Hello, hello! Welcome to this week’s Happy List. October is flying by, isn’t it?
This week on the blog I shared pictures of our front porch all decorated for fall. I had about 10 days with all that goodness before I had to take the ferns and geraniums inside for the winter. Now it’s looking a little bare.
I also shared the prettiest acorn decor and jewelry I recently found online. What a great time to be alive – so much creativity in the world!
Now, let’s get to the Happy List!
STAINED GLASS
Love the way this stained glass window adds charm to this dining room.
(image: Bret Franks Construction)
DIY DOWNTON ABBEY NAPKINS
If you are a Downton Abbey fan, this craft will be right up your alley. In honor of the passing of Maggie Smith who played Violet Crawley, the Dowager Countess of Grantham, on the hit show, the folks at Design Mom came up with the best craft.
Stencil, using a permanent marker, the best of Maggie Smith’s lines on cloth napkins. This would make such a great gift for a friend. See how they did it here.
(image: Amy Christie for Design Mom)
P.S. I think you could use this idea as inspiration for any sort of holiday napkin. Maybe use a pen to stencil your favorite Christmas movie quotes on napkins.
GHOST MILK GLASS
I know some of you collect milk glass! Sarah from Sadie Seasongoods has the simplest idea to turn your milk glass into ghosts for Halloween temporarily. The simplest ideas are often the best. Tutorial here.
(image: Sadie Seasongoods)
WINTER JACKETS
Here are two winter jackets that have made their way into our home this month. It hasn’t been cold enough to wear them but we are prepared for once!
This down jacket has almost 30,000 reviews on Amazon. People love it!
(image: Amazon)
We also ordered this lightweight puffer jacket for, I think, the fourth time. Growing kid! It has over 11,000 ratings on Amazon.
(image: Amazon)
WISDOM
I thought we could all use this reminder from Charles M. Schulz. For a larger version and the story behind this letter written to 10-year-old Joel Lipton, click here.
(image: via KQED)
CARDBOARD BOX TREE SKIRT
This is an idea I had not seen before but it makes sense. Make a tree skirt out of a cardboard box and cover it with contact paper. You could use any paper.
If you tape the contact paper to the box instead of peeling off the backing, you can reuse the contact paper later AND recycle the box. Win, win.
Tutorial here from A Piece of Rainbow.
(image: A Piece of Rainbow)
APPLE BUTTER SNICKERDOODLES
Apple butter in cookies. I’m intrigued. Have you ever infused flavor into cookies this way?
This apple butter snickerdoodle recipe from Kroll’s Korner got good reviews.
(image: Kroll’s Korner)
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
It Just Barely Works by Seth Godin
“This is the story of every new software innovation, and in fact, just about everything engineers have ever created.
The first Wright Bros. plane just barely flew.
The first version of VisiCalc was just barely useful.
The earliest bridges were shaky, unreliable and made of vines.
The secret of successful product development isn’t an innovation that bursts forth as a polished and finished product. Instead, it’s sticking with something that is almost useless, nurturing and sharing and improving until we can’t imagine living without it.
[Worth noting that we do the same thing when we learn to walk or to speak a new language–or even visit a new community.]”
Thank you for reading today’s Happy List.
Be good to yourself and others this weekend.
I’ll see you back here on Monday.
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