• 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
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

No Widgets found in the Sidebar Alt!

  • 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…

    read more
    annisa 8 Comments

    You May Also Like

    14 Beautiful Christmas Ornaments

    November 5, 2025
    black built in pantry cabinet pantry organization tips for glass front cabinets

    Pantry Organization That Works (For Us)

    January 22, 2024

    Candy Cane Advent Calendar

    December 4, 2015
  • 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…

    read more
    annisa 4 Comments

    You May Also Like

    bedroom peg rail above a dresser in a colonial farmhouse with tiffany lamp

    Bedroom Peg Rail – One Entire Wall of Storage

    March 12, 2025
    black half lite door opening into a utility room space where a broom, mop, and vacuum hang on a wall next to a white door. There's a small painting hanging above the mop.

    Functional and Pretty Utility Room Organization

    June 1, 2026

    Matchbox Car Magnet

    August 1, 2016
  • 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…

    read more
    annisa 8 Comments

    You May Also Like

    colonial farmhouse kitchen mini makeover progress

    Kitchen Mini Makeover Progress

    February 10, 2020
    faux copper metal awning

    Faux Copper Metal Awning

    October 14, 2020
    picture of a basement workshop stone repointing project showing a partially chipped out stone wall being repointed with reproduction historic lime mortar

    Basement Workshop Stone Repointing: Part 1, Why Now

    February 4, 2026
  • 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…

    read more
    annisa 0 Comments

    You May Also Like

    Christmas Tree 2016

    December 21, 2016

    Gold and Turquoise Wood Arrows

    January 25, 2016
    Five Old Books I Found in Our New Home

    5 Old Books I Found in Our New Home

    July 31, 2019
  • 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…

    read more
    annisa 0 Comments

    You May Also Like

    splitting wedge decor ideas

    Three Ways to Decorate with an Antique Splitting Wedge

    October 19, 2020
    DIY under a table pull out trash cabinet rustic farmhouse kitchen partially fitted kitchen

    Under-A-Table Pull-Out Trash Cabinet

    February 17, 2025
    new living room rug chris loves julia x loloi jules terracotta multi

    Our New Living Room Rug Gives a Warm Feel To This Part of Our Home

    January 17, 2022
  • 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)…

    read more
    annisa 0 Comments

    You May Also Like

    Vintage Game Gallery Wall

    Vintage Game Gallery Wall

    May 20, 2020
    needlepoint framed to match wall color navy blue sunporch with matching picture frame when to match picture frame to wall color

    When To Match Picture Frames To Wall Color

    August 30, 2023
    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
  • 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…

    read more
    annisa 0 Comments

    You May Also Like

    christmas garland with greenery and it is wrapped with a handmade nut garland of in-shell walnuts, almonds, and hazelnuts. the garland is draped over a white fireplace with brick surround and is featured on the blog post five ways to decorate with nuts for christmas

    Five Ways to Decorate With Nuts for Christmas

    December 8, 2025

    Dining Room Built-In Shelves

    June 5, 2015
    sock drawer organizer organization tricks

    Organization Tricks That Work For Me

    February 15, 2021
  • 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…

    read more
    annisa 0 Comments

    You May Also Like

    antique radio cabinet router holder hide a router and modem inside an antique radio

    Hide A Router and Modem In An Antique Radio Cabinet

    July 31, 2023

    Gold and Turquoise Wood Arrows

    January 25, 2016

    Hide Computer Cords With a Shower Curtain

    January 16, 2017
  • 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…

    read more
    annisa 0 Comments

    You May Also Like

    music room with piano and piano harp art

    Ceiling Fan for the Music Room

    February 12, 2020

    Wistful Wednesday – Oregon Kitchen

    September 3, 2014
    my recent thrift store finds milk glass candlesticks

    My Latest Thrift Store Finds: Part 6

    August 14, 2023
  • 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…

    read more
    annisa 0 Comments

    You May Also Like

    magnetic bulletin board made with sheet metal hung on a stone wall in a gym

    Make A Magnetic Bulletin Board With Sheet Metal

    January 8, 2025
    vintage ethan allen chairs

    Vintage Ethan Allen Chairs for our Living Room

    October 28, 2020

    Christmas Tree 2016

    December 21, 2016
 Older Posts
Newer Posts 
Hi! I'm Annisa.

Recent Posts

  • Happy List: #440
  • Colonial Farmhouse 7 Year Anniversary
  • Last Minute Father’s Day Gift Ideas – No Clothes On This List
  • Happy List: #439
  • Reconstructing a Fieldstone Wall: Part 2, Demo

Categories

Subscribe to blog
Loading

$2018 © A Pretty Happy Home
Ashe Theme by WP Royal.