Guess Who Has 4 New Teeth?

Our little shark, HWB!

h.b. jewelry makes a great xmas gift

I attended an in-home jewelry show on Monday night hosted by my boss' friend: Just in time for holiday shopping!

The artist's name is Mary and she owns h.b. jewelry -- All of the pieces are made from porcelain and the work is just stunning! Plus she was wearing one of my favorite sweaters so I knew I was destined to like her taste. :) A few Christmas gifts were picked up, and I also snagged this ring for myself:

Check out her Web site -- you might find something you like! http://www.hammondbay.com/ . I LOVE the Irene and Monica necklaces -- definitely on my wish list (just in case anyone wants to float the suggestion out to my hubby! :) ).

LPOTD (That's License Plate Of The Day)

For the longest time, I thought my fellow co-worker was just a really REALLY enthusiastic Jew with a license plate that read 'KOSHERM'... and then I realized it was in fact an 8. Ah well, it provided some good morning laughs!

Weekly Ruminations

Here's the word lately:

• Quantam of Solace was incredible. If you know people who didn't like it, they cannot by any stretch be considered a true Bond fan. Daniel Craig epitomizes this iconic character and I honestly wanted to stay in the theater to experience it again at the next showing.
• Brad's big bro Ross visited this past weekend and we had a blast per usual. We ventured over to Bryn/Holly's for some OSU vs. UofM football blow-out viewing, HWB playing, Thai food eating and Beckham petting. We loved having him.
• Holly's due date is less than 3 weeks away! I know I'm just one of many to say this, but I'm excited to meet Baby Bean.
• We are really looking forward to this coming weekend! The Macaroni/Cheese and Wine Festival in Traverse City will never know as much thrill as when E/Laura, Pat/Katie and the hubby and I arrive. Read up on it here: http://www.michigan.org/Things-to-Do/Events/Detail.aspx?city=G3602&ContentId=561e434b-3c43-41ff-9593-e62d2a0f0b07
• Here's what I'm bringing to Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday night at the Manns: http://food.realsimple.com/realsimple/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1548233
• As un UofM fanatic-like as this is for me to say, it is a relief the debacle of our football season has now ended. In my lifetime I cannot remember a New Year's Day without watching my beloved Wolverines in a bowl game but like any good legacy, I guess this too had to end (hint hint JoePa). The only thing getting me through the next 9 months is knowing RichRod went 9-4 in his 2nd season at WVU. (Go Blue)
• Hunter has a bad head cold this week and has officially turned into 'the Snotty Kid'. He's still damn cute though.
• We ate breakfast at Cafe Habana in Royal Oak this weekend after a 2-year drought. They've changed their Huevos a la Flamenca recipe but it's still SO enticing: how can one not like chorizo sauteed in beer, peas, carrots and garlic cloves piled on top of over-medium eggs? The potato croqueta recipe has changed some too but Hunter liked it... mixed with strawberry-flavored yogurt... ick.

This Week's Menu: Yum!

Well happy Monday. Went grocery shopping yesterday and got the goods for this week's menu (enter SFX of stomach growl here):

• Monday: Asian Chicken Salad with Peanut Salad Dressing
• Tuesday: Martha Stewart's Chicken Coconut Curry
• Wednesday: Teriaki Shrimp Stir-Fry
• Thursday: Tgiving! I'm making a gingersnap-pear cheesecake...
• Friday-Saturday: Macaroni/Cheese and Wine Festival in Traverse City!
• Sunday: Pumpkin Ravioli with Gorgonzola Cream Sauce

Check It Out: Timothy Orikri

Shhh! Don't tell but Brad and I are playing hooky today... well, maybe not hooky as we both officially took today as a vacation day, but HWB is at daycare and we dropped Becks off at Doggie In The Window (I think Wendy the owner was more excited to see Beckham than Becks was to be there -- they are too sweet).

Following, Brad and I saved a dog from being hit by a car on the freeway service drive and then headed to breakfast at one of our favorite places in Ferndale, Toast. It's been a long time since we enjoyed the goods at Toast -- even before H was born! I had a Spicy Cali omelet and Brad feasted on a nice array of food.

But the real reason I'm posting is because of the artist whose work is being featured at Toast this month, Timothy Orikri. His canvases of the Detroit city landscape ranged from hauntingly cold (dark blue tones with the city buildings painted in a leftward slant) to emanating almost a warmth or cheer to the city streets (oranges/yellow shades). They give life to an otherwise hidden metropolis and I just had to post them here.

We're headed to see Quantam of Solace (only the 3 movie we've seen in theaters since the arrival of one Mr. HWB)... watch for the review.

Don't Just Stand There, Busta Move!

Dancing... Hunter style!!!

Translation Please?

Apparently the Hilton Honors Club database has mistakenly classified the last name 'Bobenmoyer' in the Asian-language speaking/reading category because I was targeted today with the following eBlast (double click on photo to increase size):

Um, say what??? Apparently one Adam Burke (whose title I cannot read as it is also shown in symbolic form) needs to have a strongly-worded conversation with his direct marketing database team... or I need to quickly take up a new language in order to remain a Hilton Honors Club Member...

