Vicki Batman's Blog, page 75

.@VickiBatman - a Birthday whoopdedoo! #MFRWorg #Plotting Princesses #RLFblog

Time to light the candles as my birthday is around the corner and I want to share what I gave myself on


*  #Handbag Monday  *
A handbag! Are you surprised? Shouldn't be. lol

As you know, I love handbags and love to find vintage ones, sometimes on eBay, sometimes on ETSY. So when this one came up, I had to have it for the mere price of....

You won't believe this...

$9.99. Yup! Isn't that fantastic for a never carried bag? 



Here's the scoop: It's made of a crazy quilt patterned velvet-like fabric in brown tones with a dash of green. The handles are in the short tote style. Has a gold-toned closure. Inside is a large pocket with a snap closure and a small side zipper pouch. And an open pouch--whew! I like stashing needlepoint somewhere and this looks perfect. It looks sorta hippie-ish, don't you think? I believe it will be perfect for winter. Sorta resembles a Kelly bag.

Does a bag like this appeal to you? 

#Movie Mom : Two old guys on adventure in Iceland??? Couldn't be any funnier than Land HO! #MFRWorg #PlottingPrincesses

So I asked Handsome to do a double header--movie, not baseball--and because of scheduling, I picked a funny one called Land Ho!


- #Movie Mom - 


Blurb: A retired doctor gifts his friend and ex-brother in law a trip to Iceland in an attempt to reclaim their youth through food, wine, dope, hotspots, and tourist attractions which showcase the formidable countryside.

I thought Land HO! utterly delightful. The characters travel around Iceland doing my favorite mantra: GO. DO. LIVE. Life is an adventure. The filming truly captures them as if they were standing in front of us and just chatting. I did get tired of the doctor's shtick, but that was his character. And I think there is a secret about him that isn't revealed. 

If you want a feel-good movie with laughs, this one is for you.

Interesting: I don't think there is a black moment. What do you think?

FMI: Land Ho!

.@VickiBatman - Champagne is a must! #MFRWorg #RLFblog #PlottingPrincesses

Recently, I read a post where a woman said she and her husband were celebrating a big number anniversary and they were headed toward their goal of 80 years. Her comment had me smiling so much, I shared it with Handsome and we had a good chuckle. 

When we start a marriage, we think:

Ten - a long time.
Twenty-the kids are almost gone
Thirty-new life adventures
Forty? Fifty and beyond? I can't really think that far ahead.

When I married, I thought I would be with Handsome for a lifetime. With the longevity of people now, isn't it possible a couple could be married 80 years?  

Are you wondering why one day over and above any other is so special? 
Handsome and I will be celebrating an anniversary!



So I shall be pouring myself a glass of bubbly, sitting in my porch rocker with Handsome in his and the poos at our feet, thinking 80 years--yeah, I'm in.


Vicki Batman loves champagne and can't wait for big events to celebrate in style. Coming soon is her romantic comedy mystery, Temporarily Employed. Celebrate with her on Oct 17 on the Plotting Princesses' facebook page.

Have you discovered #Handbag Monday : guest author Michelle Miles seduced by buttery leather #MFRWorg #PlottingPrincesses

I love when my author friends have her new book coming. It's totally squee-worthy! So last week Michelle Miles said her latest in the Realm of Honor Series, Her Fierce Knight is coming and I said let's be on...
*  #Handbag Monday  *
I have long coveted the Michael Kors bag. I don’t know why. I guess because I’d tired of my Coach bags (though I do still LOVE my Coach bags).




When I landed a new, awesome day job, I decided to treat myself. I was going to bite the bullet and purchase myself a Michael Kors! So I trotted off to the mall and the local MK store. The salespeople are all too happy to talk handbags with you. Bonus: they were having a sale! After deciding between several different styles, I picked this one which is a gorgeous, buttery-soft blue leather. And the way it smells? TO DIE FOR. I love sniffing leather. They talked me into buying their protective spray, too, and the first thing I did when I got it home, after unwrapping it like a Christmas present, was spray it. I had to wait 24 hours before I could carry it but it was worth the wait.
The interior has a snap closure and LOTS of pockets. I love this bag. And I love the metal hardware on the outside, especially the MK logo in gold.
Yes, I paid a premium for it. BUT you will never got wrong paying for quality. I can’t wait to get another one.

Blurb from Her Fierce Knight:After her people are brutally massacred, Princess Laerwen seeks help from the crown prince of the Wood Elves who faces the death of his king and the destruction of his safe haven. With a twist of fate intervening, she risks her heart for an unforgettable seduction and a love that will always endure.
Buy link: Amazon
Find Michelle at:  Michelle Miles
Michelle Miles writes contemporary, paranormal and fantasy romance. Catch her latest release, Her Fierce Knight, the final book in the Realm of Honor series, available now! 

#Movie Mom - I was stunned when this movie was over: Calvary #MFRWorg #PlottingPrincesses

Handsome and I had not been to the movies in a few weeks. So I captured him recently and we went to two. First up, Calvary.



