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A Pretty Happy Home

Life, DIY and Random Things That Make Me Smile

  • Home
  • About
    • About
    • Contact
  • Shop
  • 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
  • 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

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DIY

When Would You Paint A Counter?

The the burning question of the day is when would a sane person paint a counter? Answer? When they are desperate. In picture form, desperation looks like this: That is…

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November 23, 2015
cleaning, DIY

Fixing Nasty Grout Is Pretty Easy

The Junk Whisperer is coming to visit me next month and it prompted me to take a good hard look at the bathroom she would be using during her stay.…

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November 20, 2015
DIY

Pottery Barn Inspired Farmhouse Bed – Update One Year Later

Last year we made a Pottery Barn Knock-Off Farmhouse Bed. It still makes my heart go pitter-patter. Now that we’ve moved (more on that when I can find my camera…

read more
March 18, 2015
  • Fall-Themed Resin Tray With Wood Leaf Cutouts the tray is wood and lighter colored wood leaf cutouts line the bottom of the tray and look like they are floating in the resin. A tiny glass vase with orange flowers sits on the tray.
    Crafts

    How To: Fall-Themed Resin Tray With Wood Leaf Cutouts

    August 12, 2026 /

    If you have a tray you’d like to fall-ify to make it festive for the autumn season, you’ve come to the right place. Today, I’m going to show you how to make a fall-themed resin tray using wood leaf cutouts. It sounds way harder than it is to make. This was my first time using resin, so if I can branch out into new craft mediums, you can too! Let’s get fall into it. Items You’ll Need: resin epoxy kit for crafts tray with a lip or sides mini wood leaf cutouts permanent markers in colors of your choice glue stick mixing container for the resin Directions: Assemble your supplies…

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    annisa 0 Comments

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    Yarn and Felt Holiday Wreath

    December 9, 2015

    Tie-Dye Cleaning Rags

    June 19, 2015
  • antique cast iron hitching post installed in front of white carriage house with a stone wall in the background
    colonial farmhouse,  decorating,  gardening and landscape

    Hold Your Horses: Bringing Back the Original “Parking Spot”

    August 10, 2026 /

    The only thing related to transportation that has not changed since our home was built in the 1780s is probably a kid asking, “Are we there yet?” Everything else, of course, from how we get places to where we park, has. A 1780s “parking spot” would have been a hitching post to tie up a horse. The hitching posts and the horses are long gone from here, but we decided to pay homage to this home’s original parking spot and install an antique cast-iron hitching post next to our Carriage House. Specifically, we chose an antique hitching post with a horse head. These were popular in the 1800s, and I…

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    annisa 0 Comments

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    How to Fill Gaps in Wood Floors with Oakum

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    I Refinished Our Tongue and Groove Closet Doors and It Could Have Gone Worse

    January 19, 2022
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    Happy List: #445

    July 31, 2026 /

    Hi! Welcome to this week’s Happy List. If it’s your first time here or if you’re a regular reader, I’m glad to see you! This week on the blog, we got stuff done! We replaced some rotten trim on our Carriage House and installed a new mailbox. That much productivity means I’m taking next week off from the blog to sleep in and laze around.   However, I didn’t laze around when it comes to this week’s Happy List. It is meant to be a good time for all and is filled with things that inspired me or piqued my curiosity this week. As always, if you’d like to reach…

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    annisa 0 Comments

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    Happy List: #183

    October 2, 2020
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    Happy List: #192

    December 11, 2020
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    Happy List: #318

    October 13, 2023
  • fancy looking oil rubbed bronze mailbox standing in front of a stone wall under construction
    colonial farmhouse,  gardening and landscape

    Out With the Sad Mailbox In With the New Mailbox

    July 29, 2026 /

    Goodbye, sad mailbox. Hello, new mailbox that is the best-looking one on the block. Not that it’s a competition. It’s not. But if it were… Our old mailbox was competing for the worst one on the block. Here it is after it made its acquaintance with a snowplow. There was no coming back from this. That door never opened or closed well after that unfortunate encounter. Who needs dry junk mail anyway? We’ve been working on reducing our curb appall and maximizing our curb appeal by restoring the low stone walls that run along the front of our property facing the road. It seemed natural to include a new mailbox…

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    annisa 2 Comments

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    Built In Hallway Shelves

    May 13, 2020
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    Back Staircase Before and After

    January 6, 2020
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    A New Old Closet Door for our Bathroom

    November 2, 2020
  • man standing on a ladder to repair window trim on a carriage house building with white masonry render and a black metal roof
    DIY,  Stone Masonry

