Edition 03: Bentley Gordon

Meet The Collector: Bentley Gordon 

Why We Chose Bentley 

Take a glimpse at Bentley’s colorful classroom collection and you’ll see why we chose her for our ‘Back to School’ edition of Collectors Circle!  

We just love how this bubbly, young educator uses our Bases and Attachments to add joy, personality, and a little extra happy to her #teacherlife each and every day. 

Outside of the school setting, we've also enjoyed seeing how Bentley incorporates Happy Everything! into marking life milestones. And boy oh boy, has she had a string of celebrations here lately—a new puppy, an engagement, a new home, and even a (surprise!) wedding.  

Her enthusiastic story is a great reminder that Happy Everything! is here for life's biggest celebrations and the everyday moments in between. Keep reading...we have a feeling you'll finish Bentley's spotlight with the biggest smile on your face. 

About Bentley   

Bentley lives in Tennessee with her husband, Garrison, and miniature dachshund, Molly. She just recently got married and had a surprise wedding, in which everyone thought they were attending an engagement party! {It was the best night ever!} 

She is a teacher, and this will be her 4th year teaching! She absolutely loves her job and enjoys traveling with family. Bentley has been to 44 states and three tropical islands! She also loves to go to the lake where she wakeboards, surfs, and skis.  

Bentley's Decorating Style in Three Words  

Cheerful, bright, friendly. 

How do you pick which pieces you decorate with in your classroom versus at home?  

I absolutely love all Happy Everything! pieces, so I love decorating with it in my home and my classroom. My classroom is full of color, so I love the Bright Dot pieces! I have many pieces in my classroom that I am constantly moving to new places, and I am always changing out my Attachments!  

While my home is also colorful, it's more neutral than my classroom. I use my Neutral Dot pieces in my kitchen, and I enjoy using them for serving. I also have the 30” Calendar in both places! My students love helping me change out the Attachments at school. 

What do other teachers, parents and/or your students think of your Happy Everything! Attachments and collection?  

Oh, my goodness, I never dreamed of how much they would LOVE it!  

My students absolutely love looking at my Attachments and helping me change them out! Many teachers enjoy viewing my Calendar each month and love seeing my displays. When parents visit my classroom, they always point out how adorable it is! 

I have been gifted many pieces by students and teachers, which I LOVE so much. Happy Everything! is SO HAPPY and that’s what I want my classroom to be: happy!  

How did you use Happy Everything! in your recent Wedding events and wedding-related activities?  

Every wedding event had Happy Everything! involved!  

My sister and I both got married this year, and we absolutely loved using the Platters with the adorable wedding Attachments for serving at our showers. We loved the Bride Groom, Mr. and Mrs., the (Retired) Wedding Car Icon, and THE Ring Box. They were so, so cute on the Bowl with champagne on ice and on our Platters.  

Happy Everything! has been in our lives for so long that we absolutely loved displaying it and, of course, it is the cutest décor ever! 

Has anyone ever asked you, “Wait… how many of these do you have?” 

Oh yes, and I LOVE to answer this question and show pictures! I have many Attachments to go on my Mini Square Platter, Big Square Platter, Round Platter, Big Bowls, Mini Bowls, Nesting Cubes, and Frames.  

I also have many retired Halloween pieces that are my FAVES. I love decorating my house with Happy Everything! during Halloween! Everyone always seems to enjoy when I share about my collection, and I have had many people buy their own pieces after seeing mine! 

How long have you been collecting Happy Everything!? 

I have been collecting for around 8 years. We gifted my grandmother Happy Everything! pieces, and she passed them down to me after she passed away. I have continued to grow my collection with new pieces and swap pieces out. It is such a fun thing to do. 

Do you remember your very first Happy Everything! piece? What was it—and why did you choose it? 

My first Happy Everything! piece was the 30” Calendar. A local boutique had it hanging behind the register for years, and I adored watching her change out the Attachments each month. She sold it to me, and I fell in love with all of the pieces! I now have the Calendar in my home and my classroom. 

To me, it is not just a Calendar; it is a beautiful piece of décor! I get so many compliments on it, and I have inspired three teachers to get one for themselves! I am filled with excitement when others enjoy Happy Everything! as much as I do. 

What drew you to Happy Everything! in the first place?  

Growing up, I always saw it displayed, and I just loved the idea of being able to change out Attachments for events. My mom always goes all out on decorations for every holiday and event, and what better way to decorate than with an adorable Platter with Attachments? 

There are so many fun things in life, and they should all be celebrated. Happy Everything! makes decorating so fun and cute. I just love the bright colors and fun ideas for Attachments. 

What’s your all-time favorite Icon (or one you reach for again and again)? 