- #Movie Mom - 


Written by the same men who wrote In Bruges but not a dark comedy, although there are comedic moments. The cast is led by the amazing Brendon Gleeson (I'm already rooting for an Oscar nomination) and was a hit man in In Bruges and Kelly O'Reilly who has been gracing many a movie lately and the small screen as well, and Chris O'Dowd in a very different kind of role for him.

Blurb: During a confession, a parishioner tells the priest he was abused as a child and now, the priest, totally innocent, will be killed in one week.

And thus, the movie is launched. The priest goes through the whole movie not knowing, dreading, and finally accepting. 

Handsome and I usually chat about the movie we'd just seen as we head toward our car. After Calgary, we had no words. My heart had grabbed and I couldn't think of anything. We agreed we needed some time.

The other thing interesting thing is there are two endings. Very good movie.

I haven't seen The Guard, but will now. 

FMI:  Calvary

#Cooking experiments with SBB: Peanut Butter Cup Cookies #MFRWorg #PlottingPrincesses

~ #Cooking Experiments ~
You probably already know these; they've been around for a while and a quick n easy go to. I'd been traveling the week before my mom's birthday and although my sissies had prepared a menu for lunch, I wanted to contribute something. As my week returned to normal, I went what could I do? These cookies popped in my head. So I asked SBB to help me. He commented on how we used to make them when he was a kid. :)

Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

1 large package of already prepared chocolate chip cookie dough
1 medium sized bag of peanut butter cups


Preheat oven to 375 degrees. With a small spoon, scoop up a serving of cookie dough, roll into a ball, and put into a mini muffin tin. Press an unwrapped peanut butter cup in the center. You can make as many as you want--run out of dough or cups. 



Bake until crisp and golden. Let set and cool for a while. If removed from muffin tin too quickly, one-half of the cookie will remain in the tin. Remove with a flat spatula and set on cooling racks. Store in an airtight container. Makes a bunch. 



Note: I scoured the store for the medium sized cups and found none except in the biggest bag available and I knew me--I'd eat them all. So I went for the tiny ones in this version. Use the medium sized ones for a big peanutty explosion!  OR try a chocolate kiss instead! Either is yummy.

#Handbag Monday : guest author Elizabeth Essex is all *sparkly* about her handbag #MFRWorg #PlottingPrincesses

I just love ingenuity. Today's #Handbag Monday guest is amazing historical writer Elizabeth Essex. She is the award-winning author of the critically acclaimed Reckless Brides series of  historical romances for St. Martin’s Press. 

A while back, she stunned with her take on a new handbag. Let's take a peek:


~Handbag Monday~

Generally peaking, I’m not a handbag person. My way into this particular portion of Vicki’s closet is through my overwhelming and sometimes, overreaching love of shoes.
You see, I found these beauties—Kate Spade’s New York series ‘Licorice Too’ pumps—at a discount store and had to have them. They go with almost every cocktail dress in my closet because of their multi-colored glitter finish.
But once I had the shoes, I felt myself very much in need of an equally spectacular purse. And because I had already splurged on the shoes, I decided I had to get crafty. I found an old, hardly-ever-used clutch at the back of my closet, pulled out the bottle of Mod Podge and mixed up a batch of many-colored glitter. 
I used a one-inch paint brush to layer on a sticky coat of Mod Podge with the glitter mixed in, but after three layers I had exactly what I wanted—a glamorous, unique clutch to wear to the RITA Awards ceremony at the Romance Writers of America’s national convention. 

I’m already thinking of what I should glitter up next. :)
As the one who saw Ms. Essex on her way to the ceremony, I can add she looked delightful and had a perfect match!!



A SCANDAL TO REMEMBER: a story of shipwreck and betrayal that will be available August 26, 2014. 
Buy Link: A Scandal to Remember
Find Ms. Essex at: Website
Thank you, Ms. Essex, for being with me today. May all your handbag days be merry and bright. Hugs.

#Movie Mom watched an old Cary Grant film: Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House #MFRWorg #PlottingPrincesses

- #Movie Mom - 
I've seen Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House and love it. Cary Grant is dashing and oblivious. Myrna Loy is a favorite and plays his wife really well in this comedy about home renovation. 



I think what is especially funny about watching this movie is watching it after renovating a house. It is a crazy thing to go through, but in the end, so worthwhile. Recently, Handsome and I renovated a home and oh my! the stuff. So we can sympathize with Mr. Grant's character. 

Here's the blurb for Mr. Blandings Builds a Dream House: Mr. Blandings lives with his family in a cramped New York apartment, one his wife secretly wants to remodel, but when they come across an ad for a home in Connecticut, they see past the dilapidated farmhouse to its true beauty--wrong!

In 1986 the novel was adapted for film again for the Tom Hanks, Shelley Long movie The Money Pit. It's not quite as classy as the Loy/Grant film.

And this is cool: the studio built many homes and raffled them off, including one in my hometown.

FMI: Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House


Have you had renovation nightmares? 

