Bloggers We Love: Sharon Kitchens

A long, long, time ago, back when The Maven was a newspaper reporter, she was contacted by a persistent-yet-sweet PR gal named Sharon Kitchens.

Sharon had previously worked in PR and events at Miramax Films. Looking for a change of pace, she had recently arrived in Maine and was making quite a splash on the midcoast. In other words, she had all the best clients — or the most interesting clients, at least: people who, until that point, never really did much with PR. Now, us newsies are taught to keep PR types at arm's length, but Sharon was so likeable that it was impossible not to become friends with her.

Today, many years later, Sharon splits her time between Boston and Cape Elizabeth, and she still has all the best clients. But she has another thing going, as well: Delicious Musings. Her food-centric blog details everything from excellent meals with her foodie friends to great recipes to movies and great lifestyle finds from all over the country.

Unlike other PR blogs, Delicious Musings goes well beyond raves about Sharon's clients at SK Public Relations (although she does, from time to time, highlight a great meal at, say, Hartstone Inn). She has excellent taste, and trust us, it's a delicious read.

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On Thin Ice

The last time The Maven tried to ice skate, it didn't turn out so well. It was on a pond, and a branch had frozen in a conveniently invisible spot. The day involved about 30 seconds of gliding and an entire afternoon of intense pain and swearing. Really loud swearing. The kind of swearing that makes parents think twice about ever bringing their children to that pond again.

Things like this don't happen at a rink. There are no branches, no unpleasant surprises, no cursing mavens. Just graceful gliding and not-so-graceful falling on one's ass.

Apparently, downtown Bangor is just the place to do both. An outdoor rink recently opened in Pickering Square, and we couldn't be happier. It's free. It's outdoors. And it's right in the middle of town. How festive is that? The only downside is, there's no hockey allowed. But we're not really worried about that. We're more worried about staying vertical.

And when you're The Maven on ice skates, that's harder than it sounds.

For more information, visit www.downtownbangor.com

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In With the New

We'd be lying if we said 2009 was a great year. Sure, there were high points — such as the wedding of The Maven's little sister, the site redesign, and other developments that we're not quite ready to discuss. But on the whole, we're quite happy to see it go.

Now we're focused on 2010 — the advent of a new decade, and all the promise it brings. We've even made a few resolutions. None of them involves the gym, drinking less or eating better, because, frankly, that would cramp our style. If we gave up all the good stuff, what would we have to write about? Even if you've resolved to be good, you can live vicariously through The Maven. So, here goes. Oh, and we'll see you on Monday. This is our last chance at a long weekend for a long time:

• Shop locally, whenever possible. Yes, there are times when we need to go to Target or T.J. Maxx. But this is our mantra, and we're sticking to it. Sometimes it costs a little more, but you'd be surprised how often it costs a little less. And supporting local businesses is so worth it.

• Provide even more great giveaways. Our contests have been quite popular, and Jason (our business guru) already has a few amazing Maine-product giveaways up his sleeve. Stay tuned for January's, our biggest yet.

• Provide more in-depth artist, artisan and business profiles. Sometimes, companies and creative types are so interesting, we want to write more about them. In 2010, we'll introduce an occasional long feature about such a person or business.

• Expand our content. Though we're not ready to let the cat fully out of the bag, we'll let his whiskers show. In early 2010, we'll introduce an entirely new content category. We think you'll like it. A lot. And we could not be more excited about it.

That's all for now. We've found that if we make too many resolutions, we never keep them. So long, 2009. We hardly knew ye. And even that was too much.

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The Dog's Pajamas

Ever since Christmas Day, The Maven has been lounging around the house, wearing thick fleece pajama pants that are about four sizes too big. They are red. They are cozy. And they have a dog-and-bone pattern all over them.

She has taken them off exactly twice — once because company was coming over for dinner and once because she needed to leave the house. All day-after-Christmas-with-the-in-laws photos feature said pants. In fact, The Maven is wearing them as she writes this.

They are called Grandma Pants. And they are the best. The Maven's parents found them at Renys — one pair for her, one pair for her sister.

These pants are not even a little bit sexy — to be honest, they're the fashion equivalent of a Slanket or a Snuggie. Only better. Because you have to take a Slanket off when you get off the couch to make breakfast. You can leave these on for most things, except going to the bathroom and, if you're so inclined, leaving the house.

Because they were a gift, we have no idea how much they cost. But whatever it is, they're worth it. Although they're not from Maine, per se, (the company is based in Minnesota, where it's even colder than it is here), you can buy them at Renys, so that counts for something. We're thinking of going back for more. And you should, too.

For more information, visit https://www.grandmapants.com

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Merry Christmas to All

We were planning to do a last-minute shopping guide today, but then we realized, there's only one thing we'd suggest: If you still need gifts, steer clear of the big boxes (who needs that headache?) and shop locally. It's the gift that keeps on giving — to everyone on your list and your community.

