Merry Christmas! December 24, 2012
Posted by Samuel Snoek-Brown in Decor, Holidays, Smiley, The Great Enabler.Tags: Christmas, Decor, Holidays, Smiley, The Great Enabler
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Two years ago, for this blog’s first Christmas post, I shared my plush smiley santa ornament.
Last year, I received a new smiley Santa ornament, this one painted glass with my name on it. It was a gift from (you guessed it) my dear mother-in-law, the Great Enabler.
So this year, I’m happy to share it with you on Christmas Eve! 🙂
Smiley Santa ornament. From my personal collection.
And whatever your religion or your holiday practices, I hope you have a very, very happy season.
Sticker on a bike rack October 29, 2012
Posted by Samuel Snoek-Brown in Decor, Smiley.Tags: Bike, Decor, Smiley
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Sticker on a bike rack, Martin Luther King Blvd., Portland, OR.
I spotted this happy guy smiling up at me as I walked home from the streetcar one afternoon last week. And after I snapped this quick photo, I spotted another — and the next bike rack. And the next…. That was one happy block! 🙂
Reader-submitted flag September 27, 2012
Posted by Samuel Snoek-Brown in Decor, Reader submission, Smiley.Tags: Decor, Flag, Reader submission, Smiley
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Flag in Key West, Florida. Submitted by Jaretta R.
Another great find from my friend Jaretta R! “Smileys everywhere lately Sam!” she wrote me when she sent me this. “Good thing I’ve really been needing them. This one was flying in Key West…where every day seems to be a good day!!”
I love how smileys sometimes show up when we need them most. Did you need a smiley today? Thank Jaretta for sharing the happiness! 🙂
Reader-submitted smiley stickers (and a cartoon!) July 9, 2012
Posted by Samuel Snoek-Brown in Decor, Kitchen & Bath, Reader submission, Smiley, The Great Enabler.Tags: Decor, Kitchen, Reader submission, Smiley, The Great Enabler
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I was all set to post a completely different smiley today, but then I checked the mail and discovered an envelope from my dear sweet mother-in-law, aka The Great Enabler. Inside were these stickers!
Smiley stickers. New to my personal collection.
She’s given me these before — long-time readers might recognize them from my luggage post when I moved back to the States from overseas. Of course, I used up that set, so it’s great to have a new set!
Also, seeing them reminded me of another set of stickers from The Great Enabler. These live on my fridge, next to the stove, among all my smiley magnets:
Smiley kitchen stickers. From my personal collection (and from my kitchen).
You can tell they’re right over the stove because the bottom row has some spatter on it! 🙂 I love these things, though — they always make my smile.
FYI: My favorite recipe is a killer vegetarian “Autumn chili” I make every fall.
And, as a bonus for you and for me, I’ll also share the cartoon my mother-in-law included in the envelope, from the Saturday Evening Post (of course it’s labeled, even down to the page number — The Great Enabler is also a librarian!).
From the Saturday Evening Post, May/June 2012, p. 66.
Smiley simulacrum: drawer pull June 28, 2012
Posted by Samuel Snoek-Brown in Decor, Simulacra, Smiley.Tags: Decor, Furniture, Simulacra, Smiley
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Drawer pull. From an end table at Target.
Jennifer and I were shopping at Target the other day when she pointed to this end table and said, “Does that look like a smiley face?”
Why yes, my happy, observant wife. Yes, it does look like a smiley face. 🙂
I’m not seeing this table on Target’s website, but here’s the whole table:
Ceramic bank June 18, 2012
Posted by Samuel Snoek-Brown in Decor, Smiley.Tags: Bank, Decor, Laundry, Smiley
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Ceramic bank. From my personal collection.
As you can probably tell, this happy guy is a little the worse for wear. We’ve been using this bank to store the quarters for our laundry, but I think the humidity of the laundry has affected the paint. It’s bubbled and cracked in a few places, making this otherwise happy bank look a bit like a zombie smiley face. (Which is kind of cool.)
So we’ve finally retired him, just today replacing him with a cheap Mason jar for the coins and letting him live out the rest of his days as a simply reminder to smile. Even when you’re a member of the undead. 🙂
Reader-submitted tap light May 7, 2012
Posted by Samuel Snoek-Brown in Decor, Reader submission, Smiley.Tags: Decor, Reader submission, Smiley
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Smiley tap light. Submitted by Jaretta R.
My friend Jaretta R. sent this to me yesterday. “Came across this at a garage sale yesterday,” she wrote me, “and thought to take a picture for your Smiley page.” Awesome! Thanks Jaretta!
I love garage sales, but somehow it’s been ages since I’ve been to one. I don’t know why that is — there are plenty within walking distance every weekend, though it was slow during the winter and early spring, so they’re only really getting started again — but I should definitely start making the rounds. Who knows what sort of smiley gear I might find out there!
Got a smiley you want to share? Check out the “About the blog” page and send me an email! 🙂
Smiley simulacrum: wicker chair (back) April 30, 2012
Posted by Samuel Snoek-Brown in Decor, Simulacra, Smiley.Tags: Decor, Portland Oregon, Simulacra, Smiley
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Wicker chair (back). Portland, OR.
I was out walking the neighborhood earlier this week when I spotted this wicker chair on someone’s front porch. I only had my iPod with me, hence the Instagramish look; and I didn’t want to invade someone else’s yard to take creepy photos of their front door, hence the grainy quality (I love the iPod’s camera, but the zoom leaves a lot to be desired). Still, the smiley face on the back of that chair is unmistakeable, and I grinned the whole rest of my walk home.
Also, in case you’re starting to think my neighborhood is absolutely covered in smileys (it is): remember that happy taxi stroller from the last post? Yesterday, my wife and I went on a shopping run to our nearby mall (my wife has a fashion blog) and discovered a whole fleet of those same taxi strollers! Turns out that abandoned yellow stroller had been stolen from the Lloyd Center Mall! So if any mall cops are looking for that stroller, you might try patrolling Irving Park. It could still turn up. 🙂
Smiley domino keychain January 26, 2012
Posted by Samuel Snoek-Brown in Car, Decor, Holidays, Smiley, The Great Enabler, Toys.Tags: Car, Decor, Holidays, Keychain, Smiley, The Great Enabler, Toys
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Domino keychain. New to my personal collection!
The Great Enabler has further enabled me! And this time she has an accomplice!
A couple of weeks ago, this domino keychain arrived in the mail. A long time ago, my father-in-law received this as a fun little Christmas gift — it is green, after all! And so for years, my in-laws had been hanging this as an ornament on their Christmas tree. But after dismantling and packing away the tree and ornaments this year, my in-laws decided to pass along this joyous game piece to me.
It actually is a domino piece, too — a double five:
Thanks, Enablers! 🙂
Nightlight January 2, 2012
Posted by Samuel Snoek-Brown in Decor, Smiley.Tags: Decor, Nightlight, Smiley
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Nightlight. From my personal collection.
Once upon a time, my wife and I traded nightlights — sometimes we used her ladybug nightlight in the bathroom (my wife collects ladybugs), and sometimes we plugged in this happy fellow!
These days, our apartment is more neatly and openly arranged, without much in the way of dark hallways, and the bathroom has light enough, so this smiley (like the ladybug) stays in storage. But some nights I still wish I could find an excuse to plug him in, if only to wake to softly glowing happiness. 🙂
Smile! 