Carstairs Considers....

Wednesday, June 15, 2016

Ornament Review: Winnie the Pooh - Art of Disney Animation #10 - 2016 Disney Store Ornament

Stars: 3 out of 5

Pros: It’s Pooh - of course it’s cute

Cons: Rather ordinary for this ornament series

The Bottom Line:

Cute Pooh ornament

Doesn’t fit rest of series

Good, not outstanding

I Like the Idea, but the Execution is Just Average

Now I freely confess I’m not the biggest Winnie the Pooh fan. It’s not that I don’t like the books or the movies or even the characters, but when it comes to Disney stuff, I usually find other things calling my name more than Pooh and his friends. Being a completest, I did buy the Winnie the Pooh ornament that was part of the Art of Disney Animation series. The idea behind the ornament was good, but the execution didn’t quite work.

The ornament features Pooh standing on the oo’s in his name. Yes, it really is that simple. The inspiration for the ornament came from the 2011 film when Pooh was using letters in the book to escape from a honey free scene in the book. It was a fun scene and it’s a cute idea for an ornament. However, ultimately it boils down to Pooh standing on 3D letters. It works in animation, but it’s not something you can capture well in a piece like this, especially when the book is nowhere to be seen.

Now, don’t misunderstand. I do think the ornament itself is cute. Pooh really is always cute, and the ornament design is good. It’s just nothing special like some of the others in the series have been. Pooh is such a popular character that for a special limited edition series like this, the ornament should be something special, not something basic like this.

The letters are standing on an oval base, which means this ornament would work well year round for a display of Pooh or Disney characters. For those who want to hang this, there is a red ribbon through the loop on the top of Pooh’s head. You’ll find that he tips a bit to the right and back. It’s not so bad you can’t hide it with branches on your Christmas tree, but it is certainly noticeable if you don’t do that.

Again, it’s not that there is anything wrong with this Winnie the Pooh ornament. But in a series that features rarer characters and moments, he feels out of place.

Original Price: $19.95

Tuesday, June 14, 2016

Eclair and Present Danger Winner

It's time for the first winner of the month. The prize is Eclair and Present Danger, and the winner is...

...Erin!

I just sent you an e-mail, so please be looking for that and get back to me so I can get you connected with your prize.

Book Review: The Calamity Cafe by Gayle Leeson (Down South Cafe Mysteries #1)

Stars: 4 out of 5
Pros: Good characters and mystery in fun debut

Cons: Some elements could be stronger

The Bottom Line:

Buying a cafe

Turns out to be murder in

This fun mystery

Finding a Dead Body is Certainly a Calamity

I need another new series to read like I need another hole in my head. (And yet I’ve started how many new series this month?) But I just can’t help myself when the plot line captures my interest. That was the case with The Calamity Cafe, the first in the new Down South Cafe series by Gayle Leeson. I’m glad it did since it’s a fun first book.

Amy Flowers has dreamed for years of opening her own restaurant filled with Southern hospitality and delicious food. With a degree from a culinary school and the money she inherited from her Nana, it’s finally time to follow that dream. She’s hoping that, instead of building something from the ground up, she can purchase Lou’s Joint, the local greasy spoon where she’s been waitressing for the past year.

The problem with that is Lou Lou, the horrible woman who currently owns the place. Lou Lou inherited the place from her father, the original Lou, and turns Amy down flat when Amy makes an offer.

Which is why Amy is surprised when she gets a call from Pete, Lou Lou’s son, that the woman has changed her mind and wants to meet that night. Amy is the first to arrive, and she walks into the restaurant to discover Lou Lou dead in her office. Amy quickly realizes she had a good motive for wanting the woman dead. Can she prove her innocence?

The book starts strongly, setting up the murder in just a few pages. Unfortunately, I did feel that Amy’s plans to start her restaurant slowed down the murder investigation in the first half of the novel, but I can certainly understand that. This is the Down South Cafe series after all, right? We need to get that restaurant open. As the book moved toward the climax, it did focus more on the murder, giving us some decent suspects before we reached the logical ending.

The best characters in the book were Amy and, ironically, Lou Lou. Even though the woman died early on, over the course of the book, we got to know quite a bit about her past that really made us understand her better. I always like it when that happens in a mystery. The rest of the characters are certainly good. The suspects had believable motives, and the series characters are quite fun. I'm looking forward to seeing them grow more as the series develops.

