Favorite moments from THE wedding…. April 29, 2011

 

Such pomp...and people were so well-behaved(those Brits)

Ok, I did get up early this morning…not at 5 as I had planned, but around 6…just in time to see Katie duck into a big car to be ferried off to the her wedding to a prince. I must say…I loved it all…every single over the top, emotional, flag-waving, hat-wearing minute of it. Loved. It. (and the dress)Here are my fave moments today:

My biscuits(Callie's) and homemade lemon curd and cream-yum

 And yes they were delicious. And here is my fave crazy hat.

Was she bored...or tranquilized?

 And I’ve always wondered…does the Queen sing when God Save the Queen is played? Here’s your answer…

Mum's the word....let them sing their silly songs...

 And the British version of the kids’ table….oh, Harry…

Harry in the kid's carriage....looked like a fun ride...

 Nice kiss, and I loved that they did it twice to the chanting of “Give us another…

"Oh, William, you are just so dreamy"But this I think was my real favorite moment....it was so quick... SO loved it when Katie looked back at the crowd over her shoulder...My most fave moment: such a quick glance...

And then this…

Such a quick glance...

 I don’t think she was quite ready to go….and who could blame her? She clearly mouthed, “Oh Wow” when they walked out to face the virtual sea of people who were there to wish them well. I can only imagine the sight. And it’s Friday! I hope to do as little as possible this weekend, unless it is something I really want to do…it has been a long week…you know the kind. Have some fun, eat some ice cream, be kind to each other(a little kindness goes a long way), and come home safe…’cause we miss you. ♥

Dostoevsky in 90 minutes or less….. April 28, 2011

Murder, murder!!

I don’t know if you ever read Fyodor Dostoevsky’s famous 500 plus page novel Crime and Punishment…I never did. It is basically a murder story(a double murder of two women and a very gruesome one at that)…set in St. Peter’sburg, Russia. Put it in present day New York and it would make a fantastic Law and Order…with some fantastic twists about what is right and what is wrong. It’s not always simple.

But the play at Center Stage-more info here has taken this very long, complex novel, and shrink-wrapped  it into a tight, 90 minute, one act play(you know how I love plays with no intermission). Dostoevesky in 90 minutes? I’m all in. Director Jason Leowith calls it a struggle for the human soul, in which the detective who is trying to solve the murders meets and becomes interested with an extremely smart young man…”Something about him fascinates  the detective, so he casts aside the leads he’s already go to follow his hunch….and of course, he solves the crime“.

And it is a mesmerizing 90 minutes you spend with Sonia and Raskolnikov and Porfiry..you won’t soon forget them. Here’s a thought… “If he has a conscience he will suffer for his mistake. That will be punishment-as well as the prison.” True, or not?  Crime and Punishment is at Center Stage through May 15th….don’t miss it.

No More Waity Katie….and other must haves for the royal wedding! April 26, 2011

Oh those crazy Brits, what willthey think of next….

a silk screened “sick” bag(questionable taste, I know)  from designer Lydia Lieth…just in case you feel a bit queasy from the royal love fest(or maybe that pre-dawn champagne for those of here in the colonies). 

 

Takes a quirky mind to think of these...

Hello luv…

You can get a Willsie-Katie cover for your Iphone… and here is a must have for your nails this Friday…

No More Waity Katie!!

From Butter London, a sparkly purple polish(all their polishes are free from formaldehyde, toluene, and DBP)…..and there’s a more subtle color called Tea with the Queen. 

Lavender lips?Or perhaps the limited edition lavender sparkly No More Waity Katie lip gloss is more your style, (that they say it is perfect for snogging-Brit term for making out). But oddly enough, it is not available in the U.K....too outrageous?And if you're looking for the perfect warn weather drink for the wedding(other than champers) to celebrate with this Friday....try a Pimm's Cup.Pimm's Cup...the chosen drink at Wimbledon

You can buy Pimm’s #1 (it’s a gin based liquor) at any liquor store(almost any)…add some Ginger-ale or Sprite, some cut up oranges and cucumbers, and some recipes call for mint because what purists really use-borage flowers-are hard to come by on this side of the pond. Pour over ice…(and you may feel like snogging). Pimm’s is to my mind, perhaps England’s greatest export….after mince pies and Marmite of course. Cheers!

