Book Review: Dashing Through the Snowbirds by Donna Andrews (Meg Langslow #32)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Christmas spirit, good plot, characters I love, humor

Cons: Climax could have been stronger (but it’s a minor complaint)

The Bottom Line:

Meg’s full house this year

Visiting Canadians

Full of Christmas cheer

Programming an Ice Cold Murder

My day job is as an accountant for a company, and our fiscal year end is the end of November.  That means that December is extra stressful between insane deadlines at work and trying to get ready for Christmas.  I don’t think I realized how stressed I was until I sat down with Dashing Through the Snowbirds, this year’s Christmas entry in Donna Andrews’s long running Meg Langslow series.  I could immediately feel my stress slipping away as I got lost in Meg’s latest adventure.

It's a few days before Christmas, and Meg’s house has been invaded once again.  This time, the invasion is in the form of visiting Canadians.  They are employees of AcerGen, a genetics company that is trying to do a rush update of their products and working with Mutant Wizards, Meg’s brother’s computer software company, to accomplish this.  Unfortunately, the CEO, Ian Meredith, is less than ethical, and Meg begins to learn just how much trouble he is after the project has started.

Someone has a serious grudge against Ian, however, because when loud Christmas music wakes Meg up in the middle of the night, and she finds Ian’s dead body out in the cold.  Is Meg harboring a killer in her house?

This is the thirty-second book in the Meg Langslow Mystery, so by now we know her family and friends well.  Honestly, I think that was part of why this book was so relaxing to me right away.  I just felt the peace and calm of visiting old friends.  Some of the characters make me smile when their names are mentioned, and I just love them.  They are their usual charming selves here once again.

Very few people do a Christmas mystery quite like Donna Andrews.  With the descriptions of decorations and references to Christmas music and the weather, this book will put you in the holiday spirit right away.  I’ve always saved these books for December for a reason.  It is always a joy to read these and see my decorated Christmas trees when I look up between chapters.  If you are missing the Christmas spirit, this book will definitely give it to you.

And that’s despite the murder.  Yes, the book does take that seriously and never forgets that it is a murder mystery.  While Ian might not be killed as early as in some series I read, we are still learning about him and potential suspects and motives before that happens.  While I do wish the climax were a little stronger, I had pieced things together only a couple of chapters before we got there, and it is obvious that Meg was right behind me.  And it is hard to complain too loudly about such a well plotted book.

I know I say this with every book in the series I read, but I truly appreciate Meg’s relationship with the local police.  It’s a small town, and she is friends with them.  While they don’t encourage her snooping (and she mostly does it accidentally anyway), they appreciate the fact that she shares what she has learned with them, and she calls them immediately when she gets a lead.  It’s such a refreshing change from most of the books I read.

And there’s the humor.  As I’ve said, I was smiling the entire way through the book, with some laughs along the way as well.

This truly is another wonderful Christmas visit with Meg and company.  Dashing Through the Snowbirds will please fans old and new looking for a wonderful Christmas mystery.

Enjoy more fun with the rest of the Meg Langslow Mysteries.

Ornament Review: Storytime Snuggles - Making Memories #15 - 2022 Hallmark Release

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Cute ornament captures reading memories

Cons: Does tip back a little

The Bottom Line:

Storytime as kid

Warm memories captured here

Great piece for your tree

Storytime Memories

As I keep mentioning, I need to cut back on my ornaments.  I keep thinking about stopping some of the series I collect from Hallmark as a result, and one of those I was considering was Making Memories.  That is until I saw that this year’s entry was Storytime Snuggles.  Being the reader I am, how could I pass that up?

Once again, this series features two Snow People, a Snow Parent and a Snow Child.  They’re both cuddled up under a blanket, wearing a knit cap and PJs.  They are sitting in a red chair.  The parent has a book on his or her lap – The Christmas Puppy.  Ironically, the puppy this family has isn’t in the ornament.  Instead, we see their cat peeking out from under the chair.

If the book in the ornament is a real one, I’m not familiar with it, although I suspect it was made up for the ornament.  Not that the title really matters.  The important thing is the memories it invokes of reading together.  I always loved bedtime reading, and one of my favorites was How the Grinch Stole Christmas, which I would request year round.  Clearly, this ornament appeals to me.

