May your home be filled with love and joy this Holiday Season...

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all!

The bridge was closed. Yep, the GPS directions were simple enough and correct, but the bridge was closed. I thought we saw another sign on Route 17 as we steered left, but in the opposite direction. So after a few turns, we followed that sign. We needed to pass over the brook at some point to get to the property on the other side. Okay, as seamen adjust their sails with the wind, we adjusted our ride to the road.

The gate was narrow, allowing for just one car. You could see the stately mansion in the distance. Making a left over the threshold, the tires crunched on the parking gravel. What a beautiful building, the white colonnades and trim outlining this 19th century country estate, standing proud before a deciduous background in afternoon sun. The cold air hurried us to the front door of Hudson Valley's grand jewel. Our appetites were ready to be satiated with food, ambiance and music.

While there are several vineyards scattered along the Hudson a hefty drive from even our neck of the woods, Torne Valley Vineyards is just minutes from our humble abode and so worth the ride, even with the unexpected detour. For those out and about finishing some Christmas shopping, you can easily squeeze a visit to this gem on your way to the Palisades Center. Befitting for us on Saturday since our friend Ed Packer was playing a gig at Torne Valley that afternoon.


Rockland County's only working winery offers tastings open to the public on weekends, Saturday and Sunday from 11am until 5:30pm. For a simple fee of $5 you can sample five of their wines in their period tasting room, from a semi-sweet white, Sweet Summertime, to a dry red, Cabernet Franc. Of the seven wines offered, you can purchase a bottle and afterwards head over to their cafe where the simple luncheon offerings will complete a lovely relaxing afternoon.

But you don't have to be a wine connoisseur to enjoy the serenity of the estate. Sitting in the main dining room, we drank in the ambiance created with wide walnut moldings around each doorway, patterned parquet floor, poinsettia festooned hearth, and the array of floor-length windows behind Ed with the afternoon sunlight pouring through the vintage glass panes. It is elegant, charming, warm and busy! We were there for about an hour and a half and the place was filled with families, couples and small groups of friends from the area and beyond. I enjoyed a chicken panini, Robert had the gnocchi, and Brenna tried the dumplings with a soy dipping sauce, all of which hit the spot. Since we wanted to linger a little longer enjoying another one of Ed's sets, we all had coffee and slices of their decadent chocolate layer cake. Yum! 

I couldn't help but think this would be a great place for a date or a girls' afternoon out, not to mention a wedding or private party. The unique charm of Torn Valley makes a perfect backdrop for special events. From the pictures on their website, this place must be revisited in the summer to appreciate the full effect of the grounds. There is a veranda where guests can enjoy the beauty around them, while warmed with the bounty beheld in the bottle. Every weekend you can relax and enjoy live music while sipping their handcrafted wines, all made one bottle at a time. Our friend Ed Packer played for the entire afternoon from 1 until 5pm. 

Uncorked in New York? You bet! Feels good to drink in the culture while supporting some local business this Holiday season... xoxo-Sonya

What do you really need?

What do you really want?

What will you actually give this year?

At a stage in life when you really don't need anything but want something cool while deciding what to give those hard-to-buy-for on your list, where do you start? I spent a bit of time thinking and researching some ideas to share. Some of these might appeal to you or perhaps spark an idea for something else. I'll present my Top Ten Gifts for 2013 and let you decide. What about a little something for...

1) The Foodie... Robert came home with one of the most divine jars of jam from a coworker, and once we opened it, we were hooked! In need of replenishment and curious to try some more, I discovered The Jam Stand, a two-woman operation, creates these most delicious, clever flavors using local ingredients, made with love in New York. They believe "packaged food doesn’t have to mean processed food" and I can tell you we tried them all. The Sweet WINO-nion is divine on a burger with melted cheddar. You will not be disappointed with your selection and the shipping is quick and hassle-free.

5) The Keeper of Memories... In just an hour, you can take those digital photos on your tablet or laptop and make them into a beautiful book for a grandparent or best friend. One way is through Blurb who provides the down-loadable software free and all you do is pick a layout and fill in the digital memories.

