Tis Better To Give, Than Receive

Of course I would never tell anyone under 10 that, but as I’ve gotten older and especially after having children, it’s such a personal pleasure to see the smile on your recipient’s face when you give them something. Anything.

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Why Gold is the Perfect Material

Last week I attended a Gold Conference called: Gold Vision at Virtuosity, as a guest of the World Gold Council. The first speaker, Jack Ogden, jewelry historian, summed up what I already knew. Gold is the ultimate "green" material.

Things I Learned From Hurricane Sandy

Things I Learned From Hurricane Sandy

I am electrically dependent.

I enjoy hot showers.

Body Adornment Or Why I Will Never Get A Tattoo

I have a friend who just curated an exhibit in Washington DC at Strathmore called "Skin". It's a show that encompasses tattooing, body painting, henna and various sorts of body decorating, with the exception of piercing which I'm sure is a whole other exhibition. The subject is fascinating and after speaking with Harriet who curated the exhibit it sounds like a must see, especially for my 16 year old who is campaigning for a small tattoo. She's not getting one, that is if she wants to go to college on my dime.

Super Saturday 2012

It takes a special kind of woman to stand in line for two hours to go to a glorified sample sale that is Super Saturday in the Hamptons! My daughter and I drove in from New York City. Two and half hours, and we have ViP early entry passes which allows us in one hour prior to the masses. 

Made in the USA

I’ve always been a big supporter of USA made products so naturally when I began designing jewelry I knew I wanted to source and produce everything locally.

A Commitment that Inspired a Collection

Sometimes it's the little things in life that truly inspire us to do something great. I am very fortunate to have found an artistic medium that brings so much joy to those around me.

Met Gala - Best Dressed!

As discussed yesterday, I was lucky enough to help some close friends top off their impeccible style with some of my jewelry for last evening's Met Costume Institute Gala.  How stunning do Mari & Jason Tuttle look!

What I'm Smiling About - Met Costume Institue Gala

What am I smiling about today? I am dressing not one, but two Met Costume Ball attendees tonight in Sandy Leong Jewelry!

Ladies Who Lunch

The Kentucky Derby may be the main event in the hat world, but this past Wednesday's Central Park Conservancy's 30th Annual Frederick Law Olmsted Awards Luncheon brought a sea of hats to the NYC. 

Something Old, Something New

Bridal Week fashion shows are always lovely, but my favorite this year was Oscar de la Renta's Spring 2013 Collection.

What’s making me smile today?

While walking my dogs I saw a bunch of funny and interesting ways that advertisers get your attention!  So clever!

Neiman Marcus Trunk Show - Updated

Along with all of these locations having Sandy Leong product in-store, any Neiman Marcus location can take orders for Sandy Leong product!

Candy Colors

I came across the new campaign for Clinique's Chubby Stick Shadow Tint for Eyes in today's WWD and am so drawn to the colors!

Jordana Brewster Rocks a Gold Stack

I just came across this image of Jordana Brewster and love everything about it!

5 Things I'm Loving Right Now

1. Spring - all of the flowers that are blooming around the city, especially the Tulips and Blossoms! The New York Botanical Garden's 'Orchid Show' is a perfect destination to indulge in these beautiful creations.

Sandy Leong Jewelry in Neiman Marcus!

What I'm smiling about today:

Today is the day that Neiman Marcus not only hosts 2 Sandy Leong Jewelry traveling trunk shows...

Captured Moments

I can't help but still be smiling today looking at this captured moment between my daughter and I at her recent Sweet Sixteen...

On the Slopes

Skis are like cars for Angelenos - it's your ride and it's all about the marketing.  Personally, I rent skis every season because I hate the schlepping involved, the extra bag fees, storing them in my manhattan apartment, etc...

My Droid

My Droid Self Portrait

At the TED conference two weeks ago, Google set up a station where you could create your own Android on a t-shirt.  This is right up my alley!  You could stretch and contort your "droid", add clothes, shoes, accessories, change the hair and skin color.  Needless to say I spent a lot of time getting the proportions just right for my droid.  I picked a little black dress, because you can make any outfit fabulous with the proper accessories. 

5 Things I Can't Live Without

Have you ever really thought about the things that you find yourself using on a daily basis?  I was talking to a friend recently about her "must-haves" and I decided to really think about what's in my life that I can't live without right now....

Face time

Looking at all of the global Fashion Shows for Fall, one trend that I can 100% get behind is a clean face to accent jewelry.

Recycled Gold

You may have seen a trend towards jewelry created from recycled gold, something that I couldn’t be happier about!  Personally, I use recycled gold in each and every piece that I make to create a more sustainable and responsible jewelry collection.

