Happy List for January—A Living Document

Although many obviously found and followed my blog initially for my book recommendations—or a peek at the behind-the-scenes of pursuing a traditional book deal—I also know that a decent number of readers actually found me through my practice of cultivating "happy lists" and sharing what I'm grateful for on Instagram, especially at the beginning of the pandemic when I was holed up alone in my gorgeous little riverside cabin in rural Virginia.

I can't remember when I first started making them; it's been years and years and years. I find that articulating my gratitude goes a long way, because I almost constantly feel grateful for everything. I make the lists when I'm happy, obviously; I make them when I'm sad and seeking out the light. I'm detail-oriented but feel like I'm also very content with simple because I see so much beauty in everything. Like it's all about distilling everything down to its most fundamental form.

But anyway! I share these a lot on Instagram but, in my attempt to basically move to doing most of what I do on Words Like Silver (and having it be a more accurate reflection and ecosystem), I decided to start a monthly list here. The collection thrills me in the same way that rounding up recent quotes and annotations does too.

I think I'll start out doing these by date, but maybe bundle them all up! And not worry if I accidentally skip some updates.

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Some Happy Lists from My 2024 Phone Notes

1. The obvious love directed towards a baby being soothed on a plane.
2. A gift that makes it deeply clear that someone knows you.
3. Cowboy boots.
4. How free you feel when you only have a light carry-on.
5. Outdoor showers.
6. Washing your hair the day after a mask, when it's all silky and untangled.
7. When you thrift something you end up wearing practically daily.
8. Leon Bridges.
9. Orange light at sunrise.
10. The sound of waterfalls.
11. Volunteer docents.
12. The scent of freshly cut grass.
13. Buskers on street corners.
14. The reflection of mountains in a window.
15. Riding in the back of a truck bed.
16. Misspelled flavors in ice cream shops.
17. Hugs where they lift you off the ground.
18. Cornflower blue.
19. Doing things with your hands.
20. Dogs being bad at stairs. (My dog being bad at stairs, specifically.)
21. Breakfast bagel sandwiches.
22. The first day after being sick when you're officially over it and feel so fresh.
23. Also, how grateful that moment makes you for your health most of the time.
24. When a sweatshirt or t-shirt you're nervous about washing for the first time actually wears in perfectly.
25. But also: new sweatshirt feel.
26. Passport stamps.
27. Book-clubbing their favorites with others.
28. When others read your favorites.
29. Line-dancing.
30. A deep convo with a friend that makes you feel so much more known and understood.
31. Coffeemaker filling a mug perfectly to the line.
32. Taking a mug into the shower...
33. Sharing playlists.
34. Two journalism assignments feeding each other.
35. My dog when she's in a clingy mood.
36. Stealing my dad's t-shirts when I'm home.
37. When it's blue and crisp and a little chilly outside..
38. Sorting through old photos and reliving without nostalgia.
39. Being unabashedly proud of someone.
40. Friends from far away passing through town.
41. The sand wedged between pages from reading at the beach.
42. A good long laugh.
43. My sun tattoo.
44. Country music that feels like home.
45. Classical music while you study.
46. Rediscovering an old favorite songs.
47. Toddler reactions to surprises.
48. Actually making it to later seasons of a show.
49. Sitting on front porches (especially with swings.)
50. Organizing when you're in a deep cleaning groove.
51. The scent of fresh juice bars.
52. Being swept into a (good) memory you'd forgotten about.
53. Flowers that open perfectly.
54. Speckled light.
55. When somebody cooks you dinner.
56. Being somewhere quiet for the first time in a while.
57. Rainbow interior decor.
58. Poké from the general store.
59. The lake before a storm.
60. Sleeping deeply because it's raining.
61. Post-hike satisfaction (and the views at the top.)
62. Sundresses.
63. New-to-you old photos.
64. Tan lines.
65. Diner drip coffee.
66. Very soft grass.
67. A clear, starry night.
68. A dog (or toddler) leaning their head against your side.
69. Seeing an artist you've loved forever blow up.
70. When a book is so much better than you thought.
71. Fixing a tricky plot point.
72. Rediscovering a niche hobby.
73. Cracking a window on a crisp day.
74. When a song's stuck in your head and you can't remember what it's called but you find it again.
75. Perfectly slouchy sweaters.
76. When the WiFi only takes one reset to work again.
77. A slow, lazy morning where you don't get out of bed for far too long.
78. Couch naps.
79. Skull motifs ahead of Gasparilla.
80. FaceTiming the babies.
81. Freshly vacuumed and mopped floors.
82. Sound of ocean waves (obvious).
83. Hearing from a friend you don't talk to as often.
84. Finally being done with a furniture setup.
85. Big gold hoops.
86. Remembering a broiled bagel in time to rescue it from the oven.
87. Earnest holiday texts from acquaintances.
88. A bun falling to precisely the right level.
89. The bliss of the porch being clear of boxes.
90. Playing fashion show-and-tell with sisters.
91. Songs that sample bits of speeches you love.
92. The crispy chicken sandwich from Seven Brothers.
93. Throwback DJ and a dance floor.
94. Walking to a party with a friend.
95. When you get your first good "memory" picture with someone.
96. Fountain root beer.
97. Eating dinner at the bistro table under string lights.
98. The satisfaction of mastering a hobby.
99. When you're craving a specific show, book, media, whatever and finally settle in to experience it at the right time.
100. Looking forward to A.M. coffee as you go to bed.
101. Nailing the burrito method of inserting a duvet.
102. Freshly washed sheets.
103. That early, wiped, sober bedtime the night after a night out.
104. A smile from someone who never smiles.
105. Reconnecting with someone you haven't talked to in too long.
106. BYOB restaurants.
107. Submitting a project early.
108. A hot shower after a cold surf.
109. Otis Redding.
110. When the watercolor looks like it's going to bleed but it doesn't.
111. Scoring a great Facebook Marketplace deal on something you need.
112. A long walk at sunset.
113. A hotel room to yourself.
114. Related: a king bed.
115. Managing to fit a risky carry-on under the seat.
116. Meandering through grocery aisles.
117. The adrenaline of a new city.
118. Vintage photos of family members.
119. Peaches.
120. Battered, well-loved cookbooks.
121. Picnics.
122. Kind strangers.
123. Solo trips.
124. The liminal space of half-asleep when you're lying in the sun.
125. Sentimental matchbooks.
126. Rolling out sore muscles.
127. Running longer than you thought you could.
128. Seeing people you love happy.
129. Those talks you only have over a backyard (or beach) bonfire.
130. Blackberries.
131. Library hauls.
132. Key lime pie.
133. The win of fixing something that broke.
134. Late afternoon shadows.
135. Creaky wooden doors.
136. Picking my mom's mac 'n cheese directly from the pan.
137. Black Island, Canada.
138. Lawn games.
139. Guinness.
140. Windy boat rides you feel in your eyelashes.
141. Getting the booth at a restaurant.
142. Well-placed violin in a folk song.
143. Books you don't want to finish.
144. Drawing for the first time in a while.
145. Changing from your fancy clothes into comfy after an occasion.
146. Night swimming.
147. The ringing sound of glass.
148. Mountain panoramas.
149. Sparkling water.
150. Making it through a tough workout.
151. Hawaiian pizza.
152. Afternoon thunder when home.
153. The crackle of a candle.
154. Tiramisu.
155. Reconnecting with yourself after finishing a big tunnel-vision goal.
156. Heated blanket.
157. When the luggage is 49 pounds.
158. Watching people knit.
159. When the right song makes a workout feel easier.
160. Watching a movie on the projector.
161. When you're expecting traffic but there isn't any.