Of course, we get some recipes – 6 to be exact. I’m drooling over the Oatmeal Pie, and the 7-Up Cake sounds good as well. We also get a recipe for some easy cookies, meatloaf, baked donuts, and country ham.

Far from being a calamity, this debut is fun and promises more to come. Pick up The Calamity Cafe today and settle in for a good read.

NOTE: I received a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

Giveaway!

Thanks to the publisher, I have one copy of this book to give away. Because it is a physical book, the contest is limited to residence of the US.

Just leave me a comment with your e-mail address so I can get in touch with you if you win. I will pick the winner next Tuesday, June 21th, so please leave your comment before 12:01AM Pacific Time on 6/21. You will have until midnight on 6/26 to get back to me, or I will choose a new winner on 6/27.

Monday, June 13, 2016

Movie Review: Garage Sale Mystery - The Deadly Room

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Good locked room mystery

Cons: Garage sale element minimal at best, usual Hallmark cheese

The Bottom Line:

Mystery stronger

As garage sale plots lessen

Best yet in franchise

Is the House Cursed?

It appears that the most successful of Hallmark’s cozy mystery movie franchises (at least so far) is the Garage Sale Mysteries starring Lori Laughlin. So far, I’ve felt the first two were rather weak mysteries, but The Deadly Room, the third, ups the game remarkably.

Jennifer Shannon’s (Lori Laughlin) friend Adrian (Janet Kidder) has gotten the real estate listing of a life time. Adrian has been hired to sell an old colonial house in town that has been recently restored. She is having an open house/party to show off the restoration, and she already has several offers above asking price.

However, the next day, those offers are withdrawn when the rumor gets out that the house is cursed and anyone who spends the night there will not be alive in the morning. In an attempt to disprove the rumors, Adrian sets up an overnight web cam of her sleeping in the house. Only, in the morning, she is dead. While the police think it was natural causes, Jennifer isn’t buying it. Can she prove that a murder took place?

What you have here is a variation on the locked room puzzle, and Jennifer spends much of the movie proving just how a murder could have happened. How did the killer do it and avoid the web cam? The plot wonderfully answers those questions and provides us with a murderer that actually surprised me as well. In other words, the plot was much better than the first two.

Of course, the garage sale aspect of the franchise is pretty much forgotten here. Oh, we get some scenes in the store that Jennifer runs with her friend Danielle (Sarah Strange), and Jennifer’s college age daughter, Hannah (Eva Bourne), who was missing from the second film, is back and just starting to work there as well. But that lack of “garage sale” was a minor issue for me.

Eva Bourne is the second member of the Shannon family to be recast in the franchise. Yes, Steve Bacic is back as Jennifer’s husband Jason here, and I found Jason and Jennifer’s interactions better than the second movie this time around. My favorite of the supporting family members continues to be son Logan (Brendan Meyer who has not been replaced yet), whose tech skills help solve the murder and who gets a very sweet sub-plot again.

Of course, this is a Hallmark movie, and the usual cheese is in evidence here again. Although I must be getting used to it since I’m finding it less noticeable the more of these movies I watch, even when I take more of a break between them like I did this time around.

The stronger mystery that kept me guessing makes The Deadly Room a nice step up for the Garage Sale Mystery franchise. I’m looking forward to seeing what happens to these characters next.

This movie is part of the Garage Sale Mysteries Collection 1 DVD release.

Sunday, June 12, 2016

Cookie Review: White Fudge Chunky Chips Ahoy!

Stars: 3 out of 5

Pros: Good size chunks of chocolate and white fudge

Cons: Generally sweet yet undefined flavor.

The Bottom Line:

These cookies are sweet

But they need other flavors

To compliment sweet

Sweet, But This Isn’t Really Fudge

As a fan of Chips Ahoy!, I’ve long been curious about their White Fudge Chunky flavor. After all, I do appreciate white chocolate (although milk chocolate is my favorite) and I love fudge. I finally grab a package and bit into one of them expectantly. Unfortunately, I was disappointed.

