• old house fireplace with tulips on the mantel on the happy list
    happy list

    Happy List: #374

    Why, hello there! Welcome to this week’s Happy List. I am happy as a clam that you are here! This was Refrigerator Week on the blog. It’s more exciting than it sounds, at least for me. Ha! I wrote about the effort we expended to prep our kitchen to build a cabinet around the fridge. I also wrote about the things we did to customize an old refrigerator to make it look as close to panel-ready (a fridge with cabinet fronts) as possible without actually giving it cabinet fronts. Also, special thanks to Beth at Creatively Beth for featuring not one, but two of my Valentine’s Day crafts on her…

  • colonial farmhouse in the snow 2023
    happy list

    Happy List: #373

    Hello and welcome to the first Happy List of 2025! I can see you’re starting the year off right by reading blogs and I, for one, would like to encourage this behavior. Not that I’m biased or anything. This week on the blog I discussed transitioning holiday wreaths to winter wreaths. It’s currently snowing and I’m already craving color, so don’t be surprised if I ditch the winter decor soon for tulips. I also shared how to make a magnetic bulletin board and why we had to make one in the first place. Be glad there are no pictures of the gross before. As always, thank you for being here.…

  • pink and navy christmas tree with giant navy paper bag snowflakes
    happy list

    Happy List: #372 | Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

    Hello! Welcome to the last Happy List of 2024. I know, I know. It’s a Monday and Happy Lists are supposed to happen on Fridays. Way to shake things up, Annisa! I thought one last round of things that inspired me would be a good way to sign off the blog until next year. Consider it a gift, of sorts, from me to you. As always, thank you for being here. It is an absolute honor to share this little spot on the internet with you. I pinch myself regularly that I am able to do this “work.” I put work in quotes not to minimize what I do, but…

  • copper christmas trees on a coffee table on the happy list
    happy list

    Happy List: #371

    Hello! Welcome to this week’s Happy List. It is less than a week to Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa! Are you ready? This week on the blog I shared more details about the Christmas ornaments I made this year. What will I do for next year? No idea, but it will be fun to figure out. I also shared how I decorated the fireplaces in our home for Christmas this year. There are three of them and each is a little different. As always, thank you for being here. I enjoy sharing what creatively inspires me and I love connecting with you. Seriously! I love hearing from you. If you want…

  • leather christmas tree christmas mantel with bokeh christmas tree in background on happy list
    happy list

    Happy List: #370

    Hello! Welcome to this week’s Happy List. I am delighted to see you here today, especially on Friday the 13th. I’m not sure December needs the energy from a Friday the 13th, but we’ll roll with it. This week on the blog I shared the way I repurposed antique doorknobs to make Christmas decor. I’m obsessed with those cute little things. I also shared our Christmas tree! It’s in a new corner of the living room room this year. I’m really shaking things up. Haha! As always, thank you for being here. I enjoy sharing what inspired me this week and I love connecting with you. If you want to…

  • baby grand piano with miniature christmas trees decked out for christmas
    happy list

    Happy List: #369

    Hi! Welcome to the first Happy List of December. The year is flying by and I’m happy you’re spending a little bit of time here with me today. It was a big week on the blog. Maybe you should lower your expectations for next week. Ha! I shared our dining room mantel all decked out for Christmas with cardboard gingerbread houses. I also shared the recent makeover I did on the stairs that access our attic. I’m biased, but I love how both turned out. As always, thank you for being here. The Happy List is my way of balancing my media diet and finding the beautiful, interesting, and inspiring…

  • thanksgiving table with pumpkin centerpiece on the happy list
    happy list

    Happy List: #368

    Hello! Welcome to this week’s Happy List. I’m delighted you are here. This week on the blog I shared the denim Christmas trees I recently made. They are currently decorating the dresser in my bedroom. I also shared a gem from the archive, a story about two teenage girls, a blood drive, and a star ring. This story will warm even the coldest of hearts out there. As always, thank you for being here. The Happy List is my way of balancing my media diet and finding the beautiful, interesting, and inspiring in the online world. We all need more balance in our lives and connection too! If you want…

  • fall vignette with wreath, pumpkin and mums
    happy list

    Happy List: #367

    Hello and welcome! I’m so happy you are here for this week’s Happy List. Can you believe we’ve made it to the middle of November already? This week I shared my adventure in reading old legal documents in cursive. You can check that out here. I also wrote about a fix for a very specific problem – broken concrete by a garage door. It’s a good thing probably none of you will need this knowledge. As always, thank you for being here. The Happy List is my way of balancing my media diet. We all need more balance in our lives and connection too! If you want to reach out,…

  • fall painting and pumpkins above wainscoting in a country kitchen
    happy list

    Happy List: #366

    Hello! Welcome to this week’s Happy List. I’m excited to have you here. This week on the blog I shared some festive metal Christmas signs that had my idea gears grinding. I also shared how I styled the thrift store finds I bought this year. The hunt is fun, but making those finds come to life in your home is the real joy! As always, thank you for being here. The Happy List is my way of balancing my media diet. It keeps me from doomscrolling! Connecting with you keeps me from doomscrolling too. If you want to reach out, and I hope you do, you can always comment on…

  • Fall Mantel With Leaf-Stamped Wood Rounds in a colonial era home with wood beams and original wood floors fall decorating ideas
    happy list

    Happy List: #365

    Hi! Welcome to this week’s Happy List. You are here on a special day. It’s not because it’s November 1st and we’re now in a countdown to the holidays. It is a special day because this is the 365th Happy List I’ve written and compiled. An entire year’s worth! However, since I write roughly one per week that means I’ve been writing the Happy List for approximately 7 years. That’s a long time in the blog world! The Happy List is my way of keeping my media consumption from being a dumpster fire of bad news. It’s a protection mechanism for my mental health. It is a way for me…