It's a wrap! Merry Christmas to everyone

The holiday shopping season is drawing to a close and we watched frenzied last-minute shoppers running all around the city today, buying a gift here, some goodies there, all in preparation for Christmas.

Our family members are all off on holiday adventures, others are gathering for Christmas dinner. The traditional gift of the fruit basket arrived today, so we're trying out some tasty pears and apples right now.

Greetings from Mr. Spock!

Holidays are a combination of rituals and customs and festivities, and for this season we get to top it all off with gifts. Tokens of appreciation for being a great friend, a smart child, a thoughtful neighbor or co-worker or even a mailman who brings your letters when you are home and holds them when you are away.

We've given tributes to the staff at our apartment house, thanking the doorman, the porters, the folks who shovel the snow and fix little things, and we rewarded our staff with presents and dinners. As always, I made sure our customers got a little something extra too, by cutting prices, using lighter packaging so shipping could be cheaper, and making some jewels that look like they cost far more than they really do. 

Boomer relaxes on the couch

We took every order, included free gifts to our long-time customers, and gave lots of discounts and promotions. I'm happy to say that lots of folks were happy with our jewelry and ordered like crazy. I really thank each and every customer and appreciate your business. I tried to visit our retail store, Henri Bendel a few times to wait on customers and thank them in person, because it helps me design better things for you when I can chat and see what people like and what they desire.

At home, we've decorated my brothers house with zillions of ornaments, trinkets and lights, while our faithful doggies Chicklet and Boomer looked on in amusement.

My brother Joe celebrated the season with a christmas toy he bought for himself, a 1969 Chevy Corvair. Yes, it's an old car but if it makes you smile, then why not! I can't wait for a ride in it, maybe we'll drive around the neighborhood and look at some of New Yorks super-duper christmas houses, where the owners put up enough lights to make it look like Times Square.

So, we're ready. Our last 'rush' package went out the door, but orders are still coming in for New Year's eve so we'll be back to work packing soon. We've handed off our giant red bag of jewels to Santa, who flew by earlier today, because even elves can't make jewelry the way we do at robertachiarella.com. And Yes, Virginia, there IS a santa claus. Here's proof, from a letter in the New York Sun from 1897. Ciao and Merry Christmas everyone!


Click to make it bigger!



Only in AMERICA!

Artist's booth

It's holiday time and I am happy!

Soon, we'll get a few days to celebrate with our families and friends, to enjoy some good company, good food and catch up on all those things we were 'too busy' to talk about during the year. I did a bit of shopping today in Bryant Park, where they cover the park with an ice skating rink and a wonderful christmas 'village' filled with little booths.

Each vendor stays there for these few weeks to sell their goods to New Yorkers for christmas gifts. Some of the booths are little one-person operations, but Kate Spade has a whole igloo!

Staffed by college kids, or sometimes the artist, these booths are such an inspiration to me. They remind me what makes life in our country so great- anybody (yes ANYBODY) can start their own business, make a product, a food or provide a service and you can get customers.

Bryant Park Ice Rink

These customers buy your stuff, which makes you smile. The customers give you the cash to pay your workers, pay yourself, feed your family and pay your taxes (ugh!), and they give you feedback and tell you if they like your product or if they hate it. When they do so, you go home and work harder to make sure they love it, so more people will buy your jewelry and you will smile even more.

I was told by our factory in Providence, Rhode Island that all the workers are working one extra day per week this season in order to make enough Roberta Chiarella jewelry for us to meet all of the orders. Can you imagine, you guys are buying enough to enable all these workers to get a nice extra paycheck this holiday season. Isn't that totally wonderful!

Bob, who owns the factory was smiling when he told me this today. The workers themselves are smiling as they work, knowing they will be able to buy more gifts and toys for their kids and make their families more proud of them. This is so much better than a 'government stimulus', it is the way the country should be, every day. Thanks to free enterprise and competition, we do our best so that you buy our stuff. This year, you are buying- and I sincerely thank you. Our staff thanks you. The hard-working folks at our factory in Rhode Island thank you, too! Ciao!

Merry, Merry, Ho, Ho, Ho!

Macy's Herald Square

Wheeee, I'm an elf! In Santas workshop you will find me- with Elizabeth, Jose, and Taylor, our new intern. We're stringing Swarovski baubles onto wires, setting beautiful jewels into gold and silver fittings and drinking eggnog all day long. Why? It's Christmastime, and we've got to get those gifts ready for the big day.

Lord & Taylor'sss

I know, many of us don't have chimneys, but we've all got mailboxes, and hey, it's 2010 and I saw on TV that even Santa uses UPS to make sure all the gifts are where they should be.

Christmas in New York is always fun and hectic at the same time. I didn't make it to the Rockefeller Center tree-lighting ceremony, where the star on top is a giant Swarovski crystal, because there was so much security they had to move the jewel display out of the plaza and have the ceremony down on the ice-skating rink. I know the thousands of folks who went had a great time, and it is a really beautiful tree this year.

We went to see the department store windows yesterday. My favorite will always be Lord & Taylor, with their intricate miniature christmas and holiday scenes in every 5th avenue window. Just look at these guys, they are really cute! Inside the store, a recent renovation has turned it back into the masterpiece I remember, everything is so white, so bright, and the place was packed with shoppers. Then, it was over to Macy's on 34th street, where you can now stop for a hot chocolate in the giant plaza the city has created where Broadway and 6th avenue cross. When you are in your car you'll curse these silly plazas, our Mayor has decided that traffic will somehow flow better if you close most of the street, but when you are on foot they give you a place to slow down and enjoy the views. The Empire State Building is blue for Chanukah, and looks great from this part of town.

We had some great food at Seven Bar and Grill, it's a secret spot right near Madison Square Garden serving wonderful fish and a great thin crust pizza appetizer. I highly recommend this place if you're nearby, though most nights a reservation is in order. Full and happy, it was back home to work a bit more, today we filled a dozen orders so they can go out first thing Monday morning.

Fashionistas from everywhere love the jewelry featured in People StyleWatch- Zoe is wearing our Crystal Mosaic Earrings which we've got in 10 colors. Check out the link, and enjoy! This weekend it's an encore presentation of the black-friday free shipping event, People StyleWatch has a promo code and we've got our BOGO sale running till the end of the year, so you and a friend can get a pair if you like.

the Angie Earring

Another hot, hot item is the Icy Cool Earring, it's a 2 1/2 inch long Swarovski piece in the nicest shade of aqua, they are literally flying out the door after being featured in Self Magazine. Another favorite is the Angie Earring, created for Angelina you-know-who! This brilliant pear shaped crystal is on sale at only $68, they look great with practically anything. So if you want some twinkle, some bling, some ice, and some sparkle, robertachiarella.com has what you desire. And your faithful elves will pick and pack and ship until the last moment to make sure you get your jewelry in plenty of time for the holidays. Ciao!