JUST JOOLZ...and more

terra cotta warriors

2012-02-06T10:31:00.008-05:00

It's been a busy week since we closed the shop's doors last Saturday.

On Sunday, several different groups of local merchants came in to pick up their chosen items: bookcases, tables, chairs, lamps, custom shadow box cases. The room looked pretty naked after they left, but there was still jewelry on the wall shelves and locked in the floor cases. Then it was time to organize the joolz.

All the consignment jewelry had to been inventoried and taken out of QuickBooks for return to its owners. All the wholesale jewelry had to be inventoried and put back in the safe. Believe it or not, the work on the consignment items took several days of computer input and relabeling, finished off with mailing to out of town artists and personal delivery to Rochester area artists. The last box goes out today.

Then I was able to see all the display busts and other black velvet pieces more clearly. In order to count each type, for posting on Craigslist, I organized them by size and lined them up. Doesn't this shot of the big busts remind you of pictures of the Chinese terra cotta warriors?

Yesterday, in clear weather with no snow on the ground, the safe was moved without incident. Remember last time? One day like that was enough. One of the moving company workers injured himself while moving the safe and had to be transported to the hospital. No ED visits this time, thank goodness.

Now all that remains is some more clean out and a final sweep through with the vacuum cleaner. Will the warriors be watching from the top of the case, or will I have stuffed them all into a big plastic bag for the ride home?

closing the store but not closing the business

2012-01-10T18:42:00.003-05:00

It's been an interesting couple of weeks since the announcement of my retirement and the closing of the store. Most everyone has been supportive, and other grandmothers have been 100% behind me. I've heard things like "you'll never get this time back with the grandchildren;" "I would do exactly the same thing if I were in your situation;" "carpe diem;" and my favorite, "you GO girl!" While friends and customers alike are on my side about this, some are also downright sad that the store will no longer be a presence on Main Street. And that's when I explain that I'm closing the store, but I'm not closing the business.

Many ask why I'm not selling the business, so that it could stay on Main Street and continue to be a magnet for those who love handcrafted jewelry. I try to explain that it wouldn't be the same if someone else owned it -- different taste, different choices in artists, different customer service. And honestly, I'm not done with it just yet. I want to continue to seek out interesting work and build relationships with artists across the country. I even want to continue doing the books! I just don't want to do that with the responsibility of managing a brick and mortar store, unable to travel to see family, friends and the world, whenever we want.

So instead JOOLZ, the Main Street store, will morph into The JOOLZ Collection, an online shopping experience where you'll find familiar JOOLZ artists and some new ones, too. Same design decision-maker, same excellent customer service, same wide range of prices and styles. You'll be able to find new treasures and I'll be able to live a new life that allows us more travel freedom. It'll be a win-win.

BIG news! in today's newsletter

2011-12-28T18:09:00.002-05:00

THE LATEST FROM JOOLZ…
December 2011

Dear Friends,

JOOLZ has been an exciting adventure for me over the past 6 years, one year of incubation and 5 years of retail selling. From the tiny kernel of an idea, it has grown into a full-fledged, successful, well-respected business.

Recently, however, I’ve recognized that I’m missing out on a lot. Christmas Eve fell on a Saturday this year and I needed to be at the store. (Yes, we did have several male customers who had that “deer caught in the headlights” look while doing last-minute shopping). That meant no traveling to see our kids in LA and Denver for the holidays. It was a very difficult decision to be away from our young grandsons for the holidays, a decision I don’t want to have to make ever again. Life is short and I want to enjoy being with family and friends. I also want the freedom to be able to see more of the world.

In my home office this quote is framed and sits on my desk:

Design the life you want to live first
and then design your business to fit your life.

I realized that I needed to re-design the life I want to live and also re-design my business to fit that life.

After several months of agonizing, middle-of-the-night conversations with myself, it is with some sadness, but also a lot of anticipation of new adventures, that I have decided to retire. Our last day at JOOLZ will be January 28 and all our inventory is now on sale. (Most of the fixtures and furniture pieces are also for sale and may be reserved, with a deposit, for pickup after January 28). Be sure to come in early to get your favorites and if you’re not in the area, you can call us at 585.396.3520 to shop over the phone.

Later in the spring we’ll open The JOOLZ Collection online store through our website, www.shopjoolz.com. And as a thank you to our Canandaigua/Rochester area customers, local shipping will be free. Almost like walking down Main Street and shopping in the store, right?

