Farrah Fawcett, it was good to know ya!

Farrah Fawcett, an american actress and pop icon passed away yesterday after a long fight against cancer. She was instantly recognizable anywhere, in part for her beautiful hair that we all wanted to copy back in the '70's. She was in so many TV shows, notably Charlie's Angels in 1976 and starred on Broadway as well. Our time together was brief but memorable. I was a new jewelry designer at the time, and one of my designs was was featured in InStyle magazine. The phone ring and it was Farrah herself! She'd seen the magazine and she saw the necklace and wanted to buy it but, she explained that she had 'special proportions' and that the necklace needed to hit her in a certain spot. So, she said "wait a minute" and put her phone on speaker and proceeded to shout out all her measurements, to make sure I would make the necklace the right size to fit exactly where she wanted it to. She was very real and and very funny, and a pleasure to work with.

When she received the earrings and necklaces she called to say they were perfect! In the photo she sent me, she had dropped an earring, and got help to find it.

A while later, I received an outline of her foot in the mail in order to make her an ankle bracelet. Even though she had a busy and productive schedule, she took the time to write to me (there was no email back then) every time she got something and was so sweet-she would always say to me "i can't believe i am talking to you". Can you imagine, Farrah Fawcett was happy to be talking to me- while I was jumping for joy!

To this day, she was by far one of the most gracious and appreciative “celebrity” I have known and worked with. She regularly sent me handwritten “thank you” notes, fun pictures of her wearing the jewelry, sometimes sent me daily up-dates of her whereabouts and activities, along with photos! I still can't believe that a star of her magnitude kept in touch with me. She took time from her busy schedule with a phone call just to say hello to me, Roberta…WOW!!! Farrah had a way of making you feel extra special!!

It was a real blessing to have known her, my association with her gave me so much pleasure and encouraged me to continue my work as a designer and produce jewelry of such a high style and quality that someone like Farrah Fawcett would want to wear my designs. In some ways, my career as a designer got jump-started by my relationship with Farrah.

If you look on my website, that necklace I made for her, in her special size, is still on sale. We renamed it the Farrah's charm today in her honor. Farrah Fawcett was a lovely lady, a real person who inspired so many as she bravely fought the cancer that eventually took her life. I will never forget our interactions, and am honored that she took a liking to me and included me in her life, if just for a while.

She will be missed by many so many people who knew her personally and by all of her fans. God bless you, Farrah Fawcett, and thanks. Ciao.

Excel-lent !

I can't believe it- I just finished checking the website to see how the contest is doing, and I am really amazed. The summer of luxury contest is attracting people from all over. It is fun to have a contest, I always enter ones whenever I want the prize. Thomas Nguy has provided the designs associated with the contest (chicklet talked him into it), he is one interactive designer who is a great art director, too. I've also got a new camera setup to take better photos of all our jewelry.

But, really- we are thrilled people are entering the contest, the number of people entering is just amazing. During the day, and now, late at night, my favorite activity has become checking the Excel entry database, seeing how many entries have come in each day. The web department gave us a link so we can see the number of entries on an Excel spreadsheet.

It's amazing to see what hard work will do. Unfortunately, here in New York, the state government has gone nuts. Check any newspaper, things are not right in the Capitol.

So, you guys- many of you are there for years, you should end this embarrasing chapter and finish your work. The rest of us are working, whether or not we all get along so you guys should get back to work and stop this silly fighting. Most senators should know what does and doesn't work, get focused and figure it out. Do the right thing and get back to work. My brother goes to Albany, he could tell you a few things!
If you senators get together to finish the legislative session, maybe I'll reward you with a chickie girl or a sweet pear. It might help to break the tension if you put on an earring or bracelet. I don't think we care if you like each other or not, you ran for the job as our representative- so represent us already! I know that one of you pictured here (with the sweet pear earring on) has useful experience, represents his district well (and he really does live here, I've met him). We feel he has a reputation as a really hard-working guy, a leader. I hope you are doing all that you can to get this sad chapter over and done with.