Open house….Donna’s home hits the Baltimore Sun April 25, 2011

Lots of people admired this crazy knife holder, called The Ex……

Some of you may have seen the article about my house that was in the Saturday Sun, and it’s also online…here. And a friend asked me yesterday, “So how did this come about? Did they contact you, or vice versa?” I am sure there are people who call and want coverage of their house, but I have never had that much…ummm….confidence in how my house looks. It isn’t designer done…seriously, the only time a designer has darkened the door is when the kitchen was being redone…it’s just a place I’ve lived for a long time. And like most of you, while I like it, I don’t expect others to.

I thought the article was all about this....

Susan Reimer contacted me after seeing my blog about the redo of the kitchen….and wanted to do a home article about it. “Sure Susan, that would be fine..”…and she asked if I had redone other rooms as one room sometimes leads to the others…and I assured her there was nothing like that. The rooms that conect to it are just as they were(for better or worse).  So Susan had broken her foot, and Jill Rosen showed up to do the article, and SHE was under the impression that they were doing other rooms . This I didn’t feel quite prepared for….let’s be honest, I would have removed a couple of stacks of magazines and replaced the pine cones for sea shells..which hadn’t happened yet(still hasn’t fyi). But Jill, like any good journalist talked me into it….the last thing I said to them was, “Be kind.” And they were.

That was how it all came about. Lisa Robinson came by my desk this morning, saying, “I saw you in the newspaper this weekend, looking all grand in your house“…(high voice now)…”Oh, I just cut the legs off the table, and then I turn the table legs into a wonderful composter, while I recycle everything in sight“…..No mercy at all. None.

Hey, I DO  like to cut the legs off tables…it’s the easiest way I know to get the coffee table you want, and is hard to find. I’ve done it twice. But trust me when I say I am not all Martha Stewarty…no way.

Ooh La La!!

Hope all of you had a lovely Easter….I found a new cupcake place that rocks it….called Ooh La La Cupcakes, at the Inner Harbor in the Light Street Pavilion, close to Phillips. Picked up some a few chocolate and a few coconut for Easter….they are fabulous! And I don’t like all cupcakes(I’ve been in semi-mourning since The Cupcake Company left town)..the frosting has to be really good buttercream, and the cake has to be dense and moist. These were yummy…seriously good.

Flat tires, flowers and fish tacos….and goodbye to Mr. Baltimore April 19, 2011

My daughters flat....

The weekend started with a flattie…. my son and the lovely Jennifer had taken the train into town from NYC….my daughter generously picked them up and we all met for dinner at Gertrude’s at the BMA….but there was an issue(isn’t there always with families?).  Three exasperated faces showed at the restaurant….and her tire that had a slow leak-that we had been begging our daughter to have fixed-“just take it to a service station and they’ll either fix it or replace it“-was now flat, and no resuscitation was gonna work. Yeah. Long story short….the car limped to her apartment, and AAA-bless them-changed it first thing next morning. I must add there were a few tense moments that can only exist among family members, with the tiniest bit of finger pointing and only a whiff of recrimination….you know what I’m sayin’.

a riot of color....geraniums, lettuce, pansies....

Made it to the Farmer’s Market Sunday morning, which has re-opened under the JFX…I love that place. Just love it. It was a sea of colors, with flat after flat of pansies and geraniums and lilies…and veges of course. We got cilantro and stopped at the seafood stand and chose some cod(instead of haddock which $20 a pound!) for the fish tacos, about which you will read more in a minute….and then stumbled across an old friend of my son’s.  Will Phillips, who heads up Under Armour’s Green program, is also a partner in Sandtown Millworks…..

Will Phillips with Sandtown Millworks media center.......

He is also a stunt double for my son…OK, not really, but they resemble each other a lot, enough so that back in their college days…there was some ID borrowing going on. Don’t ask, don’t tell is all I have to say about that. They make the most GORGEOUS rustic, hand-crafted pieces of furniture and frames, from reclaimed wood from buildings being demolished in Baltimore. I love the old sawmarks you can see on the piece above….

The Admirals Console....from old building joists...

..like the piece above.   The Admiral’s Cup, a historic Baltimore pub at 1645 Thames St., was recently gutted. They salvaged the joists to use as tabletops in pieces like this, The Admiral’s Console Table. So beautiful. And the table has a metal emblem on the front(can you see it?) with the address of where the piece came from. You can find out more about their stuff on Facebook… 

The makings of fish tacos in cilantro sauce….