Speaking of gifts, let's take a minute to be thankful for the ones we already have: health, happiness, family and the chance to live in one of the best places on Earth. You can't buy those at the mall, but they're more valuable than gold. Here at the Maven, we're also thankful that all of you have been so supportive over the last year. We are thrilled to have you as part of our online "family" and wish you all the best.

Finally, for all you real procrastinators — the ones who have put off all your shopping until today — we have only one place to recommend: L.L. Bean. It's another one of those things we take for granted 364 days of the year, but it's days like today when we're glad the place doesn't have locks on its doors.

Have a wonderful holiday, and we'll see you next week!

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Maine Gift Guide: Stocking Stuffers

The best part of Christmas morning is the stockings. In our house, we always save them for last, and they're always filled with the best, most eclectic array of practical and impractical goodies. Need a little help stuffing? Below is a short list of our favorite places in Maine to buy stocking stuffers. We'd love to hear yours, so please post a comment below or e-mail us at kristen@mainemaven.com.

• Etsy — OK, this is kind of cheating because it isn't a bricks-and-mortar store, but you really can find amazing, inexpensive, Maine-made gifts by checking out the wares offered by the Etsy Maine Team. Find out more at http://etsymaineteam.blogspot.com.

• Folly 101 — Folly 101 in Portland's Old Port is our go-to spot for unique gifts, often with a vintage flair (check out the vintage paper houses). This year, the shop will offer more stockings, too. So when we say stuff it, we mean it in a good way. 101 Exchange St., Portland.

• LaCava — You never know what you're going to find at this Biddeford boutique, and that's a good thing. You can expect a great selection of Maine-made goods, unusual antiques and lots of cute little things that would be perfect in your sweetie's stocking. 12 Water St., Biddeford, www.lacavashop.com.

•Left Bank Books — Although this is one of our favorite bookstores in Maine, Left Bank Books also has a whimsical selection of little gifts, such as moving-picture flip books, reproduction tin toys, tiny gift books, cool erasers and more. Definitely worth the trip. 21 East Main St., Searsport, www.leftbankbookshop.com.

• Metropolitan Soul — Looking for something artsy, funky and quite possibly homemade? Look no further than Metropolitan Soul in Bangor. Owner Tracy Darcy has an eye for the unusual, and the shop is a must-see this time of year. 25 Hammond St., Bangor, http://metsoul.com.

• Parks Hardware — Need a measuring-tape keychain? How about a set of allen wrenches, a penknife or or a nutcracker ornament? Parks has it all. This charming, old-fashioned hardware store in the heart of Orono is a classic, and it's even better at Christmastime. 33 Mill St., Orono.

• Yo Mamma's Home — This place is like a stocking-stuffer Mecca. It's packed with small, affordable, often hilarious gifts. And besides, where else in Maine can you find bacon band-aids, Mexican milagros, and monkey key covers under one roof? 96 Main St., Belfast, www.yomammashome.com/.

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Juice 2.0 Conference: The Creative Economy at Work

Editor's note: If you'd like to learn how to enter our Angela Adams giveaway, click here.

We have a confession to make: Conferences so aren't our thing. Yes, we're all about networking. But we prefer it to take a more organic form. We hate buzzwords. And we've heard enough boring panel discussions and keynote speakers to write a volume of bedtime stories.

So imagine our surprise and delight when we saw the lineup for Juice 2.0: Powering the Creative Economy. The conference, a follow-up to the 2007 Juice conference, takes place Nov. 13-14 in Camden. This year's theme is "building Maine's innovation networks," so why not bring in some of the country's top cultural leaders and innovators?

First on the speakers list is Nick Spitzer, host of public radio's "American Routes." He's incredibly entertaining, one hell of a public speaker, and he adores Maine (he has family here). Next up is master innovator Doug Hall, founder of Eureka! Ranch and all-around mad genius (in the interest of full disclosure, Doug and his students at UMaine, where he's in residence this semester, are working to grow Maine Maven, so we may be a little biased here). Even Liz Lerman of Liz Lerman Dance Exchange will be on hand — huge!

In the evenings, conference-goers can enjoy Pecha Kucha night and performances by Liz Lerman Dance Exchange and Aniruddha Knight.

Though the arts are a pivotal part of this year's conference, there's also a focus on engineering, business, venture capital and entrepreneurship and job growth — burning topics in today's economy. Over the course of the weekend — and after three pitch sessions — a total of $30,000 will be given to three Maine startups ($25,000 to the winner, $2,500 each to two runners-up).

Now THAT sounds like a conference we'd want to attend. And that's saying a lot.

For more information, visit www.juiceconference.org.

