Living room

Artwork should be hung at eye level, but this rule is null and void if you have high ceilings and the luxury to stack several images.
The bigger the piece, the closer it should be to the piece of furniture accompanying it, for example a sofa or a console table. Separation from the furniture can range from four to six inches.

Bathrooms & Kitchens

I think that anything goes in these locations and artwork is unexpected and striking.
We have a stretched canvas of our girls which has been in the bathroom for 2 years and has not been damaged by moisture.

The kitchen makes a fantastic place to hang nontraditional images and makes a great conversation piece when you entertain.
I tend to favor canvas wraps in these spaces as they have a clean look, being surrounded by the cabinetry and appliances of the average kitchen.

Bedrooms

I tend like a more subdued feel in the bedroom because I believe that bedrooms should be restful sanctuaries.
Sepia prints, watercolors with softer colors can work well. Bedrooms are also the place for smaller pieces and a grouping of artwork is a nice touch.

Hallways

Hallways are perfect for creating a gallery of mismatched frames and styles
I encourage people to have art in a variety of media — prints, hand torn watercolors and canvases in both sepia and color. The cohesive theme tying the artwork together is Mac’s photographic style and the style and hues of the frames.
Over time you can build up to a collection that runs from floor to ceiling, I often sit and look at our gallery of images celebrating the children over the years.

To make your own gallery display…

• Start by making a “blueprint”:
• Take a roll of paper the size of the wall (or paste paper panels together) that is to become a gallery and then put it on the floor.
• Place the mismatched works on top of the paper the way you want them arranged on the wall.
• Rearrange and experiment with the works until they look just right.
• Use a pencil to mark exactly where each should go.
• Tape the paper on the wall and put nails in the places where you want each piece to go.
• Carefully rip the paper off the wall and voilà, there’s the gallery!”

Scholastic Store

Located in the heart of Soho, this store is stocked with books and interactive stations for kids to play at — Harry Potter fans can test their knowledge.
Check the website for free events at the weekend

557 Broadway
between Prince and Spring Streets
212–343-6166
www.scholastic.com/sohostore

Chinatown’s Lunar New Year Parade

The parade travels from Little Italy through Chinatown with marching bands, floats and lion and dragon dancers twirling the entire way.
The parade begins at 1pm at Mott and Hester Streets
January 29th @ 1pm
www.betterchinatown.org
917–660-2402

Standard Hotel Ice-Skating Rink

Families can skate alongside the High Line in t this 3,000 Sq foot rink outside the Meatpacking District hotel.
Enjoy spiced apple cider, steamed eggnog and crepes at the outdoor Kaffeehaus.

Monday-Thursday, noon — midnight.
Friday, noon –1am.
Sat, 9am — 1am
Sun, 9am– midnight
848 Washington Street at 13th Street
212–645-4646
www.standardhotels.com

The convention is a gathering for education, inspiration and to discover new products. We enjoyed sharing ideas with other professionals and have come back excited about a new year at Hartshorn Portraiture.

The weather was beautiful and a lovely change from the cold weather of New Jersey. We made time to try local food, do a little celebrity spotting and enjoyed a night of great jazz.

The trip was only slightly marred by a phone call from our daughter Cameron. She informed that at her weekly swimming lesson she had been locked in a bathroom for over an hour! Apparently she kept calm, notes were passed back and forth and eventually the fire department was called to break the door down! Why does it always happen when you are out of town?

There is always room for improvement in any business and ours is not exception. We will continue to fine-tune our service on every level and plan to launch a few new products later this year.
We’ll keep you posted.

Thanks to Milena for all these beautiful images.

Tonight we will put the finishing touches on our toddler size Santa. We have been making this since I was a girl, mum and I continue the tradition with the girls. I will post the fruits of our labor in the next few days.

Now is the time to think about table decorations for the many meals we will to cook for family and friends in the next few weeks. Here are some of my inspirations for this season’s decor.

I tend to create a big display with Christmas tree branches, holly and pine cones that runs down the table and accent with candles but love some of the cleaner looks show below. I do find that napkins tied with ribbon always make a table looked pulled together and have a thing for burlap as you can see with my outdoor decorations. The bunches of rosemary tied to each chair would make a fantastic aroma as well as a beautiful decoration.
Happy Holidays!