It’s been a true pleasure getting to know so many of you and having you come to love JOOLZ as much as I do. Thanks to you all for your support and thanks to our employees, past and present, for all their hard work in helping to make JOOLZ a success. Finally, a special thank you to my husband, Larry, for being a quiet, supportive force behind me every step of the way.

All the best,
Francie

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-24T09:58:00.002-05:00

It's been a busy couple of months and the blog has been silent for a while - apologies to loyal readers. But the busyness has been all about the business and the family, both of which vie for top billing on a daily basis. The business won out this Christmas season, as we have stayed home to oversee the store's holiday activity. Meanwhile, both grandsons and their parents are in Denver, where they ARE having a white Christmas, just like the one above. Here in Canandaigua it's been almost spring-like and today there is only a dusting of snow on the driveway.

Today in Denver they'll be making cookies, decorating a gingerbread house and getting all geared up for Santa's arrival. Thank goodness for FaceTime - we'll be able to see the stockings hung by the chimney with care right along with them. And then tomorrow morning we'll adjust our inner clocks to Mountain Time and watch the happiness and glee of a 6 year old as he first sees the goodies that Santa brought. His 5-month old cousin will be pretty oblivious to all the excitement of the day, but I know his Mommy and Daddy will be recording every smile and babble.

We wish you all a joyous Christmas and holiday season and thank you again for your support of our efforts to make JOOLZ your special holiday shopping spot. There will be lots of joolz under trees for many delighted recipients this year. Enjoy them all!

yes, we make house calls

2011-10-15T19:08:00.003-04:00

In today's busy world, most women are constantly juggling home, work, family and fun. That can often lead to many "I meant to ___________ today, but time just got away from me" days. What to do when you know you need/want a new piece of jewelry to go with a certain outfit and there's no time to shop?

Well....if you're like my friend, X, you mention to me at a party that you're looking for a necklace to go with some brown fall clothes. The next day, I make a trip around the shop, looking for likely contenders. Finding several, I call X and we agree to meet at her house later in the afternoon. I hop in my pink Mary Kay caddy (just kidding!) and take a collection of joolz for her to try on in the privacy of her home. She puts on her brown top and tries on several necklaces. One is just perfect. She smiles. I smile. Even her husband smiles, especially as the necklace has a finger-friendly, large toggle clasp. Totally and completely painless, minimal interruption to her day and everyone is happy.

No, I am not a doctor, nor do I play one on TV. But I do make house calls!

good news/bad news

2011-10-02T16:18:00.003-04:00

No posts in about a month. Ouch!

The good news is that we ended our fiscal year on September 30th and sales were double digit percentages ahead of last year, despite the rocky economy. Thanks to all our wonderful customers, those who keep coming back and those who find us for the first time.

The bad news is that the home computer is still sick. I can't find several hundred e-mails and can't upload any photos from my camera. That software seems to have taken a hike. But now that our handsome, 12-week old, grandson has left after a wonderful 2-week visit, I will have some extra time to work on that. We've had several deliveries of new joolz and I want to show them to you. Please be patient. Images are coming....hopefully soon.

brain transplant

2011-09-05T13:14:00.004-04:00

It's a scary thing when the BSOD (blue screen of death) shows up on your computer monitor.

We kept the home computer (also known as the Mother Ship) limping along, hoping that the blue would turn back to black and we would be able to laugh at our fears. No such luck. After a couple of v.e.r.y. frustrating days, we finally took our tower to the computer hospital. Initially, the diagnosis was hopeful, but after further surgery, the old hard drive was sent off to the morgue and the Mother Ship got a brain transplant (something I've often thought would be helpful for my own body).

New hard drive in place, Larry got to work putting all the pieces back together. It took a while, but eventually we found most everything again, although the font was the size of a pin head. Further adjustments brought it up to my preferred 12pts and I hope it stays that way.

But the bad news is that my Outlook Express seems to have been emptied out completely. That means that 5 years worth of saved emails AND addresses are gone, gone, gone....despite Carbonite. We'll have to make a few phone calls tomorrow to the computer hospital and to the Carbonite cloud, to see if there is any hope of retrieving them. If not, please be patient with my questions about "conversations" we may have had in the past. I may end up needing that brain transplant after all.

a hop across the border

2011-08-16T14:16:00.010-04:00

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!

2011-08-13T13:38:00.003-04:00

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

2011-08-10T22:49:00.003-04:00

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

2011-08-04T13:25:00.003-04:00

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!

charlie is here!