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Pardon Our Dust

Love MaineMaven.com? Soon, there will be more of ME to love — much, much more. An expanded site is under construction. But to meet our deadline, we need your help: first, don't worry, and second, keep coming back.

For the month of September (and, possibly October), we'll be posting on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, freeing up The Maven to write all that content she's been promising her Web designer husband, Jason Lainsbury, since this site started last November. This fall, the blog will return to its daily format, and will (finally!) be joined by destination guides, best-of lists and all sorts of other useful content for Mainers and everyone who wishes they lived here. The design will be more streamlined —and feature more of those gorgeous illustrations by the talented Shawn Rice.

We'd like to thank our loyal readers for all your support over the last year and welcome new readers. If you haven't spent much time on the site, we encourage you to explore the tabs above, which feature hundreds of Maine products, artisans, food finds and destinations.

We appreciate your patience and can't wait to bring you more of the best of ME.

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Requiem for a Deal

We'll never forget the first time we stepped into a Renys department store. It was in downtown Biddeford, and to The Maven's pint-size self, it was a magical wonderland — full of games and toys that a 7-year-old could actually afford on her allowance.

Over time, Renys became a part of The Maven's family routine. We would go there every summer for beach toys and water shoes. We'd go back every fall for back-to-school shopping. In the winter, we'd grab stocking-stuffers. And in the spring, we'd always check Renys first for deals on garden goodies.

A few years back, The Maven's mom made it her mission to visit every Renys in the state ("They're each a little different," she'll tell you). When she was little, The Maven's sister made a hand-drawn sign for her bedroom door that read, "Save your pennies, shop at Renys."  It's as much of a family tradition as Grandma's mac and cheese with tomato or Aunt Kathy's legendary pre-Christmas party.

So we were devastated to learn that Robert "R.H." Reny passed away last Friday at the age of 83. We never met him (though we did talk to him once on the phone), but it felt like he was part of the family. Not only was he a retail genius — selling high-quality products at discount prices long before the big-boxes hit the scene — he was a prodigy in other ways, as well. According to his online obit at Renys.com, Reny grew up in Biddeford and enlisted in the Navy after graduating from high school. The Navy sent him to Dartmouth College, where he completed a four-year program in two years. After a tour in the Navy and a foray in the Boston retail scene, he returned to Maine.

Sixty years ago, he founded Renys in Damariscotta, and the chain grew to include 14 stores throughout the state, mostly in downtowns — another reason to love him. The rest, of course, is history.

In the Kennebec Journal's obit, Farmington store employee Pat Reynolds sums up Reny's contribution well:

"He knew, in Maine, the economy's not as good as other places; and he knew that people lived paycheck to paycheck, basically," Reynolds said. "He always wanted to pass on the best deals he could."

For that, we are thankful. And we hope Renys will continue to be a part of the family tradition for many years to come. 

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Market Share

When you think of warm-weather destinations in Maine, chances are your mind turns to Bar Harbor, Camden or Kennebunkport.

Now, you can add Bangor to the mix. Always a summertime favorite (even if it's still technically spring),  the weekly farmers and artisans market starts tonight at 5. And this year, it will be held rain or shine, in a new location between Broad and Market Streets. At 7, Bruce Nye the Elvis Guy will take the page at Pickering Square for the first free Cool Sounds concert of the season.

Personally, we're more into the Maine-made jewelry, art, cheeses, clothing and other fun goodies than the concerts, but we're shoppers at heart.

So before you pack your bags and head to the coast for the weekend, be sure to make a pit stop in Bangor. You won't be disappointed. For more information or a full schedule, click here

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Bangor Or Bust

Times like these make the Mavens so proud to live in the Bangor area.

Just yesterday, Giacomo's Groceria reopened after a too-long hiatus. For the uninitiated, the Italian market serves the best sandwiches (on locally baked focaccia, made with freshly sliced meats), coffee (Coffee By Design) and cannoli (heavenly) in the Queen City. Thank God and owner Milva Smith for that. Check it out for yourself at 1 Central St. in Bangor (207.947.3702).

This weekend, there will be plenty of other reasons to celebrate. Saturday, Bella Luna, our favorite Bangor boutique, will host a trunk show featuring the work of local designers including Amanda Coburn of Riverside Jewelry Designs, Mallory Bruns of Sophronia Design (pictured above), Caitlin Cogan, Jessi Sader of FX Design, and jewelry by owner Heather VanFrankenhuyzen.

At 1 p.m. Saturday in the Bangor Opera House, Penobscot Youth Theatre will perform "The Phantom Tollbooth." Click here for more information and other performance dates.

Later in the day (8-midnight), the Bangor Opera House will be the place to be for BLOOM 207 Art Showcase. The evening will include live music by Feel it Robot, Electrovangogh, Green Tank and more, along with vendors and a fashion show by Sophronia Design. It's an all-ages event, and a full schedule is available on Facebook.

