bye, bye, 2009!

Wow, the year is just about over. Can you imagine we are going into 2010. Do you remember 10 years ago we were staring at out (tube) monitors, wondering if our computers were going to blow up or shut down for "Y2K"?  It didn't happen, and now we have way more stuff to stay connected. This little blog, facebook, our robertachiarella.com website, all a product of the broadband era. I can't say I miss paying all my bills with my checkbook, and mailing letters to my friends, twitter and webcams are more fun.

So, as we get ready for a new year, I just OK'd some new jewelry designs and sent the last signed contract of 2009 to our jewelry factory in Providence, RI. Yes, there are still factories in the US, and ours is really special, where third-generation jewelry-makers fashion our products with care. I also just made the last changes to our website for 2009, as the christmas gift-box special is history and we got some great end-of-the-year press. Take a look at InStyle Weddings, they have an annual feature "the best of the web" and picked me to be in it. It's nice to be recognized, and we get a lot of referrals from loyal customers, as well as beauty editors and fashion designers across the country.

It's been a great TV year, too- Wendy Williams wears my jewelry a lot, and it was so much fun to go on her show and introduce her a few weeks ago. To all the folks in the audience who received a free pair of earrings I made just for the show, I got your comments and really appreciate your kind remarks. (I did have a problem posting the comments, somehow the computer erased a bunch of them, sorry) We have been so honored to be featured so frequently on the today show, they are always asking for high-quality, affordable jewelry to use in their fashion segments, and it is great fun working with them. Jill Martin (fashion for dummies) is an emmy-award winner, and is so fantastic to be able to supply her with lots of jewelry for her today show segments.

There have been so many milestones in 2009- we had a contest on the website that had thousands (and thousands and thousands) of entries, the winners all loved their prizes and we had fun working with our partners to offer the prizes. I showed a new collection made for HSN, and it was an amazing success, selling out and getting great reviews. Being on HDTV at the HSN studio was a first for me, and I still remember the makeup they used! I hope to continue the relationship, and expand the jewelry line to offer people the more affordable things that we all love, along with our wedding line, which is more intricate, beautifully crafted with swarovski crystallized elements and is just much prettier than the photos can show. When we have bridal parties come to our studio, the first thing they say is how much shinier, how brilliant the stones are, so until we get 3-D computer monitors, just take my word for it, the stuff sparkles!

I wish you all the best for a happy new year, we'll celebrate it in New York City by watching the ball drop from our living room TV- times square is for the truly brave, or people from very cold climates! To all our dear readers, Happy New Year!  Ciao.

Sleighbells are ringing in New York City

I love New York at Christmastime! So many tourists, enjoying all the wonderful decorations, the lights, the attractions and the shopping! I took some time last evening to get some of my shopping done, and made my way down fifth avenue, where the store displays at Saks and Lord & Taylor are legendary.

Every year they seem to get more and more interesting, and the people strolling and shopping just love them. Of course, you have to push your way through sometimes, but I was able to buy a few gifts and then took a walk through Bryant Park with my camera, trying out some available light photography.

They've put up a temporary winter playground, complete with outdoor fireplaces which were all in use by folks having a drink and some snacks.  Every year they set up a shopping village, with all kinds of handcrafted items, and lots of glassware, winter wear and neat holiday items. And there's an Ice Palace Bar! 

I saw a TV show about finland or norway, where they build a bar out of blocks of ice, and people wait on line to get in, the place was lit in blue and although the guests had to be freezing, they looked like they were having a great time. Bryant Park built a more melt-proof structure adjacent to the ice skating rink, complete with a balcony overlooking the ice, and a giant heater over each table.

Unbelievably, it was not there a month ago, it's put up for the holidays and disappears after new years! Only in New York.

I finished up by walking through Rockefeller Center, the christmas tree is New York's most famous, and the crowds so thick you can barely move. I love it, though, because it is so festive, and it's free! I stopped for a moment and a couple asked me to take their photo, I put my package down on the ledge and obliged them, and then went on my way. A few minutes later, while I was admiring the swarovski star on top of the tree, I noticed the same couple running towards me to give me the bundle I'd forgotten! My faith in angels renewed, I continued on my merry way to Henri Bendel's to check out the Roberta Chiarella jewelry counter, making sure it's fully replenished for that last minute rush.

Even though the economy is not great, people are shopping, and we're doing our part, putting lots of items on sale and offering gift wrap and other specials for our customers. The Angie Earrings have been doing so well, we've reordered from the factory and have plenty in stock.

