a hop across the border

Last week we celebrated our 42nd (!) anniversary and decided to take a spur of the moment trip to Niagara-on-the-Lake to celebrate. I called the Shaw Festival box office on Wednesday for Friday matinee tickets to see "My Fair Lady" and we were able to get seats in the 6th row. Amazing - as this is the show everyone is talking about this year. (And they're right - it's a fabulous production, one of the best we've ever seen. Get tickets if you can).


Then I thought, well, why not see if Lisa Ridout and her husband, Ben, could travel down from Toronto and meet us for lunch. Lisa and I had met in NOTL for lunch a couple of years ago and we both had loved the restaurant she'd suggested, Tony Deluca's Old Winery Restaurant, just outside the village. Trying it again, we arrived at just about the same time and had a delightful lunch on the outside patio.



While the food was delish, the best part for me was the extra-special dessert that Lisa brought with her....bag after bag full of gorgeous sterling silver and Swarovski crystal designs, many of which were new to me. We brought back almost 50 pieces of Lisa Ridout Jewellery (Canadian spelling, of course!), several of which we sold on Saturday before they even made it into the case.


Among the new pieces we have are this sterling silver Diamond Back necklace:

and the cream Swarovski pearl and sterling silver toggle Jackie O necklace:

As many of you know, Lisa's work can be found in Canadian jewelry stores coast to coast, but we are the only store that carries her in the US. Her work is unique and gorgeous, two words we like to use for JOOLZ, too.

gorgeous!

Two visitors from Syracuse were just in the store. As they were wandering around, looking at everything, one said to the other, "Who would ever think such a gorgeous store would be in Canandaigua?"


While we appreciate that they think our store is "gorgeous", we want them to think of Canandaigua as a destination for LOTS of gorgeous stores. We're on our way, but there's still work to be done. Our business development manager and the City Council need to make it a priority to recruit and bring in one-of-a-kind shops that will attract buyers with disposable income. They'll spend, they'll frequent upscale restaurants and they'll generate sales tax, which will go back to the community. It would be a win-win. Let's make it happen!

tricks of the trade

Keeping your joolz bright and shiny can sometimes be a challenge. Gold dulls, silver tarnishes and stones lose their sparkle. What's a girl to do?

What this girl does is head for the nearest Wegmans to buy a box of baking soda. A gem in its own right, baking soda is the answer to many household dilemmas. Did you know that you can:

• use a toothbrush dipped in baking soda to scrub the cutting wheel of a handheld or electric can opener


• remove crayon marks on walls with a damp sponge dipped in baking soda


• add a teaspoon of baking soda to your usual shampoo bottle to help remove buildup from conditioners, mousses, and sprays, and to improve manageability


• soak cosmetic sponges or makeup applicators in a baking soda solution overnight to remove leftover beauty products

Baking soda is also the easiest, cheapest and most environmentally-friendly way to clean your jewelry. Make a paste of 3 parts baking soda and one part water and work it onto and into your jewelry. Rinse it off with lukewarm water and then pat dry. You'll be amazed at how quickly your joolz lose their tarnish and get back their sparkle. Just another trick of the trade.

the word of the day

The word of the day is WOW! Several customers today have said 'WOW!" under their breath as they've been looking at the joolz on display. It's almost like the word just escapes from them - they're feeling it and don't even realize they're saying it.

And it feels like a pat on the back, so we silently thank them. It's good to know that what we've chosen knocks their socks off, so we must be doing something right. Hope you'll feel wowed, too!