2011-07-12T11:23:00.003-04:00

Charles Brian Becker arrived at 12:01am this morning in Colorado, 2 1/2 weeks early. We're all thrilled that he is safely here and that he, his mommy and his daddy are all doing well. Nana and Poppy look forward to meeting Charlie very soon!

backstage at the STYX concert

2011-07-08T10:11:00.003-04:00

Our LA daughter and grandson are here for a 2-week visit and we're loving every minute of it.

Out of the blue, she discovered that STYX was going to be performing at CMAC last night. She's acquainted with the band's Tommy Shaw in LA...and long story short...she and her little sidekick were kindly offered seats and backstage passes to visit with Tommy while they were all here in Canandaigua at the same time. Not too many 5-year olds get to see classic rock bands in action, but armed with ear plugs, off they went to the concert. What fun!

L.O.V.E.

2011-06-22T19:28:00.005-04:00

This floor quilt says it all.

L.O.V.E.

Loved being in Denver for Katie's baby shower this weekend.

Love that Katie's Aunt Jossie made this charming quilt for Paddington.

Love that I got to spend time with both my daughters together.

Love that Paddington is almost fully cooked and should arrive in just 5 weeks!!

(Sorta) love that my 5 1/2 year old grandson loves to tease me about frogs, lizards and snakes. Love that I will see him and his mommy again in just 2 weeks.

Love that I got home safe and sound.

inside looking out

2011-06-08T20:18:00.004-04:00

This was the view from the inside looking out today.

Numerous worker bees. Miles of yellow caution tape. Large cement truck. Orange cones blocking off every single parking spot on our block. What a mess!

For several weeks, downtown has been a full-fledged disaster area. FEMA should have been called. First all the Main Street trees were removed. Then the old gas line was dug up and replaced. Next, new laterals were installed to the individual business meters. Then the sidewalk was repaired. But not permanently. Parts of it will be dug up again next year, to replace the trees and hopefully make it look more attractive.

And the customers? Hiding, for the most part. Who wants to deal with no parking and the mess of torn up sidewalks?

But once the concrete dries (and that shouldn't take too long, since it was in the 90's today), it will be easy navigating again. Not too pretty, but walkable.

Come visit. We've missed you!

caught on the trail cam

2011-05-17T21:48:00.003-04:00

My husband has been hoping to spot a bear on our property. He looks. And he looks. And he keeps looking.

In the hopes that the bear would be lurking around at times when least expected, my always-hopeful husband ordered a trail camera online. Now located on a tree down the hill from our house, the camera's aimed at a path that's used by the many white-tailed deer in the area. They're constantly crossing our property from north to south and then back again. The trail cam has taken hundreds of images of the deer coming and going.

This Eastern coyote, however, was an unexpected catch. He's heading north along the property line, staying near the high grass. We hear the coyotes in the night, howling at the joy of their kills, but it's rare to see one in the daytime.

Next time - bear!

three generations

2011-05-16T20:43:00.004-04:00

Three generations of friendship - how wonderful. My good friend Lee moved in across the street when we were 7. Off we went to second grade together and we're still the best of friends, just a few short years later, celebrating all of life's big moments together.

This past weekend Lee generously hosted a baby shower for my youngest daughter (on the right), who is expecting her first child (a BOY!) at the end of July. Lee's daughter, who is expecting her second child (a GIRL!) at the beginning of July, was in attendance. Lee and I are thrilled to see three generations of friendship resulting from those early days at Twelve Corners Elementary School. And now we're both on full alert, waiting for the exciting phone calls that will tell us the babies are here.

JOOLZ online store is now open

2011-05-13T18:33:00.003-04:00

HUGE NEWS! The JOOLZ online store is now open!

You may remember that we had an online store several years ago. The store disappeared when the server company bailed in the middle of the night without notifying its hosting customers, and all their data was lost. It had taken us (my web guy and me) hours and hours to put it up in the first place...and then it was gone. Neither one of us had the time or the energy to go through that process again, so it sat empty and closed.

Several weeks ago I made it a priority to get the store up and running again. I've measured pieces of inventory, taken pics and written descriptions. And while we have many hundreds of pieces in our Main Street store inventory, there is no way we can include them all online. We've started out with 40+ joolz and invite you to take a look. Hopefully, you'll like what you see, and if you're not able to come to the store in person, shopping online is the next best thing.

Have fun and let me know what you think.

country living with a genius

2011-05-08T17:47:00.004-04:00

We live in the country. Three acres, water from a well up the hill, septic system down the hill (good planning!), lots of natural springs in the ground, lots of wildlife running through the yard, steep driveway to the nearby county road. We get some help now with the yard spring and fall cleanups, but my husband enjoys taking care of the property, plowing in the winter and mowing in the summer.

