Hotness

Uncle J
Originally uploaded by kbelle.

I have no logical reason why my big tall husband hoisting up his tiny neice would be so incredibly sexy. It's not even that great a photo of him, but I snapped it because that whole moment made me swoon. Plus, our neice is just adorable. After dinner she told me all about Eeyore and the beach and puke. Her brother and sister kicked my butt at Wii bowing.

I married into a wonderful family.

Amy Singer likes my squares

Amy Singer likes my squares
Originally uploaded by kbelle.

Yeah, so I'm a bit late talking about this. A few weeks ago I joined the ladies from the Black Sheep Knitting Guild to see Amy Singer speak about non-wool yarn goodness, eat some yummy lunch and ruin our yarn diets. It was fabulous. Amy is very funny and the new book Big Girl Knits 2 has some absolutely gorgeous patterns in it that I might just learn how to do sizing for.

You are special. You make each day special just by you being you.

As a child, I loved Mr. Rogers. So much so that my mother made a beautiful cross-stitch pillow with Trolley on it that said "You are special. You make each day special just by you being you."

To this day the sight of a classic mens cardigan evokes happy childhood memories. There is a man in my office who wears grey or camel button cardigans often and I can't help but think they would be better with a zipper.

In honor of the 80th anniversary of the birth of the late Mr Fred Rogers, tomorrow is Wear a Sweater Day. It doesn't have to be a zipper down sweater, just one that is special to you.

I think I have a few from my Bampa that will fit the bill.

Awww, yeah baby

You Are 84% Massachusetts

Wicked pissa! Now go down to Dunkies and celebrate.

How Massachusetts Are You?

Miracle caught on film!

A miracle!
Originally uploaded by kbelle.

A miracle

A miracle happened at our house last night, and we weren't fast enough to grab a picture.

Went upstairs to get ready for bed. Duke likes to believe that he is not going to be crated, so he lies on the rug next to my bed. I turn on the light and there he is and right next to him, calmly laying on the rug, is Hermione. That's right - the cat.

Now both cats love Annie, the lab, but Annie was here first, and is much older and calmer than crazy puppy Duke. The cats like to kiss Annie and bathe her ears. She'll even give them a big sloppy kiss in return. But they both smack Duke across the snout on a regular basis.

And while Weatherguy went to grab the camera... Duke nuzzled her and put his snout down on her paw. And there they sat, touching, until WG arrived ready to snap the photo.

Finito!

Well, this room is mostly finished. Finished enough. Apparently, the flying orbs like it so it will do for now. Headboard is not to my satisfaction (or weatherguy's either) but it will stay but for the weekend at least so we can host a big shindig and maybe even a guest.

Also, sewing machines are evil. I believe they conspire against me to make sure that I am the only one in my family who cannot sew. (Oh wait, can baby sis sew? She can paint, which is much more complicated.)

Please note the gorgeous flower arrangement which is... my wedding bouquet. Finally found a home for it!

Reasons I love Detroit, Part one

Reasons I love Detroit, Part One... Ice Skating in Campus Martius. Weatherguy and I had date night in Mexicantown, followed by a few sloooooow turns on the ice.
See? Slooooooow. But we got the hang of it and had a fantastic time. There is a DJ and lights and the whole thing had a bit of a "roller skating in 8th grade" feel to it, which was great. I didn't get to do teenager things with my husband, so it was a great feeling to hold hands with him as we attempted not to fall. The rink was filled with a large mixed group, including a group of very well behaved teenagers who were smiling and laughing and aglow with that rosy cheeked look that comes from having fun outside during the winter.

Campus Martius is a beautiful gathering area in the city, reopened in 2004. To quote blogger Rob Goodspeed, the park is "an unqualified success". Campus Martius was originally a much larger park, a part of designer Augustus Woodward's grand plan for the city of Detroit. It is also the center of origin for Detroit's mile system, so to get there suburbanites would have to venture a full 8 miles south, deep into the "wrong side" of 8 mile. During the 1900s the park was lost due to reconfigurations of the roadways to allow for more traffic. It reopened in 2004 and is surrounded by the Hard Rock Cafe, Compuware and many other office buildings.

And, it's just down the street from another downtown favorite spot, to be featured soon.