Hosting A Taste of Pascack Valley Theatre for Brenna's high school program next week at the River Vale Country Club, we are amid a flurry of last minute calls, emails, cellophane and bows! A wonderful affair of delicious food, entertainment and prizes will satisfy guests with a great evening while they show their support for the arts. But to host such an event, there is much that goes on behind the scenes. As part of a terrific team for this upcoming inaugural fundraiser, I volunteered to create the evening's decor, promising rich creative spirit with prudence. You know I love a creative challenge.

With school colors of black, white and green, let's add a touch of brushed gold. Black feathers, comedy / tragedy masks, sheet music, patterned vases and roses began the creative process.

After some online research, I compiled a theme board to get the ball rolling. Then I sketched out a basic idea of what I had in mind. Shying away from anything too costly like real flowers, how about making our very own out of actual sheet music and maybe even old scripts from the shows that graced the stage?

So I started making six paper flowers a night, cutting and rolling former Playbill pages and sheet music from their upcoming Cabaret show. Total needed = six dozen. Outlined in black, glued to clipped wire hangars and then sprayed with some gold glitter, the "stardust" making it fun and festive. 

For the petite cafe table arrangements, the green feathers serve as leaves for the roses.

 Mirrored bases were sprayed with black in a variation of a Greek floral motif.

Plastic cups with numbered labels for the gift packaged prizes in the Tricky Tray. We've got lots of those!

Blank craft masks first appliqued with lace for texture, then painted in white and green to mirror the image of the event logo.

The paper roses will be nestled among fronds of long black ostrich feathers in the tall vases.

Donated tall glass vases are lined with removable spray-painted paper sheets in a black and gold stenciled Greek floral so they can be reused afterwards.

Tuesday is less than a week away and I need to get back to these pieces. The minute details and touch-ups still need to be carefully completed. Setting the stage for any event takes planning, preparation and some creative magic. You will have to check back to see the finished products - I will take lots of pictures at the venue after they are all assembled. Or, if you are in the River Vale area, come on over to see them in person, have some tasty tidbits from these fabulous local restaurants and try your luck in the raffles! Tickets are still available. It's gonna be a great night! xoxo-Sonya

UPDATE 3-10-14:
As promised, here are pictures from the finished decor I set up that afternoon before the evening event...

xoxo-Sonya

Who hasn't looked in the fridge wondering what to make for dinner? Cooking meals everyday, let's be honest, can really get boring because many times, if you're like me, the menu becomes monotonous. As if the ingredients will magically assemble, marching in a row from shelf to counter-top, I look around the fridge and make mental notes. Well, let's see... Got those chicken thighs... If nothing else, there's that baby green salad I can toss with the grape tomatoes and leftover cucumber...

But what about that chicken...

I can still remember the night I found this delightful dish. Just searching quickly for a recipe online, I figured there must be something new out there I can try. My criteria? It had to be 1) easy; 2) with chicken thighs; and 3) relatively quick. I already wasted fifteen minutes staring into the abyss of the refrigerator. So Google, don't let me down... YES! I found the perfect solution. Making this dish numerous times since as a simple weeknight dinner, for friends and even a party or two, with just four ingredients (plus a little herb), between the flavor and presentation, I can guarantee this will be a big hit! This recipe serves three, but you can increase it according to the crowd you are looking to feed. Keep in mind too, many will go back for seconds!

Maple Dijon Chicken Delight

1 1/2 lbs chicken thighs (with skin)

1/2 cup Dijon mustard

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

fresh rosemary

1) Trim any excess fat on the chicken leaving the skin to cover. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

2) Combine the mustard, syrup and vinegar and whisk together until well blended. 

3) Lightly coat a glass baking dish with non-stick cooking spray (this is to make clean-up easier) and place the chicken in a single layer. Pour the mixture over the thighs, turning them over to coat each one thoroughly.  

4) Put the chicken in the oven and bake for 40 minutes, basting them with the pan juice / sauce about halfway through.

5) Once the chicken is done, take it out of the oven and sprinkle with fresh cut rosemary. Let it rest for about five minutes and you're done! ENJOY!

My kind of meal... All flavor, no fuss, just chicken delight... xoxo-Sonya

Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared. ~ Buddha

Candles have been illuminating our lives and celebrations for more than 5,000 years, yet little is known about their origin. It is often noted that the Ancient Egyptians developed the first candles - torches made by soaking the pithy core of reeds in melted animal fat - and were using wicked candles in 3,000 B.C. Often credited with developing the wicked candle before that time, Ancient Romans were know to dip rolled papyrus repeatedly in melted tallow or beeswax. The resulting candles were used to brighten their homes, light a path for night travel, and highlight many religious ceremonies. Life was all aglow, and still is today. Candles, in the ranks with soap-making and bath salts, would be my next venture into ancient creation.
I purchased bags of 100% soy flakes (because soy burns cleaner than any other wax), candle gel dye, fragrance oils for mixing scents, pre-tabbed wicks (it was just easier to use these with a zinc core for an even burn), and 8 ounce covered glass apothecary jars. Melting the wax can be done in a double boiler on the stove, or in a large glass Pyrex cup in the microwave. It is best to have a candy thermometer on hand so you can gauge the temperature each step of the way.

