“I Told You It Was A Left At The Border”!

San Juan Capistrano via Flickr (3 images)

Every day is a new adventure in Arizona!  My first week I was here, I spotted a 40 pound bobcat about 10 feet away from me.  Looking back, my conversation with the wildlife agent about said bobcat was really funny!

KS - I’l like to report a bobcat sighting

Official Wildlife Agent (OWA) - How do you know it was a bobcat?

KS - Well, my ex-brother-in-law was an avid hunter and he had one mounted  above my nephew’s bunk beds.

OWA - Where did you see the bobcat? 

KS - I was on the little patio making some phone calls and he just came out from behind a bush about 10 feet away.  When I first saw his head come out from behind the bush,  I thought it was a kitty cat . . .until he walked a little further!

OWA - Is the bobcat threatening you or you pets?

KS - Not really, but I thought you should know he is in a residential neighborhood where there are small children and pets!

OWA - M’am, where are you from?

KS - I just moved here from Boston about a week ago.

OWA - Well. . .now you live in the desert and unless the bobcat is threatening you or your pets - we don’t come out.  These animals were here long before all the buildings went up in your neighborhood.  I’m sure you will see other animals during your stay here - but like I said, unless they are threatening - we don’t come out!

I hung up the phone, but it always stuck in my head that the entire episode sounded like a madcap Lucille Ball episode of I Love Lucy or a clip from City Slickers!

One of 4+ nests on my front porch alcove

Look closely - the little swallow is peeping out of the nest!

To date, we have dealt with 3 swarms of bees (one swarm necessitated moving out of the house for 2 days while they removed part of our house to treat the hive); rabbit proofing our yard so the little bunnies would not be eaten by our fiercely interested Cavalier King Charles Spaniels; an ongoing battle with “roof rats” who find our orange trees a gourmet delicacy and now the latest. . .a flock of swallows!  This is all a bit  much for someone that is not exactly a “nature girl”!

Don’t get me wrong. . .I love birds - especially the sweet little hummingbirds that are so abundant in AZ, but this latest adventure is not only extremely messy, but a little scary - much like Tippi Hedren in Alfred Hitchcock’s, “The Birds”!  These swallows are very fast and they swoop in under the soffit of the front entrance alcove with a mission.  If something is not done soon to stop their nest building - I’m afraid our guests won’t be able to come in through the front door!  I spent the day trying to get some help in relocating them to no avail.  Of course, it is the week-end so nothing can be done until Monday (isn’t that always the way things go?)!  By Monday, they will probably have a full subdivision of swallow condo’s built and a HOA in place!  Anyone have any ideas???

As always, the creative mind keeps spinning (especially because there is nothing more I can do about the swallow problem), so I might as well be constructive with something!  I’ve been working on the completion of my Kitchen/Family Room where soft dove-grays  have intersected with powdery aquamarine blue.  There is just something about this combination of colors that is very soothing to me.  

Gigi Necklace

Gigi Earrings

I just completed this Gigi Necklace made up of soft dove-gray freshwater pearls, petal pearls and organic aquamarine nuggets.  I especially like the fact it has an elegant presence, but is not overwhelmingly dramatic - a wonderful and flattering spring/summer choice. 

I can just hear Mrs. Swallow to her husband - “I Told You It Was A Left At The Border”!  San Juan Capistrano - you are missing some swallows and I think I have found them!

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Phoebe’s Devotion and the Mother’s Day Necklace Winner!

Theoro via Flickr

Thank you all for your touching and sometimes humorous tributes to your Mothers. As I read each comment, I also traced back to your own blogs.

via 2 Bags Full

One in particular has held my attention for days. Vicki from 2 Bags Full has a posting and link on her blog about a beautiful little hummingbird named Phoebe. Phoebe is in the process of hatching her tiny little eggs that will become her new family. Phoebe’s efforts are being broadcast live (via a webcam) so you can see her devotion to her little babies in live time. Click here to go to the website and watch the miracle of new life.



Without further adieu – the winner of the Mother’s Day Necklace Giveaway is:

ღஐƸ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒஐღ  Michelle  ღஐƸ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒஐღ

Congratulations, Michelle – I’ll be in touch to find out the gemstones for your special gift.






Happy Mother’s Day – not only to the Mothers amongst us, but kudos to the wonderful children that these loving mothers have raised! Tweet

Forget Me Not Necklace (Flora Collection) – Chalcedony, Pearls and Blue Lace Agate

Forget Me Not flowers have been a favorite of mine for many years. These delicate little flowers grow wild in some locales and they were a favorite of Victorians - probably as much for their sweet color and form, as for their adorable and nostalgic name.

They appear in my collection of antique Elfinware as well as a smaller collection of antique postcards that were sadly misplaced at some point during my move across country.

