All the Buildings in New York

All the Buildings in New York, James Gulliver Hancock

As a book lover, I'm always picking up new books that are creative and inspiring.  I recently saw the book "All the buildings in New York" and loved the illustrations.  

So, I brought it home.

All the Buildings in New York, James Gulliver Hancock

I wanted to find out more about the book, so I did some research. Turns out, there is an entire blog about it! 

All the Buildings in New York, James Gulliver Hancock

James Gulliver Hancock is an illustrator and started a blog to draw all the buildings in New York.  His drawings are amazing and he has been commissioned by all the major publications.  So, the book deal was next on the list, and it does not disappoint.

All the Buildings in New York, James Gulliver Hancock

I love seeing all the buildings through his drawings. 

All the Buildings in New York, James Gulliver Hancock

Fortunately, during my research on the book I found that James was having a book signing at Rizzoli books on 57th St. 

 I was so excited to meet the author/illustrator and get him to sign the book!

He even drew us our own little mini building in the book beside his autograph!  

So sweet!

All the Buildings in New York, James Gulliver Hancock

As if it couldn't get any better, James also drew my favorite little ice cream spot!

Now, let's hope he draws my neighborhood.  

~City Belle

All Images/Illustrations from All the Buildings in New York  James Gulliver Hancock

Lichtenstein Barneys NYC

Roy Lichtenstein Barneys NYC

Country Boy and I ventured up Madison Ave to take in the sights of the Rich and Famous.
Along the way, we saw the new Barneys Roy Lichtenstein windows and went inside to take a peak.

via thewindow.barneys.com

Pop Art..

via www.relentlessreferencing.com

via www.relentlessreferencing.com

via www.relentlessreferencing.com

The 9th Floor at Barneys is known for it's Amazing Home Collection and this is the new Lichtenstein collection. 

via thewindow.barneys.com

Perfect for Summer. 

~City Belle

Blog Love

via theglamoroushousewife.com 

As a (sometimes (OK, let's face it) practically never) blogger, you aspire to be as great as some of the amazing Bloggers, Designers, Stylists out there.
Enter Mrs Lilien.

She is a talented & uber stylish Author, Graphic Designer, Stylist, Blogger, Extraordinaire

via Mrs. Lilien

I love her style and was thrilled when my sister bought me the
Mrs Lilien cocktail swatchbook for Christmas.  

via Mrs. Lilien

 I love Design Books and I kind of have a thing for Autographed copies.  

Check out a few of my meet and greets here and here

So, as I was riding the bus to work and I saw this on Twitter 

and it all started...

I was on Cloud 9 at the thought of getting Mrs Lilien to sign my book.  

But, also I was worried she would think I was a little "stalker-ish". 

So, Country Boy and I went to Soho after work to drop off my book.  

Being Southern, I did not want to show up empty handed, so I stopped by 

Baked by Melissa to pick up a little treat for Mrs Lilien.

After we dropped off the book, I received the best tweet!

The next day we went back to retrieve the book and I was amazed at how thoughtful and sweet Mrs Lilien was to take the time to sign my beloved book. 

Although, I didn't get the opportunity to meet her, I was truly flattered!

UPDATE:

Mrs. Lilien was back in NYC last night at Bergdorf Goodman's on 5th Ave for a Restorsea Event. #restorseaatbg

So, I ran to the event after work in hopes of finally meeting her.  

(wow I look really tired) Mrs Lilien looks amazing!

She was so sweet!  So glad, I finally got to meet her! 

~City Belle

Red, Yellow, & Blue

Country Boy and I saw the Giant Rope Art in Madison Square Park. 

 The installation is Orly Genger's Red, Yellow, and Blue. 

 It's pretty cool in person!

Giant Mounds of colorful Rope!

 Rope Backdrop anyone?

All tied up! 

All photos via our Instagram.

Follow City Belle here.

Follow Country Boy here.

~City Belle

Parisian Chic, Laduree

Knowing how much we love sweets around here, we finally made it to Maison Laduree on the Upper East Side for their famous French Macarons.  

We went on a Saturday, so there was line to get in, but it was definitely worth the wait. 

 The boutique is so Chic and French in every way.  The Macaron trees were gorgeous. 

Everything was pastel and perfect. 

