Saturday Meanderings

Welcome to the weekend! Another fly-by week with too many things to do and not enough time to stop and smell the roses. The weather is changing from chilly weather in the mountains to temperatures under 100 here. It sounds a bit strange when you think it feels cooler at 90 degrees. Thanks for joining me today for Saturday Meanderings, the last day of summer, where we chat about all good things this week.

What Are You Watching?

With our daughter working at the county medical examiner’s office, we seem to have taken an interest in crime dramas.

The Coroner is a BBC Birmingham drama series starring Claire Goose as Jane Kennedy, a coroner based in a fictional South Devon coastal town. If you love pretty British villages on the water and entertaining characters, you will enjoy this show. Only two seasons (2015-2016) and can be viewed on Prime TV and Apple TV.

The Perfect Couple is an American mystery drama miniseries starring an ensemble cast, including Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Eve Hewson, and Dakota Fanning. It is an adaptation of the 2018 novel of the same name by Elin Hilderbrand. Amelia is about to marry into one of the wealthiest families on Nantucket, until a shocking death derails the wedding — and turns everyone into a suspect. It’s one season and you can find it on Netflix.

Inspired by Scott Turow’s beloved courtroom thriller, Presumed Innocent is the story of a horrific murder that upends the Chicago Prosecuting Attorneys’ office when one of its own is suspected of the crime, leaving the accused fighting to keep his family together.

Jake Gyllenhaal does an excellent job of acting as you strongly dislike his character. We haven’t completed the season yet, so I am recommending it thus far. With one season with 8 episodes, you can see it on Apple TV. Makes me want to watch the original 1990’s film with Harrison Ford.

Are you watching anything worthwhile? If so, please share.

Free Armoire

My sweet neighbor gave me this very well made armoire. It was her grandmother’s and she doesn’t have a place for it. I love the details and the interior seems to have good storage. However, it has on a sprayed on finish that was very popular many decades ago. My hope is to strip it down to original wood and put a non-color wax on it.

It is currently in the garage waiting for cooler weather and a block of time when I can start working on this new project. More to come!

No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

How often do you vacuum the condensers on your refrigerator/freezer? We obviously do not do it frequently enough. Since the internal temperature on my Sub-Zero drawer refrigerators is off, I google how to fix this. It tells me to vacuum the condenser which should be done every 6-12 months, or more frequently when you have pets.

In removing the grill, I find the condenser to look like an animal~covered in lint and pet hair. So disgusting. I turn off the power and vacuum it without incident.

Knowing it has been a very long time since either my husband or I did this, I vacuum the refrigerator and then the freezer condenser. Suddenly a water line (to the ice maker) breaks away and starts spraying water all over the kitchen hardwood floors. Fortunately, my sweet plumber instructs me via text how to turn off the water.

My simple DIY project is now going to cost an appliance service visit on September 30th. Until then, we have no ice. Sheesh. I guess the moral to this story is let your husband or handyman vacuum the condensers.

New Hobby Lobby in town

There is a brand new Hobby Lobby at 1727 W. Bethany Home Road (the old JC Penney location) at Spectrum mall. I was there yesterday and they have that fabulous garland that we used last year for the Fall Styling Workshop. Apparently it is sold out elsewhere. It’s 50% off at $49.99 each.

I also bought another type of garland. It’s the same soft feel, but less full. I don’t know what kind of evergreen it is (Frasier? Noble?) but the color green is very attractive.

This garland, too is 50% off  at $23.99 each. I checked and both these garlands are out of stock online.

From the Internet

Half Baked Harvest is one of my favorite blogs to follow. Tieghan’s recipes are inspired by the people and places she loves most. She has wonderful seasonal recipes, cooked with wholesome foods. If you are looking for fall recipes, check out her post The 60 Most Popular Fall Recipes of 2024. If nothing else, you will find the pictures drool-worthy.

I have never painted on fabric but it is something I would love to try. Wendy from WM Design House makes the cutest pumpkin pillow, inspired by an unusual item. Her easy step by step instructions inspire me. Check it out here.

ACH Collection features this French-inspired home in Vancouver and I am so drawn to this bathroom. I love the floor tiles, the wall faucets and that candle on a stand! To see other photos of this beautiful home, click here. Even the outdoor space for the children is magical.

I love looking at other people’s homes, don’t you? Speaking of homes, look who moved into the bird house? A gecko!

Have a wonderful weekend! We are hosting an event here today and hopefully will be relaxing on Sunday (or maybe some gardening).

Note: The painting at the top I did a few years ago. It’s been sitting in my art room in a pile of paintings. It’s one of my favorites so it is time to display it on a small gold easel in the living room. I hope you like it.