There is just something about the slightly lavender-blue hue that keeps me entranced. It is a complicated color – too much red and it becomes lavender – too much blue and it becomes. . .well, blue! I have always had a theory that this particular shade of blue is very becoming to most people. It makes us look cool on the most brutal summer day and tan on even the most pallid complexion!

Diamond Baratta

via Cococozy

It is a very significant color for me as it was this lavender-blue hue that I chose for my first ever showhouse years ago. I think it is a favorite of many interior designers for its freshness and universal appeal.

Forget Me Not Necklace (Flora Collection)

Forget Me Not Earrings

The sweet little Forget Me Not flower was clearly an apt moniker for my most recent necklace design made for the Flora Collection. Beautiful shades of lavender-blue chalcedony and blue lace agate were juxtaposed with an abundance of creamy freshwater pearls in assorted shapes from simple rounds to egg shapes and petal pearls, and were combined to create a profusion of delicate flower-like elements. With a name like this – how could you forget this sweet bijoux frippery!

Don't Forget the Mopther's Day Necklace Giveaway

in the April 20th Posting!

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Mother’s Day Necklace Giveaway – Octo-Mom Here’s Your Chance!

I just bet that everyone thinks while I am making up jewelry designs I am listening to something elegant like classical music (on occasion) or at the least, watching something of importance - like the news. I am chagrined to admit that is not necessarily the case.



Most often the TV is tuned in to absurd programs like repeats of The Housewives of ________ (you fill in the city) or Millionaire Matchmaker. Today was an exception – I happened to turn on Oprah who was interviewing none other than, Octo-Mom Nadia. As I worked on a new necklace design, I became transfixed with her reality check of Motherhood. In the end, I came away feeling a bit sorry not only for her children, but for herself. I’m sure in the midst of her emotional decision to have all these children; she was, shall we say - rather clueless, as to the day-to-day demands of being a single parent of 14.

Thankfully, I did not own that problem! I was raised as an only child and had a beautiful mother as well as a fabulous step-mother. My mother imparted a sense of style to me from a very young age and I was also very blessed to have such a warm and caring step-mom after her death. I was brought up in an environment that fostered my creative side while simultaneously teaching me to think independently. I can still hear my step-mother’s words – “Just because everyone else is doing it (you choose the folly), does not mean you have to follow along! Great life-lessons!

Mother's Day/New Mommy Necklace

Last year I wrote about my niece and her long awaited new baby that inspired a Mother’s Day/New Mommy Necklace design in this post. This year I decided I should do a little give-away to all my wonderful readers.



Leave me a comment about some poignant memory or bit of wisdom from your mother and you will be automatically entered to win a custom designed Mother’s Day necklace like the ones in the photo. You get to choose the metal (sterling silver or 24K gold vermeil) and the birthstones that suit your family. This thoughtful necklace can either be a gift for yourself or a gift for your own wonderful mother or mother-in-law.


The drawing will be on Monday, May 3rd. Nadia – are you out there?! Tweet

“A Delectable Confection”

The first time I heard these words was from my DH not long after we were married. It was to me (and still is), the cutest term of endearment I had ever heard. My hubby has an adorable sense of humor and this little phrase has been passed back and forth for many years.

Literally, Laduree has the “Delectable Confection” issue all sewn up with their mind-boggling pastel macaroons and their much envied pastel packaging. I think people are almost as much in love with the Easter-colored packages as the delicious contents!

I came across a wonderful blog this week with the most inspiring crafting techniques for the Easter/Spring holidays called Such Pretty Things. Jessica writes a very fun posting called Target Tuesdays where she really could put Martha’s crafting skills on notice. Above are some of her gorgeous Easter/Spring images all displaying not only beautiful craft ideas, but a gelato profusion of pastel colors.

Karen Sugarman Interiors

Junior League of Boston Showhouse - Breakfast Room - Westwood, MA

Better Homes and Gardens  Window and Wall Ideas

Mary Drysdale

Karen Sugarman Interiors

Drawing Room

Commandant's House - Charlestown Navy Yard

Jeffrey Bilhuber via Cote de Texas

Karen Sugarman Interiors

Princess and The Pea Bedroom

Junior League of Boston Showhouse - Dedham, MA

Pastel colors have long been a favorite of mine when designing interiors. There is a serene and comforting quality to the whisper of the diffused colors. Dramatic and dark rooms are always sophisticated, but much like a “diva friend”, they can be exhausting and numbing after too much drama.

Marie's Folly Bracelet - Pastel Tourmaline, Aquamarine and Beryl

With all these beautiful Easter/Spring colors in my head, I just completed a new bracelet design called Marie’s Folly. It is a magnificent combination of pastel tourmaline briolettes flanked by gorgeously organic aquamarine/beryl pastel slices. Pastel tourmaline is actually in short supply as it is found in Afghanistan in remote and very dangerous regions.

