A Crafty Killling - Book Review

I just realized that there have been a number of books that I've read that I've neglected sharing.  Maybe you care, maybe you don't...I do, so here goes.  Plus, this helps me when I'm looking or thinking back about a particular book.  If I've got it listed on one of the book pages, then I know that I've read it.  I'm still working on getting all my books entered into my Library Thing account, so this is working for me now.  Another bonus is that I might just introduce you to a book series and/or author that you fall in love with and that's a good thing.

A Crafty Killing is the first book in Lorraine Bartlett's Victoria Square Mystery series.  Lorraine is already one of my favorite cozy mystery author's under her other name, Lorna Barrett.  I've read all her Booktown Mystery series and knew going into it that I would enjoy this new series. My mother read it first, and then it sat on my bookshelf for a while; it was well worth the wait.

From the back:

The last thing Katie Bonner wanted was to become the manager of Artisans Alley.  But when her business partner, Ezra Hilton, is found lying at the bottom of a staircase, bludgeoned to death, she has no other choice.  A collection of booths for artisans and craft sellers in a renovated apple warehouse, Artisans Alley is the main attraction in the quaint Victoria Square shopping area.  But business under Ezra has been faltering - enough to provoke someone to murder?

Katie has had more than her share of death - her late husband (and Ezra's former partner), Chad, died in a car accident six months ago.  but as she digs deeper into Ezra's murder, her husband's death starts to look suspicious.  While the cops are proceeding by the book, Katie is investigating by the booths - for the answer to the killer's identity lies in the hidden secrets of Artisans Alley itself.

My thoughts - I enjoyed all the quirky personalities that came along with Artisan's Alley and it's variety of shops.  It was someplace that I could see myself wandering through on a Saturday afternoon.  Katie isn't afraid to take charge and that's exactly what she did, first with stepping in and taking over the shop and then in not giving up in the search to find the killer.  The yummy reading recipes were an additional bonus.  I'm looking forward to the next installment in the series; hopefully it won't take me as long to get to!

Happy Reading!
Mandy

Kalanchoe tubiflora 'Chandelier Plant'

I was trying for record heights with my 'Chandelier Plant' this year.  Note the key word "was" trying.  Everything was going quite well until the dynamic duo fell into it Wednesday this week and well, let's just say I'll be starting from square one again.

This is the most recent picture I had of it, not too tall, but it was getting there.  I thought I had another picture, but this is the only one I can find.  It's the one right at Molly's ear, the stalks were starting to curve under it's weight. 

This is what I found when I walked out to get them for bedtime in the kennel...grrrr!

The pot was upside down and everything in it strewn all over the porch and carried over to the yard.  I must be mellowing or finally accepting the fact that this could happen more frequently than not for the next year and a half with the dynamic duo because I was actually pretty calm.  I just stood there and breathed for a few seconds and then reminded them that , "good puppies don't knock down, play with or eat mommy's plants".  I think they're getting the picture, or maybe I'm just more delusional than I will admit!

The good thing with this particular plant is that it's quite invasive and all I need to do is break apart some of the rescued pieces and stick them back in the dirt.  I would have cut it back for winter storage, but that would have been on my own terms. 

Today, after getting into it and having to be sprayed with the hose to let go of each other's faces (all over a bone disagreement), I discovered they had also managed to knock down my Texas Sedum that I had on the top shelf down in the ruckus.  I'm guessing one of them hit the shelf in their argument and knocked it down because it wasn't mauled necessarily, just snapped in half.  In addition to their hosing down, they got popped on their backsides and received a stern lecture on what was accepted behavior and what was not.  They also lost their bones for the day...silly little giant puppies!

To Catch a Leaf - Book Review

Finally...I finished the newest installment in Kate Collins' Flower Shop Mysteries, To Catch a Leaf. 













From the back.

Flower Shop owner Abby Knight is aglow with happiness now that she's officially engaged to her longtime beau, Marco Salvare.  Nothing will dampen her joy - not a new dent on her beloved Corvette, nor her future mother-in-law's micromanaging of her wedding.

