The Oasis of Australian Television

Say what? When winters are dismally dull, I turn to Australian television. I have seen a lot of criticism for various shows and I am not sure some people are snobby or that they're overthinking it a bit. I'm not saying that all Australian shows are brilliant but I have found a few gems that profoundly alter my mood depending on the show and my mood. I think this all began when I was quite young. In the early 1980's HBO had slim pickings when it came to movie selection and availability. So when they got their hands on a movie they would play it and play it to death. One such example is the movie Dot And The Kangaroo. I constantly watched that movie whenever it was on. About a decade ago I was able to snag it on dvd. Watching the movie again as an adult I could see why I loved it. The movie has action, a little girl as the main character and kangaroos! That movie made me obsessed with kangaroos. I would watch Dot and the Kangaroo over Winnie the Pooh any day when I was a kid. The movie, based on a children's book is a classic just as the book the movie is based on. I love that it has a cartoon drawn over actual footage of the outback. I actually learned a bit about Australian fauna when I watched the movie. To this day, I am still creeped out by the Bunyip scene.
In adulthood, Netflix, Hulu and Tubi became treasure troves for Australian guilty pleasures. The first began with McLeod's Daughters. It was a bit like CBC's Heartland, which I love. I was all about seeing the sunshine on the "Drover's Run" ranch on a bleak winter's day. Then, I discovered Doctor Blake Mysteries on PBS. That show was a mix of Murdoch Mysteries mixed with House. Set in Ballarat, the period show has fantastic costumes and props and that is right up my street. Also, that show rarely featured a rainy day and how could you not love Doctor Blake's relationship with his inherited house manager Jean. Next, I discovered on Netflix the show "Glitch." I think it was recommended to me because I watched the show Les Revenants.  This show was equal to Les Revenants in the way that it was eerie and mysterious. I couldn't stop watching this show, I had to know why the characters dug their way back to life. I loved that with each episode you learned a little more about each character's backstory, again very similar to Les Revenants. What separates this show from the French feature is the lack of subtitles (French is not my first language, though still learning) and the sunshine. Les Revenants was filmed with a bit of blue tone. The show had a lot of mist and fog, which added to the creep factor, but Glitch being located in such a sunny seemingly happy place, it was a stark contrast and created mixed emotions.
I forgot to mention the show Up To The Rafters. I found that on hulu and watched that every day when my husband and I first moved in together before we were married. I watched it while I settled into our rental home and it was a nice silly show that didn't have any mystery about it, just a sort of sitcom that helped me giggle. I thought the parents were great and they had a cute house. It isn't my go-to anymore but it served its purpose. On occasion, I will watch Miss Fischer's Murder Mysteries because I love period mysteries.
Lately, though, I was hooked and I mean HOOKED on the show Puberty Blues. I discovered this one day while searching through shows on Tubi.  The show was set in the 1970's and was based on a book of the same name that I assume was a bit like the Judy Blume book "Forever" which was basically "Lady Chatterley's Lover" for tweens in the 80's. I love the main characters "Sue" and "Debbie." The parents were great, too. I like that the series shows the parents experience juxtaposed with the teens. It proves that being a teen is rough, but being an adult is challenging and once more, being an adult with your own adult world while being a parent of a teen when you were a teen not too long ago can be very complicated. As rough and a cringe-worthy as some scenes were, the setting was in a sunny beach town which lightened the mood. Surfing played a huge role in the show; so did drug use, drinking, and awkwardly bad sex. However, I loved the friendship between Sue and Deb, they were not Anne and Diana, but it was very real. I loved the wardrobe of the show and the mid-century modern houses featured were fantastic. Would you ever be able to pay me to be a teenager again? Heck no, and this show proves why, but I still loved the show.
Between most of these shows were many actors that overlapped between the shows over the years, their recognizable faces made me want to watch the shows even more. Kind of like watching Canadian television. No, I have never been to Australia and due to my paralyzing fear of flying I hardly doubt I will ever go, sadly, but thank goodness for Australian television- it offers a lovely escape. Until next time~ Toodahloo!

Hello Summer, Goodbye PLL

You know it is officially summer when you're able to finally get fresh strawberries and rhubarb. My father cut some rhubarb from one of his plants and he bought some strawberries from a local farm. I could wait to make a strawberry rhubarb pie, one of my favorite pies to make and eat! I discovered last summer, that the trick to a perfect rhubarb pie is the addition of an egg. I found this by accident when I was looking for a strawberry rhubarb pie recipe and the one I used happened to include an egg. What makes this so essential, compared to other recipes that omit the egg, is the way the fruit and sugars bake. The egg absorbs a lot of the juices and makes a thick sauce. I have had many strawberry rhubarb pies that tasted wonderful but were incredibly runny. By simply adding an egg along with the sugar to the fruit and mixing thoroughly, you get a nicer pie in the end. I had so much fruit, I ended up making two pies, one for my parents and one for myself. This is one of my favorite things about summer, all the pies that I get to make!

I repurposed pallets to make a compost bin.