Or if you are an Apple customer, holiday gifts are made in a snap with Print Products for iOS by simply "tap, tap, publish" for something truly original and memorable from your iPhone or iPad. 


6) The Beverage Bud... A nice cold beer or a cool glass of wine - no ice! But it would be nice if it stayed cold... Well Rox figured this out and voila, the Eternal Ice Cubes were created. These are great for coffee, beer, wine, or spirits, or any drink kept cold without the dilution dilemma. 

7) The Party Pal... Could we just get away from the video game controller and work on our people skills for awhile PLUS have a great laugh? Reverse Charades will have the gang in stitches from beginning to end. Great for the office party, kids' get-together or just a great night in with some fun friends. This game is good for your health, you'll be laughing so much! And wouldn't you want to share the love with a good laugh this holiday season?

8) The Device Diva / Dude... Baby, it's cold outside, but I have to send that text. I must admit it is frustrating to use your touch-screen device in the cold with frosty unprotected fingers. But we've got an "app" for that! North Face has the solution - E-tip Gloves will keep your hands warm while you scroll through Tumbler. Now this is definitely something to Tweet about!

9) The Movers and Shakers... Well, isn't just about everyone on your list on the go? Whether it's a cell, tablet or IPhone, it is very inconvenient when the battery dies out, especially when you are in the middle of something. No need to worry if you have one of these portable chargers, though. Choose a preferred color or pattern (let's stay stylish while we're at it!) to throw in a purse or pocket, ready for the moment you need a boost.

10) The Challenge... Okay, sometimes the best gift of all comes in one color, one size, accepted by all - cash. But with a little bit of creativity, the presentation becomes part of the gift. From Tip Junkie, they show many interesting ways to gift bills other than just passing the money envelope. Yes, you need a bit of patience with some of the projects, but it might be worth the effort. Or just take a look at the examples to spark some other creative presents of your own.

Oh, no.

Oh, yes...

From the corner of my eye, Brenna begins to slide down lower in the passenger seat. I spotted it from halfway down the street and began to slow the Explorer to get a closer look as we approached. By now, Brenna is practically all the way down in the seat and begins to pull the hood of her sweatshirt up over her head. I pull up to the curb right in front and shift the truck into park.
You would think we were about to do a drug deal.

But even after all the times I have done this, you would think she would be used to her mother by now. Why so embarrassed? While some may call this stealth score garbage picking, I prefer to use the term rescued trash for treasure. So many people toss their discarded pieces at the curb, and I see this as a creative opportunity, a fun challenge, to make something new, re-purpose and refresh. Besides, it's time for a new project.

It was in sad shape. The table was missing a few pieces of molding and trim. But I knew I could do something with it and besides, we could use a small table for the hallway to uphold the ever-disappearing candy dish. Yeah, like magic that candy disappears as soon as the bowl is filled. Does anyone else have this problem? Hmmm...

My motherly instincts knew just what this little table needed - a little TLC and maybe some mosaic magic. But the first thing to be done is fix the wobbling legs. It needed better anchoring. After picking up some corner braces to secure the table from underneath, screwdriver in hand, I tightened up the wayward piece. It needs to be solid enough to hold the weight of the mosaic tiles and grout on top.Okay, now for the fun part! Let's hit the craft closet...


I went through my bits and bobs and found this raised rose from a broken trivet. That was the starting point. Since this is a table and it needs a smooth surface top, all the tile pieces need to be even of the same thickness. Many of the wayward bits I normally use on a hanging piece were not suitable for this project so I went to Home Depot and picked up a few accent tiles to break up for the rest of the pattern surrounding the rose center.


Fitting all the broken pieces together is just like a puzzle, only you are creating it as you go along. I find it very relaxing to cut, find and fit. And if I need a particular shape, just cut and fit some more until the entire surface is covered.


With the top all done, the next step is to glue them in place. I usually let the glue set for a day or two afterwards before proceeding with the grouting. 


