chaptersandtea

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

that's where you'll find you are not alone

Posted by Staci T

blood moon

by teri harmon

i hope you guys had the chance to read our september book

blood moon...

it was a great way to get in the mood for fall...

i went to a fun book club party for this book and i wish you could have had a chance to go with me...

it was a blast!

everyone dressed up like witches (except me:))

and the food was amazing...

the author herself was there!

it made me wish you all lived close...

we could have such fun!

rosemary sugar stars

(for luck)

blood moon cake pops and cro-nuts

grimoire's

and darkness...

dreams and nightmares...

blood and witches..

oh gosh...

i love fall...

bye...

more later...

Monday, September 30, 2013

"I am through with just snapping my fingers and getting my way."

Posted by Staci T

bewitched

Storyline

Out in California's San Fernando Valley, Isabel is trying to reinvent herself. A naïve, good-natured witch, she is determined to disavow her supernatural powers and lead a normal life. At the same time, across town, Jack Wyatt a tall, charming actor is trying to get his career back on track. He sets his sights on an updated version of the beloved 1960s situation comedy Bewitched, re-conceived as a starring vehicle for himself in the role of the mere-mortal Darrin. Fate steps in when Jack accidentally runs into Isabel. He is immediately attracted to her and her nose, which bears an uncanny resemblance to the nose of Elizabeth Montgomery, who played Samantha in the original TV version of Bewitched. He becomes convinced she could play the witch Samantha in his new series. Isabel is also taken with Jack, seeing him as the quintessential mortal man with whom she can settle down and lead the normal life she so desires. It turns out they're both right--but in ways neither of them ever expected.

"Guess what? I'm a witch!"

"Guess what? I'm a Clippers fan!"

it's witch season ya'all:)

best season ever!!!!

this movie is funny.

not great, but funny...

bye...

more later...

tomatoes and corn

Posted by Staci T

tomatoes and corn

if you guys are like me...

and i suspect you are...

(coming from grandma j and all:))

you love tomatoes and corn!

together!

well we are down to the very end of our goods and i have a terrific recipe for you to put them in...

or you can use frozen corn and store bought tomatoes...

it will still be good:)

warm corn, tomato and arugula salad

Ingredients:

When corn and tomatoes reach their seasonal peak, combine them in this simple side dish, which cooks in just 5 minutes.

1 Tbs. olive oil, plus more for drizzling

3 Tbs. finely chopped shallot

2 cups fresh corn kernels

1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

4 oz. arugula

2 oz. feta cheese, crumbled

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Fresh lemon juice for drizzling

Directions:

In a 10-inch fry pan over medium heat, warm the 1 Tbs. olive oil. Add the shallot and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the corn and tomatoes and cook, tossing occasionally, until softened and warmed through, 2 to 3 minutes.

Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Add the arugula and cheese, and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with the lemon juice and olive oil and toss gently. Serve immediately. Serves 4.

Williams-Sonoma Kitchen

i served it with chili-lime grilled shrimp,

fruit and sour dough bread...

it is fantastic!

i used this rub...

thanks mom!

we enjoyed one our last few weeks of the season and ate outside...

hope you all have enjoyed the season...

it is my very favorite...

we did lose my beloved mother in law last week...

i will miss her terribly...

bye...

more later...

Thursday, September 12, 2013

walk slowly on slippery marble

Posted by Staci T

apparently,

my kids think i fall a lot...

maddiecakes

sent me this after i fell and skinned my elbow a few weeks ago...

i was deeply offended:)

and flattered...

i have skills i wasn't even aware of:)

i also saw this in my monthly newsletter from my insurance company...

5 tips to prevent falls:

At Home: Bring on the light

Make sure every room has a light you can turn on by using a wall switch as you enter.
Install grab bars on the bathroom walls beside tubs, showers, and toilets.
Keep a flashlight with fresh batteries near your bed.

