Happy List: #443 – A Pretty Happy Home

Hey there! Welcome to this week’s Happy List. It is so fun to see you here.

I started this week on the blog on a light-hearted, humorous note. I shared how my family actually used the drink table in our kitchen. They aren’t even trying to be funny, but in the context of how I thought the table would be used, it is to me.

I also wrote about the pros and cons of reusing the existing wall footings to reconstruct the fieldstone wall in front of our house. Long story short, Handy Husband thinks there are only positives. I think there is one downside.

Speaking of downsides, I hope you won’t find any of those on the Happy List, as it is meant to be a good time filled with things that inspired me this week. As always, 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!

FAIRYTALES ARE MADE HERE

I gasped when I saw the photo of this happy, storybook-style home in Minnesota. The colors! The flowers! The architectural details! How could you not smile if you came home to this view every day?

See more photos here.

(image: Tracy Walsh for Mpls St Paul Mag)

TROGLODYTE VILLAGES

Also in the category of stories…

Troglodyte caves were dug to mine tuffeau stone, and later became dwellings in France. Tuffeau is a local limestone of the Loire Valley of France. Funny how I can always bring the conversation back to rocks, isn’t it?

Anyway, you can stay in a troglodyte home! Learn more about them in this article from the Loire Valley.

(image: A. Verger – CRT Centre-Val de Loire)

BOUY GARLAND

Well, now. I loved to be surprised by a craft! This bouy garland made from wine corks is the most creative upcycle I’ve seen in a while. I have to imagine these would be a big hit in a coastal area. Imagine them strung on a Christmas tree!

I just saw a big bag of corks at my local thrift store for $1, so you don’t even have to drink your way into this craft…unless you want to.

Get the details from The Ponds Farmhouse.

(image: The Ponds Farmhouse)

PRIORITIZING KINDNESS

This encouraged me. A middle school in Atlanta has been connecting with students in a simple but brilliant way.

“Every class, every day, our teachers start with connection before content,” says Principal Kimberly Sewell. “For 30 seconds, we ask students something simple, like their favorite pizza topping or what makes them happy.” (The bold emphasis was mine to highlight the consistency.)

I’m guessing this is just one of the things they are doing to make their school environment welcoming and safe, but they are reporting that discipline referrals are down and attendance is up. Read more about it here.

(image: Moments in Time)

HEADBOARD PILLOW

Have you seen headboard pillows? My daughter and I have been looking at them for her college dorm, but I can see how they’d be useful at home.

This one is from Walmart, but once you start looking for them, you’ll find them everywhere! Ha!

They come in different sizes and colors. The ones that I’ve looked at have removable covers for washing.

(image: Walmart)

NEAT BUILT-IN IDEA

Check out how the end of this built-in closet features a cabinet. What a neat use of space. The last 12 inches of a closet are impossible to reach. Things get LOST back there. This potentially solves that problem. Access it from the end!

(image: via The Nordroom)

COAT RACK HANGING PLANT STAND

Donna from Funky Junk Interiors has done it again. I’ve never given wooden coat racks a second look, but now that I see one turned into a hanging plant stand, my first thought was, “OF COURSE!” Of course, that’s how it should be repurposed outdoors.

You’ll like her simple, removable way of securing it to her deck, too. Check it out here. Go! I’ll wait for you to come back!

(image: Funky Junk Interiors)

OVEN-BAKED CHICKEN BREAST

I’m making this oven-baked chicken breast recipe from Recipe Tin Eats this week. The spice rub has some brown sugar, and Nagi explains the science of what this does when baking chicken breast, which is typically drier than thigh meat. Can’t wait to see if that pans out or not.