Wednesday, September 30, 2015

A Quest For The Most Fun Little Spoons and Spreaders

I will admit that I desperately would like to own a set of these spreaders for my tea. I have found a website I should never have looked at and now I will need to find away to bring all of these home!
Seriously love this set of 4 spreaders offered at $16.99 from Rose and Teacups.com
I also really really really want these little spoons. Offered at $15.99 for 4
I also would love this set and these to go with them
I could not have one with out the other right?
Did I mention they had matching spreaders...

Oh to make a longer wish list....these would all be great with my tea, scones and cozy mysteries, would they work for you too?
Happy to have so much on my table already!
Enjoy your day. I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com




Tuesday, September 29, 2015

Who Are The 5 Authors You Would Love To Sit Down To Tea With?


A little over a year ago I posed the question of If you could have any 5 authors to tea who would they be and why?


It is a simple question with endless possibilities and something I will admit I have spent a great deal of time thinking about. I have a I will admit picked several sets of 5 to entertain if I could and I even know what I would serve! Honestly to sit down with any combination of cozy mystery authors would be a delight. I would invite all of my favorites and I am pretty sure I would have enough tea cups and saucers for them as well!


If I could put together the perfect tea party in sets of 5 for a tea party with me I would love to have so many authors who I would love to thank personally for how their work profoundly influenced my life: There are however more then a dozen I would love to have come to tea.  I did not realize when it comes down to naming names just how hard and how much fun it would be to host so many wonderful authors in sets of 5.

For this post and in no particular order the first set of five,  I would add would be Lorraine Barrlett ( by any of her names) for it was her Book Town Mystery Series that really brought me to love this genre of cozy mysteries. Next to her would be Ellery Adams, I really was enchanted by her Charmed Pie Shop Mysteries first and then came to love her new Book Retreat Mysteries, then would come Heather Blake her witchy tales and even her romance books are among some of my most favorite. beside her Amanda Cooper (by any of her names also) so we could discuss her Teapot Collector Series in person and rhen Terrie Farley Moran from the Read Em and Eat Mystery series.

At Table two I would put Joyce and Jim Lavene, Hannah Read ( by any of her names as well) Miranda James( By any of his names as well) Lucy Arlington( by any of her names though Ellery is at table one, so Susan Furlong would have to sit in as she is also so amazing)
Then table three would be Krista Davis, Christy Fifield, Melissa Bourbon, Juliet Blackwell and Eva Gates( by any other name as well) . I admit this exercise is harder then I would expect it to have been even for make believe, I wonder if in real life these Authors know or even all like each other but more importantly I wonder what they would all talk about...such a fun thing to think about. I imagine myself flitting between tables refilling cups and sharing some of my most favorite recipes with each of them.

I think it is fun to imagine what it would be like to sit down and talk with all of these amazing authors and so many I have not mentioned here but would love to have come to tea. I feel like I have already in many ways as I have welcomed them all many times to my tea table.
So I would love to know who you would invite to your tea table for 6, the 5 authors you would pair and why. Leave me a comment below or email me for fun. This exercise is not to leave anyone out and just for fun. I would be honored to host any cozy mystery author, blogger or any of you for tea anytime. I thank you so much for joining me here today and hope to hear what you think as well.
Enjoy your day. Sip your tea and imagine along with me...until tomorrow.

Monday, September 28, 2015

2 Folding Tea Wallets From Pattern Pile.com Free Patterns!

I have made these for years and now I need to think about making another one for myself as my last one seems to have gone missing. I was looking on Patternpile.com for the tutorial I used last time and came across this fun free one. I love the idea of using scraps so take a look at this one and make one for yourself or the tea lover in your life. Click here to find the pattern.
I also like the look of this folding tea wallet, this tutorial can be found by clicking here
Let me know if you try any of these out and tell me what you think of them. I love having my own tea with me and these little tea wallets are great conversation pieces too!

Thank you for joining me for a Cup of Tea and A Cozy Mystery today.