Then wealthy dowager Constance Newport is killed, and Abby's assistant, Grace Bingham, is left a hefty sum of money, making her the prime suspect.  But while questioning Constance's relatives and staff, Abby and Marco find that everyone has a shady past and wants a piece of the fortune.  The plot thickens when they stumble upon mysterious stolen art and a missing cat - all part of an elaborate heist.  Before Abby can throw her bouquet, she'll have to throw a killer and a thief in jail...

This is the 12th book in this series, and I don't see how she does it, but each one is better than the one before it.  There's a gap in the books that I've posted, but trust me when I tell you that you need to run to your closest bookstore or library and get busy reading.  Abby is hilarious and her inquisitive, need to know personality proves for never a dull moment in her snooping investigating the murder of a wealthy lady when her assistant is pinned as the number one suspect.   That's all I'm going to tell you because if I say more, I'll say more than I should, so...read the book, you won't be disappointed!

Happy Reading!
Mandy

Succulent Withdraws

It's been a while since I've shared any of my succulents, and I think I'm having withdrawals from the lack of sharing.  The first one isn't a succulent, and I really intended to share it before Halloween...better late than never.  I stumbled on these Candy Corn Vines back in October and thought they were so darling that I needed two.  I've got the one in the hanging basket in the backyard and the one growing up the trellis in the front. 

Candy Corn Vine

The flowers look like candy corn with their yellow tipped blooms.  Their botanical name is Manettia inflata and they originate in South America.  Another reason I picked up two was that I figured I could at lease keep one alive over the winter and make more in the spring since it promises to propagate easily.  The only thing that would make the plant better would be if the blooms were edible and tasted like their look-a-likes; yummy!!

This next one is one of my favorites, mostly because of her stinky, stinky bloom!  I'm not sure if I caught any flies in the open blooms with my camera, but they're generally not far from this stinker.

Stapelia gigantea

Stapelia gigantea

Did I say the previous one was my favorite?  Oops, this next one is always at the top of my list.  The mother plant died after blooming last winter, but a few of the babies that I didn't give away are growing steadily.  They didn't give me any new babies this year, but I'm sure they'll make up for that next year.

Kalanchoe Gastronis Bonnierfi 'Donkey Ears'

And another favorite.  I looked everywhere for this and then a blogger friend offered to send me some of hers.  What's crazy though, is as soon I got my package from Florida, I started seeing them in local nurseries.  Where were they the two years I searched high and low!  I've really got to move her to a new home for the winter this year.  Besides the fact that she's the only remaining plant in this planter due to Charlie's need to pounce and dig, she needs protection from the freezes that usually come on unexpectedly during the winter. 

Kalanchoe diagremontiana 'Mother of Millions'

My Huernia hystrix is still putting out the blooms.  I can't believe the amount of blooms that have been appearing, but you'll hear no complaining out of me!

Huernia hystrix

Huernia hystrix

Today, my friend, Amy, noticed this next bloom.  I have no idea what the plant is, but I absolutely    A-D-O-R-E it!!  It's a totally different bloom than anything else in my collection.  The tangerine color had me running for my camera.  If you know the name of it, please share.  I searched for a while tonight on the internet, but came up empty handed...help needed!!

The Puppies

Charlie and Molly are closing in on six months, which means we've had them for three already.  There was a good couple of days not too long ago when I was threatening to send them to boarding school!  I'm not sure why, but Charlie loves anything fuzzy.  That means that any fuzzy Kalanchoe he can get his mouth on is history; you can imagine my irritation with him and his attraction to my favorites.  The trainer at puppy training suggested this great spray and I went to town! We haven't had an issue since except the morning I left the chair next to the plant rack and wouldn't you know it, Charlie found the only fuzzy one there!

Charlie is very found of Daughter #2, actually they both are, but we won't tell Daughter #1 that! She can get them to do just about anything.  Charlie is definitely the stubborn one of the two, so she's got her work cut out for her.

