This Weekend, Too! Merry Mart

Merry Mart is a unique craft show featuring a diverse mix of art and craft from Baltimore and beyond. BEST's own Jen Menkhaus of The Littlest Bean and Allison Fomich of Tigerlillyshop helped to organize and run the event again this year!

This is a warm and fuzzy indoor show that showcases local Baltimore talent with unique handmade work. Shoppers will find one of a kind gifts, clothing, handbags, plushies, felt accessories, ceramics, soaps, kids toys, mixed media, amazing jewelry, and great art! If you are looking for unique items that will be remembered and appreciated for years to come, don’t miss this show. Shop local and expect to find great gifts at this handmade marketplace this holiday season!

You can find the vendor list and preview here: http://merrymartbaltimore.blogspot.com/

As always, it will be held at the Creative Alliance at the Patterson on December 4th, 2011, from 11am-5pm.

7th Annual Highalndtown Wine Festival

This weekend make the trip to Southeast Baltimore for the 7th annual Highlandtown Wine Festival which celebrates the tradition of home wine making. This event has a nice feature in the Urbanite this month, check out the article here.

I look forward to sipping wine all day at this springtime event. Not only is there great food from Di Pasquales Deli , but live music and the old guy Bocce tournament are always entertaining. Everything starts looking better and better as the day goes on in beautiful Our Lady of Pompeii church courtyard, even the goats. There is a craft market this year, too. LannaBella from BEST will be there selling her organic teas, soaps, candles, and salves.

But the Homemade Wine Competition hosts some strong contenders. There is a limited supply of this good stuff, so get in line early and often!

Admission is $25 ($20 in advance) and includes a souvenir wine glass and 5 generous tastings.

Some news coverage here: http://wjz.com/video/?id=69550@wjz.dayport.com

City Garden, Flowers of the Week

These heirloom beauties just get better with age. The irises have been blooming almost a week now, the ones that have gone past curl up and hang in such a whimsical way, I just love these!

Wisteria, climbing up the ugly pluming vent in the backyard. It has a really nice light purple flower that has a little dot of green in it, so gorgeous. I was so glad to see this vine bloom this year, it has not bloomed in the backyard in previous years, so I am really happy to see it thriving. I couldn't get a good shot, the flowers are too high to see up close.

Gorgeous romantic hybrid tea in rust red. The image doesn't pick up the real brick red color of this rose, so rich and old fashioned looking. It has a light sweet fragrance, a lovely addition to our garden from a generous friend who left town. Thank you Marcea, this rose is so you!

Highlandtown Wine Festival April 26, 2009

Di Pasquale's Italian Market sponsor the sixth annual Highlandtown Wine Festival celebrating the tradition of home winemaking. The event, held at Our Lady of Pompei Convent Garden, features a Homemade Wine Competition, Wine Tastings, Bocce Tournament, food and music by Cold-Cold Heartbreakers.

This year the Highlandtown Wine Festival has invited over 25 vendors, merchants, and organizations to round out an already great afternoon! Browse local artisan crafts such as Mark Supik's wood turning, JersyGirlDesigns's bright springtime accessories, Monica Broere's ceramics, or chat with author Gary Helton about his books highlighting local Baltimore color in Highlandtown and beyond. This venue will not disappoint!

Sunday April 26th, 1-6pm.
Our Lady of Pompei Convent Garden on Father Petti Lane
(around the corner from Claremont & Conkling Streets)
Admission $25 ($20 in advance) includes a souvenir wine glass and five wine tastings.

For more information and tickets go to the official web site at www.HighlandtownWineFest.com.

Come shop the BEST's Jewelry Trunk show!

Magnolia Designs, April 4, 2009 11:00-3:00

246 S. Conkling Street Baltimore, MD 21224

Lite Fare & Refreshments will be served.

This year Magnolia Designs welcomes members from the Baltimore Etsy Street Team to showcase their talents in their gallery. From contemporary metalwork, to beaded semiprecious stones, enameling, to cool vintage component accessories, you will find diverse talent at this trunk show.

Tucked away in an unassuming part of Baltimore, Magnolia Designs is a vibrant gallery located in the heart of the Highlandtown Arts District. Designer Felicia Zannino-Baker operates a home furnishing and art gallery where she features paintings, sculpture, and photography by local and regional artists. She also specializes in interior design and décor projects for the home.

Participating Jewelry Artists:

Elisa Shere
Sherry Insle
Lauren Brownlie
Allison Fomich
Maria Vashakidze + Minna Nilanont

Cat McManus
Anne Madison

Woodturning Classes with Mark Supik

Mark Supik is offering wood turning workshops for beginners and has advanced classes for more experienced woodworkers. Limited to 5 students, these all day classes run at a cost of $150. Take a day, and do something new!

Learn how to create your own crochet hooks or knitting needles in their Fiber Craft Tools workshop. In other sessions, try your hand at bowl turning, spindle making, or have a parent and child session to learn together. There are dates throughout the spring and into the summer. The studio is offering open shop hours for people with basic skills $30 for 3 hours, more info see their site.

Mark was a demo artist at the ACC show this year. He transformed a chunk of wood into a natural edged vessel right there on stage with his lathe. And I thought trowing clay on the wheel was magical!

Mark Supik and Company is family owned and operated. They are located in an industrial section of Highlandtown in an old manufacturing building. Their shop has some cool vintage tools that sit beside modern equipment. It is a really interesting space to visit and learn from a seasoned craftsman!

I got all of this for $8

We shopped our neighborhood farmer's market this morning. Located in he heart of ha! Highlandtown arts & entertainment district at Bank & Conkling Streets, the Market operates every Saturday, 8:00am til Noon, July 12th thru November 1st. BEST will be be joining the Market on Oct. 25th.

I used to shop Sundays at the big one under the JFX overpass... but ours is charming, within walking distace, and I get a deal everytime I go! Today I parted with $8.00 and got a quart of juicy Asian Pears, half a dozen ears of fresh corn, a quart of sweet peppers, and 3 huge and beautiful plump pettypan squash (one of my faves). I mean, DEAL.

Then we swung by Hoehns Bakery right there on the corner for mouth watering fresh baked pasteries. My daughter and I split the lemon one, my husband picked up a still-warm buttery cinnamon bun. Thier donuts are the best I have ever had. It is great to have this 81 year old bakery in the neighboorhood. Still operated by the original founding family, Hoehn's is a scratch bakery using no mixes or bake-off items. Most of their recipes date back to the 1920's and are still baked on the original brick hearth oven. $1.60 later, we were a happy and sticky family;)

The Highlandtown Farmers' Market & ART-ket @ the Market is the only Farmers' Market in Baltimore City that can boast having ALL MARYLAND LOCAL product.
In fact, all of the Market producers are located within a 50 mile radius of Highlandtown!

The Ferguson Family Farm located in Parkton, MD, offers all natural free-range brown eggs. Lynne Ferguson takes orders for pasture raised roaster chickens, ducks and turkeys. Pasture raised pork (Roaster Pigs) are available by request.

Richardson's Farms located in White Marsh, MD, is a family-run farm providing the best veggies.

Harris Orchards as produced Maryland State Fair award winning tree-ripened peaches, apples and pears for the past 10 years. Their Asian pears are sooooo goooooood today.

Bluebird Artisanal Coffee Roasters are there weekly, along with other local craftspeople sell thier screen paintings, jewelry, and art.