What's interesting this week?

Another slower week for interesting sites, guess I've not been spending enough time on the Internet or something. hehe

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Well, here is a shop I came across on Etsy that has the cutest little faerie wings jewelry, Under the Ivy.

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Thanksgiving is coming up and I'm sure thoughts are starting to turn toward what to put on the menu. I'm thinking bacon wrapped cheddar and apple appetizers and possibly this stuffing. Caramelized Onion & Apple Stuffing just looks tasty!

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So, I'm sure not many of you know this but the red panda is one of my favorite critters because they are just so darned cute! YouTube has a video that just melts my heart and I want to share it with you.

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Well, that's it for this week. It's been a very stressful and enlightening one. Hope yours was better.

~Pixie

This Week...

Another week's gone by. Some editing was done but in a bit of a rut. I just can't seem to concentrate. On the bright side, I'm making Crock Pot Apple Butter for the family and the house smells absolutely wonderful.

I used half the sugar called for, adding it after the apples cooked down so as to sweeten it to taste and it came out perfect!

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Not a very heavy link worthy week, and I am a couple days late posting, but here's a really pretty new yarn by one of my favorite online yarn dealers: Kit 1 - November 2016 Insider's Yarn Club - AWE $37.00

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Well, that's it really. Hope you had a great week and see you next Friday (as long as I'm not late again.)

What Caught My Attention This Week

So this has been a very slow week for good finds, perhaps you have something of interest to share? Here is what I did find...

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Spooky Halloween Village // Cardboard Craft
This is an absolutely adorable idea for those with smaller ones, and what a great way to use up all those old boxes you might have in your basement or attic. (Am I the only one that does that?)

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Tuff Puff Woodsmoke Sampler: Included is 2 skeins each of Bark, Ivy, Black, and Silver. Yarn info: Tuff Puff: Super Bulky, 100% Wool, 44 yards, 100g ball.

I came across this in an email yesterday and it looks absolutely divine, perhaps some day I will pick some up and knit something soft and warm with it! If I do, I will be sure to share it with all of you.

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Finally, we have my absolutely favorite Jamberry Nail Wraps ever.What's This!? theme after one of my all-time favorite movies, The Nightmare Before Christmas. Normally I'm not a fan of super glitzy, but these are just so cute!

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Oh, so I made the Hawaiian Sticky Chicken with Pineapple from last weeks post and realized as I was making it I was missing the tomato paste. Still made it up but it was lacking a little flavor so might retry it at some point when I have some paste. Otherwise, it was good. :) Working on my Writers Wristies knitting project, halfway done with the pair using the correct needle, will share next week when they are done.

Now off to make Rice Krispie pumpkins. :)

Have a great day and happy browsing.

XXX
Pixie Brearley - Author

This week's web goodies...

So, I was a bit smarter this week and decided to start this post early, so I can add things to it as I come across them instead of trying to remember what I saw. hehe

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Taozi Night Light Mushroom Lamp Energy Saving Color Changing LED Sensor Night Lamp Light Green Plants on the Wall

This is just so cool! Wouldn't this be nice for that dark hallway or even in the kitchen for going for a midnight snack? I just love it. I wish they had night lights like that when I was a kid, it would have been perfect for my room.

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This one is just an image, but it tells it all. What a great idea, it would have been perfect for the scarves I was working on with multiple colors. Must remember this trick,especially since I've seen these baskets at the Dollar Tree. :D Best part is they can stack, so you can place your WiP (work in progress) in the basket and set another project on top to organize and save space. I definitely like this idea.

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So who likes chicken and pineapple? I came across this recipe and boy does it look yummy, planning to give it a go tomorrow. Hawaiian Sticky Chicken with Pineapple. I will be sure to let you guys know how it came out in next weeks post. :)

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Last but definitely not least,  the Cozy Season Crochet Shawl Pattern designed by Kristina Smiley offered for free until October 27th. This is an absolutely beautiful shawl, and if you have not tried any of Chandi's yarn yet, I highly recommend it! I'm currently working with some and it is absolutely divine.

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Well, there you go, my favorites of the week. What do you think? Have you found a favorite this week? Feel free to share it!

My Favorite Goodies on the Web this Week

So, I know I've been really quiet, the problem with trying to write, edit, design, and have a family BUT I feel as if I have been neglecting my followers. So, I will be starting a weekly post where I share some of my favorite things I've come across this week on the web. Not sure how many to do, this is an experiment, so why don't you guys let me know if this was too short, too long, or just right okay? Thanks!

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So here's the first one. Now who out there actually remembers Q*Bert? Bill and Ted? Well Pop! has come out with these lovelies:

Here's where you can find out more about them: Coming Soon: Q*Bert Pop!, Bill & Ted Pop!s, and MLP Mystery Minis! 

