November Favorites

by | Dec 4, 2017 | a slice of life, Favorite Things | 29 comments

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Another month is behind us and that means I have some new favorites to share with you!  I am enjoying these posts more and more and, I think, a large part of it is that it makes me mindful of the things I’m really enjoying.  I take note of them as something worth sharing.  Whether it’s something I’m watching, listening to, eating, wearing, or whatever.  Paying attention to what I enjoy makes me all the more thankful for the little things.

Here are some favorites from November…

Alias Grace on Netflix

I love, love, love period dramas.  I’m pretty sure I’ve shared that before.  I will watch them as fast as they can crank them out.  Remake Jane Austen, the Bronte sisters, and Elizabeth Gaskell just as many times as you like, Masterpiece.  I will watch them all.

So, when I spotted Alias Grace on Netflix, I hopefully and eagerly clicked play.  And I tore through it.  It’s well made and keeps you guessing.

Citrus Fruit

This one is random, but I love citrus fruit in the winter just as much as I love cherries in the summer.  Grapefruit and clementines capture my fancy especially.  And I think Halos are the best.

Thanksgiving Leftovers

This is another random one, but I love Thanksgiving leftovers more than I like the actual Thanksgiving meal!  My favorites are open faced turkey sandwiches (on toast with gravy) and mixing leftover cornbread sausage stuffing with eggs and cheese to make it a scramble.

Speaking of Thanksgiving, we had a family from our church over and had such a wonderful time.  The kids disappeared and played for hours and we enjoyed fellowship with some new friends.  The Redskins even won.  It was just what Thanksgiving should be.

Landscape Painting

I am still thoroughly enjoying painting!  While it is frustrating sometimes, when things don’t turn out the way I envision or when I feel like such an amateur, it’s also fulfilling to see my progress and that’s what I choose to recognize.

Progress over perfection.

Tube Crimper

And, speaking of painting, I bought this gadget and it has turned out to be the handiest thing.  When I first got it in the mail, I thought I might’ve been a total sucker for buying it, but it works brilliantly.

And, I found another great instruction book.  I received Oil Painter’s Solution Book for Landscapes in the mail last week and it has been an excellent read so far.  Very informative and has addressed so many of my questions with detailed, practical answers.

I often have music playing in the background on my Instagram Stories and I’m regularly asked what I’m listening to.  I finally figured out how to share my playlist with you, so here it is – my painting/creating playlist.  I will rotate songs, adding new ones and removing others when I get sick of them.  I try to only have songs on there that I really love (at the time), so I never feel like skipping them and the music doesn’t pull me out of a creative groove.  Obviously, music is such personal taste, so you might only like some of these or all of them or none.  It’s a random mix of alternative, singer/songwriter, jazz, classical, etc.

Cute, Comfy Clothes

I shared these on my Instagram Stories, but I thought I would share them here as well.  I bought a few things on Old Navy while they were having their 40-50% off sales and they are definitely share-worthy!  (Get 20% off by using coupon code “SWEET”.)

I love this Old Navy Plaid Twill Dress.  I actually ordered two of them (one in the black/white check).  They are soft and comfortable, but still look put-together.  I just wear them with leggings and boots and I’m good to go.

I also love these Old Navy High-rise Secret Soft Jeans.  I have a few pair of their Rockstar jeans and I like them, but they are a little scratchy.  Okay, scratchy compared to fleece pajama pants.  So, I was excited to try the secret soft version.  They aren’t as soft as fleece, but the interior is a brushed cotton, so they are very comfortable.  They come in mid-rise as well, but the high-rise are…let’s say, more forgiving!

Lastly, I’ll share a new-to-me Instagram account –  @jenniferlanne.  She paints landscapes on old cigar boxes, paint palettes, and more.  She’s so creative and talented.  I couldn’t resist buying this box and I’m inspired to try painting some landscapes that have more of an antique look to them.

If you’d like to see some of my other favorites from this year, you can find them here…

January 2017February 2017 | September 2017 | October 2017

What were some of your favorites in November?

