Wishing you all a

Yes, it's done!

After much procrastinating - and YouTube searching - I finally made myself sit at the sewing machine to finish mum's quilt.  

Just the binding left

After taking yesterday away from the sewing machine, I really had to be strict with myself and sit down to get the quilting done.  As a total novice I stuck to a simple grid pattern.  I think it turned out pretty good!  Just the rustic, handmade  - and occasionally wonky - look I was going for (that's my story and I'm sticking to it ;-D ).

So, keep your fingers crossed for me as tomorrow is the day I attempt to bind my creations.  All I can say is 'Thank God for YouTube tutorials!'

Almost done

I thought I'd try my hand at making all my major gifts this Christmas...

and all I can say to that is that I won't be doing it again!

I've finished the quilted place mat for my uncle (a nice mix of denim and blue fabric), and only have to do the binding on the bed runner for my aunt.  However, I'm just about to quilt my mum's lap rug - and thats before I tackle the binding.  (P.S these are the first items I've ever tried to quilt!)

So, with only 5 more days left before the ceremonial handing over of presents,  I'll be the one slaving over the sewing machine and panicking.  Will I finish them time?  I hope so as I don't have any back up gifts on standby.  My hats off to all you competent quilters out there.  You make it seem so easy!

Keep your finger's crossed for me, won't you ;-D

Chilli Chutney

Just finished cleaning the kitchen after my first attempt at Chilli Chutney (thanks to my new CWA cook book).  It turned out so well that I had to share the recipe with you.

It's so easy to make its a great last minute gift idea.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups finely diced red chillies (remove seeds for a milder flavour)
• 1 onion diced
• 1 1/2 cups of diced cooking apples (or if you can't get your hands on any, 1 x 400g tin of apple pie apples)
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 1 1/2 cups white vinegar (I used Cornwall's)
• 1 small tsp salt

Method

After finely dicing the apples, chilli's (remember to wear gloves!) and the onion, put them into a pan and start to cook for a minute or two. 

Add the sugar, vinegar and salt.

Bring to the boil, then turn down heat until you have a gentle simmer.  Stir periodically until the sauce thickens.  This should take about 1 1/2 - 2 hours. 

Bottle into hot sterilized jars, and if you want to, add  piece of glad wrap before sealing the jars.

Keep in cool, dark place.  Refrigerate after opening.

Best with ...

a sharp vintage cheese - with or without crackers - or on a cold meat sandwich.

Miss Marple: A Caribbean Mystery

Yeah!  Finally, something decent to watch on TV again.  I've been eagerly awaiting the new season of Miss Marple for ages, and last night I settled in to watch the first offering of Season 6 - A Caribbean Mystery.  

It did start off slowly, so I wasn't sure how much I would like it.  One potential con was that after all the fiddling they've done with the plot lines over the last couple of series, I wasn't sure how much they'd alter ACM, but surprisingly it was pretty close to the original.   I loved watching Miss Marple and Mr Rafael dancing around one another, until Rafael finally realizes that he's met his intellectual equal in the little old lady from St. Mary Mead.

So, between the condensed time frame (less than 90min), the gorgeous costumes and makeup, plus the beautiful white sandy beach, I was  very happy with the first installment of the 6th series of Miss Marple.   Thankfully, I remembered to record it (for mum to watch), so I can watch it again when the mood strikes.   Must remember to record next weeks offering as well ;-D

Book Club Summer reading list

Hi All!  With the Christmas season well under way, I was lucky to finally meet with my book club friend and decide what we will be reading over the Chrissie period.

First on the list was Curtsies and Conspiracies, Book 2 in Gail Carriger's Finishing School series.  Then after knocking back a few more titles, we finally  chose the first book in Lilith St. Crows series, Iron Wyrm Affair, and Phillipa Bornikova's 2nd book, Box Office Poison.

I'm hoping that I can get my hands on them soon for some good Summer reading.  My copy of Curtsies and Conspiracies is already winging it's way to me from Book Depository (great deal for only $5.05!), but I might have trouble getting my hands on Box Office Poison as I'm sure it's not available in paperback yet.  Perhaps I'll leave that one till last!

Review: Dark Witch (or Three Sisters Island v2.0)

Dark Witch

Book One of the Cousins O'Dwyer Trilogy

Nora Roberts

Published: October, 2013

Piatkus, Trade Paperback, 342p.