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My second favorite item on the web this week, the book Full Catastrophe Living (Revised Edition): Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness by by Jon Kabat-Zinn 

Even though the book is not new, it was mentioned to me by my urologist on Monday after he told me I have a benign cyst on both my kidneys as well as a small stone against the one on my fight kidney.  I'm also on medication for blood pressure, which means most OTC drugs are out the window, so when I am in pain or sick I have to bear through it. He suggested I read this book and give it a try. So, I'm reading it and so far I am really into the concept. Will keep you updated.

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And for number three, Brown Sugar-Spiced Grapefruit. Saw someone eating this on the television and had to look it up, doesn't it sound amazing? Doesn't it look amazing? I can't wait to pick up some and give it a try!

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And finally, who doesn't like dragon scales on clothes? Well what about on a pair of fingerless gloves? This patter has definitely made my wishlist, and you can see why:

Dragonscale Gloves by Rachel Barlow on Ravelry are just so cool, and different, and right up my alley. Maybe someday I will make myself a pair, perhaps in a purple variegated.

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Well, there we go, my favorite things this week. Hope you found something that interests you and please, if you find something you think I might like, share it in the comments! I would love to see what you found.

Autumn

I have decided Autumn is my favorite of all the seasons. I used to love spring for all the color but lately it has been mutes, the weather has been really funky and so the flowers just have not had their usual oomph.

Autumn, however, is still full of color and it also brings several of my favorite seasonal goodies like pumpkin pie, birch beer, hoodies, warm apple cider. Not sweating to death or freezing, nice and comfy in my fleece pajama bottoms and a hoodie.

I enjoy Autumn by sitting with my tea and a good book, or knitting my latest shawl with a blanket over my lap. Watching my cats playing, as the cooler weather gives them so much more energy and they tend to run around the house like little furry madmen playing tag with each other.

What is your favorite season and why?

Summer of Amery - Available now on Amazon

My latest short in the Bandages on the Soul Collection, Summer of Amery, is now available exclusively on Amazon Kindle.

After a brutal attack, Trinity retreated to her family's summer home on the beach where she encountered an interesting new friend, Amery.

Amery guides her through the healing process, but when she returns home, everything she believed to be true has been turned upside down and she is not sure what is real anymore.

Summer of Amery takes the harsh reality of an attack and brings it into the world where magic is real and healing comes with tea and cookies.

Buy it here:
Amazon US $0.99
Amazon CA $1.28
Amazon UK £0.99

Nightmare and Lies: A Bandages on the Soul Short

I have finally released another short in the Bandages on the Soul series!

Nightmares and Lies 
ASIN: B01EK6DE7A
Available for Amazon Kindle for only $.99 US

When Kelly turned 21, she went on a drinking spree with a couple of her friends to celebrate. After a horrible accident, that left her dead for nearly two minutes, she acquired a strange gift. Although she sees it more as a curse. Victims of violent crimes visit her in her dreams begging for her help.

Busy, busy, busy

Well, after a fairly long funk, I am back to work. Here's what you have to look forward to over the next few months...

Completed writing stage:
Nightmares and Lies - A Bandages on the Soul Short Coming May 1st
Midnight Town (Stand-alone full-length novel) In Edits
Summer of Amery - A Bandages on the Soul Short In Edits
Witch Way Now - Book 1 in the Dorothy Thompson Trilogy In Edits 
 
Nearly complete (only 2 chapters to go):
Painful Promises - A Bandages on the Soul Short
Losing Innocence - A Bandages on the Soul Short

And about halfway complete:
Drawing Insanity - A Bandages on the Soul Short 
Untitled - A Bandages on the Soul Short 

As you can see, I've been busy. I will also need to start working on the second book in the Dorothy Thompson Trilogy. Guess I better get back to writing! 

Slowly but surely....

At the beginning of day three of getting back to writing. Still low in the goals, but they are going up. Wrote 1084 words on Monday and 1856 words yesterday. Would have had more yesterday but I was fighting with this one paragraph that was just not write and eventually I just got rid of it. A couple hundred words and at least an hour of writing down the drain.

All well, can't dwell, it happens.

The snow is finally starting to melt, my poor plants look so sad though. Hoping that was the last of the evil white stuff so they will recuperate.

Well, I guess I have stalled enough, time to get back to writing.

Have a great day!

Writing Challenge or Writing Death Sentence?

So I have been doing really bad at keeping up with writing. Even now, when I should be writing, I am here on my blog instead.

A good friend of mine Dawn McCullough-White (Facebook and Amazon) suggested we have a writing competition to get back to writing as this winter has taken it's toll on more than just my muse. Each day we will post our word count.

Hmm, this may end really poorly for me as the day is already half over and I am only at 650 words. Oops?

