WHERE DOES YOUR GARDEN GROW?

This summer has been a green one to say the least. 

MK’s creative guru Beth Nagle recently moved to Dorset, VT and took the country wife life to heart by starting her own vegetable garden.  When we heard about the undertaking we were intrigued as to how this busy Lizzie would pull this off…. and presto she’s a farmer girl!! 

Beth is ready to start gardening 

A few weeks later and Beth is working hard!  

My job in the food chain is to weed.  And boy, are there weeds!!  It’s fantastically satisfying now that I know how to decipher a radish leaf from a nasty green interloper, and once I have on my gloves (cannot handle worms or creepy crawlies of any kind on skin) and my pail at my side, I am happy to sit there picking away.  Cocktails help too.  This patch alone took almost 4 hours!! 

Mary doing her job! 

Right now there is a surplus of lettuce and Beth is thinking of ANYTHING she can make to eat or for that matter craft out of her abundance.  Red leaf earrings anyone??  It’s all so delicious and with the coming weeks we’re getting excited for the arrival of mucho zucchini, tomatoes, leeks and beans!

  

We got to talking about the home garden phenom that’s popping up everywhere, and Emily and Grace did some investigating to see how urban folks got into the act.  We’re guessing the next trend is “Roof to Table”?

Rooftop garden in NYC

Rooftop garage  garden 

Not only can gardens and greenery be seen on rooftops, we found some inside and out, literally growing up a wall. How beautiful is this building we found in Paris!? Going to work in a building like this would make working a little more enjoyable don’t you think? J 

Vertical Garden In Paris

We also love how people are using any old household item to create a beautiful garden. The possibilities are endless. It’s a great way to get things out of the house and put to good use again.

  

What A Swell Season!

Our Spring Season started with us hitting the road this year. We headed down to Washington, DC for the American Friends of Tel Aviv University conference.  “TAU On The Potomac”, a jam packed five days of educational seminars and evening events around the city, was great fun to plan.  Many of the guests came from overseas and it was a thrill to showcase DC’s amazing monuments, museums and menus.

Our stops included the Library of Congress, the National Portrait Gallery, the Holocaust Memorial Museum, and the International Spy Museum.  Home base was the Four Seasons in Georgetown, truly one of our favorite properties to work with.

Things got really crazy in April when we had three galas and one kids party - for 800 kids no less!!

The month started off with the World Science Festival Gala at Jazz At Lincoln Center. This event is always fun to do because it’s built totally around science.  Cool science abounded everywhere -- in the food, in the décor and even in the cocktails.

The evening included a Broadway style show that is a “performing arts tribute to science”.  It’s definitely the most creative Broadway show we’ve ever seen. 

For the dessert reception, guests could try ice pops frozen with dry ice, cocktails made from special herbs found only in the most remote regions of the desert, and dessert made from edible cups!  Our favorite were the popcorn balls dipped in dry ice. When you put it on your tongue, it looked like you were breathing smoke! Try it sometime!

The Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP) gala and kids party took place at the Koch Theater at Lincoln Center.  The kids’ party is always amazing -- the dance floor is sea of aspiring young dancers with unbelievable talent.  The next night was the Gala. After arriving at the David Koch Theater, guests watched a beautiful ballet performance featuring ballet stars from all over the world, and then headed upstairs to the Promenade to enjoy dinner and dancing. 

The dance floor is the best spot to watch since the room is filled with world-renowned dancers. A little salsa, a little ballroom, we saw it all! 

Wrapping up April was the Council for Canadian American Relations gala at The Metropolitan Club, a beautiful private club across from Central Park.  Jacqueline Desmarais, a Canadian patroness of music, and the amazing architect Frank Gehry, were celebrated for their contributions to the worlds of arts and culture.  
We had models from Frank Gehry’s iconic buildings flown in especially for the event.  Getting to New York City was a breeze; getting them through the doors of the Metropolitan Club, not so breezy!
We totally enjoyed this most fancy event of the season; the men donned black tuxes and the women put on their gorgeous gowns and jewels.   The night was filled with opera singers, candelabras, and even some singing Canadian Mounties.

By May we were so excited for the annual The Women for Women International Luncheon at 583 Park Avenue.  This is our 4^th year planning the event with our friends at WfWI and the highlight was the conversation between Cindi Leive, Editor in Chief of Glamour magazine, and Samantha Power, the United States Ambassador to the United Nations. Ambassador Power spoke about the role of women in rebuilding peaceful and stable societies and why gender equity around the world matters. We all left that day feeling empowered and inspired. 

The Art of Thrift Shopping

We are currently working with a client called Hour Children who, on top of providing amazing support for incarcerated and formerly incarcerated women and their families, also happen to own a fantastic thrift shop. Their event is taking place at the Central Park Boathouse in October. When we were brainstorming ideas for the event, we thought about styling the space with the thrift store furniture.  Guests could lounge on couches and put their cocktails on the actual coffee tables from the shop. Then, as another way to give back to the organization, guests can actually buy the items that evening. We took a little field tip to the thrift shop this week to see if our vision for the event could become a reality.

Like many people who first step into a thrift shop, we were a bit overwhelmed with how much was there. But once we started looking, we realized how much potential there was. So we came up with some tips that we hope will help and inspire you to do some bargain hunting yourself:

1. Get to the bottom of things...literally.

We found this great wooden lounge piece that we would love to use at the event. But we didn't even see it at first! It was buried under an intimidating pile of clothes and bags. Once we did some rearranging, we saw how chic it was.


