• Home
  • About
    • About
    • Contact
  • Shop
    • Apparel and Shoes
    • Books
    • Crafts and Sewing
    • Decor
    • Furniture
    • Home Improvement
    • Kid Favorites
    • Kitchen
  • 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
    • Apparel and Shoes
    • Books
    • Crafts and Sewing
    • Decor
    • Furniture
    • Home Improvement
    • Kid Favorites
    • Kitchen
  • 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
    • Apparel and Shoes
    • Books
    • Crafts and Sewing
    • Decor
    • Furniture
    • Home Improvement
    • Kid Favorites
    • Kitchen
  • 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

    when and where to use rechargeable light bulbs so they don't disappoint you

    5 Places Rechargeable Light Bulbs Won’t Disappoint You

    February 21, 2024

    St Patrick’s Day Craft: Burlap Pot of Gold

    March 1, 2017
    sunny handwoven basket wall art from pottery barn in praise of basket walls

    In Praise of Basket Walls

    March 13, 2023
  • 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

    cardboard gingerbread house christmas mantel

    Cardboard Gingerbread House Christmas Mantel

    December 2, 2024

    Quick and Simple St. Patricks Day Wreath

    March 6, 2017

    Lamp Base Filled With Yarn Pom-Poms

    June 27, 2014
  • 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

    white painted picket gate

    6 Month Progress on the Colonial Farmhouse

    March 2, 2020
    connecting two decks with landscaping

    How I’m Connecting Two Decks With Landscaping

    May 11, 2022
    old house construction techniques timber framed home from 1800s mortise and tenon carpenter's marks

    4 Old House Construction Techniques We Found When We Replaced Siding

    July 8, 2024
  • 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

    new ribbon old frame fireplace leland brewsaugh art

    Add New Ribbon on an Old Picture Frame

    September 16, 2020
    carriage house interior makeover how to use a headboard as a room divider solid wood headboard divides a room

    4 Tips For How to Use a Headboard As a Room Divider

    August 15, 2022
    spring-themed teen bedroom

    Spring-Themed Teen Bedroom and a Fun Wall Sconce

    March 21, 2022
  • 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

    The Tale of 3 Houseplants

    March 22, 2017
    collecting antique car horns

    Collecting: Antique Car Horns

    January 25, 2021
    succulent in a shot glass

    3 Unexpected Succulent Planters

    June 10, 2019
  • 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

    fall front porch with colored solar lanterns

    Fall Front Porch At Night

    October 8, 2025

    Dining Table Refinish

    May 9, 2016
    overwintering plants on a navy blue sunporch

    A Mixed Bag For Overwintering Plants This Year

    March 5, 2025
  • 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

    Leather Map From Old Boots

    February 28, 2018
    sheet music easter egg

    Sheet Music Easter Eggs

    March 28, 2018
    built in black pantry cabinet in a colonial farmhouse gross to gorgeous pantry cabinet transformation vintage pantry cabinet

    Gross To Gorgeous Pantry Cabinet Transformation

    January 17, 2024
  • 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

    Kid Craft: Tree Artwork

    December 18, 2015
    mini kitchen makeover five years later how it held up farmhouse kitchen with stained black cabinets

    Mini Kitchen Makeover After 5 Years – How Has It Held Up?

    November 3, 2025
    Annisa Olsson Jones sitting on the front porch of a colonial farmhouse in new jersey double rockers for our porch

    Why We Chose Double Rockers For Our Porch

    September 27, 2023
  • 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

    black painted doors

    Painted Black Doors in our Colonial Farmhouse

    July 13, 2020
    mini kitchen makeover five years later how it held up farmhouse kitchen with stained black cabinets

    Mini Kitchen Makeover After 5 Years – How Has It Held Up?

    November 3, 2025
    taco corgi from collageorama on etsy unique art for big kid spaces

    Unique Art for Big Kid Spaces

    February 10, 2021
  • 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

    Racing Trophy Display Door

    June 8, 2014
    nature art gallery wall next to stained glass doors gallery wall wrapping a corner

    Nature Art Gallery Wall – Oh, It’s Expanded

    February 24, 2025
    bedroom peg rail above a dresser in a colonial farmhouse with tiffany lamp

    Bedroom Peg Rail – One Entire Wall of Storage

    March 12, 2025
 Older Posts
Newer Posts 
Hi! I'm Annisa.

Recent Posts

  • Happy List: #411
  • 14 Beautiful Christmas Ornaments
  • Mini Kitchen Makeover After 5 Years – How Has It Held Up?
  • Happy List: #410
  • Converting a Door Into a Window In a Stone Building, Part 2

Categories

Subscribe to blog
Loading

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