Now that summer is in full swing, I have been putting a lot of energy into the house and the garden. It can get pretty exhausting, but it will be well worth it once winter arrives. The weather has been so gloomy lately. The week before was perfect weather, the week before that was nothing but humid and horrid. This past week, the weather has been partly cloudy with a chance of showers, almost every day. One day, I was trying to clean and organize my garage and that was tricky because the rain kept coming and going. in between rain showers it would be nearly sunny, then it would rain again. If I were just cleaning the garage, it would be fine, but I like to keep my dogs in our fenced in area of our yard. That way, they aren't left inside where they can get into all kinds of mischief. My goal for Monday is to get the garage cleaned.

I was very happy to finally get my compost bin built. It was very simple to do. I looked up a number or ways to do it on Pinterest and Youtube. I decided to take an easy way. I had my husband help me move the pallets to rest behind the garage. Then, I stood one next to another and tied the sides together using a thick yarn that is meant for macrame. I found that tying the upper and lower corners of each side was the easiest way. Then, I tacked a mesh material to the bottom and I used scrap wood slats to weave through the front and side of the bin and that created a brace for the mesh. The point of the mesh at the bottom was so that air could circulate all around the compost and allow it to break down properly.

Once the bin was built, I took all the leaf piles that we had throughout the yard and transferred them to the bin. I also added the extra apples that I had in the basement over the winter and the compost from the kitchen. While I'm tidying the garage, I hope to create a special area for the recycling and I'll be one step closer to getting the house organized. All of this is to help the household function better in the colder months.

What happens to abandoned dolls. It hardly seems dignified.

PLL SPOILERS! If you haven't watched the final episode, don't read this!

So, after seven years of faithfully watching Pretty Little Liars, the show came to and end. I have mixed feelings about this. It's bad enough that my beloved Orphan Black is heading towards the sunset, this was just too much. The only reason I started to watch PLL, was because House wasn't on one night. With nothing to watch, I found myself channel surfing and stumbled on Holly Marie Combs, so I assumed that a re-run of Charmed was on, so I settled on that. What I thought was one show, turned out to the pilot of the new show Pretty Little Liars. The show had a bit of intrigue and being the sucker for Agatha Christie that I am, I couldn't stop watching it. The show had its hooks in me. After that, I couldn't miss an episode. As an adult watching the show, I thought that many aspects of the story line were disturbing. "Ezria", for instance, was very creepy. I don't care about the fact that the teacher was fresh out of college, it was beyond inappropriate and also totally illegal. Yet, most fans wanted those two love birds to make it. Was it because he was charming and had a baby face? The relationship was a bit reminiscent of The Thorn Birds, but also a bit Lolita. It was very toxic and the relationship continued to grow more and more disturbing. Yet, in the end, fans gushed when they finally made it down the aisle. 

Poor Wren, that's ll I have to say about him.

The final episode was long and the first part of the episode seemed to drag a long bit. I honestly think the show would have been better if it had ended back when CeCe was revealed, but I don't think they ever should have made her A, in the first place. If the show was going to end, I think that it would have been okay to end the show on episode 19 with AD driving away. It would have really angered the fans, but if they had AD look into the rearview mirror, revealing their face, that would have been enough for me. However, the writers wanted to tie up loose ends and explain it all. The problem is, it seems like there were a lot of holes throughout the story, The never explained why their therapist had an existing file on Aria, or why AD favored Aria over the other girls. They tried to make three different A's, one picking up from the other. Also, when AD was revealed, it wasn't too shocking as many fans had picked up on clues from previous episodes of the final season. However, when it was revealed, they actual character, was annoying to me. As much as I like the actress, the character felt too much like a rip-off of the Sarah Manning character from Orphan Black. A London punk, grifter, with cockney accent takes over the life of a woman who looks exactly like her, taking her boyfriend and her friends. It wasn't direct theft, as this is a common story used in books and film, but the similarities were enough to irritate me. At the end of it all, I was glad it was finally over, not because I hate the show, but because I didn't like the way the story was going. I'm glad it had a happy ending, but I just wish it ended differently. I did love the last bit with Mona, she was a fantastic character. That part of the ending did have a bit of a Hitchcock flair.

With the show done, I will be a little bummed when winter comes and there won't be a new season. However, there is always Netflix and the books to read. So, if I ever need my fix, I can turn on the show while I bake cookies.  I will look forward to watching Lucy Hale in her new show, this Fall. It actually looks kind of cute and it would be nice to watch to balance out the emotions endured after watching Supernatural. 

That pretty much sums up what's been happening in my world. Gardening, cleaning, watching tv and trying to build a quilt. It may not be crazy exciting, but this is what happens when the weather isn't reliable. Also, the end of the school year was tremendously hectic, so I'll take the boring for a while. Things will be picking up again, soon, it is summer after all. Until next time~ Toodahloo!

