June 28, 2014

Random Question #1


Why does someone believe you when you say there are four billion stars in the night sky, but check when you say the paint is wet?

More new books


One of the local discount warehouse stores in town is closing down - relocating? - and a big trestle table full of books was down to $2.40 ea!  Yes, that's not a misprint.  Hardcover, paperback, trade, you name it, they're $2.40.  Unfortunately I already had my arms full with a big shopping bag and only managed to find 3 books amongst everything on the table, but they sound interesting.

LOVE this cover!

•  The Griffin's Flight - K.J Taylor (Aussie author)
•  Eon - Alison Goodman (Aussie author)
•  A Cup of Light - Nicole Mones
•  Dreams of Gods and Monsters - Laini Taylor

The fourth book actually came from Big W, but I just couldn't pass it up as this trade size book was only $12.96!  Cheap as chips.  What surprised me the most was that 2 of the books I picked up were by Australian authors, and I had not read books by 3 of these authors!  I have book one in the trilogy by Laini Taylor and I'm now hunting for book 2 so I can get up to date before beginning Dreams of Gods and Monsters.  Fingers crossed I'll have be able to get through a few of the books in my TBR pile before my MUST buys next month - Cast in Flame, Book of Life and Magic Breaks.

Happy reading!

June 25, 2014

Yes, Carl too


Picked up Wicked Appetite and remembered how much I loved Carl.  So when I was playing around on Photoshop, I couldn't resist making this in honor of the smelliest little guy formerly of Trenton ;-D

June 24, 2014

A Callie Parish Mystery series


A Callie Parrish Mystery series
by Fran Rizer
1. A Tisket, A Tasket, A Fancy Stolen Casket
2. Hey Diddle Diddle, the Corpse and the Fiddle
3. Casket Case

Phryne Fisher's a winner

The things Phryne does to catch Detective Inspector Jack Robinson's attention ;-P

Have just finished having a Miss Fisher marathon.  I love this TV series.  Phryne is a modern woman investigating murder and mayhem in 1920's Melbourne.  Ahead of her time, Phryne bulldozers her way through long standing social barriers and cultural divides with style.  Always at the ready with a flirty smile and a helping hand.  This show has a little bit of everything - minus the gratuitous sex, language and violence - and the costumes are divine!  One of my favourite episodes is 2x01 "Murder Most Scandalous".  This is the fan dance episode where Phryne goes undercover at a gentleman's club.  As you can see from the pics, the costume is just so beautiful.... {please excuse the poorer quality - I took these photos straight from the TV!}


My favourite shot.  The embellishment on the shoulder-spine jewellry is beautiful.


So far there has been no word about Season 3.  Aparently the ABC is procrastinating because it is so popular, but it doesn't appeal to the demographic range they're trying to get.  A poor excuse, but I'm hoping that public support will win through and we'll get a new season in 2015.  If you haven't seen the Miss Fisher Murder Mystery series, and you love Miss Marple and Poirot, then try Phryne.  It's truly divine ;-D


June 23, 2014

Cat's meow


Trying to take a photo of a cat that can't seem to stay still is a pain in the butt!  However, I did manage to snap this one a little while ago.  This is the first time I've seen it since I took it, and I just had to share it as I may never get her to sit still again ;-D

June 22, 2014

Review: Dead of the Day

Dead of the Day
An Annie Seymour Mystery, Book 3
Karen E. Olson

Published: 06 November, 2007

Signet, mass market paperback, 309p.
ISBN: 9780451222473

April has hit New Haven, Connecticut, bringing with it something less fragrant than May flowers; an unidentified body in the harbor.  The strange fact that there were bee stings on the floater gives New Haven Herald police reporter Annie Seymour an intriguing excuse to put her profile of the new police chief on hold – although the piece does become a lot more interesting when the subject is gunned down.

And this is only the beginning of a killer expose.  As she connects the dots between the John Doe, the police chief, and the city’s struggling immigrant population, Annie draws a line between herself and someone who doesn’t want her to learn the truth. . .or live to report it.


Annie Seymour is a 30 something workaholic journalist who is trying to get on with her journalism while trying to figure out the men in her life.  After trying to make things work with sometime squeeze Vinny DeLucia, Annie now finds herself up to her bangs in trouble as she tries to cope with both Vinny’s apparent desertion and the seedy world of crooked cops and by-line stealing co-workers. Unlike other tough-talking modern women, Annie seems to go from being a hardnosed journalist to behind the eight ball lover with amusing regularity.   In this third instalment, Annie is trying to get the scoop on the new police chief – until his sudden death.  It’s fun to watch Annie deal with Dicky, the journalist that seems to be always trying to one-up her.  Dicky seems to have eyes and ears in places Annie can’t access, and it just chaps her butt that he keeps getting the juicy details.

Fabulous find @ library sale


Found 3 books in a series I've had for years at my local library.  They have books for sale there all the time - unwanted donations or weeded out stock - and for a gold coin donation they can be yours.  During my last Book Club meeting, I was poking around the tables while I was waiting and came across said books (#2 - #4) in the Spellcrackers.com series by Suzanne McLeod.  They were in excellent condition, and although they aren't the same print as my book, I wasn't going to let them go home with anybody else!

It's been about 3 years since I've read the first book so I'm going to have to go back and read it again to familiarize myself with that world.  Not a chore really, but it will have to wait until I've motored through the last of the Chronicles of Elantra {2 books left and counting!}.  However, I can't wait to dive in as I have such high expectations from what I remember of this series.  The last book (?), The Hidden Rune of Iron, is due for release in December this year so it looks like I've found the others at a good time.

Happy reading, my lovelies!

New Mugs


Again, this is another great find that has taken me so long to post.  I found this set of mugs in my local ALDI store about 6 weeks ago and couldn't resist them.  They are great for when visitors come -  I had to keep a close eye on them when my mum was here as she loved them.  Perhaps I should search the internet to see if you can d.i.y. this project.  Would make a great handmade birthday gift ;-D


Couldn't resist it.

An unexpected visitor

I was cleaning up some of my photo files and came across this picture I took while visiting my family in early March this year.  Can't believe I forgot to show you some more of the wildlife around here ;-D


This huge snake skin was left on the ornamental Fountain Grass on the front porch.  Mum's neighbour, Mrs L, was not happy with our unexpected visitor (totally terrified actually), but I'm just sorry we missed seeing the large Carpet Snake in his shiney new skin.

Oh, and the skin was about 6ft when we stretched it out on the lawn ;-D