With a touch of the screen or click of your mouse, arriving at a friend's Facebook wall to add a sentiment is simple and immediate. Real easy, doesn't need much thought or prep, just a quick way to relay a message. Yes, I myself check the daily news feed and pop over to a friend's wall whenever reminded of a daily event. This is the future; this is today's communication. But I can't help feeling something is still missing... 

I've always loved sending and receiving hand written correspondence. A card, a note with a gift or even a rare letter connect you to another being on a different level. There is mindful intention involved, time carefully invested to message personal thoughts in words streamed from mind through hand to paper. This is a gift in and of itself. 

For those remaining customers of Hallmark and Papyrus, take heart. I have created another option for us... 

Take Heart Tokens from A little something...®

Each colorful card is hand-cut and created of embossed and specially printed papers, featuring raised embellishments and whimsical trims. With the inside blank, take a moment to add your special sentiment for a friend in need of kind words or a simple birthday message and wish. Sizes vary and each card is an original without duplication. You'll be able to purchase them individually or in sets I'm assembling, to have on hand when the need arises. Here, have a sneak peek at a few from the debut collection: 

With today's quickening technology aiding the necessary, time for creative correspondence can easily be penciled in. There is always someone who will appreciate a Take Heart Token ®... a little something from you to make them feel special... xoxo-Sonya

Sometimes, all it takes is a little something to help refocus and renew. From our visit to the Stone Museum in Monroe Township, New Jersey, here are a few serene moments encountered to share with you...

 It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see. ~ Henry David Thoreau

Two roads diverged in a wood,

And sorry I could not travel both 

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I - 

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference. 

~ Robert Frost

Time to take a break and just breathe... xoxo -Sonya

Swift as a shadow, short as any dream;

Brief as the lightning in the collied night... ~William Shakespeare

On one of a many long summer evening, we are enveloped by a cool breeze as we secure seats in the outdoor amphitheater. Excited in anticipation of the show, I can recall the first time I encountered this play from my youth at what seemed to be a different time. It was in fact...  Just fourteen years old, in high school, I experienced A Midsummer Night's Dream as a costume designer for a children's production of Shakespeare's famous play. But tonight, I am sitting with my twelve year old daughter and husband as an observer, ready to enjoy a modern rendition in a traditional Greek venue...

Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey presents annual outdoor stage performances at the College of St. Elizabeth in Morris Township, becoming a refreshing favorite each summer. This year, A Midsummer Night's Dream is an exuberant, 90-minute production perfect for children and families of all ages, and happens to commemorate the 10th Anniversary of the Outdoor Stage in jubilant style. A Midsummer Night's Dream includes a new 4:30 pm twilight performance on select Saturdays and Sundays in addition to 8:15 pm performances Tuesdays through Sundays. The show is running now through July 31st.

Last year, we experienced The Tempest, and fell in love with the theatre! The caliber of professional actors of the troop transport you to a different time and place under the stars, just as patrons originally delighted in the works of Shakespeare so many centuries ago.

For a cultural and entertaining evening, try spending a midsummer night with Shakespeare... You'll be glad you did... xoxo-Sonya