Lisa A. Shenkle, a.k.a. "Maggie Blue"
Every moment can be an "occasion" - something that celebrates life right then and there. Following a business or other 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, and some deep breaths, celebrate historic architecture as eye candy, buy a croissant and sink into the moment.
My husband heard me squeal as I opened a box I had packed for my move to Florida - he was a little surprised that I seemed overly excited at the small box of Raspberry Hot Chocolate Keurig pods I'd completely forgotten about. (You're probably getting a big coffee vibe from me already!). The hubs noted: "You get pretty excited about little things." Yes, I DO.
I've inherited this trait from my mother who believes in the excitement of everything from an ice cream cone on country drives to the first sunny daffodils in the spring.
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, and sprawling limbs of the live oaks tell the story of time and tide. Pair those with slow breezes, foamy surf, and the laughter of friends and family - especially under the glow of backyard lanterns or sweet tea on the front porch - well, this is where I am my most content.
As a native Marylander, the brackish water of the Chesapeake Bay, cherry blossoms and Old Bay run through my veins. Soon, I'll be changing the soft pink cherry petals for orange blossoms when I relocate to northeast Florida.
I've been writing since age nine, but professionally I've been a career publicist, who began my career in weekend radio news and in book publishing publicity. I have publicized book authors and PBS shows and moved on to developing community outreach programs, writing gubernatorial speeches, managing press conferences on Capitol Hill and publicizing celebrity artists like Billy Joel and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
I'm frequently called "the dog lady" by people who see my dog rescue posts and dog memes on Facebook - and rightly so - because 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 (coming soon!).
Mostly, I just like to celebrate as much as I can, and now that you're here, we can celebrate those sweet southern moments on the front porch together! I look forward to exploring the sights and sounds, tastes and traditions of the south, old and new along with you!