Feel like supporting the American Folk Festival, Bangor's biggest annual event? Head over to the Collins Center for the Arts in Orono, where Diunna Greenleaf & Blue Mercy and Vishten will give a benefit concert at 8 p.m. Saturday. Click here for more info.

Finally, the popular downtown artisan market — which features wonderful Maine-made products and produce as well as live music — will kick off June 11. Though there are already more than a dozen vendors, the organizers would still like to see more. If you're interested, click here or call Debbie Gendreau at 992-4491.

Once spring arrives, Bangor truly does feel like a city fit for a queen. Or a Maven.

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Out and A Bout

Looking for weekend plans? Roll with it.

We're completely intrigued with the Maine Roller Derby, which has a bout (that's a game, for the uninitiated) starting at 6 p.m. Saturday at the Expo in Portland. And why wouldn't we be? There's something badass about a group of hard-rollin', fast-skatin' women — their words, not ours — railing on one another while wearing roller skates, short skirts and fishnets. OK, they don't all dress like that, but they do have names like The Mom Bomb, Punchy O'Guts and Killer Quick. We love it, and it kinda makes the Maven wish she were a bit more coordinated.

Inspired by the A&E reality show Rollergirls, the ladies of MRD started wheeling and dealing in 2006. They've been kicking ass, taking names and winning bouts ever since. What started with 20 founders has grown to about 40 women and two teams, the MRD Port Authorities and the Calamity Janes. They skate on a flat track, which is both economical and physically challenging, and they're skater-owned and -operated, making each bout a true Maine event.

Oh, and unlike professional wrestling, MRD is the real deal. Or the wheel deal as the case may be.

For more information about MRD in general or this weekend's bout — the Calamity Janes vs. Northeast Ohio's Rock N' Roller Girls, click here. Doors open and band starts playing at 5; bout starts at 6. If you're interested in playing, e-mail TheMomBomb@mainerollerderby.com. Want to volunteer? e-mail PunchyOGuts@mainerollerderby.com. Image above copyright Brian Seekins Photography.

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What about Bob?

In college, a pre-party wasn't complete without Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive" cranked up on the stereo. Well, that and too much Natty Light (and, really, one sip is too much).

Despite the fact that we'd belt out disco like it was going out of style, none of my friends would've survived on "Survivor." We were either too bitchy, too high-maintenance or, in my case, too camping-averse. This could be the reason why I've never really followed the show.

But it's also the reason why Bob Crowley's win last night is so sweet. Bob, a teacher from South Portland, outsmarted and outplayed everyone — fake idols? Genius — despite the fact that he was older than everyone else and wears a bow tie.

So today's Maven missal goes out to Bob. You did survive. In style.

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The Right Stuff

First time was a Moxie
Second time was a bear
Third time Uncle Henry's
Now it's everywhere

You can send 'em to your friends
The excitement never ends
Just log on to Facebook
and give a virtual Allen's

You've got the Maine Stuff, baby
Loved the Mad Gab's Lobster balm
You've got the Maine Stuff, baby
Sending Cindy Blodgett can't be wrong

Like everyone else I know, I am completely addicted to Facebook. And once I discovered Maine Stuff, I loved it even more. Created by Elizabeth Reed, this little application allows Facebookers who love the Pine Tree State to send virtual lobsters, red hot dogs and whoopie pies to their friends.

If you're a UMaine fan, you can give the gift of Cindy Blodgett, Garth Snow or Bananas the Bear. Ready for lunch? Treat your BFF to poutine, Humpty Dumpty ketchup chips or an Amato's Italian. And nothing says "I love you" like a blue tarp and an Uncle Henry's.

With more than 25,000 active monthly users, Maine Stuff clearly has the right stuff. If you're not one of them, sign up now. And if you're not on Facebook, it's not too late to join.

After all, it's cool to be the new kid on the block.

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French twist

They had me at hello.

Yes, I had just gotten off the phone with the world's worst receptionist (thank you, Inn at St. John — I didn't want to stay that close to the sketchy Greyhound station anyway). But when I called the Portland Harbor Hotel to book a room for our anniversary, I didn't expect such friendly service. Joshua was his name. And he kicked ass. I guess that's what three bills a night buys.

But when we arrived, expecting a three-bill room, we were a bit underwhelmed. The location — in the heart of the Old Port — could not be better. The service was exceptional. And the hotel has an amazing courtyard, which is perfect for sipping white wine (when it's warm outside).

But the room? Not so much. The mishmash of toile and chintz would indicate they were aiming for Provence. Instead, it seemed a bit faux-vence. I couldn't shake the feeling that I was in my grandmother's French-country kitchen circa 1985. Normally, I wouldn't care, but when you're on a romantic getaway, visions of grandma are the last thing you want floating through your head.

Oh, and when it's your anniversary, the less you want to leave the room, the better.

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