2. A little paint goes a long way.

Try to look at the actual structure of the piece before you worry about anything else, especially if you are looking for something like a dresser. Something that looks really basic or a little dirty can be instantly jazzed up with a fresh coat of paint and some new knobs.

3. Be patient in your picking.

A lot of times, thrift shops will bundle all similar items together into one small space (like these lamps). Pull out a few that catch your eye from the big pile and place each one on a table for a new perspective. If you have the time and do some shifting, you could actually find the piece that you are looking for amongst the many others that were not exactly your taste.

We love thrift shopping and left with some great inspiration. We hope you will too!

Best of the Beach

We are loving the forecast for this weekend and it looks like a trip to the beach may be in the near future. With kids finishing up final exams and the official start of summer tomorrow, bikini season is in full swing. We found these fun weekend must-haves that will leave your friends saying, "Where'd you get that?!"

Kate Spade

1. Pack a cold bottle of rosé and head on your way. We could spend all day looking at Kate Spade bags, but this one caught our attention because it's actually a picnic basket/wine tote. Gotta love a good two-in-one, especially when it involves wine. 

Anthropologie

2. Floppy beach hats like this one from Anthropologie aren't just for your grandmother anymore. They're in again, and not only are they an adorable accessory for the beach, but they help protect your skin from the hot summer rays. 

Free People

3. Don't forget to pack your inner hippie! These fringe bikinis are everywhere and are especially sought after by 20 somethings. Free People has a bunch of these suits with fun patterns and colors. They might create funky tan lines, but at least you'll look great.   

Clinique

4. Our last but not least must-have is BB Cream. Skip those greasy, heavy sunscreens and opt for something lightweight that also doubles as a sheer foundation. BB Cream, short for beauty balm, is great because it acts like a tinted moisturizer with a zillion other benefits. It treats skin with antioxidants, evens out skin tone, has anti-aging ingredients and offers broad-spectrum SPF. Once you try it, you won't ever leave home without it!

WSF Gala: A Taste of the Evening

We were just sitting in the office talking about the 2013 World Science Festival that took place this past week. There were so many great events in the festival this year, from "Cellular Surgeons: The New Era of Nanomedicine" to "Cheers to Science! A Drinkable Feast of Beer Biotechnology and Archaeology." The festival provided a little something for everyone. While looking through the fun photos from the week, we stumbled across this video from the 2013 gala that we think perfectly captures the evening's energetic vibe. Watch and get a taste of what the night was all about!

Happy National Chardonnay Day!

Last week we helped out with an event called "Stars New York" for an organization called the Peter Michael Foundation. Sir Peter Michael started a winery in Sonoma County, CA in 1982 and the wines became wildly popular. He then established the foundation, which seeks to to discover and underwrite the most promising tools and techniques for the identification, treatment and management of prostate cancer. The fundraising event took place at Studio 450 and guests were treated to a gourmet dinner crafted by renowned chef Nobu Matsuhisa. Each course was paired with a carefully selected Peter Michael wine. We couldn't have asked for a more beautiful evening.

Instead of table numbers, we directed guests to their table using iconic NYC neighborhoods.

The best scallops we have ever eaten. Thanks Nobu!

Beautiful night, beautiful skyline.

We love any excuse for a celebration, and so when we found out that today is National Chardonnay Day, we immediately thought of Peter Michael wines. Peter Michael has six different Chardonnays that are each vineyard specific and have different tastes. We had the La Carriere at the event, which has the "leanest and most citrus like fruit profile" out of the six. We highly recommend it! Check out the others here.

We think you should celebrate National Chardonnay Day no matter what type of wine you like. So pour some red, pour some white and bottoms up!

To support The Peter Michael Foundation or learn more about upcoming events, click here.

5 Last Minute Gifts For Mom

We were just talking about how we seem to get our mothers the same thing each year for Mother's Day. And lets be honest, she would probably be thrilled with the card and flowers that you always order two days prior. But we came up with five fabulous last minute Mother's Day gifts if you are looking to get her something different this year...


1. Chocolate covered...anything

It seems like six or seven years ago, no one had Edible Arrangement type gifts on the radar. Now it seems like people are dipping almost everything in chocolate. But if you want to skip the sometimes lofty price tag for these treats, you can make your own at home. We found a great chocolate covered strawberries recipe here. 



2. Cocktail napkins (paired with her favorite cocktail of course)

youneedadrink.com

For the mom who loves to entertain we think that these are perfect for a bit of a giggle, especially if you pair them with her favorite drink!

3. An old photo in a new frame

Wave, New Canaan, CT 

Print out your favorite picture of you and your leading lady from when you were little and put it in a pretty frame. It will be sure to strike up some fun blasts from the past at the dinner table.

4. Statement necklace

She La La, New Canaan, CT 

Give your mom some credit in the fashion department. These big necklaces are seen everywhere these days, regardless of age. Everyone likes bright colors this time of year, and it will be sure to put some spring in her step.

5. Pretty place setting

camillestyles.com

Make your mom a yummy homemade brunch and present it to her with pretty new place settings, linens or teacups.


All of these gifts are sure to please, but don't forget that the one thing moms want most is to spend quality time with their children. With that thought, Mary is off this afternoon to help her mom plant a garden. It is a gorgeous day today so get out there and treat your mom to the thing that matters most this weekend- one on one time.