I'm taking my first-ever journalism class. Thought I'd put up my articles just for kicks. I'm really enjoying it.
Each week we we submit an article in the style of a particular type of magazine. This first one is supposedly for a trendsetter magazine advertising the University of Baltimore. It's tongue-in-cheek, of course, but I think it manages to imitate the patois pretty well.
The second is in the style of a decorating magazine. it's a bit glamorized, I know, but it was fun to write.
Library is Boomtown!
Baltimore’s Hippest are Hoppin’ to Langsdale Library
In the heart of Baltimore’s midtown, folks are flocking to the University of Baltimore’s Langsdale Library for the crunkest party in town. That’s right; the library is not just for nerds anymore. Everybody who’s anybody in Charm City is kickin’ it at 1420 Maryland Avenue.
Langsdale Library is the University of Baltimore’s premiere party spot, capitalizing on the innovative idea that people want to look smart while they’re partying. Certainly the hottest place to see and be seen in Baltimore these days is in Langsdale’s basement club, against its backdrop of government documents, chillaxin’ and gorging from the utterly dope vending machines. You can also spot the elite of Baltimore rockin’ it and smashin’ at Langsdale’s annual Mangoes Social, at the totally amped Finals Week Coffee Break, and at the dazzling semi-annual “Let Them Eat Cupcakes” party (Thanks for the idea, Marie-Antoinette!). And all this won’t cost you a cent—it’s on the house, G!
Recognizing that reading and studying at the library is passé, Langsdale’s staff has freed up much of the library’s 50,000 square feet for socializing. With only one of the five floors completely devoted to document storage and with most of the library’s resources available electronically, much of Langsdale’s floor space offers up comfy chairs for lounging and private little nooks for getting the scoop on what’s clicking in Baltimore. There’s so much to buzz about, it’s rarely ever quiet…so no need to worry about those old fuddy-duddy rules of no talking in the library.
This hot spot also boasts dozens of computers available for checking in with your BFFs on Facebook, MySpace and Bebo while you’re posted up at the library. And if you’re too embarrassed to be seen talking to a librarian…no worries. You can LiveChat
with a librarian from any computer…This place is so cool!
Langsdale also caters to the erudite with poetry readings, discussion forums, and workshops. And this fall, for the lifelong learner, Spanish lessons are available for the el cheapo price of $20!
Don’t miss out on Baltimore’s hypnotizing social scene…Bring all your peeps down to Langsdale Library for the friend-zy!
Blooming Where You Live
How a Passion for Hospitality Transformed a Northeast Baltimore House into a Hamiltopia
“Who’s coming for dinner tonight, Mom?” That’s a regular question in our house, and it’s one I love to answer. We are tremendously fond of company. And we have lots of it! Whether it’s guests for a planned party, friends for an impromptu gathering, or a neighbor just stopping by, we love hosting others.
Our passion for hospitality really grew up around our purchase of a 1929 brick house on a corner lot in the Hamilton neighborhood of Northeast Baltimore. We loved our house the first time we saw it. Situated at the front edge of its corner lot, the three-story, federal style house with a steeply pitched slate roof is instantly striking. The redbrick facade, the sunroom hedged with English boxwood, and the front patio shaded by an old sugar maple increase the appeal of the exterior. From the day we moved in, folks loved to stop by and chat at the fence while our kids played in the yard.
The house’s greatest attraction, however, is inside: an original, oversized, working fireplace graces the living room. Already the focal point of the room, this fireplace would become the center of our family life and our hospitality. Beyond the living room, the sunroom beckons through two sets of original French doors with true divided light. From its three large windows, the sunroom offers views of the boxwood, the yard and both of the streets that form the intersection where the house rests.
Although the house was already quite pleasing when we purchased it, some TLC was needed to enhance its charm. Because we want people to feel invited, relaxed and refreshed when visiting, we undertook several improvements.
To soften the imposing look of the outside, my husband added black colonial style shutters to all the windows, built a colonial style hand rail for the front porch, and replaced the yard’s old chain link fence with a white picket fence. We’ve also scattered several wildflower beds around walkways and patio. Climbing rose, evening primrose, daylilies, columbine, purple sage, Echinacea, wand-flower, goldenrod and sedum are some of the flowers we enjoy while visiting with company on the front patio. This flower-decorated retreat is also a delightful spot for gazing down the sycamore-lined street leading away from the house.
Our desire to offer to others a place where they feel welcomed, enjoyed and listened to has dictated our decorating choices. We wallpapered the sunroom with a classic Williamsburg print: a muted beige stencil of pineapples—the colonial symbol of hospitality. The sunroom also boasts a beautiful set of built-in bookcases, made by my husband when we first moved in. We’ve decorated the living room and sunroom with soft, overstuffed sofas and lots of comfortable chairs. All the upholstery and area rugs are prints so guests don’t have to worry about “messing things up.” While we like our furniture and decorations to look coordinated and attractive, we really want people to feel like they can relax here and not fret about being overly careful with our stuff. Most of the tables and shelves and even decorations are from second-hand stores.
One of the most successful improvements has been to paint the dining room and kitchen an alluring red. Believing that people linger longer in a red dining room, we went for it. We’ve not been disappointed…and neither have our guests. We’ve enjoyed many evenings lingering around the table with good conversation in a cozy room.
Out of our success in creating a warm and comfortable home environment has grown Hamiltopia—a weekly dinner get-together of friends and neighbors where we celebrate and enjoy each other. This weekly gathering has lasted for six years. Almost everyone we know has been to at least one Hamiltopia evening. Our house has truly been warmed—not by the decorations, but by the people who’ve come through.
