Happy List: #365

Hi! Welcome to this week’s Happy List. You are here on a special day. It’s not because it’s November 1st and we’re now in a countdown to the holidays.

It is a special day because this is the 365th Happy List I’ve written and compiled. An entire year’s worth! However, since I write roughly one per week that means I’ve been writing the Happy List for approximately 7 years. That’s a long time in the blog world!

The Happy List is my way of keeping my media consumption from being a dumpster fire of bad news. It’s a protection mechanism for my mental health. It is a way for me to channel hope instead of cynicism. A way to focus on the beauty around me instead of division.

Thank you for joining me if this is your first Happy List or your 365th. I’m glad you’re here. If you want to connect, and I hope you do, you can always comment on this blog post or email me here. You can also reach out on Instagram or Facebook.

Before I get to the Happy List, this week on the blog I talked about all the places I use outdoor rugs inside my home and why. It’s possible I have some past trauma when it comes to gross things happening to rugs and that is influencing my choices. Ha! I also wrote about the Halloween tradition that is HAUNTING me to this day. The things we do for our kids because we love them so darn much.

Now, let’s get to the Happy List!

OFF THE BENCH

I have no words for how stunning this custom wood bench featured in Bria Hammel’s latest project is. It’s a showstopper.

Wipe the drool off your keyboard and go check out the rest of the photos of this space here.

(image: Bria Hammel Interiors)

LEAF TOTE

I am always inspired by Sarah’s creativity. She runs the blog Sadie Seasongoods and if you’re into reusing and repurposing, this is your blog!

The latest idea that inspired me was this tote bag using leather leaves. I thought this idea would be adaptable to a pillow too. You could also switch out the leather for other fall-themed fabric.

Get the directions here!

(image: Sadie Seasongoods)

Speaking of ways to reuse old leather, here’s one of my favorite ideas. I cut up an pair of tall leather boots that I could no longer resole and used the upper leather to make a map of Ireland.

You can get the directions here. You could put your own spin on this to make a unique Christmas gift for someone you love.

BURLED WOOD CONSOLE

Someday, I’d like the opportunity to work with burled wood. In the meantime, Target has a Studio McGee-designed burled wood console that would look great in one of your homes.

(image: Target)

2,584 SILVER PENNIES

2,584 silver pennies were found in a farmer’s field in the U.K. The British government recently bought them for $5.6 million. The coins were likely buried for safekeeping during the Norman Conquest and are at least 1,000 years old. Read more about it here.

Hope springs eternal that I’ll dig up buried treasure on my property.

(image: British Museum)

CHRISTMAS AT BILTMORE

As North Carolina and the Asheville area continues to recover from Hurricane Helene, it was encouraging to read that Biltmore Estate is able to open for their annual Christmas at Biltmore event beginning November 2.

You can read about their response to Hurricane Helene, how the estate was impacted, and how they are helping the local community here.

If the video for Christmas at Biltmore doesn’t load, you can watch it here.

REALLY GOOD JEANS

A few weeks ago I bought three pairs of jeans from Old Navy. Yes, three! This is newsworthy because I don’t remember the last time I shopped at Old Navy. Three pairs of jeans at Old Navy cost less than one pair from Ann Taylor, where I usually buy denim because it fits me well.

I bought these “high waisted wide leg wow jeans” in two colors. This blue and a black. The black is so dark that I plan to wear them as “dressy jeans” until the dye fades.

(image: Old Navy)

I also got these “loose utility jeans” and they are my favorite because they are oddly comfortable. They are harder to figure out how to style without looking like I’m headed to a construction site though. In fairness, I do often live in a construction site, so…

(image: Old Navy)

I was thinking recently that it is a great time to be alive. We can walk into a store and buy jeans in high rise, mid rise, wide leg, skinny leg, straight leg, boot cut, stretchy, not stretchy, pull on, zip up.

Anything and everything goes denim-wise right now, which is great because we all have different body types.

PEANUT BUTTER WHITE CHOCOLATE BARK

Speaking of body types, mine might change because I need this Peanut Butter White Chocolate Bark from Sally’s Baking Addiction in my life and belly. I’m going to try and make it today.

Melting chocolate doesn’t always work well for me, but I bought exactly what Sally instructed, so wish me luck!

(image: Sally’s Baking Addiction)

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

“Don’t just resist cynicism — fight it actively. Fight it in yourself, for this ungainly beast lies dormant in each of us, and counter it in those you love and engage with, by modeling its opposite. Cynicism often masquerades as nobler faculties and dispositions, but is categorically inferior. Unlike that great Rilkean life-expanding doubt, it is a contracting force. Unlike critical thinking, that pillar of reason and necessary counterpart to hope, it is inherently uncreative, unconstructive, and spiritually corrosive. Life, like the universe itself, tolerates no stasis — in the absence of growth, decay usurps the order. Like all forms of destruction, cynicism is infinitely easier and lazier than construction. There is nothing more difficult yet more gratifying in our society than living with sincerity and acting from a place of largehearted, constructive, rational faith in the human spirit, continually bending toward growth and betterment. This remains the most potent antidote to cynicism. Today, especially, it is an act of courage and resistance.” – Maria Popova

If you enjoyed this quote, it was taken Maria Popova’s essay “18 Life-Learnings from 18 Years of The Marginalian.” I have read this essay multiple times in the past 2 weeks. It is jam-packed with wisdom and I’ve been soaking it up like a sponge.

Thank you for reading today’s Happy List.

Be good to yourself and others this weekend.
Don’t forget to vote if you’re in the U.S.!

I’ll see you back here on Monday.