He is, in fact, somewhat of a genius when it comes to fixings things and keeping them running. And something that has needed fixing due to its running is the connection where the well water pipe enters the foundation in the basement. Due to almost continuous rain since we returned from Florida at the end of March, the lake is at dangerously high levels and the water saturation in our already-wet yard is at 100%. The ground can't hold the water and it is seeping into the basement around the well water pipe. What to do?

The genius husband worried about it, thought about it, dreamed about it (and he claims he doesn't dream) and came up with another of his Rube Goldberg solutions:

The water comes in and drips into the first of 4 giant pails, filling pail after pail until it drips into the condensation collector from our dehumidifier. It then flows into the hose that runs across the entire length of the house to the other end of the basement, where our gravity sump pump is located. It empties out into the lower yard somewhere, far away from the house. As I said - genius!

No more trips to the basement in the middle of the night to check on the water levels. No more flooding the basement floor. No more lugging the full pails of water over to the sump pump.

Genius!

back to business

2011-05-03T20:10:00.005-04:00

I'm finally coming down after all the excitement of the glorious royal wedding and now it's time to get back to business. As promised, I am working steadily to get the online store open after a lapse of several years. Today I spent some time photographing images of some of our lovely joolz:

Colorful, fun button bracelet by Joan Sample

Sterling silver Flower pendant by Lisa Ridout

Clear resin nugget collar with "gold" wire by Abra Gorby

THE wedding

2011-04-29T19:28:00.005-04:00

OK, I admit it. I'm a royalty-watching romantic. I dragged myself out of bed at 5am this morning, staggered into the family room and turned on BBC America. I figured those Brits know all about their royals - why listen to American newscasters tell us about people they really don't know? (I had also dragged myself out of bed to watch the wedding of Charles and Diana years ago, before the advent of the DVR. I taped 2 different channels this morning, just in case I couldn't make it out of bed).

I thought the day was wonderful....well, beyond wonderful. Catherine, previously known as Kate and before that as Katie (we have a daughter who has also morphed from Katie to Kate), looked gorgeous, happy and serene. She carried herself with a quiet elegance, knew she was being watched by the whole world but was there for the right reason - to marry her love. You could see it in her eyes when she looked at William. And William looked dazzled when he saw his bride for the first time. Yes, beyond wonderful.

I pulled myself away from the TV and drove to Rochester where I attended a "Wedding Brunch" at a women's club where I am a member. The organizers of the event encouraged the guests to wear hats (I pulled out a beach hat and twirled a scarf around the crown, eliciting many kudos) and white gloves (tossed the last of those many years ago). We had a delicious meal while a tape of the wedding played on the big screen. Queen Elizabeth dropped in for a visit:

(Full disclosure: the "Queen" was actually my aunt, who played the part well, wearing a sparkly paper tiara along with a sash across her chest which read "Her Majesty the Queen."). The fabulous antique car and the Beefeater standing nearby added just the right touch.

Doesn't she look regal? Great job, Tay!

today's photoshoot

2011-04-22T21:20:00.008-04:00

Lights...camera...action.

While there was no filming action at the store today, there were lights and a camera. I really, really, really need to get my act together and take shots of a lot of our inventory. It's (over)time to get the online store back up.

You may remember that my web guy's server company skipped in the middle of the night about 2 years ago and he had to recreate both my website and my web store. That took a LOT of time and effort, for both of us. Uploading the images into the store software again, rewriting all the descriptions, etc. etc. etc. was not high on my priority list, especially as we were preparing to move the store to California. OK, not really - but that 10th of a mile up Main Street did feel like a move to California.

But now I am making it a priority to take the pics and to get the web store up sometime this summer. Here are a few shots I took today - call the store (585.396.3520) if you're interested in owning any of them:

Hook bracelet, lampwork glass beads, sterling silver wire, by Kerry Bogert

Gold vermeil wire-wrapped earrings by Sara Silvio

Flexible collar, mint resin nuggets and silver wire, by Abra Gorby

JOOLZ april newsletter just published

2011-04-21T17:51:00.002-04:00

Take a look at our April newsletter, full of news and pics of lots of joolz.

legoland!

2011-04-19T10:19:00.009-04:00

After all the walking we did on Saturday and a good night's sleep, we were ready to check out of the hotel and head north to Carlsbad, home of Legoland. Like most young boys, Q is absolutely enamoured of legos. He asked Nana, Poppy and Santa for legos for Christmas, and all came through.

He's been to Legoland several times but that didn't damper the excitement. He was rarin' to go!

