May 8, 2008
Something wonderful has just bloomed in the West Village. Founded by
Sarah Tallman, a former beauty executive who developed fragrance, makeup and skincare products for Estée Lauder, Prada and Ralph Lauren,
Grove New York is a new lifestyle boutique with an eclectic selection of home décor accessories, signature fragrance products and one-of-a-kind gifts like silk pillows made from vintage scarves.
In the back of the store, there ...
May 7, 2008
Parents snap thousands of shots of their little ones, but capturing their child's beauty and spirit in one incredible photo can be a challenge. Not for
Ron Holtz, a professionally trained photographer and father of three who has a wide breath of experience shooting children, families, celebrities, CEOs and brides. In honor of Mother's Day, Holtz gives us his best advice on getting fabulous photos of the ...
May 6, 2008
It’s hard to get out of the hot seat when you have
Simon de Pury around. That’s the lesson that actress
Michelle Monaghan got last week at the
Portraits and Polaroids art auction to benefit
Free Arts NYC, an organization that provides underprivileged children and their families with art and mentoring programs.
Sponsored by 7 For All Mankind and
Vanity Fair, the event is known for its high ...
May 1, 2008
Just in time for Cinco de Mayo, we convinced mixologist
Willy Shine of
Contemporary Cocktails to share his recipe for the
Partida Pina Margarita, which was originally created for the VIP launch party for the
Astor Center in New York.
Once you taste the sweet pineapple and the unexpected punch of cilantro, you, too, will be shouting,
Viva Mexico!
Recipe courtesy ...
April 30, 2008
Guest blogger Danielle Venokur of dvGreen (who designed our recent Eco-Chic Entertaining event) braved the crowds at Go Green Expo to seek out some cool, new companies that are making a difference in the world. Here she shares her latest green discoveries.
New York's first green expo may have come and gone, but some great resources are here to stay! For two days ...
April 29, 2008
In Italian,
Bella Figura means "beautiful impression," the perfect name for an artisan letterpress shop that creates the most exquisite wedding invitations and baby announcements. Our favorites include the Circolo 2, a geometric burst of red and grey dots and the Circus Baby which features an adorable train of animals.
Founders
Debbie Urbanski and
Harold Kyle had a love for letterpress ...
April 28, 2008
In the late '80s, hairstylist
John Masters found the business of beauty had become a dirty job. Toxins known to be carcinogenic or harmful such as parabens, phthalate, petroleum and coal tar derivatives were regularly found in hair care and skincare products in the United States.
Having personally embraced the organic lifestyle meant that Masters had to find a way to avoid harsh ...
April 28, 2008
Guest blogger Danna Weiss is no stranger to the fashion industry. She was a designer for Donna Karan, an editor at Cosmopolitan, a celebrity stylist for Molly Sims and a TV personality. But, after a near fatal bacterial infection, Weiss gave her lifestyle (and her closet) an organic makeover. Now, the eco-life stylist is using her experience to show the fashion flock how to dress eco-chic.
In this ...
April 25, 2008
Sometimes an event can be the perfect stage to send a message, especially one that is green. Last year event designer
David Stark made quite the statement by decorating the
Cooper Hewitt National Design Awards gala with thousands of shreds of used paper. We asked the design maverick about the inspiration behind the now-legendary "paper waste topiaries," cool ways to bring the garden indoors and his latest green ...
April 24, 2008
While you might need planes, trains and automobiles to get to your global destination, there are lots of eco-friendly ways to party hop around town. In New York, the green transportation choices range from luxury hybrid car services like
OZOcar, that come equipped with friendly drivers, wireless connections and satellite radio to pedicabs by
Revolution Rickshaw, which are powered by hunky cyclists or solar energy.
On ...
April 23, 2008
For caterer Leslie Nilsson, there is no place like home. After extensive travels through Europe and living in both Italy and France, Nilsson returned to New York to open
Sage American Kitchen and
Sage Events, catering companies that focus on regional American cuisine, artisanal, handmade food and old-fashioned, friendly service. Seeking out family-run farms and purveyors and using only naturally grown produce, meat and ...
April 22, 2008
"The world is a better place when chocolate is involved," says chocolatier,
Justine Pringle.
After sampling some of the decadent golden caramel butterflies and hand dipped salted caramels from her company
Nunu Chocolates, we couldn’t agree more. The fact that she uses all organic ingredients (like sugar, butter, cream and vanilla) and chocolate from family-run, sustainable farms in Columbia, makes ...
