When Old is New

I have always loved antiques and old things. I love the charm of their imperfections, the hidden stories they seem to contain. My favorite items have been passed down to me from my family: My cast iron bed that my father slept in as a child, costume jewelry that belonged to my maternal grandmother and her sister, my great aunt, my mother’s engagement ring that was also worn by my paternal grandmother, numerous beaded and embroidered sweaters belonging to my mother’s mother, quilts made by both of my grandmothers, the list goes on and on. 

Since meeting my husband however, my antique collecting habits have changed somewhat. Influenced by my upbringing in Texas, living in California on and off for eleven years, and a Scandinavian husband, my tastes have undergone a transformation leaving behind a style composed of clean and modern, with bursts and fits of color, quirkiness, and the old thing or two mixed in here and there. 

(Kitty likes my wooden spoon too!)

There are still certain things that, no matter how much my taste in design and decorating is transformed, I will always be drawn to. The antique, wooden spoon above is a perfect example. As soon as I saw it I knew I had to have it. Once I clean it up and oil it, I think it will make a perfect scoop for my flour jar. I bake quite often so this means I will get to enjoy it on a regular basis. :-)

This photo is of the little antique shop where I found my lovely wooden spoon. The shop had MANY tempting items. I may have to go back and stumble across some other [hidden] treasures....

This photo was taken before Christmas but I just love their window display. 

What do you think? Do antiques and old things pull at your heart strings too?

Oh, and by the way, Happy Friday!

I hope you get to do something especially fun today!

A New Year

What do you aim to achieve this year? Sounds like an interview question, doesn't it? Only they usually want to know what your plans are for the next FIVE years. Who knows what they want to do in five years?! Your entire life can change in that amount of time. So, when you consider that, coming up with a plan for one year seems like it should be a piece of cake, right? (Now I want cake! I am easily swayed when it comes to food). 

But anyway, back to my goals for the next year. Before I get that far however, I would like to just talk about those recurring goals that seem to follow me around like a lost puppy. The list below could easily have been the same every year, for many years:

1. Get in shape (like, for real).

2. Eat healthier (more green stuff).

3. Be a better person (nicer, less grumpy).

4. Save [more] money.

5. Travel [more]. 

The fact that they usually show up on the next year’s resolutions list obviously implies that I didn’t quite reach the level I’d aimed for in the previous year. However, I think these are a prime example of what we should keep as daily goals, not just New Year’s resolutions. I mean, who doesn’t want all of these things? All the time? 

The question is, how can we get from A (before goals are achieved) to B (goals achieved and living like a rock star)? That is the million dollar question isn’t it? For the record however, I would just like to say that chocolate is healthy. And avocados count as green stuff. 

So how do we go about achieving out goals and resolutions? Baby steps is the way to go. If you are having a hard time getting started or motivated, start small. For number 1, take the stairs at work instead of the elevator, park your car further away so you are forced to walk farther. Number 2, add an extra piece of fruit and one additional vegetable to your daily diet, or if you don’t eat fruit or veggies, start with one each per day. Smoothies are a great way to sneak in spinach, by the way. 

How to be a better person, just smile. Force it if you don’t feel it, if anything it will make you laugh and that is a good start. Money? Instead of going to lunch or coffee with a friend, meet for a walk. Then you kill two birds with one stone. Want to travel more? Plan a trip. Book the trip. Take the trip. Maybe it isn’t your dream vacation, but go away for a weekend to a neighboring city. Just taking that action will ignite your wander lust and soon you will just figure out how to save money for that bigger trip you want to take. Can’t go for a weekend? Take a day excursion. Explore a new area in your city. 

Bottom line is, it just takes a little creativity and action. 

And it IS a New Year! So start now!

What are your goals and aspirations for 2014?

A few of mine include:

1. Prepare more home cooked meals to take to work for lunch.

2. Clean out my closets and get rid of at least one item each month.

3. Get a gym membership (for REAL). Sigh. This one is killing me.

Update: Our Christmas tree and decorations are taken down and packed away now. Sad face. But the good news is that now I can really focus on my New Year’s goals. 

