Month: October 2020

Musings

Unexpected Consequences

JanetLeave a comment

“Be careful what you ask for.”

I chuckle because the lesson was a difficult one to master – and, no, it hasn’t been.

I learned from a young age that people heard things you didn’t realize you’d said and if you weren’t careful they’d make things appear (Like Magic!) when you weren’t expecting them to.

I have a dear friend who spoils me rotten. Around 3 decades ago he discovered I preferred Sees Dark Chocolate Marzipan rather than just a box of Sees candies. (If you haven’t tried them, you don’t know what you are missing – and that applies to all of Sees candies) Further, he discovered that I absolutely love York Peppermint patties.

That Christmas I was overwhelmed with both. Really!

I used to be able to get Cadbury chocolates at Target. I say ‘used to’ because it was decades ago and I’m not sure when everything shifted.

Anyway, I mentioned that I would love some Cadbury chocolate again.

Well, wasn’t I surprised (YEP) when I discovered a neat package in my mailbox all the way from England stuffed with an assortment of Cadbury chocolates?

If you love chocolate and are looking for something particularly luscious, I urge you to check out what you might find. My friend found mine on Amazon. These are not high-end fancies, but regular bar types similar to what we might find in a candy counter in America. Also, these aren’t cheap, either. Keep that in mind.

Audiobooks · Books

On The Reading Table: The Lady Sherlock Books

JanetLeave a comment

Book 5: Murder on Cold Street

I found The Lady Sherlock Book series a couple of years ago and was immediately entranced. The series, written by Sherry Thomas, takes Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s characters and turns them on their sides, inside out and upside down. The result is a collection of stories that are part masterful mystery, part exercise in exquisite language, and part deft storytelling. All written with the same attention to language and detail that Doyle gave us in his stories.

Where Doyle creates main characters with backgrounds that are revealed in an extremely limited manner, Thomas provides us with a coterie of people who are complicated, layered, interesting, and occasionally exasperating. Not to mention often funny*.

If you’ve read here for very long, you know I’ve been on a Holmes / Doyle kick for quite a while. In fact, I strongly recommend Stephen Fry’s audio collection of the entire Doyle canon.

If you enjoy a good mystery and want a story that is very much not a + b = c bland, I suggest you start with Sherry Thomas’ “A Study in Scarlet Women” being sure to buckle up for an adventure (or two) that you won’t soon forget. Be prepared; you will eagerly reach for the next volume in the series and continue through until you’ve inhaled the entire series so far.

Yes, you will want to read this series in order. While each book stands alone, there are a few story arcs that continue not only between books, but across the series.

*Charlotte’s sense of fashion is, um, colorful.

“Murder on Cold Street” takes us into one of the most complicated and convoluted of Holmes’ cases. This time the client is Inspector Treadles’ wife, who is desperately searching for help to exonerate her husband who has been found locked in a room with two dead men. The Inspector isn’t talking about what actually happened and the information Holmes (and the reader) is initially given isn’t quite what it seems.

Narrated by Kate Reading, this book is a wonderful excursion into an adventure that is part mystery, part romance, part history, and lots of fun.

I’d love to hear what you think of the books. Please add a comment below.

If you like this post and have found it helpful (we all need recommendations for our reading tables), please click on the “like” button!

Musings

Make the Most Out of Limited Space

JanetLeave a comment

I’ve been following DIY Danie for a while now and have to say that I’m impressed at her creativity and expertise. This lady knows how to think through a project. Check out her blog at DIY In Progress or settle back to enjoy the adventure of her DIY projects over on YouTube.

Speaking of which, her current project is the creation of her brand new She Shack and it is Awesome! Check it out here:

Taking what is essentially an old garden tool shed and transforming it into efficient workspace is one thing, but upgrading it using paint and flooring is fabulous.

Danie has lots of other projects on her channel, so don’t be shy about checking out what she has to offer.

If you are contemplating updating one of your spaces or looking for ideas to make better use of your space, here are some things to think about:

  • What do you want to use the space for?
    • Will this be a high traffic area?
  • What kind of furniture is required?
    • Will you need to make special purchases OR can you create your own?
  • Will this be a multi-purpose area?
  • Is traffic flow an issue?
    • If you are mixing functions you may need to consider traffic patterns.
  • Do you need to make special arrangements for heating and cooling and lighting?
    • Some areas have full service, while others may need to upgrade or add services.

I hope this will inspire you to try your hand at something you’ve put on the back burner or thought you’d have to hire out to get done. If this post has been helpful, please let me know by clicking on the “Like” button and/or leaving me a comment. 🙂

Around the House

The Flexibility of Design Choices

JanetLeave a comment

Or, One Size, Color, Genre Does Not Fit All

I’ve often been intrigued by the array of colors, designs, patterns and genres that are available for pretty much everything.

If you are into Art Deco, there is a wide array of color choices that include metallics like gold and brass.

