31 Days of Halloween: Movies and Shows of the Season

Hello dear readers,

What would October be without some ghouls, zombies and ghosts?? It actually would be September, just colder...ok ok I'll put away the geeky humor and get to the point.

This is the time of year when muggles allow their fears to roam free, they (we) seriously enjoy indulging in all things scary just so that the rest of the year they (we) can go about their (our) lives without that fear. This is of course one of the best time for horror film fans, I'm personally not much for the horror genre,

When I was a child the scariest movie I ever saw was Night of the Living Dead, not the new stuff I'm talking the original 1968 film version, scary as heck, watching those people try to find a way to live and everywhere they turned there were zombies.

Alfred Hitchcock's the Birds still makes me side-eye the heck out of birds especially if it seems they are following me. Talk about a scary movie, the scene with the kids in the school??!?!? To this day gives me willies.

Another one I thought I would through up as new classics are 28 Days Later, and 28 Weeks Later, horror on horrors right?? Scary part is these movies you can TOTALLY see coming true.

And of course we can't have Halloween without the King of the Season King Jack Skellington, yes I know it says the Nightmare Before Christmas, but isn't truly a Halloween movie?? 

I do have a few I will be checking out this season including the premiere of a favorite, which just the thought of that actually taking place gives me the willies. 

Well this season's premier of Walking Dead is on October 16,2011,  at 9pm EST are you excited? The Com Con video is too awesome to boot and man can I tell you, I'm scared and want to run but I just can't help but watch it. What would you do? Would you try to survive or would you quit?? If you haven't had a chance to catch up on the series, they are now available on Netflix,  They also have some web episodes to wet the appetite and answer some questions from last season's premiere, they explained all about 'bicycle girl". Can I say it's really good!! And not to be all dark and gloomy, I also have a romantic movie for the season and a link back to last season's recommendations.

Last year we had the Good Witch's Blog Party, to celebrate the premier of a new addition to the series, this year there is another installment called the Good Witch's Family, it picks up from after the family has blended together, and let's us know what has been happening since the wedding.

The Good Witch's Family is having a family coming to visit, and of course, witchyness runs in the family, 

and of course she bring mayhem right along with her,  and it seems that Cassie is running for Middleton mayor, I'm sure the mayor's wife loves that....

ohh the trouble that's a brewing in Middleton is going to be fun to watch, movie premiere's on October 29th on the Hallmark channel.

Season Survival Tip: Remember when a boogie shows up at your door and says "Trick or treat", don't answer, the tricks are deadly and the treats, well let's just say only another monster would enjoy those!! Have fun checking out the series for Samhain my loves and I will see you later.  Be Blessed

Book Review: The Peach Keeper

Book Title: The Peach Keeper

Author: Sarah Addison Allen

Publisher: Bantam

Pages: 288

Cost; $25.00

How I Got it:  Library 

Description:

It’s the dubious distinction of thirty-year-old Willa Jackson to hail from a fine old Southern family of means that met with financial ruin generations ago. The Blue Ridge Madam—built by Willa’s great-great-grandfather during Walls of Water’s heyday, and once the town’s grandest home—has stood for years as a lonely monument to misfortune and scandal. And Willa herself has long strived to build a life beyond the brooding Jackson family shadow. No easy task in a town shaped by years of tradition and the well-marked boundaries of the haves and have-nots. 

But Willa has lately learned that an old classmate—socialite do-gooder Paxton Osgood—of the very prominent Osgood family, has restored the Blue Ridge Madam to her former glory, with plans to open a top-flight inn. Maybe, at last, the troubled past can be laid to rest while something new and wonderful rises from its ashes. But what rises instead is a skeleton, found buried beneath the property’s lone peach tree, and certain to drag up dire consequences along with it. 

For the bones—those of charismatic traveling salesman Tucker Devlin, who worked his dark charms on Walls of Water seventy-five years ago—are not all that lay hidden out of sight and mind. Long-kept secrets surrounding the troubling remains have also come to light, seemingly heralded by a spate of sudden strange occurrences throughout the town. 

Now, thrust together in an unlikely friendship, united by a full-blooded mystery, Willa and Paxton must confront the dangerous passions and tragic betrayals that once bound their families—and uncover truths of the long-dead that have transcended time and defied the grave to touch the hearts and souls of the living---from Goodreads.com

My take on the book:
Some Secrets will always out. This is the story of how one community and a few families deal with the fallout of this secret resurfacing.  This time the magic wasn't modern but was more a left over from the previous generation and  wasn't really something these families had within them, but something and someone from out of town brought with them. This book overall was very different from the other three she has written, this was darker than the other novels. this book really looks at what it means to be a good friend, & how the concept of friendship has changed within the generations.

I enjoyed that the characters in this novel were a lot more 'ordinary' compared to the other novels, yet, magic was still within the novel, within the town, and even within some of the families.. The love stories that formed were much quicker and in more detail than the other stories.  i personally enjoyed the story because of it's exploration of friendship, how it can take a lifetime to built, or sometimes,w hen you meet someone that single moment that lets you know that person will always impact your life.

