Friday, January 22, 2016

My Happy Place - Five on Friday


Hello, my friends, I hope you are all 
hanging in there while we 
wait for spring to arrive. 

A long wait for some of you, I know, 
although those in the southern hemisphere
are enjoying summer right now. 

Here in western Washington state, 
we are having a mild, but wet winter, 
as you can see by my little pansy faces
peering at you.

For my Five on Friday, I would like 
to share five little places that make me happy. 

The first is my deck. 


We lived here 20 years before we could 
even afford to build this deck, 
and I can't tell you how much 
we appreciate it. 


This is where I sit and have my 
morning coffee on mild 
winter mornings. 

This morning I saw a bald eagle
fly through the valley.  


I feel safe here, high above 
the wilderness all around me. 

I can feel very isolated sometimes. 

But here I can putter with my potted 
plants to my heart's desire, 
without having to carry 
bear spray :) 


And we can step outside on 
starry nights without 
worry of nocturnal encounters. 
Here we see Venus at dawn. 

It's my Happy Place outdoors. 



My kitchen is my second Happy Place. 

This is where I spend a good part of my day, 
cooking and baking, reading the morning paper, 
even doing crafts and sewing on my 
big kitchen table. 

Every evening Ramblin' Man and I 
enjoy catching up over dinner. 

Once this room was full of bustling activity
with 4 children and their friends, 
relatives and committee meetings.
 (Once upon a time I was vice president
of the PTA). 

Now it is mostly quiet, but the memories 
fill this room. 
And it still hosts some lovely family 
holiday dinners. 


I love decorating this little corner 
for the holidays and seasons. 

This season I am in love with red and gray. 


I love how the sun streams into 
my kitchen in the mornings. 



My third Happy Place is my living room. 

I love being cozy on the couch, 
surrounded by my favorite artwork,
books and lots of pillows. 


I am always looking for paintings of flowers. 

They make me so happy! 


Lovely, happy colors. 


My fourth Happy Place are books. 
Beautiful books always bring me joy. 

I can get lost in a good book. 
My favorites are gardening, decorating,
 craft, sewing, and needlework books, 
vintage children's books, classics, 
art books, and inspirational autobiographies. 

This book was a gift from my son 
at Christmas. 


So many beautiful ideas! 


Another favorite book by Annie Sloan. 


I just want to paint everything
when I look at this beautiful book! 


Like this! 
I just need some courage......
and some Annie Sloan paint. 



My fifth Happy Place is when I am crocheting. 

Here I am making a few baskets 
out of 'kitchen' cotton. 


Ling-Ling enjoys the morning sunshine nearby. 
I keep my workbasket on the settee
so I can sit and do a few rows 
here and there. 


I just finished a shawl to throw over my shoulders
 on chilly mornings before the fire is lit.


I chose colors to coordinate with my 
cozy kitchen corner, as I keep it
on the chair. 

It also comes in handy for those mornings
when I want to enjoy a cuppa on the deck. 


I hope you enjoyed my Five Happy Places. 

What place makes you happy? 

xoxo

Today I am linking with:

Love Made My Home - Five on Friday

43 comments:

  1. A beautiful and inspiring post, and your photos are so pretty and heartwarming!

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  2. What a beautiful home you have, love your color palette. The view from your deck is incredible.

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  3. Such a lovely view and home! Those books look like they have some great ideas in them. Thanks for sharing. Enjoy the weekend!

    Blessings,
    Jill

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  4. Your kitchen looks so inviting! I love the floor!

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  5. I just love reading your blog! It's simply charming, warm and inviting! I agree with you on your favorite spots, I can honestly say were spot on! I am in the process of painting our cupboard white in our kitchen, a little face lift will do wonders! It's been very cold here in the Northeast Kingdom ...snow, snow! Our wood stove is cranked up and working hard to keep us warm. We are empty nesters and I have the pure joy of taking care of our first grand love three days a week! Oh he is 2 months and melts my heart every time I have him. I love to sing and read to him and tell him stories. I really think he listens to me cause I get smiles from him a lot!! I love your crocheted baskets...I am a crafter, mostly paper crafts and altering..love flowers, gardens and vintage. Thanks for sharing your beautiful home and heart with us! love and joy gayla

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  6. Your home is just so beautiful, I love every room and that outside porch is wonderful. Crochet makes me very happy, playing with yarn is the best.
    Happy Weekend,
    Meredith

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  7. I love your favorite five! I'd love to paint everything in Annie Sloan chalk paint too! It's addicting! We should have a painting party. I'd love to find a few antique pieces and give them a face lift before finding a special place in our home. I love reading your blog posts as they inspire us all to love and appreciate the people and memories we lovve.