And Away: Watch your step

Check curb heights before crossing streets. Even a cutaway curb could cause a stumble.
In public buildings, walk slowly on slippery marble. Stay on plastic or carpet runners whenever possible---and step carefully over edges.

at least I'm not the only one...

we must all THINK about not falling...

these are great tips and i am practicing not falling in the future:)

thanks maddles...

you are always so helpful:)

bye...

more later...

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

a to zzzzz's of reading:)

Posted by Staci T

i got tagged:)

Author you have read the most books from:

John Sanford-I have read all of the Prey novels (20)

all the Virgil Flowers novels
and I am a little in love with the Author:)

Nora Roberts-I have read countless books from her and always love them.

Stephen King-I have read them all:)

I think he is brilliant!

He is responsible for too many of my nightmares and sometimes I have to stop reading them.

Nelson Demille-He is responsible for my book madness.

Best sequel ever:

Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness

I loved A Discovery of Witches.

Loved it!

And when the sequel came out and I loved it even more, I was completely surprised.

I love being surprised!

Currently reading:

The Cukoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith (J.K. Rowling)

I have never read a J.K. Rowling Book and there is a part of me that is secretly savoring that moment in time when I have the opportunity to read all of them back to back and know what everyone else knows.

I am looking forward to that more than you know:)
and
Blood Moon by Teri Harman

Drink of choice while reading:

Depends on the time of day and year.

Summer Day: Iced Frapaccino with lots of ice. I like to suck on the ice.

Summer Night: Ice water or ice cold Diet Pepsi

Winter Day: Earl Grey Tea with Milk

Winter Night: Blueberry Tea or Hot Cocoa

E-reader or Physical Book?:

This is a very touchy subject for me as you guys already know. It seriously breaks my heart to think that my grandchildren might not have that same love affair with physical books like I had. I am obsessed with book stores and libraries and whenever I am feeling down, that is where I head.

It is my mission in life to make sure that my grandkids know this joy. That they know that their grandmother once made a library card for every book in her own grandmothers house (and there were alot) and wanted to be a Librarian when she grew up.

I cannot bear the thought of them not knowing how much a beautiful book, that you read over and over again, until the pages are worn out, can mean.

I have always thought that if I ever had to endure Jail or Hell, if I could be surrounded by books, I would be okay:)

However,

I do love audio-books and listen to them all the time and I will not lie, I do have a Nook.

And I use it sometimes.

And I find myself appreciating the convenience.

But it is never without guilt and I will always prefer the physical book.

Always.

Fictional Character you probably would have dated in High School:

Jamie Frazier from Outlander. I am and always have been a sucker for a knight in shinning armor.
I love danger and passion and being saved and I don't care who knows it.

Glad you gave this book a chance;
5o Shades of Grey.
I know.
I am almost embarrassed to admit it it but I thought the books were a lot of fun, surprisingly romantic and not nearly as bad as I had feared.
The obvious parody to Twilight was hilarious and I
cried and found myself caring about these people and
I don't know why.

Hidden Gem Book:
Lucky's Lady by Tami Hoag
I loved it and I have read it at least 4 times

Important moment in your reading life:
When I walked into a used bookstore in Salt Lake City about 18 years ago looking for a Nelson Demille book.
I had read only one at that point and when the bookstore owner saw me looking he said how much he loved his books.
When I said I had only read one and was looking for more, he said this:

"I am so jealous of you".
When I said "why"?
He said
"because you get to read these all for the first time. You only get to do that once. And that is always the sweetest time."
I realized at that moment that I am always jealous when someone gets to read a book that I have loved for the very first time.
I always wish I could do it again:)

Just Finished:
The Last Werewolf by Glen Duncan
I loved this book so much!
The actual book is one of the most beautiful books I have ever seen.
I am always a sucker for beautiful books and beautiful typesetting.
I always check out the typesetting.