The major characters who thought they had 'grown-up' and changed and learned that sometimes you don't have to completely abandon who you are to actually grow up. I really enjoyed the story of Paxton and Willa's friendship, Willa's relationship with her father, and what she really thought that happened compared to what really happened, and how knowing the true facts actually freed her to live the life she truly wanted. I was so surprised and happy as heck to see a former book character or two actually make an appearance in this book, and I sooo wanted to know more about them and their lives, but it was not to be.

I finished this book with a lightness in my heart because I could so see the ending Sarah wanted us to have and it was good. I am however stalking her webpage to find out when her next one comes out and I can't wait!!!!

Enjoy this novel as well as the others my loves

2nd Annual Practical Magic Blog Party Post 1

"In this house we eat chocolate cake for breakfast..."-Aunt Jet Practical Magic.


Ahhh... wouldn't we all love to have chocolate cake for breakfast? well how about some delicious recipes to make that miraculous event happen... Follow along now, Aunt Jet has lent use her magical kitchen and we need to hurry to get it all in before the fun party that takes place later tonight....Midnight Margaritas!!!!!

Hershey's Best Loved Chocolate Cheesecake:

Ingredients:

• 3 packages cream cheese softened
• 11/3 cups sugar
• 1 container dairy sour cream (8ozs)
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup Hersey's Cocoa
• 2Tbsp all purpose flour
• 3 eggs

Quick Chocolate Crumb Crust:

• Combine 1 cup chocolate wafer crumbs and 1/3 cup butter, press into bottom of 9 inch springfoam pan (makes 1 crust)

HINT: Place the wafers in a ziploc bag and use your rolling pin to help crush them.


Quick Chocolate Drizzle:
Place 1/2 cup Hershey's Semi Sweet Chocolate chips and 2 tsp shortening (this you CANNOT substitute, it doesn't taste the same) in microwave


Microwave on high for 20 secs, doing additional 15secs as needed STIR well!!


Directions:

• Prepare Crust recipe, and heat oven to 450degrees
• beat cream cheese and sugar until well blended. Add sour cream& vanilla, continue to blend
• Add in cocoa & flour
• Add eggs one at a time, beat until well mixed
• Pour into crust
• Bake 10 mins, then reduce oven temp to 250degrees, continue baking for 30 mins
• Place on a wire rack, cool completely
• Drizzle the Quick drizzle over top, refrigerate 4 to 6hrs
• Store covered in fridge.

      Maple Nut Sticky Buns

Ingredients: (makes 12 rolls)

• 1 cup coarsely chopped pecans or walnuts
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 package quick rising dry yeast
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup warm water (120-130 degrees)
• 6 Tbsp softened butter,divided
• 1 egg, at room temp
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar divided
• 1 tsp cinnamon

Directions:

• Grease a 13 X 9 in pan and spread pecans and maple syrup evenly over the bottom
• Combine 2 cups flour, granulated sugar, yeast, and salt in a  large bowl.
• Stir in water , 2 Tbsp butter and egg. beat until smooth, gradually stir in remaining flour until soft dough forms. Cover with plastic wrap. let double about 30 minutes
• On lightly floured surface, roll dough in 15 X 12 in rectangle. Mix brown sugar with cinnamon sprinkle over surface.
• Starting at the 12in side roll up tightly.
• Cut into 12 slices, place slices cut side down in prepared pan. Cover with plastic wrap, place on wire rack set over large pan of hot water. Let rise until buns double. 30-45 mins.
• Preheat oven to 375degrees, uncover buns bake until golden brown
• Cool for one minute
• Serve Warm!!

Magical Aspects of our desserts for breakfast:
These ingredients don't just taste good they are good in many magical ways as well. To make this even more fun, you can add a coin into the cake so that it will come out, and the person who gets it gets a special prize.


Cinnamon: prosperity, success, spirituality, healing,lust, love, psychic powers, passion
Pecans: money and employment
Chocolate: is a well known and documented Aphrodisiac
Walnuts: perfect for weather magic as this tree is Sacred in the Celtic tradition to being associated with Fire and Water, as it's a tree that gets struck by lightening often.  It's great for fertility, healing, and wish fulfillment.


To make it more magical while making it, stir clockwise and imagine all the energies of the ingredients blending harmoniously together, imagine your family or friends enjoying the cakes, imbue it with happiness so that they smile each time they take a slice.


Enjoy your chocolate cake for breakfast and I'll see you tonight for Midnight Margaritas
"Always throw salt over your shoulder, grow lavender at your garden gate, and fall in love.....every chance you get."

Friday Follow-Up

Hi my loves
ohh how  I have missed you, so I got my computer back late last night and had a good cry too. because my harddrive was completely corrupted and they had to give me a new one, so all the recent things i had created on the computer and all the stuff I had saved were gone. I spent most of last night attempting to get some of my old backups added on to the computer.

