Martha Stewart, Michaels, painting and wine... What more do you need?! In celebration of Michael's expansion of its craft paint offerings, they threw an awesome party where we got to check out the new products. Get this too, not only did we get to learn different painting techniques like using stencils, splattering, and using rollers but we also got to paint the event space. Say what?! Oh yeah, as in painting the styled spaces including the bed, tables, canvases, rug and more. Definitely not something you get to do every day!

Needless to say, we had such a BLAST at the event! It was so much checking out the new products and trying out the paints first-hand. All while sipping on some wine from Martha Stewart Wine Co. (more on that over here)! 

We met the sweetest girls from the Atlanta team too who not only taught us how to splatter but also walked us through some of the key features of the new products. I'm certainly no Picasso, but it only took a few brush strokes to see some of the features in action including the quality of the paint. The consistency was much thicker than a lot of paints I've used before so we only needed one coat on our project. Plus it also dried quickly which is always a nice perk! 

The great thing about the expansion of the line too is they offer multi-surface, outdoor, watercolor and weather resistant paints -- so something for everyone. They really took us testing the multi-surface to heart too! Wood, canvas, metal, canvas, and the furniture. You name it, we tried it! I have to say I was really impressed with the application on each too. Now if only I could just start painting everything in my apartment like the event! 😉

If you're looking to get crafty this summer, definitely check out the Martha Stewart line at Michaels. I certainly know I will! Plus they sent us home with some goodies to try out so I'll be getting my DIY on again soon. Be sure to follow me on  Instagram to see what I make! Thanks for a great event Martha Stewart and Michaels!

Some photos courtesy of Getty & Michaels PR Team

The backyard is officially back in business and you know what that means, summer is here! When you have outdoor space in the city, there is one thing you can count on... Your friends are definitely going to want to come over and enjoy the space too! Whether you have outdoor space or not though, summer is prime for entertaining and today I'm going to share some of my tips to make planning your next get together a little bit easier!

Make the Most of Your Space

While having outdoor space definitely makes entertaining a little easier, if you're like most New Yorkers that probably isn't an option. So how do you make the most of your space (which usually isn't a lot)? If you're having 10 or more people over my first tip is to try and declutter and tidy up. Obviously, you want your apartment to be clean, but you may also want to consider putting away knick knacks or things that you normally leave out day-to-day -- coats, hats, shoes, books, etc.. When you're fitting extra people in your apartment the less things that could potentially be knocked over the better. You might not be throwing a rager, but trust me this can help. I did fit 25 people in my 380 sq ft studio after all -- all while not feeling cramped.

If you have a little room to play with, reorganizing your furniture to allow for extra standing space can really help too. When I have a bigger party in the backyard I usually fold up the lounge chair and move some of the chairs out of the way so it's a little bit more open. Again, you don't have to go crazy, but moving things to the edge of your room can make a big difference in the space you'll have.

Keep the Menu Simple

I'm the queen of wanting to try all of the things and am a little guilty of trying to do too much when it comes to entertaining. You know what that leads to too? Oh yeah, that stress thing which is a total buzzkill. One of my biggest pieces of advice when it comes to entertaining is to keep the menu simple! It will make hosting so much more enjoyable and let's get real, who has space for a ton of ingredients anyways. Big city, small fridge!

My suggestion is to pick a couple of main dishes and sides and call it a day. BBQs are perfect for this because you can grill up a few things, make a salad, grab a few bags of chips and some cut up fruit and BAM you're all set! If you want to dazzle your friends with your cooking skills great, but as long as you have enough of the food you select, no one will complain! The more you can prep the night or day before the better too. Simple and stress-free for the day of is the goal!

Make Sure the Drinks are On Point

Now onto another important factor of your party... the drinks! Oh yes! I was introduced to Our/Vodka a few years back and they just launched a brand new product called Our/Infusions that are perfect for summer entertaining. They are DIY vodka infusion kits and I'm not going to lie I had SO much fun trying these out. There are 4 different varieties Our/Juniper, Our/Oak, Our/Citrus, and Our/Tea and each bottle comes with a bag of botanicals, a filter, and sticker to mark when it was infused.

The process is super simple (you can watch the full rundown here). You put the botanicals in the filter, just like you were making tea. Then you roll them up and put them in the bottle. They can take between 8 mins and 15 hours to infuse (depending on the flavor) so I'd suggest doing them the night ahead of your party. 

The cocktails that accompany the selections are SO tasty too and come right on the tag. I've been really big on Moscow Mules this year because 1.) They are so refreshing and delicious and 2.) They are really easy to make (back to that simple factor). If you're a fan like me, this recipe is perfect for your get together:

Our/Oak Infused Mint Mule

Ingredients  

• 2 parts Oak Infused Our/Vodka

• 1/4 part lime

• 5 mint leaves

• Top with ginger beer (My fav is Gosling's)

Another go-to for me are vodka lemonades, which the kits also taste great with. I really like that option too because people who don't drink or kids can enjoy the lemonade separate and then those looking for a boozy treat can add vodka. All about those easy, breezy and totally delicious options. 

Well, now that your space is ready, you've created a simple menu and your drinks are on point, you're all set to partayyyy! Do you have more tips to add? Share your best advice in the comments below.

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**Disclaimer: Our/Vodka provided me with complimentary Our/Infusion kits in exchange for a review for their products. This post and all opinions stated are based on my own ideas and honest experience with the product and has not been influenced based upon the sponsorship.

Located in Chelsea, Roth Bar offers a truly unique atmosphere to enjoy a drink or bite while also getting a taste of art. I stopped by to check out the spot and enjoy a housemade soda and the space made quite the impression! The bar is filled with a sculpture that was designed entirely by salvaged materials by Björn Roth, Oddur Roth and Einar Roth (relatives to the Swiss artist Dieter Roth).

The bar is located inside the Hauser & Wirth gallery in Chelsea and was actually a really cool space to take a break in between gallery hopping. It's definitely not your average coffee shop or bar! Take a look at some of this sculpture! If you can think of it, it's was probably in here -- lights, old TV screens, wires, candles. Let's just say a game of I Spy could get realllllyyy interesting in there!

Beyond giving your eyes a whole lot to take in, the bar is actually fully functional as well. Serving up locally sourced seasonal bites from Great Performances such as Delicata and Butternut Squash Soup with Coconut Milk and Garam Masala, Forest Mushroom Flatbread with Roasted Onion and Prosciutto-Infused Spinach. They also offer a wide range of coffees, teas, housemade sodas and cocktails!

I opted for a refreshing blackberry housemade soda and it was just what my afternoon needed! Although I'm definitely going to have to come back to try some of their new artisanal cocktails as well. 

Starting this month (holy moly it's June!), they will also be showing a series of films chosen by the gallery on the rooftop with refreshments available for purchase. Which, let's be honest, who doesn't love a good rooftop viewing in the summer?! 

It was a really neat spot that I'd definitely recommend if you're looking for something a little different or for a place to sit and relax a little while you're getting your art on in the neighborhood. For more information on the location or to visit yourself, visit the link below.