Kinds of books you won't read:
Serious Science Fiction.
Religious
Self Help
I read 100% for entertainment.
It is my escape.
Those books don't entertain me.

Longest Book you have read:
The Stand by Stephen King

Major Book Hangover because of:
The Host by Stephanie Meyers
I cried alot and had a headache for 2 days

Number of Bookcases you own:
2 plus many, many boxes.
When the time comes and we all have to depend on our food storage,
I will have the books and the reading glasses.
You can rent my books:)

One book you have read multiple times:
The Lions Lady by Julie Garwood

Preferred Place to Read:
My chair by the window and fireplace
or
my big papasan chair on my shady front porch

Quote that inspires you/gives you all the feels from a book you've read:
“Let us read, and let us dance; these two amusements will never do any harm to the world.”
― Voltaire
and
"Life is a mystery, always treat it as if you may find the answer, but don't really want to."
-CA Brown

Reading regret:
I hate to admit this because I don't want to offend anyone that I love but I would have to say
Enders Game.
I hated it:(
I am so sorry:(
i so bad wanted to love it:(

Series you started and need to finish:
Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

Three of your all-time favorite books:
This is so hard to answer because it changes all the time.

Spencerville by Nelson Demille
(i don't know why)
The Last Werewolf by Glen Duncan
(i do know why)
The Night Circus by Erin Morganstern
(just did)

Unapologetic Fan-Girl for:
Werewolves and Witches.
I can't resist.
Especially in the fall.

Very excited for this release more than all others:
The All Souls Trilogy Book 3

Worst Bookish Habit:
Buying too many books in hard back.
By the time I get to some of them, they are already out in paperback:P

X marks the spot: Start at the top left of your book shelf and pick the 27th book:
The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

Your last book purchase:
Night Film by Marisha Pessl

ZZZ-snatcher (the last book that kept you up WAY late:
Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
read it while it rained hard all night.
it was awesome...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

this was fun...
it took about 2 weeks to complete...
hope you all are still reading...
blood moon is getting good:)

bye...
more later...

Sunday, August 25, 2013

"I would only go if there was cake.”

Posted by Staci T

divergent

In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago world, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue--Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is--she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles alongside her fellow initiates to live out the choice they have made. Together they must undergo extreme physical tests of endurance and intense psychological simulations, some with devastating consequences. As initiation transforms them all, Tris must determine who her friends really are--and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes exasperating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers unrest and growing conflict that threaten to unravel her seemingly perfect society, Tris also learns that her secret might help her save the ones she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

candor

the honest

erudite

the intelligent

dauntless

the brave

amity

the peaceful

abnegation

the selfless

just a look at what each faction might wear

and maybe what tris might wear...

“I might be in love with you." He smiles a little. "I'm waiting until I'm sure to tell you, though.”

the second book is

insurgent

Every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves, and herself, while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.

goodreads info

the third book is

allegiant

(this one will be out on october 22nd)

One choice will define you.

What if your whole world was a lie?
What if a single revelation—like a single choice—changed everything?
What if love and loyalty made you do things you never expected?

The faction-based society that Tris Prior once believed in is shattered—fractured by violence and power struggles and scarred by loss and betrayal. So when offered a chance to explore the world past the limits she’s known, Tris is ready. Perhaps beyond the fence, she and Tobias will find a simple new life together, free from complicated lies, tangled loyalties, and painful memories.

But Tris’s new reality is even more alarming than the one she left behind. Old discoveries are quickly rendered meaningless. Explosive new truths change the hearts of those she loves. And once again, Tris must battle to comprehend the complexities of human nature—and of herself—while facing impossible choices about courage, allegiance, sacrifice, and love.

Told from a riveting dual perspective, Allegiant, by #1 New York Times best-selling author Veronica Roth, brings the Divergent series to a powerful conclusion while revealing the secrets of the dystopian world that has captivated millions of readers in Divergent and Insurgent.

goodreads info