My all-time favorite Happy Everything! Icon would have to be the Backpack! It is the cutest ever with the polka dot composition notebook hanging out. I get so happy when I have it on display in my classroom {in multiple spots!} and I put it on display for the whole month of August in my home.  

And your all-time favorite Base or POPSHOP item? Or color combination?  

I absolutely love the Bright Dot Bases for my classroom. The thick polka dots are so adorable paired with Attachments! I also have the Neutral Dot Bases in my home. 

I also LOVE the new Pink Dot! I will definitely be getting it soon.  

But, if I could only have one favorite, it would be the Calendar. The Calendar will always be top of my list, and I love that I can display many Attachments on it at once! 

How many total Bases and Attachments are in your collection?  

I have ten Bases and 75 Attachments! {and counting…} I am loving all of the new ones, and I cannot help but add them to my collection. I have so many, yet I use all of them every year.  

Where in your home and classroom do you display your collection the most? 

At home, I have Happy Everything! displayed in my kitchen mostly. I have shelves that have a few Happy Everything! pieces and Coton Colors items. I also have my Big Neutral Dot Bowl and Big Neutral Dot Platter on display on my kitchen countertop. 

My Calendar is displayed right when you walk in the back door. In my classroom, I have many pieces on my desk, like the canisters that hold teacher items and the soap dispenser with hand sanitizer. I also have the Bright Dot Platter on display on my bookshelf with the picture frames.  

How often do you switch out your Icons? 

I switch out my Icons monthly on my Calendar and every two weeks on my Platters. I have multiple Attachments for each month, and I love swapping them out for a little refresh. They are too cute not to use them all! 

How do you incorporate your collection into entertaining and/or everyday life?  

I incorporate my collection by using several pieces in my classroom. 

This year I put so many Attachments on Bases, and I also used some on my whiteboard to show the weather for the day. It was such a fun idea and the students loved it! I use Attachments for events on my Calendar, such as awards day (Blue Ribbon), graduation (Striped Graduation Cap), field trips (the Retired School Bus), holidays, and more!   

At home, I also use my Calendar for weddings (Mr. and Mrs.), baby showers (Flying Stork), lake days (Cooler Vibes), vacations (Happy Travels Luggage), and holidays! I have so much fun changing them out.  

What advice would you give a new collector?  

Enjoy every minute and mix-and-match pieces!  

At first, I only saw pieces displayed in traditional ways, but now I use them for everything. I use Attachments for different events on the Calendar and mix Bases in my classroom for so many uses.  

I even had scissors on a Platter for a craft day. I have so many different patterns and I love that. Happy Everything! is so fun. You cannot go wrong with any of the pieces! 

What’s your favorite memory connected to the brand or your collection? 

My favorite memory would have to be when my mom, sister, and I purchased my first piece: my Calendar! We had the best day going home with the Calendar and placing my grandmother’s Attachments on it.  

We talked about what dates and events we could use each one for. Then, we got online and ordered more from the Happy Everything! website. After they saw mine, they each bought a Calendar as well!  

I love this memory and every time I look at my Calendar I think of them. We send a picture of each month to our group message with each other to share how we incorporated Attachments for that month. It is so fun! 

Has your collection marked any milestones (moves, celebrations, babies, gifts, etc.)?  

My collection has marked many milestones: my engagement, first home, my wedding, my sister’s wedding, and many holiday parties. I loved displaying the THE Ring Box Attachment after getting engaged.  

I got so excited that I ordered THE Ring Box from the Happy Everything! website, and then realized I already had it, but two is perfect since I use this Icon all the time on the Calendar.  

I also love when a new classroom Icon launches and I run to order it. It makes me happy!  

What piece is currently at the top of your wish list?  

I want the Pink Nesting Cube - any size! I cannot deal with how cute it is. Pink is the BEST color. I love how one is striped and one is polka dot—I need both!  

I have also been wanting the Pastel Fanciful Cross! It is so cute.  

If you could design your dream Icon, what would it be?  

I would love to have more classroom Icons: crayon box, schoolhouse, laptop... 

It would also be fun to have a pink or green hydrangea, skis (water/snow), and an airplane. What a dream it would be to help design these Icons. Happy Everything! is doing a wonderful job!  

What’s your favorite kind of party to plan? What does a happy celebration look like for you at your home?  

My favorite party is Back to School Bash. I have always loved back to school, with the cute school supplies and decorating my classroom. My sister, mom, and I always help each other in our classrooms each year. We grew up going to my mom’s school and getting ready for the new school year.  

We also host a New Year’s Eve party where we have all of our Happy Everything! serving pieces. And we host football parties {Go VOLS!} The (Retired) Power T Attachment is one of my favorites, paired with the (also Retired) collegiate Go Vols Platter. It is a huge hit at all of the football parties.