Bits of my week

At home with Living Etc. new issue- my fave mag.

above, beautiful worship at my church- Liberty Church

above, the most amazing food emporium in NYC on 59th & 1st - look at these ceilings!

Walking the NYIGF was pretty cool, always fun! This year I brought both my assistant & my mom.

dad & I walking in Manhattan on his birthday...

A large commission I did recently - looks very similar to the painting I made for our living room. This one above shipped to a client in Norway!
   
Interested in a commissioned painting? email me.

Black doors - a dream come true.

My dad took this shot above - he told me to stand in the phone booth until he snapped a picture. It was too funny when I finally saw the photo. My dad is unusually creative...

my dream townhouse, situated conveniently not too far from my own place.

shot from the cab - sunday morning.

 one of my husband's favorite things to eat, pot stickers. He made these for me, so delicious. I think he'll be posting recipe on his blog soon!

 

Carl shultz park with my girl!

Dessert my husband made- yum!

-images by jen ramos & dad

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DIY: Anthropologie Vase

Hello readers! Welcome back from your Labor Day weekend! This is Jana Bek, a DIY contributor here on MBG! Today, I'm here with an interesting project I think you'll really enjoy!

I love these blooming vases from Anthropologie. Have you seen them? I'm always looking for ways to personalize a space, and DIYing a vase to compliment your palette is the perfect decorative touch!

What You Need:

Self Drying Modeling Clay

Paint & Brushes

Hot Glue & Glue Gun

Vase 

Knife

Making the Petals for the Outside Petal Ring:

Roll large pea size piece of clay into a ball. With clay in palm, press down with thumb and rock gently to make elongated quarter size oval. 

To create more texture, gently tear the edges around the oval.

Use knife to score ‘petal’ starting from a center point at the bottom, fanning out towards the edges. Repeat until you have 5 petals. These will form the "outer ring" of the flower

Making the Single Inner Petal:

Repeat steps above, but use slightly less clay to make a single, smaller petal for the flower center. Pinch this smaller petal at its base to make it look like it's opening. 

Finishing the Outside Petal Ring:

Layer the five outside petals, one slightly overlapping the next, to create the outside ring. 

Press each petal into the one you are layering over so they stick together.

You should have a complete ring of petals. 

Place your 'inner petal" into the middle of the Ring, and press it down securely.

Finishing the Flower:

To dry, prop your flower against a glass. About half of your flower will rest on the glass, and the other will rest on the surface. This will create a natural curve to your flower. Let dry over nite. 

Once your flower is dry, paint to your liking. Even one color will be beautiful!

After paint is dry, with glue gun in hand – position and glue. Voila your custom Petal Pusher Vase!

-post by Jana Bek

-Images by Erik Melvin 

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My NYC Closet

Hi everyone! This has been a busy week - I'm very much looking forward to the 3 day weekend. 

Thanks once again for all your support & kindness. My husband says he is going to take me away for the weekend to do something fun - he tells me I need to clear my mind & relax. I feel overwhelmed with work - in a good way though.
  

Speaking of work - our apartment is featured in the new issue of Style At Home magazine - it's the organization issue available in news stands all over Canada! Supposedly this issue will be available in new stands until next year, very cool! I have gotten many emails asking about our apartment here in the city & since the apartment is now featured in the magazine, showing you photos isn't a problem. Here we go!

So excited! Let me start with my wardrobe.

 I say "my" because only I use it (for the most part). Below is what was supposed to be 'our' bedroom closet. Even though it's bigger than most NYC standard closets - it wasn't going to fit all my things. 

It was certainly a challenge trying to find an apartment with good closet space here in the city. Living in Las Vegas & having a huge mini-boutique as a closet, was great.  Unfortunately, I had to give all that up to make it work here.

So, we thought it was best to go to IKEA & buy something relatively inexpensive and similar to what I had in LV. This time I chose a closet with doors & all white. This IKEA closet system is called PAX wardrobe, the doors are white BERGSBO.

