pizza and pints by the park

So I know I said I was going to the concert last night, but I totally didn't. Instead I went to the soft opening of Johnny Rad's with Jess. This cute corner bar/restaurant is about a block West of the park, located in the same spot that the dive-ish bar Kelly's used to be. Whoah, what a change! Tiny windows have been replaced with large cafe-style ones that can be opened out with nice weather. A fresh coat of paint inside and out, along with a new bar and skateboard-inspired decor are all a welcome change, too.

Billing itself as a "Pizzeria Tavern," Johnny Rad's boasts a menu way beyond just pizza; with fun bar nibbles such as hush puppies, corn dogs, mac 'n cheese, and edamame on the menu, you'll surely find something perfect to go with your beverage. Not to say that the pizza isn't lovely and beautiful, with fresh mozzarella and fresh veggie (and vegan!) options galore:


Attempting to play it healthy (hey, I'm going ot the beach in a couple of weeks...girl's gotta try), I chose the "Silly Pink Bunny" salad which was phenomenal. The dressing was noteworthy in its deliciousness - the sharp horeseradish kick was a perfect compliment to my seared tuna - and would go with not only any salad, but also would work as a yummy, different dipper for their house-cut fries if you ask me... (I'll try that out post-beach)

While last night was their soft opening (we actually had their first menu ever printed!), the whole place was hopping by 7:30, with nary a free seat in the house! I loved that crowd was a true mix of old-school locals, visiting hipsters, and everyone in between. I'm pretty sure anyone could go in there and feel welcome.

On a nice evening, it would be a lovely walk across the park for a pint and a pizza pie, OR a fun dinner before heading across the street to the Patterson Bowling Lanes, so go check it out! Their grand opening is August 13th, but they seem to have hit the ground running already.

love k

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commendations and concerts

Congratulations, Patterson Park, you were voted the #1 Best Park in Baltimore by Baltimore Magazine! Yup, we beat out Federal Hill Park and Oriole Park at Camden Yards - awesome!

But how could anyone think we wouldn't win? Can any other Baltimore park brag that it has tennis courts, basketball courts, baseball diamonds, playing fields, a boat lake stocked with fish, two playgrounds, a recreation center, a beautiful fountain, an ice skating rink, a pool, running paths, a community garden, and a pagoda?

[crickets]

I didn't think so.

The heat has (sort of) let up, so celebrate our victory but taking advantage of what we have! Here's an idea: Head to the Concert in the Park (whoah! check out the Friends of Patterson Park's new site! Looking good, Friends!), rescheduled for this Wednesday evening, at 6:30 on Pagoda Hill. Pack a picnic and wallow in our win.


love k

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in other news...

...have you tried the bloody marys at Koopers?!? I'm talking a perfect cocktail with a pretty lil' accent of old bay. Friends, next time you find yourself wanting a weekend a.m. pick-me-up, head straight there. Pronto.
That will be all for now.

love k

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dear bge...

Some of us (i.e. a solid posse of six blocks) in Patterson Park have been experiencing boughts of nightmarish heat and perpetual darkness. Ok, that is a slight exaggeration, but only slight. You see, in the past three weeks, I've lost power twelve times. Yup, a dozen. The power outages range from a couple of hours to over half a day. The darkness I can deal with - heck, a house full of candles is downright pretty, and tv is over-rated anyways. But the heat, ooooh the heat heat heat heat! Twelve hours of no power = a house temperature riiiight around that of the outdoors. Turns out my insulation isn't all that I thought it was.

So everyone is freaking out. The spoiled food. The sleepless nights (or nights spent elsewhere because truly, sleeping in a 95-degree room is actually impossible). The constant calls to BGE. Enervating auto-robot phone calls to tell us that BGE understands that we've experiencing power issues. The conviction that at any second its going to go out AGAIN. The preemptive horror of facing July's energy bill.

So imagine our surprise, our glee, when this showed up: A "mobile command center" has officially rolled into town, folks - four pick up trucks, two trailors, heck they even have porta-potties. BGE noticed that we're on the verge of rioting. So I met with Mike and Ervin, the two lovely on-site disaster team (I'm sure they have more official titles than that, but I am hoping they are super-hero-esque in their abilities), and we talked about...

