On this Weekend Meanderings…cozy kitchen lamps for the dark months, the best hummus to make, a Thanksgiving guide book, Chanel style jackets, and Carmel homes to dream about..
How has your week been? With Halloween done, some people are already thinking about the holidays. I’m not quite there, but Max and I got our Thanksgiving book out and checked on what we cooked last year, and put our turkey order in and made a preliminary menu..
About December…I am not sure I am ready! I just want to enjoy November. Is everything rushed or am I just being lame and waiting too long to plan for the holidays? Maybe with our artificial stop at Thanksgiving that other countries don’t have, we are at a disadvantage and could be prepping and enjoying more of the holiday season? I am conflicted, which adds to my perennial procrastination and living on the edge as Max says I do.. Sounds cooler when you’re younger!
Foraging for decor..
Have you been foraging the yard for home decor? I trimmed my olive trees in the front and brought in a bunch of the branches in. I am loving this look for November with a few little pumpkins until Thanksgiving..I also do this closer to the holidays with branches with berries and conifers.
Go check out your yard for ideas!
Other November happenings…
Kitchen Counter Lamps
The dark season is upon us, a week or so ago, I realized the kitchen is especially dark in the mornings.. It’s that time of year when I put a counter lamp back up..
I don’t know about you, but I’m not a big fan of overhead can lights. We have a thousand as they are mandated in new homes and renovations. That doesn’t mean I use them. I like pretending my home is like a cozy inn, or a pub.. I reject the surgery center lighting! I’ve used it to look for lost items and clip the cat’s claws..and that is about it. I use some caps near the sink to wash dishes.
Anyone can use a little lamp on the counter, and I’ve gotten them for both of my son’s kitchens. It’s nice to wake up and switch on a soft little lamp while you greet the morning and make your first cup. ( Note look for lower wattages on these, not some bright LED, which defeats the purpose.) After the kitchen is cleaned up after dinner, I switch off the pendants and click on the lamp..It sort of signals the relax portion of the evening when we read our watch a show.
If you don’t have a kitchen lamp, I recommend a smaller size lamp, away from water if you can. A corner under a cabinet for the perfect spot..Here’s a few that stood out to me.. Links in photos..
The cute Como lamp with a scalloped raffia shade is darling for under a cabinet, in white, chartreuse and three other colors, this Faris Ceramic lamp is a bit bigger, the Carmen Lamp is smaller and comes in a lovely white grey or white glass that looks like stone. I love this Anthro Rattan lamp with a cool shape and also love this little one from Target.
If you are worried about hiding the cord, or have a very small spot like near the sink, consider a cordless version..They are quite popular now and you can see them at charming restaurants and bars.. Options are here from from Amazon, in a cute wood, and here in a white/wood look. These are great for outdoors as well, or place a couple in the center of a dining table for warm feel.
Sam Sifton’s Thanksgiving
If you are just taking over the Thanksgiving duties, or need to some inspiration, I recommend Sam Sifton’s Thanksgiving. This treasure is filled with great stories and recipes and even room for notes, so you can look back on what worked or didn’t. No matter what you think, you WON’T remember the details of previous years meal! Max always say, oh so glad you wrote notes afterwards.
Sam is the founder of the NYTimes cooking and this book goes from planning- up to how to clean up right. As someone in comments sad, ‘this is not the meal for innovation’, and I could not agree more. Not that these menus don’t have any cool variations, but Americans generally want the classic meal. We do our variations on green beans and the mashed potatoes and pies, but we try to keep it to the crowd pleasers and this book will inspire you as well as be enjoyable to read.
Easy Hummus
Max and I have been getting into a routine with our meals and the empty nesting thing. In an effort to eat better, we have been getting a bunch of veg -mainly carrots, celery and peppers, and cut them all up on Sunday and store them in containers for easy grabbing.
I have started making my own hummus to go with it, and we have snacks all week this way. I’ve experimented with different hummus recipes and this one from Love and Lemons is a hit. It is light and flavorful and is super addicting.
This is mine above, from Halloween night.
