Move Slow & Make Things | Giveaway No. 4
The launch of my new book, Move Slow & Make Things, is just a few weeks away! September 1 feels like it’s far on the horizon, but it really is right around the corner. I’m excited to share our next giveaway to celebrate the book’s launch, showcase some of its themes, and highlight another artisan who […]
stories | 17-year-old me travels 6,000 miles
If you missed the first installment about my trip to Russia, you can find it HERE. Our first flight was from Orlando, Florida, to Miami. It was a short flight and a small plane that had me blaring music in my headphones, closing my eyes, and gripping the armrests, pretending I was anywhere else. […]
antique portrait in the kitchen
Remember the portrait I found at the Lucketts Spring Market earlier this year? The one I saw a couple of years ago at the fall market, thought about, wished I had bought it, and then came face to face with it again? The woman in the blue dress with the dog on her lap? Yep, […]
four things | eighty-one
The weather has turned hot again, which is expected since we’re halfway through July and in the thick of summer. Hot, humid weather means I skip my morning walk, don’t stay on top of the weeds in the garden beds quite as well, and generally stay inside except in the morning and evening. I’ve already […]
June Gardening Notes
In my May gardening notes, I shared that I put some compost around my Annabelle hydrangeas in the hopes they would do better this year. I have used Hollytone fertilizer on them in previous years, but that didn’t seem to be enough, and the compost has, so far, seemed to be the ticket to healthier, […]
stories | 17-year-old me goes to Russia
I’ve actually considered sharing some of my personal stories here on the blog before. When I was organizing our house in Minnesota from tip to toe, I came across so many bits and pieces that brought stories to mind. I considered writing a Summer Stories series about some of my childhood summers. But, I didn’t. […]
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Move Slow & Make Things | Giveaway No. 4
The launch of my new book, Move Slow & Make Things, is just a few weeks away! September 1 feels like it’s far on the horizon, but it really is right around the corner. I’m excited to share our next giveaway to celebrate the book’s launch, showcase some of its themes, and highlight another artisan who shares her creative gifts with the world. If you haven’t already, you can preorder the book HERE. Don’t forget to sign up to receive your
stories | 17-year-old me travels 6,000 miles
If you missed the first installment about my trip to Russia, you can find it HERE. Our first flight was from Orlando, Florida, to Miami. It was a short flight and a small plane that had me blaring music in my headphones, closing my eyes, and gripping the armrests, pretending I was anywhere else. I was relieved when we landed and had some time on the ground before we boarded our first international flight. We would first stop in
antique portrait in the kitchen
Remember the portrait I found at the Lucketts Spring Market earlier this year? The one I saw a couple of years ago at the fall market, thought about, wished I had bought it, and then came face to face with it again? The woman in the blue dress with the dog on her lap? Yep, this one… Well, I realized I never photographed where I hung it in the house! I used to share home updates, even small adjustments, almost
four things | eighty-one
The weather has turned hot again, which is expected since we’re halfway through July and in the thick of summer. Hot, humid weather means I skip my morning walk, don’t stay on top of the weeds in the garden beds quite as well, and generally stay inside except in the morning and evening. I’ve already been looking ahead to appointments, deadlines, and things that are just around the corner, and it reminds me that each season is short-lived. In just
June Gardening Notes
In my May gardening notes, I shared that I put some compost around my Annabelle hydrangeas in the hopes they would do better this year. I have used Hollytone fertilizer on them in previous years, but that didn’t seem to be enough, and the compost has, so far, seemed to be the ticket to healthier, more prolific Annabelles. Here is how they looked last July. They were yellowing, losing leaves, and looked generally unhappy. And here is how they look
stories | 17-year-old me goes to Russia
I’ve actually considered sharing some of my personal stories here on the blog before. When I was organizing our house in Minnesota from tip to toe, I came across so many bits and pieces that brought stories to mind. I considered writing a Summer Stories series about some of my childhood summers. But, I didn’t. I was still in the season of my business when my blog felt like something that needed to stay exactly as it was at all
