Today on Weekend Meanderings, a fall outfit combining stripes and plaid, consignment shopping, a new TV show, my favorite pan for cooking and two comfort food recipes.
Happy weekend, friends!
It’s Saturday and I’m joining Kim and Elizabeth for Weekend Meanderings.
Our weekly roundup of inspiration and goings on.
How was your week?
Mine was a little up and down.
A back injury continues to plague me.
Just as it was improving I stupidly went to the nursery for a good size pumpkin.
And replanted our window boxes.
Which led to a major set back.
Ha, no pun intended.
Oh the upside, I met up with Kim for a working lunch.
More on that later.
ARE YOU READY?
Let’s go!
REMEMBERING ANGELA LANDSBURY
This deserved a mention last week, but I was still too upset after hearing the news. Beloved actress, Angela Lansbury, died at age 96. A good, long life, yes. But she is one of those people I hoped would live forever.
Photofest via The Hollywood Reporter
Anyone else a fan of Murder, She Wrote? I adored that show and still turn to it from time to time. I call it comfort TV. It was part of the CBS Sunday night line-up for 12 years. And it was part of my Sunday night routine. A balm for the Sunday night scares. The show ended in 1996 and Sunday nights haven’t been the same since. Although the recent reboot of The Equalizer starring Queen Latifah is a fun Sunday night show.
Sara Krulwich/Redux Pictures via Vanity Fair
Of course, Angela Lansbury had an amazing career outside of Murder, She Wrote. Movies, big and small screen, and Broadway. Apparently she was not considered beautiful enough to be a leading lady back in the day and was relegated to supporting and character roles. She was often cast as the mother … of actors who were her own age. But the role of Jessica Fletcher is how I’ll always remember her. Did you know there is a Murder, She Wrote book series. It’s lighthearted, delightful, comfort reading and I’ve read each and every one. They seem to be published about once a year.
The last word … a final interview given in 2010 and not to be published until after her death.
DAILY ALASKA
Speaking of television, have you seen Daily Alaska? A traditional television show on ABC. Although I think it also streams on Hulu. Not sure how all this streaming stuff works. Anyway, I’m two episodes in and hooked. Hilary Swank stars as Eileen Fitzgerald, a disgraced New York Times reporter who moves to Alaska and joins the local paper. Jeff Perry, who I love from Scandal and My So Called Life, plays Stanley Cornick, the paper’s editor.
Speaking of Alaska, Jim was in Anchorage this week and sent a photo from his hotel room.
Jim is a connoisseur of avocado toast. He said he had one of the best ever at South in Anchorage. When Jim says its the best ever he means it included a well poached egg (essential) and bacon (not essential but highly desired).
FALL COMFORT FOOD
A few weeks ago I shared a link to Rachael Ray’s Pork Chops with Cider Gravy, Sautéed Apples & Onions in Odds & Socks. I’d one of my favorite fall and winter recipes … its comfort food. Last Sunday I made it for our Sunday lunch. I’ve been making this recipe since 2008 in my Rachael Ray oval sauce pan. I’ve had the pan about as long as I’ve been making the recipe … nearly 25 years. The oval shape is great and all four pork chops fit easily inside. This was the first cookware she designed and sold under her own brand. It comes in two sizes and I have the 5 quart. The new pans have fancy handles that can go in the oven up to 350 degrees … mine is from the dark ages.
Rachael serves the pork chop recipe with mashed sweet potatoes which is probably fabulous. I’m not a sweet potato lover so I substitute Yukon gold potatoes. (I leave the marmalade out of the pork chop recipe.)
May I share how I make quick and easy mashed potatoes? I know, you know how to make mashed potatoes. But sometimes it’s fun to hear how other people make basic things? I never met a potato I didn’t like, and mashed are my favorite of all favorites. This is my quick and easy method to get them on the plate fast.
Quick and Easy Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 1 potato per person Yukon Gold mashed potatoes, I per person Use the larger potatoes
- 1/2-1 tbsp per potato Salted Butter
- 1-2 tbsp per potato Milk I use 2% because it's what I always have, use whole, non-fat, or even cream.
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Leaving skin on, cut potatoes into cubes
- Add to a pan of salted water, enough to cover potatoes
- Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes or so until potatoes are tender (test with fork)
- Drain potatoes, add butter to pan and put potatoes back in. Add milk and salt. The amount of butter and milk you add is up to you and how smooth or rustic you'd like the potatoes to be.
- Using a fork start mashing and stirring until the potatoes are the consistency you prefer. I like them more rustic (lumpy).
STRIPES & PLAID FOR FALL
Last month I did another closet clean out after reading Kim’s inspirational and motivating how-to post. I was surprised by how many similar pieces I have. For example, striped shirts.