 I am off to finish my scones and continue reading my ARC of Looking for Mr. Good Witch  by Joyce and Jim Lavene. To pre order your own copy please click here. I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com

Sunday, September 27, 2015

Scandal In Skibbereen Second In The County Cork Mystery Series

I finished Shelia Connolly's second County Cork Mystery, Scandal in Skibbereen last night. I loved it, It was a very good story. The mysteries were as winding as I pictured the roads in County Cork. I simply feel at home in this series and as though I belong in Leep.
I was so thankful to happen upon this book at my local library and have ordered the third book An Early Wake  so I can catch up for book #4 next February!
Earlier this year for my birthday I had asked for a DNA test so that I could find out my own heritage. My mother was adopted and it was life long dream come true to have this test available, though my mother died 5 years ago I was able to confirm that I am Irish. That she was Irish, that my children are part Irish and this was so important to me as my mother always felt drawn to anything Irish, books, music it is as if her soul knew. If you would like to know more about my personal story please click here.

I found Sheila Connolly's series not long after I discovered my Irish heritage and I identified so completely with her many character Maura and her own quest to discover her Irish roots. Buried in a Bog   is a fantastic story and one I recommend whether you are Irish or not!
I have also pre ordered A Turn For The Bad  out in 127 more days, as I long to know Maura and the people of her "tight-knit" community!
If you are looking for a Cozy Irish village to stop by and visit I think you will feel right at home in Sheila Connolly's County Cork Mystery series!
I look forward to sharing my reviews on the next two with you very soon!
Thank you for joining me for A Cup of Tea and a Cozy Mystery Review. I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com

Saturday, September 26, 2015

On My Table And In My Cup September 19th -26th

Newest on my table this week is the Advanced Reading Copy of Looking For Mr. Good Witch. Now I have ordered this in paperback, I pre ordered it and can not wait to get it in the mail, should the mail man ever venture to my door again, one day of mail this week it contained flyers. I am really beginning to wonder if perhaps Squirrel has scared him off. You can pre order your own copy for Kinddle by clicking here  or in paper back like I did from The Book Depository by clicking here. 
Speaking of Squirrel, she was very good to guard my outdoor morning tea yesterday and I have been feeling so blessed to have had Sheila Connolly's book Scandal In Skibbbereen on my table thanks to my wonderful local library!
Speaking of libraries...Where I live we have District and a City Library and at our City Library here in North Vancouver they sell these amazing shirts! I was in Starbucks and one of the Librarians was wearing this and I asked her if I could take a photo and if i could buy one. They are sold out but have more on order and I can not wait to get one of my own! What a fun way to raise money for the library! Love it!
I look forward to reviewing this book shortly and I can not even begin to tell you what a crazy week it has been, or express how very much it means to me that you have chosen to stop by. Thank you so much for joining me for a cup of tea and some wonderful cozy mysteries. I love hearing from you so please feel free to leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com

Friday, September 25, 2015

Friday Morning Musings

A later post today then I had planed I am sorry for that. This very wet west coast morning I come to you from my outdoor tea table. I had a long and not very restful night last night and felt the need to be outside this morning.
My ever constant companion for tea sat guarding my table as I set out to read. The dogs that did pass by were sternly stared down from Squirrel's trusty perch.
I hope that today's post helps inspire you to carve just a few minutes out of your day for yourself, and a constant companion. Cheers from my table to yours.
I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com

Thursday, September 24, 2015

Autumn Reflections and Inspiration From Facebook

The above is a meme that crossed my news feed and brought a smile to my face last night. Not only did I feel it had relevance in my own life but I think it pretty much sums up every single one of my favorite cozy mystery main characters, okay maybe not Charlie from The Cat in the stacks mysteries but really it could apply to him too.
September is one of those times of year I feel the most excited and the most anxiety, followed quickly and closely by Christmas. I feel like I am swept up into a "vortex' called September and before I know it is new years day and I have felt like I just blinked.  But with all this stress and anxiety there is a healthy does of excitement and inspiration. I have to remember to take time for that second cup of tea, that deep breath and change the way I see the difficulties I feel coming my way. Easier said then done but I try. Like my favorite photo of my tea I think I ever have taken and shared shown above. "Holding of the weight of the world one cup at a time"
 Heather Stillufsen  of Rosehilldesignstudio.etsy.com  is one of my favorite artists and I have purchased several of her cards as they personally move and speak to me in a way I never felt before. Her design above embodies that feeling of excitement and anxiety that I feel with the start of each September.
One of these days I am going to have to splurge and pick myself up one of her journals! I have a great selection of her cards I would love to frame and hang up they are so very motivating and inspiring. You can see them daily on Facebook by clicking here  or check out her Etsy shop by clicking here.

