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A Pretty Happy Home

Life, DIY and Random Things That Make Me Smile

  • Home
  • About
    • About
    • Contact
  • Shop
  • Projects
    • Cleaning
    • Clothing
    • Colonial Farmhouse
    • Crafts
    • Decorating
    • DIY Projects
    • Holidays
  • Adventure
    • Moving to Ireland
    • Living in Ireland
    • Visiting Ireland
    • Travel
    • Family and Parenting
    • Humor
    • Learning
  • Privacy Policy
  • Home
  • About
    • About
    • Contact
  • Shop
  • Projects
    • Cleaning
    • Clothing
    • Colonial Farmhouse
    • Crafts
    • Decorating
    • DIY Projects
    • Holidays
  • Adventure
    • Moving to Ireland
    • Living in Ireland
    • Visiting Ireland
    • Travel
    • Family and Parenting
    • Humor
    • Learning
  • Privacy Policy

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  • colonial farmhouse living room curtains traditional living room with light brown velvet curtains and a leather sofa
    decorating

    Living Room Curtains (It Only Took Me 4 Years)

    January 31, 2024 /

    I finally hung living room curtains and it only took me four years to get that job done. *pats self on the back* Why did I wait so long to hang living room curtains? I’m one of those people who don’t really mind naked windows, especially if the windows have gorgeous trim like this particular window has. I also didn’t have to worry about privacy. This window faces our backyard and there’s nothing but deer, bear, rabbits, groundhogs, and a fox in our backyard. They don’t seem to mind the view, so I haven’t prioritized window treatments. Until now. Why now? Not sure. In a way that I think will…

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    annisa 8 Comments

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  • old fashioned wall sconce with 6 inch fitter my latest thrift store finds
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    My Latest Thrift Store Finds: Part 7

    January 29, 2024 /

    Welcome back to the delightful but infrequent blog series “My Latest Thrift Store Finds.” It’s not infrequent because I’m not thrift store shopping. No, no, no. Even I don’t have that much restraint. It is an infrequent series because I forget to write about my thrift store finds unless they are part of a larger story or project. This blog series is my attempt to right (or is it write?) that wrong. Here’s what has come home with me in the last few months. My Latest Thrift Store Finds: Mini Copper and Brass Colander Once in a blue moon Handy Husband will come to the thrift store with me. He…

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    annisa 4 Comments

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    Christmas Entry

    December 23, 2015

    3 Walls That Have Me Stumped

    September 26, 2016

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    July 26, 2017
  • built in black pantry cabinet in a colonial farmhouse gross to gorgeous pantry cabinet transformation vintage pantry cabinet
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    Gross To Gorgeous Pantry Cabinet Transformation

    January 17, 2024 /

    We may not have a huge walk-in pantry in this old house of ours but we do have a gorgeous built-in cabinet that we are using as a pantry. Gorgeous is a description that is a bit “in the eye of the beholder” as it didn’t start that way. That’s why I titled this blog post “Gross To Gorgeous Pantry Cabinet Transformation.” The gross pantry cabinet started out violating multiple health codes if such a thing existed for pantry cabinets. Then there were the violations of our visual sensibilities. I think it is safe to say this cabinet would not win any interior design awards. However, if you can get…

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    annisa 8 Comments

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    The 1971 MLS Listing For Our Colonial Farmhouse

    The 1971 MLS Listing For Our Colonial Farmhouse

    September 4, 2019
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    Back Staircase Before and After

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    Saving a Historic Window Drip Edge Detail

    August 19, 2024
  • diy brass pumpkin
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    Cozy Touches Of Fall In My Home

    November 8, 2023 /

    My home is feeling especially cozy right now, which is a good thing since we are racing as fast as an out-of-control sled down a steep, snow-covered hill toward winter. Am I ready? No. Funny thing, that march of time. It happens whether I’m ready or not. While I might not be ready for the upcoming winter, it’s fine. My home is cozy. I don’t need to leave it. I’ll just hunker down for the next…oh, shoot. I have to leave the house every day this week. Adulting is over-rated, folks. Over. Rated. We’ll revisit the hunkering down thing next week. In the meantime, the pool towels and the lawn games…

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    annisa 0 Comments

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    How We Like Our Amazon Rivet Leather Sofa

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  • Wood Music Stand Hits The Right Note and adds character and function to a music room
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    Wood Music Stand Hits The Right Note

    October 25, 2023 /

    I found the most gorgeous wood music stand to add to our music room. Did we need it? Absolutely not. But is it perfect for this space? Oh, yes. Yes, indeed. I’ve been idly looking for a music stand for years. As a pianist, I don’t really need one because the piano comes with its own. When I go through one of my “attempt to learn the guitar” phases, I usually just look at chords on my phone, so I don’t need a music stand for that. Although, it probably would help my posture to have the phone propped somewhere more ergonomically correct. When it came down to it, I…

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    Buffalo Check Curtains For Our Kitchen

    October 4, 2023

    What Should I Do With This Junky Treasure?

