Why You Should Go to The Affordable Art Fair in NYC

You don’t have to be a squillionaire to have original art on your walls ~ Will Ramsay (founder of the Affordable Art Fair)

We're psyched, the Affordable Art Fair in NYC is coming up in just two weeks on April 4 - 7 (Thursday through Sunday).  This is the event that turned our apathy for contemporary art upside down!

Why You Should Go:

1. If you are not a fan of contemporary art, it's important to GO - because you'll get to see that there is so much more to contemporary art than the very abstract pieces that are displayed at established institutions like the Moma, or the MET.  

2. To see the many genres and styles of art you've probably never seen before.  

3. So you won't think that even my 5 year old can draw that.  

4. Are you over-worked and jaded by the urban lifestyle?  Go to be inspired.

Artists from all over the world participate in this annual event, so you can find unique pieces of art without traveling halfway around the world.  Many pieces are also priced under $1,000 and in keeping with the afforability theme, the event is FREE to attend the evening of Friday, April 5 from 6pm to 8pm.  If you can't make it at that time, tickets can be purchased online here.

Robert Clarke. Coffee. Screen print. 16x12in. $475. 

Color Block by Janet Sherman

Pink and Golden Eye by Myung Nam An

Peter Parker by Simon Monk

Eye Catching One Piece Swimsuits

One piece swimsuits just aren't considered to be as sexy as bikinis, but like artwork on a piece of canvas, they can be interesting to look at.

We love the geometric inspired pieces here.  These three pieces show that athleticism and beauty can exist wonderfully in tandem!

This one by Zero + Maria has a nice ray of darkness band to contrast the white strapless suit.

Zero + Maria Cornejo Aima One Piece Swimsuit

Our favoriate one here by Norma Kamali is designed to look like there is a white ribbon twirling around you.

Norma Kamali Route 66 One Piece Swimsuit

This Kushcush Rachel piece is sailor chic and oh so sailor cute.

Kushcush Rachel One Piece Swimsuit

Anatomy of a Perfect Sandwich

It's ironic that a good sandwhich is so hard to find, yet it is composed of merely 3 very simple components:

1. well seasoned fillings cooked and made from Scratch
2. good melted cheese
3. sauce made from scratch- usually marmaldade, jam, chutney, etc.

Perhaps not so ironic afterall, since a good sandwich must have ingredients that are mostly made from SCRATCH, making them an antithesis to our cultural fixation on fast and easy.  

We took our 3 step theory to the test and made one filled with sauteed veggies, melted gruyere cheese, persimmon jalapeno jam, and whole grain toast. It was so good, but alas, not as fast as seeing your sandwich made at Subways.  This is a lesson in learning that good things take TIME.

Step 1: sautee your veggies – here we saute kale, broccoli rabe, and chanterelle mushrooms over butter, sea salt, and minced ginger

Saute Veggies

Step 2: Have a few thin slices of gruyere cheese and jam ready. We get our Persimmon Jalapeno jam from Napa Farmhouse 1885, out in California

gruyere cheese and persimmon jalapeno jam

Step 3:  Spread some jam, or chutney on the bread you’ll be using to top the sandwich.  Then place sauteed veggies and some gruyere cheese over whole grain bread - toast in the toaster till the cheese melts.  Finally - take a bite of a taste of heaven!

Sandwich filling with melted gruyere cheese

Factory Worker Jumpsuits * aka Boiler Suits

If you ever find yourself in Brooklyn, New York, you should head down Bakeri - not only because they have the most delicious scrumptous chocolate fudge macadamia cherry cookies, but also to see their young stylish staff outfitted in factory worker jumpsuits!  They looked so comfortable, and utilitarian, so we did some research and found that these outfits are historically known as boiler suits.  

The origin of boiler suits date back to the early twentieth c entury, when maintenance technicians would wear them to climb inside coal burning boilers to clean out debris and soot .  Because the entrance to these boilers were narrow, these suits are cleverly designed to be one piece so parts of your clothing won't get stuck as you maneurver in and out of the firebox.

the staff of Bakeri in Boiler Suits - from jsbe

You can get these same boiler suits at Bakeri too for $50!  We are tempted to say the least, but if you're not heading down to Williamsburg, Brooklyn anytime soon, we've found some great one piece suits inspired by these boiler suits.

Friends & Associates is a new clothing line with boiler suits designed for the summertime.  We love the simple clean color scheme of these outfits!

Summer Boiler Suit From Friends & Associates

This one by AG Adriano Goldschmied looks nice and loungey enough for a walk out by the beach.

AG Adriano Goldschmied Chambray Romper in Cove

Mainland Concert at Paper Box - East Williamsburg, Brooklyn

Last Sunday, we ventured out to East Williamsburg, Brooklyn to catch the Mainland concert last at Paper Box - a new artsy performance venue in East Williamsburg, Brooklyn.  It was a blast, you really can't go wrong with ice cold beer, great live music, plus a venue that is warm, cozy, clean- with a fully stocked bar; it was like the perfect living room to have.  Their events page is available here.

Mainland plays rock tunes with catchy guitar riffs - very reminiscent of bands like Oasis, Weezer, and others from the alternative music scene of the 90's.  We know we get tired of our 90's music playlist sometimes, so it's always refreshing to find a new band that fits that genre.

Jordan Topf as lead vocals

It's hard to believe that Paper Box was formerly an industrial building.  This space has been transformed into a cozy hangout for grabbing a beer and washing away your week's worth of stress with great live music from up and coming bands.