Happy List: #139

Hello, hello.

I was feeling kind of cheeky when I wrote this Happy List, so be forewarned.

On Monday I wrote about our visit to an arcade museum. It will bring out the kid in you! And then you’ll end up feeling really old when your kid asks if you “were alive” when this game was made “back in the olden days.” Totally worth it though.

On Wednesday I shared big news…that I’m keeping the ruby glass chandelier in our house.  Given how much I’ve tossed, ripped out, and painted-over since we’ve moved in that was earth shattering news. If you want to see what the chandelier looks like with the red shades on and how it lights up our living room in a lovely shade of red, I saved a video of it to my Instagram Stories under living room.

Now for the main event. It’s always random and designed to keep you on your toes. Here’s the Happy List!

GALLERY WALL

This is a fun take on a gallery wall from Hilltown House! Love the detail with the wood hooks.

She gives a tutorial with dimensions, so if you use the exact IKEA frames she purchased, you won’t have to think too hard about creating your own gallery wall. The only thing you’ll have to worry about is keeping everything perfectly level. No pressure.

(image: Hilltown House)

STEAMPUNK!

My daughter is dressing up in a steampunk costume for Halloween. This outfit is SO much better than the zombie cheerleader outfit from two years ago. No offense intended to zombies or cheerleaders.

One of our local museums has a steampunk fashion exhibit going on now, so I think we need to check that out!

Here is what she’s wearing. Oh, and picture her wearing my brown boots because WE WEAR THE SAME SIZE SHOE NOW. Yes, that deserved all caps. I’m having a moment.

BARN QUILT

How fun is this barn quilt painted on a garage? I think it would make me happy to pull up to that garage every day.

If your kids want to know if they will “ever use math again,” point them to this picture. Pretty sure that required some math.

EYE PATCHES

In last week’s Happy List post I briefly mentioned we were going on a Full Moon Hike. The hike was led by a naturalist from our county’s parks department. It was a truly enjoyable outing.

At the end of the hike the naturalist told us all about the science of why and how we can see in the dark and what that has to do with pirates.

I don’t have any pictures of pirates or eye patches, so please enjoy this old picture of a cute kid that I grew in my stomach.

Historians think that pirates wore eye patches so that one eye was always ready to see in the dark when they had to go below deck on their ship.

We tested out the theory by staring at a candle with one eye while covering our other eye with our hand (aka eye patch). It was dark outside at this point. After a few minutes of staring at the candle, we were instructed to remove our eye patch hand and look around. Lo and behold, each of us could see much better in the dark with the eye that had been covered. Try it!

Read more about it here.

TINY LOVE

I love this new song, Tiny Love, by Mika. Here are some of the lyrics.

It’s not a sunrise over canyons shaped like hearts
It isn’t bursting into song in Central Park
It’s not the outline of your face drawn in the stars
It’s a “still-there-Monday-morning” kind of love

There’s no dramatic declarations in the rain
It’s not a love that finds its pleasure after pain
I couldn’t train a bunch of doves to spell your name
It’s a “don’t-know-what-they’re-missing” kind of love

We may be tiny to the world, but in our hearts
We’d be giants with our tiny, tiny love

If Handy Husband wants to train some doves to spell my name, I won’t object. However, after more than 20 years, I know the life we’ve built together runs deeper than that. It is quiet and steadfast and uniquely ours.

Doesn’t mean we don’t drive each other crazy from time to time though…especially when the doves get loose.

ALMOND AND ANISE BISCOTTI

This is one of my recipes from way back when. It is Almond and Anise Biscotti and I made it again this week.

It is one of those “how to win friends and influence enemies” kind of recipes. I sent the biscotti with Handy Husband to work…not that he has any enemies.

I also gave some to our neighbor. He mows our lawn. I’m not saying your neighbor will mow your lawn if you give him/her this biscotti…or am I?

If you make the recipe, it calls for a third of a cup of brandy. Don’t skip this step. I don’t drink brandy, but I will bake with it because it adds a delicious flavor to the biscotti.

WINDOW OVER THE SINK

I am scheming, dreaming, planning, etc. for a long run of windows in our kitchen. Our view is all out the back of the house and we can’t see it!

Savannah of Classy Clutter has a beautiful kitchen with a large window above her sink. I’m paying attention to all the details like how far above the counter the windows are and how they are trimmed out.

Go see more of this space! There are so many good ideas.

(image: Classy Clutter)

BOOKMARK

If you receive any mail today, I hope it is as delightful and unexpected as this bookmark my son received in the mail from his cousin.

I hope this made you smile! It made me laugh out loud. Not because I like box elder beetles, but because 9-year-old boys are the best.

Thanks for reading the Happy List!

I hope your weekend is fantastic.

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