· Anyone with concerns is free to stop by and talk to a BGE representative at the mobile command center (Ellwood and Pratt).

· They have made many attempts to locate the problem, but because it is internal to the wiring it is difficult to find. In order to find and fix it they will need additional outages to help narrow the search area. This means that the outages will not be solved overnight and that we should probably expect a few more (<---- sucks)

· We should continue to call BGE when the power goes out. Don’t assume that they know because they are on site. In addition, even though they are on site don’t expect that the power will return immediately. It takes time to turn back on and this is when they learn the most about the issue, so time will be spent examining the problem. (<---boo)

· While BGE will not be delivering dry ice, they will reimburse you for the cost if you save your receipt

· The need for better communication with the community, and the elimination of horrible robot phone calls

· Some type of credit on affected residents' bills to compensate for the increased energy usage required to cool houses that have been without power. (<---believe when I see it, but they did listen attentively when I urged them to do this...forcefully..)

Ok! So my fingers are crossed - so far they've kept in really good communication with me and will keep me (and you!) informed about progress and plans. In the meantime, stay cool, Patterson Park!

love k

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performance at the pool

Every year I declare that I'm going to "audition" for Fluid Movement's Annual Synchronized Swimming Extravaganza... and every year something stupid happens to keep me from doing so. But it isn't going to stop me from going to the performance! This year, the show is entitled, "Jason and the Aquanauts: 20,000 Legs Over The Sea." Check out the description:

"Join the adventure...Come sail away to ancient Greece with the Legendary Greek hero on his perilous quest to find the Golden Fleece as only Fluid Movement can tell it. Replete with battles again a skeleton army, a talking masthead and the glittery costumes and swimming you've come to expect."

SIGN ME UP AND SELL ME A TICKET! I mean, can you get anymore awesome than water ballet combined with glitter and Greek mythology? NO.

The Extravaganza will take place at the Patterson Park Pool on Saturday, July 31st at 5:30(Benefit Show and Party - $20), and Sunday August 1st (Show only - $10) at 5 p.m and 7 p.m. Purchase tickets at the door an hour before showtime or online.

Anyone want to go with me?

love k


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dairy: delivered!

I promised you all a blog about the dairy delivery that I get each week, and since I'm sticking close to home until Amelia has her kittens ...perfect timing, right? You may recall that months ago a group of us Patterson Parkers banded together to petition South Mountain Creamery to add our neighborhood to their delivery route. Guess what - they did! With some slight modifications to the delivery procedures (namely, instead of leaving a cooler on the stoop, delivery men have copies of our keys to put our goods right in the fridge), we were good to go. I cannot say enough amazing things about SMC and the delivery system, but I'm going to try:

1. Their milk is out of this world. 2% tastes like full cream and chocolate is other-worldy
2. My delivery man could not be any more lovely, courteous or trustworthy - knowing he has a copy of my key and lets himself in and out when I'm at work literally doesn't phase me
3. The whole process is online - from automatic payment details, to setting repeating items, suspending delivery when you're away, to featured sale items, you just click click click
4. By working in a consortium of local farmers, SMC is able to deliver dairy products, beef, pork, chicken/eggs, cheeses, breads, jams, granola, prepared foods...the list goes on

If you haven't browsed their list of products, or read about their farming procedures, check out their website, or ask me any questions! Having SMC delivery and the One Straw Farm CSA both in our neighborhood just made it a whole lot easier - and more delicious- to be locavore.

love k

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kittens having kittens

It turns out that if you call the fire department to get a cat out of a tree, they don't come screaming in with ladders to rescue her. They actually laugh at you.

Sooo, when I found a cat in a tree on Thursday right as N and I returned from his flying lesson, we had to take matters in to our own hands. I actually had to hold a short ladder...in a bush...vaguely supported by the tree while N stood on tip--toes to hoist the purring, mewing tiny cat from the tree across from my house in the park. I mean, look at that face! Could you have left her up a tree? Of course not.

