No explicit sex, no gory blood and decapitations… no the books that are nominated for the Malice Domestic Awards are good, wholesome who-dunnit’s and murder mysteries.

The awards are for books published in the 2011 calendar year and are awarded at the annual Agatha Awards banquet held on Saturday, April 28th at the Hyatt Regency in  Bethesda, Maryland.

There are a few categories: Best First Novel, Best Non-fiction, Best Short Story, Best Children/Young Adult and Best Historical Novel.  Here are the five books that are nominated for the Best Novel category.  Read up, you have a few weeks and decide which one YOU think should receive the award.

Best Novel:

Meg juggles twins, murder, and a back-talking bird in the next side-splittingly funny installment in the award-winning, New York Times bestselling series

Domestic diva Sophie Winston is getting into the Halloween spirit- her decorations for a community haunted house are so good, it's scary.

Ex MI5 agent, Max Tudor has adapted well to his post as vicar of St. Edwold’s in the idyllic village of Nether Monkslip until the highly unpopular president of the Women’s Institute turns up dead at the Harvest Fayre.

Judge Deborah Knott and Sheriff's Deputy Dwight Bryant are on a train to New York, finally on a honeymoon after a year of marriage. While in New York, Deborah has been asked to deliver a package to Lt. Sigrid Harald of the NYPD. Sigrid offers to swing by the apartment to pick up the box, but when they reach the apartment, they discover that it is missing and the doorman has been murdered They've soon teamed up with Sigrid and her team to catch the killer before he strikes again.

“Hearts are broken,” Lillian Dyson carefully underlined in a book. “Sweet relationships are dead.” But now Lillian herself is dead. Found among the bleeding hearts and lilacs of Clara Morrow's garden in Three Pines, shattering the celebrations of Clara's solo show at the famed Musée in Montreal.

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For more recommendations in reading:

Meet Sherlock Holmes Partner… Mary Russell

A Rather Charming, Curious, Lovely and Remarkable … Series

A Discovery of Witches

by Birdy from Lifewordsmith

click for more info

The last couple of books I had picked up had not really invigorated me and I was in danger of abandoning every book I started. Which is very unlike me. Then I read “The Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins. And after a long time I could not put a book down. I finished it in just about 3 days. Let me first give a summary from the book jacket:

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by 12 outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of 12 and 18 to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.

Sixteen-year old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister’s place in the Games. If she has to win, she will have to start making choices that weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

It puzzles me as to why Collins’ book has been categorized under YA fiction. It may appear like a dark little story about kids participating in a game but The Hunger Games is certainly much beyond that. The intensity of emotions, the heightened degree of violence and the subtext of themes that simmer beneath the story are all extremely, well, ‘grown-up.’

The book begins with Katniss’ life in District 12 which encompasses her friendship with Gale and her fierce love for her little sister Prim. But above all Katniss leads a tough life. After her father’s death, Katniss is the one looking after her family. We are soon introduced to the concept of the Hunger Games and when Prim’s name is called out, Katniss immediately volunteers in place of her. From there the book begins its heart thumping journey into the wilderness where 24 children have to kill each other and emerge the winner.

Though a dark and dystopian science-fictionesque tale, the themes running through it are very much of the real world. The Hunger Games by itself stands as a testimonial to the price of war but ironically, the price is paid with more blood.

“The rules of the Hunger Games are simple. In punishment for the uprising, each of the twelve districts must provide one girl and one boy, called tributes, to participate…Over a period of several weeks, the competitors must fight to the death. The last tribute standing wins.”

It takes a bit of mind twisting to appreciate this kind of a story where kids are constantly scheming to kill each other.

The boy from District 3 only has time to turn and run before Cato catches him in a headlock from behind. I can see the muscles ripple in Cato’s arms as he sharply jerks the boy’s head to the side. It’s that quick. The death of the boy from District 3.

Yet, underneath this brutality, Collins’ beautifully interweaves sensitivity, love and friendship. One of my favorite parts is where Katniss takes a liking to Rue and then sets about protecting her just like her little sister. A very touching portrayal that almost brought tears to my eyes. There are also parts that some might find a bit dramatic, including those related to Rue, but I think Collins’ can be forgiven.

Katniss’ relation with Peeta is never completely defined. Throughout the book, they play tag with the reader keeping us undecided. Politics, is not only present as a strong catalyst in their chemistry, but also as an omniscient force that dictates each of the participants’ and their families’ lives.

I loved Collins’ fast-paced, no frills writing style and her strategic placements of small twists. Collins employs staccato sentences written in the present tense that sets the speed and also conveys the raw competitive nature that hangs heavily in the air. I found Katniss’ character refreshing. Very practical and cynical yet naïve and sensitive, a child-woman who grew up before her time, Katniss is fleshed out wonderfully. What I also liked was this earthy, primitive atmosphere that co-exists with an uber-modern, technologically advanced one. On one hand we see Katniss using a bow and arrows to hunt in the forest and on the other we see highly sophisticated cameras that track each tribute and giant screens appearing in the skies displaying the results of the day. The names used in the book, slightly strange yet familiar sounding ones like Katniss, Cato, Gale or Cinna also lend an odd, otherworldly feel.