Doesn't help that the cold front that just dumped some snow on us is wreaking havoc on my sinuses, or that the dog keeps trying to get to the birds in front of the house through the window, or perhaps it is the fact it snowed, on my flowers, in April. Or maybe I am just making excuses. Who knows. All I know is I really need to get back to writing.

Well, then... Here I go.

No, really... I am off.

Definitely this time...

Happy reading everyone.

Spring Not Spring

We had several days of really nice weather, I started writing again, it was beautiful.

Then yesterday this white stuff started coming down from the sky, but the thermometer read 35.8*F. What is this sorcery? My bulbs are all coming up, my crocuses are in full bloom and this happens?

So it continues to lightly snow all night and because the temperature dropped we had a very light accumulation as you can see in the picture.

This morning it was cold and rainy/sleety out, which was miserable for standing outside waiting for the bus with the pup (who by the way was loving the weather) to see the boy off to school. After becoming cold, wet rats, we came inside and she pouted on her doggy bed because wet dogs are not allowed on the couch.

I tried to write, but the miserable weather just kills my muse so instead I cleaned the kitchen. Now I am sitting down with a fresh mug of tea and a banana and hoping for warmer weather.

Difference between coffee and tea for me.

So, once upon a time I was a heavy coffee drinker. You all know the kind, don't bother me before my morning coffee or die. Then it started giving me heart burn and acid reflux. After that my cardiologist told me I should consider switching to something else. So I tried soda and wow did I put on weight. 

Granted I love my Wild Cherry Pepsi, Dr Pepper and Mr Pibb, but they obviously love me even more because they stuck around in the form of a beer belly. I guess you can say I have a soda belly now. hehe So now I limit myself to a couple sips with my morning medications.

So, with coffee and soda being out, tea was the logical alternative. It allows me the satisfaction of a warm mug in my hands, the act of slowly sipping at a warm drink and smelling whatever is in my mug. Yet, at first I was hesitant. I mean... It's tea and I am an avid coffee drinker (or was). Now I am a tea collector and lover. I have loose tea and tea bags and K-Cups in assorted different flavors, both regular and decaf, herbal to black. I now have different flavors for different activities as well, it has become a bit of an obsession for me.

Here's what I like about tea, when I drink a good black tea in the morning it wakes me up without the jittery feeling coffee gave me. I feel more coherent, less scattered, and it is relaxing. Even the caffeinated teas offer a sense of calming when I drink them. In the evening, or when stressed, I will have an herbal or decaf tea while knitting to wind down with. Unlike coffee, that was basically a necessity to function, tea has become a companion to my day.

Here are some of my favorites:

Organic Masala Chai Black Tea from Wegmans
This is one of the best Chai teas I have found. They sell it loose in these big metal canisters and you measure out how much you want. The taste is amazing and there are whole Caramom pods that you crack before brewing for added flavor. (I use a Teavana Perfectea Maker for my loose teas and absolutely love it.) When my daughter makes it, she does it the traditional way with cream and sugar, but I just add a teaspoon of Coffee Mate Natural Bliss Coffee Creamer, Sweet Cream Flavor to mine and it is perfect.

 Davidson's Tea Bulk, Decaf Earl Grey at Amazon
I absolutely love this black tea for the evenings. It has a nice flavor and the Bergamot gives it an absolutely wonderful aroma. One thing I have noticed, since I started drinking this tea in the evenings I have been having an easier time with falling asleep. Could be a coincidence... Or not.

Awake English Breakfast Black Tea  by Tazo
This one is in tea bags and K-Cups and I have found it in most grocery stores. A great tea for waking up in the morning. Nice smooth, soft flavor that goes great with a splash of lemon or lime juice. It has an extra boost of caffeine in it, thus it's name.

Turmeric Ginger Caffeine-Free Herbal Blend by Rishi
If you are looking for an herbal tea with a bit of spice to it then look no further. I picked this one up because I have been taking turmeric for joint pain and thought it would be a great addition, I was right. The flavor was not as overpowering as I thought it would be and it actually has a calming effect when you drink it.

Do you have a favorite tea? Share it here, I would love to know what it is and why you like it. :)

One of my hobbies...

Yarn and Pattern for Knit-Along

So for those that don't know, I like to knit. It took me nearly twenty years to learn, as I am a leftie and finding someone to teach me was nearly impossible as every time I attempted to knit right handed I messed up. Finally I went to the Lion Brand website and learned by mirroring the video tutorials.

I thought I would share a link to my other blog, or more specifically the section following my progress in a knit-along I joined on Craftsy. I am having a great time with it and have learned so much already.

If you decide to join the knit-along, and start a blog about it as well, let me know and I will post a link to your blog in my knit-along thread and I would love to see your progress as well!