Peter and the Wolf

Isaac Mizrahi narrates Sergei Prokofiev’s charming children’s classic, as George Manahan conducts the Juilliard Ensemble and artist Jason Hackenwerth brings the production to life with newly commissioned balloon sculptures.

Dec 10, 11, 16, 17 and 18th
2.30pm and 4pm
Tickets — $35

Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
1071 Fifth Avenue
(at 89th Street)
New York, NY 10128–0173

The Nutcracker Ballet by New York City Ballet

Our girls love this performance at the Lincoln Center
Now through December 31st.
nycballet.com
212–496-0600

Holiday Train Show at The New York Botanical Gardens

Within the enchanting setting of the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, model trains zip over bridges and past replicas of New York landmarks made of plant parts such as nuts, bark, and leaves. Show favorites include the original Yankee Stadium, Statue of Liberty, and Brooklyn Bridge.

nybg.org
2900 Southern Boulevard
Bronx, NY 10458
718.817.870

Peter Pan

Tony Award nominee Cathy Rigby takes flight in an all new production of Peter Pan! Discover the magic all over again of this two time Emmy award winning and two time Tony award nominated production. The New York Times says “Rigby still carries off the flights, fights and acrobatics that make Peter Pan audiences mesmerized.” Peter Panis filled with timeless magical moments and a captivating hook. The legend you thought you knew, is now the adventure you never dreamed possible…Cathy Rigby is Peter Pan

Madison Square Garden
From December 14th to 30th
thegarden.com

This year our girls each took up an instrument, Madeline the piano and Cameron the harp. A friend of ours, Monika and I decided to have a mini recital for the children in our home, play a few Christmas songs and each share food from our own heritage. Another family joined in and we had a party on our hands!

We started the evening by grabbing a couple of hot sausage rolls and walking to the Hoboken Homeless Shelter. The kids sang Christmas carols to the guests while Monika accompanied on her violin…everyone joined it and had a great time.

We headed home and enjoyed a Hungarian tradition — warm, mulled white wine -  while listening to our children’s choice of music for the night. The night was made complete with a solo by Monika on the violin — there was not a dry eye in the house! Earlier that day, I had thrown together a beef stew and we tucked in and followed up with UK mince pies (dried fruit filling), German apple pie and Hungarian Beigli (pastry with poppy seeds and walnut filling).

What started out as a sweet idea turned into a wonderful event that we plan to repeat soon.

Jamie Oliver’s Beef Stew
Ingredients

• olive oil
• a knob of butter
• 1 onion, peeled and chopped
• a handful of fresh sage leaves
• 800g/1¾lb stewing steak or beef skirt, cut into 5cm/2 inch pieces
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• flour, to dust
• 2 parsnips, peeled and quartered
• 4 carrots, peeled and halved
• ½ a butternut squash, halved, deseeded and roughly diced
• optional: a handful of Jerusalem artichokes, peeled and halved
• 500g/1lb 2oz small potatoes
• 2 tablespoons tomato purée
• ½ a bottle of red wine
• 285ml/½ pint beef or vegetable stock
• zest of 1 lemon, finely grated
• a handful of rosemary, leaves picked
• 1 clove of garlic, peeled and finely chopped

Preheat the oven to 300ºF. Put a little oil and your knob of butter in casserole pan. Add your onion and all the sage leaves and fry for 3 or 4 minutes. Toss the meat in a little seasoned flour, then add it to the pan with all the vegetables, the tomato purée, wine and stock, and gently stir together. Season generously with freshly ground black pepper and just a little salt. Bring to the boil, place a lid on top, then cook in the preheated oven until the meat is tender. Sometimes this takes 3 hours, sometimes 4 – it depends on what cut of meat you’re using and how fresh it is. The only way to test is to mash up a piece of meat and if it falls apart easily it’s ready. Once it’s cooked, you can turn the oven down to about 225°F and just hold it there until you’re ready to eat.

The best way to serve this is by ladling big spoonfuls into bowls, accompanied by a glass of French red wine and some really fresh, warmed bread. Mix the lemon zest, chopped rosemary and garlic together and sprinkle over the stew before eating. Just the smallest amount will make a world of difference – as soon as it hits the hot stew it will release an amazing fragrance.

Need I say more?