April 12th's Weekly TV Thoughts

Dancing with the Stars - The switch up didn't seem to be quite as big a deal as I thought it might be.  Everyone seemed to dance well with their new partners.  But it sure was fun to watch the results.  Next week is Disney music week?  I will love every second of that one!

Melissa & Joey - The mini-Sabrina reunion they had was fun, although they should sent Josh and Morgan off into the sunset together.  Considering their characters dated on that show, it would have been fun here.  I'm also still love the Zander story line.

Survivor - I honestly thought for a few minutes that the flip flopper was going to do the same thing that the last week's victim did, trying to play both sides against the middle and make everyone angry.  Sadly, it didn't work.  The producers will try to drum up suspense over the next few weeks, but we'll end up with a boring few episodes as the dominant team sticks together.  Darn it, I really want to see Tony gone, too.

Big Bang Theory - Sheldon waking up next to that book was absolutely hilarious.  And I'm glad that Howard's past with Raj's new girlfriend wasn't anything worse than it was.  I really would like Raj to have a steady girlfriend for once.

Crazy Ones - I was waiting all episode for some kind of Mork and Mindy reference, and they gave it to us at the very end.  It's winding down with two episodes back to back next week.  Not sure if I will keep watching after that or not.

Suits - They got me with the previews since Mike wasn't down at the attorney's office for not having a law degree but for something else.  And he did take the job.  That actually surprised me (which is what the creator wanted), but I'm very happy.  It will make for an interesting dynamic next season for sure.

Ornament Review: Santa's Armoire - 2010 Hallmark Ornament

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Beautiful detail from all the Hallmark artists

Cons: Slight tip back, but it's a minor issues

The Bottom Line:

Peak behind the door

Enjoy art inside and out

Artistic delight

Loving Work of Art from the Keepsake Artists

2010 was the year I started collecting Hallmark ornaments seriously.  It was also a year they had artist signings around the country.  I couldn't make one, so I wasn't going to collect the special piece they created just for that signing - Santa's Armoire.  However, after attending an event of my own and starting to collect the unofficial series of Santa and Mrs. Claus's furniture, I broke down and back collected it.  I'm so glad I did.

Like the other big event pieces, this piece was a collaborative effort from all the Hallmark ornament sculptors.  A few worked on the overall design while many of them worked on little pieces and details.  The result is fantastic, and I treasure this work of art.

The 2010 event piece is painted brown and looks like it is made from wood.  It is several inches high, which makes it a bit big for an ornament but it allows you to see all the details.  There are decorative designs on the top and bottom.  The shelves on the sides hold toys from drums to penguins to teddy dears and dolls.  But the detail I love the most on the outside is the painting on the door.  Actually, painting isn't the right word since it has texture to it.  More like a relief picture if you will.  Anyway, it's of Santa and his reindeer flying over a pretty, snowy landscape.

And yes, the door opens.  Inside, you'll find a mirror on the door, Santa's boots, coat, and hat, a cute cat curled up, and a couple more toys.

I really could look at this ornament for hours.  Every time I do, I notice a new detail in the design work or one of the toys that makes me smile.  While it is bigger than your average ornament, it's still under six inches tall, which means that how they worked all those details into this ornament still surprises me.

The armoire is resting on four feet.  They are perfectly level, so it is no surprise that the ornament can be put out in a display anywhere without fear of falling over.  With all the detail on it (especially if you leave the door open), I'd want it on something that won't get bumped often, but that would be my only concern.

I have hung mine on my tree the last couple of years.  You'll find the hook behind the arch at the top of the armoire.  The ornament actually tips back a little when hung, but by the time you get it in the branches of a tree, you'd never notice.  And while you are up there, take a look at the friend hiding up at the top.

This ornament proved to be so popular that in 2011, a white repaint was released to members of the Keepsake Ornament Club.  Personally, I liked the original wood color better, so I waited until I could find a reasonably priced copy of the original.

And I'm glad I did.  The 2010 Santa's Armoire is a beautiful piece of artwork I am proud to hang on my tree.

Original Price: $34.95

April 11th's Book Beginnings and Friday 56

According to my calendar, it's Friday again, and you know what that means.  I'm really looking forward to this weekend because I'll be at the LA Times Festival of Books on Saturday.  But in the mean time, here's my Book Beginnings and Friday 56 for the week.