 Everything was so gorgeous, it was so hard to chose what we wanted.  

Laduree Menu via Facebook 

We bought a small box of these flavors:

Orange Blossom

Melon

Strawberry Candy

Salted Caramel 

Dark Chocolate 

Coffee

Image via http://farm8.staticflickr.com/

I was tiptoeing through the Tulips on Park Ave with my Laduree bag in tow.  

Have you tried Laduree?  

~City Belle

MDK5ADAY

This morning as I was walking to work they were doing construction on our floor. I asked the painter if I could come in and take a shot with my iphone; he kindly obliged. 

Recently I've started to Tumblr and Tweet.  

Follow City Belle here. 

If you follow us, we'll follow you back. 

all the best,

Country Boy~City Belle  

BK: Man on a Mission

Ben Kacmarcik is a man on a mission.  A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, he's an up and coming celebrity chef who was recently featured on the Food Network's hit show Chef Wanted.  He placed second and I honestly think it was the editing b/c you could tell who they wanted to win. I've been on many sets and I've seen it done many times.  Ben was robbed but I'm glad he didn't win, b/c now he has taken it upon himself to implement his order of operations and systems at another amazing New York City restaurant.   

That restaurant is Ilili. 

(Here's a sneak peak at the interior.  I don't want to show you too much, you need to GO.)

 Tucked just under the Flatiron Building at 236 5th Avenue we have Ilili.  A Mediterranean marvel located right in the heart of Manhattan.  They boast a magnificent cocktail list that includes a Poison Sumac Margarita and a NOT SO Bloody-Mary that appears clear when served.   Also, they have a plethora of spices from all over the globe, thus allowing Ben's creativity to shine through on the plate.  

(facing South)

There's the Flatiron Building in the back. 

Cocktail List:

Fresh Meadow  gin / st. germain / mint / cucumber / ginger 

Poison Sumac Margarita tequila / orange liqueur pomegranate juice / lime 

Phoenician Lemonade citrus vodka / orange liqueur / mint lemon / orange blossom 

St. Germain Cocktail cava / elderflower liqueur 

From Beirut with Passion basil cilantro mint infused vodka sparkling passion fruit 

Black & Blue Bubbles blackberry sorbet / stoli blueberry vodka / cava

Ilili is 3 blocks North of The Flatiron Building.

I had the Poison Sumac Margarita and it was great.  It had a kick of spice and wasn't too strong.  Just enough to take the edge-off during a lunch break in New York.  Also they have really great Natural Sparkling water.   Simple yet very effective. 

For starters we had the Baba Ghannouj with eggplant / tahini / olive oil and a few pomegranate seeds for topping.  This is served with in-house freshly made pita.  It is one of the best things I have ever put in my mouth and I've been all over the world.   Ben is doing an incredible job at executing his vision.  He sees himself as the grease that makes the engine run properly and smoothly.  Ben incorporates a step-by-step approach.  He's a cohesive unit inside the insane restaurant world of Manhattan.  

Black Iron Shrimp jalapeno / garlic / cilantro

This dish is a great way to start your meal, especially if you're sharing.  Sharing is caring and that's the philosophy at Ilili.  The ambiance is warm and engaging and you can tell the place is ran by people who care and who aren't corporate drones.  NYC is slowly being taken over and it's nice to see something like Ilili do well and remain successful in the City.   

THE STAR of the SHOW

Here we have the Branzino Escabeche served with tomato / basil / radish and red onions in a light tomato fumet broth.  Yes, this tasted just as great as it looks.  

 Finally we have the Pistachio Financier with banana ice cream / tahini fluff and topped with a sugar croquant.  I can't tell you how many restaurants I've been to in NYC and this one is one of the best I have ever been to.  The atmosphere is perfect and they basically have no competition; if you want fresh ingredients, a warm ambiance with great drinks and good food then go to Ilili.  Ben Kacmarcik is doing amazing things on the scene with his implementation of an organic and natural approach.  Ben is going to take partial responsibility with turning Ilili into a brand.  They are looking to grow, and fast.  I see Ilili having a sister location opening up sometime soon.  Maybe in a neighborhood near YOU!