 

I love the white wardrobe, it's so bright & pretty, but a far cry from the space I used to have - don't you think? Now, instead of in a closet, my wardrobe opens up to our bedroom. I can't say I love having doors on my closet, but I definitely LOVE the way the doors look!

  

oh chandelier, I miss you! 

In order to make things interesting, I decided to give these IKEA drawers a more hip look. I lined the inside of all the drawers in a leopard wallpaper.  The same wallpaper I used in LV wardrobe above.

Then I added my jewelry - neat huh? I love how much more interesting it makes it appear!  You can add any color or style of wallpaper - just as long as you don't glue it. I recommend using double sided tape, it should hold just fine.

My friends always point out the hardware - they tell me it makes the inexpensive IKEA wardrobe look high end. I'd agree. In fact many of them didn't even think it was IKEA! The brushed gold pulls are the same ones I used on the floating shelves here. The hardware can be purchased at myknobs.

images below by janis nicolay

I donated several items of clothing & handbags before I moved out here- I only kept the ones I knew I would use. Do you keep extra handbags & never use them?? 

I am trying NOT to do that anymore.

Check out the newest issue of Style At Home magazine where more of my apartment is featured as well a great organization tips! Next week I'll show you our living room! 

So, now you know how I made my IKEA wardrobe look CHIC.

cover image via decor happy

Have you had to downsize your wardrobe?

Let me know what you think of my NYC wardrobe.

Thanks to my husband for building the whole thing, he's amazing. Stay tuned!

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Food: Blackberry, Polenta & Chicken Salad

Hi everyone, Hope you're having a nice week so far! It's Lauren from Perpetually Chic, dropping in today with a recipe I created to showcase my new favorite ingredient: Lavender. If you don't have lavender growing in your garden or available at your farmers' market, not to worry. You can find dried culinary lavender in the spice section at any good grocery store.

I know what you may be thinking--I love the scent of lavender in aromatherapy, soaps and candles, but in my food? Yes! When used in the right quantity, lavender lends an amazingly subtle (not overpowering at all) floral flavor to cocktails, lemonade, marinade and more. 

This salad combines grilled chicken and polenta with sweet blackberries and peaches--a good combo on its own, but really great with lavender weaved into the marinade and dressing. Read on for the details...

Make it ahead tip: Marinate the chicken overnight to let the flavors soak in, and cook and refrigerate the polenta for up to a day until you're ready to grill. 

Blackberry, Polenta & Chicken Salad with Lavender Vinaigrette:

For the Chicken Marinade

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons orange zest
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme
• 1 teaspoon lavender buds (I used fresh, but you can also substitute dried)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

For the Vinaigrette:

• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup white balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon lavender buds, finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt 
• Drizzle of lavender simple syrup, to taste

For the Salad

• 2 marinated chicken breasts, grilled
• 1 firm but ripe peach, diced
• A dozen blackberries
• Grilled polenta rounds
• Leafy lettuce (I love red romaine)

Instructions:

1. To make the marinade, combine all ingredients in a plastic bag. Score the chicken breasts, drop into the bag and submerge in marinade. Let sit for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator. It's even better if you make it the day ahead and let the chicken sit overnight. 
2. To make the polenta, bring three cups of water and 2 teaspoons of salt to a boil in a small pot. Reduce heat and slowly whisk in 1.5 cups of cornmeal. Keep whisking while the mixture thickens, just a few minutes. Spray a 9-inch pan and then pour the hot, thickened polenta into the pan. Let cool, about 30 minutes. (This can also be made ahead.)
3. To make the vinaigrette, whisk together all dressing ingredients in a small bowl.
4. Preheat a grill, then grill the marinated chicken breasts. Let the chicken rest 5 minutes, then slice. 
5. Cut the set polenta into pie slices or circles using a cookie cutter. Lightly brush each side with olive oil, then grill until hot and slightly charred, about 3 minutes per side.
6. Create your salad by layering the lettuce, chicken, blackberries and peaches on a plate. Serve the polenta on the side, or cut it into bite-sized pieces and top directly on the salad. 
7. Drizzle the lavender dressing over everything. I added a few lavender sprigs just for pretty presentation!

-photos & images by Lauren Craig

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