Around Town

We headed to the opening of the new Fitzgerald building near Mica last night. We weren't sure what to expect which caused some wardrobe issues and one serious meltdown (our dear friend who threw a tantrum about his outfit would later be photographed for the Sun's Glimpsed column), but we threw on our H&M finest and hoofed it to Bolton Hill. 

The Fiztgerald is pretty cool. It's built around a courtyard/swimming pool and feels very open and modern. There are a few elements that try a bit too hard (though that could have been the party) but overall, we give it a thumbs up. We especially liked The Zelda cocktails being doled out inside. Tragically, the bar went dry less than an hour after we arrived, but the getting was good until then.

We snapped a few pictures to share with those of you who ignored your invites to a fun free fete.

Witching Hour



(Alexander Wang Bag courtesy of Luxe Voute)













(Alexander McQueen Earrings, Ring, & Pumps courtesy of Saks)





With Halloween fast approaching, fashionistas everywhere are putting the finishing touches on their bewitching guise. Perhaps it's our overactive inner child, but we wouldn't dare pass up the opportunity to parade around town pretending to be someone else for the night. If sporting a Lady Gaga ensemble isn't your idea of a good time, don't you fret. With our fave non-costume Halloween picks, you'll look hauntingly fierce without having to worry about offending anyone with your meat dress.

Around Town

 Here are a few shots from last night at the Maryland Lawyers for the Arts party in the new Harbor East Legg Mason building. We sipped wine, tasted Two Boots pizza and checked out the new gallery space. We're not exactly lawyers (we are in no way lawyers) but we don't mind hobnobbing with them.

(Images courtesy of acharmedcity)

Thrifty Thursday

(Image courtesy of Haute Look)

(Image courtesy of Ideeli)



(Image courtesy of Gilt Groupe)



As the seasons change, so do our wardrobe choices. Our recent search for the ultimate clog (found it, btw) and the perfect leather bomber jacket (among other lust items) has left us in need of a serious spending time- out. Just as we were about to freeze our credit cards, we remembered our trusty sources for budget-friendly retail therapy. Gilt Groupe, Haute Look, Rue Lala, and Ideeli are some of the coolest sites out there for Halston lovers on an H&M budget. With every day comes new sales on fabulous designer clothing, accessories, home wares, and even hot travel spots. It's the thrill of the Barney's Warehouse sale but without  the chance of getting a black eye or a latte to the face.

Head to Toe

We are big fans of mixing super girly frills with masculine pieces. Now that "masculinized" garments like super structured blazers and (ugh) pleated pants have found their way out of our lives, the new trend is not conforming women's clothes to be like men's, but rather finding a way to complement gendered clothes. A soft, short skirt worn with ultra-industrial Frye's and a cardigan is the perfect Fall mesh of sweet and kick ass.

We popped over to South Moon Under in Harbor East this week to take a look around (sadly it was a look-dont-touch trip) and we were digging what we saw. We whipped up the fantasy outfit above (totally torn between fantasy boots or fantasy suede pumps, we settled on the latter) and we're taking donations from anyone who wants to help two under-paid ladies boost their wardrobes. 

(All images courtesy of South Moon Under)

Soup's On

(Image found here.)

Any Baltimorian who has stepped foot outside these past few weeks can tell you how the fallen leaves have  morphed into fiery blankets of Autumn, and that the air is filled with the sweet crispness so adored by us native East Coasters. With this change comes the parade of cozy boots and tights, and an almost insatiable craving for seasonal treats. Our mantles are filled with gourds of all shapes and sizes and our kitchens are singing with the scent of warm, spicy goodness.

(Admittedly, we're going overboard with the Fall love, but back off.)

To continue our Autumnal celebrations, we whipped up a variation on pumpkin bisque. If you want to make things more festive, serve the soup in small hollowed pumpkins. If you want to board the crazy train with us, put a splash of chalkboard paint on the outside of the pumpkins and personalize each one for your guests.

Wednesday's Own... Things We Love

Channeling 'Great Expectations.' 

Embracing less than perfect weather.

 

Our neighborhood.

Images courtesy of this site, this blog and our faithful Canon.

Prepare Thine Self for Merriment

We spent Saturday afternoon whisked away to a magical time and place (Crownsville, MD, 2010) where turkey legs are mysteriously pink, cleavage is a form of currency and chivalry is very much alive. We braved the long journey from the mainland (traffic was horrible from Baltimore), waited in dust and human stench for treasure (the ATM line actually never ended) and rewarded ourselves with sweet grog from tin canisters (Miller Lite was only four bucks a pop).

We're a bit too pragmatic (and sarcastic) to really get down with RennFest. The crowds can be unbearable, LARPers don't adhere to modern hygiene practices and you stand the chance of verbally flogged by wenches- but the beer is cheap and where else can you whip an axe into a heart-shaped tree stump? 