We were quite surprised that on a Sunday, during school vacation week in San Diego, the crowds were very reasonable and there were minimal wait times for the rides.

Our first ride was a boat cruise through the park. Some of the lego structures are visible only from the water and the ride gave us an overall look at the park:

The Sydney Opera House overlooked the water:

Disregarding time zones, we soon passed the Eiffel Tower:

And then it was on to Times Square. Hometown favorite Kodak was right there:

You can get a sense of scale with the woman standing behind the Capitol Building. Remember, every single structure is made only of legos:

Before going off to ride on some roller coasters and other water-enhanced rides, we had to see the brand new Star Wars exhibit. Opened only a few days before, with Carrie Fisher cutting the ribbon, the Star Wars section of Legoland had both little boys and their fathers in Star Wars heaven. Q was greeted by R2D2, Chewbacca and Darth Vader, all made of legos:

This Clone Turbo Tank was just like the one Q got for Christmas, except on steroids. Notice how the tank has made tracks in the sand and has sand on its wheels. The constructors think of every detail:

It was hard to say goodbye to Legoland but it was time to return to LA. We took Route 1 north so that we could drive through all the beach towns, had a nice dinner at a Greek restaurant in Long Beach and got back home safely, tired but happy. Nana had a great time!

I flew to Denver the next day to visit with our other daughter and her husband and had my first view of Katie looking pregnant. What a trip!

quality nana time

2011-04-18T08:51:00.009-04:00

Quality "Nana Time" is hard to come by when your grandchild lives on the other side of the country in LA. And when you own a business and really need to be there, it's a major decision to leave for a week to "play". But I did. And it was great!

One of 5-year-old Q's favorite places is San Diego, with all its wonderful theme parks, animal kingdoms and zoos. Off we went on Friday afternoon, avoiding most of the rush hour traffic. Saturday morning was bright, sunny and chilly. I was ready for high 70's, but the temps were in the 40's. Despite that, Q went swimming in the hotel's outdoor pool after breakfast. His lips turned blue but he smiled the whole time.

After warming him up (and us, too), we took off for beautiiful Balboa Park. Q was ready for action and immediately climbed the nearest tree:

Then we were off to explore the park and its many museums:

This guy was making balloon creatures and Q really wanted a Hulk balloon:

Nana caved:

The orchids in the botanic gardens were magnificent:

We left culture and sophistication behind when we took off for Sea World. The dolphin show highlighted both the dolphins and their trainers:

and was followed by the Shamu show in another arena, currently undergoing massive renovation:

After hours and hours of walking, it was time to go back to the hotel to put our (my) feet up. Next stop...Legoland!

prime real estate

2011-04-04T12:39:00.003-04:00

In today's real estate world, it's definitely a buyer's market. How about a buyer getting the building lot for free? Even better.

We left our Christmas wreath up while we were away and came home to find the beginnings of a nest within the wreath. With a fake cardinal standing guard, a real sparrow has finished building his dream house on this free lot. Now he perches on the porch railing and tweets for a honey to come join him in real estate heaven:

wear your veggies!

2011-04-02T17:38:00.010-04:00

Most of us receive a gazillion catalogs in the mail, especially before the holidays. Many of them I toss without even looking at the first page, but others draw me in. Several months ago I opened a small catalog featuring handcrafted items...and discovered something so unique I needed to learn more. There were pictures of cuff bracelets - made of vegetables! And they were stunning. Completely unique. Environmentally friendly. Gorgeous. Good conversation pieces. JOOLZ material. I contacted the artist, Margaret Dorfman of Oakland, CA, and placed an initial order. The box marked "fragile", but not "perishable", arrived yesterday. Inside were veggies like you have never seen them before:

This is a 22" necklace made of slices of Thai green papaya. Margaret cuts the fresh fruits and veggies (over 40 different varieties) with an old fashioned slicer and super-sharp knives. Next the slices are cured, dried, pressed and aged in a 10-14 day process.

The slices are then fused to copper disks and finished with a non-toxic, water-resistant clear coat before being fashioned into necklaces and earrings.