The Hunger Games is not for the faint-hearted. And I am not talking about the players. But I can’t wait to read the next book in the trilogy.

Rating: 5/5

Verdict: A dark little tale that will grip you

Reviewed by Birdy

How many pairs of glasses do you have? Sunglasses, reading, long distance, bifocals….Do you keep them in their cases, a bowl, on the counter or shoved in a drawer?

Board by Design - Click here for their Etsy store! $30.

Meet your new best friend. The Glass-house I Wear Rack - a decorative and thoughtful way to store and display your eye wear collection. Your choice of Walnut or Ash wood, this lets you display your glasses while treating them kindly. This design comes with the hanging hardware and is very easy to install. The size of the rack is 16.5″x 3″. Go over their Etsy store to purchase.

Board By Design

So who created this clever idea? Board By Design. (You’ve gotta love them right away for that name!)

Before you sign off, you should take a little look at what else they do.

Furniture.

Really cool furniture.

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Order Yours on their Etsy Store

Actually, artist Brad Reed Nelson is the brains behind this artistic collection of custom contemporary furniture. Brad brings a sense of humor and a serious eye for style to everything he does. His mission is to add to the dialogue of contemporary furniture design and culture and he does it very well.

When I wrote my book, Salvage Secrets, I was thrilled when people from all over the country told me how they now see what is available to salvage and how to use it (i.e., recycled, repurposed, reclaimed) because of it.   No two boards are alike, bricks are different in consistency and color and everything from an antique wood to scrap metal has  its own unique design idea. The possibilities are endless!  Here are some black & white examples that prove there is a lot of gray area when it comes to Salvage Design.

This is one of my favorite pictures. I love these club chairs and the black & white vintage prints make a statement. That’s it — vintage prints,  some old frames, a couple of chairs and you have made yourself a very cool design statement!  Photo by: RENÉ GRANSTRÖM

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Let’s bring a little New York Fall 2012 Fashion Week into our homes… Shall we?

Last week I had the honor and privledge of attending a few fashion shows in New York for Fall 2012 Fashion Week. Not bragging (I promise) but here was the list of shows Fashion + Decor covered – Rebecca Taylor, Milly, Pamella Roland, Herve Leger, Porter Grey and last but not least Jason Wu. May I add too that my seat for Jason Wu’s show was Row 1 Seat 1. Now I know that is bragging (sorry), but the only reason I sat front row at Jason’s show was thanks to my friends at Brizo Faucets who hosted me for Brizo Fashion Week.

Fashion Week was beyond words. Watching ‘ looks’ walk down the runway that all could launch fashion trends around the globe… makes my heart skip a beat. No joke – its that exciting and that dangerous (for me anyway). What excites me even more is thinking about moving these runway looks into the home. This is what I do and all I think about. Style your home… Style yourself. It is my mission to get the runways into your homes.

Here is my take on Fall 2012 RTW from New York Fashion Week. Now this is just a sampling – many more to come on www.fashiondecor.com

Also, if you would like to see all the behind the scenes action from our NYFW coverage then head on over to our Fashion + Decor + Blog at  fashiondecorblog.tumblr.com

Alice + Olivia Fall 2012 RTW and Houzz

Alexander Wang Fall 2012 RTW and Lonny Magazine

Altuzarra Fall 2012 RTW and Rue Magazine

Diane von Furstenberg Fall 2012 RTW and Houzz

Sonia Gil goes in search of Venice’s cool guys. While many think that the City’s princes are in palaces and luxury hotels, Sonia finds them in the canal’s water taxis. Distinguished, aristocratic, and more than a touch narcissistic, the taxi drivers from heaven.

For more of Sonia’s Video’s, go to her Youtube Channel!

Tweet Chat Tonite

You know you want to find out more about that elusive enigma that keeps on beckoning you. It is a very powerful way to communicate but could be totally intimidating if you are a newbee to this and other forms of social media. Before you click away from here, let’s get into some real plain talk about what Twitter REALLY is and how you can benefit from it.

What is Twitter?

Twitter is a way to meet, connect and communicate with people with interests similar to yours. Here is how you can tell if Twitter is for you. Do you have a business, hobbies or friends who tweet? Do you like cooking, wines, cars, breaking news, celebrity gossip? Are you into sustainable living, collecting or even the supernatural? The fact is, twitter topics pretty much has something for everyone.