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  8. I can see why these 5 are your favorites. Your home always looks so cozy! Books are one of my special places too. Just give me a good thriller, some needlework, and a Pepsi in my favorite spot on the sofa and I'm good to go!

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  9. Hi Karen, Five perfectly cozy spots.... I do love your deck the best, I would be there all the time (when it's not raining that is :-) Pretty Pretty Pansies.... and I love the white settee too.
    Have a great weekend...
    Hugs,
    Bella

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  10. Oh yes, those are definitely 5 delightful things :) I so love my books and would consider them to one of my happy places. I think my craft room would be another happy place of mine {{smiles}}

    Your posts always refresh my heart, sweet friend. Have a wonderful weekend. Hugs!

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  11. I really enjoyed seeing your happy places. I think my favourite happy place is my garden though it does cause me angst from time to time. Have a lovely weekend.

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  12. Wonderful happy places. I must say I love the deck, I love to get outside and sit for a while if I can. Our town is flat so we don't get any views though. Outside with a book is probably my happy place, or travelling with my good kiwi bloke...even if it is just to the supermarket.

    Diana

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  13. You certainly have a beautiful home. The deck and stunning view is a delight. Such a lovely kitchen I can see why that would make you happy, what a lovely room to crochet which is something that makes me happy. Take care.

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  14. Your style is gorgeous Karen, I have always thought this and to have the views surrounding you throughout the day is the icing on the cake. I am going to look at crocheting a basket as I need one to hold all the little flowers I am doing at the moment for my blanket. Have a wonderful weekend my friend xx

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  15. Hi,
    this is my first Five on Friday so I'm stopping by to say hello. Your cottage looks amazing so cozy and inviting. Enjoy your week
    Jill
    Kiln Fired Art

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  16. Your home is beautiful and you have some wonderful happy places to be there! I adore your style, not right for our house, but beautiful nonetheless and I so enjoy seeing it in your home! I adore your crochet baskets, they are so pretty aren't they! Thank you for joining Five On Friday, happy weekend! xx

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  17. I love your happy places. Like you , one of my happiest places is my kitchen with its large pine table. As you say it the lovely happy meeting place of family through the ages. My conservatory is a very happy place on a sunny day with plants around me and a wood burning stove when it's chilly. At least we don't have to worry about bears! Have a good weekend. Barbara

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  18. I know it's wrong to covert things , but I love your home so much. I live in Norfolk in the UK and our countryside is completely flat/
    Windmills and the Broads add a bit of interest, but I would love to sit out on your deck if only to watch the mountain. You are truly blessed. Blessings

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  19. Dear Karen ~ I love your happy places. You and I share the same tastes in things and I could feel right at home in your lovely place.

    Thank you for sharing ~ FlowerLady

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  20. Dearest Karen,
    Magazine worthy photos! Love your living room and don't even recall if you ever have shown it to us...
    Wishing you a blissful weekend and stay cozy.
    Hugs,
    Mariette

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  21. Hello Karen. Your home is beautiful and I can see why it is a welcoming, happy place. I love your style and your colour scheme in each of your rooms. Very calming. I would be right at home on your deck as I like being able to see treetops and surrounding countryside. I would also enjoy looking at your paintings and reading those books on gardening and home design. Thank you for showing us the happy places in your lovely home.

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  22. Here in Oregon City we are also having wet weather, too. It is nice to feel such comfort in your home.

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  23. Every one of your happy places is so charming and cozy. I'm not sure if I ever mentioned how much I love your floors. I love your floors!

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  24. Such lovely scenes from your home, and they should definitely make you smile!

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  25. I just love your happy places Karen! And we are cut from the same cooking, baking, outdoors and crafting cloth. ;)

    Your deck is so awesome and would probably be my number 1 too! Those pansies - oh how I dream right now!!

    Thanks for sharing and have a blessed weekend. xoxo

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  26. Your kitchen is such a lovely room with all the sun pouring in.

