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Running a Business

Before and Afters

boxwood empire dresser

Sooo…there is a dresser that’s been hanging around in the studio for months. It’s a beautiful empire piece with some amazing graining on the drawers and I just wasn’t ready to paint it. I pushed it against the wall and waited until inspiration struck. I was thinking about the dresser one evening and it hit me… Boxwood. It would look stately and fitting for the lines and size of the piece. I’ve had some extra help in the studio the last couple of weeks. Cari, aka “The Machine” is back to help with stripping chairs. And, we’ve had a new helper, Megan from Mercy in the Middle. She attended one of my painting workshops and later reached out and asked if she could come help us get ready for Lucketts. We clicked at the workshop, so I said yes. Anyone who volunteers to be covered in dust and splattered with paint is a friend in

April 2, 2015 33 Comments

buying & selling antiques

Lucketts VIP Giveaway

The Lucketts Spring Market is just weeks away and, as I shared last week, it’s going to be a little different this year. Instead of just a two day, Saturday-Sunday event, it’s going to be three full days, Friday-Sunday, with extended hours! Because of the large crowds and parking issues last year, they have added Friday, May 15, which is the “VIP buying day.” Some of the perks of coming on Friday are… first dibs at shopping all the dealers beating the crowds and rush close parking right across the street The tickets are $40 and can be pre-purchased by clicking on the button below… AND Lucketts is giving away 10 VIP tickets, so if you’re hoping to shop the Lucketts Spring Market, you’re going to want to enter! To enter, just leave a comment on this post telling me what you’re hoping to find

March 25, 2015 262 Comments

All Things Home

primitive hutch makeover

Last week was a busy one and we got a ton of things accomplished. I’m a bit whipped from it and I need to pace myself better, but it feels good to be really productive. Here’s one of the pieces I picked up and painted this week… I spotted it on Craig’s List and immediately texted my dad to see if he could get it for me. I have been looking for a great hutch or cabinet that could be a focal point of my booth at Lucketts and I knew this one was perfect for that. It reminds me a lot of the hutch I use in the studio… I love how that one turned out, so I painted it the same way…MMSMP Mora on the inside and Shutter Gray on the outside. Here is a video showing how I prepped the piece and applied the first coat of paint…

March 23, 2015 22 Comments

Running a Business

“There, I said it” (again)

A couple of years ago, I wrote the following, in a post called…”There, I said it.“ “I never thought if I shared about wanting to write a book or be in a magazine or have a line under my brand that those things would actually happen. I was just dreaming out loud. I wanted to share my hopes and see what happened. It’s the same thing that makes me buy a junky piece of furniture or look at dilapidated old houses. It’s possibility. Potential. What if. Pushing through the self-doubt and the fears and anxieties and the nay-sayers. Putting it out there in writing. I used to think musical theatre was one of the most useless degrees (and I can say that without offense, because that’s the degree I have), but I now see tons of value in it. Auditioning for plays is mostly about rejection, but you have to dust yourself

March 3, 2015 82 Comments

buying & selling antiques

save the date & rent a truck

I’ve been waiting with anticipation for months to see if the Lucketts Spring Market is happening again this year and…IT IS! Those who weren’t there last year are probably thinking, “Well, of course! It happens every year. Why wouldn’t it happen this year?” If you have an amazing memory (or you lived through it), you’ll remember that we had massive amounts of rain the days leading up to the market. In fact, one of my tents collapsed under the weight of the water before the event even started. I wasn’t the only one with woes. The amazing ladies who coordinate Lucketts were dealing with vendor spaces that were flooded out or had become mud pits, stuck vehicles and an entire 10 acre field that is usually used for parking had to be closed. They tried to warn shoppers, but the hype that usually works to everyone’s favor had snowballed and it

February 3, 2015 18 Comments

Running a Business

highs and lows for 2014 & my hopes for 2015

When we sit down to dinner at the table, our family shares “highs and lows”. We each share exciting things and what bummed us out. It’s a way to get our kids talking and, I have found, it gets me sharing my life with them as well in an honest way. There is rarely a day that I don’t have both a high and a low. Most days, it’s a balance of both and that’s exactly how 2014 was for me. When I was writing my book a few years ago, my editor told me I should start my story on a high, so I’m going to share the highs first! And hiring Kriste was definitely one of those highs. For the past couple of years, I’ve had an amazing assistant working with me, Heidi. She still works for me and is still amazing, but she isn’t even in my timezone.

January 6, 2015 36 Comments

my business story

letter to a new blogger

As I’ve just passed the five year mark of being a blogger, I’ve been thinking a lot about the early days of my blog. I laugh at some of the things I did and wince at others. I pressed the “start a blog” button on blogger with very little clue of what I was getting into. My friend, and talented artist who designed my MMS logo, suggested I start a blog. I thought blogs were political rantings from someone who doesn’t really know what they’re talking about, but feels the need to share it anyway. From their mother’s basement. Usually in their underwear. Oh, and they are probably a serial killer, too. I had no idea there was a whole community of women, mostly stay-at-home moms, who were sharing their love of decorating with the world. I found blogs like The Nesting Place, Thrifty Decor Chick and The Lettered Cottage

November 18, 2014 127 Comments

Favorite Finds

The Chapel Market Preview

Here we are! Right on the brink of the Chapel Market, which happens this Saturday, October 25, 2014. It starts at 9:00 am and admission is $3.00. (The address is 24 Ring Around Rd, Pike Road, Alabama 36064.) I will be set up inside the chapel meeting hall, in the same space I was in last year. I have been shopping, painting, sewing, cleaning, fixing and pricing for several weeks to get ready for the show and I think this is my favorite booth I’ve ever put together. I shopped with a specific theme in mind – French Blue Farmhouse White. I viewed this much more as curating than just shopping for things I knew I could make a profit on. I wanted a cohesive look. I think this booth is most “me” of any that I’ve done. I feel like any one of these pieces would look right at home

October 21, 2014 72 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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