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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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    Yarn and Felt Holiday Wreath

    December 9, 2015

    Turn a Hutch Into a Freestanding Bookcase

    February 27, 2019
    why we chose to keep our vintage blue bathroom tile

    Why We Saved Our Vintage Blue Bathroom Tile

    May 13, 2024
  • 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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    Piano Harp Art

    September 30, 2019
    led candles in a non-working master bedroom fireplace

    LED Candles for the Master Bedroom Fireplace

    October 28, 2019

    Our Best Hidden Storage Purchase

    July 26, 2017
  • 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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    Built-In Computer Desks One Year Later

    Built-In Computer Desks One Year Later

    April 12, 2021
    black painted doors

    Painted Black Doors in our Colonial Farmhouse

    July 13, 2020
    time capsule installed in a basement in a home in new jersey in 2024

    Basement Time Capsule Has Been Installed

    June 10, 2024
  • 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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    zassenhaus pepper grinder via amazon in praise of pretty pepper mills

    In Praise Of: Pretty Pepper Mills

    May 15, 2024
    vintage floral easter eggs using temporary tattoos temporary tattoos applied to wood easter eggs

    Vintage Floral Easter Eggs Using Temporary Tattoos

    March 3, 2025
    pumpkin shaped Soup Tureen Fall Centerpiece

    Soup Tureen Fall Centerpiece

    October 12, 2020
  • 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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    Christmas Mantel – Peace

    December 12, 2016
    millers art via etsy wood pumpkin lanterns fun fall finds

    Fun Fall Finds That Will Last Through Thanksgiving

    September 12, 2022

    Using Contact Paper to Make a Deer Silhouette

    December 12, 2014
  • 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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    annisa 0 Comments

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    $60 Thrifted Dresser

    January 21, 2019
    boo halloween mantel with hand painted boo sign, paper bats, and branches

    Boo! Halloween Mantel

    September 30, 2024
    wood chandelier with ceiling medallion in a colonial era home in praise of ceiling medallions

    In Praise Of: Ceiling Medallions

    May 3, 2023
  • 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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    Invisible Picture Wire Saves the Day

    November 11, 2019
    DIY wood pedestal or cake stand trimmed for Easter with mini wood eggs that are glued around the edge of the stand

    DIY Wood Pedestal With Mini Egg Trim

    March 16, 2026

    Colorful Attic Stairwell

    April 13, 2026
  • tan buffalo check kitchen curtains with beige wainscoting
    decorating

    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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    My Latest Rummage Sale Find

    March 21, 2018
    fall front porch with paint blue ceiling and potted mums and pumpkins

    Fall Front Porch And The Funny Place I Buy Mums

    October 14, 2024

    Winter Home Inspiration from New Jersey

    December 18, 2019
  • our fall front porch with pumpkin topiary
    decorating

    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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    annisa 0 Comments

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    Antique Grate Wall Art

    November 9, 2020
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    I’m Keeping the Ruby Glass Chandelier

    October 16, 2019

    Christmas Entry

    December 23, 2015
  • Annisa Olsson Jones sitting on the front porch of a colonial farmhouse in new jersey double rockers for our porch
    decorating,  gardening and landscape

    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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    annisa 0 Comments

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    Distressed Scrap Wood Arrow: ScrapMaster Project #3

    November 17, 2014
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    Kitchen Peg Rail Adds So Much Functionality

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    Wood Chandelier in the Music Room

    August 3, 2020
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