Okay It is Friday again and I thought it would be fun to share with you someone very special to me.

This is Harold George, he has been a constant tea companion and member of our family since 2019. 

Before 2019 my children were terrified of Skeletons, however in their teen years they have come come to love and take part in making Harold George ready for each season. 

Why do I have a family skeleton you may ask? Well way back in 2013 a six book series that is now known as A Family Skeleton Mystery Series was recommended to me by a friend of Lisa and mine also named Karen. I fell in love with this series from book one and thus began my dream to have my own family skeleton, though mine is from Canadian Tire and not a carnival, but I digress. 

Harold George is actually named after said Karen's father who has also passed, and is the friendliest and most repaired Skelton you ever will meet, he is currently held together with zip ties and duct tape. I spent 90 minutes refurbishing him earlier this month after he sustained some injuries from his wardrobe changes. 

At Christmas one of my adult sons took great pleasure getting him into his yearly Grinch Garb., and for Halloween Harold George twinned with me as a Minion.

Harold sits in our front window at my antique tea table and delights or terrifies the people who pass by. 

If you are looking for a fun and endearing paranormal cozy mystery I highly recommend this series !

Click here for her author website and I will go get Harold George ready for St. Patrick's Day. Thank you for joining us here today and I hope you have enjoyed today's post!

 

Today is Through back Thursday......

Okay throwing things back to 2011, when I went to the library with my sons and in my grief of loosing my mom that previous September, I wanted to get lost in a book, now I am not one who read, ever in my life, I am profoundly dyslexic and struggle all my life end even today with reading. But I went in, Spun the rack and decided I would take home what fell on the floor and read it no matter what.

One of the books that fell off was The Diva Haunts The House, It was a hot  summer day and we were seeking refuge in the library and this one really appealed to me. Once I finished it I had to track down every book before and after it and it quickly became a favorite series of mine. 

Krista Davis has become one of the authors that I know I will love no matter what she writes, I can not recommend this series enough.

Another of the books that fell and changed the course of my life was Lorna Barrett's Book Town Mystery Series, much like with the Diva Series by Krista Davis, I went on to read every book in this series and still dream about it and the characters these many years on. Absolutely a brilliant read each and every time. 

Another book series I loved though did not find on that faithful library run was the Hamptons Home and Garden Series by Kathleen Bridge, I loved the main character in this one who is actually deaf and while it is something she lives with it doesnt make up her entire identity, I found that It was such a fantastic story and idea and I loved reading this series and many more of her series. 

 Sending you wishes for a sweet dream and a day with some napping, by Thursday I just cant wait to get home for a pre weekend nap! Hope to see you here again soon!

 

Wednesday Wishes from my cup to yours, In my cup is Scottish Breakfast and my cup is never a mug in the morning but always a china teacup. 

Also as it is Wednesday (though I do make these more often then not) It is also Waffle Wednesday....

A few years back I found, and fell in love with the little Dash Waffle makers, so much so that I have more than half a dozen in different shapes and holiday styles. It is almost the most used kitchen appliance we own. 

I have two that are traditional waffle style and some fun ones for St. Patrick's Day Through Christmas. 

I love that the size is that of the Eggo type waffle and I can put my own ingredients in and enjoy even before work, though because they are small if I am makin gfor the entire family I usually plug in more than one. 

I am more of a Waffle fan than an Pancake fan but I loved the cozy mystery series by Sarah Fox, Book 8 in the Pancake House Mystery Series is one of my favourite covers of her series! You might fall in love with this series like I did if you love a cozy mystery, sea side, with the most comfortable meal theme of a restaurant and a fun group of locals that keep you on your toes! 

Click here to learn more about Sarah Fox and her Pancake House Mystery Series.

Thank you for joining us here and if you are looking for a little dash maker, here in Canada I get them at London Drugs, Indigo, Bed Bath and Beyond or on Amazon. In the USA I know you can find them on Amazon, and I am guessing that you can find them at TJMAX and perhaps even Walmart in the USA.

Thank you for joining us here today and I hope you have a wonderful day! See You Soon!

 

Well happy Tuesday to you, Karen here with a project I have in the Research and development stage, as in I have what I need to make this have for months but have not gotten around to making it...

How cute are these? Honestly I wish I could make a class set, I found this tutorial on Needle Pointers. Com,  This would be amazing for any book lover of any age and honestly this might be a Christmas project that I do for the u coming year.