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  27. Beautiful places of your heart you enjoy each day - special that you shared it with us today. You sound so much like me or I sound so much like you..WINK
    I bet if you had a umbrella over your table that's on the deck -- you would be out there enjoying your coffee during a light rain storm... m I right! Maybe not all the time but I bet ya - that you be out there once in a while...smile
    Hugs

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  28. I love your kitchen and the deck is beautiful as well as the sitting room with the flower portrait. Do you have the paint formula Annie Sloan book. I have the last one and I enjoyed it. I saw the new one today, but didn't get it. xoox Su

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    1. Hi Su, Thank you for your sweet visit! I don't have that new book, but my daughter does! We've had fun browsing through both books together. I need to find a shop that sells the paint now. Have a nice Sunday! xx Karen

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  29. I love this post! What a nice way to have a glimpse of your days at home. It is so cozy inside and outside is so pretty and peaceful, I'd want to stay home all the time!

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  30. You've made a home that is beautiful and welcoming. It's easy to see how these are your favorite places as you have filled these spaces with items you love and bring you pleasure. I like you would stay on that deck as much as I could as that view is just stunning....

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  31. Hey friend!! I have missed coming to your corner of the world and am so happy to do so tonight! Everything looks beautiful Karen! I love the groupings of paintings you have above your sofa! Such a stunning collection! And your books! I would really like to read that winter garden! I hope to be back to blogging here regularly as I have really missed this outlet! Wishing you an inspiring week! Nicole xoxo

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  32. Your pansies are a sight for sore eyes. I'd love for you to come decorate my home with me. :)

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  33. How wonderful to be able to enjoy your deck during the winter months, we pack everything away in the winter other than the glass table so that the snow and ice doesn't wreck everything. Your sofa looks so inviting to curl up with all the pillows and read a book or crochet :) My happy place would have to be my craft room, it is always set up so I can pop in there at anytime I get a free moment and work on something, and I can just leave it there ready for me when I come back.

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  34. I love your FIVE! That's such a beautiful deck...loved the photo through the iron grille-work! To see a bald eagle fly by...heaven! Love that you are crocheting and enjoying that wonderful book your son gave you. It's so "you" I always adore seeing your lovely home. I hope you will print is another review on the book club blog soon! Have a wonderful day, dear friend!

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  35. Love your photos especially the photo of the light shining through the window where you crochet. I have stopped blogging for the moment as I had a paid blog which was due for renewal. I might start again soon as I think I am missing it. This time I will get a free blog. Joan (formerly www.aviewtothefells.com)

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  36. Karen,
    OMG!! Your deck and home is so inviting and charming!! You have so many beautiful pieces!! Loved seeing everything!! Thanks so much for sharing!! Thanks too for stopping by!!

    Hugs,
    Deb

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  37. Karen, I can see why your deck is one of your happy places. I've always wanted a big deck. But since we downsized, our house is much smaller and it suits me. Your purple pansies are beautiful. Your home reminds me of my mother-in-law's mountain home. She too feels a bit isolated sometimes, but loves to putter around on her deck and in her garden. Your kitchen is charming, and I really like that white cabinet. Magazines always give us inspiration; I can see why that is one of your happy things. I love children's books as well. Your crocheted shawl turned out lovely, Karen.

    I enjoyed reading about your happy places. And you asked what place makes me happy......my garden filled with different roses always makes me smile, and my BIG kitchen I appreciate so much.

    ~Sheri

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  38. One of my happy places is here visiting your blog Karen :) Your home always looks like a big warm hug, and it's no wonder you enjoy these special corners in it. Have a wonderful week!
    Wendy x

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  39. Karen,
    After my great nephew committed suicide, his mother , my sister who is his grandmother and my other nieces have seen a cardinal outside of their window . They have never seen cardinals before so they are now collecting cardinal items . After Dad died, my sister and I collected angels and that is how my angel collection started. Thanks again for stopping by!!

    Hugs,
    Deb

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  40. i liked your description of your deck - without bear spray. :)

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  41. Your home is amazing. loving the deck too!! Thanks for stopping by today!

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  42. Amazing, welcoming home.
    It's like looking in a magazine, so many wonderful ideas.
    Thank you so much for sharing :)
    PS the bear spray does sound a little scary!!

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Thank you for stopping by! Your comments are important to me and are very much appreciated. xx Karen

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