Ben said, "If I'm is going anywhere....it's too far."

go to Ilili, 

~Country Boy 

Ilili

236 5th Avenue

27th Street

New York, NY

10001

(T) 212.683.2929

Blog

Twitter

The Blackfires

Rock n' Roll is back and it's in full force in New York City.  Alive and well we have 5 lads from all over the globe who have formed an undeniable force called The Blackfires. 

Here we have 5 international Renaissance Men from all over the planet.  We'll start with Beirut, Lebanon then we'll hop the pond to Central Valley, New York then back to Leeds, England and Israel; last but surely not least we have Moscow, Russia.

( I think the lead singer may be from outer space.)  

 Meet Andrey Cheggi Chegodaev from Moscow, Russia who is seriously one of the most talented lead singers I have heard in the New York Rock n' Roll scene in almost a decade.  Yes Country Boy has been in New York City for nearly 1O years.

 I'm just kidding about the outer space thing. Cheggi is following his bliss by coming to America to pursue his dream of becoming a rockstar; and he's doing a mighty fine job at it.  He has no ego and is extremely approachable, nearly shy in a way.  But as soon as he gets on stage those vocal cords rip and all hell breaks loose.  It's a sight to behold for all, or shall I say sound? 

Listen:

These guys have teamed up to form a great band with great sounding tracks that are sure to hit the radio waves soon.  

Chris(left) carries his own bags and Cheggi as well.  

They move their own equipment too.  They're as real as it gets.  

Chris Daou on his Les Paul.  This man speaks 3 languages, writes programs for computers and does technical design work for a firm in Manhattan.  Oh yeah he's in a rockband and plays lead guitar while writing riffs, messing around on the keyboard and singing.   These guys are going to make it.  

It is written.

 Cheggi and Ryan practicing before the show. 

 Ryan Egan on bass. 

 SHOUT-OUT to Alekhine's GUN and a slew of other stickers inside Trash Bar. 

 The Blackfires have a rehearsal studio they allowed me exclusive access to in Hells Kitchen, NYC.  It was extremely hot b/c you can't open the windows due to the noise.  It was worth it though.  

 Chris and Ryan discuss the nights approach. 

Don't do it Chris!

 I found a North Carolina plate inside Trash Bar where they played on 

Wednesday August 8th 2O12. 

 13 is a good number. 

 Right Cheggi?

Chris moving his own equipment. 

I guess I could've helped?

 Good times.

This is Anthony Mullin who went to Oxford and is currently studying clinical psychology at Columbia University.  Yep he's a brainiac, but he's cool as Christmas and one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet. The ladies love him.  I couldn't imagine why?  He can play the crap out of the guitar and he's 6 foot 5.  

Sometimes life ain't fair is it? 

 3 PIRATES before the show.

Chris and Cheggi

 Ryan and Anthony

Ilan Harel has a much tougher job than he gets credit for.  With dueling lead guitars it's very important for the drummer to keep tempo so as to keep unison and harmony within the band.  Ilan does a phenomenal job at maintaing balance and beat.  I like the job he does on drums as a fan.  He's a super nice guy as well.  Somebody who would be there for you if you needed him.  

Ilan has been in and around auto mechanic shops all his life and is an Italian and Asian food kinda guy.  He's multi-talented too and finds time to be a photographer on the side.  

So Ilan's a grease-head drummer shutter bug! 

 Chris and Ryan harmonizing vocals. 

ROCK n' ROLL

 Chris and Anthony on dueling lead guitars make way for 

Cheggi's lead vocals and it's a perfect fit. 

 Ryan Egan is another Renaissance man with many talents.  He teaches kick boxing in the City and went to Binghampton University in New York.  He also is an avid outdoorsman who once stayed in the wilderness for 4 days just b/c he's a badass.  Oh yeah he plays bass for the Blackfires.  

 and sings too. 

Ryan slapped the bass so hard he broke the string.  Not to fret he didn't miss a beat and a few folks eventually helped him get his other one. 

 HARMONY

A long strange trip home it was. 

 That's actually a photograph of the Empire State Building out of the window from a cab on the ride home. 

Here they are being interviewed before the show. 

Listen to The Blackfires and buy their new CD when it comes out.

until next time,

~Country Boy

all photography by MDKGlobal Design Studios 

THE BLACKFIRES

The Blackfires.com

Twitter:  @theblackfires

Facebook:  facebook.com/theblackfires