We'll pack and ship like crazy, to make sure everyone gets their gifts on time. We want everyone to have their present christmas morning, it's a promise I made to Santa!  Ciao.

it's a Wendy day!

I'm too excited to go to sleep, and have gotten so many emails after being on the Wendy Williams Show that it would take me all night to answer them. All I can say is if I was going to come back in another life, being a daytime TV star wouldn't be too bad!

The Wendy show is great, it was so exciting to be a part of it today. The audience is hyperactive and went wild when they found out I'd brought a gift of new crystallized Swarovski Elements for everyone there, and they cheer and applauded when Wendy showed off the "Wendys Waterfall" earrings I gave her on the show.

The format was cool, I was the announcer and got to lead off the show, giving it my best Queens accent (cousin Donna calls it the 'native tongue') so everyone in the world knows this is a New York show! It was an unexpected treat to get so much air time, and we both enjoyed the reaction of the audience to the jewelry. The camera's not always on, there are some moments in the studio that aren't on TV, they are filled with fun, showing off my jewelry and Wendy telling some Tiger Woods stories and other hot news items. Ms. Williams is just a delight, it was just an unbelievable day!

By the time I got home, we already had some requests for the earrings, such is the power of daytime television! I hope you got to see the show, it really was a unique, fun experience for me.

When we left the show, I was on cloud 9, it was that cool!

As luck would have it, I'd made plans to meet up with WNBC's Janice Huff for dinner between newscasts. Nobody does the weather like Janice, she's a really skilled meteorolgist and NY's favorite weather-caster, in our house nobody's allowed to watch anyone else!

We met at Rockefeller Center, which is filled with holiday shoppers and tourists, catching one of New York's other great spectacles. Can you imagine, hanging out in my town with 2, yes 2 super-cool TV personalities, in ONE day. And, it's only Monday....  Ciao!

we're HOT HOT HOT!

It may be frosty in old New York, but I'm sweating because we're on our annual rush towards the holidays. People want gifts, and nice ones! People want to know where to get them, where the good values are, and can it be delivered in time. Sometimes folks just have to have what they've seen in a magazine, or they want what a celebrity is wearing. Well, it just so happens that my answer to all of the above is YES!

The place to get your holiday jewelry gifts is robertachiarella.com, because we've got the hottest jewelry in town. We were on the Today Show twice this week, with my jewelry featured on the 'plaza ambush makeovers' segment. It is amazing to watch as the hosts choose women in the Rockefeller Center plaza in front of the christmas tree, and treat them to a hot new look. I love this segment, the gal's husband does a double take! Check it out: plaza ambush makeover .

Ok, on to the next item, you want your gift to be something special, perhaps worn by a celebrity or featured in a magazine, right? Stylists at Family Circle and People Style Watch have picked up on the Angie Earring (and it's little sister, the starlet ) and my mi prima ring, and customers are picking these for gift-giving.

We are offering a gift wrap special to make life easier, with our black foam-lined boxes, silk ribbons and gift cards only $3 per item, and if you saw our work table, you would think Santa dropped his bag right there, we've got so many boxes wrapped and ready for shipping. It's actually still early, thanks to UPS and our free shipping for orders over $75 everyone can get what they desire in time for christmas. If you're the type that likes to touch and feel the goods, and save money, we are having our sample sale next week on Dec. 8th and 9th in Manhattan. Drop me an email at info@robertachiarella.com if you'd like an invite.

And if that's not enough, if you want to see me and my jewelry on TV, check out the Wendy Williams Show on Monday. Even I can't get over the fact that Wendy really enjoys wearing my stuff, and if you look at her website she posts a pic every day with each item in her outfit identified, so you can see who are her favorites. I've been having a blast working with her and all the wonderful people associated with this show, and to actually set foot on her stage is amazing.

There are days (or weeks) like this where I know I am blessed, and so lucky to be able to do what I do, and of course you can't take things like this for granted. Thats why I always thank every single customer from the bottom of my heart, I know that celebrities wouldn't wear something that wasn't the best, and you and I deserve no less.

Our company supports charities (there are charities where jewelry donations are appreciated, we've been involved in dress for success programs and the Step Up Women's network) and we pride ourselves on customer service and great design, quality and price. Sometimes I pinch myself to make sure it's not a dream, but from now till christmas, its really real, working like elves so everyone gets their gifts on time. Ciao!