I have found so many wonderful prints of broadcloth for this, some Harry Potter for my niece, Flamingo for me etc... I may make a few for my teacher friends too, tuck in a book and a treat in the pillow and a beautiful gift this would be, actually it would be a cool Easter Basket too, just a thought. 

Speaking of projects I have on my to do list, the Southern Quilting Mystery series by Elizabeth Craig is on my TBR pile, there are 12 books in the series and it is about quilting and a corgi, sounds like a pretty good series already! 

Retired folk art curator Beatrice Coleman knows everything there is to know about quilts, except how to make them. But with her recent move to Dapple Hills, North Carolina, she’s learning all sorts of new things—including how to solve a murder…

As the newest member of the Village Quilters Guild, Beatrice has a lot of gossip to catch up on—especially with the Patchwork Cottage quilt shop about to close. It seems that Judith, the landlord everyone loves to hate, wants to raise the rent, despite being a quilter herself…

But when Judith is found dead, the harmless gossip becomes an intricate patchwork of mischievous motives. And it’s up to Beatrice’s expert eye to decipher the pattern and catch the killer, before her life gets sewn up for good.
 

I do love a cozy with a character that is not in her 20's! As this is an older series you can find it on Amazon or hopefully in your local libary!

I look forward to sharing more with you again soon, happy sewing and reading!

 

Warm wishes from my computer to yours this Monday morning. I am not at work today as it is Family day long weekend here in British Columbia and we have the lovely day off!

Today's theme is cozy casserole, just like the ones in a favourite series Covered Dish Series by Julia Buckley, I loved this series and secretly dream I could call someone up and have them drop off something comfy and cozy to eat as that is a dream so I am here sharing a few I found to try...

I found this King Ranch Chicken Recipe from Southern Living that I absolutely want to make, it looks so cozy, you can find the recipe like I did with this gorgeous image of it by clicking here.  

I just printed the recipe and will do my best to get this one made this week.

Okay I have never made this one and I just printed it out as well. At least two of my boys like tater tots so this one might be a winner, if not I know I will look forward to it for lunch leftovers. 

Click here for the Washington Post Chicken Pop Tot Hot Dish.

Last to share this morning is one I know my family will eat and well there is no pasta in this one I would make some to go with! This cheesy meatball casserole might just be dinner tonight! 

Click here for this recipe on Eatwell 101.

Thanks for joining us here today and let me know if you have some great casseroles I should try!I hope you will pop back again soon!

 

Well hello again and welcome to Sea Siren Sunday, lol, okay I could not quite find the Bitmoji I was looking for but this one made me laugh and think about a series I love by Kathleen Bridge, the By the Sea Mystery Series...

I am not sure where you are reading from but I am writing from the West Coast of Canada and well it is less than tropical where I am and while I am 10 minutes from the Pacific Ocean, it is nothing like the amazing setting and clear blue waters of the by the sea mystery series. 

I also have a fond affectection for flamingos and that affection is turning in to something of an obsession...

I loved this series as it was about a young woman who was living in New York but returns to her family home/hotel, which is a bit unconventional in hopes of getting her creative side flowing again after a terrible relationship fail. I loved this series and the wonderful characters found in this small Florida Sea Side town. I also love revisiting this series and reading them over and over for a bit of a vacation for sure.  

One of the things I am working on is learning to crochet, a pattern I have been saving since I read the series is this free one from Red Heart Yarns. https://www.yarnspirations.com/ca-en/red-heart-parrot-pals/RHC0334-019827M.html is the working link for this pattern. 

You can learn more about Kathleen Bridge and the by the Sea Mystery Series by Clicking Here. 

Thanks for joining us this Sunday and maybe you will let us know what you think of this series and this crochet craft! 

 Karen here again with my dog Sage, she and I thought we would talk a bit about the cozy companions we all love in the series we read. 

Personally we are a household with one dog and two cats largely influenced by the characters in two series that I love so much. The Cat in the Stacks Mystery series will make a cat lover out of just about anyone! 

I have a cat named Squirrel, she is about 12 and  she was adopted after I found the series by Miranda James,  reading about and falling in love with Diesel is next to impossible.  Find Author Miranda James (Dean James) on Facebook by clicking here to find out more about this series. 

While not a Maine Coon Cat, she does have the ears and the width, of a cat with the intelligence and charm of Diesel, and she was a feral rescue, who has been large and incharge for the entire time we have been blessed with her. 