As usual, this ornament is mostly plastic.  The exceptions are the pompoms on the hats the Snow People are wearing, and the blanket, which is a small piece of fabric.

The ornaments in this series traditionally have a snowflake base, and this one is no exception.  There’s just a little of it sticking out of the chair’s bottom, but it is there.  And yes, the 15 in a Christmas tree series marker is on the bottom.

This ornament does tip back slightly when you go to hang it.  It doesn’t look bad this way, and by the time you get it in amongst the tree branches, you won’t really notice.

I’m sure it’s not surprise that this reader enjoyed story time as a kid.  If you enjoyed it as either a parent or child – or both – you’ll also enjoy Storytime Snuggles.

Capture more memories with the rest of the Making Memories series.

Book Review: Slay Ride by Diane Vallere (Samantha Kidd #10)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Strong plot and characters, plenty of fun

Cons: Ending is a bit abrupt

The Bottom Line:

Missing trend setter

Samantha on Christmas case

A fun time for all

Why Is Kyle Missing Trends?

Somehow, I got ahead of my reading schedule this month.  I’m actually still trying to figure out exactly how I did it, but I’m not complaining.  It allowed me to slip Slay Ride by Diane Vallere into my Christmas reading schedule.

This book is billed as a holiday novella.  I read the ebook version, but I would guess it is about two thirds of a typical book in the series, so either a very long novella or a short novel.  Either way, fans of the series will jump in enthusiastically.

You haven’t met Samantha Kidd yet?  She’s a former fashion buyer who moved back to her hometown of Ribbon, Pennsylvania.  Not only has she found her job history a bit rocky since then, but she’s also found more than her fair share of murder and mayhem.

This story finds Samantha taking on a temporary job in the weeks leading up to Christmas.  She’s landed a job as a social media influencer for a local company thanks to her friend Kyle Trent.  Kyle is one of the stars of the company, and he is more than willing to show Samantha the ropes for her two-week assignment.

The two are supposed to meet up one morning for some photos to be scheduled later in the day, but Kyle never shows up.  That’s not like Kyle, so Samantha begins to investigate.  The problem is, she keeps getting contradictory information about whether she should be worried or not.  Can she figure out what is going on?

This may be a shorter entry in the series, but it doesn’t skimp on anything.  The plot kicks off quickly and it never lets up.  Okay, so the ending might have been rushed, but that is my only complaint with the story.  There are twists and red herrings to keep you guessing plus a few plots only Samantha could execute.

And the characters are all strong.  The usual regulars are here again, and it is great to see them all.  We get some growth in Samantha as well.  I love watching her mature before our eyes.  The new characters are entertaining and help pull us into the story.

All of this is served with a dose of fun.  Yes, the Christmas element could have been stronger, but it still added a nice backdrop to the action.  But Samantha’s trademark humor is on full display here, and I loved every second of it.  Plus there are some fun things that she tries over the course of the book to figure out what is really going on.

As I said at the beginning, fans who haven’t read this book yet will be anxious to dive in and find out what Samantha gets up to here.  If you haven’t found these fun mysteries yet, Slay Ride is a good place to jump in and meet her.

Need more Samantha?  Here are the rest of the Samantha Kidd Mysteries in order.

TV Show Review: The Santa Clauses - Season 1

Stars: 3 out of 5

Pros: Laughs, visuals, acting

Cons: Story is drawn out and feels recycled

The Bottom Line:

Santa stepping down?

The story feels familiar

Still, some fun moments

“I’m Giving You the Worst News a Santa Claus Could Get.  You’ve Lost Weight.”

Watching at least one of the movies in The Santa Clause franchise is a Christmas tradition for me.  Okay, so it’s usually the first one, but I find the other movies have their charms as well.  So, I was thrilled when I learned Disney+ was going to give us The Santa Clauses this December.

As the show opens, Scott Calvin (Tim Allen) has been Santa for almost 30 years.  And the changing times have made it harder for him.  His magic is failing a little and he’s starting to slip, like off roofs.  So, he decides that it must be time to retire.  Fortunately, there is a clause that will allow him to do that if he can find his successor.  While his daughter, Sandra (Elizabeth Allen-Dick), doesn’t want to leave, his wife, Carol (Elizabeth Mitchell) and son Cal (Austin Kane) are thrilled with experiencing life outside the North Pole again.