Sadly the RennFest has packed its swords and wares and moved on to pillage the next gypsy camp but rest assured it will be back next September to bring cheer to our wretched hearts. 

SoleStruck

(Image courtesy of Jeffrey Campbell)

Overall, we consider ourselves to be pretty practical. We carry an umbrella if it's supposed to rain, avoid drinking red wine if we're wearing white, and pass up on that extra helping of onion rings if we need to be in a bathing suit the next day (that last one is a bold lie). But the moment we saw the Why Tick heels by Jeffrey Campbell, every ounce of practicality went flying out the window. 

Other than the whole ''black goes with everything'' mantra, there is nothing remotely sensible about these five inch studded bad boys. They are not appropriate for the office, they'll steal the attention from any outfit paired with them and we would totally eat pavement if we tried to step off the curb in them. They are the embodiment of an urban shoe myth and that is is exactly why we must have them.

SnapShot

In an attempt to chronicle a day in the life of Baltimore, The Sun is requesting phone snap shots from locals tomorrow, October 26. The "best" photos will be placed on their site, creating an image homage to life in Baltimore in Fall 2010. We put "best" in quotes because we are not sure if the chosen pictures will be based entirely on skill or content. (In this city, you have to be clear about these things.)

Slight confusion aside, we are excited to participate. With our quirky population, cool architecture and odd installations (here's looking at you, ManWoman Statue) Baltimore rarely disappoints the  photographers eye.

To get a head start we posted a blurry shot of an impromptu, post-First Thursdays gathering. We brazenly sipped wine in the street and watched our group number compound as we each saw someone we knew, who then saw someone they knew, until everyone realized they all knew each other somehow anyway.

Baltimore is wonderful like that.

I Put a Spell on You

(Image courtesy of Mac)

Oh Halloween... you are the holiday with the coolest stuff.

(Images courtesy of iloveuma.com, Betsey Johnson & BedBath&Beyond)

Reading Rainbow

On a recent weekend jaunt to New York we sent the boys to a nearby pub and high tailed it to Bloomingdales. Hue was having an incredible sale so we snagged a winters-worth of tights and knee socks, and we finally found thigh-high gray stockings! Still looking for the right debut outfit for them, but rest assured, they were paraded around the hotel room for hours. 

During our spree we were happily stopped in our tracks by this little reading nook. A literary oasis among over-priced couture, teeming crowds and perfume spritzers. We love that the design lets the books bring the color, and we especially loved the three foot tall bright pink Barbie book (not pictured). We leafed through the $500(!) book snuggled into the overstuffed leather chairs and peeked over the top of the massive pink ode for some stellar people watching.

Elixers

Pear and Sparkling Cider Cocktail

As the week winds down and our colds (hopefully) see themselves to the door, we can finally look forward to some much needed social interaction. We have a fabulous weekend of festing (Oktober and Ren), costume making, and perhaps a little thrifting. So let's push through another work day, treat ourselves to a pre-weekend cocktail, and daydream about the lovely things to come. 

 

This Pear and Sparkling Cider drink is fabulous, but we also recommend the tried and true fall favorite: Hot Bourbon Cider. In addition to chicken noodle soup, we may have self-medicated with this piping hot grog. Heat bourbon, apple cider, nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves over the stove. We usually wing it when it comes to ingredient-ratio... it's pretty hard to mess up.

 

It might be the wrong season, but it tastes even better if you drink it like Buddy.

Frightfully Ill

Pumpkin carved during our indoor carving soiree.

If you hadn't noticed by the lack of posting, the Charmed City girls are a bit under the weather. That's a pretty gigantic understatement but we're trying to stay positive. Day 1 of our simultaneous sick leave was actually rather fun. We lounged with the latest issues of Cosmo and Glamour, caught up on Project Runway, and made some pretty fabulous chicken noodle soup. Day's 2, 3 & 4 have not been as pleasant. The soup has been long-eaten, we're missing out on weeknight fun, and after we ran out of shows On-Demand, it was time to drag our sick butts back to work.

 

While we certainly hope that you can avoid the wrath of cold and flu season, this soup is the perfect remedy for anyone caught in its nasty grip. If you're like us, you always need a project. Homemade chicken noodle soup takes a while, but is super easy to make... you'll feel productive, get your nutrients, and your house will smell amazing to anyone without a runny nose.

Wednesday's Own... Things We Love

Making a colorful entrance.

(Image courtesy of houseandhome.com)

Mature comfort food.

Never being too old to carve pumpkins with friends.

Office Space

Office Depot sent our office an over-sized box filled with a few desk calendars and seventeen feet of plastic packaging. After being appalled by the waste of plastic (who needs desk calendars protected from breaking?) we decided to turn the strip into temporary installations.

It's the little things that get you through slow Friday afternoons.

 

Falling Behind...