Disclosure: This post contains some affiliate links.

 

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    29 Comments

    1. Linda at q is for quandie

      First of all, that cigar box is incredible. Love it!

      Second, I also LOVED Alias Grace. It was so beautifully filmed. That segment with the quilts (where they were making up the beds with them was amazing). But mostly I think I just couldn’t get enough of listening to Sarah Gadon’s (Grace) voice and that lovely Irish accent (which apparently is just acting, because she’s from Toronto) as she told her story. Definitely binge-worthy!

    2. DeAnna

      Favorites are Thanksgiving leftovers, butternut squash soup made two different ways: creamy and more Italian like with cannellini beans and cubed squash, the movie Plains, Trains & Automobiles, candles, lighted wicker pumpkins from Balsam Hill, and my Ugg boots!

      • DeAnna

        oops, misspelled Planes

    3. Mary

      All great likes! I’m going to look for the dress at Old Navy, and I cannot wait to see Alias Alice! Keep up the painting (I know you will) because I love the things you’re painting and hope one day to beat everyone else to buy one that I especially love 😉

    4. Karen

      Great favorites, I really enjoy period dramas too and loved Alias Grace. It was so mesmerizing I watched it in two days.

    5. Susan

      I’m loving my Grove Collaborative cleaning products! The quick delivery is amazing.

    6. Connie

      Thanks for the link to @jenniferlanne. The cigar box is stunning and I can’t wait to browse her Instagram pics.

      I, too, love period dramas – especially British ones. Have you watched “Poldark”? I just learned of it this season, but quickly binged Seasons 1 & 2 before Season 3 began. I’m impatiently awaiting Season 4 next year!

    7. MaryEllen

      I also loved Alias Grace! I may be a bit behind the times, as I kinda live in my own world, I also just discovered Downtown Abby! I watched the British version, it was so delightful and surprisingly funny! I was so sad when I watched the last episode. If you haven’t seen it, you must definitely watch! I watch through Amazon Prime instead of my normal Netflix addiction.

    8. Betty

      You have come so far with your landscape painting. You should be so proud of yourself, I am. Great job!

    9. Chris Moore of Seattle

      I too am a citrus nut in winter. When the first satsumas arrive, I am ecstatic. As a fellow “citrus enthusiast” please let me recommend Cara Cara oranges. They are just starting to appear in the stores here in Seattle. A smaller orange with dark orange flesh and much sweeter than navels. And if you like to juice, the juice is a beautiful color. Coming in January are Sumo Mandarins. They are huge mis-shapen orbs,about the size of a softball that are so good. Very very sweet. Either of these makes a great fruit salad with pomegranate seeds, purple onion and olive oil with their own juice. ENJOY!!!

    10. Deborah D

      Thanks for sharing your November favorites. I absolutely love the pained box. Your landscapes are just beautiful, too! I love them!

    11. Julie

      I’m with you and period dramas. Yeah Masterpiece Theater. Let’s do a mash-up…period dramas and Clementines. Do make a Clementine cake. They are easy and delicious. Nigella Lawson has a good recipe.

    12. Francean

      Marian, I think you are painting very well.

    13. Crystal

      Hi Marian, I’ve truly enjoyed watching you paint and the landscape series is fun. I love the painted cigar box and am wondering if you’ve considered doing the same to old books? I’m not one to willy nilly destroy a book, but let’s face it, some just need a little something to give new life. I’m betting one of your landscapes on a cover would be fabulous!

    14. Nancy

      I stumbled on Jennifer Lanne this month as well because she was featured as a maker in magazine I picked up (flea market style? I think). Her theater backdrops are amazing- so detailed and colorful- I was also amazed. Love.

    15. debra Packard

      Thanks for reminding me about citrus, I go thru spells of eating an orange every day, then stop for long spells. I also got back into drinking a tablespoon of lemon juice in a 1/2 cup hot water every morning, helps with inflammation. Another favorite this month is customers that come to my booth at Rebels Roost and go home with lots of ironstone!! Also, I am going to be a vendor at Antique Marketplace of Lemoyne, in 2018. I am still loving your painting.