#PlottingPrincesses have all the answers: What would a guy give a girl? #MFRWog #RLFblog

I have been working on a second book and was trying to come up with ideas of what a guy would give the new girl he had been dating. So I posed this question to The Princesses:
What would a guy give a girl?  And here are some delightful answers:
Karilyn Bentley: My hubby isn't romantic but he's a great guy.  He usually gets me a plant for Valentine’s Day b/c he knows I don't like cut flowers. He manages my website and offers a lot of opinions on what I write and how a scene can be improved.  I appreciate his insights!  He's bought me a lot of techie stuff but has avoided the jewelry since the first year we were hitched. 
Michelle Miles: My hubby bought me a pair of Christian Louboutin's as a wedding present. Sometimes, he'll send flowers for no reason. Other times, it's when I make a sale. He almost always sends me fall flowers because he knows that's my favorite time of year. I love the little things. It doesn't have to be a grand gesture to make me swoon. :)

Alisha Paige Wilson: So after the birth of my baby, I was really, really dreading going back to work for this clown but it paid the bills. My husband woke me up one day and told me he had a surprise. He took my hand and led me into the living room where he had bought me a brand new desk and a shiny new computer and said, "Sit down. Now write your books. You never have to go back to work again." He is my hero. 
Vicki Batman: One Christmas, Handsome did surprise me with a trip to Paris on Valentine's Day. And a Walther. But for a special anniversary, big diamonds, a bracelet, and a Mediterranean cruise. My keeper.
Liz Lipperman: For our 25th wedding anniversary, hubby gave me a set on anodized cookware with a card that said, “So you’ll remember me in 25 years.” Anyway, he then handed me a little box with diamond earrings with a card that said, “So you’ll want to.” Most romantic thing he’s ever done.
Phyllis Middleton:  For Valentines Day, my husband hired a barber shop quartet to sing to me and give me a a bear and rose, all the while in the lobby of a movie theater. When they started singing, a bunch of women were coming out of a movie. None of them left until after they sang two songs to me. The women considered me lucky to have a husband who'd do that. 
Chris Keniston: Decades ago my grandmother and her maid were visiting us from South America for a few months to help with my baby. My neighbor across the street was 80 and moving in with her 60 year old daughter- neither able to run an estate sale so I did it. I was over there every day for over a week sorting, discarding, labeling, rearranging. One day, the maid came to get me and said my grandmother had to talk to me right away; so I ran back across the street.My grandmother sat me down and said honey you can't keep doing this. You have to be home for your family. You can't come in late looking like something the cat dragged in. I said thank you Grammy and went back to work. A few hours later maid comes back - granny needs you. Now what. I walk in and there's this HUGE arrangement of Red Roses. My grandmother is pointing to the vase- I open the note and read it - from my husband.  To my virtuous woman (a reference to proverbs) who will give her all to her family and friends. I love you. My grandmother looked at me and said - Maybe that's what I did wrong all those years ! 
Elizabeth Essex: I’d say the most romantic thing Mr. Essex has ever done is cook dinner every day, and pay the mortgage on time every time. It’s the little things. :)
Linda Steinberg: I lost the stone out of my engagement ring on an airplane eleven years after we were married. My husband offered to replace it, but I told him I didn't feel worthy and if we made it to 25, he could replace it then. On our twenty-fifth anniversary in Hawaii, he presented me with a new diamond--exactly twice the size of the old one. And he'd been carrying it around in his pocket the whole trip.


Kelly Lee: Hands down, the most romantic thing my hubby did for me was the way he proposed.  He drove out to my parent's place and asked for my hand in marriage (I learned later, of course). After he got my parent's blessing, he planned an elaborate event  and contacted my close friends that lived on both the East and West coasts, and had them fly in for a surprise engagement party.  He got down on one knee, recited a poem he'd written himself, and asked me to marry him in front of all our family and friends.  I was overwhelmed and overjoyed - not only that he wanted to marry me -  but that my answer meant so much to him that he virtually guaranteed a "yes".  After all, how could I possibly say no in front of all those people?!?

What is the most romantic thing your man has given you? 

Vicki Batman is hoping Handsome will be romantic on her upcoming birthday. 

#Movie Mom - I was stunned when this movie was over: Calvary #MFRWorg #PlottingPrincesses

Handsome and I had not been to the movies in a few weeks. So I captured him recently and we went to two. First up, Calvary.



- #Movie Mom - 

Written by the same men who wrote In Bruges but not a dark comedy, although there are comedic moments. The cast is led by the amazing Brendon Gleeson (I'm already rooting for an Oscar nomination) and was a hit man in In Bruges and Kelly O'Reilly who has been gracing many a movie lately and the small screen as well, and Chris O'Dowd in a very different kind of role for him.

Blurb: During a confession, a parishioner tells the priest he was abused as a child and now, the priest, totally innocent, will be killed in one week.

And thus, the movie is launched. The priest goes through the whole movie not knowing, dreading, and finally accepting. 

Handsome and I usually chat about the movie we'd just seen as we head toward our car. After Calgary, we had no words. My heart had grabbed and I couldn't think of anything. We agreed we needed some time.

The other thing interesting thing is there are two endings. Very good movie.

I haven't seen The Guard, but will now. 

FMI:  Calvary