Knowing that Marie Antoinette had a great fondness for all things pastel, I feel certain that she would have approved of this “delectable confection”. Tweet

Online Flea Market Round-Up - Preparedness Course

• Make sure to put your flashlight by the bed tonight – just in case. . .

a.) The baby needs a four o’clock bottle.

b.) “Conchita” decides to get up at 4 AM.

c.) Your 16 year old daughter decides to sneak out the window - again!

• Check the bottom of the closet for that little stash of cash you’ve been hiding for emergencies.

•  Make sure your fuzzy bathrobe and slippers are handy (yes, this is the acceptable dress code for this event – would I lie to you?!).

•  Pour yourself a nice cup of coffee (no - it’s probably not worth driving to Starbucks at 4 AM!).

• Log on to Designing DNA for the first ever online Flea Market Round-Up and get ready to snatch-up some of the best flea market finds you have ever seen! Proceeds from this event will benefit Samaritan’s Purse for Disaster Relief Rebuilding.

See you bright and early tomorrow morning!

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They’re Baaaack! Orange Blossoms, Romance and Brides

I know that many of you have been faced with an unusual amount of snow, ice and flood-producing rains this past winter and I certainly feel your pain! Arizona is the one state that is usually out-of-step with the rest of the nation regarding both weather and Daylight Savings Time. While everyone else is slogging through nature’s fury - our weather is fairly mild during the harshest of winter months. And then, there is the issue of Daylight Savings Time – we are the only state that does not “Spring Forward” nor “Fall Back” with everyone else. Don’t ask me why because I have no idea. I can only imagine some “rogue cowboy” legislator suggesting that we do not need to be in step with everyone else. After all, this is probably one of a few states that you might encounter a sign on an antique store door requiring that all firearms must be checked at the desk (somehow a snake slithering out from behind a Chippendale table does seem rather remote)! Yikes!!

Our weather the past week has pushed up to the low 80’s and this is my favorite time of the year – not too cold – not too hot – just right. Part of my delight in the Arizona March weather is the citrus trees. Yes. . . they’re baaaack! That profoundly intoxicating aroma of the orange blossoms has just started to waft through the back yard. I posted about that delicious time of year two years ago in this posting.

Pearly white orange blossoms have long been associated with brides and for good reasons. According to Cornelia Powell, “Incorporating orange blossoms into the bride's costume originated in ancient China where they were emblems of purity, chastity and innocence. There are few trees so prolific as the orange; it is one of the rare plants that blooms and bears fruit at the same time, thus becoming symbolic of fruitfulness. During the time of the Crusades, the custom was brought from the East first to Spain, then to France , then to England in the early 1800's. By then, many enchanting legends had spread throughout the continent of maidens entwining fresh orange blossoms into a bridal wreath for their hair. The influence became so indoctrinated into the culture that the phrase "to gather orange blossoms" took the meaning “to seek a wife”.

via Whimsical Whites

When real orange blossoms were in short supply or in northern climates where citrus fruits did not flourish, wax replicas were used instead. However, reports in society newspapers of some extravagant Victorian weddings would specify "real orange blossoms" were used and the effusive accounts of the nuptials told of lush scents wafting through the air! These exquisite folkloric flowers, either genuine fresh blossoms or wax replicas, continued to be used to "fulfill the demands of tradition" well into the 1950s. The wax reproductions so prized during the Victorian era have become extremely precious today. Whether it is an entire vintage wax flower wreath that has been restored to wear again or some individual flowers saved to nestle into a newly made headpiece, these charming wax replica orange blossoms are being treasured again, and being used for their uniqueness, beauty and sentiment.”



As a jewelry designer, this is also the time of year when I begin to get requests from brides for new wedding jewelry designs for both themselves and their bridesmaids. It is always such a delight to work with brides to develop a design that will compliment their dresses and those of their wedding party. So far. . .no Bridezillas – just lovely young women looking for something unique and tasteful. I think I enjoy the design process with them so much because I only had one son – so, no weddings to plan.

Orange Blossom Necklace (Flora Collection)

Orange Blossom Earrings

My most recent bridal designs were inspired by the perfumed fragrance of those orange trees in the back yard and are aptly named Orange Blossom Necklace (Flora Collection) and Orange Blossom Earrings. Both designs consist of creamy ivory freshwater pearls coupled with very generous and crystal-clear rock crystal briolettes.

via Theodore and Company

via The Lennox Zimichost

via Modern Interior Design Decoration

via Whimsey by Victoria

via Tim Walker

In keeping with the romance of white orange blossoms and brides I am including some of my favorite white rooms. Perhaps not too practical, but certainly romantic and dreamy.

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