Luke shot this photo of me with the bracelet & the bag after the ball with his Droid

The Valerie Fund Gala was amazing- this year they had two giant screens to play the video we created so everyone in the ballroom could see clearly. I don’t know how much they ended up raising, but everyone seemed to be in the mood to spend so I think it must have been successful!

When Luke realized that he had won a couple things for me in the silent auction, he cheerfully said, “It’s for the kids!” as he paid up. Besides the St. John bracelet, he won me a fabulous red Dior handbag (the red version of this one haha). I’ve never owned anything designer in my life, and besides my car and my 105mm lens (which I used to shoot this photo) this is now the most expensive thing I own! A am anxiously awaiting an opportunity to use the bag… I am so terrified of destroying it!

Luke & me ready for the ball!

The Valerie Fund Gala is a formal, black tie event at the Short Hills Hilton. They take over not only the huge, gorgeous ballroom, but the halls around it, and a large tent connected to the space where the silent auction is set up. There are many food stations, from sushi to turkey to spring rolls and dumplings to veggies and olives, and then butlers carrying other hors d’ouvres and glasses of champagne through the crowd. There are also two bars carrying any drink people might like, all top shelf.

It is really a grand event where you can dress up as much as you’d like and you fit right in. Wearing the long black and white gown, I put my hair in loose waves flipped to one side, a la Rita Hayworth (except my hair is a lot longer), and wore some nice bling borrowed from Mrs. Hirshenson:

We were hoping to win the trip to Belize that was being auctioned off in the live auction, but fortunately for the kids, it quickly went out of our price range. We did, however, score in the silent auction! Luke won a couple things for me, including this absolutely fabulous St. John gold cuff that I fell in love with the moment I saw it:

Unless it is pure gold, pure silver, or stainless steel (or plastic), I can’t wear a piece of jewelry. I get all itchy and bumpy, and if they are earrings, my ears get so irritated I can’t wear earrings for several days after. These earrings were “gold” once, but the plating has worn off and now they are just irritating metal. I wore them for the last time… they are pretty but I’m allergic! If anyone wants to be their new keeper, please let me know and they are all yours.

Silver star necklace from Cozumel, Mexico

I already posted an image of this necklace, but once I got my props I wanted to try again. These photos don’t have as interesting of a composition, but I feel like you get a much better idea of what the necklace looks like hanging around a neck, or up close.

Last week I got all excited about jewelry photography, but as you might remember I was pretty much just laying the pieces down on a background. I figured some props might be helpful so I hopped online and ordered a bunch of stands, boxes, fake hands- all stuff a jewelry store would have to display their pieces. Everything arrived literally the next day, I was shocked! I immediately unpacked everything and started playing with one of the hands and one of my favorite bracelets.

This is another piece from the Unique Jewelry Boutique in Boonton, NJ. When I have visitors, I like to take them to the shop and inevitably they buy at least one thing. I took my Great Aunt Alison, a fashionista and lover of gorgeous jewelry, to the shop and she went crazy. She not only found a few sets for herself, but when she realized that I had fallen madly in love with this bracelet, she insisted on buying it for me as well.