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Running a Business

All Things Home

“farmhouse” finds

When shopping for a retail space or event, I used to just buy whatever I liked and felt I could make a profit on. A few years ago, I learned that it was easier to focus my shopping/making/painting efforts around a loose theme. This year, in homage to our new MMS Milk Paint Color, the theme for Lucketts will be “Farmhouse White.” Kriste and I have been developing the idea a little further, since it’s fairly generic (in the world of antique markets) and also not all that distinct from other booths I’ve done. As we’ve talked through the theme, some more focused ideas floated to the top. Obviously we’re going to have lots of white and plenty of pieces that have a more humble, farmhouse feel. We want to balance that out with bucolic landscape scenes that we’re going to introduce to the space in a few different ways. We’ll

February 10, 2016 34 Comments

a slice of life

CEO lessons & january goals

Sunday night, I was conflicted. We had just flown in from our trip to the Vintage Whites Market. I had been “working” all weekend and I really wanted (and needed) to just spend Monday at home…cleaning, hitting the grocery store, unpacking, etc. You know the drill. I own my own business, so I can do that, right? Yes, I could. But I wasn’t going to. I’ve declared 2016 as the year I’m going to lean into growth and work on filling out the role of “president” of Mustard Seed Interiors LLC. I recently saw a preview for a movie, The Intern. I don’t know if the movie is good or not. As I said, I just saw the preview, so my mention of it isn’t an endorsement. But in the preview, a young entrepreneur and CEO of a company she built was threatened with being removed from her position as the

January 14, 2016 52 Comments

buying & selling antiques

dear reader | to one who feels lost in the crowd

Before I get into my “dear reader” letter, I wanted to share a video series I am a part of. It’s called “Finding the Quiet“, offered by my friend and amazing artist and designer, Jeanne Oliver. She’s rounded up some very inspiring creatives to share their experiences on listening to what God has to say to them… In my video, I shared about some of the fears I had early in my business and how God nudged me out of my comfort zone. This video series is free and you can register HERE. Click on “Listening | Finding the Quiet” and then the +join button on the upper right side of the page. On a pretty regular basis, I get e-mails from women who either want to start a business or have started one and are seeking some advice, encouragement or pointers. Here is one I received a few weeks ago…

January 4, 2016 47 Comments

Furniture Makeovers

beeswax, lavender wax & typos

I’ve mentioned Farmhouse White, the new MMSMP color we’re launching in January of 2016, a few times, but we also have some other new products coming out. One that’s been in the works for a long time is the 100% Beeswax finish… I tested it out years ago, before we launched the paint line, but I wanted to start very small, so we just launched with two waxes and the hemp oil as finish options. Now that we’ve grown beyond all expectations, we’re constantly considering, testing and developing new products we can add to the line. But we don’t want to add more just to add more. We want to add products that complement the line and brand well and ones that will address the requests of our retailers and customers. It was all of these considerations that brought me to revisit the 100% Beeswax finish. So, the #1 question is, “How

December 23, 2015 45 Comments

Artistic Endeavors

look book two cover shoot

It was almost two years since I had my last portraits done and, with as often as I change my hair, an update was overdue! I also needed some pictures for MMS Milk Paint’s Look Book Two, including the cover, that will be coming out in just a few weeks. I thought about just having Kriste and I do all of the pictures, but I think there’s a lot of value in bringing in other creative minds in a collaboration. Since Kriste knows a lot of people in the creative field, I asked if she knew any photographers. She immediately thought of her friend, Brianna Wilbur. She’s a very talented wedding and family photographer and happened to also be a MMS blog reader, so Kriste knew we would get along well. A few weeks ago, she came to the studio to snap some pictures. Many of you have already commented on my

November 14, 2015 24 Comments

my business story

running a creative business | making profit-based decisions

I wrote a post answering a reader’s question about how I balance business and the rest of my life. The short answer is I struggle through it. Sometimes successfully and sometimes not. You can read the long answer HERE. I received an e-mail from a fellow creative-business owner and blogger, Cassie from Lovely Weeds, about balancing different aspects of our kind of business. Here is her e-mail… I can’t tell you how helpful your business posts are. A creative business is such murky territory! I know you just posted about balancing work and family, but it got me wondering about how you balance the online side of your work with the physical part. That’s my biggest struggle right now. I have a tiny blog that I love writing, and a retail business where I sell my own handmade and repurposed furniture and goods from a consignment shop and at two local fairs

November 6, 2015 16 Comments

Artistic Endeavors

photo shoot at the retreat

Let me go back to the Lucketts Spring Market a couple of years ago. Suzanne, the owner of The Old Lucketts Store and Design House, came and sat with me on a slow Sunday afternoon. We were chatting about all of the business opportunities we’re working on and the things we’re dreaming about. And she shared about a manor house she purchased and was renovating. She told me, “The woodwork in this house is so beautiful, it’ll make you cry. I just couldn’t pass it up.” It would be a vacation rental, a venue for small weddings and events and a place for creative retreats. And, it would be something that could be finished. Suzanne has described the antiques/home decor business as an “ice sculpture.” You find/finish pieces, put them together, they are sold, the room is picked over and emptied, and then you have to start over again. Again and

October 29, 2015 26 Comments

All Things Home

market recap & milk-painted wooden toys

We are back home from our trip to Alabama, safe and sound from the Market on Chapel Hill. It is a long trip, but it’s always worth it. The worth isn’t in the profits made. (I told someone I would probably cry if I really took the time to figure out my hourly rate for all of the prep, shopping, etc. that is put into these events.) The worth is in the moments with people…readers, shoppers, fellow vendors, bloggers, the community who hosts this event with so much concern for detail. So often, I’m in a bubble. At my computer, in my studio, in my house. I’m comfortable there. But when I step outside of that bubble, I almost always find encouragement. I feel challenged and inspired in new ways. Most times, there’s at least one conversation or hug or story that moves me to tears. A moment that emphasizes…this

October 5, 2015 22 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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