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Flower pot June 30, 2011

Posted by Samuel Snoek-Brown in Decor, Smiley.
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Smiley flower pot. Photo taken in Portland, OR, 30 June 2011.

This morning my wife and I went strolling around our new neighborhood and stopped into Caffé Brioso in northeast Portland. The coffee was good, the barista extremely friendly, and while the atmosphere was a bit austere, the big red chairs we sat in were nice and comfy. But the highlight, for me, was finding this happy little flower pot — full of tiny orange roses — sitting on the counter behind the bar.

Here’s a close-up of the flower pot:

Smiley flower pot (close-up).

As I leaned over to snap the photo with my phone, the barista kindly moved it closer and asked why I needed the pic, so I told her about this blog. Turns out, she studied happiness and positive psychology at Portland State University, which led us to a quick conversation about cultural happiness, positive thinking, and the government of Bhutan!

All in all, a very pleasant way to spend a morning. 🙂

BONUS: Reader-submitted water tower June 29, 2011

Posted by Samuel Snoek-Brown in Public art, signs, & graffiti, Reader submission.
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Smiley water tower. Submitted by Debbie H.

My mother and her good friend Debbie are on a road trip. They went to Graceland (!) and then headed north to Mackinac Island (!). It sounds like a fantastically good journey, so how terrific is it that in all that excitement, my mother caught sight of this excellent smiley water tower (“somewhere in Michigan”*) and immediately thought of my smiley blog? And just as terrific: the moment she pointed it out and mentioned this blog, Debbie whipped the car over and snapped this awesome photo!

Thanks, Mom and Debbie! Hope the rest of your trip is just as happy!

* UPDATE: I just saw a variation of this same photo, by Michigan resident Tim LaVere, on the Smiley Picture of the Week photo contest page at SmileStore.com. So now we have an exact location: “West Branch, Michigan, is known as the “City With A Smile” because of its bright yellow water tower with a smiley face.” Check out some photos of the tower being repainted here.

Got a smiley you want to share? Check out the “About the blog” page and send me an email! 🙂

Smiley keychain fob June 28, 2011

Posted by Samuel Snoek-Brown in Car, Smiley.
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Smiley keychain fob. From my personal collection.

My goodness, I’m behind on my smileys! As I’ve mentioned in the last few posts (from quite a while ago now!), I’ve been moving and settling into a new home, and now my wife has rejoined me after more than two months abroad, so I’ve been a bit distracted. But now that my wife is home, I’m more smiley (smilier?) than ever, so I’m back and will be posting regularly and enthusiastically!

Stay tuned for more, happy gang! 🙂

Watermelon grin June 6, 2011

Posted by Samuel Snoek-Brown in Food, Simulacra, Smiley.
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Like the ice cream from several months ago, this watermelon was naturally smiling. I split it open and there was the grin, almost a perfect simulacrum: all I needed were the eyes. So with the help of the chef’s knife, I made some! =D

Beach ball June 2, 2011

Posted by Samuel Snoek-Brown in Smiley, Toys.
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Beach ball. From my personal collection.

Now that summer is here, I thought I’d toss you a good excuse to hit the pool, the beach, the lake….  Enjoy the sunshine, and above all, smile!