Contrary to popular belief, no one is saying you have to tweet what you are doing. No one wants to know that your are sitting down to read a book. What they DO want to know is what is this riveting book you are reading? Tell them and give them a link to your favorite review of the book or to a purchase site. Perhaps you are putting up some antique linens on Ebay. Tweet it and include a link. You are sending the information out to twitterdom which will be viewed, and shared by many. For those selling on Ebay, Twitter gives you a potential buyer. In other words, share interesting or pertinent information.

In essence, Twitter builds your own personal community of contacts. You will be shocked at how this tool can build your business and change your life. So read on and give it a go. You will not be disappointed. Oh, hey, and when you follow us at TheDailyBasics, tell us you read this post and we’ll be sure to hold your tweetin’ hand until you get on your tweetin’ feet by tweetin’ with you. Promise!

Set Up and Find Friends

Step One: Log on to www.twitter.com.

Step Two: Create an account. This is pretty self explanatory. You will be creating a user name and password. Choose something that describes you or use your business’s name. Keep it short. You are only allowed 140 characters per message and that includes your name per tweet message.

Step Three: A selection of topics that interest you will pop up. Check on people who interest you which will add them to your ‘following’ list. You can always ‘unfollow’ later if you don’t like them, but this will get you started. They are just giving a sampling here, but enough to get you started. Also, don’t forget that when you visit websites you like that have a Twitter icon on it, you can click and follow those people, too.

Step Four: With your permission, Twitter can look into you email address book and find your friends who tweet. This information helps build your list of contacts.

Step Five: Next is your Settings page. Fill in the info plain and simple.

Step Six: This is your design page which will give creative options or you can use your own graphics. You can play around with this or go back to it later when you get more comfortable with the site.

Step Seven: Finding Friends. Twitter will give you other options of finding friends or browse interests on the top right bar under where it says ‘following’. Once you find people you know or like, go onto their main tweet page by either clicking on their name or typing it into the ‘search’ option. Now listen carefully. Click onto who they are ‘following’. These are folks that interest them. Therefore, they might also interest you, too. Follow those who interest you. You’ll be surprised that some will follow you back now or later..

Step Eight: How To Start. You will be able to read the tweets of the people you are’ following’ but until they ‘follow’ you back, they will not see your tweets. You can, however, comment on something they tweet. By doing this, you are interacting with them. If they like what you’ve said, don’t be surprised when they answer you back. This is how you meet people and they begin ‘follow’ you. Once someone is ‘following’ you, they will then be seeing everything you tweet and you can direct message each other.

Rules

1. Keep your messages to 140 characters – that includes spaces and punctuation. You may include links, web address, etc.

2. DO NOT ever tweet your email address, phone number or any personal information. That is asking for trouble. If you want to exchange personal information, use the DM, or the Direct Message column. That is explained in the glossary of terms link below.

3. Keep it clean. No naughty language or comments. That’s a great way to loose friends on Twitter.

Tools

Load a program on your computer called TWEETDECK.COM. Read the instructions, they are fairly easy, but this will honestly make your tweetin’ life a lot easier. Tweetdeck gives you columns that will let you see your ‘core’ groups. All Friends, Mentions, Direct Mentions and New Followers. Get familiar with the program and as you get used to Twitter, you’ll see how this can benefit you. You can even add your Linkeden and Facebook accounts into individual columns.

Twitter Terminology

You’ll come across words like retweet, hashtags and DM’s. Go over to BloggingBits.com where they’ll give you a simple glossary of Tweetish.

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Use the comments section to ask questions. No question is too small nor silly sounding to us. So, ask away!

By Karen Jones

click for more information

Elliot Tiber would be the first to admit he has lived a colorful life. His first book Taking Woodstock describes a wildly dysfunctional childhood and his critical role in the legendary 1969 Woodstock festival. As recounted in Taking Woodstock, and Ang Lee’s 2009 movie version, his family owned a motel in upstate New York near Yasgur’s Farm. Woodstock promoter Mike Lang was desperate to secure a local festival permit, which Elliot was able to provide. He was also one of the original Stonewall activists who gave birth to the Gay Rights movement.
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Click here for more info

Prior to his Woodstock adventures, Elliot was a top Manhattan interior decorator. When asked to design a shipboard birthday bash along the Hudson River, he was thrilled when he learned his childhood idol Judy Garland was on the guest list. Palm Trees on the Hudson: A True Story of the Mob, Judy Garland, and Interior Decorating is his hilarious account of that fateful night and more.
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Elliot Tiber shares his South Florida digs with his beloved Yorkshire terrier “Woody” Woodstock and is hard at work on his next book, tentatively titled After Woodstock. His favorite authors are Tennessee Williams and Truman Capote. His motto: Do unto others…

Ten Minutes with Eliot Tiber

Karen Jones: Judy Garland was your childhood idol. What was it about her that resonated with you?.
Elliot Tiber: It started when I saw the Wizard of Oz and I fell in love with her. I had a miserable home life but in Oz somewhere there was a family that loved you and you could go home. I saw her perform at the Palace Theater in 1967. I was sitting front row center and brought roses. When she sat down on the front of the stage to sing “Over the Rainbow”, I handed her the roses. She handed one back to me with a smile. A year later, when I met her on the “Palm Trees” boat party I designed, we got to talking and she was so nice. She told me don’t worry about your family—gay people make their own families. That really stuck with me.