Apparently I like striped shirts.
And in an effort to put together some outfits with things I already have, I wondered how to wear my striped shirts for fall. So I grabbed my favorite blue and white stripped shirt from Target and this plaid / houndstooth blazer from H&M. The blazer was an inexpensive, impulse buy well over a year ago. I’ve never worn it and tossed it in the donate pile at least twice, but fished back out again.
Oh my gosh, I think it works! What do you think?
Can we consider plaid a neutral?
Adding a Mini Le Cuir by Longchamp bag (that I bought for Kyle’s wedding rehearsal luncheon) and Tuckernuck sunnies and off I go do do fall stuff.
Along with my Target striped shirt, and no-longer-available H&M blazer, I paired by trusty Levi’s and Tod’s suede driving loafer.
Let’s try a couple of stripes & plaid combos ~
Striped Shirt | Plaid Blazer | Denim | Loafers | Bag | Earrings
Striped Shirt | Plaid Blazer | Denim | Loafers | Bag | Earrings
Shop Blazers ~
Shop Shirts ~
Speaking of striped shirts, I recently bought this striped shirt at Target. I thought it was a green stripe … or at least it looks green on the Target website. It’s really a tri-color stripe of blue, green and light rust … I think you can see the detail here. Sorry, it needs ironing. It’s very soft, a little oversize and a super comfortable shirt for swanning around town this fall.
CONSIGNMENT SHOPPING
On Wednesday I met up with Kim for a working lunch … and of course a little ‘research’ shopping. Kim suggested we meet in Palo Alto’s Town & Country shopping plaza where we could linger on the patio of Douce France Cafe & Bakery over ice tea and paninis. Sadly we didn’t take many pictures which is a big blogging fail. I did share a few snippets in my Instagram stories and saved them to highlights.
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- Douce France Cafe
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- Brie, Pear, Walut Panini
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- Fillmore 5th
We also enjoyed the most scrumptious mini-eclairs before heading over to a really great consignment shop, Fillmore 5th. I think Kim’s mentioned it on her blog, she frequently talks about consignment shopping. And she’s very good at it. We weren’t inside for a full minute before she spotted a Kelly green Annabel Ingall Isabella tote. Oh my gosh. I was certain she’d buy it, but she hesitated because she already owns the same bag in yellow. I said, ‘if you don’t buy it, I will.’ And I did. For $58 … this is a $400+ bag!
In keeping with my stripes and plaid theme, Kim also spotted a Nila Lotan stripped shirt ($32 … over $300 new) and an amazing MaxMara Weekend plaid cropped blazer. It has a wonderful fringe detail. I bought both and can’t wait to pull them together into an outfit. Stay tuned.
There are so many wonderful consignment shops in the Bay Area. ReChic in Orinda and Labels in Walnut Creek are two of my local favorites. Also, the Assistance League’s Wayside Inn Thrift Shop in Lafayette is a great shop for a great cause. It’s my go-to donation site for quality clothing and decor. Along those lines, Home Consignment in Danville is a great place for furniture, decor, art and jewelry. They just received new model home inventory and I’ll be heading there this weekend. My youngest niece, Shelby, just moved into her first apartment and I bet there will be some great finds for her. She also shopped Auntie’s garage.
Last night we packed the car full of miscellaneous decor and our Serena & Lily Blake console table and headed to Shelby’s place. Remember, I purchased the console at the outlet several months ago. It was meant for the foyer, but our cat, Abby, mistook it for a scratching post. I’ve heard others share similar experiences and, bottom line, do not purchase the Blake line if you have a cat. Our loss is Shelby’s gain. We also zhushed her front door with a faux wreath that she can use year round by adding seasonal ribbon or decor, and a layered doormat situation. She’d already purchased a pumpkin and her entry looks very fall festive!
So there you have it, this weekend’s meanderings.
Let’s visit Kim and Elizabeth to see what’s they’re sharing.
Odds & Socks ~
- Miss Scarlet and the Duke is back for season 2 on PBS!
- Over 50? You’ll enjoy this girl chat.
- Serena & Lily is offering $150 off their South Seas Collection. Use code FABULOUS. We have the South Seas Console behind our great room sofa and we love it. And Abby is completely uninterested.
- Confused by wedding dress codes, read this.
- If you’re local, Orchard Nursery Lazy K & Atrium in Lafayette, is offering 50% off Halloween items.
- Fall tabletop inspiration.
- A fabulous kitchen in a dreamy vacation rental.
If you missed last weekend’s meanderings, you can catch up here.
And follow along for more fun on Instagram and Pinterest.
As always, I appreciate your visit and welcome your thoughts in the comments below.
Cheers from Snowberry!
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