The Very Hungry Blogger

Oh Fred, always at my side waiting for an adventure; or, at the very least, a cuddle. This week has been a weird week. It is one of those awkward transition weeks, where the weather finally begins to change. For a while, I have been feeling slightly sluggish and slightly ill. The matter has finally been resolved and I feel much better. First, I had a funky bug that had been spreading around. On top of that, I had a few unfortunate losses, which was emotionally taxing. I was constantly exhausted and hungry. I hadn't felt like that since I had a growth spurt in my teen years. I understood that I certainly was not growing. I decided to not freak out, but to retrace my steps.
When I was feeling under the weather, I changed my eating pattern. This is where the problem was, For nearly a year, I have consumed a protein rich breakfast every day. I really do require a lot of protein for my metabolism. This meant having an egg with almost every breakfast. When I wasn't feeling well, the thought of eating an egg was not appealing. So, I threw my cycle off and I was constantly hungry, because I wasn't getting enough nutrients. Since I wasn't getting enough nutrients, I had very little energy, which was why I was constantly exhausted and wanting to nap. Once I figured all of this out, I resumed my normal eating pattern and ever since I've felt so much better.
In other news, season finales of my favorite shows are airing this week. Last Friday, the "Season 4 finale" of Hart Of Dixie aired. I really liked that the writers ended the season the way they did, in case the show does NOT get renewed for another season (why the heck did they move the show to Friday, seriously?) at least all the loose ends were tied up. I will be bummed if that show isn't renewed, though. Tonight, the season finale of Heartland is on; I'll get to see what happened with Ty and Amy. Then there's  the last episode before a two week break of Once Upon A Time and then the season finale of  The Walking Dead. This is almost too much.
This past week, I have been taking it easy, trying to get my energy back for this coming week. I will be gearing up for the holiday and I'm determined to make it spectacular! This morning, I spent the latter part of the morning deep cleaning the house. I will continue to do little chores around the house throughout the week. I'll also be going to the thrift store tomorrow, woohoo! This means that this week I will finally be able to to some fun craft projects that I've been aching to start. I will also be making some homemade candy treats, so be on the lookout for that.
Lastly, I will leave you with a little Springtime inspiration. I assembled a playlist on Spotify which was inspired by my nephews and the joy that I feel when I get to see them. The playlist is titled "Happy Sappy" and it is filled with upbeat music; just the thing to lift one's spirits! It can be found here: https://play.spotify.com/user/1216509636/playlist/6pGU7iYpnlt8X9SgAThe9Y I hope this puts you in a great mood! Until next time~ Toodahloo!

A Spring In My Step

Today started on such a perfect foot; a foot ready to step towards crafty bliss. I wanted to work more on the quilt that I started way back in the Fall. I thought that I would watch a marathon of Pretty Little Liars all day, whilst working on the project. Tonight the Spring finale of the show will be on. Apparently, the identity of "A" will finally be revealed. I am very confident that this is another season finale that will not prove the identity of "A." It seems like every year that tasty carrot is dangled in front of us, only to be a parsnip.

My efforts to focus on the quilt were thwarted when other tasks got in the way. It was one of those "If You Give A Mouse A Cookie" sort of days, where one task materialized, which then produced another and another. I never did get to that quilt. Fortunately, there is always tomorrow.

The good news- look at my book cases! They are getting tidier, aren't they? The task of re-organizing my books has taken time, but it's nearly complete. It feels fantastic to have that done. To have my books, neatly organized and categorized is very satisfying.

While I'm on the subject of books...I've recently seen a trend where thirtysomethings are feeling nostalgic for the "Scary Stories To Tell In the Dark" series. According to an article on nerdist.com, a documentary on the series is in the works. I find this to be very exciting. As you can see, I am a fan of the books. I loved those books when I was a little girl. I remember reading the first book in the series, when I was in the 5th grade. I thought the chilling stories were so thrilling and the illustrations were unnerving. At that point in my life, I was already a fan of monsters. I loved the Fall, and Halloween was my favorite day of the year. I still love spooky tales. A few years ago, I tracked down all of the books in the series at Goodwill. I am so happy to have those, to read them whenever I wish to feel spooked. Way back when I was worlds away, with my nose to those pages, I had no idea that I was exposing myself to literature which would later be banned. In fact, a number of my childhood books that I have in my personal library were or are on the banned book list. I am so happy that I was able to enjoy those stories and illustrations. My parents certainly shielded my eyes from inappropriate movies when I was a child. When it came to books, I was able to choose what I read. I never picked things that were inappropriate for my age, but even the most unexpected books were on the naughty list.
As an adult, I look back at the books that I enjoyed reading and smile. I read because I wanted to, not because there was the promise of a free personal pan pizza. When I was little, the nearest Pizza Hut was 30 miles away. The reward for reading a book, was the opportunity to drift away to another world. I don't know how many times I spent at "Green Gables," or played alongside "Ramona Quimby."
Now, with my books neatly sorted, it will be so much easier to travel through space and time. With that major task completed, I can focus my energy on more Spring cleaning chores and then I'll be able to create even more. Tomorrow, my project of the day will be the quilt. It would be nice to finally get back on that project and finish it. The weather is warmer and it is getting easier to get more inspiration for projects. I'll be certain to post about the quilt when I complete it.
Until nex time~ Toodahloo!

Northanger Abbey and Calligraphy On A Sunday Afternoon

Last night, we were visited by yet another massive snow storm. When I took Fred outside this morning, I was met with snow all around; inches of snow waiting to be plowed into the ever growing mound. At this point the snow in the back yard is at level with the porch; which is above 2 feet in height. I saw all of the snow, reminded myself that we have five more weeks of winter and with a sigh carried on with my morning. I wished to bake today, but decided that, instead, today would be a languorous day of wearing lounge pants, sipping hot cocoa and watching a cheesy movie.

