Happy List: #59 – A Pretty Happy Home

Hello, Hello! And welcome back!

I hope you had a good Valentine’s week if that’s your thing. My kids have been off school all week, so it’s been a bit of a whirlwind. The good kind though!

And in case you were wondering – nope – my dear children do not know how to sleep in when they get a week off from school.

On Monday I shared the books the kids and I have been reading together this winter. Then on Wednesday I gave you a little update on the whereabouts of St. Valentine. Well, his earthly remains.

As you can see, I like to mix the topics up on this ol’ blog! Keeps me from getting bored.

Here’s what’s on my Happy List this week.

COLORFUL WALL

Do you ever look at a picture and just love how it looks? Maybe it is the combination of elements. Maybe it is the colors. Maybe it just makes you happy and you’d like to sit and enjoy a chat in that space?

That’s what this picture of Cassie’s family room at Hi Sugarplum did for me. I admire the eclectic mix of color and elements.

(image: Hi Sugarplum!)

Yet, at the same time, I don’t think I would create this space for myself. I had an “aha” moment recognizing that it feels good to just appreciate something for what it is without feeling like my space/my life/my whatever is less than.

That said, I think that blue chair would work incredibly well as a neutral with my quieter design aesthetic. It’s from One Kings Lane, by the way, and looks WAY better in Cassie’s picture than it does in the listing.

HOW’S THE LIGHT IN THERE?

I love, love, LOVE a good farmhouse porch.

This home posted by James Farmer on Instagram has me dreaming of sipping ~~a gin and tonic~~ sweet tea while sitting in one of those rocking chairs. Of course, in my dreams there are NO mosquitoes and those flowerbeds never get weeds. They wouldn’t dare!

Here’s my question though. Doesn’t the roof of a deep porch block the sunlight from coming in the house?

THE EVIDENCE FOR OPTIMISM

It’s a bit of a read, but the Annual Gates Letter for 2018 is out and I think you’ll find it encouraging.

Bill and Melinda Gates use their 2018 letter to answer 10 tough questions they receive on the regular. Things like: Why Don’t you Give More in the United States? Are You Imposing Your Values on Other Cultures? Does Saving Kids’ Lives Lead to Overpopulation?

In regard to optimism the pair writes: “But being an optimist isn’t about knowing that life used to be worse. It’s about knowing how life can get better. And that’s what really fuels our optimism. Although we see a lot of disease and poverty in our work—and many other big problems that need to be solved—we also see the best of humanity. We spend our time learning from scientists who are inventing cutting-edge tools to cure disease. We talk to dedicated government leaders who are being creative about prioritizing the health and well-being of people around the world. And we meet brave and brilliant individuals all over the world who are imagining new ways to transform their communities.”

NOW, THAT’S A WALL

The photo of this bathroom on Houzz stopped me in my scroll and not because of the marble floor.

I just hadn’t seen a wall quite like this in a bathroom before. I like the combo of the tile with the dark vertical panels, especially given the interesting roofline in this space.