Then it's time for the grout. I used a white color sanded grout I picked up in A.C. Moore this time since my supply ran out and this is a small project. For larger surfaces or multiple projects, I'll purchase a big package from Home Depot and mix as needed. You have to mix it, two parts water to seven parts grout, then let it slake, or sit for about ten minutes, until the grout is ready to be used. With gloved hands, I like to work the grout into the grooves, making sure it gets in all the nooks and crannies. After, I take a plastic putty spatula and smooth over the surface one last time. Let it sit for about twenty minutes, and then using a damp sponge, smooth over the top to clean off any grout covering the surface tiles.


Buffing the tiles once the grout is dry, maybe an hour or two later, the powder residue is removed to reveal the beauty of the pieces and center focal relief rose.


I painted the table a cafe cream over the original walnut color. It took two coats of the Behr 2-in-1 paint with primer so I could save myself time not having to do three or more coats. Since I wanted to give the table a weathered antique look, using an eggshell finish paint or milk paint is necessary to work with the waxing.


Next step - waxing. Stippling the dark wax in some of the joins and decorative impression areas to accentuate the markings, it looks very dark and ugly in the beginning. But once you take the natural clear wax on a clean rag and buff over all the parts just stippled, the beauty emerges, creating the softly weathered look of a treasured piece with many years of love and care.


All done! And so pretty. I didn't wax it too much, just enough to give it a little "age". Now it's ready for the refilled candy dish.


From trash to treasure... xoxo-Sonya

Yes, I am already planning what to do with turkey leftovers. In our house, we love loading plates up throughout Thanksgiving weekend, but there's usually lots of turkey remaining while everything else disappears much quicker. So, let's say it's Friday after Thanksgiving, do you...

a) sleep all day to recover?

b) go shopping with the hoards of people racing to get Black Friday deals?

c) start to decorate for Christmas?

d) throw dinner in the crock pot and then decide? 

Let's assume you had enough of standing in the kitchen on Thursday (or if you are like me, Wednesday too cooking all the side dishes), so why not give yourself a well deserved break. It's the perfect time to toss some simple fresh ingredients into a crock pot, turn it on for six hours, walk away, and enjoy the day whatever you decide to do. And if you are eager for a different flavor, this hearty dish will hit the spot, hot out of the pot, even if you spend the day on the couch watching the last season of Breaking Bad.  Feast on wholesomeness that gives the gobble-gobble a spicy second call...

Que Pasa Taco Soup

9 cups chicken broth
2 1/2 cups black beans, rinsed
2 1/2 cups diced tomatoes
2 1/2 cups corn
1 medium onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
2 cups sliced mushrooms
3 tablespoons McCormick taco seasoning (more or less to taste)
3 cups cut-up or shredded leftover turkey*
fresh cilantro

(*I have made this recipe originally with three full chicken breasts, but for our purposes here, turkey is the perfect replacement. You can make it either way.)

1) Pour all ingredients into a ceramic crock pot. Cut in the fresh cilantro. Mix. Cover, and set on low for 6 hours. Walk away. That's it!
Once it's finished, when you lift the lid, the aroma will be divine... Grab a bowl and enjoy with some warm tortillas, top with a sprig of cilantro and even a dollop of sour cream if you like. This soup is very satisfying, hearty, yet light, and will certainly leave room for you to enjoy another slice of leftover apple pie... maybe even with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it?--every, every minute? ~Thornton Wilder 

Serendipity...

We left the theater buzzing in discussion, wholly satisfied, exploring further the story we became part of for the last two and a half hours on stage. When was the last time I'd seen Our Town? The dim memory was just as well since this production brought it to life with dramatic simplicity, humor and deliberate insight, creating a fresh storehouse in mind. The three-act classic is a typical story about youth, adulthood and ultimately death, narrated by the stage manager in events linking people of a small town with an invisible thread. The profound depth beneath the charming surface is easily the undercurrent of our own lives. Thornton Wilder understandably received the 1938 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, and this play has been produced all over the US, asserted there is at least one performance of Our Town somewhere each night. The execution is the same - no props, the actors carrying the audience through the daily lives of each character in a vivid pantomime. Viewers concentrate solely on emotion and magnitude, bringing to light art imitating life.

