Fabulous Fancy Friday Foley Find!

One of my favorite finds of 2019 was this set I found in November at my local Salvation Army. This trio is a Foley set and has lovely pastel flowers in blues, purples. These were priced individually and each piece was $3.99.

Sometimes it is worth going through each plate and cup as at times they get separated when you come up with a lovely find like this!

This set is called Cottage Garden and was made in the Early 1950's.
I found this set on line for $43.00 Canadian! I paid $12.00!

This is such a pretty set and I am thrilled I found it!  If you are lucky enough to find a matching cup and saucer you should see if you can find the tea plate or side plate to match it makes a lovely breakfast set or even lovely lunch sets when you are entertaining.

With the weekend upon you, maybe it is time to take down your find china and use it for yourself! If you don't have a set but are thinking of rescuing a set for yourself, check your local thrift stores, charity shops, yard sales, and antique fairs.
Let me know what you find!
Thank you for joining me for a cup of tea and a look at my Friday Find! I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com

Tonya Kappes Deserts, Driving and Derelicts...

I read one of my favorite authors, Tonya Kappes,  Deserts, Driving & Derelicts over the last week and it is one I bought over a year ago, I really enjoyed the first book in this series, pre ordered this one on Amazon.ca and then well life got in the way. I loved the idea of this series, where the main character brings back to life a family Trailer Park,  with the help of the small town and trailer park residences. The first one was a really good feel good cozy mystery and this one did not disappoint either.  Actually found myself not wanting to put this down while reading it and loved the fact it is set in the summer, taking me away from days of wind, rain and snow. I am also utterly enchanted by the covers of this series and inspired by them. While I am not now and cant really ever see myself as a camper, I do love the idea of the trailer, a park and getting away for a while. This series helps me do that when I have to stay put. I look forward to buying and reading the rest of this series and thank Tonya Kappes for writing such a fun series. I would love some time in Normal, Kentucky.

Welcome to Normal, Kentucky, where nothin' is normal!Mae West is getting settled into the RV lifestyle as the owner of a campground in Normal, Kentucky. Happy Trails Campground, located in Daniel Boone National Park, has started to attract late summer vacationing families who love to hike, swim, fish, and enjoy being outdoors.Betts Hager, owner of several small businesses, is swamped with work and desperate for help with her cleaning business. Mae offers her services, happy about the prospect of a little extra cash. Heiress Tammy Jo Bentley’s mansion is the first one on her schedule.Mae makes sure Tammy Jo’s house is spotless because the Kentucky Kennel Association's annual meeting is going to be held at the mansion. Fifi, Tammy Jo’s high pedigree, insured poodle, is going to be on display and Tammy Jo will be evaluating potential suitors to sire Fifi's offspring.Before the annual meeting, Camille Braun, Fifi’s nanny, is stabbed to death. Everyone knows that Camille would put her life on the line *or* lay down her life for Fifi and, apparently, she did.Mae tries her best to stay out of it. Tammy Jo begs Mae to help her; after all, she did find the last killer in Normal. Plus, it's not good for business - or Normal's revived economy - when a murderer is on the loose.Mae has grown to love her RV community and now that she's found a place to call him, she's not going to let anybody ruin it. Mae throws all of her heart and amateur sleuthing skills into bringing the real killer to justice.

Click here to learn more about this book and series or to order on amazon.ca 
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

Witchy Wednesday New Modern Witch Hat...

Happy Witchy Wednesday to you. I recently ordered a new hat from Amazon.ca, its a witch hat as you can see, and for me its like a thinking cap....or writing cap.  For months I would see adds for it on Facebook, it comes in lots of colors but I ordered black and it is super comfortable. I even wore it at work for a few minutes... forgot it was on actually so more like an hour.

Why did I buy it? Impulse buy? Okay it did help for free shipping but honestly it is a hat I would wear out, write in and it is as I said before really comfortable. I might order my little friend Lily one for her birthday, she too loves witchy stories like me.

Who knows this Hat might just have some magic in it after all, I seem to be writing more since acquiring it...
If you might need a super comfortable Witches hat to write or garden in, check it out on Amazon like I did, by clicking here ( I am not an Amazon Affiliate) 

Thank you for joining me here for a cup of tea and a look at my new Witches Hat/Writing Cap. I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com

Decorating My Life and Home In Mixtiles...

Today I am sharing a bit about Mixtiles, which are these lovely photo tiles that I have been ordering for my home and as gifts since last May. I am absolutely thrilled with how these have turned out and usually I have printed images of people in my life, this was the first time I printed some of my morning tea photos...

I spent my Saturday night hanging up 12 new Mixtiles these are simply amazing. I started taking self care time after my mother passed away ten years ago. Getting up 30 mins earlier then my family, making myself a cup of tea, lighting a candle and taking down from the shelf, one of my tea cups and saucers to drink from. When I started this routine, it felt like a big production to go to for just myself but it has become the springboard of my day. I began photographing my morning tea sessions for myself to document that I could make this important time for myself. This morning tea time has sustained me and become such a huge part of who I am and how I express myself.

