Community

When I moved back to New Jersey after nearly 20 years in San Francisco, I wondered how I would ever build a new community from scratch. I didn't realize one of my greatest connectors would be walking beside me on four legs. From chance meetings on dog beach to new friendships and even finding my Asbury Park [...]

Looking back, 2022 was the year I really began to understand what putting down roots in Asbury Park could mean. We launched The Hand Project with friends and community members, brought some of my earliest designs back to life through Full Circle, welcomed Aryana back to the CMD team and built [...]

Meet Marilyn Schlossbach, serial entrepreneur, restaurateur and longtime Asbury Park local who seems to have her hands in a little bit of everything. We photographed Marilyn for the Hand Project in 2022 and talked community, creativity, personal style and why CMD’s mix of feminine and masculine [...]

Meet Tina Kerekes, one of the unforgettable Asbury Park locals featured in CMD's Hand Project. From her incredible personal style to her love for the artists, architecture and creative energy of Asbury, Tina brought exactly the kind of individuality this project was created to celebrate. When I asked [...]

Meet Kitty Minervini and Mat Hale, two Asbury Park locals who became some of my first friends in town. From a chance reunion on the beach to becoming neighbors, these two helped make Asbury feel like home and were an obvious choice when I dreamed up the Hand Project. I’m so grateful for our friendship [...]

Meet Alex Hudson, one of my dearest friends and one of the personalities behind CMD's Hand Project. From Burning Man to Brooklyn to Asbury Park, Alex brings his own unmistakable style to everything, including the cuffs, rings and earrings he calls his “body armor.” Alex loved switching out his single [...]

Meet Blaise Anthony Lucarelli, one of the magnetic Asbury Park personalities featured in CMD's Hand Project. A performer with unforgettable style and an infectious spirit, Blaise talked with me about identity, self-expression, community and why CMD jewelry feels both futuristic and timeless. [...]

Savannah Rose Cheavers joined me in Asbury Park as one of the models for my Hand Project, a photo series celebrating the different people, personalities and stories that make jewelry come alive. A New Jersey native with a love of fashion, independent artists and creative expression, Savannah brought [...]

Roshane Karunaratne, aka The General, joined me in Asbury Park as one of the models for The Hand Project. A musician who plays piano, guitar, bass and drums, Ro brought plenty of personality, color and creative energy to the shoot. What I loved most was seeing how naturally our square rings and mixed [...]

Jen is a curly hair guru in training, restaurant connoisseur, cat lover, and Jersey Girl to the core. She was raised in Howell, NJ and currently lives in Long Branch, just up the coast from Asbury. Jen had a change of heart about her career path after losing her father a few years ago. Following her heart and passion for ...]

The CMD Hand Project began with a simple idea: photograph real people from the Asbury Park community wearing our jewelry completely their own way. Nine people, twelve new designs and nine very different sets of hands later, the project became something bigger than a collection. Years later, here's what [...]

My bestie Lisa joined me for another virtual CMD happy hour filled with jewelry, French 75s and plenty of catching up. These little online gatherings became such a fun way to stay connected during a strange stretch of time. I'm looking back at one of my favorites and sharing our French 75 recipe, too. [...]

What do you get when you combine two best friends, a pile of jewelry and something warm to drink? One very CMD happy hour. Lisa and I took our virtual cocktail adventures into winter with this cozy hot chocolate recipe, which can be made with mezcal, whiskey or brandy, or kept completely booze-free. Most importantly, [...]

In June 2020, I invited my best friend Lisa to join me for an Instagram Live happy hour with a little jewelry and a Lillet Spritz in hand. What started as a fun excuse to connect during lockdown became one of those small reminders that friendship, laughter and a good drink can make even the strangest days feel a little [...]