Have a Happy Day!

Christmas Past

It's always so much fun at the beginning of December to pull out the ornament box and start decorating for Christmas. I love the excitement of that first moment, removing the lid and taking it all in before pulling out each ornament and decoration one by one. 

My husband's job is to place the tree in its stand and hang the lights. That's where I come in. My job is to decorate it and I truly relish this task. I treasure each moment as I unwrap our ornaments, tomtar (Swedish Santas), and all of our other ornaments that we have collected separately and together. This year's tree was probably my favorite yet. 

As I sat in the living room this afternoon, admiring a few of my favorite ornaments on the tree, I was brought back to a Christmas from my childhood. My mother had purchased a collection of terracotta gingerbread houses, boys, and girls, and she, my brother and I sat around the dining table painting them by hand. Today these ornaments are still among my favorites. I have a few of them and I believe my brother has the rest. 

I love the imperfections, the splotches of blue or red paint "outside the lines" and the obvious ones mostly likely painted by me, the youngest. 

This gingerbread house is probably my favorite. I love the steep, slanted roof, covered with snow, the red door, the flower box under the window, and especially the heart at the top, signifying a house filled with love.

(An ornament I made Christmas 2006)

It is not the same amount of fun taking down the ornaments and packing them away for another year so it was especially nice to sit in the quiet peacefulness of the living room, enjoying our tree and all of our beautiful decorations, before packing them up for another year of slumber. 

And while the ornaments slumber, we get to move on to the New Year... 

I know the first of January was last week but it doesn't truly feel like the New Year until Christmas has past and been packed away until next December. Now I can truly focus on what's in store for 2014.... 

What do you have up your sleeve for the New Year? Do you still make resolutions? Goals? 

My first resolution was to start blogging again here at Finding Happy. Stay tuned for my other resolutions and goals....

Happy New Year, belatedly! ;-)

After Christmas Sales

I used to love after Christmas sales. I couldn't wait to rush to the stores first thing the morning after Christmas. Stocking up on wrapping paper and cards for the next year at half price was always my first priority. Then I would head systematically to a few of my favorite clothing boutiques, hoping score a sweater I'd had my eye on for weeks. And hopefully at half the price, or less if I was lucky. 

Lately however, the after Christmas sales have not been as enticing and I've been perfectly happy ignoring the ads and window signs offering 50% or more off. That is, until Marimekko posted their after Christmas sale, with 40% off (Omg! Omg!)! For anyone who is familiar with Marimekko, 40% off still leaves quite a chunk of change left to pay. But at the same time, 40% OFF at MARIMEKKO is still rather AMAZING!!!! So off I went on this dreary, rainy day. I made a b-line for Marimekko. Just to "look around" and see if I spotted anything I couldn't live without. Secretly hoping a particular shirt I'd had on my Christmas wish list was still available, and on their sale rack. 

As luck would have it, the shirt was available. In my size AND discounted. I was in heaven. There were plenty of other things my eyes (and soul) coveted but I very rationally took my top to the counter, paid the nice girl, and left. Whew! 

Happiness meter growing steadily. 

Thank God It's Friday

I think even after I retire I will always love Fridays. Even though my Mom consistently confirms that after retirement, the days blend together, and 5pm on Friday starts to lose it's romantic, star-gazed hold. Still, it is a magical moment for me. I feel drunk with power when I think of all the things I can do and want to do now that the weekend is here.

It's not so much that I live for the weekends, though sometimes it seems so. I just really enjoy doing what I want to do with my time, as opposed to what someone else wants me to do with my time. And while getting paid is a good trade off, I have to be honest and say that the weekend has a much larger glow surrounding it when your job is just that, a job. However, I must say that there is a certain aura already glimmering around 2014, an excitement in the undercurrent (do you feel it too?). I think it's going to be an excellent year. 

So, Happy Friday to you!

Happy Weekend! 

And... 

once again...

Happy New Year! 

(Skål!!! och Välkomen till Sverige!) 

The [True] Source

"Find the true source of happiness." 