four things | eighty
I hope all of my American friends had a nice July 4th! We kept the day very low-key, but it was nice to have a long, slow weekend, and I enjoyed watching some of the festivities in clips online. I have spent years in the past going to see fireworks displays, but I find I don’t really want to sit in traffic and fight the crowds on a hot summer night. I’d rather stay at home and listen to the
telling stories
I’ve been telling stories here on this blog since 2009, but they’ve mostly been stories about furniture, about my business, my work, and my creative endeavors. About refinishing floors as a novice, about my first magazine feature, about the exciting firsts for my business that unfolded as I shared online. As this blog continues to morph and I continue to evolve as an artist and a person, I have decided to start sharing some of my personal stories here. These
Move Slow & Make Things | Giveaway No. 3
Welcome to giveaway number three leading up to the September 1 launch of my new book, Move Slow & Make Things. This giveaway is in collaboration with Erin Callahan of Garden & Guild. I’ve been following Erin on Instagram and have purchased several heirloom garden tools and classic gardening books from her since learning about her small shop. Since I reference many gardening stories, analogies, and parallels in the book, it seemed fitting to have a giveaway centered around gardening
four things | seventy nine
Oh my word, it is hot as the blazes this week. I often joke that I was made for Norway. (Although I have never been there, and the ancestry information I’ve found so far has all led back to England.) I certainly wasn’t made for anywhere south of the Mason-Dixon line. I’m fair-skinned, have a sun allergy, turn beet red in the heat, and feel nauseous if I can’t cool off. So, I’m getting my gardening and pool chores done
Peg & Awl | Small Business Spotlight
There are times when I have fleeting thoughts of quitting the online space. I think about how much time is sucked into the rabbit hole of Instagram or YouTube when I could be doing something more meaningful and productive… But then I think about the beautiful people I’ve met, dear friends I have made, and endless encouragement and inspiration I have found from like-minded creatives and all-around awesome people. I know I would miss that community, and leaving social media
proof of life & productivity
One of the little tidbits I jotted down in my phone and then in my commonplace notebook (a place where I collect quotes, lyrics, words, poems, thoughts, and such) recently was this: “A clean barn has no oxen.” I am going to confess that, as a pastor’s wife, I didn’t know that little nugget of wisdom was directly from the Bible. Well, it is. It’s from Proverbs 14:4. When I heard it, though, it resonated with me right away.
dusting off the sewing machines…
It’s been a minute since I had my sewing machines out. I had to reacquaint myself with winding the bobbins and getting the needles properly threaded, but I slowly figured it out. The funny thing is that I needed to wear reading glasses over my contacts to thread the needles this time. As an aside, I started writing this blog when I was in my early thirties and both of my boys were in diapers. Now, they are in college,
four things | seventy eight
I realized once I started working on this post that I was chattier than I expected! I only posted twice on the blog this week and twice last week, and I think I’m feeling that! Writing and posting on this blog have been part of my creative process for over 15 years, and when I take that away, I miss the outlet. It’s like when you haven’t called your mom or a friend you usually speak to regularly, and then
Move Slow & Make Things | Giveaway No. 2
Welcome to giveaway number two leading up to the September 1 launch of my new book, Move Slow & Make Things. For this giveaway, I’ve partnered with Luxury Brands of America, a US distributor for fountain pens, inks, notebooks, and other fine writing supplies. They carry some of my favorite fountain pen brands, such as Platinum, Waldmann, and Benu. One of the themes I write about in Move Slow and Make Things is buying and using tools and materials that
Annabelle hydrangea update
If you’ve been following our landscaping projects over the past few years, you are probably somewhat familiar with the Annabelle hydrangeas I was determined to plant. I purchased Annabelle hydrangeas for our house in Minnesota on a whim at the grocery store for around $15/each, and they thrived. They were the best hydrangeas I ever had. Prolific bloomers, great for drying in the fall, and so beautiful. They were also pretty easy. I didn’t really do anything for them in
antique-inspired color charts