The cheesy movie of which I write is the gem "Swamp Thing." A Wes Craven masterpiece from the early 1980's that for some inexplicable reason I was totally fascinated with as a young girl. I can't say how many times I watched the movie when I was very small. I had not watched the movie in at least 20, if not 30 years, until I stumbled upon it on hulu.com.  I saved the movie to my queue and decided to watch it today. With a mug full of black coffee and a Rice Krispy treat (yep, I'm still working on them) I sat down to watch the movie. I don't I've laughed so much in a long while. The movie is ridiculous, and that is why I love it!

After watching the silly sci-fi movie, I felt the need to cleanse the soul. So, I switched to the itv version of "Northanger Abbey" which is also on hulu.com. This version stars Felicity Jones, J.J. Field and Carey Mulligan- all young actors I've seen in many other productions that I adore. Although I have The Complete Novels Of Jane Austen I have yet to read the story. After watching the film, I feel that I'll really enjoy reading it. It would be interesting to see if the movie was true to the novel. I've seen some wonderful film adaptations of other Austen novels, and I have seen a few terrible versions, too. However, I can't resist a Jane Austen novel and, usually, I gush over a good Austen-based movie.

After I was done with that, I decided to take out my new stationery supplies and play with my new rubber stamps and look over my calligraphy book. Tomorrow, I will resume the practice. It has been a few years since I've used a nib with ink. I think that it should be quite fun. Perhaps, tomorrow I shall bake something scrumptious- I feel as though I must. Until next time~ Toodahloo!

Of Maple Trees In The Snow, Hot Cocoa, PLL, And Ebay

Yesterday morning, I woke up at 3 am and basically cat napped the rest of the morning. I kept my tv on NECN and watched continuous coverage of the storm as it traveled through New England. When I first turned on the news, the storm was in Boston and it hadn't made it's way up north, yet. However, when I awoke again later in the morning I had a dog eager to go outside. So, I got dressed, put on a coat, a hat, some mittens and I made certain that Fred the dog had his tweed on. When I stepped outside, it was like stepping into a snow globe. The wind was blowing fiercely and the snow was coming down. I didn't spend too much time outside, Fred was happy to go back to the house.

The rest of the day, I was trying to occupy my mind as I could not help but worry about the power going out. I've experienced terrible winter storms when power had been lost for days; it's not fun. I kept thinking of Little House On The Prairie and the time when they had to tie a rope to the house and attach the other end to the barn, so that they could make it safely to the animals and back during the blizzard.  It made me thankful to be inside and snug in my lair, not having to tend to animals or to be stuck in the middle of nowhere, without Netflix.

I spent a great deal of my day sipping hot coffee or cocoa and binging on Heartland. With every wind gust, thinking to myself that January is almost over. However, we have another storm coming this way and there is usually a massive storm the second week of February, regardless of what a little Pennsylvania rodent declares.

My day was made better with a new episode of Pretty Little Liars; will "Ezria" ever get it right, I mean really? Side note: I was on Pinterest, recently and saw that someone anonymously admitted to having an "Ezria" relationship with their teacher...wow, that is really messed up! At any rate, my night was made even brighter when I won something on ebay, it was a huge score! So, in a week or so, I'll be getting some treats sent my way. Getting books from ebay and amazon is like Sweet Pickles for grownups. Instead of a pickle shaped bus depositing your order, the literature arrives in a giant chocolate truck!  

Now, I'm toying with the idea of organizing my desk drawers. Whenever I open a drawer, I think of that scene in the movie A Christmas Story, when "Miss Shields" confiscates the novelty teeth from her students and throws them into a desk drawer filled with items she'd taken once before. My drawers look like that. it's a hot mess. Ordinarily, an organization project would make me giddy, but I'm so tired all of the time that I dread the challenge. I'll see how it goes and keep you updated. Until next time~ Toodahloo!    

Sunday Evening With The Doctor

The craft that I intended to do today never came to fruition. I grabbed some craft supplies and stared at them for a long time, wondering what I wanted to do. However, I couldn't come up with anything that I really felt excited about. I decorated my Christmas tree earlier today. Then, I wrote letters "from Santa" for my younger nephews. I'll finish that project, tomorrow, and send them out promptly. For the past 3-4 hours I've been indulging in a marathon of Doctor Who- all the Christmas episodes. Right now, I'm still on the David Tennant episodes and watching the episode "Voyage Of The Damned." Kylie Minogue is in that episode.. Kylie- Freaking- Minogue, I should be so lucky..lucky, lucky, lucky! I love these episodes,

I forgot how much I liked David Tennant as "The Doctor." I've liked all of the Doctors; but he is one of my favorites. Watching these episodes brings me back, a few years ago, when I watched a Doctor Who marathon on BBC America. It showcased all of the David Tennant's episodes and led to the regeneration, where Matt Smith took over. It was a very exhausting few days. The morning after the marathon (where I bawled when the 10th Doctor regenerated) I spent that morning re-organizing my kitchen cupboards. That was one of the weirdest mourning experiences I ever endured that was related to pop culture. It was nearly eclipsed recently, when I saw that Jason Orange left Take That. He was to grown up Lady Toesocks, what Jordan Knight was to Little Miss Toesocks. I digress...

Soon, the 10th Doctor Christmas specials with be through and then it will be time for the 11th Doctor's episodes, which I find to be much darker. I shall soothe my nerves with more hot cocoa and soldier through those episodes. I can't begin to imagine what this years Christmas episode will be like, but I'm certain that I"ll enjoy it! Cookies tomorrow! Until next time~ Toodahloo!

