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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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  • when and where to use rechargeable light bulbs so they don't disappoint you
    decorating,  DIY

    5 Places Rechargeable Light Bulbs Won’t Disappoint You

    February 21, 2024 /

    If you’re contemplating using rechargeable light bulbs, then I know you have a lighting situation that’s dimming your spirit a little. Maybe a lot. If it was a hassle-free, inexpensive fix, and your best friend’s sister’s cousin is an electrician, then you would have already shone a light on your dark corner. Same. Or maybe you are renting and there’s no way your landlord is going to spring for more outlets and hardwired lights. Gives new meaning to the Dark Ages. Been there too. Couldn’t see a thing. Rechargeable light bulbs are not going to solve all of your life problems. Disappointing, I know. However, they have been improving in…

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    annisa 0 Comments

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    Pared-Down Living Room Gallery Wall

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    Sheet Music Easter Eggs

    March 28, 2018

    Problem Room Update: Petite Fireplace

    October 17, 2016
  • reclaimed wood try from rotten piece of old growth pine the hidden meaning behind this reclaimed wood tray
    decorating,  DIY

    The Hidden Meaning Behind This Reclaimed Wood Tray

    February 19, 2024 /

    I never thought there would be a hidden meaning behind a reclaimed wood tray. Yet, here we are. To set the stage, we live in a colonial-era home that we’ve been restoring for the last four and a half years. Old homes should come with a warning. Not the “this house is a money pit” warning. Although, it will be. Not the “this house makes disturbing noises” warning. It does. Not the “people probably died here” warning. For sure they have. They were born here too. Not the “rodents have more entrances to your home than you do” warning. It’s infuriating. The warning old houses should come with is this…

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    annisa 2 Comments

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    In Praise Of Lath Art

    June 28, 2023
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    In Praise of a Church Pew for Home Decor

    July 5, 2021
    mod sugar design via etsy fall wreath

    13 Fall Wreaths Now That It is Finally September

    September 1, 2021
  • vintage brass display stand in praise of pretty tablet stands
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    In Praise Of: Pretty Tablet Stands

    February 12, 2024 /

    Every time it appears in a photo or video, I get compliments and questions about the brass tablet stand that holds my laptop or iPad while it charges. I agree, it is pretty amazing. My tablet stand is vintage from the 1970s, which means it’s not really a tablet stand. We were still typing on typewriters in the 1970s, not laptops and tablets. My oh my, how things have changed. My stand held a memento from my parents’ wedding. I’ve used it to display various pictures over the years, but now it functions as a beautiful and practical display stand for a laptop or iPad. I wondered if I could…

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    annisa 0 Comments

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    Unique Indoor Plant Displays

    February 16, 2026

    Vintage Wood Gate

    May 11, 2016
    Fall Mantel With Leaf-Stamped Wood Rounds in a colonial era home with wood beams and original wood floors fall decorating ideas

    Fall Mantel With Leaf-Stamped Wood Rounds

    September 18, 2023
  • 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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    Yarn and Felt Holiday Wreath

    December 9, 2015
    wood drink table set next to a farmhouse stye wood bench in a colonial farmhouse

    What a Difference a Drink Table Makes

    April 9, 2025

    Winter Home Inspiration from New Jersey

    December 18, 2019
  • old fashioned wall sconce with 6 inch fitter my latest thrift store finds
    decorating

    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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    Wallpapered Stairwell – Before and After

    December 4, 2024
    mrspetunia etsy shop vintage embroidered pillowcases

    In Praise of Embroidered Pillowcases

    September 22, 2021
    james peter cost art thrifted for five dollars

    My Thrifted James Peter Cost Art Is Worth How Much?

    November 4, 2019
  • built in black pantry cabinet in a colonial farmhouse gross to gorgeous pantry cabinet transformation vintage pantry cabinet
    colonial farmhouse,  decorating

    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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    I Refinished Our Tongue and Groove Closet Doors and It Could Have Gone Worse

    January 19, 2022
    nuloom new bedroom rug

    New Bedroom Rug

    January 18, 2021
    painted carriage house

    Check Out Our Newly Painted Carriage House

    September 29, 2021
  • diy brass pumpkin
    decorating

    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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    My Latest Thrift Store Finds: Part 2

    August 12, 2020
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    Cardboard Gingerbread House Christmas Mantel

    December 2, 2024
    tan buffalo check kitchen curtains with beige wainscoting

    Buffalo Check Curtains For Our Kitchen

    October 4, 2023
  • Wood Music Stand Hits The Right Note and adds character and function to a music room
    decorating

    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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    annisa 0 Comments

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    All I Want For Christmas

    November 9, 2015
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    Nature Art Gallery Wall – Oh, It’s Expanded

    February 24, 2025

    Halloween Bat Mantel

    October 12, 2016
  • amber match cloche by skeem via lulu and georgia in praise of pretty matchstick holders
    decorating

    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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    In Praise of Wood Trinket Boxes

    February 16, 2022

    Sharing a Bed, But Not the Bedding

    October 16, 2017
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    Grey Fireplace Mantel in our Master Bedroom

    May 11, 2020
  • create a Nature Art Gallery Wall using an eclectic grouping of landscape art, flower prints, and leaf stamping.
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    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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    Nature Art Gallery Wall – Oh, It’s Expanded

    February 24, 2025
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    Bedroom Peg Rail – One Entire Wall of Storage

    March 12, 2025
    barn in october with american flag

    Enjoying The Last Bit of Autumn

    November 16, 2022
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Hi! I'm Annisa.

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