I want to slow down every day to focus and put attention on the food I make and what I feed my family. This involves all the senses. Touching the produce, hearing the sounds in the kitchen, smelling the smells and seeing the colors of the rainbow. I believe that being fully involved in all aspects of eating develops presence and gratefulness for our bodies and our food.

What an amazing holiday Thanksgiving is! It’s one of my favorites, because it’s all about family, being together and most importantly eating. I love to make a big deal out of Thanksgiving. I think the more effort you put into the planning, the more everyone feels the love. I want my family to feel how thankful I am for them, and this is more about the time I put into this day and not the money I spend.

I know a lot of people think in order to have a beautifully decorated table you need to have all the trimming and spend a ton of money, I am not one of those people. One of my best tips for setting a beautiful table is to mix-n-match all my dinnerware. I love collecting vintage glasses and plates, even silverware, and giving everyone their very own place setting. The more different the better.

 

This amount of thought really shows everyone that I care more than some paper plates and plastic silverware ever will. Plus you’re being so much better to the environment without all that waste.

Now about what we put on those plates. My family is Greek and we love our traditional dishes. We serve Spanakopita (my grandmother always made it) and Kourabiedes, a Greek butter cookie, traditionally a Christmas favorite but we love them so much we break them out at Thanksgiving. Here’s to making this year’s Thanksgiving the most thoughtful yet.

Thankfully,

I have been so excited lately, because I’m loving all the new fall fashions. It’s finally getting a bit cooler here in Florida and I love any excuse to mix up my sandals and shorts. As I find myself covering up, I am always looking for new ways to wear my jewelry, here are some ideas you might want to try.

Happy Accessorizing.

When Fall comes around I get so excited about layering. Not just with my wardrobe but with my jewelry. Layering up my pieces warms my heart the same way my sweaters do. I like to start with necklaces. Layering chains is easy if you follow a few guidelines. Keep it simple and go for texture differences. You don’t want to layer necklaces that are of the same chain family. It’s important to have visible differences in links. Also go for varying lengths, you want to be able to see each piece separately.

Here are some of my favorite combinations for layering. Try some out and play with the combination to make some of your own. Let your creativity take hold.

ROPE CHAIN paired with VENETIAN NECKLACE

CORONATION SMALL CHAIN paired with SOJOURN NECK WIRE

COURTLY CHAIN paired with LARGE LINK NECKLACE

Cocktail rings! If you have ever seen me in-person, at an event or in pictures, you have seen the evidence. I love cocktail rings.  When designing my first collection, I had loads of ideas about rings.

I think rings are so feminine and powerful at the same time. When I’m wearing one of my rings, I feel like I can take on the world. There have been a few times I have left the house in a huge rush, (can anyone relate?) realized I didn’t have my rings on and turned right back around. It makes so much of a difference for me.

Most of the time I wear one big statement piece, but I also love mixing it up with some stacking pieces and layering my rings.  With all this talk about rings, I had to include some of my favorites here. These are from the new collection as well as some tried and true staples.

Happy Stacking!  Till next week,

BEDROCK RING

EMPRESS RING

FULL MOON
GROOVE RING

For the past few months I have been working on this awesome special project, that I couldn’t talk about, but now it’s time. This past Saturday I featured my very first designer collaboration with my dear friend Christian Siriano. When he asked me to be part of his Spring ’17 fashion show I couldn’t have said yes faster.

Christian and I have been friends and his support on my journey in the fashion industry has been one of the rights lights on this journey. His creativity and designs are filled with so much thought and passion. He has accomplished so much in a such a short amount of time. He is a true inspiration for me and i am sure many of you.

It was a pleasure working with Christian and his team in making these pieces. I felt the jewelry is a real representation of our two brands. Christian is  a lover of all women and his collections empower so many to feel their best. I couldn’t have found a better brand for my first collaboration. 

Till next week, 

Every collection, I like to start with a specific muse. I think it’s important when designing jewelry for women to have an ideal woman in mind during the creative process. She becomes the visual and emotional touchstone that season, for everything I make.For Fall ’16 we have the Warrior Princess. She represents a strong fierceness while still standing in her feminine power. She is also aware of the delicate balance she has created.When designing pieces I use this visual story to keep the collection cohesive. Below are some of my favorite pieces from the collection that represent our muse. Take a look below and let me know your favorites.

Till next week,

 

It’s that time of year…again. New York Fashion Week is upon us. It’s truly one of my favorite times because it has become a huge source of inspiration for me and the brand. I know it’s cliché to say, but there is this feeling in the air that anything can happen. I always come back from Fashion Week feeling renewed and ready to tackle the season.

It can be a bit crazy and overwhelming but underneath that excitement is magic. Just thinking of all the time and creative energy that goes into every collection fills me with so much admiration and passion.

Make sure you follow us on social media for a peak into my week’s adventures. The week is always filled with lots of surprises. In the meantime, see below for some of my favorite shots from last fashion week.

Till next week,