Sage and well our newest furry family member Kit (My son named her Kit because a baby Squirrel is called a Kit, and she looked the same as our older cat when she was tiny) remind me more of the amazing series I love by Krista Davis, called the Paws and Claus Mystery series, if you are not familiar with this series and you love animals this is a series for you. 

The main character comes to live and help her Grandmother run a hotel in a town that openly encourages vacationing with your pets, and everyone in town caters to their customers both human and animal. It is such a delightful series and makes me want to pack up and move there to open my own tea shop for pets and humans. Click here to learn more about this series by Krista Davis. 

Now Kit is much bigger,she was born in August of 2022 we believe and she is growing into this long, silky short haired cat, she loved Christmas with so much  enthusiasm for paper, bows and tree lights that we had to decorate with only stuffed animals and tree lights to the top half of the tree.

I would love to have a tree up all year like in Vicki Delany's Year Round Christmas Series, but I think we will just try again next year and see if she doesn't choose to inhabit the tree.  

Find out more about this Year Round Christmas Mystery Series by Vicki Delany by clicking here. 

We would love to hear more about your connection to the pets in the series that we all enjoy, and how they stay with you long after the books are done. We hope you enjoyed a little look at my furry companions and that you will come visit us again here soon. 

 Karen here checking in on you from cyberspace while our lovely Lisa is taking some time off to take care of some important things. 

So I thought I would take some time to share some cozy projects you can do when you have a book hangover or time to dedicate to something other than reading. 

For those of you who hare handy with a hook, My friends over at Red Heart Yarns have a fun free and very cozy heart blanket pattern for you to start, perhaps for a grandchild, niece, or fellow book lover for an upcoming or recently passed gift giving occasion. 

Click here for the link, Please know I do not work for Red Heart yarns, but I want to share some cozy patterns with you lovely cozy readers!

Maybe you are better with two sticks... so the thing I love most is the idea of picking up and moving to one of the amazing cozy towns that our brilliant author friends create for us in the series we love, I for one would love a small seaside town with a cozy cottage for myself and my loved ones, this fun tea cozy would be proudly displayed on my table for sure. Adding it to my list of crafts to make, and try! 

Click here for the free link to the pattern as well. 

Maybe you are one who prefers to stab things hundreds if not thousands of times to show your pride, if so check out this fun pattern you could make for yourself, a library fundraiser or a teacher you know...

Click here for the link to the free pattern.

thanks for joining us here for a look at some cozy free crafts and check back for some more cozy themed items and tutorials, and book suggestions, reviews again really soon.

No one. 😔

Last Wednesday's, Who Wrote That? answer was

Kate Collins.

Sadly, there was only one entry, and their information wasn't complete. 

In order to be chosen to win, I asked for the following 

 1. The author's name 

2. Your full name (first & last name)

3. The email address you use for Amazon.

If feel there isn't an excitement for this feature. At the very most, about 3 people enter.

I don't know if it's too hard, (but the fun is suppose to be in the research)

or

if it's because the prize is only a $5.00 Amazon Gift Card. Sadly, it's all I can afford to offer.

Either way, Who Wrote That? will no longer be a feature.

I haven't mentioned this for a very long time, but I make NO money from my blog. 

I am not an affiliate with Amazon or any other company.

Authors and publishers do not pay me when I feature them, rather they asked me or I feature them on my own.

I have never asked, nor will I ever ask to be paid.

I do this for my love of cozy mysteries. And I keep doing it for that reason, and because of the wonderful people I have meant by doing this.

I'll continue to try and come up with features that will be of an interest to my readers.

Sadly though, I think interest in my blog has waned. That is no one's fault but my own. I offered up a lot of empty days for quite some time.

All I can say is, I have had a lot going on in my personal life and I know I let the blog suffer. 

Yes, some of my time has gone to selling on Ebay, and I have had trouble finding the right balance to do both. I do need the extra income that I'm making on Ebay. (See above about never charging for use of my blog). 

But please know, I love my blog! It was what I needed in a dark time in my life. And, it is still what I need and love.

Wow, I didn't mean to go into all of that. Although, I think it was good that I did.

Lisa Ks Book Reviews will be around for a long time. And I'll continue to share the word of Cozy Mysteries. So please, continue to come and visit.

Rather you're celebrating with a partner, family, friends, pets, or just loving being alone with you,

have a beautiful day!

And, read a cozy mystery!