So long story short, her name is now Amelia (because of the just-completed flight lesson..get it? Get it?), she is 8 pounds, only 9 months old, looks like a tiny jungle cat, is completely lovely, aaaaand utterly pregnant. Yup. Knocked Up. With Kitten. Bun in the Oven. A Baby Having Babies. In fact, she might give birth any day!

While it's been a chore to get her special food, set up birthing boxes, get her vaccinated and tested and checked out by the vet, and clean up her sudden bought of diarrhea (ugh), I feel really good about taking her in. It's cool to think that I'm helping this abandoned animal at her most needy. I don't know where she came from or if she ever belonged to someone. What I know is that I can help her have her kittens in a safe place, with plenty of food and clean water, and then place her kittens in loving homes after they're weened. In the meantime, we're on kitten watch around here - so stay posted! There will so many kitten photos you're going to just need to adopt one.

park projects and tiny tots

Because I have a small dog that is spoiled beyond any reason, I go home every day around lunch to walk him in the park - the darling doesn't like to wait, and I value my floors and carpet too much. Two things happened today that made this normal business-calls excursion exciting enough to make me break into a run in heels and a work dress:

First, the restoration project we've been hearing about for a while to spruce up the entrances to Patterson Park is underway! For weeks I've seen signs things were gearing up - first the hideous white poles serving no function whatsoever along Linwood were marked for removal. Then arrows mysteriously appeared on walk ways. Two days ago I was kicking a soccer ball around with N and I noticed that dilapidated (and also pointless) black metal fence around the pine tree was emblazoned with neon pink spray paint, signaling its upcoming demise... anticipation was growing! But today, dear friends, today I saw real live people at work! And a big city sign was erected, lest we attribute the funds to someone else.* See?


*I have you noticed that the city is extremely efficient at one thing - giving itself a lot of credit when it gets around to a project..

As I was taking this in I saw what I've been waiting to witness for a few weeks now, ever since my niece started at the Patterson Park Montessori School. You see, every day the wee ones walk down Lakewood, across Baltimore Street, and in to the park for recess. But safety first, kids! They don neon orange and green reflective vests and parade single file holding on to a rope. I broke into a run, thanked the photography gods that I had my camera with me, and utterly disrupted their tiny train. Of course, moments after I took this photo, I hollered at my niece, who then was sorely disappointed that I was not, in fact, taking her out of school early to play... getting her back on the rope was a true testament to the teachers' abilities.

Good things happen to those who roam the park with cameras! [Though not to those who realize they're standing in front of their of office without their camera when Michelle Obama and the girls walking by...darn]

love k

be local, buy local

Tonight I had the honor of participating in the Buy Local presentation at the South East Anchor Branch of the Enoch Pratt Library. With a last minute request to speak about the South Mountain Creamery Dairy delivery and One Straw Farm CSA sent my way, I couldn't have been happier to oblige! [Oh wait, you mean I haven't yet glowed and raved about the Dairy yet?! What is wrong with me?! Oh, right, my camera broke and I refused to buy a new one for 6 months. And, really, what is a blog without photos? I'll write you a nice long blog about it soon, I swear]

The seminar/event was put on by the library as part of their Garden Club series, but really was much broader than gardening. There was a smorgasbord of cheese! There were sugar plumbs galore! There were slivers of sausage and fresh mozzarella and bowls of salsa, and Zeke's coffee! Oh, there was more than that, too! There were $5 tokens that can be used at any of the Highlandtown Farmers' Market vendors on Saturdays, and reusable totes.

But there wasn't just stuff - there was sweet information! For example, a lovely list of "10 Reasons to Buy Local:"

1. Keep money in the neighborhood
2. Help out the environment
3. Support community groups
4. Embrace what makes us different
5. Invest in the community
6. Put your taxes to good use
7. Get better service
8. Buy what you want, not what someone wants you to buy
9. Create more jobs
10. Show the country we believe in Baltimore

I also got a directory of Farmers Markets and Pick Your Own farms in Maryland, and an overview of the 3/50 Project. In short, it was a real treat for the palate and the mind. There are talks of doing a follow up event with more farmers and local business people, so stay posted! If there is another Buy Local event, I highly recommend you attend - and hope you let me know if you hear of one coming up so I can share the information and go with you!



love k

home and garden giveaway #2!