After an exhaustive search, Scott picks Simon Choksi (Kal Penn) as his replacement.  With Simon and his daughter, Grace (Rupali Redd) in place, the Calvins return to Chicago.  But how will everyone handle these changes?

As much as I was looking forward to this show, I found it uneven.  It is designed as a comedy, and there were certainly laughs.  I truly enjoyed much of the humor, so that was good.

They also did work in a couple of franchise alums.  Eric Lloyd pops up in an episode as Scott’s son Charlie.  Meanwhile, David Krumholtz returns for an episode as Bernard, the head elf from the first two movies.  Would I have liked to see more of them?  Absolutely.  But I’m happy we at least got to see them for the time we did.  Unfortunately, they didn’t find a place for Scott’s first wife, Laura, her second husband, Neil, and their daughter, Lucy.

On the other hand, I felt like this was a good movie idea stretched out to fill the series.  Granted, there are only six half hour episodes, so the entire thing is about 3 hours.  But cut in half, I think it would have been much stronger.  They could have cut out some of the repetitive moments and jokes, and the plot would have benefitted from being streamlined.

The other issue with the series is that it feels like a retreat.  I know, there are only so many things they can do with Santa.  But this very much felt like a thinly disguised twist on The Santa Clause 2 to me.

None of this is the fault of the actors, who are all fabulous in their roles.  They get lots of laughs from the script and are obviously having fun.

Likewise, the series looks fabulous.  Whether it is the practical sets of the North Pole and Santa’s workshop or the special effects, it is a feast for the eyes.

The season finale absolutely worked for me.  Yes, I expected most of the things that happened, but I got very caught up in the story and emotionally invested in what was happening.  Then again, I’ve always loved a well-done climax, and that’s what we got here.

There are also some fun nods to the original movies for fans to enjoy.

I thought this was a one-off series, but the day the season finale aired, Disney announced the show would be back for season two.  Knowing me, I’m sure I’ll be watching when they premier.

If you are a fan of The Santa Clause franchise, I’d definitely recommend giving The Santa Clauses a try.  It’s not bad, but it’s not anything that’s going to blow you away, either.  If you only really loved the first movie, you can probably skip this one.

Book Review: Stellarlune by Shannon Messenger (Keeper of the Lost Cities #9)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Characters and story kept me engaged

Cons: Pacing a few times, but never for very long

The Bottom Line:

Changes are coming

Book has great character growth

Story moves forward

Sophie’s Next Chapter is One Fans Will Love

It’s been a couple of years since we last visited Sophie Foster and the rest of the characters in the Keeper of the Lost Cities series.  I was ready for Stellarlune to come out, but I had to make time in my reading schedule to devote to it.  It was worth the extra effort.

If you are new to this middle grade fantasy series, don’t start here.  I really, truly cannot emphasize that enough.  There is so much going on at this point in the series.  It is book nine, after all.  Heck, I was close to being lost a time or two early on, and I’ve read the books as they’ve come out.  I really wish I would have had the time to reread at least the last book before I picked this one up.

If you are new, here’s a crash course.  Sophie is an elf, something she learned after having been raised by a human family.  At the age of twelve, she left the human world for the Lost Cities, a parallel world that humans have forgotten about.  And as she learned more about the other species surrounding her, she also learned that she might be the key for keeping the peace in her new world from forces within who want to take over and destroy it.

When this book starts, Sophie has just learned that her friend Keefe has run away to the Forbidden Cities (aka our world) in order to hide from the changes that are being forced on him.  As much as Sophie wants to try to find him, she decides that her best course of action might be to find a way to stop the next step in the plans for Keefe.  Meanwhile, her friends have a less than positive reaction to the action she just took against their enemy, the Neverseen.  Will this drive a wedge in her circle of friends?

See what I mean?  However, a fan of the series will immediately be hooked by what I just teased and want to know more about what will happen to their favorite characters next.

And there is plenty here.  There were a few times I felt the pace could have picked up a little, but they never lasted for long.  For a 730 page book, that’s pretty impressive.  There are more secrets revealed and some exciting developments.  We may not have too many pulse pounding scenes, but I was engaged the entire way through.