And we made the most fabulous fish tacos from Gwyneth Paltrow’s blog GOOP(recipe here)….they were really pretty easy…if you have a blender or food processor. And a caveat here…if you don’t like cilantro, you won’t like this recipe. I adore it, but every once in a while I come across someone who is almost embarrassed to admit they just don’t like it. And this recipe is cilantro heavy, with the food tossed in a bright green cilantro/onion/garlic/cumin puree. But it’s amazing…we all agreed they were possibly the best fish tacos we had ever had…thanks Gwyneth.

And I would be remiss if I did not add my thoughts about William Donald Schaefer….a complicated, cantankerous, and unique man if there ever was one. He said what he thought, didn’t pull punches, and insisted everyone care as much as he did. Which was a lot. Thanks Mr. Baltimore. You will be missed…and Godspeed.

The Tomb-raider rides again…..pawing through my Mother-in-law’s jewelry… April 15, 2011

Lots of pretty things....

OK, you know I went to Birmingham several weekends ago, to help clear out my Poppa-in-law’s townhouse, to get it ready for sale. There was just soooooo much to go through, give away, throw away….and put in a possible keep pile. And my darling Mother-in-law Shirley, had(like many women do)…a jewelry box piled with old things that she kept for various reasons(unknown to me)…mostly costume.

Little basket pin....stones are the flowers...

And being the tomb-raider that I am(I must give credit to this term to co-workers of the lovely Jennifer that dubbed her exactly that, after she returned to NY from my Father-in-law’s funeral, with his latest set of golf clubs), I kept some of it, the rest went to a church jumble sale.

I believe some of these things must have belonged to her Mother or Grandmother…they look too old to have come from the 1950s or later…but maybe not? Perhaps some of you will know much better than me….

One on left is a pocket pin??

Like these pins…well, one is a pin and one is a clip really, with a hinge on back with little teeth to hold onto something….maybe for a coat  or a pocket? Or the neckline of a dress? But I love them both. And look at this really tiny oval pin at the far right of the top pic shaped like a fish…. a marcasite piece perhaps?

Seed pearl Kappa Alpha Theta pin....

And one of the most interesting things we found, that my daughter lept upon, was Shirley’s Kappa Alpha Theta sorority pledge pin, and badge. And this is sad to me….we never knew she was a sorority girl! She never talked about her days at Ohio Wesleyan…somehow the topic never came up, and I wish I knew all about it. A reminder to ask about things before it’s too late.

Muffy likes them in this old bowl, also from the house

But you will see me wearing these pieces from time to time, with her lovely memory in mind…such a gentle soul and a great Mom-in-law.

Remember these?? Such a pretty color...

In fact the earrings I wore a couple of days ago on 11 News at Five….some retro bright sky blue flower earrings that belonged to her, are now in the clutches of the  Tomb-raider! Sorry I haven’t gotten this published earlier this week, but the internet at work seems to be blocking Flickr where I keep my pics, and really a story about jewelry you can’t see is a little…poor. So I’ve finished it at home, and hopefully the problem is resolved soon. But it’s Friday, my son and the lovely Jennifer are in town for a good friend’s wedding Saturday, so we get them an extra weekend, and we will all get together with my wonderful daughter for dinner tonight(how lucky am I that she lives here?)!

All in shades of blue and purple....

The mulching is finished, which means I have some planting to do, though I have finished the front window boxes, as you can see. I hope you have a lovely weekend, plant a little something pretty, even if it’s just a pot…eat something delicious, and be extra kind to someone who needs it….and come home safe, cause we miss you! ♥

Back from vacation…..a Charleston rundown… April 11, 2011

Turtles on a log, sighted on a bike ride on Isle of Palms

Most of you know I love Chucktown….it’s one of the loveliest cities in the U.S., and in my book…THE loveliest in the south. Great weather, fabulous food, terrific shopping, plenty of culture, sight-seeing, nature and golf(key for my crew)…and the beach….Charleston has it all. Really, what more can you ask from a city?

white wine, on the porch of the marsh house.....

There are so many places to stay in Charleston…Kiawah island, Wadmalaw, in the city proper…but we always stay on Isle of Palms, in a community called Wild Dunes. There are two top golf courses on the island, and while there are plenty of houses on the beach…we love to stay on the marsh. I am excessively fond of the marsh….sometimes it almost feels like you’re looking over a savannah in Africa.