First, I'm an idiot and put the wrong month for the Home and Garden Show when I blogged about the give away a while back. Yup. Apparently March and May look strikingly similar to the untrained blogging eye. Second, I'ev been a slacker with this here blog, but I have reeeeally good excuses, I promise.

Luckily our first winner took it in stride is off to the fun this weekend, as am I! But there are still TWO tickets to give away! And I, busy bee that I am, jetted out of the country and returned, got sick and still haven't done it! So, here is your big chance:

TWO MORE TICKETS UP FOR GRABS! All you have to do is respond to the post (in comments) and tell us all what lovely spring project you have planned for your home or garden. Those of you who entered last time are welcome to copy your same project in for this give away!

I know it is last minute but you have all weekend to go - I for one am going on Sunday so let me know if you want to go with - carpool power! :)

I have lots more to blog about so hopefully I'll catch up with all you lovely people this weekend. Get commenting and win two tickets! Winner TBD tomorrow morning - I'll even DRIVE the tickets to your house to make up for my slowness (provided you live in 21224....).

love k

a p3 giveaway!

I am pretty sure everyone needs a little pick me up after a day of shoveling, and if the rest of winter is anything like the past few weeks, then we'll all be feeling pretty pent up by April and itching for spring. On that note...

I am so pleased to announce the first Patterson Park Patter (P3) giveaway today! The lovely PR people of the Maryland Home & Garden Show are giving me four tickets to give away to you, my lovely readers. I'll be giving them away in two pairs -so if you don't win this round keep checking back for the next batch!

First some details about the show: First, the timing could NOT be better - May 6&7 and May 12-14. Notice that the dates surround our Home Tour? So perfect - you can really kick in to gear with ideas for your house and patio! With the show theme of "wine and dine alfreso" you're sure to see tons of ideas to make the most of your outdoor space. And don't worry that you won't see anything but rolling pastoral gardens - the 19 landscaped gardens feature rowhouses as well! But don't think that the show is limited by the theme, since you can see 400 home improvement exhibits, attend various seminars and purchase plants and garden accessories.

Long story short(er), this is a great chance to meet the pros, get new ideas and pick up some unique items along the way. Oh yeah, and you can go for free!

To win the tickets, post your comment to this post about what you are hoping to update, improve, or otherwise work on in your house or garden! I'll randomly pick a number tomorrow afternoon and post the winner!

love k

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reasons to love your snow-cation

I know that a lot of you are getting stir-crazy, cabin-fevered, and downright cooped up. Your car is stuck behind a four-foot wall of snow that is currently growing by about an inch an hour. Your job is making you take vacation days because you can't get there. Your street hasn't been plowed, so digging out your car was a huge waste of time. Your dog still has to be taken out, even though you'd rather nest up in a blanket.

You're sick of it.

I hear you. I really do. There are a lot of things about 3 feet of snow that put a damper on your daily rituals, that interrupt your life and throw you off kilter. But just pause and re-frame this situation - your car is stuck, so you've been walking places instead; your job is making you take vacation days, so you've been mandated to make the most of it and go have fun; you dug out your car and worked some different muscles than your regular workout; your dog frolicking in the snow is a total hoot.



I'm not saying you can't gripe and moan a little, but make the most of your lil' snow-cation! Here are a few things I've been doing that have made my snow days a blast:
* spontaneous girls' breakfast at my house, complete with fried eggs, hash browns, and sauteed peppers
* sledding in the little park by Ellwood
* trying to build an igloo, failing, and making it a snow fort with twig flag with my lovely ladies * lots of long dog walks around the park
* group dinners
* watching The Corner
* neighborhood superbowl get together
* wine and good company
* snow cookies (white chocolate chips instead of regular!)
* walking to work and running in to friends and neighbors
* working together, laughing a lot, making a load of amazing memories.