One reason I felt that was in the characters.  I truly do love them.  Yes, even the ones that annoy Sophie at times still have their good points.  I really appreciated the maturing we saw in some of the characters and relationships here.  Sophie is growing up, and other characters are recognizing that and acting accordingly.  And I absolutely love how Sophie is growing into the character she needs to be.

Of course, another reason I love these books is because I love the world that author Shannon Messenger has created.  It’s such fun, and there are so many unexpected twists on what we would expect that it’s always a pleasure to get lost in these pages.

And yes, Sophie is facing plenty of problems with huge consequences here.  The stakes are high.  But that doesn’t mean we don’t have room for plenty of humor.  You might not smile or laugh on every page, but you will many times as the book progresses.

Fans of the series have come to expect cliffhangers at the end of the books.  Yep, we get another one here.  And that’s all I will say about it.

I know I started this review by saying that if you aren’t familiar with the series, you shouldn’t start here.  I completely stand by that.  However, if you haven’t read the series yet, don’t wait any longer.  This is a fantastic fantasy series that all ages will love.  The early books aren’t as long, but they will hook you.

Fans will be delighted with Stellarlune and be left wanting the next part of Sophie’s story.  I’m right there counting down with them.

Need more of Sophie’s story?  Here are the Keeper of the Lost Cities books in order.

This review is part of this week's Marvelous Middle Grade Monday.

December 18th's Sunday/Monday Post

Hi everyone.  Time to kick off another week with another Sunday/Monday post, where I will be linking up to:

Sunday Post
Sunday Salon
Stacking the Shelves
Mailbox Monday
It's Monday, What Are You Reading?

Phew!  I made my deadlines at work!  Somehow, I got my accounts reconciliations that were due this month done by the deadline, which was Wednesday.  Normally, we'd have a couple more days, but they shorten it at quarter end.  Makes perfect sense, right?  We start on them later, so we have less time to do them.  The deadline was Wednesday, and I got my last ones done that day.  I usually like to get them done earlier than that, but just didn't have time.  Also finished the ones that weren't due this month, so now I can start on other reports on Monday.

Other than that, not too much to report.  I've wrapped all the Christmas presents I can, finished that up today while rewatching The Santa Clause.  I think I love that movie a little more every year.  I've had to reorder the present for my sister-in-law.  Hopefully it ships and it arrives by Christmas.  I'm having it shipped to my parents' house, so if it runs late, I still have it to give to her or she will get it within a few days of it arriving since she and my parents live in the same town.

I didn't go paddling Saturday morning.  It's been cold (for So Cal) all week, and it was supposed to be windy.  It didn't seem that windy to me, but that was the forecast.  It's supposed to hit 60 on Sunday and be sunny with little wind, so my friend and I are planning to go after church in the morning.

This Past Week on the Blog:

Sunday - Disney Pin Review: Peter Pan's Flight - Mickey Mouse the Main Attraction

Monday - Book Review: Christmas Past by Brian Earl

Tuesday - Music Review: Holidays Around the World by Pentatonix

Wednesday - Book Review: Cozy Up to Christmas by Colin Conway

Thursday - Ornament Review: Belle

Friday - Friday Post featuring Slay Ride

Friday - Short Story Review: "The Christmas Caper" by Gigi Pandian

Saturday - Weekly TV Thoughts

This Coming Week on the Blog:

Sunday - Book Review: Stellarlune by Shannon Messenger

Monday - TV Show Review: The Santa Clauses - Season 1

Tuesday - Book Review: Slay Ride by Diane Vallere

Wednesday - Ornament Review: Storytime Snuggles

Thursday - Book Review: Dashing Through the Snowbirds by Donna Andrews

Friday - Friday Post featuring Rum and Choke

Saturday - Weekly TV Thoughts

Book Haul:

It's another 5 book week around here.  I need to find a way to read faster because I really do want to read all these books I get, even though I get more books than I read in a given week.

Up first, my preorder of On Spine of Death by Tamara Berry finally arrived.  I had to contact Barnes and Nobel and get them to resend it to me since the first got lost somewhere along the way.  They made me wait longer than I thought I should have to wait, but once we hit that deadline, they sent a new one right out to me.  And I can see their point - they wanted to make sure the first was really lost.

Then I snagged a couple of Kindle sales, both for books I've been eyeing.  The first was Peg and Rose Solve a Murder by Laurien Berenson.  I've actually been eyeing her books for years but never picked one up.  But the first in a series on sale?  Can't pass that up.

