My jeans are speaking to me. You laugh, but yes, they are. They whisper, Girl, I think it's time to ween off the sweets... But we still have Robert's birthday and the New Year to celebrate. Please give me just a few more days of indulgence. I will resume my intimate affair with Mr. Mesclun next week, I promise!

Every year, Mom used to make this delectable concoction only for the holidays. Even as a little girl I knew it was special, tasting it for the first time when I was about five. Though culinary connoisseurs debate eggnog's exact lineage, medieval Britain's hot, milky, ale-like drink called posset seems to be its beginnings. Some say nog comes from noggin, referring to the wooden cup it was often served in, and by the late 18th century, the combined term eggnog became a customary libation during Christmas celebrations. I asked my mom to share her delicious recipe so I could continue the tradition with Brenna. We made it for the first time this year.

3/4 cup sugar, divided in 1/4 cups

6 eggs

1 quart milk

1/2 pint cream

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 ground nutmeg

You will need three bowls - 2 quart-size and 1 gallon-size. 

1) Separate the eggs putting the whites in a quart-size bowl and the yolks in the gallon-size bowl.

2) Add 1/4 cup sugar to the egg-whites and beat with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Set aside.

3) In the second quart-size bowl, combine the cream, 1/4 cup sugar, and the vanilla extract. Once again, beat with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Set aside.

4) In the gallon-size bowl with the yolks, add the last 1/4 cup of sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Whisk until well blended.

5) Fold the whipped egg-white mixture into the egg-yolk mixture (all in the gallon-size bowl) a little at a time to incorporate. Next, fold in the whipped cream mixture. Blend all until smooth.

6) Now add the milk to the mixture, whisking and beating until frothy.

The finished eggnog can be ladled into bottles (make sure you shake well before serving) or put into a punch bowl served with added brandy or rum. Don't forget to give it a dash of cinnamon on top!

Once you drink homemade eggnog, there is no going back to the store-bought stuff. Period. Sorry Turkey Hill! It is the smoothest, creamiest, lightest tasting sweetness you will ever enjoy. 

Yes, I believe it is time to raise a cup of Mom's best eggnog! Happy New Year! xoxo-Sonya

Christmas is a season not only of rejoicing but of reflection. ~ Winston Churchill

Skylands Manor

Longwood Gardens

Skylands Manor

Grounds For Sculpture

Winterthur

New York Botanical Garden

Lambert Castle

Skylands Manor

Winterthur

  Lambert Castle

The classroom buzzed with a mix of trepidation and excitement. The Design Studio mentor was about to arrive, and we needed to have our sketches all set for her to comment, critique, and select. Carolyne Roehm was a very busy lady, you know! I worked on at least seventy different designs, everything from fluted bodices to clever couturier silhouettes. Smaller in size, not thumbnail sketches nor full-page illustrations, I still managed to get particular with details. There were about seven croquis to a page, and I carefully mounted them on crimson textured Bristol board. After all, presentation was part of the grade, and I surely wanted to make a memorable first impression.

She worked quickly, knew what she liked, and voiced comments candidly. When Carolyne looked at my spread, she zeroed in on three styles, two roused my excitement, the third not so much. After another glance, she checked the third one, and moved on to the next student. I was dumbfounded. The design she expected me to incarnate was a black and white sliced gown with plunging ladder-back V, structured high cap sleeve 'ears', and a dramatic fishtail hemline.

It was the most challenging design in my lot.

Well, I did make that gown, and it was a showstopper on the F.I.T. runway, rhinestone crusted buttons and all. Carolyne Roehm was thoroughly impressed. And I will never forget to this day what she said to me, "Sonya, I picked this design because I didn't actually think you could do it. But I am happy you proved me wrong. Great job!" That gown was a life lesson for me. 

A true mentor teaches you about not only your craft, but also the art of living... -C.R.

The foundation of creativity involves taking design precedents and reinterpreting them with one's own vision and style, thus creating something entirely new and yours. -C.R.

Fall, Leaves, Fall by Emily Brontë

Fall, leaves, fall; die, flowers, away;

Lengthen night and shorten day;

Every leaf speaks bliss to me

Fluttering from the autumn tree.

I shall smile when wreaths of snow

Blossom where the rose should grow;

I shall sing when night’s decay

Ushers in a drearier day.

Sonnet 73 (‘That time of year thou mayst in me behold’) by William Shakespeare 

That time of year thou mayst in me behold

When yellow leaves, or none, or few, do hang

Upon those boughs which shake against the cold,

Bare ruin’d choirs where late the sweet birds sang.

In me thou seest the twilight of such day

As after sunset fadeth in the west,

Which by and by black night doth take away,

Death’s second self, that seals up all in rest.

In me thou seest the glowing of such fire

That on the ashes of his youth doth lie,

As the death-bed whereon it must expire,

Consum’d by that which it was nourished by.