This time of year I do love reading a good paranormal cozy mystery anything with Witches or Ghosts, I love reading them year round but especially when Halloween approaches. I loved Carol J. Perry's Caught Dead Handed, The entire series is wonderful!
If you are looking for a funny paranormal read do check out Tonya Kappes Ghostly Grave  I really had a great laugh with this one.
Heather Blake has two really great paranormal cozies and One Potion in the Grave is currently on sale for $1.99 Click here for your deal on the kindle version! 
There are so very many more wonderful paranormal cozies to read this Autumn and some wonderful Autumn releases. So while there may not be a whole lot of Roses to stop and smell there is a whole lot stolen moment for The Ritual of Tea ...

Thank you for joining me for A cup of tea and some cozy mysteries. I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com 

Wednesday, September 23, 2015

My Favorite Peppermint Tea Only Pennies Per Pot!


You maybe able to tell by my photo that I have Mom cold, you know that kind that would knock the wind out of any normal male or child but the kind that you get after looking after them and all you can do is make yourself tea, take a Tylenol cold, put on your big girl panties and carry on dealing with everything. That kind of cold. At least I am suffering in silence right? (insert laugh here)
When I have a cold or am feeling even slightly off my favorite go to tea is Mint Refresher. This is really a tisane (a herbal tea that contains no actual tea leaf, the Camellia sinensis  is not contained in this tea) This is a bagged tea I purchase regularly from The Real Canadian Super Store and is a President's Choice brand. Each box contains 20 individually wrapped tea bags. I love loose leaf tea but I also really enjoy this tea and it is easy to take with me. I often have at least 6 bags of it in my purse. For under $3 Canadian this is a good deal. Mint tea helps aide in digestion, reduce pain, eliminate inflammation, it can relax the body, help with headaches and stomach aches and even help with the dreaded Mom Cold. I find I breathe better when I drink it and inhale it. The bonus of no caffeine is this is a tea you can safely give your kids.  You can easily make your own peppermint tea if you grow your own, something I really would like to try but until then I am glad I can pick up and stock up on my Mint Refresher Tea from the grocery store. I did not purchase the Mint Tea from Celestial Seasonings so I must pick some of that up and compare the two in an up coming post.
 When I get to the end of my day and tuck up to read my book I am often joined my my reading companion Squirrel the cat. When I am not feeling well she tends to be a tad over protective and possessive. While the photo is not overly flattering of either of us, it is nice to know that the cat is there for comfort and to make sure I don't go anywhere. Sleeping on my face and shoulder in this photo, while I tried to read made it next to impossible so I reluctantly put the book down and went to sleep. You may ask why not move her...I tried she came back and then covered my entire head and face so really this position shown above was actually more comfortable.
I look forward to sharing more tea and cozy mysteries with you again tomorrow! Stay healthy, wash your hands and pick up some mint tea for cold and flu season. Thank you for joining Squirrel and I today. We would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com

Tuesday, September 22, 2015

The Legend of Tabby Hallow. Fall In Love With This West Coast Cozy Series

The Whales and Tails Mysteries by Kathi Daley is another of my "feline based" favorites. She has book  number five  The Legend of Tabby Hallow a Halloween themed cozy story available and this is one series I look forward to reading. Kathi is an amazing author and this series takes place near where I live so it is so very easy to picture!
I love the setting of this cozy and the theme of the cats, the West Coast Setting is really what made this such a personal cozy to read! Along with really great characters, not just about cats, but intertwining mysteries that flow so well from book to book, with a little romance and a whole lot of cats it is a winning combination!
I love how easy it is to purchase and download these stories and spend the afternoon with a pot of tea and my own feline reading companions.
If you love cats, islands, mysteries, friendships and romance pop over to learn more about the Whales and Tails mysteries by Kathy Daley by clicking here. 
Bonus tip: Kathi is always thinking and writing ahead so be sure to pre order The Cat of Christmas Past as well! 
Thank you for joining me for a cup of tea and the Whales and Tails cozy mysteries! I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com

Monday, September 21, 2015

Why Libraries Matter To Me

If you follow me here or on my Facebook/Instagram page you may have notice the absence of books in the last week. No one noticed it more then me though honestly. I had great anxiety about the lack of reading opportunities on my table and in my possession this past week. My obsessive compulsion of relying on Canada Post to bring me the books I have ordered is causing near panic attacks with each passing day. As another week of no mail went by I found myself at the bookstore Sunday morning but came up empty as the only Cozies they had were first in series I have already read.