What the hell! December is six weeks away and we have a lot left on our Fall to do list. We've checked off a few things (Hershey Park, pasta making, digging through Second Chance, Oktobertfest drinking in Federal Hill, lounging in the empty Mt Vernon Park fountain...) but we are woefully behind.

We present to you our abridged list of super fun BaltiFall activities. You won't get through them all, but you'll probably get drunk trying.

Oysters at Mamas on the Half Shell

One last hurrah on the patio at Little Havana
Baughers for apple picking
BMA for the Warhol exhibit
Mt Vernon Ghost Tour

Fells Point Halloween

Trying (but inevitably failing) to replicate a seasonal Dangerously Delicious pie

Hanging with the freaks and geeks at the Renaissance Festival
Winterizing & accessorizing on the cheap at Vogue Revisited

Mulling spiced (and spiked) cider and carving pumpkins
Sipping a pumpkin spice latte at The Book Thing
Hot soup on a cold day from Soups On

Bundling up for a Ravens game

Scarecrow making

Bon Fires

Tried and True

(Image courtesy of Canadian House and Home)

[Our duck pictures have disappeared so we present you 

with the kitchen we wish we could have cooked it in]

Every once in awhile we need to put the kitchen experiments on hold and dip into our trusty repertoire of no- fail recipes. Those dishes that you know- no matter what- are going to execute flawlessly and produce a restaurant worthy meal. For us, that dish is Roast Duck with Duck Fat Potatoes. 

Succulent, crispy, unctuous duck. Whether you're trying to impress the in-laws or show your girlfriends who rules the kitchen, this is the golden ticket. It's also an excuse for us to make a trip to our local Asian market (H-Mart deserves its own post) which is always a blast. 

Now we must warn you, albeit it easy, this dish is pretty time consuming. We recommend making it on a weekend or one of those ''sick'' days (your boss will totally understand). Recipe after the jump.

Team Coco!

(Image courtesy of baltimoresun.com)

We are outraged! Not only are we stuck inside on this gorgeous fall day... we're missing Conan O'Brien's big orange blimp flying over Baltimore! The blimp is not just an extension of his famous coif- it's flying to promote the November 8th premier of his new show on TBS. 

Even though we're missing all the fun roof-top picture-taking, we're happy Conan's back!

Wednesday's Own... Things We Love

Being 30 minutes away from sunflower fields.

Finding forgotten pictures from the summer.

Winterizing our Fall wardrobe.

Final image courtesy of zara.com

Mi Viejo Pueblito

We recently ventured to Highlandtown after reading about a new authentic Mexican restaurant. We figured it would be worth traversing across this country's second most dangerous city (sorry for ya, Detroit) to see if its authenticity was a sham. It was not.

Mi Viejo Pueblito is not in the best part of Baltimore, but its super sunny in and exterior brightens the block. MVP is BYOB and conveniently shares a wall with a liquor store. We grabbed a few Coronas and Modelos, scurried past a group of girls carrying butcher knives (true story) and went in.

The place was bright yellow and totally empty. Our adorable hostess/waitress had some mariachi blaring to offset the silence, so we settled into a sunny little corner and began pouring over the extensive menu. Happily sipping our festive brews and chowing down on five different types of salsa and homemade tortilla chips (make sure you ask for all of the salsas) we finally decided on our meals.

For the record, the massive display of Mexican goodness above is an appetizer. Not knowing what we were in for, we ordered several appetizers to share, mauled the chips, salsa and queso and were stuffed when our food arrived. (May we suggest eating like a lady so you have room to sample all your food?) Every person at the table had to request take-home containers, lest we burst open like pinatas.

Four hungry people ordered half the damn menu and the total cost was $55. AND we all had plenty for lunch the next day. MVP has only been open for eight months, so we suggest going now before word gets out. It's the perfect place to take a large group---bring a case of beer, order a bunch of appetizers and enjoy fresh, festive, communal dining. The service is a little slow and you have to bring your own party (this is not a good spot for a first date) but the food and price can't be beat.

 

Mi Viejo Pueblito is located at 601. S Conkling St.

Birch Box

We admit it- we are super guilty of buying things just for the free gifts/samples involved--- Sephora, you get us every time. While abroad this summer we heard from a friend about a business her friends started, and we are now total converts to this cool new way to shop for cosmetics online.

Birchbox.com is a new site that offers memberships for samples. Ten bucks a month will get you four to five deluxe samples from high-end brands (think Kiehls, Nars, benefit...) shipped to your door. Inviting friends to join scores you loyalty points which can be automatically used towards purchasing full sized items right off the site. 
As lovers of good design, we would be remiss not to mention that the packaging is a work of art. Obviously the concept and products from birchbox are excellent, but opening a carefully-wrapped box filled with a sea of pink tissue paper and hand-tied black ribbon is like having twelve chic birthday gifts sent to you each year.

Good things really do come in small packages!