This thou perceiv’st which makes thy love more strong,

To love that well which thou must leave ere long.

Pleasant Sounds by John Clare

The rustling of leaves under the feet in woods and under

hedges;

The crumpling of cat-ice and snow down wood-rides,

narrow lanes and every street causeway;

Rustling through a wood or rather rushing, while the wind

halloos in the oak-toop like thunder;

The rustle of birds' wings startled from their nests or flying

unseen into the bushes;

The whizzing of larger birds overhead in a wood, such as

crows, puddocks, buzzards;

The trample of robins and woodlarks on the brown leaves.

and the patter of squirrels on the green moss;

The fall of an acorn on the ground, the pattering of nuts on 

the hazel branches as they fall from ripeness;

The flirt of the groundlark's wing from the stubbles –

how sweet such pictures on dewy mornings, when the

dew flashes from its brown feathers.

Nothing Gold Can Stay by Robert Frost

Nature’s first green is gold,

Her hardest hue to hold.

Her early leaf’s a flower;

But only so an hour.

Then leaf subsides to leaf.

So Eden sank to grief,

So dawn goes down to day.

Nothing gold can stay.

With Thanksgiving in a couple of days, I couldn't miss sharing a new sweet suggestion to join the table merrymaking. Of course you can indulge in traditional pumpkin pie, but wouldn't it be fun to try a little something new as well? Unlike my showstopping Autumn Bombe, this recipe is really easy even for a beginner. I made these for a casual fall weekend dinner with friends, and everyone was thoroughly impressed! 

Spiced Cakelets with Cream

Box of spice cake or pumpkin bread mix (and required ingredients)

1 cup whipping cream

3/4 cup cream cheese, softened (leave it out on the counter for an hour or two)

1/2 cup confectioner's sugar

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Candied walnuts for garnish (optional)

1) Grease and flour (or Pam Baking spray) a large round baking pan, preferably 12" diameter, or two smaller round pans. Prepare the mix as instructed on the box, and bake accordingly in the pan(s). I used Trader Joe's Pumpkin Bread mix.

2) After the layer(s) cool, use a biscuit cutter to punch out rounds in the layers creating mini cakes. I made the ones above with a medium-size cutter, about 2.5" diameter, but you can make them larger or smaller depending on how many mini cakes you want the baked layers to yield. Place each cakelet on a flattened cupcake sleeve.

3) In a large cold metal mixing bowl (I advise putting the bowl in the fridge for a few minutes so it is very cold), pour the cream, vanilla extract, and sugar. Hand whisk the mixture first to make sure it is blended, then switch to an electric mixer and whip the cream until stiff peaks form. 

4) Fold in a third of the cream cheese and whip again. Keep adding and whipping the softened cream cheese a bit at a time so everything has a chance to blend together smoothly. Once all the cream cheese is completely whipped together, add the cinnamon and whip one last time.

5) Using a heavy plastic bag (Ziplock is best), cut a 1/4" off a corner and fill with the whipped cream cheese mixture. If you have a small decorative piping tip, you should slip it into the cut corner of the bag before filling.

6) Pipe the whipped cream cheese on top of each cakelet covering the surface. Be generous, but neat! Sprinkle each with a pinch of cinnamon and a crushed candied walnut. 

These little beauties have just enough sweetness and spice to finish off your feast, yet are surprisingly light. I guarantee spiced cakelets with cream will add flavor and fancy to the holiday festivities. Enjoy!

Wishing everyone a very Delightful and Delish Thanksgiving Day! xoxo-Sonya

Living my entire fifty-one year existence in New Jersey, frolicking for freshness around the Garden State, I realize there is so much yet to be explored here.

Robert indulged my whim to visit the Newark Museum for the first time, curious to catch their current Kimono Refashioned exhibit. It is a brief but concise assemblage, unfortunately photography was not allowed. Guess I will have to buy the official book, or comb the internet for glimpses to share. On a brighter note, browsing the entire museum, we happened upon the Lore Ross Jewelry Gallery on the second floor of the adjoining Ballantine House. What a find!

The Newark Museum has been collecting jewelry since 1911, and has one of the most comprehensive holdings in the country. Lucky for us to experience such wealth just a car ride away. I was absolutely thrilled! All the images shared here I photographed through their glass enclosures.

The Lore Ross Jewelry Gallery, newly redesigned and reinstalled, showcases jewelry across seven centuries. The focus of the new installation is the wide array of materials, both noble and humble, that have been used over the centuries to create things of beauty for personal adornment.

As the exhibit name describes, the variety of materials are used in unique inspiring combinations, shapes, and assembly. Pearls, precious gems, stone, wood, resin, plastic, and more create the exhibit bursting with color and connection, surface detail and pattern.

Though not gemstones nor pearls, a pebble is the ultimate found object, alluring in size and shape, acquiring value when used inventively as in this pellet necklace.