Likewise with Lowcountry Boil by Susan Boyer.  I feel like I may have a physical copy around here somewhere, but I couldn't find it.  And it was on sale for 99 cents.  Even if I have it, that's a good price to get a second copy, right?

Then I got approved for two Netgalley ARCs this week.  I learned that Anastasia Hastings is the newest pen name for Kylie Logan (which I know is also a pen name, but that's the name I know her best as).  Since I love her books, I knew I had to get a copy of Of Manners and Murder.  I'd been eyeing the book already since the Victorian England setting sounded fun.

While I was at it, I requested and got the ARC of All That is Hidden, next year's Molly Murphy Mystery from Rhys Bowen and Clare Broyles.  Both of these two books are from St. Martin's Press, so as long as I was requesting one, I figured I'd request the other.  I've been reading the Molly Murphy series, set in the 1900's New York City, since the first came out, so I'm looking forward to her latest.

What I'm Currently Reading:

I'm working on my last book for the year - Rum and Choke by Sherry Harris.  Of course, I haven't cracked it opened yet on Saturday, and Sunday is looking busy.  My original plan was to finish it up on Sunday, but I'm thinking it might be Monday.  After all, I have more Christmas specials and movies to watch before I leave to see my family for Christmas.  Anyone, I made good progress on in Friday, and I'm enjoying it so far.

So, either Monday or Tuesday, I will be starting Fatal Fascinator by Jenn McKinlay.  This will be book seven in her Hat Shop Mysteries.  It is releasing on January 3rd, so if I'm going to have my review ready to go, I need to start on it now.  Here's a secret, I count books for reading challenges by when I post the review.  I figure that it turns out to be a wash.  I was two or three books into my 2022 reading when we actually hit January 1st of this year, and I'll be the same next year.  Just don't tell anyone, okay?

And that's a wrap.  Have a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, or whatever you celebrate this month.

December 17th's Weekly TV Thoughts

 I know I've talked in the past about having Wednesday's full.  But this week, it all came down to Wednesday.  Of course, I let Lego Masters bleed over to Thursday to watch.  Would have been to late to start it after the Survivor finale ended Wednesday.

The Santa Clauses – That was definitely the best episode of the series.  I know, shocker, I loved the climax the best.  Definitely felt like some holiday spirit.  There wasn’t anything I wasn’t expecting in the episode, but I still enjoyed the way it played out.

Survivor – I don’t know that any of my money would have been on Gabler.  I honestly thought they would turn on him weeks ago, but not only did he get to the end, but he got all but one of the votes.  Very impressive.  And I like that he is giving his money to a very worthy charity.  I wonder if other contestants will start to do that.

Lego Masters – I was rooting for Brandon and Greg, so I was sorry to see them go in the first half.  I was afraid when they took so long to come up with something and start building it would be their time.  Can’t fault the judges for their decision there.  And, it’s not like I disliked any of the teams left (or in the season overall).  I was expecting Nick and Stacy to go home when they were in the slump, but they wound up winning.  I’m happy to be proven wrong.  Another great season of the show.

Short Story Review: “The Christmas Caper” by Gigi Pandian (Secret Staircase Mysteries #1.5)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Fun, quick visit with new friends

Cons: Story a little straightforward, but that’s a minor complaint

The Bottom Line:

Christmas short story

Tempest solves museum heist

A fun, quick caper

Museum Robbery at Christmas

When Gigi Pandian announced she’d released a Christmas short story featuring her newest sleuth, I immediately snagged a copy.  And then I saved “The Christmas Caper” to enjoy during December.

Tempest Raj and her family are reviving a Christmas tradition this year – Christmas in Scotland.  Her grandparents have even booked a flat with a stunning view of Edinburgh Castle.  However, a reunion with a family friend present Tempest with a puzzle to solve.  The local museum was robbed recently, and no one can figure out how the thieves pulled it off.  The friend has a connection to the museum and asks Tempest to see if she can figure out how the thieves pulled it off.  Will Tempest’s background as a magician help solve the puzzle?

This really is a short story – I finished it in under an hour.  As a result, the plot is a bit straightforward.  I didn’t have all the pieces completely in place before Tempest figured it out, however.  And this is more an observation than a real complaint since I was enjoying myself the entire time.

