Stunningly Sustainable

Cynthia Rybakoff Collection, Modern Vintage Charm Bracelet

Salvatore Ferragamo, Fall 2010

Cynthia Rybakoff Collection, Modern Vintage Charm Necklace

Not wanting to fully embrace the fall fashion season just yet, here are some late summer offerings, made from vintage and recycled organic components, including stone, raffia, wood, coral and bone. The aqua-celadon green and salmon-ivory color palettes transition well into early fall's neutral mood, including my new favorite shade of brown, burnt sienna.

For more stunningly sustainable jewels, including my Modern Vintage Charm Bracelet visit ecco*eco for a round up of Summer 2010's ethical style gems!

Ferragamo image courtesy of Style.com.

Cynthia Rybakoff Collection jewelry available exclusively on CynthiaRybakoff.com.

Sigmund And The Sea Monsters

My husband Matt and I are beach babies, and love to collect pretty shells, but also scary things that wash up on the shores of Peconic Bay. The most fierce creature by far is the horseshoe crab (if ever their was a reason to wear aqua socks!). But nothing we've ever found compares to fascinating prehistoric sea creatures, like ammonites, in both beauty and potential ick factor. Ammonites are related to squid, and their golden spiral shells were once home to creepy-crawly multi-limbed marine animals.

Matt's Van Dyke Brown print for Handmade On Peconic Bay, featured in the current issue of Hamptons Magazine, depicts a variety of ammonite forms, from Ernst Haeckel's 1904 Kunstformen der Natur. Framed in upcycled vintage wood molding, with the original paint, it's a pleasant reminder of a time when sea monsters ruled the planet.

Handmade On Peconic Bay "Art Of Nature" one of a kind Van Dyke Brown framed print, $225.00 at A Little Of What You Fancy, East Hampton, 631.324.3113.

What's Old Is New

Art print note cards

Van Dyke Brown prints

Cyanotype prints

Cynthia Rybakoff-Shapoff

Matt Shapoff

Hester Street Fair, located in a beautiful park setting on the corner of Hester and Essex, was once home to New York City’s largest and oldest pushcart markets. Established in 1894, it was was the busiest outdoor market in New York City, by the turn of the century. The new Hester Street Fair has sought to create a space that reflects the dynamic energy of the Lower East Side then and now. Mission accomplished! If you haven't been yet, make a point of visiting soon.

Today, the Hester Street Fair focuses on curated local crafts, artisan food and vintage goods. It's the perfect place for our Handmade On Peconic Bay modern vintage wares, including cyanotype and Van Dyke Brown photographic prints using techniques that date back to the mid 19th century.

Handmade On Peconic Bay will be at the Hester Street Fair weekends through December. For fair dates and announcements, follow Handmade On Peconic Bay on Facebook.

Town and Country

If we can’t get out of town for the weekend, for a culinary visit to the Hamptons, where my husband Matt and I gather fresh seasonal ingredients at our favorite markets and farm stands, we typically do the same thing right here in NYC. It’s fun to create a locavore meal and something to look forward to as the sun sets over the rooftops. Invite some good friends, open a bottle of local wine and set the right mood with some inspiring new dinnerware sets!

For great summer entertaining in the city, why not bring a little country right to your table? There's an abundance of fresh meat, poultry, fish and produce to be found at green markets in cities throughout the country. Sure, I’d rather be clipping sprigs of fragrant rosemary in our chef’s garden, but I can find everything I need right here as well, including fresh baked goods and delectable desserts.

Matt plays chef for the evening, conjuring up his summer specialties, like sweet corn salad with tomatoes, English peas and chives, while I set the mood and the table. For a Scandinavian summer in the country theme, this notNeutral dinnerware in fresh green and brown, with an Alessi Blow Up Bamboo centerpiece is perfect! Or if you'd rather be by the sea, you can't go wrong with Dansk classic blue and white nautical stripes or their Arabesque pattern, for a retro Mediteranean feel.

Post sponsored by cookware.com.

Rare Earth

New for fall 2010, but something you'd want to wear year round, is this magnificent smoky quartz druzy necklace from my Rare Earth Collection. I heart druzy, because of it's organic texture. It's nature's own statement piece!

Druzy crystal formations, which can be found in numerous types of stone, is a natural curiosity, growing inside the hollow cavities of rock veins and geodes. The smoky quartz druzy beads in my Treasure Island necklace have a micro-crystalline top surface reminiscent of brown sugar with a smooth flat bottom.

Cynthia Rybakoff sterling silver and smoky quartz Treasure Island Necklace, $148 at Supermarket and A little Of What You Fancy, 19 Newtown Lane, East Hampton, 631.324.3113.

Curiosity Shop

Summer is in full swing at Mascot Studio. An amazing resource for modern vintage objet d'art, proprietor Peter McCaffrey has curated a wonderful little collection of paintings, drawings and prints for summer. Cyanotypes by Matt Shapoff for Handmade On Peconic Bay, mixed media paintings by Paul Moreno, limited edition giclee prints by Chris Buzelli, and some terrific watercolors of birds on found vintage coin collector's notes, by Peter himself, are currently showing and selling fast.

Be sure to "Like" Mascot Studio's Facebook page and see works by all the artists mentioned in this post!

Staycation

In these troubling times of economic uncertainty, and environmental disaster on an unimaginable scale, it has become ever so popular to take a staycation, venturing out on daytrips, to sample the local cuisine and explore new neighborhoods. So why not stay home in seasonal style? It's easy to add some great summer items to your living space or closet with just a few mouse clicks!

1. Anthropologie ~ Rope Frame
2. Thomaspaul ~ Portland Dessert Plate Set
3. Anthropologie ~ Large Rope Magnifier
4. Anthropologie ~ Paper Sketch Vases
5. Anthropologie ~ Driftwood Hurricane
6. Jennifer Sitko ~ Patterned Stem Lamp
7. Thomaspaul ~ Large Coral Tote
8. Thomaspaul ~ Crab Pillow
9. Anthropologie ~ Sundried Hat