Happy List: #312 – A Pretty Happy Home

Hello! Welcome to this week’s Happy List. I’m delighted you are here.

It’s been a bit of a transition week for us. One of our kids started school. The other has another week. The school bus comes at 7:08 a.m. Between you and me, I’m not operating at peak performance levels at 7 a.m.

This week on the blog I wrote about the best part of summer. I neglected to mention in that blog post that not having the school bus come at 7 a.m. is my REAL favorite part of summer. Haha!

I also shared the wood acorn wreath I made. I absolutely love it and think this is a bit of decor I can use year after year. I hope it encourages you to try to make something with these acorns. It’s so much fun!

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Here’s what you came for, the Happy List!

IS THIS REAL?

I know some people keep plants in their showers. I know others hang eucalyptus. I know rooms are staged for professional photos. But have you ever seen a rose bush in a shower? At least, I think that’s a rose.

Either way, I’d really like this to be someone’s real life because it looks amazing.

(image: Design by Clarence and Graves via Nordroom)

NOW THIS IS PERFECT

If fall could be summed up in a blanket, this would be it! Pottery Barn nails it again.

You know my middle name is frugal but I don’t actually mind paying Pottery Barn prices for blankets because they last FOREVER. You would never guess that my son’s Pottery Barn baby blanket has over 13 years of daily use, has visited at least a dozen countries, and has traveled on public transportation countless times.

(image: Pottery Barn)

TRAVEL SOUVENIR

Never have I thought about collecting ocean water to make my own sea salt.

If you want to make it next-level, try collecting it on your travels as a souvenir. WHAT?!? Clearly, I’ve been underachieving with my souvenir collections.

If you’re driving to your vacation or staying in an Airbnb with access to an oven, this sea salt thing should be doable. Jordan from Wine Country Table explains how in this post.

(image: Wine Country Table)

MADE BOTH OF US LAUGH

Handy Husband showed me this shirt last week and we both laughed. Then we had a conversation about how we are solidly middle-aged and don’t feel like it. Denial is bliss.

It would be funny to wear this shirt to a class reunion.

(image: Amazon)

P.S. I’ve never gone to a class reunion.

SHELVED

The shelves in this photo by Melissa Mathe Interior Design, LLC caught my eye. Have you ever seen shelves installed this way with hooks? It looks pretty cool. I’m assuming they are also secured to the wall.

(image: Melissa Mathe Interior Design, LLC via Houzz)

Handy Husband would veto this idea as he believes an elephant must be able to stand on the shelf in order for it to pass muster around here. Not to get nitpicky but if we have an elephant in our house we have bigger problems than shelf strength.

CATALOGUE OF BIAS

Get nerdy with me for a minute. Did you know there is a Catalogue of Bias? Me neither!

This organization attempts to catalog bias that factors into health studies as it is important for researchers and those interpreting research to understand potential bias and its implications.

What I found most interesting was the “most viewed biases” section. I did not know what collider bias, immortal time bias, and the Hawthorne effect were. I do now though!

The website gives you short, easy-to-digest examples of how these biases work from real-life examples. I learned so much. Science is fascinating! We are living in a time where we each need to be more literate when it comes to reading and understanding scientific progress. Maybe this tool will help one of you like it helped me.

(image: Catalogue of Bias)

SUNFLOWER TRAIL

No shade to corn mazes but I’d much rather go on a maze or trail made out of sunflowers!

A farm in Scotland (Gloagburn) makes a trail out of sunflowers. Last year the trail was in the shape of Scotland. This year the trail is more freeform. Either way, it would be so cool to see in person.

Learn more and see on-the-ground pictures in this article. You can check out their Instagram here.

(image: SWNS via Good News Network)

FRESH PEACH CAKE

Now is the time for fresh peaches! Seize the peach, folks.

This Ina Garten recipe for Fresh Peach Cake has 5-star reviews. Doesn’t it look delicious?

(image: Ina Garten via Food Network)

I wonder if this would work with apples too?

POETRY MOMENT

This poem by Ada Limón hit me with all the feelings this week.

The Conditional by Ada Limón

Say tomorrow doesn’t come.
Say the moon becomes an icy pit.
Say the sweet-gum tree is petrified.
Say the sun’s a foul black tire fire.
Say the owl’s eyes are pinpricks.
Say the raccoon’s a hot tar stain.
Say the shirt’s plastic ditch-litter.
Say the kitchen’s a cow’s corpse.
Say we never get to see it: bright
future, stuck like a bum star, never
coming close, never dazzling.
Say we never meet her. Never him.
Say we spend our last moments staring
at each other, hands knotted together,
clutching the dog, watching the sky burn.
Say, It doesn’t matter. Say, That would be
enough. Say you’d still want this: us alive,
right here, feeling lucky.