• a touch of christmas on our barn barn wreath
    holidays

    A Touch of Christmas on Our Barn

    I added a touch of Christmas on our barn in the form of a simple wreath and it makes me ridiculously happy. All the barn needed after that was a little dusting of snow to make it look like a scene straight out of a Hallmark Christmas movie. And then Mother Nature cooperated with my snow wish. That never happens! Although, I forgot to mention the words “a little dusting” when I made that wish. Five inches of snow later…oops! Let’s get back to the touch of Christmas on our barn. I made the wreath that I hung on the barn. Could you tell? If you say no, I’m going…

  • antique car horn wreath
    Crafts,  holidays

    Antique Car Horn Wreath

    When you woke up this morning did you think you’d be reading a blog post about an antique car horn wreath? If you did, I’m slipping a little. I’ll have to try harder to keep you on your toes. Like almost all of my DIY projects, this antique car horn wreath is super simple to make. But where did this idea even come from? Well, it all started with a little thing called curiosity and you know that either gets me in trouble or I end up making something out of junk. One of the keywords I use to search Facebook Marketplace is brass. I’m on the hunt for a…

  • fall leaves in new jersey happy thanksgiving
    holidays

    Happy Thanksgiving

    It is Thanksgiving week in the U.S.A. and I want to thank everyone for reading this blog, engaging with my posts, and for sharing it with your friends. To quote the Beatles, “I get by with a little help from my friends.” That’s all of you! The few minutes or seconds you spend here might not seem like a big deal to you, but to me it is huge! I’m taking off this week to spend with friends and family. I’ll be back next week with something exciting to write about, I’m sure! In the meantime, feel free to connect with me via Facebook or Instagram. I’m sure I’ll be…

  • parade in the netherlands photo by corso zundert on the happy list
    happy list

    Happy List: #144

    Hello! I hope you’ve had a great week. Mine started with a flat tire, but I’m ending the week on a high note! On Monday I shared a DIY tray we made from an old accent table. It’s a small detail in our home that brings me a smile every time I look at it. I can’t explain these things. I just go with it. Wednesday was all about books. There are children’s books that adults love too and this list is an example of that! Here’s The Happy List! PARADE IN THE NETHERLANDS Of course The Netherlands has an epic annual parade with floats made out of dahlias. These…

  • science comics cats
    gift and learning

    Books My Kids Are Reading Part 12

    It has been a good long while since I’ve shared a list of the books my kids are reading! Since my kids were babies I have read to them each night before bed. My 7th grader seems to have aged out of this practice this year. *sniff* No, I don’t want to talk about it, but thanks for asking. My 4th grader is still very much into this nightly routine. Thank goodness. I don’t think my heart could take both of them outgrowing this tradition at one time. Here are the books he and I have read together recently that are worth recommending. He’s nine, but most of these books would…

  • turn an accent table into a decorative tray
    decorating,  DIY

    Easily Turn an Accent Table into a Decorative Tray

    This easy DIY project to turn an accent table into a decorative tray only took me ten years to finish. Ten. Years. If I don’t win the procrastination prize of the day, I’m going to get around to feeling sad later. Don’t overlook old, wobbly accent tables because they no longer function well as accent tables. You know, because of the wobbly part. All you have to do is cut the legs off of the accent table and use the top of the table as a decorative tray. Seriously! A little chip, a little chop. Boom! It is that easy to turn an accent table into a decorative tray. I…

  • babys breath wreath from the house that lars built on the happy list
    happy list

    Happy List #143

    Hello, hello! We live in part of the country that got a dose of very cold weather this week. I wasn’t ready. I’m still not ready. Never going to be ready for that cold weather. In other news, I shared a never before seen corner of our master bedroom on Monday. Still haven’t shared the bed wall, but I swear we do have a bed! On Wednesday I took you on a walk with me…sort of. I had to break out all the winter gear for my walks this week. Oy! Here’s the Happy List! RENT A CHRISTMAS TREE I am digging the idea of renting a live Christmas tree.…

  • fall colors in new jersey october 24 2019
    travel

    Fall Colors in New Jersey

    I take a walk down a country road almost every day after lunch. Even back in the summer I knew it would be glorious stretch of roadway to experience the fall colors in New Jersey firsthand. The New England states have a reputation for having glorious leaf displays every autumn, but New Jersey can hold its own. And that seemed like a very Jersey thing to say. Hmm. No. That wasn’t aggressive enough. I’ll have to work on it! Clearly, I’m not a New Jersey native. I’m just a girl who appreciates the fall colors in New Jersey. There are days when I don’t see one car while on my…

  • use invisible picture wire to hang a mirror
    decorating

    Invisible Picture Wire Saves the Day

    Do you ever have one of those “anything is better than nothing” moments? Any seasoning at all would be better than having to eat one more bite of this bland food. A few lunges while I brush my teeth is better than no exercise today! This mint stuck to the bottom of my purse is better than having no mint and bad breath!  Using my husband’s deodorant is better than not using any deodorant at all! Added perk – I can enjoy the manly smell of ‘arctic ice’ coming from my armpits all day long.  I had one of those “anything is better than nothing” moments as it relates to…

  • happy list

    Happy List: #142

    Hello, everyone! This has been a weird week schedule-wise for our family. Half days for school conferences will do that! On Monday I shared the story behind the thrifted art in our master bedroom. I also revealed our navy blue sunporch on Wednesday. It has been a fun blog week! With the sunporch painted, I have now painted almost every room on our main level. The only room left down there is the bathroom, but it is covered in wallpaper and I’m not sure I’m ready to tackle that yet. How much wallpaper removal can one person take? This week’s Happy List is less about the home and more about…