Planning For Xmas

I love this time of year. My penchant for 70s and alternative rock music is curbed for all-Christmas-all-the-time tunes courtesy of 100.3 WNIC. I spend most of my waking hours at Michaels dreaming of my latest holiday craft project. I bake bread. I whistle 'It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas.' And I drive my poor hubby crazy.

The actual buildup to the holiday is the best part and I'm getting really excited in knowing we will build our own family traditions with Hunter in just a few short years.

Starting this year, I've decided we will take part in Operation Christmas Child http://www.samaritanspurse.org/index.php/OCC/ and make this one of our traditions. OCC handles the transport of a shoebox filled with gifts for children in 3rd world countries. We will pick an age range to develop a box for (age 2-4 since this is closest to H's age) and send it off. It's a wonderful way to give back during the holidays.

Right now our holiday schedule is planned as follows:

• 24th-25th: My mom and brother will celebrate with us at our house
• 26th: Drive to Dad's and enjoy time with 'Mimi', 'Papa' and Colby/Charlotte, Bryn/Holly/Schu/New Baby Bean who will have made a debut by then!, PJ and Rourke
• 27th: Leave for Indy and celebrate with Bill/Cherry, Ross and Butch/Susan

Also, I've had some questions on needs/wants for Hunter this Christmas and... I've made it really easy! I registered a Wish List at www.toysrus.com under his and my names. Hope it provides some good fodder for ideas!

Told Me So What?

Uncle Juniper (nee my brother) got me started on snapping pics of vanity license plates. And you know what? There are a LOT of them out there. Here's my latest sighting (double click on the photo to enlargen)... If only it was accompanied by a George W sticker next to it as in 'I told you not to elect him.'

Also, I've decided anyone (including my mom) with a vanity plate should be required to erect a plaque explaining their license choice. If you're going to force me to read it, explain why you chose it.

More funny ones to come.

For Old Times Sake

Here's a really quick vid Brad shot in the 10 minutes after HWB was born. Look how little our Munchkin is!!!

Hunter Reads A Book

Thought this was too cute -- while hanging with HWB last night, he picked up one of his 'night-night' books and started reading it. :)

At the very end, you'll hear him say 'uh-uh' (which you might recall means uh-oh) as he drops his book on the floor. Enjoy!

Brunettes Have More Fun

Or so I'm told. Happy bday to me!

And why does this photo make my nose look enormous? Maybe I should ask for a nose job on my next birthday...

GO VOTE! Don't Vomit!

What a way to kick off Election Day... I'm standing in line at Keller Elementary School in Royal Oak, minding my own business (well truthfully I was reading up on handmade Christmas ideas courtesy of Martha Stewart Living Holiday magazine) when the absolute unthinkable happened...

So picture this: The line of people wrapped around the school hallways, past displays of pumpkin seed people and posters about werewolf books. It snaked through a small coat room and around the cafeteria (which no matter what school you visit, the caf can only be described as smelling like 'Hot Lunch'). And it zagged before entering the gym where the voting booths were set up. It was a sad day once I realized all of the people I believed to have voted and left were in fact herded like cattle into the packed school gymnasium. Note to self: In 2012, take Election Day off and sell newspapers and magazines to people standing in voting lines. Make millions. Retire.

Finally I start chatting up one of my neighbors when a woman ahead of me in line gets out and starts to cross the empty gym floor. I'm thinking, where on Earth is this yahoo going? I don't care how bad you have to use the Ladies Room, I'm not letting you back in line!? Suddenly I hear the sound of water dripping... followed by her immediately launching her breakfast into a nearby garbage can. DOESN'T EVEN LEAVE THE GYM -- mind you she's in full view of 200 of her closest neighbors -- but proceeds to keep throwing up in a gym where a shoe scuff sounds like the piercing scream of a banshee.

I was mortified. To say the very least. Head Precinct Guy walks by me, I flag him down and say 'is there something we can do? This woman is getting ill over here!' which apparently in Head Precinct Guy Language sounds like aqiucoij209835! because he looked at me like I had 3 heads.

An open letter to Head Precinct Guy: Yes, I know cleaning up vomit isn't your job. You thought you arrived today simply to point at the next available voting booth and deliver phrases like 'Last names A-L over here please!' But alas, this is what you have been dealt with. You are standing in an elementary school. I'm positive that not only are cleaning solutions on sight, but so is that horrible orange-smelling powder they used to cover up puke with as I'm sure it hasn't changed since I was in the 4th grade. Go get some. Go get this woman a glass of water. Or just plain pull her out into the hallway (that garbage can looks transportable!) and away from the 200 people who are now trying to contain themselves from gagging on this morning's eggs and bacon. No seriously, do it now.

Trick Or Treat From Hunter!

Thank you to Aunt Laura and Uncle E for helping HWB have a fabulous "1st I Actually Kinda Know What's Going On' Halloween. We hit just a few houses in the neighborhood last night before heading home to pass out candy at 1502 N. Altadena.

Here is a small collage of the evening -- the one below with Hunter standing on the sidewalk is of the first house he trick o treated at. Hope everyone had a great holiday! :)