This week's book is Ghost of a Gamble by Sue Ann Jaffarian.  I actually finished and reviewed the book on Wednesday, so if these teasers excite you, go read more.

The book begins with:

The light fixture was common as a rock.  A simple white metal cylinder recessed into a textured, plain white kitchen ceiling, it beamed soft light down onto the counter below without fanfare or embellishment, like the billions of light fixtures like it around the world.

Page 56 ends a chapter, so I don't have much to draw from.  But here's the first line from page 56:

Suddenly, Emma wanted to see the Lady Laura.

Sue Ann is a favorite author, and I enjoyed this book as much as her previous ones.

Movie Review: Chinese Zodiac

Stars: 2 out of 5

Pros: Fun, creative, and breathtaking fight/action sequences

Cons: Everything else

The Bottom Line:

Action worth watching

Not supported by rest of

Very bad movie

A Mess of a Movie - See it for the Fight Scenes Only

Back in the day, I saw several of Jackie Chan's movies and enjoyed them, however, I'd hesitate to call myself a big fan of his work.  Still, I remembered the fantastic fight sequences, so when my roommate brought home Chinese Zodiac and asked if I wanted to watch it, too, I agreed.  Sadly, it should have been much, much better.

JC (Jackie Chan) has been hired to track down the twelve bronze statues of the animals from the Chinese Zodiac any way necessary.  That's a good thing since he is a thief for hire.  These particular statues were stolen from the Chinese one hundred and fifty years ago.  A few are popping up in the market, but no one knows where all of them are.  Can JC and his team follow clues to track them down?

Now often, I will say that the plot is just an excuse for the action.  That doesn't necessarily mean the plot is bad, it just means the plot is just setting up the action.  In this case, it means the plot is bad.  It jumps from plot point to plot point with no real explanation or at times logic.  A few of the complications felt like the writers saying, "We need to have another fight sequences, so let's introduce pirates."  Yes, you read that right, real day pirates make an appearance.  The climax, while thrilling, also made little sense and came out of nowhere just to give us an awesome final fight scene.

Character development?  Again, much of that is forced.  Things are thrown in at random that are supposed to help us identify with the characters better.  This was still happening in the final, wrap up scene of the film.  Instead of liking the characters, it made me laugh at the clumsy way it was handled.

I'm willing to give the actors a pass on the acting.  The film was a mix of sub-titles, accented English, and voice over.  Between the three, I was so busy trying to follow the story that the acting wasn't a big issue for me.  It wasn't good, but it was horrible, either.

What was horrible was much of the voice over work.  Many of the actors delivered it with such flat voices that I was pushed away by the woodenness of it.  I felt like these "actors" just wanted a paycheck and didn't care about the final outcome.

Along with this, we get preached at about who should really have stolen artifacts taken from the original peoples are displayed in European cities.  I actually agree with what the film was trying to say, I just hated the way it was said.

So why watch the film?  For the action sequences.  The opening epic scene is worth it for the sheer fun of the film alone.  There are many other great scenes scattered throughout the film, including a fight entirely on a couch.  No, I'm not joking.  And the climatic moments just be seen to be believed.

Even so, I highly suggest renting the film, or better yet borrowing it from someone else who has rented it like I did.  There is no reason to watch this film more than once.  After you've seen the action scenes, you'll have no desire to watch Chinese Zodiac again.

Book Review: Ghost of a Gamble by Sue Ann Jaffarian (Ghost of Granny Apples #4)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Strong mystery and wonderful characters, living and dead

Cons: I sure can't find a ghost of a con

The Bottom Line:

Ghosts in Las Vegas

Danger, murder, kidnapping

Enjoyable time

The Ghost of Lenny the Lightbulb

Lenny the Lightbulb.  It sounds like a character from a children's show, doesn't it?  Yet a lightbulb is what starts Emma and Granny on another wild mystery, this time set in Las Vegas in Ghost of a Gamble.

If you are new to this series, Emma Whitecastle is a 40-something divorcee who recently found she can communicate with ghosts.  It started when her great-great-great grandmother appeared to her demanding the Emma clear her name of a murder.  Since then, Granny has become a fixture in Emma's life, providing laughs as well as help when Emma finds another ghost she must help deal with unresolved issues in their lives.

While this is the fourth in the series (and the first with a new publisher), enough background is given that you can jump in here and follow what is happening.  The mystery itself stands on its own.