I make this in my Cuisinart, but you can use a blender too. I like that this calls for canned chickpeas and I find the Italian brands to be the best. I top mine with a drizzle of good olive oil and toasted pumpkin seeds and a bit of paprika. I also like a little extra fresh lemon juice in the place of one of the teaspoons of water. You add water at the end so take your time to make it fluffy, but not too watery. Once you get the hang of this, you’ll never go back to store bought!
Chanel Style Jackets at J.Crew
I’ve been jacket obsessed this season, and the Chanel look jackets are all over now and I adore them. I really like them dressed down in a modern way with denim. Throwaway chic if you will..
The Chanel style jacket is always collarless, sometimes with pockets, and often short, but some can be long. Tweeds are the traditional fabric they come in..I found that J.Crew has a lot to offer in this category and I thought I’d share. Other good places to look are your local consignment.
They call their version of this jacket ‘The Lady Jacket’ and they have offerings in quilted leather, in denim, in a black (and pink) boucle, and knit red (also cream and grey). All so cute!
There is also this casual puffer version and more… All their Lady Jackets are on this page. I also saw a lovely quilted faux leather version in Plus size.
California Homes of the Week for Sale..
There’s less homes on the market now, but I found this great Carmel thatched home that’s walking distance to the beach, and trails. Just as soon as I picked it, I saw it was pending!
I knew the price was pretty good for beach proximity, updated kitchen and baths, and it has a sunny location. It’s cute so I’m sharing it anyway. I LOVE this place and the size and proximity to Carmel River Beach.
If you want something more under the radar, check out this Big Sur cottage with it’s own potter’s studio nestled in the forest…
Speaking of California homes, have you seen this Mid-Century Gingerbread House at World Market? I have to admit it’s pretty cute.
This was also Signature Style week with Cindy and Sarah and our topic was, ‘Does Your Home Reflect Your Personal Style? It was fun to think about and you can read it here.
On that post, I got a few questions about my home pieces and my kitchen runner. I noticed along with other rugs at Serena & Lily, my runner is on sale and also another I love -the runner version of my Alamere rug I have in the dining room…
Juliet, Annie, Cindy, Mary Ann, and Sherri Silver all did an autumn progressive party themed post with so many great ideas. You can start at Juliet’s who did the Apple Cider Aperol Spritz cocktail..Doesn’t that sound perfect? I think it will be our Thanksgiving drink.
VOTE!
This next week’s election is so important. I hope you all will vote and help those in your family – the younger ones especially, get to the polls. I also think it’s kind to check with older neighbors who might need a ride or help filling out their ballots. I made sure both my sons did their ballots this year, even though they are distracted and busy. We need those young people more than ever, so please engage and encourage them. In 2020, half of all young people 18-24 voted, a marked increase from previous years, so it’s improving.
It’s great to sit down with the younger people and talk about the options. If you don’t know what to vote on something, it’s okay to leave it blank. My sons did not know that..
If you live in California, you can register to vote up until election day! You can even walk into the polling place the last hour if that is what you need to do. They will give you a provisional ballot, that they will verify later. I love that. Everyone can get their vote in ! I sent ours via the mail and already got a confirmation it was counted last week.
That is my weekend meanderings for this week.. Please check out Elizabeth and Juliet’s blogs to see what good things they are sharing…
MAKE MINE A SPRITZER
PINECONES AND ACORNS
Thank you for being here and I hope your weekend is great!
Kim
On last week’s meanderings, ideas for persimmon season, autumn napkins, two fall casual outfits, and a untouched 1973 Aptos home for sale that’s a gem..
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I love a lamp in the kitchen…I use it year round and have it part of our automated lighting so it comes on at dusk and shuts off after everyone is asleep. I am dreading Tday this year…not into it. I already declined an invite, passed on having in-laws this year, and don’t feel like making it for my crew!! OMG Can we skip it? Spare a turkey? I have been so antisocial since the pandemic as it really brought out my inner hermit…it’s so much easier to be a hermit. Of course mom mode will kick in and I will make it nice but if I could skip it I so would.