As the chunky name implies, the cookies feature chunks of chocolate instead of the more traditional and smaller chips. Yes, they do have chips as well, but the chunks are definitely noticeable. These also feature chunks of the white chocolate fudge that is in the title. These are the original, crunchy type cookie, not the chewy variety that I actually do prefer, but that’s a minor issue.

The real issue is with the white chocolate portion of the cookie. Maybe I’m expecting too much from it, but it just tastes sweet. It’s an unidentifiable sweetness, not really white chocolate and definitely not fudge.

The result isn’t bad, but it’s not that great either. I was expecting something with more flavor but that’s not at all what I got here. After trying it, I must confess I started trying to remember if I’d ever had white fudge before. Maybe that’s my problem and I was just expecting something else.

Either way, I think what we’ve learned is that I prefer traditional chocolate chip cookies instead of the varieties that Chips Ahoy! tries to create. White Fudge Chunky wasn’t bad, but it didn’t live up to my expectations either.

Saturday, June 11, 2016

June 11th's Weekly TV Thoughts

Got nothing original or creative to say this week, so let's just get to it.

Girl Meets World (6/3 & 6/5) – Yes, I’m covering both parts of the premier together. The new student who called out Cory on his teaching methods was pretty funny. Meeting the senior triangle was a great gag as well. I laughed so hard at the girls’ reaction. Yes, the moral was obvious, but it was surrounded by lots of jokes and true character moments, so I liked it. I hope the series continues like this. Oh, and those first few moments were a total flashback to Boy Meets World, as is the new opening credits. Love it!

Angie Tribecca – So, I don’t get this whole comma thing. Did she go into the comma after she put the bomb vest on? Or was that part of her comma dream? I’m thinking it was the first one, but it still really doesn’t make sense to me. Not that it bothered me laughing at all. The show is off to a great start with many sight gags and puns, which is exactly why I tune in.

Scream – I am really getting into this season. Even if they don’t kill anyone else (which you know they will), there is going to be so much drama as secrets come to light that I think it will be entertaining. But now that Jake’s body has been found, everyone is going to know the killer is back – sort of. Or will they find out. Maybe we’ll be playing hide the body. Either way, I can’t wait to find out what happens next.

America Ninja Warrior – Again, so many heartwarming stories. That obstacles with the poles was crazy! And they almost had 30 finishers, which is pretty incredible as well. I honestly don’t know how they get through some of those obstacles.

Royal Pains – I agree with Jill, it wasn’t much of a reunion. I was really looking forward to seeing her again, but it wasn’t as good as I hoped it would be. Still, I was glad they brought her back in the final season. Hank and Evan fighting is always interesting, but I love that they truly do love each other and work things out. Heck, I love that about all these characters. And Jeremiah with that author? Loved it! All of those scenes were fantastic.

Girl Meets World – Not the most original or clever episode, but it still contained a few good laughs, like the ending of Augie’s story, aka the dream reveal. And Riley and Maya talking about how the rest of the episode was going to go. Overall, fun stuff without lecturing us.

Friday, June 10, 2016

Ornament Review: Baker's Dozen - Keepsake Cupcakes #13 - 2016 Hallmark Ornament

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Fun and creative bonus piece

Cons: Can be a little creepy

The Bottom Line:

Baker as cupcake

Closes out keepsake series

With this bonus piece

A Cupcake Set Needs a Baker’s Dozen Piece

With the last name Baker, I learned early on what a baker’s dozen was. So when Hallmark first announced that they were doing a yearlong cupcake series, I immediately thought to myself that they had to find a way to do thirteen cupcakes. We were on the same wave length since they did indeed release Baker’s Dozen. It’s not quite as cute as it wants to be, but it is still fun.

This ornament features the baker who has been making all the cupcakes we’ve been collecting this year – the baker cupcake that is. Yes, it’s another cupcake. While we can’t see any of the cupcake itself, we can see the silver cupcake liner, the blue frosting topped by a huge amount of pink fondant. There’s a face in this fondant with a tongue sticking out of the smile. The cupcake is wearing a white top hat and holding a bowl of frosting and a spoon with some frosting on it in his hands. The blue frosting matches the color of the bit of frosting we see on this cupcake.

I like the idea of this design. It’s fun to think of a cupcake making the rest of the cupcakes in the series. The way the tongue is sticking out makes it look like this baker is concentrating on the finishing touches of one of the creations. (I’ve also heard that he is licking his lips because things look so tasty, but I prefer to stick with my idea.)

