paddington on board

This post is not about joolz, but it is about something precious.

Our youngest daughter and her husband, who live in Denver, have announced to the world that they are expecting their first child in July, and this Nana is about over the moon. They've named the baby-in-utero Paddington, and even tho they'll learn whether it's a boy or a girl in several weeks, they're going to call the baby Paddington until it's born.

There's nothing quite as wonderful as watching your daughter go through a pregnancy and remembering back to your own 9 months when you and she were one. I know. I've already done it once, and that resulting bundle of joy is now 5 years old.

So hang on for a fun ride - I'm excited!! And if you want to read weekly reports from Paddington's mommy, here's where they are: The Becker Beat.

a sweet sale!

A SWEET SALE!

JANUARY 18 - FEBRUARY 19, 2011

JOOLZ is having its first-ever SWEET SALE! The more you buy, the more you save. Get coupons for $5 to $250 off a piece of jewelry from JOOLZ, depending on your initial purchase. We want to reduce our inventory so we can bring in new artists and new joolz. This seemed like a fun way to do just that. It all starts Tuesday at 10am. Ready....set...GO!

happy new year!

2010 has certainly zipped by and it's been a great year for JOOLZ. We moved to a more central location in downtown Canandaigua and have seen a big leap in our customer numbers. We've also seen a resulting big leap in our sales, with December 2010 outperforming December 2009 by 127%. How's that for a good ending to the year? We couldn't have done it without all of you, our loyal customers and friends. Many, many thanks for your support and encouragement...and for returning time and time again.

Many times now, when I'm looking for new joolz, I look with specific customers in mind. It's fun for me to match the joolz to the customer and then to see the smile on that customer's face when she chooses that same perfect piece. Each day is a new adventure.

The adventures will continue and great things are in store for 2011....new artists, new inventory, a revitalized online store and so much more. Here's wishing you all a very happy and healthy 2011!!

merry christmas!

As everyone in retail knows, the weeks leading up to the holidays are frantically busy, with little time for anything other than work. We've worked hard to make our first holiday season in our new location successful and the work has paid off. Today we exceeded last year's December sales by over 100%....and we couldn't have done it without the hard work of our JOOLZ staff, Suzanne and Alice, my quiet, supportive husband who stays in the background but keeps me motivated and excited about the business and all of our wonderful customers.


Here's to a wonderful holiday with friends and family. Merry Christmas and best wishes for a happy, healthy and profitable 2011.

(photo by Arie Pilz, taken one-handed from a moving car)

we did it!

When you're running a retail business, you're always looking at the numbers (or at least, I am). How are we doing against the previous year? How are we doing against the same day from the previous year? How are we doing against life in general??

I am thrilled to report that yesterday was busy, busy, busy and all those men with looks of panic haven't even surfaced yet. As of yesterday, December 11, we have surpassed ALL of last year's December!!

That means your favorite pieces....you know, the ones you've been "watching" for a while, might be on their way out the door with someone else. Better hurry in and grab them for yourself, before they find a home with another happy buyer.

PLUS, we have new work from William Glasner, Linda Connor Cass, Sara Silvio, Kerry Bogert, Joan Sample and Carrie Zabkar, all of which is already selling fast. See you soon!

art walk - this friday, december 3

Twice a year, the art galleries and specialty boutiques of downtown Canandaigua host Art Walk, a wonderful evening to stroll Main Street and discover Canandaigua's cultural treasures. JOOLZ has been part of Art Walk since we were the new guy on the block. Now three and a half years later, we're one of the seasoned veterans.

We try to book our evening's guest artist as early as we can. This time was no different, but when the artist canceled on us with only a few weeks to go, we had to scramble. Hoping against hope, we contacted Kerry Bogert, a lampwork and wire work artist who was our guest artist during a prior Art Walk. We explained the situation to her, she checked her calendar and said YES! We're thrilled.

Kerry will be demonstrating both her lampwork and her wire work, will be bringing copies of her best-selling book, Totally Twisted, with her and has been hard at work in the studio creating new work just for this evening.

It's going to be a fun evening and a great opportunity to find unique holiday gifts. Kerry will be with us from 4-7pm. Hope to see you then.

happy thanksgiving!

The day before Thanksgiving is full of prep work for the big day. At our house we're working on making some yummy apps - our contribution to the family feast this year. Thanks to Cousin P., we'll be relaxing and stuffing ourselves with some of this fabulous bounty:

(image by Ree Drummond)

Best wishes to you all for a wonderful Thanksgiving Day, wherever you are. We are so thankful for your friendship and support.