Jackie what a great idea to have your lamp automated. I hear you about Turkey day.. I don’t even like turkey and cooking it has always freaked me out a bit. Thankfully my husband is doing it on the grill and I can just be in charge of sides. I envy people who go to Palm Springs or holiday somewhere. We did go to Carmel once for dinner and the fam did not like not having it at home.. Sigh.
I enjoy your blog very much. I am wondering about your blazer in the picture with the ballots. Is it the Madewell blazer? Thanks.
Yes! Denise I love it. This is the blazer here: https://rstyle.me/+wcVfZN0lpeU9fVrcx7fGQw
I wear it all the time now.
Hi Kim, I am keeping my fingers and everything else crossed for Tuesday, that more young people, especially women, vote! I just read Pop Sugar’s compilation of 50 States, 50 Abortions – https://www.popsugar.com/latest/50-Abortions It just underscores the fact that abortion care is health care (both physical and mental). I know it’s not the only thing that people are worried about though – your democracy is really on the line!
Good luck!
Thank you for sharing that Patricia. It’s super worrying for women’s healthcare. I watched a Texas woman’s story on CBS about how a well off woman laid in bed for two weeks in September this year after she miscarried and could not get any post care in her state. They told her to go home. By time she went back two weeks later, she was in such bad shape from Sepsis she was near death.
Note, this was in a big city and was a family with good healthcare, insurance and funds. She was not going to fly to another random state in her fragile condition. She did what her doctors told her and all they were ALLOWED to tell her. This was a woman who had help. Imagine women who have less means, less care.. women will be dying and it’s frightening.
Many issues and they are all so important… xo
My God, that’s a terrible story Kim! It’s truly awful. I just hope with all my heart that people go out and vote Democrat. I am so far away from all this but it still upsets me, so I can only imagine how upsetting it all is for you – take care of yourself. xx
P.S. But to me it’s also a cautionary tale. We can’t be complacent here in Canada.
Isn’t it? The Texas law is what they want for the whole nation. It’s wrong and it should be not decided by politicians. Thanks you take care too. xo
Hi Kim,
My vote has already been counted, so that’s done and I’m privileged and proud to have done that.
Re Counter lamps, I have several for my guest bath that I change out according to my decor every few months. I love the soft light and avoid overhead lighting whenever possible. My kitchen counter lamp is in use all year long. Just makes everything cozier.
Cute jackets. If I buy one more jacket I will officially have become a hoarder! Seems I always find room for one more, though!
Thanksgiving has never been my holiday, this year especially will be different for me. But I am looking forward to spending time with my girls.Nice that Max takes care of the bird!
Hope you have a good week.
Xo Heidi
Thanks for voting Heidi! I love that you use these lamps. They look so charming.Love jackets so much too. Nice you will be with your girls on the holiday. xo
Kim,
As usual I enjoy your take on things. You’ve inspired me to get a nice kitchen lamp. I am also thankful that you are a voice of urgency to vote. The election definitely means so much to the planet, to women and to the middle class.
Thank you for making life interesting for your followers. I’m always excited to hear about LG my old stomping grounds.
Rosalie
Hi Rosalie! Thanks so much. I think you’ll love the kitchen lamp..This election is a huge deal isn’t it? I just hope we get a good turnout. It’s scary for women and those in the middle in this country!
Aw I will do more about Los Gatos soon. It’s still so charming. I feel lucky to live here. xo
Love the jackets, and the humus sounds delish! I am probably in the minority, but Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. It’s just a big family dinner – no gifts to prepare, no over the top decorations, and a turkey (to me) is relatively easy to prepare (and thanks to the large cooking bags – a very easy clean up). We usually make a ‘leftover turkey dinner soup’ the next day and just chill. Pretty homes!
Barb, I love the Thanksgiving getting together, just not the turkey part! It’s nice to have this extra holiday to make the family get together and just enjoy without gifts and things.. Just each other! I wish Christmas was more like that. MY friend uses those bags and I think I did a few years back. They make it a lot easier right? The soup sounds good!!
Kim,
I love a lamp in the kitchen and have had one for years The soft glow makes it so homey and there is light just in case you get up during the night.
