The beauty and splendor of the season can be seen in a collection of pictures taken during last year's holiday. Photos are from our visits to Winterthur, Longwood Gardens, and Skyland Manor. Join me on a trip down Holiday lane...

Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year to all... xoxo-Sonya

Designers look to the future. They give you what you don't have - or didn't know you need. ~ Donna Karan

It was either 1990 or '91 when I saw it in Saks catalog. The model stood casually awestruck, hands midair, chin-length brunette hair in loose waves, bare legs tight and slim, wearing what looked to be one piece of slate gray suede-like fabric wrapped around her body and draped to a perfect cascade over one shoulder. The only accessory was a sculptured gold belt gracing her hips. I fell in love with that Donna Karan dress the moment my eyes caught it at the turn of the page. Far too expensive to purchase at the time on a design assistant salary, I did what young designers do - ripped out the photo and added it to my style / inspiration notebook. But I really wanted that dress. I vowed to have that dress, and planned to one way or another. It would most definitely be a project I would drape for the pattern then sew on my own. I imagined making it in different fabrics, sophisticated colors. Yes, when I had some free time, that's what I intended to do.

But then I had forgotten all about it until a year and a half later. Waiting on line outside the midtown Parsons Education Center at the corner of Seventh Avenue and 40th, we flocked to the building on our lunch hour seeking admission to a Donna Karan sample sale. We must have waited at least fifty minutes, lunchtime almost gone, when granted entry. People were crowded all over the place, pulling off clothes, pulling on clothes, amid a sea of corrugated boxes and racks. You had to be swift, it was not uncommon for customers to grab something in front of you, no time for indecision. This was my first DK sale and surrounded by all this chaos, I quickly lost interest fighting for a sweater or wrap skirt. It was too crazy for me.

With just ten minutes before I had to be back at the office around the corner, I scurried through the aisles, arbitrarily picking at a couple of boxes. My spirit guide must have been with me that day, because as I reached into one box, pulling out an attractive piece of slate gray fabric, could it be? The one dress I vowed to have one day? YES! SCORE! What a lucky day! It's all about timing...

In her memoir, My Journey, timing is the lifeline Donna Karan accentuates. Like all of us, her life is a series of beginnings and endings. Expressed with candor about love, life, loss, and the pursuit of meaningful experience, how refreshing to hear from such an iconic woman. I love Donna. I always have. I respect her and her talent. I can understand her vision. The fact that her voice is pragmatic, planetary and playful makes her story ardent and amusing for readers whether a follower of fashion or not. Donna, the woman, is real and emotion-full, with quirk and sensation, intimate and straightforward on each page.

As a designer myself, I loved reading about her whirlwind beginnings at Anne Klein, the incarnation of The Seven Easy Pieces and Donna Karan New York. As a fellow woman, her continual quest for calm amid the chaos spoke loudly to me, and has stirred my spirit and creativity. We all have our dreams and duties in this life. Donna is proof you can achieve it all, at the right time with the right people beside you. I am in awe of her Urban Zen formation, a philosophy of living. The concept, clothing and cause "connect, communicate and create change". Philanthropy at its best.

That silk dress has garnered much attention over the years. It has faithfully accompanied me to three weddings, countless ladies' nights, and I did make a rub-off (a muslin of an original garment to create a pattern). I sewed the three-piece pattern in a two-tone cream and taupe silk twill for my daughter's confirmation. See, Donna's been with me on my personal journey for many years now. Directly or indirectly, she's been influencing women all over the world in countless ways.

...I possess the gift of life and light - that we all do - and that the more light I give out, the more I receive. It's the simplest and yet the most empowering knowledge I've ever received.  