Emma is surprised when her friend and mentor Milo asks for her help with a ghost in his mother Dolly's townhome.  After all, he is a talented medium in his own right.  But she would do anything for her friend, so she heads to Vegas.

When she arrives, she learns that ghost seems to be staying near a light bulb in Dolly's kitchen.  What's even more surprising is that Emma is the first one to make contact with the spirit that Dolly has nicknamed Lenny the Lightbulb.  But all Emma is able to get out of the spirit is that "Nemo's boys are coming for you" before there is a suspicious death and a kidnapping.  Just what has Emma gotten herself into this time?

One thing I appreciate about this series is that the mysteries are different from the cozies I normally read.  Don't get me wrong, I love them, too, but it is nice to get away from a body and five suspects.  Plus the ghosts introduce an element of history to the stories I enjoy as well.

Now that isn't to say this isn't a strong mystery.  It is obvious there is something going on early, and Emma and Granny have to piece together clues and bits of evidence until they do know what is happening.  Even then, the story is far from over, and I found the climax kept me turning pages quickly to find out what would happen next.

Plus the book is filled with great characters.  Emma is a resourceful and self-assured heroine who has accepted the changes in her life.  She is a kind and compassionate woman, but watch out when someone she loves is in danger.  Granny is sarcastic and funny, and her love of modern things like crime dramas and football is hilarious and endearing.  The rest of the cast is equally strong, and I enjoyed seeing old friends again and making new ones, both the living and dead variety.

The third book introduced a wrinkle to Emma's love life.  All I'm going to say is that it is resolved here, so this isn't something that will be dragged on for books and books.  I'll leave it to you to read and see how.

While paranormal mysteries aren't normally my thing, I gladly make an exception for Emma and Granny.  The plots are strong and the characters are fun.  Ghost of a Gamble ended way too quickly.

If you would like to read more about Emma and Granny, check out the Ghost of Granny Apples Mysteries in order.

April 9th's Waiting on Wednesday

It's Wednesday, and that means it is time for Waiting on Wednesday.

This week's book is The Pickled Piper by Mary Ellen Hughes.

This is the first in the Pickled and Preserved Mysteries.  A part of it sounds like a traditional first mystery as the main character, Piper, is opening her a new store in her hometown.  This time, it's a pickling and preserving store.  And her boyfriend is going to get into a fight with a man who then turns up dead, giving her a reason to investigate.  However, there's a reason I read so many books like this - I find them fun.  That's why I can't wait to read it.

The book will be published on May 6th, and I'll have a review up by then since I just got an ARC in the mail.

TV Recap: Agents of Shield 1-17 - Turn, Turn, Turn

I almost saw Captain America Winter Soldier just so I would know if it tied in to this week's episode.  After all, that #itsallconnected hash tag made me think it would.  And it does.  But rather than being upset that it has spoiled this movie for me, it makes me even more anxious to watch it.

And can I just add that the title of this episode, "Turn, Turn, Turn" was very prophetic as well?

Shall we get to it?  After all, poor May has been held on the plane for a week now at gun point.

Ornament Review: Christmas Windows #1 - Cozy Living Room - 2003 Hallmark Ornament

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Cute and detailed ornament to start this series

Cons: Slight tip if you hang it

The Bottom Line:

Dreaming by the tree

Pulls up Christmas memories

Cute series debut

Uniqueness, and Cuteness, of the First Christmas Window

In Hallmark's history of Christmas ornaments, they have only released one series this is exclusive for the members of their Keepsake Ornament Collector (KOC) club.  That series is the Christmas Window series.  It started in 2003, and that debut is unique in a couple of ways that make it stand out in great ways.

First of all, this was the only ornament in the series to be sculpted by Ken Crow.  The others have alternated between two different artists - Nina Aube and Tammy Haddix.  But that's the superficial difference.

The big different in this ornament is that it is the only one as of 2014 to feature a home.  And it is such a cute ornament, too.  This is an ornament (and series) where you really want to see all sides since there is no real front or back.

On the outside of this window, you have snow on the sill.  There is a garland with some lights and a few cones hanging over the top of the main window.  Two birds and a squirrel are peaking inside.  And at the very top is a half circle window with a bit of a sun design to it.  It's very beautiful.

And on the inside portion of this ornament?  You've got a child (I've always assumed it's a little girl) asleep stretched out in a red chair.  And yes, the chair is covered in felt, which is a nice touch.  Next to this chair is a Christmas tree with a few packages underneath it.