Festive Shows And Movies I'm Watching

Today did not unfold the way that I had intended; this happens sometimes. My master plan was to retrieve a Christmas tree, drink copious amounts of hot cocoa and binge on Doctor Who. I did go to find  tree, but when I went I couldn't find the one that was the appropriate size; they were all too small. So, tomorrow I will get the tree and have cocoa. I will still watch a few Doctor Who Christmas episodes and the rest I'll watch tomorrow. I decided to share with you what I'll be watching the rest of the season to make me feel jolly!

TV Shows
Eureka; S4:E10
The Vicar Of Dibley: S2:E2, S3:E2, The Vicar Of Dibley Christmas Specials S1:E:1, 2
Doctor Who: S2:E1. S3:E1, S4:E1, S4:E15, S6:E14 and S7:E16
Heartland: S4:E10
Miranda: S3:E1
Outnumbered: S4:E7, S5:E1
Catherine Tate: The Christmas Specials
Mr. Bean Christmas Special

I would watch me episodes from Eureka, but there are only the last two season on Netflix, for some reason. Most of these shows and movies can be found on either Netflix and/or Hulu.

Movies
Nativity 1 &2
It's A wonderful Life
A Charlie Brown Christmas
A Christmas Carol
A Christmas Story

I've already watched some classics, like Elf and National Lampoons Christmas Vacation, so I won't be watching them again. I might dig up some other classics, too, but Christmas is less than two weeks away! Tomorrow, I will have so much fun watching all the Doctor Who Christmas episodes and making another craft. I'll also be getting a tree! Tomorrow's post will be back on track. Today was a wacky day. So, if you can find these shows and movies to watch, and you like a lot of British comedy, try watching a few of them, you'll giggle! Until next time~ Toodahloo!

Freaking Myself Out For Halloween

It is now ten, TEN days until Halloween and I"m getting very excited about this! This is the time when my decorations are already up, baking has kicked into high gear, my costume has been chosen and is in development, and I'm watching all sorts of creepy movies. So, some of you might be so busy that you've totally forgotten that Halloween is around the corner. Some of you might has been a huge fan of the spooky holiday since childhood and have lost touch with it. This post is to help those of you catch up with some ideas of what you can do to begin celebrating.

Books Worth Reading:
The Harry Potter Series By J.K. Rowling- Witches, wizards, werewolves and faeries. Spells, enchantments, good fitting evil and He Who Shall Not Be Named....
Wicked By Gregory Maguire- The beginning to the Wicked Witch of the West's story and all the things that happened in Oz before a farm house crash landed there.
Frankenstein By Mary Shelley- Old school science fiction/horror. This story makes you really think about science and how it can go too far, with a tragic outcome.
Dracula By Bram Stoker- Certainly, one haunting tale. This is perfect to read on rainy and stormy October nights.
The Tell-Tale Heart and Other Stories by Edgar Allan Poe- Practically every creepy short story you could read from Poe, truly a masterpiece of fright.
Roald Dahl's Book Of Ghost Stories and Skin by Roald Dahl- Very different from his beloved children's stories. These stories are witty, dry and totally creepy. If you grew up reading his stories, you'll be surprised by these tales.
Spooky New England: Tales Of Hauntings, Strange Happenings, and Other Local Lore Retold By S. E. Schlosser- Classic New England folklore involving ghosts of pirates, weeping ladies, ghost animals and more.
Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark By Alvin Schwartz- I still have this series from my childhood. I discovered this in the fifth grade and the stories have stayed with me. Classic slumber party horror stories. These are just a hoot to read as a grown-up and they still maintain their creep factor.

These are books that I enjoy reading this time of year. Obviously, there are plenty of Steven King stories to read. However, his horror novels terrify me and I can't read them because I'm a big baby. You'd think that a person who loves spooky things would be all up on that, but no thank you. I'll stick to his short stories that don't involve horror.

Movies Worth Watching:
Carrie- This is a classic horror movie based on a Steven King novel. Those high school girls wear worse than bullies, they were horrid. However, I do think they got a little more than they deserved, don't you think?
Nosferatu- For a silent film, this is darn frightening. Put this on at shut out the lights and you'll be surprised at how scary a silent film can be.
Halloween- The first movie of this franchise is incredibly creepy, a guy in the mask that follows you around all the time is very unnerving. Even the theme song to this movie gives me the heebeejeebees!
The Others- Oh gosh, things that go bump in the night and in the day, too! If you grew up in a haunted house, like I did, this movie totally takes on a whole other meaning. Freaky stuff!
The Omen- Made me hate the name "Damien." This movie terrifies me, a cute little boy who isn't such a cutie pie.
The Exorcist- This movie, where do I begin? It is wrong, just wrong and makes split pea soup very unappealing. This movie will spook you.
Rosemary's Baby- Poor Rosemary, her maternal instincts are dead on and everybody is out to make her feel crazy. This is a very scary movie to watch.
Poltergeist- This movie doesn't scare me as much as it did when I was younger. However, it is a tradition for me to watch this film. Some aspects of the movie are scary, while others are overly dramatic.
Carnival Of Souls- Hands down, my favorite "B" movie. This horror classic from the 60's was a DVD that I happened upon at Walmart when they sold $1.00 DVD's I bought it and I adore it. If you can find this online, you should watch this gem, it's really great.