New York Fashion Week Street Style

Fashion Week is one of the most exciting times of the year.  Yes, the fashion shows are great to watch, but for me, I get endless inspiration sitting at Lincoln Center and watching fashion lovers' personal style walking by!

It's That Time Of Year Again

It's that time of year again, New Year's Eve. Time to make those lofty resolutions, like: I will not  raise my voice to my kids or my husband unless the apartment is on fire, I will not buy something just because it's on sale, I will be more patient and kind to everyone and I will work out more, improve my tennis serve, and lose those last five pounds if it kills me. 

Sandy Leong Giveaway Winner!

'tis the season for surprises!

The winner of the Sandy Leong Giveaway, receiving the Petite Dewdrop Necklace from the Origin Collection, is......

What Happens When You Lose Your Luggage

I love flying non-stop! However sometimes you just  can't get from here to there without stopping somewhere. I pride myself in my packing abilities, after all I've been a flight attendant for 25 years. Just the essentials, rolled, tucked and travel sized.  But when our luggage didn't make our flight I realized how little you really need and even I am guilty of overpacking!

Gift Giving With A Purpose

I’m always very sentimental about the holidays.  My fondest memories are waking up my brother on Christmas morning so we could sneak a look at our stockings before my parents woke up.  The warm fuzzy feelings also come to me when I look at my Sweet Charity Bangle that I made for The Boys and Girls Aid in Portland, Oregon. 

What Are You Smiling About?

 I just had a whirlwind weekend celebrating our dear family friends’ son’s Bar Mitzvah.  We attended the Friday night service, followed by dinner, the Saturday morning service, followed by lunch and the party to end all parties, Saturday night.

At the photo booth Saturday night!

For The Hostess with the Mostess

What's In A Name?

On my recent trip to Boca Raton, Florida my husband and I went to a wine store called Total Wine & More.  And boy did they!  It is like a Costco for wine and spirits.  Rows and rows of wines by region, whole aisles of vodkas, domestic and imported, champagnes, beers, oh my. It was like being a kid in a candy I never thought I would have so much fun in a liquor store.

Pro mis Q ous wine!

Holidays Are Where Your Heart Is

Christmas is just around the corner and I can’t wait.  I love going to the Farmers Market at Union Square and getting my Christmas tree the first Friday or Saturday in December.  Hauling out the ornaments and decorations and smelling that fresh pine-y smell every time I walk into my apartment.  It really is the most wonderful time of the year.

Christmas 2006

Stackable Rings Collection

Sometimes less is more but sometimes, more is more, and having this as an option when dressing is ideal, especially around the holidays! 

What Are You Smiling About?

What are you smiling about?  I finally finished making two ring guards for my friend Garry who was the inspiration behind my Commitment rings.  He wanted two high polished rings to wear on either side of his white gold band with a champagne diamond baguette.  I have to say, it looks fabulous and he couldn’t be happier.  What is making me smile though is how happy Garry is.

What Inspires You?

My Small Origin ring as seen on Jullian Michaels.  I'm using that shape to create a fish scaled look for new earring, necklaces and a bracelet.  I’m often asked where I get my inspiration.  Here’s where one source of my inspiration comes from.

I Have A Confession To Make

I have a confession to make.  I love Target.  Everything about it: the wide aisles, the vast array of make-up from Maybelline to Boots,  the fashion forward accessories, greeting cards from Papayrus and the guest designers that bring high fashion to the masses.  Botkier, Alexander McQueen, Zac Posen and John Paul Gautier have all designed a limited edition line for Target, with great success.  I admit, the quality wasn’t always there but it was guiltless haute shopping on a budget.

What Do You Wear to a Hurricane?

For the record, I was never really afraid of Hurricane Irene.  In fact, up until the Amagansett Fire Department delivered our evacuation notice, I was willing to to "ride her out".  But when my calm, cool and collected husband was checking out hotels in Riverhead (about an hour inland)that was when I began to panic.  Our friends have a house in East Hampton, further inland with a back up generator and graciously offered to let us stay with them (including our babysitter, and two dogs) during the hurricane. 

So now comes the real dilemma.  If Irene really did wipe out our beach and beach front rental, what do you take with you?

Playing Tennis For All The Wrong Reasons

I admit the title is a bit misleading.  I love playing tennis and have been playing pretty much all my life.  My Dad was an avid tennis player and he was determined to make my brother and I love the sport as well. My first tennis racket was a sawed off badmitten racket and my first lesson was our the living room. (not a good idea)  My second lesson was on the public tennis courts in Richmond, California, where you could get group instructions for the entire summer for the $2 membership fee.  So despite my humble beginnings, I turned out to be a pretty good tennis player, playing number one singles in high school.