However, the execution is a bit problematic. The pink head of the cupcake is really large, making it seem larger than the rest of the series. It’s also just a little on the creepy side. It can be cute or creepy depending on the mood I am in when I look at it. I still like it, but it’s not nearly as good as it could have been.

Of course, one thing that makes me like it is the price. This piece was originally free with the purchase of the rest of the ornaments in the series. Since I planned to collect the rest of the series, I got this one without any extra work. Can’t complain too loudly about that, can I? And it is what a baker’s dozen is in any bakery, right? Yet Hallmark definitely considers this part of the series since there is a 13 in a Christmas tree series marker on the bottom of the ornament.

Speaking of the bottom of the ornament, it’s flat like the others in the series, so you can put it out as part of a display. If you do want to hang it, you’ll find the loop in the chef’s hat. It hangs straight.

While this isn’t quite the best finish for the series, it is still an overall fun ornament. As a collector, I’m not really complaining about the bonus that is a Baker’s Dozen.

Enjoy all the cuteness with the rest of the Keepsake Cupcakes ornaments.

Original Price: Free with purchase of rest of series

June 10th's Book Beginnings and Friday 56

We've made it through another week. Well, almost anyway. Actually, today at work is going to be crazy busy, but let's not go there. Instead, let's focus on Book Beginnings and Friday 56 for the week, shall we?

This week's good is Desperate Housedogs by Sparkle Abbey.

After having the book for almost two years, I've finally read it. It was a lot of fun. My full review will be up next week - I'm aiming for Thursday. To hold you over, there's how the book begins:

I don't normally break into people's homes, but today I was making an exception.

Page 56 is the start of chapter 10, so I'm going to use the first paragraph of that chapter for my quote:

You know how sometimes things seem dire and then you wake up the next morning and they don't seem so awful? Yeah, not the case this time. It was a new day but Kevin was still dead. I was still a murder suspect. And my mother was still coming to town.

And there you have it for this week. Have a great weekend.

Thursday, June 9, 2016

Book Review: Grilled for Murder by Maddie Day (Country Store Mysteries #2)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Fun characters and setting in a strong mystery

Cons: One aspect not resolved (but could easily be followed up on in later books)

The Bottom Line:

Corpse in Robbie’s store

Starts this charming mystery

Enjoyable read

Who Left the Corpse in Robbie’s Restaurant?

One of my favorite books from last year was the first in the Country Store mystery series by Maddie Day. Naturally, that meant I was looking forward to Grilled for Murder, the follow up. I’m delighted to say I enjoyed this one as well.

While Robbie Jordan’s restaurant is normally open only for breakfast and lunch, she is making an exception this particular Saturday night. She’s been hired to host and cater a welcome home party for Erica Shermer. Erica had moved to Chicago, but now she’s come back to South Lick, Indiana. Naturally, her family is thrilled she has returned.

But not everyone feels that way. Robbie sees this first hand when Erica shows up late to her own party and then proceeds to have arguments with several of the guests.

When Robbie comes down from her apartment over the restaurant the next morning to start breakfast, she feels a cold draft. Investigating, she discovers that someone has broken the window in her door, and then she finds Erica’s dead body in the restaurant. Erica was very much alive when she left the party. So what was she doing back at the restaurant? And who was upset enough by her return to kill her?

When I started reading this book, I quickly remembered just how much I loved these characters the first time around. The cast is filled with strong, fun characters I love to spend time around. Naturally, they are led by Robbie herself. Her aunt is also fun, and I love Danna, the young woman who is Robbie’s employee in the restaurant. Of course, this book introduces some interesting suspects as well.

I also really enjoy the setting. Robbie’s restaurant sounds so charming, and the food always sounds so good. The displays of cooking ware are a fun added touch. If I were in the area, I would love to visit for breakfast myself.

Which brings us to the mystery. It is fast paced, with us always getting some clue or red herring that progressed the story. There was one thing introduced that was never resolved, and I hope it is brought up in a future book. In fact, I can easily see that happening. The climax to the main mystery of who killed Erica was logical and suspenseful and provided the resolution I needed for this book.

This book is actually set right after Thanksgiving, so in between investigating, Robbie is doing a little decorating and other things connected with Christmas. Since I love Christmas so much, this was a nice surprise.