ISBN: 978-0-7499-5859-6

Three cousins inherit a gift that will tranform their lives...

Iona Sheehan has just taken the biggest gamble of her life.  Leaving her job, her home and her family in Baltimore, she has come to Ireland in search of adventure - and answers.

Iona has always felt a powerful connection to the home of her ancestors.  So when her beloved grandmother confesses an extraordinary family secret, she can't resist visiting County Mayo to discover the truth for herself.  Arriving at the beautiful and atmospheric Castle Ashford, Iona is excited to meet her cousins, Connor and Branna O'Dwyer, for the first time.  And when she lands a job at the local riding school she finds herself drawn against her will to its owner - the hot-tempered but charismatic Boyle McGrath.  Perhaps in County Mayo she has found her true home at last.

What Iona doesn't realise is that her cousins have been expecting her for a long time.  Connor, Branna and Iona have all inherited a powerful but dangerous gift from an ancestor known as the Dark Witch.  And they are about to discover that some old legends can return to haunt the present...

My library emailed me to let me know that Dark Witch was waiting for me and I was so happy - good reading material has been scarce around here lately - so the next time I went into town I made sure to pick it up.  It sat for a day, staring at me from the arm of the couch, until I finally gave in last night and headed off to bed early (had a big thunderstorm - perfect for witchy reading).

Book Review || Archangel's Legion

Archangel's Legion
Guild Hunters, Book 6
Nalini Singh

Published: October, 2013

Jove, mass market paperback, 374p.
ISBN: 978-0-425-25124-9

Angels are falling from the sky in New York, struck down by a vicous, unknown force.

Vampires are dying impossibly from disease.

Guild Hunter Elena Deveraux and the archangel Raphael must discover the source of the wave of death before it engulfs their city and their people, eaving New York a ruin and Raphael's Tower under siege by enemy archangels.

Yet even as they fight desperately to save the city, and even darker force is stirring, its chill eyes trained on New York. . . and on Raphael.  Rivers of crimson and nightmares given flesh, the world will never again be the same. . . 

What can I say?  I LOVED IT!  The Guild Hunter series just keeps getting better and better and even though previous books done from the POV of two of Raphael's Seven have been very interesting, it's at its best when told through the eyes of Raphael and Elena.

After the events of the previous book, the Cascade is in full effect and the Cadre of Ten are exhibiting new abilities, as well as personality quirks, that seem to heighten the core of who they are as individuals.  Raphael is still much weaker than the other archangels, and his new powers seem to have stalled with the abiltiy to heal, while other members of the Cadre are developing - and hiding - much deadlier and destructive abilities.

Lijuan is back, and is as bat shit crazy as ever.  She is a great foil for Raphael, but she's not the only one out for blood.  Elena is torn with more troubles on the family front, with a secret coming to light that shakes her long held feelings of love/hate for her father.  And Michaela has her sights firmly set on Raphael.

I could go on giving hints for quite a while, but will stop there before I totally spoil the plot for anyone who hasn't managed to get their hands on it yet.  I will say that this book has raised the stakes in the battle of the archangels, and with the revelations of the last couple of chapters, I can't believe I have to wait a whole year before finding out what happens next!  

Don't touch this book if you haven't read books 1-5, it just won't have the same impact, and please don't attempt to read it if you don't have a few hours to spare as putting it down is nearly impossible.  Archangel's Legion is a fast paced book that grabs you by the scruff and takes you on a ride you'll wish didn't end.  Elena and Raphael just get better and better.

Easy Come, Easy Go

Hi all!

It's been a tough few weeks with everything coming to a head early last week when I had to hand in my resignation due to medical reasons.  Only I could get and loose a job in 3 months.  But, now that leaves me stuck at home, recuperating and taking it easy until my doctors give me the okay.  I'd rather be earning a wage, but that's not in the cards for the next 12-24 months!  So, I guess that means that I'll now be able to give more time to my ever increasing TBR pile, and updating my blog.

I'll start by telling you how much I loved Archangel's Legion by Nalini Singh.  The series as a whole is great, but I do adore the stories that revolve around Raphael and Elena.  In AL, there were a few surprises I didn't see coming - read upcoming review for more - and now I can't wait for the next, as yet untitled, book due out late 2014.

In the meantime, I'm waiting for my audiobook reservations to come into the library.  I finally managed to track down copies of A Discovery of Witches and Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness.  They are massive at 20 discs each, but it's a lot cheaper than having to buy every audiobook that tickles my fancy.   I also managed to find out the title of the third and final book in the All Souls Trilogy - plus the release date.  The Book of Life is due out on stands 15 July, 2014 - yippeeeee!