Those Chanel jackets! I love that look, it is classic. I think there is at least one at H&M! Or got the the thrift store/cpnsignment. Great quality at vintage prices.
I have never made my own hummus, you have encouraged me to try.
You need that little gingerbread house! So cute.
As for Christmas, “they” say October is the new December. I don’t have any decorations out yet but I think I will by next week.
It gives me more time to bake and to enjoy my decorations.
Have a wonderful weekend Kim, it is always fun to see what you are up too.
xoElizabeth
Elizabeth that is why they are so nice to have on at night..There are also the battery ones if folks worry about the electrical being left on.. Try the hummus.. You won’t go back to bought. Enjoy your early Christmas! Loved all your Thanksgiving ideas and dishes!!
I am still Novembering it here. xoxo
Kim, your kitchen lamp is great and sets a fall mood. I love lamps in the kitchen and tried to put one in mine, but with our galley style it was a challenge. BUT I love these options for the small bar/console in our little dining room. I’ve been thinking about putting one there. I’m with you on the can lights. We got lucky during our renovation and they weren’t forced on us … we must have flown under the radar. Our living room has not one single light – of any kind in the ceiling. We do have a airplane runway in our kitchen, but rarely turn them on. Like you say, only for specific tasks. For me it’s painting my nails. Chanel style jackets are my favorites … wish I thought to wear them more during the day when I’m just running around. I’d look much more polished and together and would probably get more done because I’d feel in-charge. 😉 I’m with you on November and the holidays … living life on the edge over here. And in early December I’ll fall of the cliff. I just printed the hummus recipe … I need to make this for cut up veggies during the week. I’ve fallen out of the habit. What an adorable Carmel cottage … of course it was snapped up quickly. That gingerbread house reminds me of your tiny cabin. I hope you buy it and make it … how fun. Loved your style post this week … it sent my running to my closet and sure enough my wardrobe does resemble my house! Happy weekend! xo
p.s. taking our ballots to the drop box tomorrow!
YAY!! Get those nieces voting too!
Juliet, I am now seeing a lot of battery or rechargeable lights and that might be an option too! I do not know why IO was forced with the can lights in this home, but I can tell you it’s so many it’s off the charts -and really annoying.
I los the jackets too.. and the gingerbread house.That’s in my price range!
Guess we’ll be on the edge together… Loved your post and the jacket and jeans so much!
xo
Thanks for the encouragement Kim! Your picture and the added lemon juice … and I’m finally going to make my own hummus 😋 I have all the ingredients and just need some extra Tahini ( already added to my shopping list)
The Carmel Cottage … my bags are packed and I’m ready to move in! ( so sad it’s already sold lol) it’s gorgeous and being able to walk to the beach makes it perfect. … it’s good to dream!
Maybe I’ll just make a gingerbread cottage instead!
I’m with you with the Chanel style jackets and So much choice!! You’ve reminded me that I have a black one …edged in cream that I bought in Strasbourg a few years ago. It’s beautiful and I love it but every time I put it on … I take it off again…. I need to spend some time styling it in different ways as it deserves to be worn and its a waste to just leave it under a cover in my wardrobe …
I take so much more care when I shop now than I used to … realising that some things look great on but others look better on the hanger or on someone else!
So important to keep reminding people to vote and to educate our children … and remind them if necessary!
I hope you’re having a lovely weekend! I’ve had such a lazy start today with coffee and Cantuccini!
Rosemary xxx
Rosemary that sounds like a lovely beginning to the day! Oh yes you should play around with your jacket and see if you can style it a way you like better.. Isn’t that cottage darling? Well, the gingerbread one is def in my price point!
Yes we need young people to vote more than anything. Have a wonderful Sunday! xo
P.S. Let me know how the hummus comes out!