Prefer a bit of Americana? Red, white, and blue are obvious choices, but the variety of fabrics is astounding. Consider: You can go with the standard, but why not up the game with Civil War fabric reproductions? The color pallet is broader with more interesting combinations. Or, you can choose 1930’s fabric reproductions for a softer approach. One of my favorite collections is called “Lately From London” and is a collection of deep, rich colors and patterns that were prevalent around the end of the 1790’s. Not your ordinary run of the mill collection, for sure.

Want to aim for a French Country look? Are you interested in attempting to recreate a Downton Abbey look? Not sure where to start?

I suggest you head over to your local, or online, fabric shop and see what is available. Before you panic and tell me you don’t sew, don’t worry. My thought is that you can look at the fabrics and get an idea of colors, patterns and how they work together.

For example, when Downton Abbey was in its heyday, there were several fabric lines based on the time period of the series. Actually, they covered the various time periods in the series. Each represented the variety of colors and intensities along with patterns of the various time periods.

Contemplating a bit of Early American or French Country? You’ll no doubt find a variety of possibilities in the fabric lines carried by the stores.

Perusing the collections on display, you will get an opportunity to see all kinds of colors, patterns and collections to see what strikes your fancy – and what doesn’t. The flip side of this is that you will be able to get a sample of your favorite and be able to match paint colors.

Feeling adventurous? If you find fabrics you like, you can make your own pillow covers, window coverings, place mats, napkins, etc. Most of these projects are simple to do and a good starting point if you are a beginning sewer.

I don’t know about you, but one of my biggest frustrations shopping for home decor in the stores is that the store wants to tell me what I should have in my home. Most of the time, we don’t agree. Yes, it might be a bit more expensive (or not) to go my own way, at the end of the day, however, my home will be My Home.

Helpful? Giving you ideas? Don’t forget to hit the “Like” button!

Cooking · Dining · Food

Comfort Food Follow Up

JanetLeave a comment

Remember the meat loaf and jacket potatoes I indulged in a couple of weeks ago? In light of the conversation about meal planning and such, I thought I’d share the evolution of that lovely meal.

aka: Left overs can be magic!

Okay, the meat loaf made at least 2 meals along with the jacket potatoes. I had a bit in some soft tacos, too. The remainder made its way into a baked ziti casserole that, in itself, made 3 meals.

By my reckoning, that’s a total of six meals. And there’s still more ground beef in the freezer waiting to be used.

I know we sometimes get caught up in the “I hate left overs” rut along with the “I’m tired of cooking” rut. But if you take a step back, take a deep breath, and look at what you’ve got in your pantry, you can often come up with ideas for meals that you’ve already started preparing. 🙂

This is the power of having the building blocks of a variety of meals in your pantry, fridge and freezer waiting for your inspiration.

What’s next? Well, I have some carrots that will be added to some broccoli for soup and I’m contemplating biscuits to go along with it.

What’s on your idea list?

As always, if this has been helpful or given you some ideas, please click the “like” button and don’t be shy about leaving a comment or question.

Around the House

A Different Take On Color

JanetLeave a comment

I’ve been watching DIY Danie on YouTube and enjoying her work tremendously. She is a long term DIYer who always brings interesting projects to her videos.

Recently she posted about a project that she worked on with BEHR paints. I have to admit, I love the color she was given to use (see more about this in the video) but the projects themselves were also interesting and thought-provoking.

If you are a renter who can’t put color on the walls, why not look at other surfaces. Bookcases. Small tables. Large tables. <G> Planters. Frames. Pretty much any surface can be painted.

Color may be subjective, but by stretching your comfort zone, even just a little bit, can freshen up a space and make it more comfortable.

Cord Cutting · TV

Update: Pluto TV

JanetLeave a comment

I’ve had the Pluto TV channel loaded on my Roku box for ages. I got it because my over the air antenna, while good, occasionally has issues with low-frequency signals that float. Many of the ‘additional’ channels are low frequency and often evaporate when the weather changes.

Additional Channels – Those digital extras that are add-ons to regular network or independent channels. They are usually noted as ‘##.3’.

I initially added Pluto TV because it carried BUZZR which is a 24/7 collection of old game shows. I love many of the old game shows and was frustrated when I couldn’t access the over the air version. This was a win for me. Occasionally, I’d browse through the offerings to see what was new.

For those who don’t know, PlutoTV is a free channel/network that you can access on a variety of platforms. It carries no fees, no passwords, no access codes, no extra costs. It also carries hundreds of TV shows and movies in an easy to access and peruse format that includes sports, house and home, comedy, dramas, kids programming, and pretty much everything in between.

I have found myself using the channel/network more and more because they are carrying more of my favorite shows. Some even have their own channel.

I hope this will help give you some ideas on alternatives to cable or other pay-TV options. If it has, please click on the “like” button below. Questions or comments? Let me know!