edenbrooke cast, part two

You didn't think I would forget about the rest of the supporting cast, did you?

1) Juno Temple as Betsy  2) Connie Nielsen as Mrs. Daventry  3) Lesley Nicol as Aunt Amelia  4) Helen McCrory as Mrs. Fairhurst  5) Jason Isaacs as Mr. Clumpett  6) Alex Kingston as Mrs. Clumpett

Who would you cast? Remember to go to my facebook page and leave a comment by Saturday, March 17th to win one of two Advanced Reader's Copies of Edenbrooke!

edenbrooke giveaway

The time has come...I have two Advanced Reader's Copies of Edenbrooke that I'm excited to give away! But first, a little musing on my part. Like all books that I read, I play them out like movies in my head. Here's my cast for the players in this Regency romance:

1) Helen Mirren as Grandmother  2) Jonny Lee Miller as Phillip Wyndham  3) Timothy Spall as Mr. Whittles  4) Emma Watson as Marianne Daventry  5) Zoe Boyle as Cecily Daventry  6) Olivia Williams as Lady Caroline  7) Charlie Hunnam as Mr. Beaufort  8) Tom Hardy as William Wyndham  9) Kate Beckinsale as Rachel Wyndham  10) Carey Mulligan as Grace Fairhurst  11) Alessandro Nivola as Mr. Kellet  12) Rooney Mara as Louisa Wyndham  13) Julian Sands as Mr. Daventry

Easy on the eyes, aren't they?

I enjoyed Julie's book so much that I had a hard time putting it down. My favorite part was this precarious moment shared between Marianne and Phillip in the library:

I felt trapped in his gaze. I was suddenly overcome with the sensation that if I looked deeply enough into Phillip's eyes I would find a beautiful, important secret. I drew in a breath, and as I did I leaned closer. The sensation grew stronger, convincing me that it was only the distance between us that was keeping me from uncovering the truth. If I leaned toward him, something would happen. I was sure of it. But if I leaned away, nothing would happen. So I stayed perfectly still, balanced between something and nothing, not knowing which way I wanted to fall.

Not since Lucy and George from A Room With a View have I been so anxious for a couple to fall in love! I know you will enjoy this novel as much as I did.

To win one of the two ARCs of Edenbrooke, like my facebook page and leave a comment there by Saturday, March 17th. Two winners will be chosen at random and notified next Monday, March 19th, 2012. Good luck!

“spreen” cleaning

Something strange has happened to me. It could be that the days are getting longer. It could be the sixty-degree days between blizzards. It could be the book I'm reading. It could be that delicious bottle of basil dish soap I'm using. I'm nesting, an instinct not indigenous to me. This newfound desire is something awesome and has preoccupied me for a couple weeks. I've also become a little obsessed with ridding my house of toxic chemicals and using simple, green solutions instead. What can I say? I'm a late bloomer. For this reason I'm going to refocus my month from just spring cleaning to green cleaning; spreen cleaning.

Pinterest has steered me toward several great green cleaning websites; if you are interested in making your own cleaning solutions with products from your pantry, go here and here.

Here's a recipe to try on for size:

Homemade Soap Residue Remover

• 1 cup distilled white vinegar
• 1 cup concentrated dish soap

Pour dish soap into an empty spray bottle. Meanwhile, heat vinegar in microwave for two minutes. Carefully pour heated vinegar into spray bottle over dish soap; tighten lid and give a vigorous shake until well mixed. Spray solution onto bath and shower surface and let sit for one hour. When done, spray down with water until mixture and residue are gone. You shouldn't have to use a cloth to wipe down unless you've applied your solution higher than the showerstream can reach. This worked great on the tub, tile, window and showercurtain* in our shower. For tough ring around the tub, spray more of the vinegar-soap solution on the affected area and let sit for a couple minutes. Sprinkle some baking soda on a sponge and gently scrub away. Rinse with water and voila!

*Did you know you can throw your shower liner into the washer to remove residue and hard water stains? Works like a charm.

galette des rois

Ever had a Galette des Rois (gal-LET deh wah), otherwise known as a King Cake?

via PinterestYou may be more familiar with the version seen in bakeries this time of year; a yeasty bread ring topped with white frosting and purple, green and yellow sprinkles. In college, I once had a friend send me a king cake all the way from New Orleans! It was such a treat especially to share it with friends and see who had the good fortune of finding the baby charm inside. To try your hand at baking a traditional galette des rois (like the one pictured above), go here.

Happy Fat Tuesday!

cherries

Nothing says happy President's Day quite like cherries do. Here are a few pieces of eye candy to get the ball rolling for your holiday baking:

Clockwise, from top left: Spoon Fork Bacon, Brown Dress with White Dots, The Wedding Dish, Canelle et Vanille