I’ve been making and selling color charts on linen for a few years. My first one was inspired by color charts found at an artist’s estate sale. I was so smitten with them when I first spotted them online – the colorful squares in oil framed by age-stained fabric – that I decided to make some of my own. I made small color studies on antique linen and hemp scraps, testing different ways to tape off the squares and apply
Live Painting at Lucketts
This post has been sitting in my drafts for weeks! I know some of you must have been losing sleep because I left you hanging about the Lucketts Spring Market. I will not torture you any longer. Here’s how the afternoon of painting went back in May… After my triumphant antique find and a morning of scurrying from shopping the Lucketts Spring Market to selling paintings, I settled into my space to do some live painting. I decided to do
four things | seventy seven
This week started with the loss of power from a storm. It wasn’t really the storm that knocked out the power, but the wall of wind that came right before the rain. It took out trees, limbs, power poles, and made a general mess of our yard and pool. Jeff had just finished cleaning up the curb, only to have it littered with leaves and branches again. Such is life with six mature maple trees! We put our generator to
Visiting Clarkson’s Farm
When Julia (my English friend and host when visiting the UK) and I discussed what we should do with our time in the Cotswolds, we frequently kicked around the possibility of visiting Jeremy Clarkson’s concerns – The Farmer’s Dog Pub and Diddly Squat Farm Shop. Both of us are fans of the show, and we were going to be right in that neck of the woods. Our only hesitation was the tourist attraction factor. Neither of us wanted to wait
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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From the very first coat of paint to custom cabinetry, Marian has been slowly transforming her 1970s split-level into a home filled with charm, character, and creative vision. Explore room-by-room updates, clever DIYs, and the stories woven into each renovation project. It’s a work in progress—and that’s part of the beauty.
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Move Slow & Make Things | Giveaway No. 4
The launch of my new book, Move Slow & Make Things, is just a few weeks away! September 1 feels like it’s far on the horizon, but it really is right around the corner. I’m excited to share our next giveaway to celebrate the book’s launch, showcase some of its themes, and highlight another artisan who shares her creative gifts with the world. If you haven’t already, you can preorder the book HERE. Don’t forget to sign up to receive your
stories | 17-year-old me travels 6,000 miles
If you missed the first installment about my trip to Russia, you can find it HERE. Our first flight was from Orlando, Florida, to Miami. It was a short flight and a small plane that had me blaring music in my headphones, closing my eyes, and gripping the armrests, pretending I was anywhere else. I was relieved when we landed and had some time on the ground before we boarded our first international flight. We would first stop in
stories | 17-year-old me goes to Russia
I’ve actually considered sharing some of my personal stories here on the blog before. When I was organizing our house in Minnesota from tip to toe, I came across so many bits and pieces that brought stories to mind. I considered writing a Summer Stories series about some of my childhood summers. But, I didn’t. I was still in the season of my business when my blog felt like something that needed to stay exactly as it was at all
telling stories
I’ve been telling stories here on this blog since 2009, but they’ve mostly been stories about furniture, about my business, my work, and my creative endeavors. About refinishing floors as a novice, about my first magazine feature, about the exciting firsts for my business that unfolded as I shared online. As this blog continues to morph and I continue to evolve as an artist and a person, I have decided to start sharing some of my personal stories here. These
Move Slow & Make Things | Giveaway No. 3
Welcome to giveaway number three leading up to the September 1 launch of my new book, Move Slow & Make Things. This giveaway is in collaboration with Erin Callahan of Garden & Guild. I’ve been following Erin on Instagram and have purchased several heirloom garden tools and classic gardening books from her since learning about her small shop. Since I reference many gardening stories, analogies, and parallels in the book, it seemed fitting to have a giveaway centered around gardening
Peg & Awl | Small Business Spotlight
