Hello! Welcome to another edition of the Happy List! How is August treating you? As you know, we live on the East Coast. On Tuesday we were pounded by rain from Storm Isaias. We’ve been without power all week! Hopefully, by the time you are reading this, the power will be restored. This week on the blog I shared the new chandelier for our music room. I love it more than I love temperatures in the 70s. (But don’t ask me that question on a 90 degree day.) I also shared my Summer Bucket List: Covid-19 Edition. One of the items on that list is celebrating the little things. That’s…

Happy Friday, folks! We have plans this weekend that will completely disrupt our routine. Can you believe it? Actually, I can hardly believe I said yes. I’m turning soft during this pandemic! We are hopefully getting not one, but two kittens from a neighbor. *Crossing fingers this all works out. Otherwise, my kids will be devastated.* The compromise we made is that the cats will be outdoor cats with the task of prowling the property for rodents. We need all the help we can get on this front. Let it be known that I said our last cat (when we lived in Georgia) would be an outdoor cat and the…

Hello, friends! Is it sweltering where you live? New Jersey has been taking summer very seriously this past week. Can’t wait to get my electric bill. Not! This week I shared two new blog posts. The first one was a well researched (sarcasm alert) feature on why you should wear a vintage watch even if it doesn’t work. The second blog post was an update on the decorating in my son’s farmhouse-style bedroom. On Facebook and Instagram I like to keep things random. Actually, that’s just my life, so it is what is is, but I’d love to connect with you there too. This week I’ve shared some behind-the-scenes of how we actually…

Hello, hello! How the heck are you? I don’t ask unless I really want to know, so lay it on me. You can tell me in the comments or send me a message on Facebook or Instagram. I’ve been distracted while writing this post because I can see a mimosa tree out my window. It is an invasive, but beautifully flowering tree with delicate pink flowers. I’m watching three butterflies flit around the tree’s blossoms with the enthusiasm of a kid at an all-you-can eat dessert buffet. It’s like I have my own little slice of paradise here in New Jersey. I never thought I’d type paradise and New Jersey in…

Hello, folks! Welcome to another Happy List! In perhaps the most happiest news of all, I have a haircut scheduled for next week! I warned my stylist that I’ve been cutting my own hair, but I don’t think she fully understands that I ventured past the bangs this time. This week on the blog I shared the new way I’m storing books and progress on our front yard. Here’s the Happy List! AN ARGUMENT FOR USING THE GOOD PLATES Don’t save the fancy dishes for special occasions is the argument of antiques dealer Ajiri Aki. Basically, life is too short. Read all the reasoning in this Veranda article. (image: Ajiri…

Happy early Father’s Day to all the dads and dads-to-be out there. My own dad is pretty fantastic! Definitely a keeper. You might even say I take after him in the fantastic category. 😉 This week on the blog I shared our one year house-iversary and the microwave station I created in the hall off our kitchen. If you follow along on Facebook or Instagram stories, you’ll know I also started work on our deck makeover. Just one time I’d like a project to hum along without any glitches. Is that too much to ask? Apparently, it is. Ha! Here’s the glitch-free Happy List. TENNIS RACKET ART This is CLEVER. Artist…

Hey, hey! Welcome back to another edition of the Happy List! Our summer has officially begun now that the kids are out of school! Usually we have a plan for what we’ll be doing with our summer: play dates, BBQs, community events, travel, visitors coming to stay with us. This summer we have none of that planned and I’m thinking, “Now what?” Ha! Even venturing out of our state becomes tricky with the various quarantine rules for out-of-state travelers. No matter what we decide to do or not do, this will definitely be a summer we’ll remember! Speaking of memorable moments, on Monday I shared a long post about all…

Hello, friends! I’d like to thank you for being here today. This blog is my happy place. I keep coming back here becomes it makes me happy to write and engage with you and sometimes to take a break from the hard stuff that’s happening in life. To that end, this week I shared updates on our front yard landscaping. I’m happy to share that I have made progress since Monday on that project! I also shared a bunch of collapsible bags and baskets that I’ve been using for years and years. There’s a certain irony in the fact that we need storage space to store these storage related items.…

Hello, hello! How was your Memorial Day Weekend? Does it feel like summer now? It does feel like early summer in New Jersey. It’s not so overwhelmingly hot yet that I feel like I’m living in the devil’s armpit, so I’m enjoying it while it lasts! It’s also fun to discover all the flowers that are growing that we missed last year like the yellow irises and the wisteria. This week I shared my musings on an old cemetery located near our house. I also revealed my newest furniture creation – a milk can side table. I do have fun with these projects. Here’s the Happy List! DREAMY I’d like…