Music Monday -- Bishop Briggs "Dream"

Love her voice!

Fall Bucket List Wrap-up

My completion 20/35  57 %

So the fall didn't go as planned. I had wanted to check off so many of these tasks, but I wasn't counting on getting sick right after Halloween. I just didn't have the energy to complete some of these items. But at least we did have an enjoyable fall. 

1. Enjoy a PSL -- Always have to indulge a few times.
2. Go to a pumpkin patch -- Took Arthur to a small one with tons of bounce houses
3. Buy some proper cider  -- I bought some cider at Target. Unfortunately, I bought spiced cider and it's a little too orange-y for my tastes. I'll have to pick up some more at another store. Grabbed a ton of good cider.
4. Bake pumpkin bread -- One loaf down, I imagine I will make a few more before Christmas.
5. Make stuffed acorn squash -- Always love this recipe, but can only make it in the fall when the acorn squash is ripe.
6. Carve a pumpkin
7. Make a fall craft with Arthur -- We did a few little Michael's crafts.
8. Read some scary books -- I got some good reads knocked out:
   1. 8.4 by Peter Hernon (earthquake thriller)
   2. Secondhand Spirits by Juliet Blackwell (supernatural cozy mystery)
   3. The Mummy by Anne Rice (classic horror)
   4. The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson (classic horror)
   5. Paper Valentine by Brenna Yovanoff (crappy supernatural YA)
   6. Haunted Castles by Ray Russell (collection of ghost stories)
   7. The Gates by John Connolly (comedic horror)
   8. A Cast Off Coven by Juliet Blackwell (supernatural cozy mystery)
   9. Hexes and Hemlines by Juliet Blackwell (supernatural cozy mystery)
   10. In a Witch's Wardrobe by Juliet Blackwell (supernatural cozy mystery)
   11. Tarnished and Torn by Juliet Blackwell (supernatural cozy mystery)
9. Pick up some fall themed tea -- I grabbed some Caramel Apple Spice at the store!
10. Take pictures of the changing leaf colors
11. Make chili and cornbread -- It will be back on the meal plan soon.
12. Find two new fall soup recipes -- I've got a couple of good ones now.
13. Watch Shaun of the Dead for Halloween
14. Visit a corn maze
15. Bake fall cookies -- I made some Pumpkin Snickerdoodles, but they weren't the best. 
16. Make leaf art
17. Pick up some fall nail polish -- Success! I picked up a pretty teal color (think Starbuck's fall cups this year)
18. Go apple picking
19. Bake an apple pie
20. Make mulled wine
21. Plan and cook Thanksgiving -- Success! It was a great day!
22. Read Kids Books
    1. Fall
       1. The Autumn Equinox by Ellen Jackson
       2. My Leaf Book by Monica Wellington
       3. WonderFall by Michael Hall
       4. Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn by Kenard Pak
       5. Fall by Kay Barnham
       6. An Apple's Life by Nancy Dickman
       7. Autumn by Stephanie Hedlund
       8. Leaves Fall Down by Lisa Bullard
       9. Kitten's Autumn by Eugenie Fernandes
       10. The Autumn Leaf by Carl Emerson
       11. Who Loves the Fall? by Bob Raczka
       12. Autumn Leaves by Ken Robbins
       13. Little Elliot Fall Friends by Mike Curato
       14. Counting on Fall by Lizann Flatt
    2. Halloween
       1. Countdown to Halloween by Patricia Reeder Eubank
       2. Click, Clack, Boo! by Doreen Cronin
       3. Halloween Hustle by Charlotte Gunnufson
       4. Dog and Bear Tricks and Treats by Laura Vaccaro Seeger
       5. How Big Could Your Pumpkin Grow? by Wendell Minor
       6. Seven Orange Pumpkins by Stephen Savage
    3. Thanksgiving
       1. Gobble, Gobble, Tucker by Leslie McGuirk
       2. Gobble, Gobble, Crash by Julie Stiegemeyer
23. Decorate the front porch
24. Buy some pumpkin ale -- I grabbed Leinenkugel's Autumn Shandy. Decent, but I will have to find something else.
25. Go on a hayride
26. Celebrate Halloween with costumes and trick-or-treating -- We made it around the entire top of the hill.
27. Pick up a fall candle -- I grabbed a yummy smelling Orchard candle from Glade. It reminds me of pumpkin and bonfires.
28. Read a cozy mystery -- I finished Secondhand Spirits by Juliet Blackwell this week. I loved it! Will have to pick up the next book in the series.
29. Make a scarecrow
30. Make homemade sauerkraut
31. Toast pumpkin seeds
32. Have a Monster Mash dance party
33. Create Halloween and Thanksgiving cocktails
34. Watch It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown
35. Have a Resident Evil marathon

Next up on the TBR list:

A Vision in Velvet

Title: A Vision in Velvet (Witchcraft Mystery #6)

Author: Juliet Blackwell

Publisher: Obsidian 2014

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Pages: 309

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Mount TBR

As soon as Lily opens the trunk, she feels strange vibrations emanating from a mysterious velvet cloak. When she tries it on, Lily sees awful visions from the past. And when the antiques dealer who sold her the cape is killed, Lily suspects a supernatural force might be behind his death.

Then Lily’s familiar, Oscar the potbellied pig, disappears. Lily will do anything to get him back—including battling the spirit of a powerful witch reaching out from the past. But even with the aid of her grandmother, unmasking a killer and saving Oscar might be more than one well-intentioned sorceress can handle.

After a volume that wasn't my absolute favorite, this one in the Witchcraft Mystery series got me right back in the groove. I loved the storyline of the oak tree, Oscar's disappearance, Deliverance, the Ashen Witch, and Bart. I loved the interlude at the cocktail party hosted at the Cal Academy (seriously, I love that museum, wish we lived a bit closer, or at least that it was easier to get to by public transit as I hate parking there). I loved the return of Sailor even if I don't think he's ultimately the right guy for Lily. I loved the bigger storyline for Conrad. And I definitely loved all the action in this one. Can't wait to pick up the next volume in the series. Good thing it's sitting on my nightstand!

Witchcraft Mystery

• #1 Secondhand Spirits

• #2 A Cast Off Coven

• #3 Hexes and Hemlines

• #4 In a Witch's Wardrobe

• #5 Tarnished and Torn

• #6 A Vision in Velvet

• #6.5 A Haunting is Brewing

• #7 Spellcasting in Silk

• #8 A Toxic Trousseau

• #9 A Magical Match

Next up on the TBR pile:

December 2017 Life Goals

Let’s check in on November's goals and my progress.

• Prep Christmas cards to send after Thanksgiving -- Success! Cards prepped and the first batch has been sent out.
• Host Thanksgiving -- Success! We had a great dinner with some friends.
• Start making Christmas gift lists -- Success! I've got a list going. I've even got some presents bought already.
• Think about 2018 Reading Challenges/reading plan -- Success! Working on my reading challenge 
• Knock off at least 10 items from big to-do list -- Success! Working down my list.
• Complete 5 Fall Bucket items -- Success! I didn't finish my fall bucket list, but I did knock off quite a few items.

December's Goals:

• Finish sending Christmas cards -- I've got most of the cards made, just need to send them.
• Plan and buy Christmas presents -- A few have been bought, just need to finish off my list.
• Knock out at least 10 Reading Challenges slots -- Hoping to finish off my 2017 reading year on a high note.
• Plan my 2018 Reading Challenges -- I've a few challenges starred, just need to narrow them down and lay out my plans.
• January blog drafts -- I want to work ahead while in Indiana get the blog drafts in order. 

Next up on the TBR list: