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Running a Business

yet another French chair

If you are not fond of French chairs, you have unfortunately found yourself at a blog that is not for you at all. If you are a Francophile and enjoy armchairs…well, you are a kindred spirit and you will want to read on. If you don’t have a strong opinion about French chairs (How could one not?), you can probably handle it, too. I found this chair at a yard sale a few weeks ago. The details, shape and frame were great, but the avocado burlap was the “fly in the ointment”, so to speak, and it was a little hard to overlook. I painted the frame in ASCP’s Old White and upholstered it in a nubby canvas drop cloth with bright white gimp trim. A slight distressing of the paint brings out the details on the arms and legs…which are yummy. I’m definitely into furniture appendages. Some chicks like shoes,

July 13, 2011 55 Comments

Be your own boss!!!!

We’ve all seen the ads… “BE YOUR OWN BOSS!” …and then there is an image of a girl slammin’ a bikini by a pool, drinking lemonade, then playing tennis, then driving a hot convertible, then living in a mansion. I’m waiting for someone to make an ad that shows images of someone in paint splattered work clothes, then in a basement office, then pecking away at a keyboard, then cruisin’ in a mini-van, then taking a break to make dinner and change diapers. I am my own boss and have been for the past (almost) three years. I’ve never worked so hard or enjoyed my work so much in my life. If you’re thinking of “taking the plunge”, here are some realistic ups and downs you can expect… First, the good. You are your own boss. That means you can decide how much you work, which jobs you take, what your focus

July 10, 2011 56 Comments

Looking for me?

For those of you who have been following my blog for a while, you know that selling out of The Old Lucketts Store was a dream that was realized last December by selling on consignment through Karen (The Graphics Fairy) and then in my own pavilion in April. I’m now adding another chapter to my story as a vendor there… I’m moving in! Well, moved in. This weekend, I moved to a charming room on the third floor. Well, I didn’t actually do it, since I’m in Florida, but my stuff was moved up and it’s waiting there for me to restock and make myself comfy when I get home. Here’s what the room looked like a few weeks ago when I snapped some pictures. I am about ready to burst to get back home and get to work! This space is amazing and will be so much fun to

July 3, 2011 28 Comments

Copycats – Flattering or Offensive?

First off, I am really, really excited to announce that one of my video tutorials, Waxes 101, has been transcribed for the hearing impaired by a wonderful lady named Laurie. She saw that I wanted to offer that and volunteered to transcribe my video tutorials. She does it professionally and it was so amazing for her to offer her talents to serve others. We’re hoping to get the slipcover tutorials transcribed as well. If you’d like to check it out, follow the link to the post. There is a button directly under the video that links to the transcribed document. Now, to the heart of it. I get a lot of e-mail with questions…mostly about paint and furniture and stains and waxes and running a creative business. I do get a few asking me about a sensitive issue…What do you do when someone copies you outright. Should you be flattered? Should you

July 2, 2011 79 Comments

a preview & a new piece

I have been a painting fool the last few days. Really ridiculous, but I’m excited at the direction my family room and kitchen are heading and the finish line is in site. I’ll definitely share pictures soon. Until then, here’s a sneak preview of the photo shoot I worked on today for Cottages and Bungalows magazine. I think this was my favorite shoot, yet. I also wanted to share one of my latest pieces I just dropped off at The Old Lucketts Store… This French dresser/buffet is a gorgeous piece of furniture…probably one of the nicest pieces of furniture I’ve ever worked on. The finish was a little rough, but that’s certainly something I can rectify. I refinished the top and painted the base in a coat of Annie Sloan’s Paris Gray. The hardware was perfect, so I left it as is. They may be short and stubby, but she’s

June 18, 2011 52 Comments

Lucketts Buys

It’s hard for me to go to an antique market and not buy anything. At the Lucketts Antique Market a couple of weeks ago, I hadn’t bought anything at the end of day one. I was too busy at my space to run around and shop. The Sunday of the sale was more relaxed, plus I didn’t have much left to sell, so I sauntered around and shopped. A lot of things caught my eye, but here is what I bought… A wooden cog… …an alarm clock… …a linen tablecloth with an embroidered monogram… …a pair of European tea towels and a grain sack… (After I took this picture, I realized the monograms spell “BIKE.” What are the odds?) …and a few springs. I’m not sure what I’ll do with these, but I thought it would be a challenge to come up with something creative. I also bought a couple of wire baskets

June 5, 2011 35 Comments

Gaining Creative Momentum

If you don’t like seeing pictures of my living room…avert your eyes. Pictures of my living room is all you’re going to get today. Whenever I finish a lot of work for other people, whether it’s custom stuff (which I really don’t do anymore) or making a lot of things to sell or writing a lot of tutorials, I get an itch to be creative in my own home. See, when I’m busy preparing for Lucketts or working on “business” projects, I don’t have a lot of creativity or energy to spare and my own home suffers for it. The dust bunnies multiply and the vignettes get pushed out of the way to make room for photo shoots. I can hardly see my office floor and it’s a struggle just to keep my counters in a presentable condition and stay on top of the laundry. When things settle down, I start

June 3, 2011 83 Comments

Lucketts Peeps

I wanted to get my post up last night, but my Internet was down for a few hours. It was probably a good thing, though. It forced me to go to bed early instead of cruising other blogs, Craig’s List and my inbox. Now that I’m refreshed a bit, I’m ready to write about the people I met at Lucketts. My mom, dad and I arrived to Lucketts in the wee hours of the morning to get my space set up on Saturday. It had all been tightly packed under the tents and tarps, so we had a lot of work to do. I set my dad to the odd jobs…unwrapping furniture, hanging a chandelier and an oil painting and folding up the tarps. My mom unwrapped all of my small pieces and accessories, so I could arrange them and set up vignettes. We finished with about 30 minutes to

May 26, 2011 33 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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