LAMPS ARE AWESOME EVERYWHERE! I resisted can lights in our 2017 build, so 2 of the 5 bedrooms do not have any can lights, just lamps–and the wall switch is wired to the outlet so they come on automatically with a flick of the switch. Lamp light is so calm and cozy. 😉 Counter lamps in a half bath or kitchen are wonderful, the only problem is hiding the cord when the outlet isn’t in the ideal spot. What are your tips for hiding the cord? (No one likes to see a cord trailing across a counter… LOL.) I’ve also been to several table reads for plays where 3-4 lamps were placed in the center of the table for ease in reading–and not only was it utilitarian it was such a gorgeous display.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family. Perhaps a ham this year? #turkeyshortage
VOTE VOTE VOTE!!!
Erica I agree. I was not able to say no to the can lighting. It was mandated here in my town, or maybe the state? Not sure. Don’t even get me started because I don’t see how 9 lights are efficient in a small room even if they are the new kind!
Yes love them on tables like libraries.
I try and hide the cord, wrapped up behind the lamp or books or whatever is near it. If it’s a real issue, you can opt for cordless lamps and they are everywhere now and a reader sent me some like these..used in a lot of restaurants and give a cozy vibe..
https://rstyle.me/+WQE89EpG7rgXyYwCClG9mA
and also these..
https://rstyle.me/+prXcEQY99p8jd7vhHyfm3A
And this cutie on Amazon
https://rstyle.me/+2gCrC0AQgj0UhnVZyHLXUg
Hope that helps!
Thanks for encouraging everyone to vote. If the young people voted, our country would change more quickly for the better, I wish they could see that instead of feeling hopeless and that it doesn’t matter..We voted by mail, and our ballots have been accepted. I always bug/nag my adults kids to vote, now I am thinking to ask if they are encouraging or helping their peers to vote.
Love the kitchen counter lamp, am on the lookout for a very small lamp, my space is small. Now that I am looking for lamps, I noticed all the lamps in the background on tv or in movies..I am sure I am driving my husband nuts..but some shows have so many table lamps.. 🙂
Elizabeth, I am working on the young people!! It will take all of us to keep reminding them and our friends to get their kids out there.Yes please ask your kids if they an get their pals to also. Ha! I love lamps! And there are so many small ones that are good and also beautiful cordless versions too.. Love cozy lighting. Exciting for your remodel to add new ones..
I have a lovely little lamp on a pine sideboard in my sunny Tuscan style kitchen… base has hand painted fruit and grapes and the shade is also painted in a quiet tone. It gives is a pool of light in the corner of the kitchen in the evening.
As a Canadian, living close to your country, I cannot help but be aware of the tensions prior to this very important mid term election. All fingers and toes are crossed that American younger people vote and especially as many women as possible to bolster what the Democrats hope to achieve going forward in 2023-24. I have admitted my bias, but truly believe that democracy in your country hangs in the balance.
Kim! Yes to counter lamps in the kitchen! I love yours! I have one on with a low wattage bulb and I leave it on all the time! It’s cozy by day and a nightlight at night.
Chanel style jacket! I found a vintage one at poshmark… I think I’ll buy it!!
The sun set here at 4:20 this evening….I love the idea of a little lamp in the kitchen, but I have never found one that I think is right. Maybe I should look a little harder…. I have made my own hummus and it really is so good! I have been told that you should also get the organic chickpeas, that their flavor is better. Always fun to meander with you!
I love Chanel jackets. They’re my favourite style. It’s probably because I tend to prefer collarless clothing. I’ll check out that hummus recipe. It sounds delicious.
I’m looking forward to Christmas, especially this year after so many restrictions, but I want to savour it as much as possible.
Have a good week.
LAMPS IN THE KITCHEN!!
DO YOU RECALL THE YEAR MY MOTHER DIED I PUT HER CRYSTAL LAMPS ON MY KITCHEN TABLE?
I LOVED THAT FOR THE WINTER DAYS AND NIGHTS!THEY NOW RESIDE IN MY CLOSET!
I DO HAVE A COUPLE OF LAMPS IN MY KITCHEN…………LOVE!
I’M NOT GOING TO LISTEN ON TUESDAY UNTIL THE END OF THE DAY OR NIGHT!
THEN I PLAN TO TEXT YOU!!!!
YOU CAN TELL ME THE OUT COME!
XOXO