The 18" necklace below features small disks of many different fruits and vegetables:

The colors and veins apparent in the pieces are not dyed or in any way color-enhanced. This cuff bracelet, one of 3 we currently have in stock, is made from slices of Mexican papaya:

Another show-stopper is this articulated necklace made of crimson-colored fruits and veggies:

Earrings can coordinate with the necklaces. These are made from blue cabbage and beets:

This Thursday, April 7, I am off to visit my daughter and grandson in LA. Marnie is a naturopathic doctor and her clinic is hosting a medispa from 5-9pm that evening. She asked if JOOLZ would like to have a trunk show as part of their evening event. I immediately thought of Margaret Dorfman's "healthy" jewelry. She's on board, and will be sending a shipment of delicious vegetable parchment joolz to LA for the event. If you're in the area, please stop in:

Balance Westside Wellness

11340 W. Olympic Blvd., Suite 301

Los Angeles, CA 90064

See you in LA!

christmas in april

2011-04-01T14:22:00.008-04:00

It's Christmas in April at JOOLZ! My many hours spent looking for new work to bring in for our spring/summer season came to fruition today with the arrival of several packages of delicious new goodies. We are adding a number of new artists to the fold, two of whom are shown here:

Jill O'Reilly, from Lexington, MA, has been making updated-classic sterling silver jewelry for a number of years. I first met Jill in Las Vegas 2 years ago and have been waiting for the opportunity to bring in her work. Her cuff bracelets can be carefully adjusted to fit just about any wrist size and her workmanship is superb. We have these and several other bracelets, along with some great-looking post earrings:

sterling 5-band bracelet

sterling cuff with gold-filled wrap

sterling cuff with sterling wrap

Also placed on display today were these fun pendant necklaces by Zillah, WA artist Cheryl Myers. Cheryl takes commonly-seen road and construction signs and makes them into resin and metal pendants on silver chains. Fun to buy, fun to wear, fun to start folks talking. (Cousin Leslee, this bike route pendant has your name on it).

And watch out that you don't get shocked by the high voltage!

The UPS guy dropped off two other packages this afternoon. The Christmas in April fashion show will contnue as soon as I shoot some more pix.

off to "the ding"

2011-03-20T12:20:00.006-04:00

One of our favorite things to do while on vacation in Sanibel is to visit the J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge. We try to plan our visits to coincide with low tide, and a low tide near sunset is even better. The many permanent-resident and migratory birds fly in to feed on the exposed sandbars and then nestle into the branches of the mangroves to roost for the night.

I caught a shot of this large, white beauty flying toward me:

and was delighted when it came to rest nearby.

We drove along the shell-packed road at under the 15mph speed limit, stopping frequently to take pictures of the birds enjoying their dinner-time. The sun was setting in the west and it was time to return home. Another beautiful day in paradise.

room: a novel

2011-03-19T14:17:00.003-04:00

Vacation means lots and lots and lots of time to read. I love to immerse myself in wonderful books and travel to places and times both familiar and unfamiliar. Holding a book, turning the pages, letting my imagination go and "seeing" the characters and locations in the book is truly one of my most favorite pleasures in life. And sitting on our lanai, listening to and seeing the waves splash up onto the shoreline, makes reading on vacation in Sanibel even more delicious.

Sanibel is not a big place, but it has the most wonderful library - up to date and chock full of recently published books. Renewing our visitor's library card ($10 annually) is one of our first stops on the island. My record for books read on Sanibel is 15 in 4 weeks. I just finished book #11, with a week left to go.

Book #11, recommended by my friend, Wendy, who works at the library, was Room: A Novel, by Emma Donoghue. Wendy and another library employee both raved about this book and said I had to read it. What a treasure! This book quickly took my heart and is now one of my favorites. Here is the book's description, as taken from the jacket cover:

To five-year-old Jack, Room is the world.

It's where he was born, it's where he and his Ma eat and sleep and play and learn. There are endless wonders that let loose Jack's imagination - the snake under Bed that he constructs out of eggshells, the imaginary world projected through the TV, the coziness of Wardrobe below Ma's clothes, where she tucks him in safely at night in case Old Nick comes.

Room is home to Jack, but to Ma it's the prison where she has been held since she was nineteen - for seven years. Through her fierce love for her son, she has created a life for him in that eleven-by-eleven-foot space. But Jack's curiosity is building alongside her own desperation - and she knows that Room cannot contain either much longer.

Told in the poignant and funny voice of Jack, Room is a story of unconquerable love in harrowing circumstances, and of the diamond-hard bond between a mother and her child. It is a shocking, exhilarating, and riveting novel - but always deeply human and always moving. Room is a place you will never forget.

If you love to read, this is a book you should put at the top of your list.

on the job!

2011-03-12T14:02:00.010-05:00

Yes, we're on vacation, but I am on the job! Today was my annual trip to the Bonita Bay Promenade for the March Bonita Springs National Art Festival. As you can see from the above photo, the weather was perfect - low 70's, with blue skies and abundant sunshine. The crowds were also abundant - I had a hard time finding a parking space and I got there 5 minutes after the gates opened.

