Restaurant Review, Porters of Federal Hill

Name: Porters of Federal Hill

Location: In the heart of Historic Federal Hill at 1032 Riverside Ave, on the corners of Cross St and Riverside Ave. Two blocks from famous Cross St. Market, Two blocks from the Federal Hill itself and, Two blocks from Key Hwy. Close enough to Walk to the Camden Yards Sports Complexes to see dem O's hon or dem Bawmor Ravens play

Prices: Good! We got the Southwest Chicken Risotto entrée priced at $19 and a glass of their pinot grigio house wine at $5

Food: The entrée we got was delicious! And it was enough for 2 people to split and still have some leftover. It was cheesy, had just the right amount of jalapenos, and the presentation was great. The only thing Jon didn't like about the entrée was he thought it had too much corn. 

Service: Our server was very attentive. When we said we would be splitting the entrée she had the kitchen put it on two separate plates so that we didn't have to do it ourselves. Like I said, I got a glass of wine and Jon got a beer; She gave us glasses of water as well without us having to ask (I'm big on that when I go out to eat!). We never did catch her name but our bill says Ansie.

Ambiance: We sat in a little corner booth in the dining area. It was very nice and tables were set with linens. You enter in the bar area and it feels like the cute little neighborhood spot. We loved it and we were so impressed! We ran in for a quick bite to eat... not really expecting much but we were pleasantly surprised! I recommend this restaurant 100%

Victoria's Secret top in smoky taupe, Baltimore Bully crew hoodie

XoXo

Happy Thanksgiving

I am so excited to spend today and tomorrow with family and to eat until I can't eat anymore! I like Thanksgiving better than Christmas because it's much more laid back... plus we get to stuff our faces while watching football! (Go Ravens, I hope we win tonight!)

I have a lot to be thankful for; I am truly blessed.

1. My parents, because I wouldn't be who I am or where I am today if it weren't for them.

2. My family (my sister, brother, and grandparents especially), because they love me and support me unconditionally.

3. Jon, because my soul is incomplete without him.

4. Duke, Corrado, and Harley, because they bring so much happiness to my life and fill my heart with much warmth.

5. My faith, because it is the foundation of who I am and what I believe.

Purifying and cleansing spray

I pray that everyone has a great day and safe travels! Thank you to all who donated time and resources so that families less fortunate than us could enjoy a Thanksgiving meal.

XoXo

Baltimore's Adoptable Dogs, November 2013

Asha adoptable through Baltimore Bully Crew

This is Asha. She is 2 years old. She is UTD on shots, spayed and microchipped. She is a very playful and loving girl. She is good with most other dogs, however, she is best with a submissive male dog. She is super well mannered, knows all of her basic commands, walks well on leash and loves walks, car rides, playing with her kongs and ropes and snuggling. She is doing exceptionally well around her foster children and has even become best friends with her blind foster brother, Ace.

Marlow adoptable through BARCS

Hi there! My name is Marlow and I am one special boy. I have been in a foster home for over 5 months now and I am eager to finally have a forever home and family of my own. I have been through so much in my 3 years but I don't let anything hold me back now. I am extremely loving and perfectly happy just hanging out with you. I like playing with my bear and chewing on my nylabone. I also like going for walks and I am great on leash. I am also dog friendly and love meeting new doggy friends. Would you come meet me or share me please?

Birdie adoptable at BARCS

2 yrs old, female,45 lbs URI - needs foster, rescue or adoption asap. Birdie is a sweet girl with a great smile who deserves to know a loving home of her very own! She is dog-friendly with good social skills. She can be a little shy with new people first but warms up quickly, especially if you have some yummy treats! She likes to give kisses and play in the yard with toys.

To foster, please email foster@baltimoreanimalshelter.org!
To adopt, please come on down to the shelter!
To rescue organizations, please email rescue@baltimoreanimalshelter.org!
(Any rescue organizations must be approved to pull from BARCS. To become an approved rescue, please contact the Rescue Coordinator at the email above to receive an application.)

XoXo



My "gotta have's" this Christmas

Because I love being festive, here are the top 5 things I have my eye on this Christmas...

