Spring Time Happiness

This time of year brings about all new levels of happiness.  


Take a look at the HAPPY list and venture happy numbers 21-30 and... 


...be sure to add to your own HAPPY list.  

Visual Happiness with just a Tack

A bulletin board is usually a way to post and keep track of notices, announcements, upcoming events, bills, etc.  It’s almost like a calendar assistant.  But why post things of a temporary nature?  I wanted to take my tacking experience to a new level.  Bulletin board making for the extreme!

a HAPPY how to makes a Bulletin Board

Picture this…a BIG empty wall space…maybe at the office…the classroom…in your bedroom…or any other place at home.  Painting is too complicated and WAY expensive.  Try using a gigantic bulletin board. You will have a hard time finding a huge bulletin board…so make your own.  How do we do this, you might ask?  …Out of homasote and burlap.

You will need…

          Homasote (click on the word, it will direct you to another webpage.  This way you can find out where to get it from in your area.  Prompts will ask you for your zip code and state.)

          Fabric to cover the homasote (Be creative with this – use whatever fabric makes you happy.)

          Piece of scrap wood

          (4) Anchors*

          (4) Finishing Washers*

          (4) Long screws*

          Staple Gun

          Electric Drill

          A Strong Friend!!

*see local Home Depot

Step 1:  Lay your fabric face down on the floor and center the Homasote on top making sure you have at least two inches of fabric to wrap over the sides. Using a staple gun, staple the center of one side, then the opposite side, and then each center of the two other sides making sure the fabric is nice and taut. Work your way from the center of each side out towards the corners like a painter would stretch a canvas. If your fabric has a pattern, you may want to make sure the design lines up with the edges so that it appears straight.

Step 2:  When you reach the corners, pull the point of the fabric down over the corner of the Homasote, creating a 45 degree angle. Then fold down the two sides of fabric, tucking the excess in along the sides. Try to make it as neat and streamlined as possible so that there’s not too much fabric between the bulletin board and the wall.

Step 3:  Next pre-drill holes in each corner. Try using an exacto knife to cut a little "x" right where you want the hole so that you would be less likely to torque the fabric when you drilled (but it is a good idea to begin slow when drilling anyway). Have a piece of scrap wood underneath so that your floor is protected!

Step 4:  This is the part when a strong friend comes in handy! Have your friend hold up the board where you wish it to be placed on the wall and make sure it is level. Using the holes you’ve already drilled, poke through them and gently mark the wall. Let your friend rest their arms and put the board down while you pre-drill for the anchors.

Step 5:  When the anchors are in place, attach the board using long screws and finishing washers. Your almost finished…

Step 6:  Pin up those things that make you happy!  …and collage your way to happiness!

Fill up a bulletin board of all the things that make you happy.  Put it on display at home or at work.  – The Happy Book

Hearts are pretty in any cOlOr!

Look around.  Those in love are happy.  But should February make only those in love happy?!  Of course not...  Think about how much you enjoy your friendships and your family.

When was the last time you made a card for someone you cared for?  TRY IT.

Use colors!  Pinks.  Reds.  Oranges.  Yellows.  Greens.  Blues.  Purples.

Use beads.  Use lace.  Use ribbon.  Use candy. 

Every February 14, across the United States and in other places around the world, candy, flowers and gifts are exchanged between loved ones, all in the name of St. Valentine. But who is this mysterious saint, and where did these traditions come from?

Did you know…

The history of Valentine's Day — and its patron saint — is shrouded in mystery. But we do know that February has long been a month of romance. St. Valentine's Day, as we know it today, contains vestiges of both Christian and ancient Roman tradition. So, who was Saint Valentine and how did he become associated with this ancient rite?

One legend contends that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men — his crop of potential soldiers. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine's actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death. Isn’t this legend much more romantic?

According to one legend, Valentine actually sent the first "valentine" greeting himself. While in prison, it is believed that Valentine fell in love with a young girl — who may have been his jailor's daughter — who visited him during his confinement. Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter, which he signed "From your Valentine," an expression that is still in use today. Although the truth behind the Valentine legends is murky, the stories certainly emphasize his appeal as a sympathetic, heroic, and, most importantly, romantic figure.

To find out more, visit http://www.history.com/topics/valentines-day.

a HAPPY how to makes homemade Valentine cards

You will need:

                         Card Stock (of any color)!

                         See through vinyl

                         Scissors

                         Shears (of any color)!

                         Hole puncher

                         Ribbon (of any color)!

                         Candy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Step 1:

Draw a heart on card stock that measures about 5 ½ inches across.  Place a sheet of see-through vinyl over the card stock and cut along your outline so you end up with two hearts, one vinyl and one card stock.

Step 2:

Write a message on the back of the card stock heart.  Trim the edge of the vinyl one with shears.

Step 3:

Lay the vinyl heart atop the card stock one and punch an even number of holes around the edges.

Step 4:

Lace the 2 hearts most of the way together with a yard of 3/8-inches-wide ribbon.  Put a few pieces of candy inside, then finish lacing the hearts and tie the ribbon in a bow.

Recipients of this valentine need only look into their hearts to find something truly sweet!

HAPPY valentine’s Day!

What’s your favorite color?  Post different iterations of it.  

– The Happy Book