Since this is a short story and we are not in the area where the first book was set, we don’t see all the characters we met there, but I completely enjoyed my time with the characters we did get to see.  We don’t see a lot of the new characters – there just isn’t time – but I enjoyed what we saw of them as well.

This story is designed to fit between the first book and the second book, which will be released in March.  However, you don’t need to have read the first book to follow this story.

And, like the book, there are two delicious sounding recipes at the end to enjoy after you’ve finished.

If you are looking for a quick story to read this season, this story will fit the bill perfectly.  “The Christmas Caper” is wonderful entertainment.

I'll let you in on a secret - here are the rest of the Secret Staircase Novels.

December 16th's Friday Post

We made it to Friday!  It's payday for me, which is extra nice.  Let's kick the day off with a Friday post.  As usual, I'm linking up to:

Book Beginnings
First Line Friday
Friday 56
Book Blogger Hop

I'll be kicking things off with teasers from Slay Ride by Diane Vallere.  This is the ninth entry in her Samantha Kidd mysteries.

Quite obviously, it is Christmas themed.  And it is a bit shorter than a typical book in the series.  It is billed as a novella, and it seems a bit too long for that, but it's definitely on the shorter side.  Not that labels really matter, right?

Anyway, Samantha is a former fashion buyer who seems to find lots of mystery and mayhem as her career jumps around from one fashion related thing to another.  You're getting the fashion theme, right?  Because that is critical to see the humor in the teasers I'm sharing.

Here's how the book kicks off:

For the first time in my life, I was wearing the wrong outfit.

Now, don't misunderstand, Samantha is not snobbish.  But anyone who knows the series will immediately smile from that opening line.

I'm sharing a bit more for the Friday 56.  It really helps set up the joke.  Samantha is thinking about how her past involvements in mysteries didn't lend themselves to social media posts:

In the three years that I’d been back in Pennsylvania, my life hadn’t exactly been worthy of updates. I’d gotten involved in one criminal investigation after another, and nothing about that felt like cause for a post. Did people want to know that I found my boss dead in an elevator? That I helped bust open a knockoff ring or helped catch an arsonist?

Sure, that all sounded good, but it was only half of the story. I’d been knocked out, shot at, beaten up, chased, threatened, and forced to wear sweatpants.

The horror!  Wearing sweat pants!!  (Types the guy wearing sweat pants right now.)

Obviously, this story is a lot of fun.  I'll be sharing a review on Tuesday (assuming I get it written), so I hope you'll come back then for my full thoughts on the book.

Now, let's turn to the Book Blogger Hop.  This week's question is:

Which time of day do you prefer to read: morning, afternoon, or evening?

I think afternoon.  When I have time to read on my own (holidays, weekends, etc.), that's the time I typically read.  Of course, I read on my breaks and lunch on work days.

Have a relaxing weekend!

Ornament Review: Belle - 2022 Hallmark Miniature Ornament

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Belle as a miniature ornament

Cons: Does tip back slightly

The Bottom Line:

Belle in yellow gown

Shrunk as mini ornament

Looking beautiful

A Beauty of a Mini Ornament

I don’t normally pay too much attention to the Disney Princess ornaments that Hallmark releases each year.  The exception is anything related to Belle since she is my favorite (and Beauty and the Beast is one of my favorite movies of all time.)  So when Belle was one of their miniature ornaments this year, I immediately put it on my list.

Belle is captured here in her yellow dress.  That’s not a surprise since most ornaments of her are in her ball gown.  Her hands are behind her back and her head is bent down ever so slightly, but she is still smiling out at us.

This is a miniature ornament, so it is only about an inch high.  But the details they’ve managed to capture here are amazing as always.  We can see ruffles in Belle’s dress and the details of her face.  As long as you are aware of the size, you’ll be quite happy with this ornament.

The ornament has a flat base, so you could set it out to be displayed.  Again, I will caution you about the size.  You’ll want to make sure you set it some place where it won’t get lost.

When you go to hang her on your tree, you’ll find she tips back a little bit.  It’s not too bad, and she still looks good at that angle.

Miniature ornaments aren’t for everyone.  But if you enjoy them and are a Disney fan, this ornament of Belle will look beautiful on your tree.