1. "Merry Christmas Ya Filthy Animal" baseball tee (I think this would look so cute paired with leggings and boots)

2. "Green Grinning Grinch" iphone case

 

3. "Peppermint stick" from Philosophy

 

 

4. "Duck Dynasty" dog collar

 

 

5. "Abita" Christmas ale (I have not tried this one yet but Abita Purple Haze is one of my favorite beers)

 

 

XoXo

My Home, Christmas Edition Part 1

Here is Part 1 of my home tour, Christmas edition! I will post Part 2 shortly, when I finish decorating. I honestly don't put out too many decorations, I like to keep it simple with little hints of Christmas all over the house. So lets start with upstairs, in my bedroom. I added a wooden North Pole sign to my sitting area. (You can get the fireplace here and Buddha statue here)

Close up. (Chair from Target, throw blanket from Ikea)

Moving to my upstairs bathroom. I have a snowman hand towel and snowflake candle holder on my sink.

And a snowflake box set for an added touch.

For the main floor all I have so far is garland for the staircase. (Fleur de Lis clock from Portiera)

Close up.

And a decorative Holiday bell for the front doorknob.

Now, down to the Ravens "fan cave" aka the basement. A Christmas box and gingerbread candle as an added touch on the bistro table.

And lastly, 2 Ravens snowmen hand towels in the bathroom. My mom got these for me a few years ago and they are one of my favorite things to put out every Christmas!



Well, that's what I have so far! Stay tuned for photos of my Christmas tree, dining room centerpiece, wreath, and a few other things.

XoXo



Weekend Recap

Since last weekend was so busy and mostly spent out of the house I decided to have a bit of a lazy weekend in.  Sometimes it's nice to have nothing to do and just relax! Friday night I did a little coupon run at Giant, using Krazy Coupon Lady again. For $11.74 I got 3 containers of Pillsbury grands, 4 jars of Heinz homestyle gravy, 1 container of country crock butter, 1 dozen eggs, and 2 packs of Pillsbury cookies.



Saturday was spent doing some yard work and laundry. When Jon got home we cooked a spaghetti and meat sauce dinner. I am so lucky that Jon is an amazing cook. Something as simple as spaghetti, he makes better than ever! Football Sunday... Jon had to work a double so I was home by myself all day :/ I used that time to clean the house. I love love love the Robot Vacuum I got about a year ago. I found it online for only around $100. I really suggest that anyone, especially with pets, invests in one of these. I run it at least once a day, sometimes twice. It does all of the work for me, isn't very loud, and gets up all of the pet hair! Seriously go get one!!!

 

After cleaning I watched the Ravens game with Corrado and Harley. The rain delay was a bit of a drag but we still played very well in my opinion, even though we lost in overtime.



I am actually pretty happy to be back to work this morning. It's hard for me to be lazy for too long lol. Stay tuned because later this week I will be doing a home tour post, showing the holiday décor I've started to put up.

XoXo

Weekend Recap

Friday night I did a mini Safeway run and used coupons for the first time. I got 2 sparkle paper towels, 2 four packs of angel soft bath tissue, 1 Aquafina kiwi strawberry water, 1 creamy red pepper with smoked Gouda soup, and 1 spicy chorizo and pulled chicken with black beans soup valued at $16.17 for only $4.69!!! I was SO proud of myself. It was actually pretty easy, I used The Krazy Coupon Lady to help me. If you go to the extreme couponing page, it tells you all the great deals you can get at various stores and online. 

Jon got home late that night so we watched The Dog Fighter Movie about a man who fights for the dogs so they don't have to. It was awesome, I definitely recommend seeing it! The small $5 rental fee goes towards ending dog fighting.

My Saturday was spent cleaning, doing laundry, and working on my pet bandanas, beds, and neck warmers that I will soon be selling on etsy :) It was also a beautiful day so the dogs ran around the yard and played tug-a-war for hours! I love watching them and seeing them so happy. When Jon got home from work we drove up to Bel Air to celebrate his aunts 50th birthday with his family. On the way home Jon insisted that we stop at CR WINGS, his favorite wing spot.  He'll eat wings anywhere really... because he eats them at least once a week if not more (yes, he's THAT obsessed with them). But CR WINGS has the best. He says they're perfectly crispy and the DOA sauce is amazing. For anyone who loves wings, I highly suggest you try CR WINGS in Bel Air.