Spooky Kids Movies Worth Watching:
Coraline- Based on Neil Gaiman's story, this is such a great story with adorable animation. I dressed up as Coraline, last year for Halloween. The animation is beautiful and this movie is very moody.
The Nightmare Before Christmas- This movie came out when I was in high school and all of my friends and myself went nuts for this. It's based on a poem by Tim Burton and it is typical Burton style.
Corpse Bride- Again, another animation type movie using puppets and stop motion, this is such a fun movie with great music by Danny Elfman.
Hocus Pocus- You read this right, this is a classic and you know it!
Teen Witch- Because I am a child of the 80's this is sort of a must. The acting isn't great, there is an awkward moment when two suburban teenagers engage a a rap duel. The weird psychic lady from "Poltergeist" is in this too and as creepy as ever. Watch this gem!
The Worst Witch- I watched this dozens of times as a little girl and bought it on DVD years later. Tim Curry plays a warlock in this, it is very adorable and one I'll be watching soon.
Return To Oz- Not intended to be a Halloween type movie, but way scarier than people anticipate it to be. I never saw this when I was little, and I couldn't get my hands on the DVD until a few years ago. This is so scary compared to the musical movie made in 1939. Dorothy was going to get electro shock therapy! Seriously, watch this if you can find it, it is amazing!

Television Shows To Give You The Creeps:
Twilight Zone- All kinds of freaky stories to unnerve you.
Alfred Hitchcock Presents- Even more creepy stuff, hosted by Alfred Hitchcock.
The Outer Limits- More bizarre stories that keep you up at night.
Dark Shadows- The tragic soul of Barnabus, mastered brooding long before Edward Cullen.
Buffy The Vampire Slayer- The chosen one, stabs vamps with stakes, but loves them too!
Vampire Diaries- Modern teenagers falling in love with centuries old teenage vampires. Such drama!
Hemlock Grove- For most of season one, you don't know what's going on, creepy as all heck. Season two, totally messed up but fun to watch a great show if you like monsters- which I do!
The Walking Dead- This grew on me, I'm watching new shows as they air and watching older shows on Netflix to catch up. This show sucks you in, it is so well written and acted. The makeup and costumes are amazing. This show, by the way, is terrifying!
Sleepy Hollow- This show is so fun! IT is spooky. It recalls classic early American folklore and it is so great how the writers are able to connect stories with historical events and figures. The actors are very great at what they do, such a charming show.
Haven- I've written about this show before, but again, I love this show. Set in fictitious "Haven" Maine, the "troubles" make life difficult in the otherwise sleepy coastal village.
Supernatural- Two brothers fighting evil for nearly a decade. There are a lot of demons on this show
Harper's Island- I caught this show when it aired on the channel CHiller. This show is terrifying, I can't believe it was on CBS. It was like a slasher movie in 60 minute episodes. Such a twisted story and the ending is crazy. I think you can find this on Netflix (although, I'm not certain of this.)
Witches Of East End- Two generations of witches that just want to live normal lives in a quiet town, but life won't settle down.
The Originals- A spin-off of THe Vampire Diaries, set in New Orleans, lots of scary (and attractive) monsters.

Food Stuff:
-Pretty much anything that involves pumpkin.
-Treats that are shaped like pumpkins, ghosts, or bats.
-Treats that look like zombies
-Treats with candy corns
-Caramel apples
-Caramel corn

This zombie cake I made a few weeks ago. I used a devil's food cake mix with raspberry pie filling in the middle. I also used 1 can store bought chocolate frosting that I mixed with 4 ounces of cream cheese and 23 tablespoons of cocoa powder and I mixed it all together. Then, I bought these gummy eyes in the cake /cookie decorating area at Walmart. It was super easy and a hit with my nephews.

Spooky Music:
 I searched and found all kinds of Halloween classics like "The Time Warp" and "Monster Mash" even scary movie themes all on Spotify and I bet many other music streaming stations have the same thing. Create a great song list, I had a lot of fun creating a Halloween list on Spotify. Also, I know that premium cable has a seasonal music channel on their music channels. They have a few channels to help you get in the spirit of Halloween.

So friends, get creative, pop some popcorn brew some cider punch and get ready for the big day! The internet is an excellent resource for recipes, craft ideas and even has great sights for watching spooky things. Go to the thrift store and gather supplies for a unique costume and have fun!
Until next time~ Toodahloo!

When Running Around Finally Runs You Down

I really wish that I had a great photo to add to this post. Unfortunately, I do not have anything that would make the eyes happy to share. As I mentioned in my previous post, I've been running around like crazy this past week. I was very exhausted yesterday. Today was a whole other ball of wax. Lately, my eyes have been itchy and easily irritated. I really didn't give it much thought. When I woke up today, I understood what was happening... my Fall allergies have arrived. Usually, when aspects of Fall trickle into my daily life, I'm very excited; allergies do not excite me. For some reason, I either have short term amnesia regarding my allergies or I'm in complete denial; because when the symptoms appear I'm always dumbfounded.