I am so sorry i haven't posted in a while I have gotten caught up in my classes and it's a faster pace than last year and it just seems i have no time to myself anymore. Not that is an excuse but hey I didn't have a laptop I could use.

Today is Mabon and I'm going to celebrate in style in my new home, how are you going to celebrate?

My sister's birthday is this weekend and then next weekend is my best friends birthday weekend, I swear after that I will be back more often, ohhh this weekend is also the PRACTICAL MAGIC PARTY, have you checked out the page??? It's amazing the amount of people who will be participating this year, I can't wait to see everyone's post, I think I just finished it this year for last year's post, amazing the creativity of the participants, don't forget to leave a comment if you come through and make sure to enjoy yourself!!!

For contest winners, look out in the mail for your winning packages, i mailed those who gave me address off yesterday or is it today, oh Goddess I have no idea, but keep an eye out for the broom!! Your prizes are inside!!

I have been knocking this list out one by one, slowly but surely, many small things, but some big ones in the works as well so YAY!!
1) I got a library card, luckily in my state you can register your card in upto five towns around you, so since I'm living in New Haven, I also registered in Braford, and Hamden, I live five minutes away from the huge New Haven library right next to Yale and I love walking over there almost everyday to study, sometimes I study on the steps, sometimes i go inside, but this library is as amazing as the New York City Flagship library in Manhattan, I'll give you guys a tour in a little while.

2) I got a new job, i still have my old job, but now I have one close to home and really enjoy not having to travel all the time, I don't have to get up super early to get there it's only 10 mins away.

3)Obviously I have begun to study for my Fall classes, otherwise I wouldn't be knocking out the A's that I have been, woohooo!!

4)Who doesn't Love Ikea shopping trips?? I picked up a few necessary items for my new apartment at rock bottom prices and had the luxury of knowing many of them were recycled items or easily recyclable or even had a low impact to them. Gotta love Ikea

5)Before I moved I packed up some serious stuff to go to Goodwill, and donated them just before and after I moved, once i moved in & realized I no longer needed some items, I gave them to family, friends, my parents and then to Goodwill, best things in world are gently loved items!!

6)Lucky for me living near so many colleges I didn't have to purchase my med surg book, i simply borrowed it from the library, free and I get to return it for someone else to get it again later, zero waste!!

7) I checked out Borders before they closed, but didn't see anything I really had to have, I had hoped to get my NCLEX books from them but they didn't have the new ones and the test changed this year so I definitely need something published with the new improvements. I was saddened to see them go,because good bookstores are getting harder and harder to find, thankfully, Barnes and Nobles doesn't look like it's going anywhere anytime soon and they will be taking over a lot of the abandoned Borders (at least that was the rumour on yahoo news)

I have been busily decorating my new apartment and have had up my Mabon theme for a while I'll put up my altar pics on the On Altar'd Space, my blog about altars.

If you haven't scrolled to the very very bottom of the blog recently you might have missed my new little logo, you can add it to your blog roll and in a little while I will be snagging yours as well, my facebook badge is also down there.

HAPPY MABON EVERYONE, and a Blessed Harvest to you all!!!

Book Review: Diamond Bay

Book Title: Diamond Bay
Author:  Linda Howard
Publisher: Mira
Pages: 218
Cost; $ 0
How I Got it: Library
Description:

Any hopes Kell Sabin has about taking a month’s vacation from work vanish the minute several of Kell’s “business associates” try to kill him. Although he manages to escape with just a bullet hole or two, he wouldn’t have survived if Rachel Jones hadn’t found him when he washed ashore not far from her cottage on Diamond Bay. Because her previous career as an investigative journalist taught her that things are not always what they seem, Rachel knows she is going to have to find out more about the wounded man who ends up in her home. Helping Kell is a risk Rachel is willing to take, but the risk becomes even greater once Rachel realises she is falling in love with a man with no future.

My take on the book:
Now this story was written many years ago, so some of the mannerisms are a little outdated ( I believe they recently updated the book along with the cover) Yet the story is pretty good, non the less, I actually really enjoyed this one I mean it's no longer the cold war era but our soldiers still have enemies to combat so I just updated it for myself while I was reading. I have always enjoy Ms Howard's spy novels, the action is always good, the characters well developed, they flow well, the writing is always on point & the love scenes are always good. The heat between the two characters is amazing. Rachel takes a chance on Kell that turns out to be right, lucky for him too; that as a reporter she had been exposed to more of the world than your average person.  Until I read books like these I would have never though about it, not about the men & what they truly give up or even about what they did. Rachel needed Sabin just as much as he needed her & they are very good together. I enjoy seeing other characters in the books or even the hint of other characters & knowing that they have a future story coming up it's so cool. 


I love coming back to these books and reading them again, even though I know how the story ends, that's how good Linda writes her books.


If you like adventure, suspense and romance then this one belongs on your TBR Pile. Make sure to check it out.  
Be Blessed