Happy List: #360

Now on to the Happy List!

MUDROOM

This mudroom by Made By Carli stopped me in my scroll. That window situation highlights those plants in such a pretty way.

More pictures of this space can be found here.

(image: Made By Carli)

PRETTIEST SCONCE

I am considering this Anthropologie sconce in white for our bathroom. I’m showing the lavender here because it’s so pretty, but the sconce also comes in green, light blue, and white.

The only thing that’s holding me back is that I need two and Anthropologie is spendier than my usual thrifty self can handle.

(image: Anthropologie)

Purple isn’t usually my color but that sink could change my mind.

PAT ON MY OWN BACK

A shout out and a thank you to The Spruce for including my Halloween planters decorated with DIY duct tape decals in their recent article titled “92 DIY Halloween Decorations That Aren’t Scary To Make, We Promise.”

I’m #4 on the list! There are so many fun ideas. You should check them out.

You can read my tutorial on how to make the decals here. If you have black duct tape and parchment paper, you’re good to go.

FUN GAME

Google Arts and Culture has a new addictively fun and free game. It is called What Came First? You’re shown images from two moments in history. You have to guess which one came first. It’s that simple and oh so hard.

Play here. Thank or curse me later.

(image: Google Arts and Culture)

MADE ME LAUGH

Buzzfeed’s article on funny test answers had me laughing. Oh, to be a teacher!

Here’s just one.

(image: laneybug-a-boo via Buzzfeed)

Reminds me of the time my son got in trouble in kindergarten for writing about what he smelled on a spring walk.

Did I laugh? Yes. Yes, I did.

Did your kids have funny homework stories?

DUSTBUSTER

I might have already mentioned this and if it comes up twice you know I’m really into it!

It’s not a glamorous purchase but I am delighted with our new Dustbuster. We use it in our home gym, primarily, but we’ve also taken it up on the roof to clean up some construction dust. It can clean out the back of my car. It’s the handiest little vacuum and only weighs 2.4 pounds.

If you’re in the market for one, even Handy Husband approves of this thing.

(image: Amazon)

P.S. Most of these little vacuums come with a docking station that you set the vacuum on to charge. I liked that this one does not. You just plug it in when you need to charge it.

POTATO BREAD 

It has many names depending on what country you are in, but I’ve still never made bread dough from mashed potatoes and flour.

I need to remedy this over the upcoming holidays. That’s the only time I usually make mashed potatoes. In fact, we don’t eat potatoes very often at all. Maybe once a month? Usually of the French fried variety. Ha!

Here’s a recipe for Potato Bread or as the Irish call it, farls, from Belly Rumbles.

(image: Belly Rumbles)

POETRY MOMENT

The Thing Is by Ellen Bass

to love life, to love it even
when you have no stomach for it
and everything you’ve held dear
crumbles like burnt paper in your hands,
your throat filled with the silt of it.
When grief sits with you, its tropical heat
thickening the air, heavy as water
more fit for gills than lungs;
when grief weights you like your own flesh
only more of it, an obesity of grief,
you think, How can a body withstand this?
Then you hold life like a face
between your palms, a plain face,
no charming smile, no violet eyes,
and you say, yes, I will take you
I will love you, again.

Thank you for reading today’s Happy List.

Be good to yourself and others this weekend.

I will see you back here on Monday.