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When esteemed designer and pro potter Jonathan Adler invited the InStyle team over to his studio for a night of some clay-wielding action, there was no way we could down such a great opportunity to learn from the best (and to reenact Ghost, of course). Adler was the first at the wheel where he materialized a perfect pitcher in a matter of minutes, all the while teaching us tips, like the importance of lubrication and clay-control (“you have to be like, ‘I am the machine, the clay is mine,’” he quips), answering questions, and throwing out laugh-out-loud one-liners. Then, it was our turn. Clad in adorable JA <3 InStyle aprons, we rolled up our sleeves and got down ‘n dirty. Even though our own finished pots and snack bowls (guac, anyone?) weren’t nearly of the same caliber as Adler’s, a fun night was had by all. "The best thing that can come out of tonight is if you become hobbyist potters," Adler said to us. Well, mission accomplished—we’re hooked! 
Jonathan Adler at the wheel showing us up (above). 
We found some natural potters among us: InStyle Deputy Art Director Mariya Ivankovitser (above, left) and InStyle Assistant Managing Editor Lavinel Savu (above, right)
Our masterpieces! 
The InStyle team, from left: Joanna Bober (Lifestyle Director), Lisa Martin (Director of Photography), EJ Briones (Fashion Assistant), Mariya Ivankovitser (Deputy Art Director), Sharon Clott (Senior Editor), Anne Kim (Associate Editor), Rina Stone (Creative Director), Claire Stern (Editorial Assistant), Andrea Cheng (Associate Editor), Christina Shanahan (Senior Editor), Lavinel Savu (Assistant Managing Editor) Photo credits: Claire Stern and Lavinel Savu for InStyle.com
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Being that I'm a New York native, my fascination with the Eloise books started at a very young age. I'd sit in my bed and fantasize about the girl in the room "on the tippy-top floor" of the Plaza Hotel, chilling with her cool pug dog, and wish it were me relentlessly chasing the Nanny down the storied hallways. So when Lulu Frost introduced its Plaza Collection—a line of necklaces and bracelets adorned with bronze castings of the original numerals that lined the hotel's doorways—it was like a childhood dream come true. 
And to make matters even sweeter, designer Lisa Salzer made the whole collection customizable, so you can DIY your own piece with a letter or number in the original Plaza font (and a charm or two for good measure). To make my masterpiece, I enlisted the help of the Lulu Frost team and chose a necklace with a long chain, a "C" for my namesake, and a rhinestone-encrusted charm—as if the Plaza lettering didn't shine enough on its own already. — Claire Stern, InStyle Editorial Assistant Photo credit: Alex Reside for InStyle.com
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