What are your favorite, positive things about all this snow snow snow?


love k

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snow daze

Batten down the hatches - a blizzard is coming our way! If you haven't gotten your weekend necessities yet, I strongly advise you to do so before 5 o'clock since our local stores are going nutty already. But once you've stashed away your supplies and that snow starts accumulating you might want a few ideas for how to stay busy when driving isn't an option. I know some people are snow loves and some are truly snow averse, so I've included in door and out door options to keep you all happy:

If you just LOVE the snow like me, you'll be itching to get outside and play!

- Sledding: If sledding brings on a second childhood in you, then head to either Pagoda Hill (bit of a hike from our corner of the Park) or to the little park by Ellwood (much closer and I might argue a bit better sledding...of course not as scenic). You'll see everything from trash can lids to old-school fliers making the runs. Last month I saw an EIGHT person sled train head down together!

-Snowmen: I always get a laugh out of snowmen, so why not grab your friends and make some snow-avatars together? Bring out a few mugs of hot chocolate and you'll find yourself making some great memories and new friends from all your admirers.

-Snowball Fight!: I would like to take this moment to propose a full out snow war on Saturday afternoon...any one else in?

Of course, I know plenty of people are not as wild about the snow as I, and use words such as "annoying," "inconvenient," and "frustrating" to describe large snow falls. While I can't even begin to identify with these sentiments,* I recognize that they exist. So for you, snow-loathes, here are some indoor ideas:

- Baking/Cooking: Now is the perfect time to get creative in the kitchen! Make that time consuming recipe you never get around to, or go the extra mile and pipe icing on cupcakes so they look like little snow men . Take time to enjoy the process of making something good. Oh, and then feed it to those of us who have worked up an appetite out there in the snow!

- Board Games: One of my gorgeous and amazing talented friends is planning to host a game night on Friday...Genius! What better way to pass the snowy hours than with friends, a glass of wine and some games? Ask a few neighbors over for a round or two of Pictionary and just see how upset you are about being stuck inside because of all that snow then! -Home Projects: Remember when I wrote about winter home projects? Perfect time to get cleaning, organizing and hammering!

These are just a few ideas - what do you like to do when the weather turns wild?

love k *

Truth be told, when I read the snow warning yesterday at work I shrieked, leaped out of my chair and did some sort of tribal dance and chant around the office for at least 2 minutes - ask my coworkers. That happened.

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the grudge match

Have you heard we're having a face-off against Highlandtown? No, silly, we're not really mad at each other! We're having a PPNA v HT Basketball game! For anyone who attended the AWESOME inter-neighborhood softball bonanza double header last summer, you know it'll be a blast. For those of you who didn't, well get caught up!

The game will be on next Saturday, Feb 13th at 5 o'clock at Breath of God Lutheran Church (Pratt and Clinton).

Since it's been written up in the recent Baltimore Guide, why don't you just mosey over there to read the article then come back and let me know if you're going to be there...GO PATTERSON PARK!

love k

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my (restaurant) week in review

There are so many fantastic restaurants in this city - everywhere I look there is some adorable little establishment, and every day I hear about a great dinner someone just had. While we have our fair share of neighborhood bars and pokey restaurants, there are also a good number of higher end restaurants around town. As you probably have guessed by now, I really enjoy cooking so I don't end up going out that much to eat. But restaurant week is my favorite time to go try out all those pricey, time-to-dress-up, splurgey, what-does-that-ingredient-even-mean-? kinda places. And this time around, I've tried out a few, so I present...my restaurant week in review!