This morning, I tried to take it easy, I thought I'd get some rest; but then, the phone rang sometime around 7:15 am! Seriously, why would anyone of sound mind or any sense of propriety do such a thing? Then, I was awake, not awesome at all. Then, I was up, so I thought I'd take it easy on myself and slowly ease into my day. I took some Benadryl  and decided to take Fred for a lovely walk, thinking the fresh air would do me some good. Two minutes into the walk,  I realized that I had no energy for a walk. I wanted to turn around and go back home, but instead took Fred for a short loop around the block and returned home. I went straight to been and slept for over two hours.

After a nap, I decided to dehydrate some kale in the dehydrator. By the time I got to the second tier, I knew that I had to speed things up and go back to bed. I spent the rest of the afternoon watching episodes from season two of Hemlock Grove. Now, I'm taking a brief break before I clean up the mess from supper and then I'm going to sleep for the night. Well, for a few hours at least, then I'll probably wake up and channel surf until I stumble on something to watch until I can go back to sleep. Speaking of which, when I woke up in the wee hours of the morning, this morning, I stumbled on the new season of Haven! I had no idea the new season had even started! So, that is on Thursdays, and next week Sleepy Hollow returns and many of my spooky favorites are coming back. Between the new episodes of Doctor Who, The Intruders, Sleepy Hollow and Haven it seems as though I will be spooked for the whole of Fall, this thrills me!

So, before I go, I just want to write about the fact that I was over the moon, even though I'm feeling very crummy right now, when I saw a spike in readership today! This makes me very happy, Thank You very much! I hope to bounce back soon so that I may get back on track with my cooking, baking and crafting. Feel free to leave comments and check me out on Facebook! If you follow me on Facebook, you'll get updates on new posts and random extra nonsense. You can find me under my name Lady Toesocks, and you'll recognize the photo when you see it. :) Until next time~ Toodahloo!

Waiting For A Rainy Day

This lovely gem arrived in my mail today. I ordered the dvd set from amazon.com, a few days ago, and stalked my package via order track. I'm waiting for a rainy day to cozy up with a bowl of popcorn and a latte while I indulge in this masterpiece.
When I first began this blog, I was (regularly) watching the show on CBC.  I totally understood the main character and it was a mix of drama with a bit of comedy and a dash of sci- fi.  The season would end around mid December and in the summer I'd see commercial teasers for the show's return in the Fall. I always looked forward to this show. Sadly, after four years, the show ended. Although I was bummed that the show was over, I could still get my fix on hulu.com. The problem with watching the show on hulu.com was that the shows aired as they were viewed on the Soap Opera Network. The version that aired on that channel was very edited, just not the same as originally aired. Also, hulu.com failed to get the final season of the show. Then, one day, hulu stopped providing a single episode.
I had toyed with the idea of obtaining the show on dvd for a while, but waited to see if Netflix would snag it. The website has other CBC shows, like Heartland, Murdoch Mysteries, they even have 18 To Life. I figured that over time, they would get Being Erica, considering how popular the show was. I gave up hope and began hunting amazon.com for deals. I was able to find season one for a fraction of the original asking price. I'm very glad that I waited to get this.
The great thing about buying shows on dvd, compared to watching them on Netflix or hulu, is all the fun extras that come on the dvd's. Those lovely additions are never available to stream. So, this purchase was the best choice. I will be keeping an eye on the barometer for any changes and consulting my weather app for the forecast and when I see rain coming...I'll be ready!
Until next time~ Toodahloo!

Time Killer Addictions

There will be no photos in this blog, that would take too much time! I really need to admit to some ridiculous time killers that I have been indulging in a bit too much, as of late. I think that the harsh winter was a big contributor to this problem. The snow would not stop coming, which meant that I was stuck inside a lot. Ordinarily, I would curl up with a good book and read whilst sipping hot cocoa. However, this winter, I was far too agitated to read. So, I killed time with the screen. Armed with Netflix, Hulu, Youtube and Video On Demand I'm never without something to watch.
Some of the shows that I watch are a favorite among many, while others are simply questionable. SO, here's my list of time killers in no particular order:
1) Orphan Black on BBCAmerica- This show is ridiculously amazing; it's a bit of sci-fi, mixed with action and mystery. The plot is enough to keep any nerds sucked in, but I'm particularly interested in watching the show, not just because of the plot, but because I love spotting the actors from other Canadian shows. It's amazing how many actors who've appeared on the show "Heartland" have also been on this show, as well as other shows like "Haven," "Emily Of New Moon" and "Being Human" (U.S. version).
2) Moone Boy featured on Hulu, this show is so flipping funny! I can relate to the main character, as I would have been the same age as him during the time period that the show is set. The main character has an imaginary friend played be Chris O'Dowd. If you've ever watched "The IT Crowd" you'll know how hilarious he is. The nostalgia and innocence of the show is endearing and the comedy is so delightful. I could watch this show all day.
3) My Drunk Kitchen seen on Youtube, the web series features Hannah Harto as she endeavors to create culinary masterpieces while consuming copious amounts of wine. Sometimes, she has guests who help her make edible disasters, all while she throws puns at the viewer. I can sit to watch one video and an hour will pass before I realize what I've done!
4) Endeavour seen on Netflix, it's a sort of prequel to the series Inspector Morse. Set in 1960's Oxford, the men wear suits (with skinny ties), the featured detectives drive a Jaguar, there's some opera music, mystery, side burns, mid century modern sets, mod clothing, and delicious British accents. This show is very irresistible. Really, I don't feel the least bit guilty about watching this show.
5) Pixiwoo make up tutorials. This is also seen on Youtube and features the delightful Chapman sisters, Nic and Sam. These makeup artists are from Norwich, so again I'm pulled in by the accent. Also, they are very personable, they're my age, so it feels like one of my gal pals teaching me how to execute the perfect cat eye. Although, try as I might, I'll never duplicate their looks exactly, the tutorials are so engaging.  A bit of warning: Once you've watched a few of their videos, you'll start watching their brothers videos and their friends videos, and their future sisters in- laws makeup tutorials and her friends videos. Seriously, it's a big community, but they are all delightful and they'll make you laugh and introduce you to beauty products you never knew were possible.
There are a few other time killers that I won't even get into, because it's far too embarrassing (ahem, TOWIE). I am now starting to experience sunshine, singing birds, dandelions and blossoms. I think these time killers will now be experienced at night when I"m too tired to function. It would be a shame to be pasty looking, when I could get some fresh air outside. Then again, there's always time on rainy days. Until next time~ Toodahloo!