And with that, I'll cut myself off from 2024 at least.

January 1

1. Discovering and using a seriously perfect pen.
2. When something funny that happened the night before keeps popping into your head.
3. Ballet stretches.
4. Finding the right pennant flag.
5. Finishing a journal.
6. Finishing a book.
7. When you use a new lotion or shampoo or something and know it will forever smell like a specific phase of life for you.
8. Hiking boots that have seen it all.
9. When your favorite surf spot isn't crowded.
10. Finally getting a chore done that you've been putting off.
11. Reading one of your favorite quotes in a book and realizing that's where it's from.

January 2

1. Curtain bangs.
2. Trinkets and decorations from travels that remind you where all you've been.
3. A fantastic book line popping in your head (and actually being in a position to write it down.)
4. Elaborate mood boards.
5. When it's super bright out and you thought you forgot your sunglasses but you have them, actually.
6. Plopping into a hammock after a tiring day.
7. Calvin & Hobbes panels.
8. Watching Downton Abbey with family.
9. Becoming a regular somewhere.
10. "Thought of you" texts.
11. Mary Oliver.
12. Birdsong.
13. Grilled cheese and tomato soup, especially on a cold day.
14. Stained glass.
15. Condensation on the side of a glass (beautiful.)
16. Daily (ocean) dip.
17. When your ink doesn't bleed through to the next page.
18. Postcards.
19. Drawings from kiddos.
20. Walking into the coldest possible air conditioning on a hot, hot day.
21. Stationary bike.
22. Nostalgic diner mugs.
23. Related: when you transport something in a suitcase and it doesn't break.
24. Also related: when you're nervous about closing a suitcase and get it with no difficulty.
25. Aisle seats.
26. Nobody next to you.
27. Or a good airplane convo.
28. Meeting neighbor babies on a walk.
29. Opening a bottle of wine you've been saving for a special occasion.
30. When you expect the Uber to take forever but take forever but it's two minutes away.
31. The relief when something you worried about wasn't as bad as you thought.
32. Media mail.
33. Sleepytime tea.
34. Footnotes.