Cinghiale - Pronounced chin-gah-lay and meaning wild boar, I've wanted to try this place ever since coming back from Italy having enjoyed a pasta boasting it's namesake meat. With a friend back in town to visit from New York, I was proud to show off this gorgeous 1950's inspired new restaurant as one of our own here in Baltimore. First of all, it's stunning to behold - all mahogany and leather, with sweeping windows and perfect lighting. You feel important and cool and classy, but not in the least but intimidated. Then there's the wine list, which is a thousand miles long and ranges from a $6 glass to a $2200 bottle...surely you'll find something to please! From the restaurant week menu, I enjoyed the tomato-porcini soup, braised short ribs and a panna cotta and coffee for dessert. All of it was amazingly delicious, the service was fantastic, and the ambiance was just right for a leisurely dinner with friends. A+

Ullswater Restaurant and Bar - A big group of my favorite girls from my neighborhood and I decided to venture to a new place outside of our zip code (for a change) and slogged across town in the snow to Locust Point to Ullswater on Fort Avenue. Martinis and wine kept the atmosphere lively, and hearty portions of delicious food let us share each others' fare. I tried a scrumptuoussashimi tuna and avocado appetizer, which was perfectly complimented by the "vegetarian nirvana" entree (coconut-jasmine scented black rice, chili-miso tempeh, shiitakes, vegetables and curry sauce all wrapped in a banana leaf). To finish it off on a sweet note, I indulged in a lovely tiramisu. While service was a touch slow, we were in a group of 11, and our waitress even comped our after-dinner drinks to make up for it. B+

Kali's Court - This was the perfect place for a romantic dinner, especially with snow falling on Fells Point's cobble stone streets and the gas lights blazing outside. Inside, Kali's was all deep reds and rich wood tones, given a feeling of a true respite for luxury in a deep mid-winter storm. N and I were a few minutes early, so we sat at the beautiful bar for a pre-dinner drink - a pear martini for me and a beer for him. Once seated, we were attentively served by a lovely waiter who was always there when you needed him but never hovering. Between us we loved a tuna tartar and crab and artichoke philo appetizer, delicious bouillabaisse and mahi mahi as entrees and a dessert sampler (especially loved the kataifi!). Walking out of the restaurant full and happy and into the snowy courtyard felt like the end to a perfect movie. A+

Black Olive - To mix it up, Jess and I decided to check out a restaurant week lunch together. Since her office is in Harbor East and mine in Canton, we picked The Black Olive right in the middle in Fells Point. What a cute restaurant with lovely fresh food! In fact, Black Olive uses fresh fish from around the world as well as local organic ingredients from farms such as One Straw Farm (check out past CSA posts I've written). Delicious fresh bread with seasoned olive oil helped us settle in to our table by the window. While Jess had the greek village salad to start, I sampled the greek spreads platter. For our main course, I had a lovely grilled fish fillet with couscous and Jess had shrimp scorip (shrimp, feta, herbs and orzo). We finished up with a rich chocolate mousse for Jess and berries with greek yogurt and honey for me. All in all it was a nice, fresh and filling lunch that didn't leave us feeling stuffed. My only gripe was that it was a touch on the slow side for a lunch hour (we were there about an hour and a half), BUT our served recognized me from last year's Home Tour! Think I talked him in to coming again this year, too :) A-

So there you have my reviews - I hope they are helpful and at least offer food for though (or thought for food...) for some new places to try out when a special occassion or the next restaurant week comes along! Where did YOU go for restaurant week? What are you favorite places to go for a nice night out?

love k

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new auction date for CDC building

Soo... I am sorry I didn't post this when I found out that the auction was postponed last week, as I know it led to a few people showing up and many people asking what happened - oops! But here is the update for you, my dear friends, according to the auctioneer: The auction for the CDC building will take place outside at the corner of Baltimore St and Linwood Ave at 10 a.m. on February 26th -Be there!

I am hoping that the postponement was not due to lack of interest, but hey, now we have a few more weeks to attract a fantastic investor, developer, etc, right? Stay positive!

love k

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from cow to curb

What a crazy, snowy weekend! Who thought we'd get more than a flurry? I am just loving all the snow this winter and hope we have a few more good ones left, since otherwise I find the cold pointless and depressing ;-)

Anyhow, I wanted to give you a heads up about something people in our neighborhood have been chatting about as of late, that sounds really neat!

Take a trip back in time, when fences were white, appliances were lurid, and fresh milk appeared on your doorstep. Yup! Home delivery for local milk is making a come back! Here's the scoop: South Mountain Creamery is offering up an affordable and fresh option to supporting local farmers with their home delivery service.

