Art & Inspiration Abound on St. Simons Island!

Last month, Steve and Jill had the pleasure of hosting a painting workshop at a location of great inspiration and even more wonderful people – The Vine, a combination landscape design, event design and garden market located on St. Simons Island.

The team behind The Vine, Bryce Vann Brock and Kelly Revels, welcomed Steve and Jill to their beautiful showroom and workspace, along with a slew of vibrant and talented artists-to-be to enjoy an evening of fun and painting!

This fantastic group of women not only created some pretty fantastic artworks, they really made the event at The Vine a truly memorable evening for Steve and Jill.

Lite bites and abundant cocktails aided in our painting and these adorable cocktail napkins by Dot and Army were a sweet addition to The Vine’s lovely setup!

Check out the artists at work…

Creating art can be a messy process!

Steve guiding guests through their creation process. He is a wonderful instructor!

And has fun doing it :-))

Thank you to Bryce, Kelly and everyone at The Vine for making this painting workshop possible. We love sharing the creative process with others and we especially LOVED creating art with all of you!

Interior of The Vine
photo by Kelly Boyd Photography

Now, Steve and Jill couldn’t visit St. Simons Island without enjoying a bit of the beautiful scenery. It’s a fantastic place to garner inspiration – especially for Steve who’s always thinking about his next work…

They enjoyed a visit to Christ Church and Cemetery, which is the second oldest in Georgia!

A Patriot grave marker…

Our duo also checked out Wesley Memorial and Gardens, which were lush and beautiful.

St. Simons Island provided a wonderful working vacation and Steve and Jill were tickled to make so many new friends and enjoy the island together! Thanks to all who made it such a wonderful trip!!

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Dinner Party 101

“Let’s have some folks over for dinner this weekend!” – does the thought of this idea make your palms sweat? Don’t worry, join us on Oct. 7th for Dinner Party 101.  The ever-so thoughtful hostess, Paige Minear of The Pink Clutch blog joins us to give you the tools for an effortless, casual dinner party.

party, cocktail
Dinner Party 101: Saturday, Oct. 7th from 10 – 11:30am

You’ll go home confident, with easy, impressive recipes, design advice for a festive space, ready to reconnect with old friends and invite some new friends.

You’ll make some new friends and learn from stand-out makers such as Cathead Vodka, Schermer Pecans and Merry Cheese Crisps.

Tickets are $20 and space is limited, so grab a friend and get your tickets today! Be sure to contact the team at steve mckenzie’s with any entertaining needs.  See you soon!

Hazen & Co. Jewelry – giveaway sneak peek!

We are so excited to share a little giveaway we have planned for our friends out there, featuring one of our favorite, new (to us) jewelry brands – Hazen & Co.!

Started by the amazing Taylor Miller (at the age of nine, we might add!), Hazen & Co. is so much more than pretty jewelry. Taylor’s pieces are handmade in Texas and her ever-changing collections expand beyond jewelry to hair and even home accessories, creating a true Hazen lifestyle brand.

Taylor Miller of Hazen & Co.

Our friend Paige Minear (and past Tastemaker!) wrote a truly delightful interview post featuring Taylor and Hazen & Co. for The Southern Coterie, which can be seen here.

Taylor’s creations are playful, yet sophisticated and are downright charming. They’re an ideal way to pull an ensemble together and will always garner rave remarks.

We are absolutely tickled to offer a giveaway for a Hazen & Co. gold Clover Necklace via the steve mckenzie’s Instagram account! The giveaway is set to begin tomorrow, so please keep an eye out for that post, which will share how you’ll be able to earn a chance (or two!) at winning this fantastic piece.

Hazen’s clover necklace makes a pretty, delicate statement on its own, or it’s wonderful layered with other pieces. We’re pretty sure it’ll become a go-to for our lucky winner…

Stop by the steve mckenzie’s showroom and see some lovely Hazen & Co. pieces, which are a part of a stunning array of jewelry currently on display. And good luck in our Hazen & Co. clover necklace giveaway!!

