media. I started writing this post a couple of weeks ago and I realized I sounded really hostile towards social media in general, so I decided to set it aside and write about it when I was feeling a bit warmer to that whole aspect of having a web-based business! Okay. I’m good now. Let’s proceed. Social media has changed sooooo much since I first started blogging. Twitter was perhaps the biggest “it” thing back in the day. Facebook was big, but growth and engagement was organic (no paid boosted posts), so it was entirely different than it is now. Instagram and Pinterest weren’t even around, yet. I know there are dozens of social media platforms, but I’m going to focus on the ones I use the most – Facebook, Instagram,

March 21, 2017 18 Comments

my business story

why I’m going to China…

[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”3.22″][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.25″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.27.4″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”] Next Wednesday, March 15, I am getting on a plane with my mom and my licensing agent, headed for China. And I thought I would finally share more details about what is bringing me to the opposite side of the world. First of all, when I started my business in 2008 in the hopes of making about $200/month to help out with some bills and living expenses, I didn’t even have a whisper of a thought that one day that business would take me to China. Even last summer when the initial invitation was extended, I just sort of laughed it off. Yeah, wouldn’t that be pretty cool?! But the idea of it actually happening seemed pretty remote. To tell this story, though, I need to back up a bit further. A few years ago,

March 10, 2017 119 Comments

my business story

2519 posts

I just happened to notice on my dashboard that I have published 2519 posts. This will be number 2520. We’ve been through a lot together… I’ve written those posts on four different computers. I’ve taken pictures with three different Nikon cameras. I’ve moved from my kitchen counter to my basement to a studio. Hundreds of pieces of furniture have been painted, slipcovered, and/or upholstered. (Remember that one?) I’ve learned how to edit photos and shoot in manual mode. After those 2519 blog posts, over 200 freelance articles, and two books, I’m finally acknowledging the fact that I might be a writer. I’ve gone from selling out of a small consignment shop in Gettysburg to selling in my dream antiques store (Lucketts) to selling my own brand of milk paint around the world. I’ve lost and gained weight. (And lost it again and gained it again.) My hair has been light blonde,

February 28, 2017 88 Comments

All Things Home

my favorite craigslist search terms

If you haven’t picked up on it, yet, I am an avid “craigslister”. It started with one dining room table about 9 years ago and it has become my go-to place to browse for furniture and other miscellaneous things. I love that I never know what I’m going to find. I love that you can weed through all of the junk and find some real gems for a good price. I love that I can shop from the comfort of my sofa. I think it’s all-around awesome. I shared a bunch of my best tips for shopping craigslist HERE, but I wanted to update and expand the search terms I use, since I was asked and that it can change depending on trends and what I’m into. Before I share the terms I use, I want to mention that I aways search in all “for sale” categories. People put stuff in

February 23, 2017 55 Comments

Art

box easel & studio happenings

I hope you had a great weekend! We had beautiful warm and sunny weather that was beckoning us to a family hike, but we really needed rest and had some chores that needed to be done, so we threw open the windows, pressed through our work, and then just chilled. It’s amazing how much energy a dose of sunshine and some warmth can bring in mid-February! Anyway, I received some questions on my blog and Instagram about the box easel used as a prop in the landscape wardrobe shoot, so I thought I would share. I actually looked at vintage and antique easels, but opted to buy a new one that was made in the traditional French box-easel style. I ordered the Martin Julian full-sized French box easel from Amazon. I would like to get a full-sized studio easel soon, but I liked the idea of getting a smaller, portable

February 20, 2017 22 Comments

Running a Business

The business of blogging | affiliate links

This is part four of the overall series “The Business of Blogging“, but it’s part three in the more specific topic of monetization (making money off of a blog). In this post, I’ll be sharing about affiliate links and how they work. First of all, what are affiliate links? They are special links from a blog post (or social media post) to a specific company, product, or service. The blogger makes a commission if an item is purchased when a reader/follower clicks through one of those links. Simple enough, right? So, how do affiliate links work for the blog reader? In my opinion, affiliate links are a kind of monetization that are a win-win in most cases. A blogger is sharing a product or service that you might be interested in and, if you are interested, and make a purchase based on their recommendation, they earn a small bonus for referring

February 14, 2017 19 Comments

Furniture Makeovers

Me & Mrs Jones

I left early (for me) Thursday morning to fly to Memphis, Tennessee to spend the weekend with Shaunna of Perfectly Imperfect and Stephanie Jones of Me & Mrs Jones. Trips like these always feel like a bit of an interruption to daily routine (I guess trips technically are), but they always end up being a huge boost for me. They pull me away from the computer screen and the studio and give me the opportunity to meet with kindred spirits. I’ve come to expect that from these trips and this one didn’t disappoint. First of all Stephanie Jones, if you have never, ever heard of her, you should check her out. She is not only so creative and an inspiring entrepreneur, but she is one of the loveliest people I’ve ever met. Seeing her in action and spending time with her in her creative spaces was a delight. Enough gushing.

January 31, 2017 38 Comments

All Things Home

Hand Painted Stencils

“Where did you get that stencil?” I’ve been asked that question so many times when I share one of my hand painted pieces. And that has led to people asking if I ever planned to come out with a line of stencils. I have always loved the idea of it, but as someone who works in a freeform way, I had a hard time figuring out how to translate my patterns into stencils. It probably wasn’t as hard as I was making it, but I got stuck on it for a long time. I also wanted to find a way to make my stencils unique. I finally decided to just paint some designs and see how they looked as stencils. Some worked and some didn’t. I worked with a stencil manufacturer who did a fantastic job of guiding me through the process, though, and the result was stencils cut from my

January 30, 2017 31 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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