Take a journey with Donna... You'll be glad you did... xoxo-Sonya

My first apartment had a distinct Asian flavor. I loved it. For this young professional, it was the culmination of things I admired and collected over years of travel to Hong Kong combined with fresh, eclectic style. As one of many enamored designers, the affair with enigmatic objects of the East dates way back to the 16th century, the earliest period of European contact with China. Decades of fashion, art, decor, textiles, accessories and film all have traces of this fascination and currently convene at the Metropolitan Museum of Art's mega multi-media exhibit China: Through the Looking Glass. Yes, by the enormous size of this exhibit (three times as big as previous projects) you feel as if you have fallen into a extravagant "rabbit hole" of inspiration! 

Translated into Chinese as "Moon in the Water", the exhibit's name is a nod to Buddhism, suggesting something transcendent, reflective and inspiring. And that is exactly what this show is. Teaming the Costume Institute and Department of Asian Art, this elaborate show is "an inspiring mix of cultures, images and ideas that takes you on a truly cinematic journey," defines Tomas Campbell, director and CEO of the Met. 

Let me share a sampling of the musings we explored...

Wong Kar-Wai, the exhibit's artistic director, reflects, "This show has been a truly remarkable journey. One of the most fascinating parts of this journey for myself was the opportunity to revisit the Western perspective of China. Fashion designers took those distortions and created a new Western aesthetic. In this exhibition, we didn't shy away from these distortions because they are historical fact. Instead, we looked for areas of commonality. It is a celebration of fashion, cinema and creativity."

Experience your own taste of Oriental persuasion... Visit China: Through the Looking Glass, on display through August 16th... 

xoxo-Sonya

Four hours in the car on our way back from Boston, I am thinking about dinner. Yes, though we enjoyed some great meals at wonderful places over the extended weekend, it was time to settle back into a routine for the week and start "cooking" easy summer fare again. Off to ShopRite, list in hand, let's get those fresh ingredients for a quick fix.

I love this recipe, courtesy of my girlfriend Andrea. She made this at one of her family's BBQ gatherings several years ago and we were hooked ever since. Relatively simple, colorful and oh so flavorful, it is very satisfying with supreme crunch. It can be an alternative to classic coleslaw paired with chicken or steak, or served solo as the perfect summer salad.

Broccoli Orange Salad

1/4 cup pecan pieces

4 cups broccoli florets (1 1/2 lbs fresh broccoli), cut into bite-size pieces

1 small purple (red) onion, diced

1/2 cup raisins (I substituted dried cranberries - just as flavorful!)

3/4 cup low fat / light mayonnaise

1/4 cup sugar (I used my new go-to: coconut sugar)

1 1/2 tablespoon white vinegar (I used apple cider vinegar)

1 can (11 oz) Mandarin oranges, drained

1) Bake the pecans in a shallow pan at 350 degrees for 5-10 minutes to slightly toast them, stirring occasionally. They will cool quickly as you prep all the other ingredients.

2) Mix broccoli, onion, cranberries (or raisins), and toasted pecans in a bowl. 

3) In another small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sugar and vinegar.

4) Add the dressing mixture to the big broccoli bowl and toss together with spatula, coating everything evenly.

5) Gently stir in the Mandarin oranges.

6) Cover the bowl and refrigerate at least one hour to get that great flavor melange.

That's it! Pretty simple, huh? Grab a plate and enjoy a healthy bunch of crunch! 

xoxo-Sonya

Silk painting, bleach dyeing, heat transfer, stenciling, the list goes on and I've done it all, willing to try anything new and exciting. This true craft aficionado checks Pinterest daily for a seemingly boundless source of inspiration and then some. While this particular idea has been around, my experience with household permanent markers has been limited to gracing garage sale posters and lettering many of my daughter's elementary school projects.

Behold the power of the mighty Sharpie.

I purchased a complete set of colored markers from A.C. Moore (with a handy 40% off coupon in the weekly paper) and the isopropyl alcohol is always a staple in our medicine cabinet. I just grabbed a t-shirt already in the works, a paintbrsh, and got busy!

First, I took a dolman t-shirt I had originally stenciled with an animal pattern (in fabric paint) and added a couple of tropical flowers with the Sharpie markers. I just sketched them freehand on the front of the top, off center for an interesting pattern placement.