    16. Norma Rolader

      Thank you for sharing your favorites and your beautiful paintings

    17. Heidi

      Period drama! Yes! I’m telling everyone i know to check out Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries. It’s a 1920s Australian flapper who solves murders (I’m good at guessing these things, but i never guessed a single one on this show), and the acting, writing, and costumes are all brilliant. Plus it’s funny.

    18. Kimberly

      “Remake Jane Austen, the Bronte sisters, and Elizabeth Gaskell just as many times as you like, Masterpiece. I will watch them all.” So, we must have been separated at birth! This is exactly me, I’d watch period dramas practically 24/7 if I could! You must’ve seen the beautifully filmed version of Gaskell’s “North and South” if you’re a period drama fan. That’s one of my favorites – it’s got so many good British actors in it and it doesn’t hurt that Richard Armitage is easy on the eyes. The story was just so beautifully woven together the way it was filmed, and so historically accurate; death is a main character in the story as well as the actors, there was so much of it at the time.

      Funny, but I thought “Alias Grace” was a sci-fi type of film, so I kept passing it by on one of my movie channels and never even bothered to read a synopsis! Will remedy that tonight! I just finished binge-watching “Versailles,” and loved it. Can’t wait for season 3. It’s a little campy in parts mostly because of two male characters who are in a relationship, they are hilarious. It’s not 100% accurate but does have a lot of historical accuracy to it, which I appreciate as a history major. I’m sure you’re watching and loving “Outlander,” too!

      • Andrea

        I thought Alias Grace was sci-fi as well! It’s been at the top of my suggestion list for a month and I kept skipping over it, duh!

        • Kimberly

          Andrea, I binged watched the entire thing last night LOL! It was actually an excellent mini-series of 6 episodes, I *highly* recommend it. I had no idea that it’s loosely based on real life events.

    19. Cindy Redman

      Oooooooo… i LOVE this list. Definitely gonna check out the soft jeans. I am totally sensory defensive about pants. It feels like I am being scratched and touched all over my legs when i wear anything but cotton leggings. Also love the higher rise too! …. and paint crimper! who knew! My paint tubes are a nightmare. Thanks Marian!

      Cindy

    20. Chris

      I’ve just discovered the Australian family drama ‘A Place to Call Home’ set in the early 1950s. Even my husband is hooked. Beautifully written and acted. I highly recommend. It’s still in production and I’m only in the third season.

    21. Elizabeth | Ellie & Elizabeth

      Can you tell me the fit of the Old Navy Dress? I’m about your size and am not sure which size to order…

    22. Angela

      I printed your “painting play list” to check out what you listen to . I don’t know how you listen to End of May by Michael Buble….oh my goodness, tears streaming down my face. Looking forward to playing some others. I have been so wanting to make some play lists. I have to say I didn’t enjoy the painting when you first started. All I wanted was crafting, decorating and painting furniture, but oh have I loved it and it has stirred a desire to want to try a 100 meadows project which I NEVER thought would happen…which is exactly what you hope for from this blog isn’t it. So funny how that happens.

    23. Sandra Boff

      I’m old enough to remember that navel oranges were a treat for Christmas and looked forward to finding one in my stocking. Bought one yesterday for $1.00. Still alittle dear. Congratulations on your progress in painting. You may not notice but there is a marked difference in skill. Good job! Joined grove collective and loving it. Thanks for the nudge.

    24. Marie

      I must second the suggestion that you look for the Cara Cara navels. Utterly delicious and you will get hooked!

    25. Tina

      Your paintings are gorgeous – truly stunning! Oh, and good to know I’m not the only one who typically prefers the leftovers to the initial meal itself. There’s something extra comforting to me about the leftovers. My favorite is to make a turkey cranberry sandwich on a nice seedy wheat bread. Mmmm!

    26. Karen Heath

      I seem to remember that you are selling the Meadows pictures???? I really like the one her with the fence and would be interested. Is my memory crazy? What is the price? I love your monthly favorites series.

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