I love new beginnings. I love looking back at the past and reflecting on what was churned from the year before. January is a long month,  a buffer so to speak, between the holidays, and what is due to unfurl in the Spring ahead. I feel that the tones of these cashmere scarves in the photo below portray the freshness that we all  look forward to. These colors remind me of a deeper version of Easter eggs… Sort of.  Regardless, I can't wait to see these tones at Matsu !

These last two seasonal  holidays  flew right by. They  fell on weekends. One of which was very snowy and comfortable. New Year's weekend was filled with comfort,and joy as the fires burned through out the weekend., The snowy backdrop, on and off most of the weekend brought inner peace with it.. It allowed me to become introspective and zen like while thinking about my accomplishments, or lack there of for the past year. Looking back, I realized what a difficult year it was in a way. The economic climate hitting us all, and feeding my business during these trying times was definitely a focus.  I lost my dad late last March, My Mom had her hands fuller than she was capable of, right down to the last moments. My sister was there and nurtured her, assisted in placing my Dad in a safe place while time and God did their thing, in guiding him naturally into the spirit he left the earth with through his final dying moments.

 My 18 year old, Aya  also "left" in a way ; to attend college. These  two milestones had a severe impact on me last year, and looking  back I am thankful that my dad is in a peaceful place now.

As I write, I thank the universe for allowing the time I do have with Aya. I write to you from Sarasota right now. I have been down here quite a bit since September. This is a place for Aya to visit with her family, and for me to honor them and enjoy them too. Not only that, but this is where Nymph  jewels  manifests and is created.

I attended a gem show down in these Southern parts. My first time in these neck of the woods. As we drove to Orlando, home of Disney, Epcot etc, I found some odd sightings. As you can see there is actually a Dinosaur Park, and place that you can channel your inner dare devil by flying. I loved the Fastasy of Flight. Perhaps if we weren't in such a rush, we could have embarked on one of these two "rides". I share the photo here.

My sister and I went together.  We had a day of adventure, discoveries and fun.

I am now in the early stages of producing the next edition of Nymph. This, being the the 4 TH. It is so interesting to see the direction takes on.. My heart leads the way. My soul leads the way too. I am very eager to really tackle this collection as the new year is here, and many await for Spring. The lightness in the sky, the change of angle of the sun and  the translucency of some of the new stones I got will allow you to look further through them, and right back into your own heart.

This season, I will be bringing very Egyptian inspired jewelry. Different than the first. It will definitely give you a tomb effect, but with more elegance and lighter to the eye, given the stones will be watery, and romantic, with blues, aquamarines, moss aquamarine.. a greeny  bluish tone that is rich and rare. I also was able to find moonstones which are  not as easy or readily available as in years past. 

\New use of  18k gold accents and very fresh shapes for the wrist and the neck.  Nymph. jewels for the body, mind and soul. My slogan. The website is under construction, and you will soon be able to view the designs on line to purchase. Keep in mind… all pieces will be available based on the supply. I love the fact that I will not be producing a high volume  per piece. I will be producing what the market will allow based on the availability and cost. each one single handedly.  unique.. I create these pieces from my own body, heart and soul. The sources are limited , the stones are limited, which makes it really special and hopefully somewhat mysterious.

I am leaving this chilly state today to return to my home turf.. My other home turf where the cold weather is expected, and we don't have to hear at every corner "how cold it is " outdoors. Our blood is thicker. Living with the 4 seasons builds stamina. The colors each season brings us, I in turn  use for inspiration. The cold weather is here to help us nurture our own inner well. You have heard me mention this several times before. It is true, and after watching Julie and Julia 3 times on New Year's weekend, I was so happy to find myself in the kitchen cooking.  I discovered an amazing way to make "Pizza" using a fresh and crusty baguette.  I am far from a professional food photographer, but I must say the photo here makes my mouth water, and the baby arulgula salad with Clementines were the perfect accompaniment.

For the pizza, I used a  scallop and clam based tomato sauce that I conjured up,  using San Marzano crushed tomatoes, several cloves of garlic, red chili pepper flakes, oregano, basil and olive oil. The was made for a pasta dish the evening before.  For the pizza, I omitted the actual fish, and spread the sauce on the open baguettes, sprinkled Mozzarella, then oregano, little basil,  then a bit more sauce, a teeny bit more Mozzarella, and then topped it off with Parmesan. The flavor had a hint of the fish, just enough to add depth to this creation and the texture of the pizza once it was baked was absolutely delectable. I had never used this sort of bread for the crust. It was out of this world.

The arugula salad was made with a balsamic vinaigrette which I made by dicing a shallot, and allowing it to "permeate" in the extra virgin olive oil as it heated. This allows the gentle flavor of the shallot to release in the oil, and then I whisked it into 4 tbs. of balsamic, with a slight squeeze of lemon, salt and pepper. That's it.  That was my homage to the movie, that I watched 3 times. Julia Childs does not know of my existence, but I do know of hers, and am grateful for the inspiration. It can be contagious.Cooking is also.

Happy cooking, Happy New Year, and Happy living !

Joy,
Dava