Falling for these Favorites

Fall is here! Although there may not be much of a chill in the air, and we just weathered Tropical Storm Irma, Autumn is upon us. We have so many goodies to share with you all this fall and wanted to go ahead and showcase a few of our current favorites. Along with a “fall favorite” recipe from the pages of Garden & Gun magazine – ideal for these cooler evenings we’ve been enjoying! Let us know what you think of our fall favorite selections…

This set of 12 bamboo horseshoe picks are ideal for game day, or just about any get together! Add a bit of flare and personality to your martini, cheese tray or crockpot meatballs with these “lucky” picks!

Look effortlessly chic selecting your fall favorites from the farmer’s market with this basket. Large enough to carry a load of turnips, squash and just about anything you’ll want to bring home from the market – and stylish to boot!

Bring a bit of nature into your home this fall with this awesome hand screen printed buck throw pillow – printed and sewn in Bucks County, PA! This big guy will definitely add some personality to your sofa. Also a great gift idea for the outdoor enthusiast in your life!

Here’s one of our fall favorites, ideal for all of you entertainers… Our Loop Indigo Ice Bucket. This will be sure to dress up any tailgate or pretty up any cocktail bar – fun and functional, all in one!

Speaking of a tailgate, how about our classic dice game to add a bit of excitement?!? This handsome set includes a stitched leather cup, five rainbow dice and a multi-game instruction booklet.

Finally – a current favorite fall recipe, Garden & Gun’s Spanish Chickpea Stew. It’s warming and hearty, but won’t weigh you down. And the flavors are to die for!

Spanish Chickpea Stew

Ingredients

    • 1 pound dried garbanzo beans (chickpeas)

    • 1½ pounds collard greens

    • 6 ounces salt pork, cut into ½-inch cubes

    • 2 large onions, finely chopped (2 cups)

    • 2 garlic cloves, minced

    • 1 cup canned crushed San Marzano tomatoes

    • 1 fresh or dried bay leaf

    • 1 teaspoon pimentón (smoked sweet paprika)

    • 1 ham hock

    • Kosher salt

    • 2 teaspoons sherry vinegar

Preparation

Cover the garbanzos with cold water by 4 inches in a large bowl. Cover and let stand overnight.

Wash the collards well, then stack 5 or 6 leaves. Cut out the stems and central ribs, slicing along the sides to form a “V.” Discard the stems. Roll up the leaves and cut crosswise to form 1-inch-wide ribbons.

Cook the salt pork in a large saucepot over medium heat until the fat renders, about 5 minutes. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Add the tomato and cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Stir in the bay leaf and pimentón.

Drain the garbanzos and stir into the pot, then add the ham hock and 8 cups water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then stir in the collards and 1 tablespoon salt. Bring back to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the garbanzos and ham hock meat are tender, 1½ to 2 hours.

Remove the ham hock. When cool enough to handle, pull off the meat and return to the pot. Discard the bones and cartilage. Stir in the vinegar. Taste and add more salt if you think it needs it. Serve hot. The stew can be cooled and refrigerated in airtight containers for up 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop.

We suggest serving this alongside a crusty loaf of bread and a Spanish red wine – perfection!

Happy fall y’all – we hope to see you in the steve mckenzie’s showroom for a visit soon!

Steve McKenzie at What’s NEW, What’s NEXT in NYC!

If you’ll be in The Big Apple next week, make plans to attend What’s NEW, What’s NEXT, and see Steve as moderator for the “Innovation in Kitchen Design” panel!

Info on the panel from WNWN:

Join GRANGE and Viking Range, for a panel discussion on innovation in kitchen design including top industry names and NKBA Insiders: Karl ChampleyAlberto Villalobos and Elle H-Millard with moderator Steve McKenzie. Bites will be provided by Michelin-Star rated Executive Chef Abram Bissell of The Modern in Grange’s contemporary test kitchen.

Such a great lineup for the panel and the full lineup for the day is even more impressive! Click here to check out all the details for What’s NEW, What’s NEXT 2017 and let us know if you plan to attend!!

Here are the details of Steve’s panel…
Date: Thursday, September 14th
Time: 7:15 pm
Showroom: Grange Furniture and Viking Range, Suite 201
Hope to see you in NYC!

Labor Day Greetings from steve mckenzie!

With all the parades and barbecues planned in celebration of the holiday today, we wanted to take an opportunity to share Labor Day greetings and to thank all who make it possible for us to do what we love. We’re so grateful to be able to work within such a fantastic industry with so many talented professionals who have become our friends. 

Happy Labor Day to all!!