If you've been the JFX or Waverly farmers markets, you've probably seen their truck; if you're lucky, you've tasted their milk. Outrageously delicious, the fresh milk and cheeses makes you realized what you've been missing at the grocery store. SMC does not use pesticides, growth hormones or unnecessary antibiotics (if they are sick and do need meds, they are taken off the line until they are healthy!. Their cows have free choice feeding of pastures, hay, corn and soybean, all of which has been grown at the farm! Additionally, they are working closely with local soil conversation groups to preserve the soil and prevent soil erosion. If that isn't enough to make you feel good about their milk, they also are working on green energy projects, such as a methane digester (converting cow manure to electricity) and bio-diesel (converting soybeans to fuel)! If that isn't enough, milk is packaged in glass bottles which are reused, cutting down on waste. Wow! Talk about going green for 2010!

While their home delivery has been available in other areas, we areaking a push to bring it to the 21224! SMC has told us that to do so we need at least 60 interested households in the area. To show your interest, contact SMC at 1-877-COW-2-YOU (269-2968) or customerservice@southmountaincreamery.com.

love k

help haiti, have fun

Tonight you can have a blast and satisfy your benificient side by heading over to Big Poppa's Bar and Grill (corner of Fairmount and Streeper). Featured in Baltimore Magazine's "On The Town" nightlife blog (go patterson park!), this benefit is sure to draw a good crowd of neighbors and outsiders alike.

Here is the scoop: Starting at 6:30 p.m., Big Poppa's will donate all of its profits to the American Red Cross's Haiti Relief and Development Fund. Coordinated by one of our own, the fundraiser will also offer free food and entertainment as well as a presentation by David Bersh, of whom I blogged a few days back.

A $5 minimum donation is suggested, but you can also give a lil' more and get some great raffle tickets! So come on out, bring your checkbook and a big heart. See you there!

love k

winter home project: laundry/powder room make-over

I am fortunate enough to have a home with both a first floor powder room (hurrah! guests can come over and my bathroom can be a mess!) AND laundry room above the bowels of my house (aka the basement). Only thing is that they share the same space on my first floor... tough.

Taking a trip back through time, I should tell you how it looked when I bought my house. Unfortunately, the only photo I have is from the listing when I bought my house, and only shows you the door to the bathroom (though it does give you an opportunity to see how truly horrendous the entire house looked). But this feature is noteworthy since, oh, IT IS ACTUALLY A SALOON DOOR:

[Photo]I mean, really? You want people seeing your feet while you're in the powder room? Unbelievable. So you can imagine what it was like. When I rehabbed my house, a coat of paint and some white tiles freshened it up...a bit... But the sink is still miniature, the washer and dryer were old and fritzy, and the IKEA storage cabinet is a bit worse for the ware after three moves and seven years. Hmm. I imagine this is a plight with which many of us have battled - things aren't ideal but they'll do for now, right?

But then my washing machine stopped draining and spinning. And soon after my dryer lost the ability to sense how dry clothes are - one day you might pull out a soaking wet sweater and have to run the cycle TOW MORE TIMES to make it work, and the next morning you might, say, awake to find the dryer still roaring from last night's laundry. Whoah. Talk about a waste of water and energy...

So, a trip to sears and some fantastic negotiating later (truly, people, I got a major deal. Go to Sears. Work with Mac. He's the nicest man ever), I bought these and stacked them:


So now I have room to get a normal size sink some storage for detergent, etc and a good looking mirror...maybe something like this:


It's all a work in progress and a big ol' mess now, but I'll keep you posted with photos and such. My deadline is the spring home tour so I have to get on it!

What are you working on at home these days?

love k

new tavern coming to three...'s location?

I got a tip that a new sign was in the window at Three... so I stopped over as soon as I got home and snapped a photo - anyone heard of or recognize this tavern? Looks like the sign has been moved from another location as an "R" has come loose, but would read Bender's Tavern.

There is a Bender's Tavern on Bond street in Fells Point...not sure if they're related. Anyone know anything about this?

love k