Sunday we went to the Ravens game. Each year I get a set of tickets to one game from my boss, so I picked the Bengals game. We drove with one of Jon's friends from work and parked at Nicks Fish House in Canton. It's $5 a person roundtrip to take the shuttle from there to the stadium (an absolute steal considering some places charge up to $60 to park by the stadium and then you have to sit in traffic). We stopped at Abbey Burger Bistro in Federal Hill for a couple of beers and met up with some friends.. then headed to tailgate for a few minutes and met up with some more friends before going into the game. We had a blast and the Ravens won in overtime! Afterwards we headed to Jon's work- Mamas on the Half Shell for drinks and a bite to eat. It was a long day but a great day!

It is now 10:30am on Monday morning and I am still exhausted from all the weekend festivities :)

XoXo

Growing Up

Learning to be adults- As funny as it sounds and as much as it makes me laugh at the fact that I actually just wrote that, it's true. From my "short" bio in my first post, you know that Jon and I have been together since I was 16 years old. We have been through it all- I mean, IT ALL! We've literally grown up together through the good and bad. We started as kids in high school, went to college, and got to experience life as young people with little responsibility.

High school senior prom, Spring 2007

 

Taking a break from college classes- on a yacht in Ocean City, Summer 2010

 

 

Trip to D.C., Spring 2012

 

 

Now that we have decided to start making the move towards marriage, we need to save money- part of the harsh reality of being an adult! Heck we have rings, a wedding, and honeymoon to pay for!!! Maybe we should have planned for this? Oh well, we were busy having fun!  No more going out for dinner and drinks just about any night of the week that we want, no more shopping whenever I feel like I want something, and no more careless spending on home things just because I feel like re-decorating. Spending on a whim- guilty as charged!

Time to coupon, budget, and maybe I'll even try my hand at yard sales when I want to spruce up my home? Jon built a patio this past summer out of used pallets and I found our outdoor dining set on craigslist for only $25. See, we can be money smart when we want to!

(I got the rug when it was 50% off from Rugs USA)

 

XoXo

First Post

Let me start out with a short bio. I was born, raised, and currently reside in Baltimore, Maryland. I am 24 years old and graduated from Towson University with a bachelors degree in Health Care Management and minor in Business Administration. I've been on my own since I was 18 and after paying my way through college I bought my first home at 22. My boyfriend, Jon and I have been together since I was 16 years old- we have a cat named Duke and two pit bulls named Corrado and Harley. My parents live in the home I grew up in (in Bel Air, Maryland) with my brother, James (18- a senior in high school) and my sister, Jessica (21- a junior at West Virginia University). I work full time as an Executive Assistant at a textiles recycling company where my grandmother is the Vice President. I volunteer at the city animal shelter and I have just recently started making pet neck warmers, beds, and bandanas.

I could go on and on about myself, but I'll stop now ;)

I've been an avid blog reader for about a year.  I started following Little Baby Garvin and now I follow many others! I love it. I decided to start my own blog because I will soon be going through many life changes. Yes that's right... at 24 years old, Jon and I have been together for 7 years now and we have officially decided that we are going to get serious about the whole marriage thing... hallelujah! My mom might be more excited than I am! No but really, she has wanted this for me for a while. And although I have always loved my boyfriend more than anything in this world, I wasn't interested in rushing into marriage. I always knew I would marry him so the timing wasn't important to me.

So here goes nothing... I am really excited to start sharing my life on here! First up: Jon and I at my high school graduation party in the summer of 2007. We had dated for almost a year at that point.

Here we are now. Oh look at the difference!
 

 

Meet Duke (our cat who my mom and I rescued as a kitten) 7 1/2 years old

 

And Corrado (our first dog who we adopted from Baltimore Bully Crew) 4 years old







Last but certainly not least, Harley (our dog who we rescued from BARCS- the city shelter that I volunteer at) 2 1/2 years old



XoXo