    January 10, 2018
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    Memory Rocks

    June 19, 2017
  • amber match cloche by skeem via lulu and georgia in praise of pretty matchstick holders
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    In Praise Of: Pretty Matchstick Holders

    October 18, 2023 /

    Do you know what lights my fire? Pretty matchstick holders. I recently found a vintage cast iron matchstick holder to hold chalk, not matches, but that’s a story for the end of this blog post. The point is you don’t have to store matches in the boring boxes they come in. There are really pretty matchstick holders – new and vintage – to hold your little fire sticks. I flame to please, so check out these pretty matchstick holders. Cast Iron Match Striker | Schoolhouse This cast iron match striker from Schoolhouse is perfect in its simplicity. I love that there’s a place to set down spent matches. (image: Schoolhouse)…

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    annisa 0 Comments

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    Hide Computer Cords With a Shower Curtain

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    Evolution of Our Living Room and New Bench Pillows

    Evolution of Our Living Room and New Bench Pillows

    March 11, 2024
  • create a Nature Art Gallery Wall using an eclectic grouping of landscape art, flower prints, and leaf stamping.
    decorating

    Nature Art Gallery Wall

    October 16, 2023 /

    Nature art in all its forms – landscape paintings, dried flowers, prints of bouquets – is my jam. It’s soothing to me. Plus, it’s a bug-free way of bringing nature inside my home. Love nature. Not too fond of the bugs. I’ve been collecting nature art for a while now. My love for nature art and landscape paintings started when my aunt painted a scene of my child running along a trail. There’s nothing like a tug on the heartstrings to get you started down the path of an art collection. Now, when I spot nature art at the thrift store, it often comes home with me. Believe it or…

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    annisa 0 Comments

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  • tan buffalo check kitchen curtains with beige wainscoting
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    Buffalo Check Curtains For Our Kitchen

    October 4, 2023 /

    It takes me a long time to decide on window treatments but I finally hung buffalo check curtains in our kitchen. What’s a long time? 4 years, 2 months, and 19 days. But who’s counting? And it was totally worth the wait. I know these photos do not look like a kitchen but trust me when I say there is a sink full of dishes right behind where the camera is positioned. That’s the perk or quirk of having a galley style kitchen. A kitchen table could probably be squeezed into this space you’re seeing. For reference, the rug is 5×8. However, there are also stairs to the right and…

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    annisa 0 Comments

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    Small Updates in the Kids’ Bedrooms

    November 30, 2020
  • our fall front porch with pumpkin topiary
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    Our Fall Front Porch

    October 2, 2023 /

    Our fall front porch feels so welcoming right now. It’s one of those ‘walk up to the front door and grin because of how it makes you feel’ situations. That could have something to do with the smiling trio. Aren’t they the happiest? The smiling trio was created using the simplest idea – transform black duct tape into Halloween decals. Specifically, jack o’lantern faces for these planters but I also made bat decals. You can get the instructions here. “Trio” might be the theme of this year’s fall porch because, on the other side of the front door, I have a pumpkin topiary created with a trio of pumpkins. In…

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    image showing a white fireplace with a grapevine heart garland hanging above the fireplace. The grapevines are a variety of sizes. In the foreground is a wood dining room table with a red vase holding red and white alstroemerias. There are also four brass candle holders on the table with red and pink candles. The picture is showcasing how to DIY a grapevine heart garland.

    DIY Grapevine Heart Garland

    January 14, 2026
    bedroom peg rail above a dresser in a colonial farmhouse with tiffany lamp

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  • Annisa Olsson Jones sitting on the front porch of a colonial farmhouse in new jersey double rockers for our porch
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    Why We Chose Double Rockers For Our Porch

    September 27, 2023 /

    There is a new addition to our front porch. Double rockers! Double your fun. (I grew up watching Doublemint gum commercials. I was compelled to say that.)  Why did we choose double rockers over regular rocking chairs or a porch swing? Great question. I’d love to tell you. I have always wanted a big covered porch and this is the first house we’ve lived in that has a front porch big enough for porch sitting. Every romanticized image you can imagine of front porch sitting and front porch living has taken up residence in my brain for years and I have zero regrets about that. I knew I wanted 4…

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Hi! I'm Annisa.

Recent Posts

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