Just look at me one minute as though you really saw me... Emily begs her mother. How many times have we felt this in our own lives?

I mentioned serendipity because the concurrent book I just finished reading is the newest novel by another Pulitzer Prize winner, Alice McDermott, simply named Someone. Quietly paralleling with Our Town is the extraordinary ordinary life of Marie, a woman whose existence is chronicled with exquisite details, again weaving strings of family, time and place. This three-part book about her story, the essence, is not so different than yours or mine in its importance, no matter how paradigmatic. The inevitable tapestry woven is a tribute to who we are and how we travel, the ebb and flow so carefully achieved.

Every story - yours, mine and the world - is special. The details of the experience are richly different, but at the core, we are all someone important. Someone who is a valued being for the time spent on this great planet, someone connected to someone else by love, loss or legacy. There is value above all price for the smallest events in our life. I say serendipity because once again, I am reminded about the journey, not the destination.

I have always believed that everything happens for a reason. We are granted challenges to learn, and recurring themes in life as a reminder that we have not finished the lesson yet. People come into our lives, stay for a lifetime or hurry out for unknown reasons. We all are really finding our way in this life, making connections to help with the passage. Pay attention to the details - they really create the big production, the tapestry, the heart of the story.

Serendipity found in art... a mirror of life and the happenings in our own little town... xoxo-Sonya

In memory of someone special to so many of us, my dear friend, Margaret Boos 1966-2013. 

Bustling with their little costumed "critters", camera-in-tow parents meandered in front of us through the Haunted Pumpkin Garden. Like ourselves, a multitude of visitors were also there to catch the last day of the Kiku chrysanthemum exhibit at the New York Botanical Garden, and just out for a stroll taking in the autumn air. Towering above us in the conservatory courtyard, fifteen feet high, four sculptures by contemporary artist Philip Haas were a real treat. His recreations of  Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter were inspired by the 16th-century bust portraits of Italian Renaissance painter Giuseppe Arcimboldo. As in Arcimboldo's paintings, all the features of Haas's four sculpted figures are rendered in simulated seasonal plant materials to accentuate the original works' visual puzzle of natural forms.
These were a real feast for the eyes... Just had to share! Enjoy!

Anyone can simply wear diamonds - it's easy. But color? Color is for women with personality. 

~ Lucia Silvestri, creative director of Bulgari Jewelry 

Yes, this is true. Bright, lavish stones with a classy decadence need the right wearer to carry the bling. Take one of Hollywood's iconic celebrities, Elizabeth Taylor, who was often bejeweled with sapphires, rubies and emeralds from Italy's luxurious jeweler, Bvlgari. How exciting to experience the beauty surrounding the persona! Well, if you are as inspired by mixes of color and heritage as I am, there are two places to feast your eyes on holiday sparkle. And it's not  atop the Christmas trees already on display at the mall!

Currently running until February 2014 at the de Young Fine Art Museum of San Francisco is The Art of Bulgari: La Dolce Vita. The exhibit's 150 breathtaking pieces include not only Elizabeth Taylor's famous collection, but focus on unique styles inspired by Greco-Roman classics, Italian Renaissance and 19th Century Rome. Unlimited to finer jewelery, other showstoppers include encrusted clocks and watches. Time stands still in the midst of beauty and luxury combined.

From colorful jewels to jewels of the sea... Modern day society's fascination with adornments continues abroad at London's Victoria and Albert Museum. Their latest exhibit is simply titled Pearls running until January 2014. From their global exploratory beginnings to the celebrity of today, the opulence of the pearl is uncovered in this sequential display. Though pearl jewelry through the ages revealed power and rank, today the remarkable variety is making simple beauty a symbol of femininity and timelessness fashionable for any woman or occasion. The creativity exhibited shimmers in artistic interpretations with combined metals, textured surfaces and non-precious materials, offering visitors a dazzling repertoire of bling.

The influence of colorful gems and precious pearls can be seen in many fashionable places, including the current offering from Victoria's Secret 2013 Fantasy Bra and Vogue Netherlands September cover shot.

Fantasy, runway, reality - ba da bling! There you have it... xoxo-Sonya