January 3

1. "Doing laundry and having your A-list clothes back in the game" — I saw this online and loved it.
2. The campy nostalgia of old Ben Rector songs!
3. The first time lighting a fresh candle.
4. Family rings.
5. Cherry-based scents.
6. Working at picnic tables.
7. Scrunchies.
8. Rediscovering old favorite Paramore songs.
9. The stiffness of fabric you've (or someone else has) painted.
10. An afternoon Diet Coke.
11. The moral superiority of finishing your entire water bottle early.
12. When you cry unexpectedly but you actually feel a whole lot better after, actually.
13. Somehow not getting sand all in your bag on a beach day.
14. When you snap a photo and immediately know it'll be a favorite forever.
15. Clifftop views.
16. Analog timers.
17. Theme parties.
18. Espresso martinis when you have a long night ahead.
19. When you have accidentally have caffeine too late in the day but it doesn't mess up your sleep.
20. Signing up to try something new.
21. The giddiness of cocooning in a hoodie when you're tired.
22. A genuine lunch break.
23. Seeing muscles emerge that weren't there before.
24. Going through old sketchbooks.
25. Finding the oldest notes from book writing.
26. Looking forward to reading the book on your bedside table before bed.
27. The stack of books on your bedside table.
28. When you need to do laundry and the washing machine's open.
29. Rapport with the mailman.
30. Reading commentary/analysis on a piece of art you love, from the person who made it.
31. Independent bookstores.
32. Fresh stack of Post-Its.
33. Finding something lost.
34. Dew.
35. Sleeping outside.
36. Polaroids on the fridge.
37. Skiing directly into an empty lift line.
38. The smell of pine.
39. Vivid memories of childhood swim meets. (Too specific?)

January 4

1. How a song sounds when you switch from a phone to a speaker.
2. A fantastic randomized song queue.
3. Sleep score being weirdly high.
4. Playing pickleball with friends.
5. Comments from blog readers.
6. Visits from the cat (and I'm allergic.)
7. The holey jeans my grandmother hated.
8. Remembering her ridiculous commentary about it.
9. Registering habits & traits & interests you've inherited from family (the good, of course.)
10. Spanish moss.
11. How airy you feel when wearing very long earrings.
12. iPhones resurfacing photos of nieces and nephews.
13. Floating on your back in a body of water.
14. The relief of slipping into slippers after skiing or dancing (weirdly, the same feeling.)
15. Peppermint coffee.
16. The invincibility of clomping in rain boots.
17. Friends returning from travels.
18. A fire in the grate.
19. Getting 'yes' to a pitch.
20. Printing out a manuscript.
21. Finishing a manuscript.
22. Starting a manuscript!
23. Housewarming parties.
24. Call Street Brownies.
25. Getting into a flow state on a hard scene and finally getting past the knot.
26. Planning on butcher paper.
27. A made bed.
28. The blue sheets.
29. Cool side of the pillow.
30. Cooling pillows.
31. Spa music / sound baths / etc,. when you're in the right mood.
32. Very fluffy towels.