There are times when I have fleeting thoughts of quitting the online space. I think about how much time is sucked into the rabbit hole of Instagram or YouTube when I could be doing something more meaningful and productive… But then I think about the beautiful people I’ve met, dear friends I have made, and endless encouragement and inspiration I have found from like-minded creatives and all-around awesome people. I know I would miss that community, and leaving social media
Seasonal
Fall
tucking in the garden for winter
This is our fourth fall in this house, and I think we have finally figured out how to best deal with the leaves from the six large maple trees on our property. The first fall, we had just moved in and were completely overwhelmed by them. Our amazing neighbors jumped in and used their two riding mowers to help us out. Since then, Jeff (primarily) and I have been trying to figure out a system to stay on top of
simple, natural fall mantel | autumn decorating
In the very early years of my blogging career, I connected with Layla of the Lettered Cottage. I was smitten with her design aesthetic and eye for styling. We both wrote tutorials for HGTV.com (you can find mine HERE) and wrote and contributed photography for several of the same editors and magazines. We met at a few blog conferences over the years and even partnered on the very first Chapel Market hosted by her community in Alabama. As another fun
fall baking with Walmart
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Walmart and contains affiliate links. As always, all words and opinions expressed are honest and my own. As the chilly weather has started to show up more consistently, I find myself in the mood to do some baking. I actually really enjoy baking, but I don’t do it very often since I also like to eat baked goods! But, baking a dozen apple cinnamon muffins seemed like a pretty safe bit of fall baking
fall entertaining with Walmart
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Walmart. As always, all words and opinions expressed are honest and my own. Last week was the first week that felt like fall and it was glorious. I mourn that the pool has become a polar bear swimming experience, but that is about all I’ll miss about summer. I love it when cooler weather comes in and I can don my hoodies and slippers. I also love decorating during fall and winter perhaps more
outdoor fall entertaining with Walmart
Disclosure; This post is sponsored by . As always, all words and opinions expressed are honest and my own. I have partnered with many times over the years and I am excited to be working with them in our new home. An advantage to moving into a home in late September is that we are entering one of the most beautiful, outdoor-entertaining-friendly weather of the year. It’s usually pleasant outside, not too buggy, not too muggy, and nature starts to
Bavarian Pretzels (Bretzels) Recipe
For Christmas, I got a cookbook called . It’s an excellent book if you’re interested in learning about or improving your bread baking. As I read through it, I was surprised to see a recipe for German/Bavarian soft pretzels (bretzels.) These delicious soft pretzels spilled over the German border into France and were adopted by the region of Alsace. For those who don’t know, I’m a military brat who spent most of my childhood in Germany and soft pretzels were
at home
All Things Home
antique portrait in the kitchen
Remember the portrait I found at the Lucketts Spring Market earlier this year? The one I saw a couple of years ago at the fall market, thought about, wished I had bought it, and then came face to face with it again? The woman in the blue dress with the dog on her lap? Yep, this one… Well, I realized I never photographed where I hung it in the house! I used to share home updates, even small adjustments, almost
June Gardening Notes
In my May gardening notes, I shared that I put some compost around my Annabelle hydrangeas in the hopes they would do better this year. I have used Hollytone fertilizer on them in previous years, but that didn’t seem to be enough, and the compost has, so far, seemed to be the ticket to healthier, more prolific Annabelles. Here is how they looked last July. They were yellowing, losing leaves, and looked generally unhappy. And here is how they look
Move Slow & Make Things | Giveaway No. 3
Welcome to giveaway number three leading up to the September 1 launch of my new book, Move Slow & Make Things. This giveaway is in collaboration with Erin Callahan of Garden & Guild. I’ve been following Erin on Instagram and have purchased several heirloom garden tools and classic gardening books from her since learning about her small shop. Since I reference many gardening stories, analogies, and parallels in the book, it seemed fitting to have a giveaway centered around gardening
dusting off the sewing machines…