April 18, 2008
Nature lovers will swoon over
Joy by Mel Lim, an Asian inspired stationery brand with adorable note cards, invitations and wrapping paper.
Founded by award winning graphic designer
Mel Lim, the conscientious company makes every effort to select materials and production processes that are eco-friendly. Greeting cards contain 30% post consumer fibers. Wrapping paper is printed with soy based ...
April 17, 2008
Created exclusively for our
green cocktail party, the delicious Eco-Chic Martini is made from healthy berries, fresh organic juices and
Reyka, a vodka made in Iceland from pure water in a distillery powered by geothermal steam. It’s considered the most eco-friendly vodka in the world. Here's the secret recipe so you can start saving the ...
April 16, 2008
Welcome to the new green scene.
Last Thursday,
Notes on a Party invited the city's most fashionable event planners, bon vivants and green advocates to the
Astor Center for "A Night of Eco-Chic Entertaining,” and there was nary a Birkenstock in sight. An elegant cocktail reception, the event showcased some of the best new products and services that we’ve discovered in the green marketplace. In a ...
April 14, 2008
See that giant heap of presents? Children's birthdays can be a time of eco-unfriendly excess but it is possible to keep them green. Here are a few ideas for gifts that are cool for the kiddos and gentle on our planet.
FOR THE CREATIVE KID:
Natural Finger Paint for Kids by Livos. ($24)
- This finger paint has all of the messy fun without the chemicals. Derived from vegetable dyes and ...
April 11, 2008
With so many eco-caterers around, eating green at a party has never been easier. Drinking green, on the other hand, has proved a trifle more difficult…until now.
Modmix is a new, luxury cocktail mixer created with organic fruits and herbs with no added artificial substances of any kind. Their gourmet, handcrafted recipes come in delightful flavors such as pomegranate cosmopolitan, lavender ...
April 9, 2008
For chef and restaurateur
Matthew Kenney, becoming one of the leading influences in the raw food movement happened by chance. After (reluctantly) accompanying a friend to a "raw food" restaurant, Kenney had an experience that not only changed the course of his career but also his life.
Surprised and inspired by the positive effects after his first raw meal, the classically trained chef (who had been named one of the "Ten ...
April 4, 2008
It might not be easy being green for Kermit the Frog, but for
Mary Cleaver, the owner of
The Cleaver Co., New York’s hottest eco-catering and event planning business that showcases organic, local, and sustainable foods, it comes naturally.
“We wanted to figure out how to get more farm product into the city,” explains Cleaver of her catering philosophy. And so she partnered with
Farm to ...
April 3, 2008
From gallery openings to birthday bashes to charity benefits, 24-hour party people are being invited to stylish events of all kinds via
pingg. With its modern graphics, cutting edge delivery system and clean interface (devoid of annoying ads),
pingg has quickly become the online invitation of choice for design conscious event planners and chic hosts all over the world.
While
Emily Post may dictate that a handwritten printed ...
April 1, 2008
You may be an entertaining expert, but are you
eco-chic?
These days a hostess needs to be both stylish and sustainable. To show you that you don't have to sacrifice one for the other, we are dedicating the entire month of April to our favorite green event vendors, luxe products and smart services.
Our special series, called
Eco-Chic Entertaining, will be your guide to ...
March 28, 2008
Your favorite couple is getting married. As you scroll through their wedding registry filled with the requisite china, silverware and perhaps even a blender, you wonder if any of these gifts are meaningful enough. If tradition dictates that you give something for the home, why not something for its walls?
Susan Spiritus, a fine art photography dealer, works with many clients interested in purchasing art ...
March 28, 2008
Jaime Stewart-McConnell knows a thing or two about romance. She is the daughter of Butch Stewart, the legendary chairman of Sandals Resorts, grew up on the magical island of Jamaica and married the boy she'd been friends with since childhood.
Not to mention that Preston Bailey designed her spectacular wedding on her family's estate in Northern Jamaica.
We first met Jaime at the
celebrity-filled opening weekend ceremony ...
March 27, 2008
Drama can be found in the smallest details. If you are looking for elegant food with a "wow-factor," you call caterer
Olivier Cheng who has customized menus for countless VIP occasions including Elton John's 60th birthday, actress Amanda Peet's wedding and the opening of the new Hermes boutique downtown. He is known for his inventive menus and his simple yet dramatic food presentation which often includes ...