Bouillabaisse on the porch...we ate late that night...

You eat well in Charleston, very well…in restaurants and out….though the marsh house has such a great kitchen and eating area on the porch, we have to tear ourselves away to go into town. But we do. This bouillabaisse above was fabulous, and really very easy to make….we used the recipe from the NY Times Cookbook-here.

Breakfast menu at Sea Biscuit on IOP

And we tried some new restaurants this year that were recommended….

Love the Glass Onion....very casual but serious about food...

The Glass Onion is run by three young chefs…one from Atlanta, one from Charleston and one from Birmingham….love the place…check out the menu-here. And we also managed to get into the hottest new place in town….Husk.

tables on the porch at Husk....

 We had to wait a while for a table for five(always an issue)….but it was worth the wait. Very farm to table, locally sourced, organic..that sort of thing. How local? Check out their interactive plates page on the website.

My son, shucking the heck out of some oysters....

And we had a lovely oyster extravaganza one night….from a half bushel of local oysters….oysters on the half shell with regular cocktail sauce and mignonette sauce(simple vinegar sauce-recipe here),

Mignonette sauce...simple to make...

an experiment of mine coating them in grits and smoked paprika(tasted good but looked like a hot mess), and sautéed with onion, garlic and jalapeno. And Callie’s Biscuits, of course….the best in the world.

Gator spotters...

And we did some nature watching….these little kids were with their Mom, and had spotted some cute baby alligators(right by a very BIG alligator) on the grassy side of the lagoon. We all watched them for a while…at a distance of course. There are plenty of gators on the island, just like this one. 

Part of the hair bow selection at Southern Belles....

And Charleston is a city that takes hair bows for little girls seriously…I don’t think I’ve ever seen a selection like the one at Southern Belles shop. And they don’t pretend to not take football seriously….take a look at this one…

Cheer for Clemson much????

There’s No Crying in Television!! April 1, 2011

Mary Tyler Moore, crying at work....what did Lou think?

I was fascinated by a segment on the Today Show this morning, with the author of a new book called “It’s Always Personal….Emotion in the Workplace”. Is it ever acceptable to cry at work? I don’t know if it is ever acceptable, but most people who do get emotional at work certainly don;’t mean to…it just happens, and you are helpless to fight it.

The only time I remember bursting into tears at work, in front of my then boss, was when I was hosting a new(3 month old) afternoon chat show on Channel 13, in addtion to my duties at Evening Magazine. I was rather run ragged, and we were all working very hard to pull it off. So it came as a shock when I was pulled into the boss’ office and abruptly told they were canceling the show. Really, I just started bawling….horrible…and looking back on it, I think it was because I was taken by surprise, and I was also mad, because I had killed myself trying to do everything for everybody. But all that came out as tears.(I can only imagine what the man thought)…

True...it is always personal....

But I’ve seen people cry at work, plenty….though keep in mind tv newsroom places can be tense, and emotional places where feelings can  run high.  Sometimes it’s a personal issue, sometimes work related….I’ve even seen men cry at work(though rare, it is shocking when it happens). The author(you can see her interview here) says women under 40 are ten times more likely to cry at work than men over 40…that seems predictable. She says we do get better at managing our emotions as we get older. And she says women often cry, when really…they are mad as hell. Many women tend to avoid their anger and aren’t good expressing it( that includes me)…so that emotion pops out in a way that you have no control over…tears. And when someone says, this isn’t personal it’s business….I agree with the author…hell yes it’s personal.

But here’s a story I also remember vividly…something funny had happened during the break in a newscast…and I was overwhelmed with laughter, but we were coming back from break, and I had a REALLY SERIOUS, SAD story introduction to do. There’s no laughing during sad stories. Bad. Awful. People interpret it, that you think this is funny. So I just swallowed it and read the into, but my voice was shaking with emotion…..and later on, someone asked me, “Were you about to cry?”….to which I replied, relieved that was how it was interpreted, “No, it was much worse…I was about to laugh!”

It’s Friday everyone, and I am taking some  r&r this next week, but will still be blogging….I know you’ll miss me terribly on the air(right? you will miss me, right? I might cry otherwise)….but will be back the following week. So have a fabulatious weekend, don’t throw rocks, don’t cry for Pete’s sake, but laughing is allowed….and come home safe, ’cause we miss you!