Lisa A. Shenkle, a.k.a. "Maggie Blue"
Every moment can be an "occasion" - something that celebrates life right then and there. After a "have-to" appointment, I sometimes treat myself to a quick walk in a part of the city I rarely get to, dip into a local shop to savor a fancy coffee, take in the views, some deep breaths, celebrate historic architecture as eye candy, buy a croissant and sink into the moment in front of me.
My husband heard me squeal as I opened a box I had packed - he was a little surprised I was overly excited at the small box of Raspberry Hot Chocolate Keurig pods I'd completely forgotten about. "You get pretty excited about little things." he said. Yes, I DO.
While my mother and I are very different from one another, I'm happy to say this trait I learned from her. She believes in the excitement of everything from an ice cream cone on country drives to the first sunny daffodils in the spring. Warning: it can be contagious!
Magnolia Blue is my celebration of the American coastal south and all her moments.
The chartreuse and gold grasses of the salt marshes, Great Blue Herons, sprawling limbs of the live oaks, blue and white ceramics, long porches, country drives, and slow breezes all tell the story of time and tide. Pair those with foamy surf, the laughter of friends and family - especially under the glow of backyard lanterns and sweet tea on the front porch - this is where most of us in the south are our most contented.
As a native Marylander, the brackish water of the Chesapeake Bay, cherry blossoms and Old Bay run through my veins. Soon, the soft pink cherry petals will be exchanged for orange blossoms when I permanently relocate to northeast Florida.
I've been writing since age nine, but have spent a career as a publicist, and began my career in radio broadcasting and book publishing. Over time, I have publicized book authors. regional and local PBS shows, developed community outreach programs, wrote speeches for two Governors, managed press conferences on Capitol Hill and publicized celebrity artists like Billy Joel and Arnold Schwarzenegger. It has been a fun and diverse career and I'm so grateful for all of my opportunities and those who helped me along the way.
I'm frequently called "the dog lady" by people who see my dog rescue posts and dog memes on Facebook - and rightly so. For five years I penned a dog blog, "Furocious," for Baltimore STYLE magazine, and the concept is coming here to the front porch where we'll be talking all things dogs.
I like to celebrate as much as I can, and now that you're here, we can celebrate those sweet southern moments together! I look forward to exploring the sights and sounds, tastes and traditions of the south, old and new along with you!