So until I see you again, happy reading!

Yeah! It's here!

After the crappy day I've had, I was amazed when a knock at my front door revealed a postman bearing gifts ;-P.  For in his hands was my much awaited for copy of Archangel's Legion by Nalini Singh.

The cover is fabulous, and as much as I want to devour it right now, I'll be good, and wait till after my appointment so I won't have to put it down for any reason.

This series has turned out to be one of my all-time favourites.  There is just something about the relationship of Elena and Raphael's that to totally sucks me in.

Quick update

I have been so behind lately it isn't funny.  The newest book on my reading pile was 'Dark Currents' by Jacqueline Carey.  It's the first book in a new series and I thoroughly enjoyed it.  Health issues - as well as a continually absent Wi-Fi signal - have meant that between that and the few hours of casual work I do a week, that I'm often too sore, frustrated, or just too darn tired to put up my thoughts on some of the fabulous books I've read lately.  So, my apologies - I'll try to get my butt in gear this month ;-D

I'm still waiting on my postie to deliver 'Archangel's Legion'.  I love this series and have been eagerly awaiting the next Elena/Raphael story.

Quilting for Xmas

I don't know about anyone else, but I made the mistake of telling my mother that I'd started quilting.  Now I have to make her a lap rug for Christmas - and she'd already picked out the material!

After much debate, I finally got myself psyched up enough on Sunday to I get out the charm pack - Moda Printemps - but then I had to  figure out exactly how I was going to do with it.  Complicated was out.  My sewing machine should have an L plate for all the experience I've had!  After much YouTube surfing I finally settled on the Disappearing 9 Patch (wonderful tutorial by the Missouri Star Quilt Co.).  I was confident that I could manage it.

So, to cut a long story short, after a couple of hours - and a few unpicked rows - I had a cute central piece for mum's quilt.  Now I just have to add some white around it and decide on a binding, not to mention the backing.  I might just squeak this in in time for Christmas ;-D

PS - I have to do a bed footer for my aunt too!

Murphy's Law

You have all experienced it, and even mocked it.  But this weekend has just been one annoying incident after another!  

My boss left for a week long cruise of the South Pacific - lucky duck! - and I'm running things solo for the next week (but I've only been there for 9 weeks... as a casual!).  Okay, so yesterday (Day 1) I end up with a few curly situations where things happened that we hadn't discussed, and I hadn't thought to ask.  It all worked out - however my deodorant nearly failed me in the meantime.

Ouchie!

Then, last night while I was putting some laundry back in the wardrobe my stripy ninja cat decided to play under the hanging clothes.  Nothing sinister about that?  Yeah, right.  As I was sliding the door shut she made a desperate leap out and over a large glass coffee table top that I'd had propped up on it's side.  She bumped it and it came crashing down... onto my ankle!  It felt like a bomb had gone off in my ankle and the vein that runs down the front of the ankle started to swell like a balloon.  Unfortunately I couldn't just limp off to fix it.  I had to go lug out the vacuum cleaner, and then clean up the broken glass so the furry people didn't cut their feet!  Once that was done - painfully mind you - it was off to the bathroom to get some cold water and a compression sock.  Funnily, I didn't see said cat until I was tucked up in bed - and even then she managed to walk on my ankle as she clambered over the quilt.

Today I took it easy.  I made a comfy nest in the lounge room and watched Season One of Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries (fabulous!) and read Celebrity in Death.  Thankfully tomorrow is a public holiday here so I can take it easy again.  Finger's crossed I will be fit for duty on Tuesday, otherwise I will up the creek without a paddle...

Where has the year gone?

I can't believe that September is nearly over already!  It seems like just last week since I started my casual job at my local quilting/giftware shop.  I swear, the older I get the quicker the years seem to fly by.  I can remember being a child and thinking that the day would never end.  School dragged on for an eternity, the school holidays dragged on forever, and your birthday - or Christmas - just never arrived soon enough.  Now?  I just wish the days would slow down so I can fit more into them!

There was a verse that I remember hearing during my high school years that has recently entrenched itself in my brain...

"the rocking horse days of my childhood are slipping and sliding away..."

I can't remember exactly where I got it from - probably the library? - but, I find this quite apt as I add another year to my tally.