 I printed 12 recent morning memoment’s using the app for #Mixtiles and created a gallery I am proud to hang Mixtiles in my home. Memories of beauty, strength, creativity and art each reminding me of how beautiful I can choose to make my life and start my day. It is one thing to capture a moment with your camera it is an entirely different experience to hold it in your hands and hang it on your walls. 

I still cant believe how easy these were to put up, they also arrived very quickly! If you would like to order some for yourself, click here for the Mixtiles Website
If you want to follow my morning tea photos on Instagram you can find me at @teawithkaren .
I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com

Jenna St. James & Maddy Maddson's Seaside and Homicide

I heard about this book by Jenna St. James and her Step Daughter Maddy Maddson last year and it was on my TBR list, I bought it from Amazon.ca last week and quickly felt an enormous amount of excitement for this cozy mystery. It had everything I love in a cozy, great setting, characters and the perfect twist and turns, with an ending that leaves you wanting so badly to read the next. The main characters are young, in their teens and for me this was a refreshing change. There was a great balance of feeling, friendship and fitting in.

When high school seniors, Brynn O'Connell, and her best friend, Peyton Patterson, discover a dead body during the Copper Cove Festival, they had no idea their lives would forever change...for the better. Standing next to the victim is the strange new girl in town, Raven Masters. When Brynn identifies the murder weapon as belonging to her Grams, the three girls set out to prove Granny Winnie is no killer! Brynn and Peyton must learn to set aside their prejudices and trust the quirky new girl. After all, she seems to be an old pro at sleuthing. Of course, it doesn't hurt that the girls get to cut their sleuthing teeth in Raven's cool '66 Fastback Mustang. But when things go from bad to worse for Granny Winnie, Brynn decides to call in her Grams' estranged younger sister, Aggie, a former bounty hunter.

Can the girls learn to trust one another, follow their instincts, and get Granny Winnie out of jail? Or will Brynn be destined to spend her last year of high school alone in the small town of Copper Cove?

I am not an Amazon affiliate, but if you would like to know more or order this book here is the amazon.ca link. 

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

May Your Tea Be Strong & Your Lashes Be Long

Happy Sunday and thank you for joining me here today.  I want to take a vanity moment, and share something I found that makes me excited and is one of those things I wish I knew about earlier. I am not normally a vain person, nor am I someone who likes to wear a lot of makeup, however I will say that I used to never leave the house without mascara. I know some swear by lipstick but for me it was always mascara. I don't even want to talk about the 5 different mascaras I currently have in my purse that all promised and did not deliver the results advertised or that I had wanted, even when I combined them. Feeling foolish that I had not tried this before because I was very skeptical, I finally gave magnetic eyeliner with lashes a try.

This is me as I am without mascara, lashes or makeup...

 One magnetic lash...

two..... I am shocked! Even with my shaky hands these look amazing. They even stayed on 6 hours before I had to reapply a tiny bit moire liner.

I paid $19.99 at Walmart for the lash kit. I am really impressed with it. I have paid more thank $140 for lash extensions and unfortunately developed an eye infection right after, causing me so much discomfort. They looked amazing and felt pretty good at the time,  but the drops for my eye infection loosened the glue and they did not last their normal 2.5 weeks. I think these are a really great solution for me. I feel more confident when I have longer lashes and it is something I do for myself. 
For the last few years I have been looking at the lashes of women in my age group, moms in my circles, thinking good lord I am the only one with short lashes what is wrong with me?  I honestly had  no idea about eyelash extensions until three years ago, I just really believed that some were gifted with amazing long eye lashes. My sister Bre introduced me to extensions when I went to visit her and I loved hearing peoples reactions, for the first time in a really long time people seemed to notice me and I heard "wow you look great what did you do?" more thank I heard "Wow you look so tired, you okay?"

So for these little $20 beauties I don't mind indulging my little secret with all of you.  May your lashes be long and your tea be strong this Sunday, thank you for stopping by for a cup of tea and a chat about my eyelash vanity.
I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com 

St. Brigid's Day / Imbolc

Today is the Celtic celebration of Imbolc also known as St. Brigid's day. Along with the reed crosses, effigies of the Goddess are also made. in preparation and often a the night before,  then displayed to not only honor the Goddess but also to bring luck to the home, health and protect from fire. I made my Goddess Brideogs ( from a piece of drift wood I picked up along the shores of Ambleside beach this past summer, along with two types of red yarn, fabric and notions I picked up at the dollar store craft section. Her face is made from a polymer clay mold I have and sculpey clay. I did not paint her face but may still. 

Making a Spirit doll or a Brigeogs was a really relaxing experience for me. I love the creativity and freedom in drapping the fabric and gluing it in place around the drift wood stick. The yarn I cut in long strips felt soft and comforting as I pulled it to length, cut, tied it and then glued it into place. I used some shamrock beads around her neck and cloak.

I started to make these types of dolls in August, after I took a class. Each one I make has been such a joy to make.
I hope you enjoy your Saturday, Imbolic, St. Brigid's day. Thank you for joining me for a cup of tea and a look at one of my Spirit Doll Creations.  I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com