Cute Kitty Photo of the Day: Sammy and Ernie

Sometimes cold weather makes for strange bedfellows. Until I snapped this photo, I didn't even know that Sammy and Ernie liked each other. Sammy's a loud purrer, so for Ernie it must be a little like bedding down on a mattress with Magic Fingers massage (remember those from old hotel rooms). And for Sammy, well, Ernie's the fat cat, so he's warm. With the weather warming up tomorrow, I'm sure the little friendship will thaw as well.

Venetian Velvet

Is there a more opulent fabric in the world than velvet? Even the word itself sounds lush.

And there is no velvet like Venetian velvet. It's Velvet with a "V".

... stamped with gold and sewn into little evening bags...

... burned out and hung with silk fringe. This shawl reminds me of the movie 'The Wings of the Dove." It's the perfect accessory to toss around your shoulders to take in a Vivaldi concert.

... hand stitched onto rubber soles recycled from bicycle tires for no-skid slippers like the gondoliers wear.

... and sold by the yard for curtains, tablecloths, pillows, wall-hangings to decorate your own Venetian villa .... or your hotel room.

Yes, I really slept here. (and that really is a Murano glass chandelier). I kept waiting for Casanova to slip through my shuttered window in the moonlight.

Maybe he did, maybe he didn't ... what happens in Venice stays in Venice.

Except for that velvet -- I brought some of that home with me.

Because I could always use a little Venice in my life.

Couldn't you?