Security was out in force, but this guy was already sitting down on the job. Watching all the shoppers go by can be exhausting:

Actually, the security guard is a life-size polyester and resin sculpture! Pretty amazing.

Jewelry artist Jayne DeMarcay was again at the show. I love her work, but unfortunately, she only sells retail through art shows:

I did discover a husband and wife jewelry-making team from Springfield, Illinois who work with stones and laminated glass, creating interesting pendants and necklaces. We'll try to bring them in once we have some space available, perhaps in the summer.

Meanwhile, I purchased a fun shadowbox collage for myself, entitled "Cowgirl Rules":

The RULES state that cowgirls

tell the truth
cry when they need to
are true to their partners
ride fast
shoot straight

Love it!

breaking news from nana

2011-03-07T18:13:00.006-05:00

Nana is happy to report that "boy parts" were seen during Katie's 20-week ultrasound this afternoon and that everything looks good. Paddington now weighs about 11 ounces and Katie is finally beginning to show a bit. She's feeling fine and she and Brian were off to Costco to do a little shopping.

Nana decided to head over to Zulily to see what was available for little boys today:

It's all about cars and trucks and fire engines...

Oh boy! this is going to be fun!!

it's a beautiful evening

2011-03-04T21:43:00.003-05:00

The sun is setting in the west. The beach is deserted - even the birds seem to have left. It's a beautiful evening.

a trip across the pond

2011-03-01T10:37:00.004-05:00

While we're currently on the west coast of Florida, I decided to take a trip across the (Atlantic) pond to 1912 England, via PBS and Netflix. I'd heard wonderful things about the recent PBS Masterpiece Theatre series, Downton Abbey, and was able to see it through instant play on the laptop.

I was transported. The plots, characters, costuming and sets are all magnificent. The oldest daughter is probably about the same age as my grandmothers were in 1912, which makes the time frame much more personal for me. My maternal great-grandmother, known as Mommie to succeeding generations, was also a larger-than-life presence in her family, much the same as the character Dame Maggie Smith plays in the series. And while the series is all historical fiction, it is so beautifully produced that it seems quite real.

If you love to be transported to another era, get a copy of Downton Abbey and take a trip across the pond. It's not to be missed.

back in paradise

2011-02-27T17:17:00.003-05:00

This is the view from our screened-in lanai (please forgive the screen grids). Not a snowflake in sight. Decompression has begun. 'Nuf said.

yesterday :: today :: tomorrow

2011-02-19T15:47:00.008-05:00

Yesterday:

green grass everywhere
55 degrees and sunny
red Mustang convertible spotted with the top down; driver grinning

Today:

persistent snow falling since early morning
winds howling
frequent white-out conditions
7" so far and climbing
fire snapping in the fireplace
almost no cars seen on the road
only bits of "red" spotted today have been of the feathered variety:

Tomorrow:

shovel out
close up the store for vacation
stop by the bank
gas up the car
start packing
goodbye 20 degree weather - hello 80's!

JOOLZ is closed for vacation and will reopen on April 1st. WOO HOO!

kerry's new digs

2011-02-04T20:48:00.012-05:00

The Rochester art scene celebrates its artists and galleries at monthly First Friday open houses. Tonight was the first First Friday for glass jewelry artist Kerry Bogert, one of our favorites at JOOLZ. Kerry recently made the big move from her home basement studio to Studio #307 in Rochester's Hungerford building, located near the Goodman Street railroad yards.

In the early to mid-1900's, the Hungerford Building was a major manufacturing plant for the J. Hungerford Smith Co., which made "True Fruit" flavored syrups as well as the syrup for A&W root beer. It now houses small companies, individual apartments and art space. Tonight it was hoppin' with art patrons and I was one of them.

After climbing the three flights of stairs to Kerry's studio, I was greeted by cheerful balloons in the hallway outside her door. While I had watched the space come to life on Kerry's blog, it was so much more fun to see it in person.

On one wall was Kerry's great studio sign:

Kerry has had her hands full this week with kids down with the flu and school snow days, but she was there tonight, beaming with pride at being in her own space:

Extremely organized, Kerry has created her studio with care and style. Her glass rods are ready to be pulled from her self-designed "down spout" racks:

Her latest works are displayed in a wonderful old bookcase that she and her son painted a sophisticated black:

The necklace on the far left was created today, just in time for the open house:

And now her work table is cleaned off and ready for another day:

Just imagine all the colorful beads that will made at this torch, ready to be incorporated into another wonderful Kerry Bogert creation. Congrats, Kerry! - you're a shining star.

snow day

2011-02-02T09:29:00.003-05:00

We were ready - a "massive" storm was predicted. Gas in the cars - check. Gas at home for the snowblower and the generator - check. Fridge full of necessities - o.j., chocolate, root beer - check. Library books waiting to be read - check. DVR loaded with favorites - check. OK - bring it on!