Fighting A Cold...

 

 

This is what my desk, typically, looks like each morning. Lately, I haven't had the energy to be tremendously crafty. I have been fighting a cold for a few weeks now, and it really is physically draining. Last week, I felt better and I decided to crack down on my sewing machine. I removed the plate and I REALLY gave the machine a deep cleaning. I felt like this would resolve my problem with my stitches catching. So, I did a test run and the stitches are now fine; however, the foot which feeds the fabric it set too low. I gave the machine another look and it turns out that the plate wasn't put back into place, properly, after I cleaned it. For some reason, I can't seem to move it. I decided to set it aside and try again on another day. Then, my cold came back again. Apparently, this is how this particular cold works. I have been taking things easy and not jumping into projects that might be too messy.



 

Rather than, working on the projects that I want to work on, I've been researching topics on Pinterest and finding some inspiration. I did bake some really delicious pumpkin muffins with dark chocolate chips. They are large muffins that are big on taste. I used a recipe that I found in a Yankee Magazine cookbook. Like most of my baking, I adapted the recipe to suit the ingredients that I had on hand. In the afternoon, it's lovely to sit with a cup of dark roast coffee and a pumpkin muffin and either browse Pinterest, read the blogs that I follow or watch a show online.

 

Speaking of shows, the upside to January is the television programming. Since it is way too cold to do anything outside, and I'm too sick with cold to desire the outdoors, it's the perfect time to get cozy and watch tv. January has treated me with "Downton Abbey," "Sherlock," "Pretty Little Liars," and the US version of "Being Human."

 

Lately, "Pretty Little Liars" has gone to a new level of creepy and since I've been watching so much "Sherlock" I can't help but wonder how he would solve the mystery of "A" if he were to take on the case. I'm pretty certain that I know who is the mysterious -A. I know that the show is trying to set it up to look like one character, but I think they are doing that to throw off the fans. Although, I will not say who I think it is, I will say that I have suspected this character for a while, but the show would move into another direction and distract me. After this weeks episode, I decided that my theory was right. Then, since I don't have much to do, but watch tv, I watched episodes from previous seasons on Netflix and found more clues to support my theory. It could be that I've watched one too many episodes of "Sherlock" ( can one, really, watch too much Sherlock?), but I'm certain about this.

It's time for a fresh cup of coffee and a muffin. Once I feel better, I should craft something. If not, I find something else to keep me entertained. Until then~ Toodaloo!

It's Sunday and It's Finally Warm(ish)!

So, some of you may have heard, but for those who haven't, it's been a very frigid week in New England. Most days, I woke to temperatures of -10 to -20 F. The rest of the days didn't seem to get much above 5 degrees F. Taking my dog outside was a task that even he found to be painfully difficult. Although he did wear his jacket any time he was out doors, his legs and feet quickly felt the chill and he needed to be rescued. Mind you, I watched him from the window at all times, and the short time that he was out felt a lot longer...poor pooch.
Also, this week we experienced a massive snow storm, which reached blizzard conditions. The local schools were cancelled and all I wanted to do was stay inside, with blankets piled on top of me, while I sat and watched old episodes of "Manor House."
"Manor House" was a perfect choice for the week, since "Downton Abbey: Season 4" will be premiering on PBS this evening, and I can hardly wait. The ending to the Christmas special left me speechless, briefly, then a series of unpleasant words oozed out of my mouth. However, I had an odd feeling that something terrible would happen in the end, as things were just too lovely to remain and there was still 20 minutes left to the show. So, tonight will be a delight.
If you haven't watched "Manor House," it can be found online for streaming. It was on tv over a decade ago; PBS aired it, but I missed out when it was on then. I remember watching "The Victorian House" and I found the experiment to be very interesting. "The Manor House" is delightful, showing what life would have been like for those working downstairs for those who lived upstairs. The show is set during the time period of the first season of "Downton Abbey" and it also shows what life was like for the aristocracy. However, this series is far less romantic than DA, but as a reality series it's refreshing.
Finally, it reached 20 degrees F today; it felt so warm! Next week, Fred and I will return to home and we'll begin a new year of crafting, baking and crazies. If you get to watch DA, do enjoy yourself! Until next time~ Toodahloo!