Ultimately, this ornament does look slightly better when you are looking through the window like the animals are.  Otherwise, you see the back of the chair.  However, if you take the time to turn it around, you can find all kinds of great detail from every angle.

That's why, even though I've had this ornament for several years now, I have yet to hang it on my tree.  I like to display it and the rest of my series under one of my Christmas trees.  It makes a wonderful display having this village of shops and one house all laid out.  And that way, if I want to look at the detail more, I can just pick it up.

This works because the base of the ornament is perfectly flat.  You can set it wherever you want without fear of it tipping.  And yes, you'll find the 1 in a Christmas tree on the base of the ornament.

If you do decide to hang the ornament on your tree, you'll use the loop on the top of the inside divider of the window.  It does tip slightly to one of the outside corners, but you should be able to disguise that with a tree branch no problem.

And did I mention just how cute this ornament is?  Every time I look at it, I find a new detail, like the footprints from the animals in the snow on the window sill.  Seeing it easily conjures up images of warm fires (even though one isn't to be found) and pleasant dreams while waiting for Santa to arrive on Christmas Eve.

It would be nice if Hallmark included a few more houses in this series, but it would be hard to top Christmas Window 2003.  Even though Ken Crow hasn't done any more, he started things off with a bang.

Be sure to check out the rest of the Christmas Windows series.

Original Price: $19.95

Book Review: Clammed Up by Barbara Ross (Maine Clambake Mysteries #1)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Great plot and well drawn characters

Cons: First quarter is on the slow side

The Bottom Line:

Once it gets going

Twists and turns just keep coming

Promising debut

You Won't Get Me to Clam Up About This Debut

Since I read so many cozies, I pay attention to the Agatha Awards, which are given to the more tradition/cozy writers.  Of course, it is still rare I have read any of the nominees, but I often add them to my to be read pile.  This year, one of the nominees is Clammed Up, the first in a new series from Barbara Ross.  I can certainly see why it was nominated.

Julia Snowden has returned to her small Maine town to try to save the family clambake business.  Thanks to the down economy and a few bad business moves, they have until the end of the summer or they might lose the island they host on and the house her mother lives in.

One idea Julia has is hosting special events, and the first of those is a wedding happening the day before the official opening of the season.  However, when Julia arrives on the island with most of the wedding party, they find the best man hanging inside the old house on the island.  Now that the police has shut them down, she needs to solve the crime quickly in order to save her family's business.

I figure it is always a good sign when a body is found in the first chapter.  With a strong start like that, it means the rest of the book will be strong, too, right?  In this case, unfortunately, that isn't what happened.  Julia spends much of the first quarter of the book worrying about what this will mean for her family's business (understandable) and not doing much investigating.  In fact, I was getting a little frustrated with things.

But then she decides to really start investigating, and the book picks up.  For the rest of the story, I had a hard time setting it aside and couldn't turn the pages fast enough.  There are plenty of good twists and red herrings before we reach the end.

The characters really come alive as well.  A few of them could be better developed, but I liked them enough to find several scenes at the end of the book very moving.  Julia was the best developed, and I loved how she grew by the end of the book.  I can't wait to see where the author takes her in the next story.

Being a culinary cozy, there are six recipes in the back.  And not being a fish or sea food fan, I wasn't expecting to be interested in any of them.  Actually, there are three I would definitely be interested in trying, although that would still require cooking….

While I did find the first quarter slow, the rest of the book more than made up for it.  Clammed Up certainly deserves its nomination for the Agatha, and I will be making my reservation for another clambake with Julia and her family.

And from here, I recommend the rest of the Maine Clambake Mysteries in order.

TV Recap: Once Upon a Time 3-16 - It's Not Easy Being Green

Finally, a little back story.  This episode wasn't as shattering as last week's, and that's a good thing.  I needed a little time off, you know?  But it was still a packed episode with some good background on Zelena.  Plus we got a nice cameo there at the end.

I just wonder how many people are going to complain about those slippers.  I like the fact that the producers did their homework (although part of it might be the copyright issues with MGM).  But more on that later.

Let's start with our flashback, shall we?  And our flashback starts in…Oz as a tornado delivers a baby in a basket to a couple walking along the yellow brick road.  The woman wants to keep the child, but the husband isn't interested, especially when the baby keeps a tree from falling on them.  The wife dismisses it, however, and sends adopts the baby, whom she calls Zelena.