on the road again

JOOLZ was on the road again today...this time traveling to Cloverwood in Pittsford, a lovely complex for seniors. The Cloverwood staff books several outside speakers each week, bringing all kinds of different programs to the residents; many residents say it's like living on a cruise ship - there is something fun to do all day, every day.

I had given a program about starting my business to a women's club in early June and it was suggested that the Cloverwood residents might also like to hear it. But this time we also packed up some of our joolz and the residents shopped after the PowerPoint presentation. The compliments on the program and the jewelry were much appreciated, and made all the hard work to take the store on the road well worth it....but boy, am I tired! And it's only Monday....

(Editor's note: I must have been REALLY tired when I wrote this entry. Upon rereading it this morning, I saw all kinds of grammatical goofs, which have now been edited. Sorry about that!)

sparkly new earrings

New York City artist Elizabeth Garvin has been making jewelry for over 20 years. She has a decidedly contemporary bent, yet her work uses classic shapes and materials. She also knows how to create sparkle without breaking the bank.


Just in today, sterling silver and cubic zirconia combine to bring on the bling:

(This post earring is one of a pair, of course. The other one was out of focus, so I chopped it out of the frame. Hope you don't mind!)

(Classic double hoop post earrings with graduated 1-3mm cubic zirconia for added sparkle)

fashion show fun

250 ladies attended the annual Thompson Hospital Guild fashion show this afternoon and most of them shopped at the boutiques beforehand. It's always a challenge to take care of that many customers in only an hour and a half, but Suzanne and Jill were there to help...and I couldn't have done it without them.

We even scattered gourmet peppermint lollipops around the display for some extra added enticement. Seemed to work!

Many of the joolz you see in these pix, taken before the opening bell, are no longer available and found new homes today. Thanks to everyone who attended and who made a stop at the JOOLZ display. We had fun and hope you did, too!

summer brights

Just in - a new shipment from Marco Polo by Jane Barthelemy in Portland, Oregon. We have lots of new necklaces, beads on cables and earrings. Jane designs wonderful glass beads and has them handmade in Italy to her specs, then shipped back to her studio where they are used to make the most wonderful joolz. Here are two necklaces in summer bright colors:

Carnival of Venice, 18"

Puzzle Cubes, 34"

adam rocked!

It's 11:30pm on Saturday evening, and I am just so jazzed!

As a surprise Mother's Day present, my husband lurked online and ordered tickets for the American Idol tour's stop in Rochester. Tonight was the night. I figured we'd be the oldest people there (we weren't) and that we'd be surrounded by 12 year olds screaming their heads off (we weren't). We were surrounded by 40 and 50-somethings screaming their heads off.

The show began with Michael Sarver, #10 this year, and progressed through #5 before taking a 20 minute break. The crowd was ready for the Top 4: Allison, Danny, Adam and Kris. Every time Adam's picture was shown in a video clip, the fans went wild. Wilder than for Kris. (Sorry, Olivia).

When Adam finally took the stage, electricity shot through the arena. His showmanship was amazing and he just galvanized the crowd. His vocals were strong (I had read that last night in Hamilton, Ontario, he was suffering from laryngitis - no evidence of that tonight) and he performed two of my favorites, "It's a Mad, Mad World" and "Slow Ride" with Allison. The crowd went crazy. I went crazy. I normally don't go anywhere near crazy!

Kris finished up, but the electricity was gone. Adam rocked!

And taken from the jumbotron:

This guy is the next Freddie Mercury. Iconic. Ready to be a superstar. You heard it here!

rings galore

Pennsylvania artist Kathryn Pearce has just sent us a wonderful new collection of Bling Rings. Made of sterling silver wire wrapped around a big, faceted Swarovski crystal, these rings just fly out of the store:

And new to us is Kathryn's variation of the Bling Ring using an extra-large Swarovski pearl. It makes a statement but is classic at the same time. Come in and see them - we have the pearls in several colors and lots of different ring sizes:

posing on the beach

All prettied up in her Old Navy doggie duds, Bella was quite the picture posing on the beach. Amazingly, she tolerated being dressed like a little doll very well - no verbal complaints, barks, howls, etc. (Yes, she talks).

Now she and Murphy are spending their last night at the lake, resting up for the 24 hour drive back to Colorado and their fenced-in back yard. No more running around the big yard. No more swimming in the lake. No more chasing the dogs next door. No more kisses for Nana and Poppy. We're so sad...

august 9, 1969

40 years ago today, at this very minute, we were at a wedding breakfast hosted by my paternal aunts and uncles. Then it was back to my childhood home to get dressed, a limo ride with my father to Brick Presbyterian Church in Rochester and our 4:30pm wedding. I was two months out of college and Larry was an instructor pilot in the USAF, stationed in Lubbock, TX.

It was a sunny, hot day 40 years ago today and we were bursting with happiness. The reception was held under a tent at my parents' home and we had a glorious time, surrounded by many friends and lots of family. We took a brief trip to Toronto and then drove to Lubbock to start our new life together.

40 years later we are the proud parents of 3 great kids and have one delightful grandson, two granddogs and four grandcats. We've both had varied careers and have given much of our time to volunteer activities. We love to travel and are looking forward to our upcoming trip to Wyoming and Montana.

But one of the most amazing things about being married for 40 years is that we can still surprise each other. My unsentimental husband presented me with a beautiful gift of two dozen red roses yesterday and I managed to sleep longer than he did this morning. Both of us were surprised!

Happy 40th Anniversary, Lar! xoxox

goodies at the store

It's a balancing act trying to keep the online store packed with goodies and taking things down that have sold in the retail store. Things go up on the site and come down from the site...we're always tweaking it.

Here are some new goodies that we recently put up on the online store:

Sterling silver, garnet and smokey quartz necklace

by Linda Connor Cass

Sterling silver, 18K yellow gold and pearl Stix earrings

by Andrea Lucille

Colored pencils, onyx beads and sterling silver bracelet

by Amy Pfaffman

the next generation

As previously mentioned, my friend Lee and I have been good friends since she moved in across the street when we were 7.

Today we got the children of our children together - my grandson Quinten Miles, age 3.75 years and Lee's grandson, Miles Constantino, age 10 weeks. The porch sofa at the lake cottage, where they are sitting, is the same place where Lee first held my first child, Quinten's mother, 38 years ago.

And what about that crazy coincidence that both boys share the same name. Just love all the connections...

cousins tubing

Cousins Q and Bella enjoying a little tubing time together: