getting my house back

by | Sep 14, 2014 | Artistic Endeavors, Miscellaneus, My House, Running a Business | 30 comments

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As many of you know, we put our house on the market back in April and it didn’t sell.  We didn’t even get an offer.  So, we decided to stay put, work towards some goals and look for a commercial space to use as a studio for our business.  We found an awesome one and moved into it a couple of weeks ago.

Getting all of the business stuff out of the house and getting some separation between the two has been amazing and eye opening.  I knew the business was taking over the house, and we have the empty spaces now to prove it, but I didn’t realize how much it was affecting my decorating decisions and/or lack of decisions.  I wasn’t viewing my home as just a home, but a backdrop and studio and work space and it was just too much.  It’s great to have multi-functional spaces, but when you’re asking a space to do too many things, it doesn’t do any of them very well.

I’ve realized that the fact that I like change was put on steroids when my rooms had to continually be a backdrop for my photo shoots.  For my blog and business, I always have to have something new to show, share, teach, so my house became the subject.

I found that the way I was arranging my rooms, the wall colors I chose, even the accessories I used, were a lot about how they would look in a picture.  It happened so slowly, I wasn’t really aware of it.

Now that all of the stuff has been moved out and my house is just my house, I feel a new love for the space and a desire to get things done for us and leave it alone for a while.  I mean, I’m always going to have projects lists and will scoot furniture around, but there won’t be the constant parade of out with the old and in with the new.  I’m still going to work through our list of upcoming home projects, including an update of the half bath, refinishing the old floors in the front of the house, sprucing up the boy’s room and some other smaller projects.  Of course, I’ll still share pictures of my home and the projects that we do, but I don’t have to stir up a project just to have something new to photograph and write about.  That’s what the studio is for now.

It’s also exciting to reclaim some space, like the basement.  Jeff and the boys are benefitting from this most in that Jeff gained an office that is just his (not full of my junk) and the boys have gained a great play area in the basement.  We’ve also set up a space for workouts, so I don’t have to move the furniture in the family room when I’m exercising and the equipment isn’t shoved in cabinets and closets.  It’s nice to have that space for us.

The other thing I’m realizing is how much stuff I have in my house for photo shoots.  Really…I have collected and held onto quite a lot of stuff just for pictures.  So, I think I need to go through my house again with fresh eyes and only keep what’s for me and my family.  The rest will go to the studio for props or will be sold.

And I’ve noticed that I’m not as attached to the stuff I’ve bought to sell.  What I mean is that I’m not as tempted to keep it in my house.  When I love a piece, I’ll usually walk around the house to see where I can use it or what I can “trade up.”  When the stash is in my studio and my house is a half mile away, I’m not as likely to test pieces out!  At first I was a little bummed at that realization, but then I saw the upside for my business and the stability for my home.

I’m still adjusting to the change, but so far, the adjustments have been for the better.

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    30 Comments

    1. Deanna

      What a great benefit to your family life!

      I love your commercial space – it’s so great what you can do with it, and I think that you are going to love the separation of your private life as a family from your professional life with Miss Mustard Seed. If you had found a farm with a barn, having people there for events, sales, and the like would still be bringing them into your ‘personal’ space.

      Its fun to watch this journey your on!

      Cheering you on!
      Deanna

    2. Yuko Jones | northfield gate

      I love the way your studio is set up – beautiful pieces vintage furniture really pop against the creamy white walls. I’m so looking forward to seeing how your home is going to evolve from here, after the new change.

    3. Patricia

      That’s an interesting take on your home/ business VS. home and business.
      I would imagine it’s a feeling of freedom to have your home be your JUST your home.
      I have often wondered what it is like to constantly have to change your home– for photos and content. To the average homemaker trying to decorate and create a beautiful home; it’s important to remember what we see sometimes on blogs, in magazines and tv shows or even flea market booths is heavily edited and many times staged. I see a trend in many peoples homes looking like flea market booths. They’ve even given it a name ‘Flea Market Style’. I don’t do much switching out anymore– I rearrange, but buying and changing out furniture completely, just isn’t for the average homemaker.
      I bet its nice to ‘settle down’ in your home again. Even better that you have a play place where you can go and create, share, teach, store, etc.
      I’m happy for you!

    4. Alice

      hello, first of all….i love your blog. read it all the time, have you on my bloglovin list, love your projects, you’re talented beyond words. i’m happy that you have been able to create a wonderful career through your talent and hard work.
      but, i can’t read your blog anymore. i read many blogs and so many have advertisements…..i don’t mind them because i can ignore them or pursue them if i find them interesting. the problems are those pop ups that totally block what you’re reading or looking at. so rude! as i’m reading your posting, i get a loud commercial….i can’t find it and when i do, i can’t turn it off. it is so unnerving!
      to be honest with you, i would rather pay a subscription cost to have access to your blog, than have to battle all the pop ups and now these inter-active commercials. i don’t know what they tell you to convince you that this is the best thing for you and your readers, but believe me, it’s not.
      again, i don’t mind the ads, but it’s all that other stuff that turns your blog into an obstacle course that is why i have to say goodbye to your lovely blog.
      sadly,
      a fan, alice

      • marian

        Sorry about the video ads, but I’ve been working with my ad network to black them. I haven’t seen them since I did that. Have you seen the ad recently or was it a few days ago? I agree that I don’t want pop-ups or blaring ads.

        • linda

          I have been enjoying your blog for a long time. The only thing I have on my page is the right side bar and I think those are the ads you allow to bring revenue into your blog? No videos. Now the gal might want to ck and see if she go hit with a virus/ hacker. I did and have not had time to unplug and take my computer in the shop. I ended up with pop up adds, and the list goes on. I did download ad blocker and that helped a lot.