It’s been a minute since I had my sewing machines out. I had to reacquaint myself with winding the bobbins and getting the needles properly threaded, but I slowly figured it out. The funny thing is that I needed to wear reading glasses over my contacts to thread the needles this time. As an aside, I started writing this blog when I was in my early thirties and both of my boys were in diapers. Now, they are in college,
Annabelle hydrangea update
If you’ve been following our landscaping projects over the past few years, you are probably somewhat familiar with the Annabelle hydrangeas I was determined to plant. I purchased Annabelle hydrangeas for our house in Minnesota on a whim at the grocery store for around $15/each, and they thrived. They were the best hydrangeas I ever had. Prolific bloomers, great for drying in the fall, and so beautiful. They were also pretty easy. I didn’t really do anything for them in
Antiquing Jaunt
When my in-laws were visiting for Calvin’s graduation, I decided it would be a good opportunity to hit a few antique stores with my mother-in-law. She is happy to sit and read while I work on things, and over the years, she has helped with many sewing and slipcover projects during her visits, but we also enjoy going to antique stores together. She rarely buys anything, but she likes antiques and is good company. I needed to shop for frames
Everyday Moments
A Slice of Life
stories | 17-year-old me travels 6,000 miles
If you missed the first installment about my trip to Russia, you can find it HERE. Our first flight was from Orlando, Florida, to Miami. It was a short flight and a small plane that had me blaring music in my headphones, closing my eyes, and gripping the armrests, pretending I was anywhere else. I was relieved when we landed and had some time on the ground before we boarded our first international flight. We would first stop in
four things | eighty-one
The weather has turned hot again, which is expected since we’re halfway through July and in the thick of summer. Hot, humid weather means I skip my morning walk, don’t stay on top of the weeds in the garden beds quite as well, and generally stay inside except in the morning and evening. I’ve already been looking ahead to appointments, deadlines, and things that are just around the corner, and it reminds me that each season is short-lived. In just
stories | 17-year-old me goes to Russia
I’ve actually considered sharing some of my personal stories here on the blog before. When I was organizing our house in Minnesota from tip to toe, I came across so many bits and pieces that brought stories to mind. I considered writing a Summer Stories series about some of my childhood summers. But, I didn’t. I was still in the season of my business when my blog felt like something that needed to stay exactly as it was at all
four things | eighty
I hope all of my American friends had a nice July 4th! We kept the day very low-key, but it was nice to have a long, slow weekend, and I enjoyed watching some of the festivities in clips online. I have spent years in the past going to see fireworks displays, but I find I don’t really want to sit in traffic and fight the crowds on a hot summer night. I’d rather stay at home and listen to the
four things | seventy nine
Oh my word, it is hot as the blazes this week. I often joke that I was made for Norway. (Although I have never been there, and the ancestry information I’ve found so far has all led back to England.) I certainly wasn’t made for anywhere south of the Mason-Dixon line. I’m fair-skinned, have a sun allergy, turn beet red in the heat, and feel nauseous if I can’t cool off. So, I’m getting my gardening and pool chores done
proof of life & productivity
One of the little tidbits I jotted down in my phone and then in my commonplace notebook (a place where I collect quotes, lyrics, words, poems, thoughts, and such) recently was this: “A clean barn has no oxen.” I am going to confess that, as a pastor’s wife, I didn’t know that little nugget of wisdom was directly from the Bible. Well, it is. It’s from Proverbs 14:4. When I heard it, though, it resonated with me right away.
Explore painting at your own pace—no experience needed
Free Art Classes for the Creative at Heart
While the world slowed down in the spring of 2020, I found connection and creativity by offering live art classes each Friday—just a simple way to share something joyful during uncertain times. What began as a small spark turned into something truly special. After receiving such kind and encouraging feedback, I decided to turn those lessons into a free online course. Inside, you’ll find nine beginner-friendly oil painting classes covering everything from mixing colors to painting a sweet grazing cow. It’s a gentle, joy-filled place to start (or continue) your painting journey.