Eliot Tiber

KJ: Palm Trees on the Hudson refers to a 50th birthday party aboard a Hudson River dayliner you designed that didn’t quite go as planned?
ET: Yes! The party theme was Arabian Nights, and I rented all these palm trees. Later, nearly half the boat ended up drunk and fighting and started throwing the palm trees at the Statue of Liberty. They didn’t hit it, of course, but the trees ended up in the Hudson River. I was desperate and kept saying, ‘Wait, they’re rented!’
KJ: What would you like readers to learn from your books?
ET: Humor. I always dealt with pain through humor. Also, I’ve lived all over the world and I’ve used humor to meet people. I do it here in Florida. I say funny stuff. People can use humor to survive anything.

KJ: What’s your advice for aspiring writers?
ET: The most important thing you can do for yourself, if you really want to write, is to actually sit down and really do it. So many get distracted with all that lofty talk about how they’re going to outwrite Hemingway or make Proust sound like some camp counselor drone by comparison. That’s a trap, and many fall into it. If you really have something to say and you need to capture it forever, just get it down on the page and then worry about refining it later. Believe me, there’s time enough to talk about your writing after you’ve done it. After all, what have you and I been doing here? [laughs]

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 For more information on Elliot Tiber:.

Palm Trees on the Hudson: A True Story of the Mob, Judy Garland, and Interior Decorating, Square One Publishers

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Taking Woodstock

Daily Grommet has asked a few bloggers, brands, and industry leaders to help lead the conversation on Pinterest!  They’ll answer questions, share how they’re using the platform and we’d love to hear and learn from you as well.

What? You don’t tweet OR do Pinterest. Awww, come on and take the plunge.  Click here to learn how to tweet.  Then get onto Pinterest and open up an account, it is very simple!

When: Thursday, Feburary 16th from 7-8pm EST (4-5pm PST) on Twitter

Hashtag: #PinterestParty

Co-Hosts:

@DailyGrommet
@LaunchHER
@Girlfriendology
@HousewifeBliss
@Steet
@ValleyandCo

Keep watching … even more experts will be joining us for the event.  We hope you can join us! Please share with your networks and let’s create a diverse exchange around this exciting topic!

Ways you can invite your network: Share this post on Facebook, Tweet this post, Pin this post to Pinterest.

The Brits have it right. Tea at four in the afternoon not only helps break up the tedium of a long afternoon at times, but it gives you that boost that you need at the wilting hour. How would you like to have tea the way they did in the 19th century when tea was considered a luxury and only practiced by the upper middle classes. Like Jane Austen and her family.

Then you must read Tea with Jane Austen This is not a new book. It was published in 2004. However, like anything Austen, it is a classic and must be had. Kim Wilson has compiled recipes, rituals and references to having tea inspired by Jane Austen’s writings. She’ll give you recipes for orange jelly, syllabub and Bath cakes. Make yourself a stiffly steeped cup of Earl Grey and curl up with this book. You will enjoy both.

Afternoon Tea

Why not have your friends, your Mom or sister stop by for a cup of tea in the late afternoon? Whether they are on their way home from somewhere or if you all have kids, bring them and let them play for an hour while you enjoy regenerating and a little girl time. But, who’s to say that you can’t set your tea tray for one – just you? Treat yourself well.

Nothing would make you feel closer to a true Austenite than a Vintage Silver Tea Strainer. Offered by The Daily Basics Silver Expert, Silver Magpies, click the pic for more information.

Brewing a Good Cup of Tea

1- Fill your tea kettle with cold water, the oxygen in the temperature makes for a better flavor, and bring to a rolling boil

2-Pre-warm your teapot with hot water

3- Measure one full teaspoon for every cup but if you like milk with your tea, add an extra. If you are using a mesh ball, only fill half way as the tea will expand

4 – Fill the teapot with the boiled water and let it steep for about 4 to 5 minutes

5- Use a tea strainer to separate the teas leaves from the tea

6- Make sure your teacups or mugs have been prewarmed with hot water as well

7 – Serve with warmed milk or lemon and sugar should you so desire

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Chocolate Nutella Macarons

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Sweets

There is nothing nicer than a touch of sweetness with your tea which is why your next stop is over at Barb’s at Creative Culinary where she has all kinds of yummy cookies and cakes from which to chose, least of which is her Chocolate Nutella Macaroons and Espresso Shortbread Brownie Bars.