Date

Our Save The Dates finally went out. I am actually pretty proud of them. I do not consider myself to be creatively inclined but I definitely gave myself a pat on the back after seeing the finished product. We decided to save money and make postcards as opposed to using outer envelopes or magnets. We made them pretty inexpensively, and I've received so many compliments. Here's how we made them: We are fortunate enough to have our talented photographer and friend, Lauren (Check out her website !

Catonsville -based developer Steve W. Whalen Jr. is scheduled to be in Baltimore County Circuit Court on Thursday morning to face charges that he channeled $7,500 in illegal contributions to a Baltimore County councilman, and also exceeded the total campaign contribution limit for individuals. The allegations against Whalen, 62, owner of Whalen Properties, stem from contributions made to Catonsville-area Councilman Tom Quirk , County Executive Kevin Kamenetz and Towson -area Councilman David Marks . Whalen has reportedly reached a plea agreement with prosecutors.

The dates for the winter version of Annapolis Restaurant Week are set. The annual dining promotion will be held from Feb. 25 through March 3. Over 40 restaurants are participating in this year's promotion , which is organized by the Annapolis Business Association. You can see them on the event website . The pricing details will be announced soon, the website says. Follow Baltimore Diner on Twitter @gorelickingood  

The winter version of Baltimore County Restaurant Week will be held Jan. 11-27. More than 35 Baltimore County restaurants are participating, offering special menus at discounted fixed prices. Menus range from $10.13 to $35.13 for one, two or three courses. Participating restaurants, along with links to menus and websites, are listed on the Baltimore County Restaurant Week website , and the promotion will be accompanied this year by a Facebook page . New participants this year include McFaul's IronHorse Tavern ; Kooper's North ; Yasou Greek Bistro ; University Club , the new restaurant in the Towson University Marriott Conference Hotel; and Fountainside , the new resaurant in the Pikesville Hilton.

The civil rights chief for the Maryland attorney general's office was accused this week of violating probation in a drunken-driving case. Carl O. Snowden is scheduled for arraignment or similar appearance Jan. 7 in Anne Arundel County Circuit Court in that case, according to court records. On probation for three years, he could be ordered jailed for up to 60 days if judge finds that he violated probation. The case has unusual twists. Snowden was initially given probation before judgment on a 2010 charge.

Minutes before Tuesday's meeting of the Maryland Racing Commission, officials representing tracks and horsemen from throughout the state staked out space in a darkened lounge at Laurel Park. They shuffled through paperwork, then wrote quickly on the last page of the document and passed it to the next person in line. This was not a discreet ceremonial signing of the 10-year racing deal meant to bring stability to an industry that has repeatedly relied on government help. That deal, announced Friday, was already in place and was the subject of resounding praise.

The words "opera" and "emotional" typically go together, but not in the way it will happen this weekend. The risk-taking Baltimore- and New York-based ensemble known as Rhymes With Opera, now in its sixth year, will premiere the complete version of Thomas Limbert's "Numbers/Dates. " It's a work that uses a text based on just that - numbers and dates. The performers supply the emotion. "The piece was born out of a neurobiology class I took at Duke University," Limbert said, "about speech perception and research on 'emotional prosody.' We heard sound samples of actors speaking semantically neutral numbers and dates in different emotions.

Europeans would have a laugh at our expense over what we consider an old structure. Nevertheless, Monkton's Stone Haven Farm, owned by Dan Saffer and his wife, JoAnne Duffy, had been standing for eight years when Handel's "Messiah" was first performed. The home's rugged stones braved winter two decades before the signing of the Declaration of Independence and years before Baltimore City became incorporated. By American standards, it's really quite old. A long narrow lane off a main road in northern Baltimore County leads to a circular stone wall, inside of which are a fountain, trees and myriad poinsettias.

It has been since 2009 that Baltimore saw snow on Dec. 5, and more is not expected Wednesday, extending a reversal in a snowy pattern that dates back to at least 2002. The date, out of all in December, is the one on which it most frequently snows at least an inch in Baltimore. (Some days in January and February see more frequent snowfall.) From 2002 through 2009, it snowed six out of eight years' Dec. 5. Dating back to 1892, when snow record-keeping began, it has snowed nine times in Dec. 5 in Baltimore.

With so many decisions to make and far too many options for everything, I've realized how everyone (and their mom) wants to have an opinion. Whether it's picking a cake vendor, which hotel to book rooms with or who to invite to the wedding, I've heard it all! For example, let me give you a little insight into my day-to-day: "You're going to do chocolate cake, really? Don't you think that's a little heavy to have after dinner? Personally, lemon is the best choice. I mean, who doesn't love lemon!