Molly is a trip, she comes out of the kennel with a toy in her mouth and out the back door usually with two.  She snorts like a horse, but refuses to come out of the house any other way.  Molly is our fetcher.  She loves to chase and is pretty good about bringing it back to you.  That is of course until Charlie decides he wants the toy and then you can forget about getting it back.  He's much more into tug-a-war as long as he's winning.

This weekend, we picked them up two new beds for their kennel.  The plan was to get another kennel, but we're going to hold off for a while longer before we separate them.  They both loved them!  This was the first night since we've had them that they just chilled in the living room for longer than five minutes. 

Charlie really likes his.  He took about an hour and a half hour nap; again a first out of the kennel! 

Daughter #1 is trying to grow on Charlie.  Molly is hers, and Charlie just likes to scare her.  He doesn't give anyone too much trouble but her...I'm thinking it's because she squeals like a girl!

My big baby!  I did not want a boy dog, but I love my little guy.  He loves to cuddle unlike Molly who just likes to jump and terrorize you with her tongue...gross!!!

How can you not love these faces!  Last week we weighed them...  

Charlie is at 29.5 lbs.

Molly is at 26.5 lbs.

Mandy

New Patio Cover

Four years ago, we had to take down our patio cover when we opted to update our siding with Hardiplank.  When we bought the house, it had an arbor type cover and we really wanted to have it completely covered.  I'm the plant fanatic, so my husband could care less about the back porch.  I'm pretty persistent though, and this year we had the funds to put towards the patio cover. 

Before...

It's not a small space without all my plants cluttering it up, but a little naked looking if you ask me...boring!!

Work Day 1...Wednesday

Work Day 2...Thursday

Work Day 3...Friday

Next week, they'll finish boxing in the overhang from the little roof part that goes over the kitchen window and put the shingles on.  We'll still need to put a rain gutter across the front, stain it all, paint the new Hardiplank and add the ceiling fans.  In the area where the little arbor is, we're going to take out the Esperanza's (hopefully to relocate), adjust the plant bed and lay down down pavers or something.  I'm not 100% sure what I want to do with that, but I've seen it in backyards when I'm driving and I liked it.  I'm thinking it will be a perfect place for succulents, but still have to do a little more thinking.  Those things might take a bit, but I will have updated of the almost finished project once they get the shingles on this week. 

It was WONDERFUL to sit under it Saturday and watch the rain!   I'm looking forward to lots of time in my new space.

Mr. Graceful...not!

Charlie has learned there's a whole new world to be explored at the top of the stairs.  We've had Charlie and Molly with us for about two month, and until last week they never paid any attention to the staircase.  Gone are those days.  The first couple of days when he found the stairs, he would only go to the first or second landing.

I tried to get him to come up the stairs, but he just stood there and looked at me while banging his tail against the wall.  That was yesterday.  This morning, he made it all the way up and explored the bedrooms.  It was kind of cute watching him go room to room.  As he walked from room to room, he'd do that wiggly, submissive puppy thing like they do when an older dog is checking him out.  He wasn't so sure about coming down, so I had to pick him up and lug him back down.  It was that or face the wrath of a teenager being woken up by a barking puppy.  The girls didn't have school today and had them out of their kennel more than they should have.  I got a call about 11 a.m. asking me how to keep Charlie off the staircase.  My suggestion was to put the guinea pig's cage in front of it; that got tossed out.  Throughout the day he got a bit braver, and by the evening had become quite a pro at zooming up and down the stairs.  The landing isn't always graceful though! 

I wish I had been further back, because he completely bellied out when he hit the floor...hilarious!

I'll be picking up a baby gate in the near future. They had to go in their kennel early because the girls were preoccupied and he really digs his new game!  I on the other hand don't have that much patience to keep retrieving him from upstairs, not to mention pulling the socks out of his mouth that he keeps carrying down!

Molly hasn't found the joy in the game like Charlie has...no, she'd rather just knock the trashcan over!  I suppose it's a good thing that we're starting obedience classes on Thursday.