My friend Sheryl who is new to cozies and who lives in the USA has better access to cozy mysteries in one trip to her book store then I could dream of from any store near me. I rely on The Book Depository for it's great price and free shipping. Any Canadian's here will attest to the crazy cost of shipping/postal rates verses the cost of the books themselves. I do not mind paying the cost of the book but I do resent the shipping when it is equal in cost of the cozy or even more as it has been in most cases. Sheryl posted photos Sunday of her bookstore find of all three of Shelia Connolly's Irish County Cork Mystery series and I was gutted! I have been trying to track book two, Scandal in Skibereen,  down since I finished Buried in a Bog which I read earlier this summer.


This is one of the reasons that Libraries matter to me, book selection, sanity and a great cozy mystery section awaits me at each visit. Not only is my library better stocked then the book store, it has authors I would never have heard of or dreamed of reading if I had not happened upon them in their "natural habitat".  I was feeling reading withdrawal all this week but especially yesterday, so I hoped in my van and headed to my little library and left with 9 books that jumped off the shelf at me and one of them happened to be Sheila's second book Scandal in Skibberneen. I had tried to order this book on The Book Depository but until recently it had been unavailable. So I was almost in tears when it was sitting on the shelf of my library! Along with Scandal in Skibberneen I also picked up 8 other titles based on the cover alone this time,  so that at least for the next few weeks I will not be with out a book to read. If it was not for my libraries I would never have found cozies and I would not have had such a rich escape or the opportunities I do today. This is only a few of the reasons why Libraries matter to me and I hope you are lucky enough to have a well stocked library where you can find some amazing series such as these.
 Thank you for joining me for A Cup of Tea (Heavenly Cream by the way) and some wonderful cozy mysteries...
I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com

Sunday, September 20, 2015

Rainy Cozy Sunday With Cats, Time To Pre Order Sofie Kelly's Magical Cat's Mystery Faux Paw

Good Sunday morning from my table to yours. It is wet and raining here on the West Coast and it is stunning. The leaves are changing, the rain is making the leaves of my maple tree almost touch the ground. It smells and feels like fall on this the last weekend of Summer.
Out later this month is Sofie Kelly's Magical Cats Mystery Faux Paw. "Magical cats Owen and Hercules from A Midwinter s Tail are back and ready to help librarian Kathleen Paulson pounce on a killer art thief Normally, the arrival of an art exhibition at the Mayville Heights library would be cause for celebration. But thanks to the overbearing curator and high-tech security system that comes with it, Kathleen s life has been completely disrupted. Even Owen and Hercules have been affected, since their favorite human doesn t seem to have a spare moment to make their favorite fish crackers or listen to Barry Manilow. But when Kathleen stops by the library late one night and finds the curator sprawled on the floor and the exhibition s most valuable sketch missing it s suddenly time to canvass a crime scene. Now Kathleen, her detective boyfriend Marcus, and her clever cats have to sniff out a murderous thief, before anyone else has a brush with death "

This is a wonderful series and I love that the cats look like mine!

Squirrel shown above and "Baby Kitty" below
While I am pretty sure Squirrel has magical powers, not sure Baby kitty does, at 17 she is not the most spry but still a large part of our daily entertainment. Magical or not these cats do provide us with comfort and calm. I also find it funny that one of the cats in the book is called "Owen" which is our last name....
The Magical Cat Mysteries are easy to fall in love with and I am glad there is still time to pre order Faux Paw! Only 18 more days until it is released! Click here to order your own copy from The Book Depository with free shipping! 
Thank you for joining me for A Cup of Tea and an up coming cozy mystery! I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com