Hello! Welcome to today’s Happy List. I’m thrilled to have you join this party.
And by party I mean a brief respite from the demands of the world. We all need that from time to time, don’t we?
This week on the blog I shared 10 handmade gift ideas that I’ve made in the past. If I love something, I figure someone else will too! I also shared how Christmas in our music room looks this year. I’m extra thankful this time of year that my parents always found a way to pay for my piano lessons and endured my whining about practicing.
As always, thank you for reading this blog. It makes us so happy to share this space on the internet with you. If you want to share the blog or an idea we post on social media, we would be very grateful. We also love talking to you. If you want to connect with us or ask a question, you can always comment on this blog post or send an email here. You can also reach out on Instagram or Facebook.
Enjoy this week’s Happy List!
TIME TO MOVE
Who wants to move to France? This gorgeous home can be yours for €1,295,000. Given the price of real estate in the U.S. for boring, bland homes, this seems like not a bad deal for all of this character.
Also, can I visit?
(image: via Desire to Inspire)
P.S. This should be the setting for a movie, don’t you think?
I AM SURPRISED
Wikipedia publishes an annual list of their top 25 most visited pages during the year. The most visited page does not surprise me.
It’s the second most visited page that surprised me. I suppose we, the collective world, are a morbid lot. I don’t want to give any spoilers, so you can see the entire list here.
I use Wikipedia frequently, but as far as I can remember, I don’t think I visited any of these pages.
(image: Wikimedia Foundation)
COUNTDOWN TO DELICIOUS
Here’s a fresh spin on the charcuterie board! Love this idea from Michele at Vintage Home Designs.
Details here.
(image: Vintage Home Designs)
CHEETOS
I learned this week that ornithologists use Cheetos to study bird behavior, specifically those of crows and magpies.
It’s not just humans who like Cheetos. Plus, Cheetos are easier to visually keep track of than nuts. As someone who refuses to buy Cheetos because of that orange dust, this makes sense to me. Learn more here.
(image: Cheetos)
SO CREATIVE
Check out this gorgeous Christmas tree created by Marco Zamora. You can find out how he’s keeping it alive, so to speak, over at Domino.
(image: Marco Zamora via Domino)
STOCKING STUFFER
I bought two of these layering jewelry clasps as gifts this year. It’s annoying to wear two necklaces and have them tangle up around your neck. This clasp is designed to prevent or minimize that from happening. You can attach two necklaces to it and it has a super strong magnet that holds it together.
It also comes VERY nicely packaged in a little suede-like pouch inside a nice jewelry box.
(image: Amazon)
OVERNIGHT CINNAMON ROLLS
I’m in the mood to make cinnamon rolls from scratch for Christmas breakfast. I don’t want to expend too much effort on Christmas morning though, so I’m going to try this overnight recipe from Sally’s Baking Addiction.
I think the only problem with this recipe is that my family is going to expect it every year.
(image: Sally’s Baking Addiction)
NAME A SNOWPLOW CONTEST
You have until December 15, 2023, at noon to submit an idea for Minnesota’s annual snowplow naming contest. This whole story brings me so much joy because of how silly and fun it is.
Here are the winning names from last year:
- Yer a Blizzard, Harry
- Blizzo
- Clearopathtra
- Better Call Salt
- Han Snowlo
- Blader Tot Hotdish
- Scoop! There it is
- Sleetwood Mac
(image: MNDOT)
P.S. We used to live in Minnesota and loved it there.
POETRY MOMENT
Archivists by A. Light Zachary
It lives in I love you as it lives in I’m scared, too.
It lives in be careful, it lives in welcome home.
It lives in every late-night subway ride survived alone,
these days, as it lives in every risk we hesitate
to let each other take. It lives in our never throwing
old tickets, little notes, or anything at all away-
every twinned scrap an artifact, our pockets shrines.
Your wallet bulges with what-if-it-were-to-happen
as my closet fills with this-would-be-all-I’d-have;
my handwritten lines, your sweaty shirts in sealed bags.
It lives in, while you stir from sleep around me,
my lifting high the camera to immortalize this deeply
mortal thing. Look at how it lives in this one:
safe, for now, and tangled in this shroud of dawn,
how it is alive. Good morning—is it raining?
Thank you for reading today’s Happy List.
Be good to yourself and others this weekend.
I’ll see you back here on Monday.
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