Hidden Gems in Kingston, NY

Every time I’m in Kingston I make it a point to stop into Facets of Earth, a jewelry store feels different and more special than the other shops in town. Its owner, Morgan Mikula, mixes her own expertly crafted fine jewelry with the work of other drool-worthy designers, and I’m thrilled to have some of my pieces there, too!

This light and airy shop is along Broadway, a stone’s throw away from the Hudson River and the Kingston Waterfront that Morgan loves so much. Next time you’re in Kingston make Facets of Earth your first stop, and then hit up her recommendations for the city’s hidden gems:

Best cup of coffee

For Morgan, it’s a toss-up between Village Coffee and Goods and Rough Draft Bar & Books. Her drink of choice? A Red Eye, an Americano with a shot of espresso and cream.

Favorite dinner spot

She loves The Kinsley, a group of 19th century houses-turned-hotels featuring an exceptional restaurant. If you’re more in the mood for hangover food, she recommends Tubby’s, especially their tachos (a.k.a. tater tots loaded with fixings, a.k.a. the only thing I want to eat for the rest of my life).

BEST place to grab drinks

She recommends Tubby’s again. Morgan says they have a great selection of drinks, and if you see her there she’ll most likely be sipping one of their mezcals.

Favorite boutique

Morgan recommends Hops Petunia, a combination flower and gift shop across the street from Facets of Earth, and Lovefield Vintage, full of vintage clothing treasures.

Perfect Weekend Activity

Visiting the Farmer’s Market and long walks along the Waterfront.

Making Molly’s Earrings

Left: Molly and Andrew walking down the aisle, photo by Meghan Baskin; Right: Molly’s custom earrings

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I’m always so honored when a bride asks me to make something special for her wedding day — I remember how important it was for me to get every detail from my own wedding right, so I know how special it is to pick the jewelry you’ll wear.

This spring Molly reached out to me about making earrings for her wedding, and I was thrilled! She wanted something with a pearl, and something bigger than the Baroque Pearl Drop earrings (little did she know my favorite thing to hear is, “Can we go bigger?”). I immediately got to sketching, she picked her favorite design, and we made a few final tweaks. Next we found the perfect pair of pearls, and I got busy on the rest.

Left: Carving the rough shapes out of wax; Right: The wax after lots of fine-tuning

Molly’s earrings started out as thick blocks of wax that I cut down into the rough shapes I wanted. I used small files to refine the shape more, including all the contours. I carved the top setting so a pearl could sit safely inside, made sure the bottom drops wouldn’t be too heavy, and cast them all in brass. Finally I plated them in 14k gold, which really made them sparkle. 

Left: A close-up shot of Molly’s earrings; Right: Molly just before her wedding, photo by Meghan Baskin

I enjoyed the whole process of making these earrings, but loved seeing Molly wearing them even more. She looked stunning on her wedding day (those sleeves! that lip color!!), and the earrings complimented her look beautifully. 

I hope she and Andrew husband spend many blissful years together, and that happy wedding day memories come flooding back every time she puts them on.

Style Hacks for Last-Minute Plans

Sometimes life throws a change of plans at you, like impromptu drinks with friends after work, or a surprise dinner-date with your in-laws. You don’t have time for a full outfit change, but a few quick updates can totally change your look. Here are my favorite hacks for dressing an outfit up or down in an instant:

1

A white tee and jeans feel casual, but pair them with heels and long, sparkling earrings (like the Ridgeline Drops in crystal) to dress them up.

Images, clockwise from top left: James Perse tee; Ridgeline Drops; Isabel Marant heeled sandals; vintage Levi’s

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2

Wearing a dress automatically feels like more of an occasion, but make it more casual with modern, all-metal accessories (like these Nova Earrings or Undercurrent Bracelet) and sneakers.

Images, clockwise from top left: Nova Clip-On Earrings; Michelle Mason wrap dress; Undercurrent Bracelet; Golden Goose sneakers

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3

A button down and pencil skirt are great for the office, but throw on a slouchy sweatshirt and oversized metal hoops (like these Halo Hoops) for after-work drinks.

Images, left to right: Madewell sweatshirt; Black Halo skirt; Halo Hoops

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Give these a shot and let me know how it goes! Have other quick tricks that have worked for you before? Share the love and leave them in the comments below!

Cleopatra's Emeralds

Left: Still from Cleopatra (1963), 20th Century Fox/Photofest; Right: Emerald specimen, photo by Klaus-Peter Kelber.

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I’ve always been fascinated by powerful women in history, and Cleopatra has to be top 3 on that list. She took Egypt from her younger brother and made herself queen; she had affairs with some of the most famous men in history (Julius Caesar and Mark Antony, no big deal); and she had an impressive collection of gems and jewels. (It’s entirely possible she was reincarnated as Elizabeth Taylor!)

But one of the stones most synonymous with Cleopatra is the emerald. She figured out way before anyone else that in order to command fear and respect, she had to look look the part of an impressive, heaven-sent ruler.  And she did that by owning all the gems and constantly showing them off. 

She scooped up all of Egypt’s mines for herself, using emeralds as her royal calling card, wearing and giving them as diplomatic gifts. The Roman author Lucanus wrote that her home was littered with emerald-encrusted objects, and that she adorned herself with so many that he wondered how she didn’t “faint beneath the weight of gems and gold” (#goals). She had so many that during her time, when you thought of Egypt you simultaneously thought of emeralds. 

If you’re feeling as inspired as I am by this queen of Egypt, I highly recommend watching Elizabeth Taylor in Cleopatra (buckle up, though, it’s a 4 hour movie). Or, dive into more gemstone lore with Victoria Finlay’s “Jewels: A Secret History” where a lot of this incredible information came from.