Artistic Endeavors
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Creative Business
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A Slice of Life
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All Things Home
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Furniture Makeovers
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wabi-sabi shells
We've been spending Spring Break at Isle of Palms, a beach in South Carolina we've visited with extended family a few times over the past four years. The thing my mom and I most love about this...
things I miss about our MN house
When we bought our home in Minnesota, we knew it was a great house with good bones, but if you told me I would think about it and miss it with some regularity, I'm not sure I would've believed you. ...
kitchen garden inspiration
We'll be starting our spring yard clean-up soon and I'm already excited to work on some of the blank spaces we cleared last year and continue pruning, shaping, trimming, and pulling things that are...
unlacquered brass kitchen faucet update
As we use our newly renovated kitchen more and more, I want to provide some updates along the way. I know I still need to share a full tour of the cabinets and how we have it all organized, so that...
the reality of hooks by the door
So often, when we see hooks by the door in magazines and online, the contents of those hooks are very neatly curated. Only the very cutest jackets, aprons, and bags will be displayed along with the...
favorite things | antique overshot coverlets
As I've been sharing our living room makeover over the past few weeks, several people have asked about the blanket over the back of the sofa. Even though it sometimes annoys my family, I've always...
living room lamp remote
When I shared the new wall sconces/lamps in our living room, the thing I was asked most was about turning them on and off. With a deep sofa sitting in front of them, they are a little awkward to...
card room green living room | the “dresser corner”
Yesterday, I finally finished putting the living room back together after painting the room Card Room Green in November. As I started arranging the plates and antlers on the wall over the dresser...
spring 2024 projects
After being sick for a few days, it always takes a little while to assess how you're feeling in the morning. Am I still sick? Have I finally turned the corner? Well, this morning, I assessed...
My favorite period drama series & shows | part 3
Well, I am still spending most of my time in bed and all of my time in jammies with the flu. I've felt lousy, but I'm so thankful it hasn't been as intense as I know it can be. I'm just trying to...
five projects for creative play
Just as I was starting to gain my energy and feel better after being sick, I got hit again! I tested positive for the flu on Monday, so I am back to snuggling with the kitties most of the day. I...
crochet vs. knitting – updated
Over three years ago, I wrote a post sharing my thoughts on crochet vs. knitting. You can find that original post HERE. I had just learned how to knit, so it was perhaps a little premature to make...
card room green living room shelves
Back in December, I shared our living room freshly painted in Card Room Green, but then I started sharing more Christmas content, so sharing the details of the room was left for another day. I...
Free Oil Painting Tutorial – Two Geranium Studies
For those who have been asking about free oil painting tutorials, here's one for you! I have been toying with the idea of starting a Patreon page where I can offer painting tutorials for a small...
family gallery wall in the hallway
After living in military housing apartments followed by two single-story homes in my childhood, I was always enamored with the idea of having an amazing staircase in a future home. The first two...
wicker market cart
One of my sweet readers has been asking me for several weeks to share more about the antique wicker market cart in my kitchen and I looked for a blog post about it and couldn't find one! I have had...
artist spotlight – Maryfrances Carter
One of the things I love most about the online world is learning about artists and creative business owners with whom I might never cross paths. I have gotten to admire the work of people who are...
antique shoe cart reproduction & inspiration
Over the years, I have bought and sold more antique "shoe carts" than I can properly remember. These antique shelves on wheels are called shoe carts because they were often used in shoe factories...
front porch confessions
On Instagram over the weekend, I shared a confession. I posted, "I don't know who needs to hear this, but I still have pumpkins on my porch." Of course, I meant it to be a bit of self-deprecating...
two of the best shows on TV
I have mentioned both of these series in past Favorites Posts as well as on the TCe podcast. And I can't count the number of times I have brought them up in conversations with other people,...
caring for wood floors in a kitchen
I've been asked a few times over the years about having wood floors in the kitchen, so I thought I would share my experience as well as how I care for them. We inherited wood floors in the kitchen...
better & done
What started as "feeling under the weather" and having a bit of a sore throat early last week turned into being flat-out sick mid-week. So instead of photographing things I've worked on, painting...
put a rabbit painting on it
I have learned over working on many rooms in the homes we've lived in through the years that there are always little loose ends that languish until you get sick of looking at them. For me, it's...
studio moments
I spent some time last week moving the new bookcases in (you can read about that HERE) and getting the studio tidied up and I realized I hadn't shown my studio in a while. Last year, I tried out a...
art books | new releases in 2024
Well, now that I have more shelf space in the studio, I can buy more books! I say that partially in jest, but my book-loving mind does think that way to an extent. There is a practical, organized...
antique cane stand & collection
I blame the cane collection on my six months in a boot when my foot was broken in 2022. I bought a couple of them to actually use when I was getting used to walking on both feet again, but I bought...
more studio bookcases
Almost a year ago, I decided I really needed to address the stacks of books that had been moved from room to room since our move. I had dreams of built-in library shelves in the dining room, but it...
project plans for 2024
In yesterday's blog post, we looked back at some of my favorite projects of 2023. Today, let's look ahead to 2024 and the home projects we have on the list. They might not all get done this year...
2023 favorite projects
While I enjoy looking forward to the coming year in January, I think it's also important to look back. It can be easy to focus on the to-do list and ways we want to improve, but, even if the...
What I did & learned over my break…
I'm ba-ack! The funny thing is that the boys had a snow day today, so everyone is home when I'm trying to buckle down and get back to work! While I'm enjoying the snow, it's hard not to get pulled...
Hello!
I’m Marian, aka Miss Mustard Seed, a wife, mother, paint enthusiast, lover of all things home and an entrepreneur, author, artist, designer, freelance writer & photographer. READ MORE to learn more about me, my blog and my business…
- bird bath happenings
I don’t have a lot of garden memories since I spent the majority of my childhood in military housing apartments overseas, but as I’ve shared before, the garden memories I… Read more: bird bath happenings - antique iron plant stand
One of the things on my Lucketts shopping wishlist was a plant stand. I was open to the style of plant stand, but I envisioned a tiered wrought iron plant… Read more: antique iron plant stand - marian tries | weaving garden cloches
Do you know what I’ve been thinking lately? I need more hobbies. I mean, a girl needs a few tasks to keep her busy. Of course, I’m being facetious since… Read more: marian tries | weaving garden cloches - Ultimate Scallop Wicker Tray
Last week, I decided to play around a bit inside the house. I’ve been spending a lot of time outside pulling weeds, hauling mulch, and planting and I haven’t been… Read more: Ultimate Scallop Wicker Tray
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