Pretty sharp, huh? So go ahead, gather the girlfriends, grab a shirt, a Sharpie and maybe some Sangria for your own girls-night-in painting party. Don't forget the alcohol... xoxo-Sonya

Just follow the sound of the water...

A car ride brought us to the narrow winding road tunneled by trees. Foliage green was heavily saturated with color, partly because of humidity, also because we were so far west in the midst of a different atmospheric locale. The air was fresher and dewy, richer, therapeutic, well worth the hour and a half from Pittsburgh. We parked and followed others to the tree house visitor center to join a tour group. The twenty minute interim until the next afforded us a chance to explore the gift shop, so we could assess any material accumulation chosen to be hauled home after our excursion.

The "visit us" page online forewarned we would travel at least one hundred steps, so be prepared to walk a lot at Fallingwater, a very special mountain retreat built over a waterfall. America's famous architect, Frank Lloyd Wright, designed and built this gem for his clients, the Kaufmann family between 1936 and 1939. Today, it is a National Historic Landmark, well worth the title once you experience the magic and makeup of this incredible dwelling.

Upon entering Fallingwater, photographs are prohibited in the house though permissible on the grounds outside. It is the only building designed by Wright open to the public as it was originally conceived in its setting, with all interior furnishings and artworks in tact. It is surrounded by the Bear Run Nature Reserve, all devotedly maintained by the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy.

To think this was a vacation home for the Kaufmanns, a place to escape Pittsburgh on weekends away from the "smoky city" and their department store (now known as Macy's). It is noted the family's surprise when they viewed Wright's initial concept drawings, all with an absence of a view of the falls. His proposed house would be built on top of the falls instead, providing a more profound engagement with nature from the surrounding sound of the water. Wright wanted them to live with nature, with the water, instead of admiring an occasional passing view from a window. Thankfully, thousands continue to see this manifested vision in Fallingwater every year.

Inside the house, though a rainy day, a feeling of intentional compression from the lower ceilings and dim light force you to the doors and windows on each floor, in each room, with a desire to retreat to any terrace outside. An intriguing sensation, it was a very fine line between cozy and confined.

The entire house is built within unaltered nature. Even in the first floor living room area, the hearth is actually part of the same rock formation seen outside the wall. Wright on the cover of Time magazine in 1938, his ecological creation surely captivated the imagination of many enthusiasts at the time.

As the guides hailed to us, Just follow the sound of the water, folks... if you don't hear it, go back and take the other path... it will lead you to Fallingwater...

xoxo-Sonya

It's simple. Eat well, exercise and get lots of sleep but make sure you indulge occasionally. At my age I think, what the hell, and eat a Krispy Kreme doughnut. ~Michelle Pfeiffer

Well, there ya go! Happy National Doughnut Day everyone! Today is an occasion to indulge a bit. Last time I noted this yummy holiday, it was just a tidbit about the origin of the celebration. This time, I am going to show you how you can indulge at home, making some delightfully decadent crispy donuts with just 3 ingredients...

1 can of Pillsbury Grands buttermilk biscuits

8 oz coconut oil

1 cup sugar

1) In a large deeper skillet, heat the coconut oil on medium heat. The oil should be about 1/2 in deep in the pan.

2) Separate the biscuits. Using a small cookie cutter or knife, cut a hole in the center of each biscuit.

3) Carefully place biscuits in the oil and cook until a golden brown color on one side. Turn over and fry on the other side so each is evenly browned.

4) Using tongs, remove from the pan and drain on plate with paper towels, letting the doughnuts cool just a little, about 3 minutes.

5) Pour the sugar in a shallow bowl. One by one, dredge each doughnut in the sugar.

Enjoy!

These are best eaten right away, most indulgent... The outside is crispy, a marriage of the sugar and crust with a hint of coconut flavor. These can even be served with a dollop of ice cream... Or, cut them in half and make ice cream sandwiches with them. 

Dunkin' or do it yourself today? Whichever you decide, just enjoy!... xoxo-Sonya