Heavy details in semi-precious stones and gems with glass patterning illustrate the scope of style with petite-point accuracy as well as colorful classic shaping.

Tortoiseshell was widely used from ancient times in the West and in Asia, until the trade was banned in 1973. Normally in thin slices, manufacture of hand carved items such as this hair comb was expensive but attractive.

Getting started...

1) Use both your smartphone and a digital camera. The above shot is a cleaned up version of the one below, taken with my Canon Rebel. Yes, you can and will take pictures on your smartphone, but for high resolution photos to be used on a professional-looking website, your phone really isn't enough. Canon has free software available for download when you purchase one of their cameras, and using their basics plus the Photoshop Express app on my laptop, results are pretty impressive. I have been fortunate to have my daughter pose for the sessions, but you can ask a friend or just shoot pieces on a table with a decorative, but nondescript sheet of paper underneath. For this wall here, I purchased a really inexpensive background from Ebay for less than $15. I professionally duct-taped it to the wall.

2) Find the light. Whether photographing a flat-lay or a live model, the most important element is the light source. Near a bright window or door, choose your setting wisely to maximize natural lighting. I very rarely photograph anything with a lamp, even if it is a cloudy day. The overall photos come out better, and with the editing apps you can really get in there to enhance the color and details. In the photos above and below, I shot this in our family room with natural light coming from the patio door on the left. Though it bathed the room with lots of natural light, we moved around to find the right angle to show off the jewelry without reflection, as well as convey an overall mood.

3) A must-have: the tripod. How steady are your hands? You might think the IS (image stabilization) on your camera is enough, but for pictures where the shutter stays open longer to take the photo, it really needs to be held solid to avoid any blur. That goes for your smartphone too. A tripod is essential. Again, Ebay has been my best friend, and I found a decent portable fold-up one for under thirty bucks. It isn't top-notch quality, but it's been a steady performer.

Photo fixers...

5) Get app-tly creative. After you have taken a bunch of pictures that pass the first edit, pick your favorites and start to really play. The above picture on the left was taken on a cloudy day with my phone camera, but nonetheless I wanted to make it work. My absolute favorite free photo-editing phone app is Snapseed. You can expand a picture, heal spots, change the perspective, apply a grunge look, the list goes on. For the final flat-lay photo on the right, since I wasn't crazy about the white border of the photo in the image I captured, I used the healing feature to blur it into the background. With bead details a bit on the dark side, I used the dodge and burn brush feature to lighten and brighten specific spots in the photo. Playing around with the numerous features, combining editing effects, possibilities are endless. You can also create custom filters to keep photos in uniform.

6) Think creative solutions for uncommon results. Part of my Instagram posting incorporates meaningful quotes, but to make it unique I inventively incorporate branding. Some close-up shots I take are done with both my Canon and Android, a vast empty area and various handmade glass beads along the edge. It is basically a flat-lay on a textured background (yeah, that wood is a sheet of paper, not the table). I then use Snapseed to brush out and brighten, further clearing the space for a select quote. The bead colors are carefully intensified, then I save and switch to another favorite I found.

7) Try a text tool. Even though you might not want to dish out any money for an app, this one is well worth the five bucks for the pro version. Wordswag helps you add a variety of awesome mixed fonts, combined and generated automatically with the touch of a finger. I absolutely love it! Quote posts look clean and cohesive on my Instagram feed, keeping in suit with my marketing.

8) You don't need Photoshop.  But you do need Adobe Photoshop Express. With this free app for your laptop or mobile device, you can achieve the basics - crop, straighten, rotate, and flip your photos. Though Auto-Fix is a one-touch adjustment for contrast, exposure, and white balance, I always fine tune the photo manually in the app for clarity, color saturation and vibrancy. Blemish removal is great to eliminate unwanted spots, dirt, and dust in the picture. Another plus - automatically crop to the perfect end-use size. Need a new Facebook header, check! Etsy cover, check! This app takes guessing out of the size confusion equation.

Keep it organized...

9) Sharing is caring. Once you have fixed all these awesome pictures, you want to be able to post, share and curate easily across devices. While updating my website can only be done on a laptop, posting on Instagram is only done on a phone. One thing I always do is keep the same inventory of images on BOTH my laptop and smartphone. So how to share? By manually copying those great mixed-font quotes created on my phone TO my laptop, and photos edited on the laptop copied TO my phone, the same lot is available at my fingertips at any given moment. I suggest you create folders on you phone's SD card (and you absolutely MUST have this to preserve memory space on your phone, don't rely only on the cloud) to keep everything organized and easy to find. It takes a few minutes to set up, but will save a lot of time later when trying to locate the appropriate image to post.

Photographing a jewelry line can look polished and professional with proper planning and prep. Find what works for you, your product and schedule, and you too can say she's got the look... xoxo-Sonya