Holiday Things

Merry Christmas Eve. We have had a very full and fun week and feel blessed beyond measure. This is going to be a bit of everything post. I added fresh cranberries to our boxwoods for a red and green pop of color in the house.

We can not get enough of these Clemintines. They are the perfect sized snack.

I love the red and green lights at Stieff Silver. They change the bulbs for the Christmas, Fourth of July and Halloween.

I had two events last week in the Harbor Club room at Pier 5 hotel. 

The room has one of the nicest views of the Inner Harbor.

This is a benefit of being an event planner. I brought them to the office to decorate for our holiday breakfast.

It snowed last week on Thursday in Baltimore.

I watched the USS Constellation get shoveled. They dumped the snow right into the harbor.

Charles Street looked beautiful.

I love the red doors and green granite at the United Methodist church on Mt. Vernon's circle.

I just can't get enough of our tree and our little sparly skirt. Just need Santa to visit with some prizes.

I planned our staff holiday event which included a tour of Ft. McHenry. The snow looked so beautiful.

The ramparts were covered.

Our guide was wonderful. All of the Park Service rangers are fantastic, frankly!

It was so quiet on the water. Can you see the Key Bridge way in the distance?

I've been to the Fort a dozen times since I've lived in Baltimore. I could listen to the guides three dozen more times. I love history! My Daddy was a history professor and he is the best story teller ever! 

The War of 1812 has some fun connections to our family in DC. The Treaty of Ghent was signed at the Octagan House to end the War of 1812. Col. and Mrs. Tayloe welcomed Dolly and James Madison when the White House burned. Dolly had the good sense to grab the Gilbert Stuart portrait of Washington!

These were the barracks for the enlisted soldiers.

We headed to lunch at Cafe Hon in Hampden. Life is short! Start with dessert. The coconut cake at Hon is so unbelievably good.

There was a great assortment of delicious shrimp salad, chicken salad and hummus sandwiches.

My work buddies told me they really enjoyed the luncheon. We had the Hon Bar all to ourselves. I know there is a lot of controversy over Cafe Hon and the trademarking of the term "hon". I love that people are so passionate about Baltimore. The fact that the people of Baltimore feel that they all own the term is a good thing in my humble opinion. 

We had a little time to explore Hampden and I wanted to visit places I hadn't been before. I chose Lovely Yarns.

This is the knitting shop that is responsible for the tree hugger sweater outside on The Avenue. The knitters have made all these teddy bears and are sending them to Africa.

The walls were covered.

The stockings were hung with care too.

I would love to learn how to knit.

I also got to meet Santa at the B&O Railroad Museum! Ho, ho, hi there Santa!

I had cookies delivered for the team for the best cookie break of all time.

I popped into the Fells Point Visitor Center on the last leg of the day. There were two archivists cleaning off a piece of metal.

The old buildings and streets are haunted in Fells Point. This elevator shaft could set the scene of many a nightmare, couldn't it? Yikes.

I also went to the Sound Garden for the very first time. I had no idea it was so large.

From the outside it looks like a tiny row house. The music stacks go back for days.

There is even a John Waters section.

The final part of the day was a cocktail party at Pier 5. it was a great place to unwind from a long day of touring our beautiful city.

With good pals. E. even made it to the party, but we forgot to take a photo together.

Merry Christmas to all!

Stone Hill

Stone Hill Farm is our name for our little patch of land within a secret brigadoon called Stone Hill. The neighborhood is protected on the National Register. Everyone gets lost trying to find us. We are okay with that. The homes were built for the workers of the Mt. Vernon Mill. 

There are artifacts in nearly everyones yard.

We have two fireplaces. We all have wood stacks.

We have fabulous neighbors.

So fabulous they share their herbs.

Rosemary.

Basil.

Lavender.

And apples.

We are well protected.

Stone Hill is near Charles Village.

We run into people we know everywhere we go. Smalltimore.

The Waverly Market is just a few miles away.

Hampden is blocks away. This is a Tree Trunk. I mean. Are you kidding me? How cute!

There are great restaurants. Cafe Hon.

Our most favorite coffee shop.

The owner Jay's mom makes the cupcakes and knows us by name. He is the nicest guy and just donated his long, gorgeous hair to Locks for Love.

Festivals are just a quick walk away.

We have The Miracle on 34th Street all winter long walking distance away.

Charm City Cakes is around the corner too.

So is Woodberry Kitchen.

And Gertrude's...

...at the BMA which houses more Matisse works than the Louvre.

We love it here.

I forgot to thank our wonderful realtor for finding Stone Hill for us. She picked up a flier that had a photo of the house and we were intrigued. We saw six houses on the first day we went out and signed a contract that night. Thanks again Bonnie!