    Finally Fixed the Carriage House Rotten Window Trim

    July 27, 2026 /

    Ready your party horns because we finally fixed the rotten window trim on one of our most prominent Carriage House windows. One of the three windows we see every single day. It only took us seven years. What DO we do with our time? Here is the window in question. You can see the rotten trim on the bottom left-hand corner of the window. The window trim also doesn’t match the trim on this side of this building, and was likely installed when the storm window was added. So, this task should be pretty straightforward, right? Take off the old trim. Cut, nail, and paint the new trim. Bada-bing, bada-boom.…

    read more
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    Cabinet Door Utensil Caddy

    February 26, 2020

    Makeover: Dresser with Brass Details

    September 12, 2018
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    Reconstructing a Fieldstone Wall: Part 2, Demo

    June 10, 2026
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    happy list

    Happy List: #444

    July 24, 2026 /

    Hello! Welcome to this week’s Happy List. It is a pleasure to see you here. This week on the blog, I shared the solar lights that are lighting up my nights. They bring me year-round joy. Most of them are also linked in one place on our Amazon Storefront. I also shared the most important post of the year, so far, Lemon Curd S’mores. Do not miss out on trying this delectable creation. Roast a marshmallow over your stove burner if you have to. You won’t regret it. The Happy List is meant to be a good time filled with things that inspired me this week. As always, if you’d…

    read more
    annisa 0 Comments

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    Happy List: #308

    July 21, 2023
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    Happy List: #277

    November 4, 2022
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    Happy List: #267

    August 19, 2022
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    Food

    Summer Must Try: Lemon Curd S’mores

    July 22, 2026 /

    Summer is for play, but I’m not goofing around when I say you must make lemon curd s’mores this summer. They taste just like lemon meringue pie, but aren’t nearly as hard to make. *and the crowd drools* Lemon Curd S’mores Ingredients: lemon curd Ritz Original crackers (or an equivalent buttery cracker) Marshmallows Kosher Salt How To Make Lemon Curd S’mores: Ready your Ritz Original crackers by smearing some lemon curd on one side of two crackers. (I say two crackers, but we all know you’re going to eat more than one s’more, so you might as well prep a bunch! Just trust me and set up your s’mores assembly…

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    annisa 4 Comments

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    January 6, 2016
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    February 22, 2023

    Almond and Anise Biscotti

    January 26, 2015
  • sparkler solar light in front of a stone wall with an orange sunset in the background
    decorating,  gardening and landscape

    My Favorite Solar Lights

    July 20, 2026 /

    If I must leave my house and return to it in the dark – shudders – then I want to come home to the cozy, welcoming glow of my favorite solar lights. Outdoor solar lights are inviting, practical, and don’t impact my electric bill. Do not get me started on the electric bill. Ugh. Here are my favorites: The Workhorse Solar Light | Amazon My go-to, all-around MVP for a solar light is this up-light disc. They come with a stake, but I also have them sitting directly on the ground without being secured by the stake in most places. Surprisingly, they have rarely blown away. Hope I didn’t just…

    read more
    annisa 0 Comments

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    May 17, 2017
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    Nutcracker Holiday Mantel Decor

    December 3, 2025
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    happy list

    Happy List: #443

    July 17, 2026 /

    Hey there! Welcome to this week’s Happy List. It is so fun to see you here. I started this week on the blog on a light-hearted, humorous note. I shared how my family actually used the drink table in our kitchen. They aren’t even trying to be funny, but in the context of how I thought the table would be used, it is to me. I also wrote about the pros and cons of reusing the existing wall footings to reconstruct the fieldstone wall in front of our house. Long story short, Handy Husband thinks there are only positives. I think there is one downside. Speaking of downsides, I hope…

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    Happy List: #350

    June 28, 2024
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    Happy List: #322

    November 10, 2023
  • Old stone wall running through a grassy area with a red barn and trees in background. Wall is partially covered in plastic as it is being repaired.
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    Reconstructing a Fieldstone Wall: Part 4, Reusing Old Footings

    July 15, 2026 /

    Welcome back to our Reconstructing a Fieldstone Wall series. This is part 4, and we will be discussing the pros and cons of reusing the existing wall footings to rebuild this old fieldstone wall. You’d think this would be the one topic that would be all pros, no cons. But have you met me? I’m not a Negative Nelly. I’m more of a Realistic Rhonda. On this topic, though, my husband would probably say I’m an Obsessive Ophelia. (My actual name is Annisa, in case you didn’t know.) To recap: We’re reconstructing our low fieldstone walls. I do a mini recap because some people come in mid-story, and if I…

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    Reconstructing a Fieldstone Wall: Part 1, The Plan

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 Older Posts
Hi! I'm Annisa.

Recent Posts

  • How To: Fall-Themed Resin Tray With Wood Leaf Cutouts
  • Hold Your Horses: Bringing Back the Original “Parking Spot”
  • Happy List: #445
  • Out With the Sad Mailbox In With the New Mailbox
  • Finally Fixed the Carriage House Rotten Window Trim

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