The first year we lived in our current house, it felt as though we’d been transported to Disneyland for Halloween–people up and down the street decked out their homes with oversized decorations and all sorts of curious items that spewed mist or growled sporadically or otherwise scared trick-or-treaters. Spooky music was blasted from various houses and neighbors dressed in elaborate costumes. There was a fantastic … Continue reading It’s Halloween Season
Dear Store Where I Love To Shop: I remember when we used to be able to email you and say hey, I have a fabulous idea! Think of that, free feedback submitted by your dedicated customers…so much cheaper than paying a focus group, am I right? But now our only options are “chat” or “call.” (Who has time to chat or call these days? There … Continue reading Just a Friendly Note (idea edition)
Usually, I adore a good stroll down the office supply aisle. There’s something deeply comforting about looking at a colorful selection of writing utensils and notebooks. (That’s not just a writer thing, right?) But August means that it’s time to take a deep breath and gear up for the Great Obstacle Course also known as school-supply shopping! Every year, we lurch around the store, while … Continue reading That Time of Year Again
Ah, summer. Just the thought of it summons visions of beach romps, picnics, cookouts, concerts, camping, hiking, swimming, and more. Long days and lovely starry nights. But there’s something else, too: the expectation that when the season arrives, we will have fun. No matter what we’re doing, summer always brings a glamorous shimmer of potential. We spend time during the rest of the year … Continue reading Hello, Summer
For many of us, it has been a difficult week, as we bid goodbye to Succession, Barry, and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel all at once. Now with Ted Lasso ending in a few days, it is almost more than one can bear. *Pause for deep breaths.* Thank goodness we have some new things coming our way that may be intriguing. Because of our focus here on the blog, I’ll keep … Continue reading Goodbye and Hello: Show Edition
For a variety of reasons, I am writing this post on my phone after midnight. Please forgive me for keeping it short and sweet this week (and for making it a bit of a DIY post, if that’s a thing) but it could not be helped, promise. Happy Monday after Left Coast Crime! Happy Monday after St. Paddy’s Day! It’s the first time in a … Continue reading The Monday After
‘Tis the time of year when you can’t go ten feet without bumping into a paper heart taped to something, as Lila Maclean once observed. So who makes your heart go pitter pat? Let’s chat about detecting duos–couples solving crimes–friends in forensics. Tagging Sherlock and Dr. Watson first. I am referring here to the characters as played in the BBC series Sherlock specifically, who are full-on delightful … Continue reading Detecting Duos
In the mystery course I recently taught, we found the ending of Agatha Christie’s A Murder is Announced to be both disconcerting and glorious. There are many wonderful aspects to her writing, but we were most engaged by how she gracefully “undoes” the characters we felt we knew because she had built them so convincingly. On the flip side, we were slightly less excited about … Continue reading Endings and Undoings
Wishing You A Very Happy Halloween! To get into the right “spirit,” I have a question for you: what are your favorite films with ghosts? Let’s trade recommendations. I can’t wait to hear. Here are my top ten in chronological order. The Shining (1980): Even though the movie is terrifying, I have re-watched it many times. Probably because Jack Nicholson is compelling…and of course … Continue reading Spirits on the Screen
🍁 Happy First Week of Fall, my very favorite season. There’s something about the cooler temperature that perks me right up. Not to mention snuggly sweaters, all the pumpkins, and everything Halloween. But perhaps most of all, it’s the Fall Foliage. Yes, it has to be capitalized like that because it is a thing on the east coast. People travel miles–even states–to see it. When I … Continue reading It’s Fall, Finally
One night seven years ago, I woke up in the dark completely terrified and–long story short–ended up in the emergency room. (The most memorable part of that experience was when, in response to the 911 call, several gorgeous firemen burst into the bedroom and carried me out to the ambulance. If I were writing a Rom Com, hello meet-cute!) Turned out to be the first in … Continue reading Surprise! Everything Just Changed
It’s true that I already recounted the Ikea Bookshelf Saga, but let’s ponder bookshelves again today. It’s just that…they are so versatile and present. They can change a room, make artistic statements. There’s a reason they are so often featured in home decorating shows. You don’t have to look very hard on the web to find pictures of bookshelves in all sorts of dramatic configurations … Continue reading Bookshelves I Have Known
Chicks on the Case 