Hello! Welcome to this week’s Happy List. I’m delighted you are here.
This week on the blog, I shared some Handy Husband-approved gifts for Father’s Day. Depending on when you read this, there are at least two things on the list that you can gift right up until the last minute.
We also celebrated our seventh anniversary. That would be our house anniversary, not our wedding anniversary. We passed that milestone decades ago. Anyway, if you’re new here, the before photos in that blog post might surprise you.
What I hope doesn’t surprise you is that the Happy List is designed to be happy, curious, and light. It’s my antidote to all the decisive news that’s thrown my way each week. Connection is also an antidote to negativity. To that end, if you’d like to reach out, and I hope you do, please comment on this blog post or email me here. You can also direct message me on Instagram or Facebook. (P.S. I limit the time I spend on Facebook, so it may take me some time to respond to any DMs there.)
Here’s the Happy List!
CIRCLE TABLE
This image in Domino caught my eye because of that side table. It’s made from a stacked wood circles of varying sizes. How cool and interesting-looking is that? I’d love to make one.
This photo is a great reminder to me to look at things that aren’t necessarily my style because inspiration can be found in unlikely places.
Also, that fence situation outside the window is interesting. Are those branches? Clever.
(image: Lisa Petrole for Domino)
CONVERT BIFOLD DOORS TO FRENCH DOORS
This door conversion tutorial from Jenna Sue Design is a great idea for how to remake doors that you already own.
(image: Jenna Sue Design)
1869 HARVARD ENTRANCE EXAM
Can you pass the entrance exam Harvard gave students in 1869? Even if you could ace the math portion, you probably didn’t learn Latin. So, most students today would not make it into Harvard based on this assessment.
Here’s the history and geography page. You can see the entire thing in larger detail here.
(image: Harvard via NY Times)
FUN BANDANAS
Classic bandanas give off a country feel to me, which is fine when I’m in the mood for that. However, a month ago, I bought this set of bandanas because they felt different than that. I love the happy colors and patterns on this set.
I’ve thrifted a bunch of scarves, but it’s hard to find cotton ones where I live.
(image: Amazon)
DIY HARDWARE CHESS SET
Never have I ever thought about making chess pieces out of old hardware, but I think this works!
This would be cool to encounter in a coffee shop, high school, library, hardware store, or your Grandpa’s garage.
More details over at Scout Life.
(image: Scout Life)
LIBRARY IN CANADA AND THE U.S.
The Haskell Free Library and Opera House sits on the border of Canada and the U.S. You can walk into the library and read a book while you’re in two countries at the same time. The boundary line is painted on the floor. You can also have your feet in Canada and your behind in the U.S. while you watch a live show.
I’d go just for the novelty of it! It’s also a reminder that border lines are arbitrary. Check it out here.
P.S. It looks like they are opening a Canadian door so that the Canadians don’t have to cross into the U.S. to enter the library and opera house. The video on their website explains the logistics of how this has worked.
RESIZE PICTURES FRAMES
Why have I never thought to resize thrift store picture frames?
I had a “duh” moment when I saw this tutorial from Salvaged Inspirations. It was so obvious to me after I saw this. You don’t even need power tools for this if you have a miter box and a hand saw.
(image: Salvaged Inspirations)
LAST MINUTE FATHER’S DAY GIFTS
Father’s Day is this Sunday in the U.S, so click here for that list of Handy Husband-approved gifts. There are some free ones on the list. For the rest, I can get most of these delivered to me in one day, or you may find them at your local Walmart.
You can also find these directly on our Amazon storefront.
P.S. Handy Husband has asked for a special meal on Father’s Day that is the “most Minnesotan hot dish to end all hot dishes.” He doesn’t know what that is, but he wants it. Hahahahahahaha!
We used to live in Minnesota, and he thinks it’s tragic that I don’t make hot dish. Hot dish is just a casserole, as I understand it, usually with cream of mushroom soup and lots of cheese. My mom didn’t make casseroles when I was growing up, so they never imprinted on my taste buds.
WATERMELON SLUSH
The next time I get a bad watermelon (ugh), I’m going to try turning it into a Watermelon Slushie ala this recipe from Damn Delicious. She says it is a good way to use a mealy watermelon, and I think it’s worth a shot, even though I hope I never buy another bad watermelon. There are worse goals.
This recipe is non-alcoholic, but you can always add your spirit of choice. Also, the comments section had some good recommendations.
(image: Damn Delicious)
P.S. I know you can return food to the grocery store, but between the time that takes and the cost of gas, only to risk getting stuck on a hamster wheel of bad watermelons, that’s never happening here.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
“…I’ve had to remind myself to keep moving. Solace doesn’t stay in one place for very long. And what’s worked for the last few months isn’t going to work forever. Human beings survive by constantly reinventing themselves. We adapt. We scatter. We reconvene where it’s safer. And when we’re at our best, we look out for the people who need us. If you look out over the history of humankind, you will of course find people who did some very bad shit. But you will also find people who absolutely refused to give up. No matter what the score was.”
– excerpt from “How to Get Out of Bed” from Mike Monteiro’s Good News
Thank you for reading this week’s Happy List. Happy Father’s Day to those celebrating!
Be good to yourself and others this weekend.
I’ll see you back here on Monday.
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