I plan to post often about happiness here – what makes me happy, how to find more happiness, what makes others happy, etc…But today, I thought I’d post a quick tribute to the scent that I am currently obsessed with, the scent that makes me the happiest. That scent is my beloved Avocado and Mint candle from Anthropologie. Just one sniff and I’m transported to a happy place. The combination isn’t one you come across too often, but having a special place in my heart for both avocado and mint, it’s the perfect combination, in my mind. Mixed with some lime and sweet sugarcane, it’s pure deliciousness.

The fresh, yummy scent has me dreaming of mojitos and tropical fantasies. And it’s not one of those impostor candles that lures you in with its scent, only to have that very scent disappear the moment you light it. No, no. My Avocado and Mint lovely fills the entire house! And it’s so cute, in its tin can with a little lid to help keep it from getting dusty between uses. (Not that much time goes between burnings with this one!) When I realized how much I loved the scent and the way it spread throughout the house, I wasted no time stocking up on another during my next stop at Anthropologie. I couldn’t resist!

This afternoon, as I enjoyed the comforts of working from home, the little tin glowed next to me, scent of avocado and mint adding a bit of joy to my work. (If only I had the luxury of working from home regularly…Unfortunately, it was a doctor’s appointment that kept me away from the office today.) I’ve always thought I was a sucker for things with lovely scents – candles, shower gels, hair products, even sweetly scented lip glosses – and this candle definitely proves that. But more than being a testament to my love for yummy scents, I am reminded that even small things such as a candle in a metal tin can bring about big happiness.

What little things bring happiness to your day?

Although I have yet to formally introduce myself, I thought I might get the words flowing by first introducing a special little girl who brings much happiness and laughter to my life. This sweet little cat is Daisy – the other lady of the house. Although I can’t claim her as my very own, you could say I inherited her, as she was part of the package deal with the boyfriend. Daisy should be a petite kitty, but a penchant for snacking and a love of lounging has caused her to develop quite a little muffin top. She can often be found sprawling out on the couch or the bed like a languid sunbather, her fluffy belly on display for all to see.

Quite the curious cat, I often wonder if she thinks she’s a puppy – what with the way she wags her tail, follows me around, and gazes up at me and begs when I’m eating. She keeps me company in the mornings as I get ready for work, sitting pretty on the vanity as if she, too, were primping for the day ahead. Miss Daisy can always be counted on to keep me warm as we cuddle on the couch, but she can have her moments of odd behavior too. We’ve coined terms to describe some of her silly habits – “sloth,” “making dough,”"hearing voices,” and “loving the pillow.” You’ll have to stay tuned to see video footage of these antics. ;)

What cute critters do you share your life with?

Over the last year, I have become more frequently reminded of blogging and considered resurrecting the original “hapabella.” Living with a social media happy boyfriend hasn’t hurt either. Said boyfriend was shocked to learn that I once had a blog, after several months into our relationship. Frequently updating his blog on DC nightlife and his website which overflows with photo galleries of DJs, urban architecture and other fun events, he is never far from his Droid or laptop and manages to tweet throughout the day – sometimes to my chagrin, as I don’t necessarily think that the whole world needs to know which fabulous restaurant we’re checking into for our dinner date (but I digress. That’s a whole different topic…). However I will credit the boy with giving me a little push to try this again. It will be fun – we can have “blog dates,” where we set up camp in a cute cafe and tap away on our Macs, waxing poetic on our respective blogs.

The original happabella blog was private; I only shared the URL with a few close friends. But this time around, I’ve decided that I’m going to take the plunge and expose myself, er, make my blog public for the first time. Yes, it’s a little scary putting yourself out there, but having recently read an article inspiring readers to make 2011 the year of living fearlessly (Whole Living, Jan. 2011), I figured this was a good place to start. I don’t profess to write life-changing words of wisdom or eventually turn my blog into a book, then a movie, a la “Julie & Julia,” but I do hope that you enjoy what you find here. I’d like to hope that I can make others smile at my silliness, or through sharing things that make me smile. Feel free to comment and let me know what makes you smile too!

So although the saying may be “the third time’s the charm,” here’s to hoping that “the second time’s the charm!”