The true source of happiness. What would that be? I'm sure the answer is different for different people. And each person probably has a different answer at different times, depending on the situation or season of the year. For example, in the summer time, an ice cream cone is sheer joy. In the spring, the cherry blossoms finally in bloom. In the fall, well anything pumpkin works for me. And in the winter, it could be a number of things from getting some sunshine, to the cozy, candle-lit evenings, to holiday cheer, to the first snow. 

Ultimately, these are just things. If they were all take away, what would that leave us with? The simple choice to just be happy. For no apparent reason. Well, tell that to my grumpy side! The simplest thing is not always the easiest. Therefore I think having a list of the things that make us happy is a good idea. We can look at it any time of day for a mood lift. Or maybe it is a photograph or a trinket that reminds you of a happy memory. 

Regardless, I think it is good to be prepared. So here is my list of happy today:

1. A hug from my husband. 

2. Head butts from my cat. 

3. Dark chocolate covered almonds with turbinado sugar and sea salt (soooooo good!!!). 

4. Internet telephone so I can call my family & friends back home for free! (Minus the yearly fee, which is minimal)

5. Pinterest

I know that last one might seem lame and some of you may not be familiar with Pinterest but let me tell you, it is a pack rat's dream come true. You can collect as many things as you want, recipes, craft ideas, wish lists, recipes, clothing ideas, etc. and it is all electronic and takes up about as much space as, well, your computer (or smart phone, or pad). Pretty awesome, right?

Anyway, I'd love to hear your thoughts. What is your [true] source of happiness?

New [Happy] Frontiers

For those of you new to Finding Happy, I'd like to give you a big welcome. For those of you who followed "Finding Happy in 365 Days" during my one year project in 2012, well, I am back. Why, you may ask, am I back over here, when I have a new blog (On My Bike with Scissors and a Cast Iron Skillet) now? Well, the honest truth is that I need it. I am just not feeling the same amount of happy these days. It's not that I am focusing on negative things but they keep rearing their ugly heads, forcing me to look smack dab at them. It's gross, I know. And a bit pathetic, when I consider how happy I should be and feel. I have a really nice life. I am married to a wonderful man who is the most understanding and supportive person I could have possibly been matched with in my life, I have a lovely home, no real problems to speak of. So why the dreariness?

I could reply in a deep, meaningful way and say something profound but I really feel that it would only be a half-truth. After my one year of Finding Happy, and having Happy be my focus every single day for that entire year, I really do honestly feel that the key to happiness is basically choosing happiness. But not all of us are that strong mentally. After being away from "Finding Happy" for nearly a year, I have discovered that I was happier when I was consciously focusing on Finding Happy. Having this project and being fully committed to it, to finding and writing about something Happy every day, even when the last thing I wanted to do was to think a positive thought, gave me something. A purpose. And whether or not that purpose was fulfilling my own personal need to finding a happy or positive focus, it gave me what I needed, and hopefully you benefited as well.

We all face things in life that we feel are not fair. Not everyone gets to have a healthy body. Not everyone gets to live to be 45 years old. Not everyone gets to experience living in a foreign country, not everyone gets to be a mom or dad, not everyone gets to find their soulmate, not everyone gets to ride a bicycle, go for a jog, see a rainbow, hear music... You get my point. And all of those people out there with seemingly perfect lives, well, they too have something they must deal with. Something that is their cross to bear. No one gets to have the perfect life. Though it seems so when you are on the outside looking in.

But there IS something that we all have the opportunity to have and that is our own thoughts and our own free will to choose happiness. Sometimes finding happiness is a piece of cake (literally!) and sometimes you have to scrape the bottoms of your shoes, just for one little, teeny, tiny glimmer of happy... but it IS there. Waiting to be found.

So now I am about to embark upon yet another journey of Finding Happy. This time it may not be every single day but do I commit to posting about something positive or happy at least 3 days a week, possibly, hopefully more. I hope you will join me on this journey and actively seek happiness along side me. Because the only thing better than finding happiness yourself... is getting to share that happiness.

Happy New Year....

Be Happy!