tiny happy

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‘tiny happy’ was a journal of my handmade life from 2006-2025.

small corners

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Pictured above are some small corners of our little house. We're enjoying all that autumn has to offer: lots of rain and then that golden light, acorns and walnuts, time inside for drawing and reading. Cycling through dried leaves at the park. Fresh flowers, figs and preserving pears. (Thank you, Pearl, for the jars!)

I spent the weekend completely immersed in the world of this novel, and didn't want to leave it when I finished the book. I love it when that happens.

Hope you had a restful time too.

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36 responses to “small corners”

  1. louana Avatar
    louana

    I have many a bowl of forraged autumn goodness too, seeds and seed pods galore. Love your little teacup!

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  2. tinyhappy Avatar
    tinyhappy

    thanks louana!
    ah yes, the bowls of foraged seed pods… so good, eh? 🙂

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  3. Felicity.lingle@gmail.com Avatar
    Felicity.lingle@gmail.com

    I love the leaf illustration and the last drawing is gorgeous!!

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  4. Jacilyn Avatar
    Jacilyn

    Love seeing the little corners of your home!
    We are just leaving spring here but hearing your talk of autumn makes me miss it. It is my favorite season.
    I really enjoyed the Time Traveler’s Wife too.

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  5. lauren Avatar
    lauren

    YES I LOVED THAT BOOK TOO!!! 🙂

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  6. Erin Avatar
    Erin

    Love your little corners; it sounds like you had a wonderful weekend – autumn leaves are lovely.

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  7. Marty Avatar
    Marty

    You have a terrific eye.

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  8. Holly C. Avatar
    Holly C.

    Yummy photos!

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  9. wendy Avatar
    wendy

    Love how you say ‘riding through the leaves’. I somehow havent thought of that before. It seems like you have got the autumn theme well on its way in your place. Lovely images Melissa.

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  10. Sarah S Avatar
    Sarah S

    A friend of mine has just lent me that book – itching to start reading it, might save it for a plane trip next week.

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  11. Francesca Avatar
    Francesca

    I loved that book too! Looking at your preserves, I was wondering what unusual NZ fruit it might be, I would have never guessed it was pears!

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  12. Paula Avatar
    Paula

    i really love the look of those pears, and i am going to make your sticky lemon slice this week 🙂

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  13. Renate Avatar
    Renate

    Dear Melissa, I want you to know that I really enjoy reading your blog. It expresses so much calmness and peace. And I can use a bit of that lately. Thank you for sharing all the beautiful things you make and do.
    greetings from the Netherlands (were the spring is busy and birds are nesting)

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  14. tinyhappy Avatar
    tinyhappy

    thank you, renate, that makes me happy!

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  15. MA Avatar
    MA

    Isn’t that a great book!
    (but don’t bother with the movie)

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  16. Belinda Avatar
    Belinda

    Lovely quiet scenes from your home Melissa.
    The time Traveler’s Wife is one of my favourite books too. Clare and Henry are such beautiful characters, and I was so sad when I was nearing the end of the book because I wanted to keep reading about them and their unwavering love for each other despite all it took to remain so.
    If you loved the book, don’t watch the movie adaptation – it’s very disappointing unfortunately.
    PS. Loved the bird paintings from last week too 🙂

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  17. elmtree Avatar
    elmtree

    An hour ago I just put down her other novel; Her Fearful Symmetry. I liked it very much, with an interesting secret and a satisfying ending.
    I love my local library…..
    My next preserves will be quince-pear jelly. Yours look good!

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  18. Alison Gibbs Avatar
    Alison Gibbs

    Love all of your little corners
    Alison

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  19. Brenda Avatar
    Brenda

    Beautiful. The illustration, is that one that you did?
    Sounds like a great book.

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  20. sarah Avatar
    sarah

    i think the pine cones paired with the leaf painting is my favorite corner 🙂
    thank you for sharing!

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  21. Margaret Oomen Avatar
    Margaret Oomen

    great book and even greater glimpses of your corners
    the book was definitely so much better than the movie

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  22. Denise | Chez Danisse Avatar
    Denise | Chez Danisse

    I enjoyed the novel too. It had some additional special meaning for me because I am from Chicago. I haven’t read her new novel yet. It looks intriguing and very different from this one.

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  23. tinyhappy Avatar
    tinyhappy

    yes, i can imagine it would be extra special if youre from chicago. it made me want to visit!

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  24. tinyhappy Avatar
    tinyhappy

    thanks, margie- yes i though the movie looked a bit cheesy. ill give it a miss. plus i cant bear to destroy the book as it is in my mind!

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  25. Eyecatchers Avatar
    Eyecatchers

    Just love your photo’s – U seem to capture things soooo well – and I especially love that picture of the leaves 🙂 – simple but very “eyecatching” 🙂

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  26. Laura Avatar
    Laura

    even your small corners are restful.
    Loved, LOVED the book, was quite disappointed by the film, it just didn’t grab and squeeze my heart the way the book did.

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  27. Stacey Avatar
    Stacey

    Yes, I loved that book too.
    I loved Arlo’s pants!

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  28. Coral Smith Avatar
    Coral Smith

    Hello Melissa
    Could you please tell me how you preserved your pears? Did you boil the jars in a large pot of water to seal them? I used to preserve with a “Fowlers Outfit” but gave the jars away a long time ago.
    You are very artistic with your little arrangements!
    Coral

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  29. tinyhappy Avatar
    tinyhappy

    hi coral,
    yes, i did boil up my jars in a big pot of water to seal them. i dont know if you have agee preserving equipment where you are (australia?) but here its a popular brand… i had the jars given to me, then bought new agee seals for the tops, and managed to find a packet of gold-coloured screw rings to match. i prepared the pears, made up a syrup of sugar and water, heated the jars in the oven for a while, packed the fruit into the jars, poured the syrup on top, placed the seals on and screwed down the rings. then i put a few jars at a time into a big pot of boiling water for about 25 minutes to sterilise. when cold, i removed the screw rings.
    hope that helps! 🙂

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  30. Coral Smith Avatar
    Coral Smith

    Thanks very much Melissa. Yes we do have Agee preserving jars here in Australia. I didn’t know you could remove the screw rings before you used the contents!
    I love preserves!
    Thanks again, Coral

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  31. Pauline Avatar
    Pauline

    Love the picture of leaves.
    I have to say though, I really didnt like that book. I thought it was really dull and couldnt wait for it to end!! Looks like I was the only one 🙂
    P

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  32. tinyhappy Avatar
    tinyhappy

    ha- thats fair enough! everyone has different tastes. 😉

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  33. Jenn Avatar
    Jenn

    I’m pleased you liked The Time Traveler’s Wife. I can see something of Clare’s aesthetic in your own art, perhaps, too – I love the descriptions of her preparing the paper for her sculptures, and the birds.

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  34. Littleminx.wordpress.com Avatar
    Littleminx.wordpress.com

    Beautiful, thanks for sharing x Joanna

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  35. Wendy Avatar
    Wendy

    I felt the same way when I read it…it’s one of the precious few books I can bear to re-read, and I keep a very dog-eared copy in my bedside table. Loved seeing the little corners of your home!

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  36. itto Avatar
    itto

    I love your small corners and especially the leaves-print. your blog makes me always happy! thanks melissa.

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