January 5

1. The way hair dries after being in the ocean.
2. Getting a trivia question right immediately.
3. A good burger after a workout.
4. Lord Huron.
5. Leaving your phone behind for a walk.
6. When it's the day of and you're waiting on something exciting in the mail.
7. Working at the bistro table on a breezy day.
8. Making plans with new friends.
9. Life binder.
10. Deep talks with a sister.
11. When you FaceTime someone and they pick up immediately.
12. Related: surprise FaceTimes from someone you rarely get to talk to.
13. When you get home but you're still listening to music or chatting so you linger in your driveway in the dark for far too long.
14. Wishing on dandelions, eyelashes, etc,.
15. The wood on a deck being stained dark from water after an outdoor shower.
16. Hearing kids giggle while playing.
17. Beach volleyball.
18. Noah Kahan.
19. Watercolor-stained fingertips.
20. Freshly cut grass (obvious but true.)
21. Parking in a risky spot but not getting a parking ticket.
22. Crunch of gravel.
23. The shock of cold water that immediately makes you feel fresh.
24. When the cooler stays cold longer than you expect.
25. The muscle memory of ballet.
26. Lavender.
27. Correctly spelling a word you always get wrong (on the first try.)
28. Related: hitting 'publish' and actually finding no typos.
29. Random acts of kindness.
30. Freshly washed car (lasts maybe five hours with the birds on my street.)
31. The arrival of a blank notebook.
32. Little beach babies.
33. When your beach towel stays perfectly weighted and doesn't get sand all over it.
34. Freshly shaved legs.
35. Remembering to do your full skincare.
36. Undereye masks (especially if in the fridge.)
37. Adding lime to literally any beverage.
38. The first day after a cold spell when you can wear shorts.
39. Supremely oversized t-shirts.
40. Purging junk.
41. When a book articulates exactly what you wanted it/needed it to.
42. When someone actually reads a book you recommended.
43. Flamingoes. Flamingos?
44. Carter Burwell / study music / classical.
45. Being on a boat.
46. Backless tops.
47. Doing a corny wedding-style line dance.
48. The thrill of friends living right by you.
49. Little free libraries.
50. Finishing something you really didn't want to do.
51. Currently: a very specific shade of mustard yellow.
52. Dandelions.
53. The scent of basil.
54. Shrimp tacos.
55. Sitting on back steps.
56. The back steps on Black Island.
57. Wakeboarding.
58. The scent of the ocean on the East Coast (salty.)
59. An afternoon offline.
60. Kisses on the cheek.
61. Hugs around your shoulders.
62. Ahi Tuna Wrap from Nalu.
63. When you're stuck and get so much more productive in a coffeeshop.
64. Working with friends at a coffeeshop.
65. Knowing the lyrics to whatever comes on.
66. Wearing your favorite sneakers.
67. When a kiddo makes you a friendship bracelet.
68. Home-cooked meals from Mama.
69. Successfully duplicating a family recipe (rare.)
70. When a risky haircut works out.
71. The earnestness of emoji that older friends/family/family friends use.
72. Runner's high.
73. Towel ponchos.
74. Metallic eyeshadow.
75. Corny inspirational quotes that actually hit.
76. Realizing you've cited the same things multiple times on a happy list (oops!)
77. Gestural drawings.
78. Listening to a friend explain their expertise in something, especially when they light up.
79. Fun-shaped ice.
80. Thinking you're out of ice but you remembered to fill all the trays.
81. Going through a Pinterest phase.
82. Hanging new wall art.
83. Matcha lattes.
84. Looking through other peoples' scrapbooks.
85. Sparklers.
86. Sidewalk chalk.
87. Making strawberry ice cream.
88. Realizing you know every lyric or dance move to a song you used to know.

January 6

1. When you say something in a specific voice/cadence and realize you've been trained by a toddler.
2. Little Blue Dood drawings.
3. Weighted blankets.
4. The scent of rain.
5. When you finish a walk or run exactly as it starts raining (the satisfaction!!!)
6. The kava bar atmosphere.
7. Sliding into diner booths.

January 7

1. Rediscovering an old workout playlist that makes it so easy.
2. The right audiobook narrator.
3. Costco noodle bowls.
4. A really excellent caesar salad (with fries, perhaps.)
5. Related: sweet potato fries.
6. When you have a headache and the ibuprofen kicks in.
7. Related: ice when you're hurting.
8. Silky little robes.
9. Greek mythology.
10. Label maker. It's addictive.
11. Cabana towels.
12. Maraschino cherries and Shirley temples.
13. Porch talks with friends that go longer and deeper than you expect.
14. Solitaire on a vacation day (and similar pursuits to fill blank, blank time.)
15. Freshly ironed garment.
16. The running workout with Kels.
17. Sour Patch Kids in a movie theater.
18. Sentimental mint julep cups.
19. The Parent Trap soundtrack.

January 8

1. Raining hard enough to remind you of North Carolina.
2. Introducing a friend to a show or movie you love.
3. Babies in snow suits.
4. Kind strangers.
5. Getting a skill back.
6. My little desk lamp.
7. When you think a deadline's that day but it's actually later.
8. Baking brownies.
9. Sharing leftovers via my "Grace Baked Something, Please Take It" group message.

January 9

1. A deep sleep when you really need it.
2. Fantastic chapter edges.
3. Rewatching favorite dance videos.
4. Library hold coming in early.
5. Work opps that excite you.
6. The particular elegance of an hourglass.
7. The lavender surface cleaner spray.
8. Staying in a robe and towel turban for far, far too long.
9. The freedom of a rainy day to be lazy/indoors without sun guilt.
10. Seeing a friend on a walk.
11. L-theanine to fix the coffee jitters.
12. Balsamic glaze on a pizza.
13. Bar stools.
14. Mele Mele pastries (they're so beautiful).
15. Mottos on mirrors.