          I like my space so for me it would be hard to have a business in my home. But a person has to do what works best for them and their family 🙂

          • Heidi S

            Well, I posted that and started scrolling back down to add something and I see another video ad – the Guess ad.

            What I came to add was that I was a little “worried” we wouldn’t get to see much of what’s going on with your house now that you have a studio. Shouldn’t have been 🙂

        • Heidi S

          I just had a video ad start playing when I was reading this. The ad was just to the right of the 1st comment area below the Barn and Willow ad. I usually have my sound turned off so I’ve never noticed them before and I’ve never had a pop up ad but that may be the way I’ve got my security set up.

    5. Terry

      Hello Marion! I’m just wondering what day you are going to be on Canada AM? I’m excited to watch and don’t want to miss it! Hope you have a great experience here in Canada!
      Smiles!
      Terry

    6. Pam

      Hi Marian- I am not having a problem with pop ups, I have my pop up blocker engaged with Chrome and have no issues seeing your site. I know ads are a fact of life, and realize that without them, you would not be able to provide the free content you do. Love your site, and your style! Thank You!

    7. MARY EGUIA

      I see a red 3 tiered spinner thingy in a picture.Is it for sale?
      Oh, the ads don’t bother me at all.Your worth it!!!

    8. antiquechase

      This is such a great post on so many levels. Your home will now be a restful place you can get away from the business side of things!! and how great that your kids and husband are benefiting with the basement!

    9. Alice Crawford

      You inspire me

    10. Lynn Mosher

      Marian, I love your new shop. It’s a wonderful space and it looks lovely. I meant to ask you the other day if you were enjoying having more room in your home. Btw, your home is wonderful as well! 😀

    11. Dolores

      Hi Alice,
      You don’t need to leave Marion- not at all! I never have adds or videos to annoy me any more, because my husband installed Add Block Plus.
      Works like a charm, so I am rarely( if ever) assaulted by commercial noise, and never on Marion’s site

    12. Hope Williams

      Hi everyone, I hope to reclaim “our” house soon too! This post is perfect for myself and some if what I might go through in the future.
      The ads and pop ups seem to be going around the blog world. Please check your pop up blocker, your spam and cookies must be emptied to prevent them getting through.
      Have a blessed day, Hope

    13. Cynthia

      Hi Marian!

      I love how “our business” just rolls of your tongue as you write! You and Jeff are a couple to be admired in so many ways~

      I have recently purchased your glitter in two colors and cannot wait for my life to settle a wee bit so I can let my creative juices flow! We had a flood in our home June 12th that destoyed two entire floors of our home~ The last pice of work was completed one hour ago~

      Stay well and enjoy each moment of your very special life~ one I know you do not take for granted.
      Cynthia

      • Mary Crabtree

        Cynthia, I can’t imagine what these last few months must have been like for you and your family, but so glad that you now have the opportunity to start out fresh. What a wonderful time you’ll have just ‘living’ in your home and enjoying it without all the upheaval. God bless you! Mary

    14. Susan F Ballentine

      I LOVE your blog and the new shop. What a fab-o space you have put together! It looks wonderful and your collected items are amazing! Wish I lived close enough to visit it!

    15. Marilyn

      Now that you’ve cleared your house out, maybe it would sell? Potential buyers might see the spaces differently. Just a thought.

    16. Rita

      Hi Marion,
      Glad to hear things are going so well! I have been searching for the ironstone sugarbowl you featured in a photo shoot recently. You had it on a stack of books, I think on a small step ladder. Would you let me know if I can buy that one from you? I have had no luck finding one on line and to be honest, it’s making me crazy!
      I appreciate your consideration 🙂
      Thanks, Rita

    17. Sindy Anderson

      Lovely~! As always~ I feel your pain~ LOL But it’s a great pain isn’t it?

    18. Wendy @ Zoey's

      Yes you will finally be able to close the studio door and go home to your family and not have “work” staring in your face all the time! You will truly enjoy getting out of the house and “going to work” ….. your setup is just like mine…studio a mile away from your home….,….but I am so jealous of your studio….. It is sooooo much bigger than my little studio 🙂

    19. Jessica @ Dear Emmeline

      This is exactly why I hope we can gut our outbuilding and turn it into our studio/workshop sooner than later. I want to get all of the excess out!! Must be so freeing to be rid of extra clutter and have more space for you family to live in!

    20. Sharon Bates

      Ithinking about you this evening and all of the new space in your home! I think I understand what it’s like since we closed our bed and breakfast and have been able to finally live in the front part of our house. Just this evening I was looking at things on our living room wall considering whether or not they were for the business or if I want to keep them just for us. I’m finding we have a ton of things I can get rid of – pass on to a new steward! It is so refreshing and liberating to simplify our space and it gets me excited about new opportunities and new ideas. I can just feel the enthusiasm in your “voice” as you share your new studio and home situation!

    21. Carole

      Hello Marian,

      Welcome Home!
      I’m sure you’re thrilled to have YOUR HOUSE BACK! Your studio is awesome. Enjoy going to work.

    22. Terry Moore

      God works in mysterious ways to us sometimes and looks like He had other plans for you and to fall in love with your home all over again!

    23. teresa

      When one doors closes another one opens….it is fun to follow along with you as you create your studio.
      Happy Day

    24. Laura

      Love your blog! Where did you get the alphabet floor mat/rug under your table?

    25. Pamela Allen

      If you ever decided to sell those blue curtains that you took down, I would love them.

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