After decorating our home for the holidays, it was time to surround ourselves in a world of wonder at Skylands Manor 24th Annual Holiday Open House. The estate was decked and dazzled with lights and fanciful decor in every room. An impeccable attention to detail created a spirited visit as we perused at...
With Thanksgiving carefully packed away as the china wrapped in Black-Friday and Cyber-Monday circulars, party season has already begun, my friends! Being a frequent hostess and hospitable guest, there is a certain decorum to adopt when celebrating the festivities with style and finesse. Let me share my list of top ten do's and...
A chemical reaction appealing to the senses... Soft, aromatic, smooth... Ingredients used to create a bar of soap have certainly evolved from the time of the Babylonians in 2800 B.C, but the basic process remains elemental. Combining oils and fat with an alkali to create a bubbly reaction produces soap and glycerin....
With a list in hand, after checking it twice, I am ready to hit the market shopping for our Thanksgiving goodies. This year, in addition to filling the table with expected traditional favorites, we will enjoy some simpler choices too. One of my new favorite appetizers is a healthy dip bursting with Mediterranean...
The daylight hours were spent reading, preparing the food that quickly defrosted, or sorting through clothes to be donated... Hurricane Sandy really walloped the east coast and many of us had to break out the candles to make it through the dark nights without power. No Internet, phone, TV or electricity was challenging...
The showroom is filled with unique handmade items, which I am continually replenishing to keep the displays fresh! Have a look at the latest... Hand painted glass votive candles, chunky semi-precious stones and Deux-coupage necklace & earring sets French silk burn-out scarves and more adornments fill the center focal table Blue tweed Taupe...
Opened up new packs of Sculpey. What will I create this time? Besides molding intricate roses in the clay, time to create a little something different... Let's take a look... With all my notes, design ideas of future projects are in front of me. For Free Spirit, I combine jade, carnelian, soapstone, mother...
Charlie Brown needs to try a new snack... It sure is better than a rock and a lot more nutritious than candy corn. I bet he and Peppermint Patty could easily handle the simple recipe, with Snoopy picking up the ingredients for them at the supermarket. Pumpkin frozen yogurt... Yeah, go ahead... Yummy......
A shy glance sweeps the room, secret guests hide behind gilded facades... Who is here? And over there? No one really knows at the masquerade ball... Elegant masks have been in fashion since the twelfth century, fancied at Venetian carnivals to keep guests' true identity hidden. Wealthy socials were forbidden to consort with...