I guess while you are not governing, you can check out our site and order some stuff, our buy 2 get one free sale is still going on till the end of the month. It's hard to believe that while everyone knows things are expensive, income down, taxes up, etc. you can still find some jewelry, made in america, that tickles your fancy.

It's summertime, and there are so many bright new jewels on the site. And, if you look at the magazines, like Family Circle, OK, inTouch, People style watch, and more, you will find beautiful and affordable things you must have. Don't you love this headline? And don't froget to enter the contest while you are there. Ciao!

whats new?

New York is starting to heat up for summer, although you'd never know it from the weather. It's been so rainy we all feel moldy! I've been spending as much time outside as I can, getting some exercise and taking long walks with my pups all over manhattan. It is one way for me to get some inspiration- New York is full of tourists and you want to see what they are wearing. It's funny, in the past you could tell who the tourists were by the fact that they were so well dressed, in smart, modern european fashions.

These days, the guidebooks must be telling potential tourists that baggy pants and t-shirts are just fine. Maybe on the weekends, or at the Bronx Zoo, but midtown Manhattan is full of business people who, for the most part are a pretty fashionable bunch.

I just love meeting people visiting the city, so many come to my jewelry counter at Henri Bendel, we get some time to chat and I can show off my newest designs. I've met a few brides-to-be, thanks to the great press from Brides Magazine, The Knot and Modern Bride; my jewelry is featured in the issues on the newsstands today. Brides today want something 'super special' for themselves and their bridal party, and I've just started selling the grand super nova earring that really fits the bill.

It's an elaborate earring made with a micropave treatment of the swarovski crystals on the cage of the earring and it is stunning. These tiny swarovski crystals are so beautiful and sparkly, and micropave is a technique that you won't find from many designers, it is quite hard to make. The larger stones are inspired by the current trends in wedding and engagement rings, these are the most popular cuts and shapes out there today.

So, whatever ring the bride might be wearing, these earrings will complement it for sure. There are also some fun new items now available, the lucky 7 bangles is the perfect summer bracelet and comes as a set of 7 to give you the look that is so hot these days. We made it with many colors of stones so it's impossible not to find one you'll just love.

If you want to see some really outlandish beads and stones, be sure to head over to Coney Island. Today is the annual Mermaid Parade, it's sort of our answer to Mardi Gras. You won't believe the costumes, and the crowd goes wild when they see so many people dressed up as exotic sea creatures. There are lots of floats too, as it is undeniably hard to walk when you have fins where your legs would normally be! Check out this only in New York event, today at Coney Island, Harvey Keitel is the parade king this year. We hope to be out there with our cameras, see you there! Ciao.

It's time for the Summer of Luxury

Memorial day has come and gone, marking the unofficial beginning of summer. We spent some of the time enjoying the long weekend, and then it was back to the studio and the computer to launch a contest! I love contests, and enter them all the time. The first step is to decide what to do for prizes, after all, who would be interested if there weren't great prizes? Luckily, my friends at Amazing Cosmetics liked my idea, and generously contributed gift certificates and some great summer makeup items to be part of the prize packages. I love to buy their products, winning them would be even better!

We lucked out with my partners at Swarovski, they send me copies of Unbridaled, the marriage of tradition and avant garde. This coffee-table book features more than 100 designers from areas including fashion, jewelry, interior lifestyle, and they worked to create a "celebration of marriage". They define it as a fairy tale dream come true, and when you look at the beautiful photography you'll know they are right. I was honored to have my jewelry used for some of the shots, and this book is just wonderful to sit and look at for hours.

To make it a really great contest, I have some limited edition jewelry to give some of the prize winners, and decided to make the grand prize worth $1000 in order to give people a real good reason to enter.We've found that customers often come to my retail website to see what what is trendy, they may have seen my jewelry in a magazine or on TV. When there is a contest going on we get more visitors, and more interest in our products than usual. To top it off, if someone can win something spectacular you know it will surely make people happy.

It's the most rewarding thing about being a jewelry designer, to make products that put a smile on your face when you wear them. So, check it out and enter, after all, you never know.. .. .. Ciao!