Is Pink The New Black?

Never had spending $15 filled me with such anxiety. 

What relatively minor purchase was causing me such angst?  A visit to the nail salon, of course. I went to get my nails done and I was filled with insecurity when asked to pick a color. I stared blankly at the 100-plus shades of pinks, reds and corals, not to mention the trendier blacks, blues, greens and – gasp --  orange.

Coming Up From Down Under

I just got back from two weeks in Australia with my family.  We had a wonderful time, climbing the Sydney Harbor Bridge, touring Sydney,  diving the Great Barrier Reef, hiking around the outback in Central Australia and a quick trip to the wine country in Southern Australia.  It's winter in Australia, high's around 63 ish and lows around 50.

What I Did In Jordan

A recent trip to a resort town in Jordan confirmed this universal truth: All women want to look good in a swimsuit.

My husband and I just got back from a very quick trip to Aqaba, Jordon, a town that borders the Red Sea. It’s beautiful in an Old World way – family-owned souvenir shops, grocery kiosks, the souks and camels — yet thoroughly modern as demonstrated by our encounters with bikini-clad tourists, all-you-can-eat buffet breakfasts, Wi-Fi and infinity pools.

Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder

It’s amazing what happens when you step away from your “regular” life for just a little while.  When you come back, you wonder what you used to do regularly.  I normally have a very good work ethic.  I get up every morning at 6:30, wake the kids, walk the dogs, workout, and get busy designing jewelry.  But lately, life has been a whirlwind.  Holidays, traveling, trunk shows, etc have thrown a wrench into my structured existence and I like it.  But now that I’m back for a whole week, I don’t remember what was normal.  I just keep packing and unpacking, lugging suitcases to and from airports.  I can’t remember the last time I cooked dinner for my family and my normal routine isn’t really working for me anymore.  I’ve actually become a little unfocused and, gasp, lazy!

What Are You Smiling About

Smiling is good for you. And it didn’t take a doctor, psychologist or neuroscientist to tell me that. There is actually scientific proof that flashing your pearly whites improves your health, self-confidence and well-being. The act of smiling releases endorphins, which  are associated with falling in love and are key to long-term relationships.  I heard Ron Gutman, the founder of HealthTap, say that smiling sets off a chemical reaction in your body similar to 20 chocolate candy bars!

You know what makes me smile?  Shopping.  Guilty as charged.  My pulse races and the corners of my mouth start an instantaneous upturn whenever I walk into a mall, a grocery or book store, even a magazine shop at the airport.  I can’t help myself.  Now that I know smiling – and therefore shopping – is good for me, well, just think of the possibilities.

What Would Donna Do?

I love Donna Karan. Her clothes are beautiful, accessible and wearable. She designs a bedding and bath line, shoes and handbags, fragrances and now Urban Zen, a complete lifestyle collection. But does she ever get bored of wearing Donna Karan clothing, sleeping in her Donna Karan bedding, living in her Donna Karan-designed apartment or showing off her Donna Karan-designed jewelry?

Unlike Donna Karan, with her massive staff, I’m a one-woman show; I design, draw, work on my inventory, monitor sales.  I’m constantly on the lookout for new ideas, trends and inspiration. Sometimes it can take months for an idea to become an actual wearable piece of jewelry.

Is Gold In Your Future?

Forget the 401k, gold is the new hedge against an unpredictable future.  Interest rates are skyrocketing, home values depreciating.  What is one to do?  According to a recent article in the Wall Street Journal many private investors are putting their money in gold.  That’s about as technical and investment savvy as I get. What that article said to me was “buy jewelry”.

This is what I'm investing in. Bangles from the Halo Collection

Sundance 2011

Sundance 2011: When it’s cold and slushy outside, my sense of fashion goes out the window. I want to be warm. Out come the trapper, scarf, mittens, the long down coat, and warm, waterproof boots to navigate the ankle deep puddles of water that accumulate at the cross walks. Okay, I did wear my Ferragamo white faux fur apres ski boots that was the topic of many a conversation starter, and although they were warm and for the most part waterproof, they were also somewhat of a fashion statement. But still, I’m always so amazed seeing women show up at the after parties with teeny, tiny mini dresses and pointy toed pumps. Where did they come from? How did they get there? Surely they were not walking on the same mean streets of Park City that I was. It’s really hard to show how your thrice weekly sessions with your personal trainer are paying off either. Everyone is bundled up in ski parkas, and sweaters, not very figure flattering. 

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