And we get recipes. There are a total of 4 in the back of the book, covering everything from French toast to coleslaw.

If you are looking for a strong, capable mystery with characters you’ll love spending time with, look no further than Grilled for Murder. You’ll eat it up faster than one of Robbie’s specials and be ready for your next helping.

Enjoy more helpings with the rest of the Country Store Mysteries.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Wednesday, June 8, 2016

TV Show Review: Newhart - Season 5

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Lots of laughs with these lovable/wacky characters

Cons: Characters sliding a little toward caricature

The Bottom Line:

This classic sitcom

Still brings plenty of great laughs

In funny season

“Some People Just Can’t Read the Crayola on the Wall.”

We have now entered the second half of Newhart! I’m a huge fan of Bob Newhart’s 1980’s sitcom, which has slowly been hitting DVD. After a several month gap, Shout Factory has given us season 5, and this season of the sitcom is still filled with great laughs.

In this series, Bob Newhart stars as Dick Loudon. Along with his wife Joanna (Mary Frann), he runs the Stratford Inn in a Vermont. They are surrounded by an eclectic group of friends and employees. There is their handyman George Utley (Tom Poston), a native of the town whose family has been taking care of the Stratford for generations. Their maid is Stephanie Vanderkellen (Julia Duffy), a spoiled rich girl who has been cut off from her family and has to work for a living. Michael Harris (Peter Scolari) is Stephanie’s boyfriend and the producer of Dick’s local access TV show at the local station, WPIV. And next door, running the Minute Man Café, are Larry, his brother Darryl, and his other brother Darryl (William Sanderson, Tony Papenfuss, and John Voldstad).

Over the course of this season, Dick has a mid-life crisis and follows his dream of becoming a cowboy, Michael has a dream interview with a big TV network, Stephanie starts to worry about her job when an injury forces Dick and Joanna to hire a temporary maid who is actually good at the job, the bell tower that George’s father built needs to be repaired, and Joanna gets angry at Dick for something he did in her dream. Meanwhile, Michael tries to help Larry win the girl of his dreams, a new friend drives a wedge between Larry and the Darryls, Dick tries to find a place to sleep after a fight with Joanna, and a stuffed animal becomes an issue for everyone’s Thanksgiving plans.

As you can see, there are plenty of great stories this season. We’ve moved a bit away from stories with guests at the inn and focus on stories with our core cast of characters. While Larry, Darryl, and Darryl aren’t in every single episode, they are in most episodes of the season, and between these eight characters there are plenty of laughs to go around. Add in some supporting townspeople and employees at the TV station, and it’s easy to see just how many laughs we can generate from the characters we already know.

And laughs there are. Oh, we know all these characters at this point, and the writers know all the characters. Quite often, you know the joke that is coming, and yet they are still so funny you can’t help but laugh.

That’s a credit to the very talented cast. Their chemistry and comedic timing is perfect. They take the words of the writers and bring them to life perfectly. This is a case where everything is running perfectly, and we get to reap the benefits.

As the series progressed, the characters began to become more and more caricatures of themselves. There are hints of that here, especially with Michael, but it’s not really over the top yet.

Meanwhile, the show was obviously from the 80’s, mostly with the fashion. The comedy is timeless, however, and you’ll be laughing at the jokes even if the clothes date things.

Season 5 consisted of twenty-four episodes, and all of them are presented here in stereo and full frame. There are moments in each episode that the picture shows its age, being a little soft, but it’s not too bad. There is one episode that comes with a warning about poor quality, and a few scenes of that episode are pretty bad. However, it is still watchable with plenty of laughs. There are no extras on the set, but I’m just happy to have the episodes.

Whether you are a longtime fan or not, you’ll be thrilled to have season 5 of Newhart in your collect. You’ll be laughing before you know it as these wonderful characters again entertain.

Season 5 Episodes:

1. Co-Hostess Twinkie

2. Camp Stephanie

3. Dick the Kid

4. High Fidelity

5. Desperately Desiring Susan Part 1

6. Desperately Desiring Susan Part 2

7. My Two and Only

8. Thanksgiving for the Memories

9. Utley, Can You Spare a Dime?

10. Sweet and Sour Charity

11. Everybody Ought to Have a Maid