First, I measured about 1 pound of the soy flakes (16 oz.). Then I melted it in the microwave, heating the wax to 185 F. (It is also a good idea to pre-heat the glass to about 125 F to avoid "pull away".)

The next step is to add a couple drops of gel dye to achieve the desired shade, and stir. If you ever see little specks of solid color in the bottom of your candles try adding the color at a slightly higher temperature.

Now it is time to add the fragrance. I mixed a few different scents to create unique variations, making sure I only added about 1 ounce total fragrance for the batch. When adding fragrance, stir well and remove from the heat because you don't want it to evaporate out of the wax.


While the wax is cooling, place a pre-tabbed wick in the bottom of the glass jar mindful of keeping it centered. Once cooled to 125 F, carefully pour the soy wax into the apothecary jar.


I used a pair of unbroken chop sticks with some tape to keep the wick centered and in place as I poured the wax and as it cooled. For best results, let the candle cool at room temperature overnight. Remember to trim the wick to 1/4 inch before lighting. Also, it is best to trim this way each time you light your candles.


I actually hand painted gold and silver motifs to each apothecary jar before I started any of the candle making process. Each one is different making the candle a little something extra special.


Before they all cooled completely, I taped a tiny post-it note to each so that I would remember what scent was which when it came time for the labels.


With a custom printed label, color coordinated to the wax shade and fragrance, I topped each candle with a copper wax seal.


Experimenting with the fragrances was a lot of fun! A blend of coconut oil and vanilla for Coconut Water; black cherry and cranberry oil in Berries and Cream; cucumber, melon and mango oil in Mango Infusion; and sugar cookie with vanilla bean for Sweet Sugar are just to name a few of the fruits of my labor. My way of sharing the light... xoxo-Sonya

It's 3 o'clock and I'm getting the munchies right now...

Of course, look at what I am doing! Nonchalantly perusing my Pinterest To sweeten board in search of some delightful strawberry indulgences, picture after pretty picture, these ideas have my stomach gurgling and my mouth watering! With tomorrow being Valentine's Day, why shouldn't we enjoy something sweet and even savory, especially after being cooped up indoors watching snow and ice pile up outside.

Sifting through this eye-candy, here are some truly pretty, (somewhat) easy and tasty tidbits to sink your teeth into. Hopefully you have the ingredients on hand to try one... or two. Have a taste...

Okay, so what's in the fridge? Let me get down to the kitchen and check out the strawberry status. After all, no matter what treat we try, strawberries in the mix will brighten a palette of just desserts and then some... xoxo-Sonya

Following the metamorphosis of pattern on the fashion runways today, you will notice the hyper-realistic three dimensional images saturated with depths of color-rich trompe l'oeil. Thank you Mary Katrantzou for single-highhandedly sparking the digital print mega trend! Marketing her label in over 200 stores and 47 countries, it is safe to say Mary's mind palace has materialized, becoming iconic fashion inspiration for many veteran designers and new kids on the block.

Studying architecture at the Rhode Island School of Design then transferring to St. Martins for textiles, her graduating show in 2008 encapsulated her signature style. Spawned of oversize jewelery prints on bonded jersey knit, the silhouettes created the illusion of wearing giant necklaces that would be too heavy in reality. She completed the collection with real pieces of jewellery she made of metal and wood mirroring the prints. It was a huge hit.

With an awarded background, she seized a freelance job as print designer for Bill Blass and later perfected her portfolio working with Sophia Kokosalaki for two seasons before debuting her first ready-to-wear collection at London Fashion Week in Spring / Summer 2009. With a capsule collection of only nine dresses, she won the hearts of fashionistas and critics, securing her space on the runway for future collections.

There's definitely something about Mary.

Her work is all about " perception and perspective, and channeling that through a visual language that is used to design desirable clothes that are flattering."  You can see how her fusion of style and substance in pattern, shape, color and cut continues to achieve wunderkind status in the fashion industry, drawing collaborations in all genres, not to mention dressing some of today's biggest pop culture celebrity.

Crowned a Fashion Print-cess? Absolutely! Haute couture reins supreme with a passion for brilliant realism - a photographic look at new court appointed creativity...  xoxo-Sonya