The lake has finally frozen. All the schools in the area are closed. There's an icy layer beneath the snow. All the cars coming up the hill are definitely traveling at reduced speeds. The "massive" storm dumped about 3 inches at our house.

No one will be shopping today. Do I really want to slide 10 miles into town to open the store?

Firewood ready - check. Hot chocolate and marshmallows in the cupboard - check. Snow day for JOOLZ - check.

paddington on board

2011-01-20T08:43:00.003-05:00

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!

2011-01-16T11:39:00.002-05:00

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!

2010-12-31T19:51:00.004-05:00

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!

2010-12-21T19:36:00.004-05:00

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!

2010-12-12T08:10:00.002-05:00

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

2010-11-30T22:57:00.003-05:00

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!

2010-11-24T16:17:00.004-05:00

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.

JOOLZ featured in canandaigua magazine

2010-11-22T11:20:00.005-05:00

The winter issue of Canandaigua Magazine arrived today and is full of shopping ideas for everyone in the area. While we were on our trip in October, the writer and then the editor of the magazine contacted me to learn about what JOOLZ might have to offer for the holiday shopper. I was happy to share some ideas with them...and am pleased to see that my info has been included in its entirety. In fact, even one of the several images I sent them has also been used in the story. Nice press for the store and nice press for Canandaigua's Main Street, which offers so many unique stores for a one-of-a-kind shopping experience.

This is the left-side opening page of the story, showing many of the yummy treats at Sweet Expressions, our local chocolatier:

Here is the right-hand page, the first of three pages covering downtown Canandaigua:

And this is the section the writer, Nancy McCarthy, included about JOOLZ:
If you live in the area, pick up a copy of Canandaigua Magazine for yourself. It's chock full of good ideas for the holidays and also includes a great article about our "cousin", Leslee Schenk Trzcinski, and her new yoga studio for high-performance athletes.

sarah berardi trunk show

2010-11-20T18:46:00.004-05:00

When I visited the Clothesline Festival in early September, I was delighted to meet Sarah Berardi of Grazia Jewelry, the Merit Award winner in jewelry this year. Sarah works with precious metals and gemstones, creating regal and elegant joolz that are feminine and very wearable. Originally from the Buffalo area, Sarah has recently lived and worked in New York City, fabricating her work in her Tribeca studio. Today she brought a collection of her work to JOOLZ for a holiday trunk show.

Sarah and her mother, Grace, spent the day with us and introduced her charming designs to our customers. We enjoyed every minute of their visit. Thanks, ladies!

entertainer of the year

2010-11-15T18:06:00.008-05:00

Over the past several years, the music played at our house has morphed into constant country. Thanks to DirecTV playing satellite radio, Larry tunes in to all country-all the time stations from morning to night. I am learning to like it through osmosis. Most of the songs have melodies and words I can understand, but I'm not crazy about all the messages. For example, who can get revved about a big green tractor? Oh yes - my husband! He'll ride HIS big green tractor while mowing our 3 acres and sing along with his iPod at the top of his lungs. Good thing he has a good voice, cuz everyone driving down our country road can hear him.

We had to watch the CMA Awards the other night on TV and Brad Paisley won Entertainer of the Year. Larry was in heaven, because he had purchased tickets for us to see Brad in Rochester just a few nights later. We were going to be seeing Country Music Royalty!

(photo by Brady Dillsworth, Democrat & Chronicle)

The Blue Cross Arena was virtually sold out and the fans were psyched. Justin Moore and Darius Rucker opened for Brad...and then there he was. The stage was huge and the digital graphics were amazing..

We had great seats - second row, just one section away from the stage. And there was a runway right in front of us. Brad was not even 6 feet away:

I took this closeup of his guitar from the big screen. His finger work is just amazing...

He never left the stage during the entire show, had boundless energy and a great sense of humor:

We enjoyed every minute of it and loved our great seats. Thanks, Brad - you well-deserve your Entertainer of the Year award!

here comes the judge

2010-11-14T13:53:00.012-05:00

This past summer I was a judge at Sonnenberg's Arts at the Gardens, which you can read about here. Even before that event, I was also asked to be a judge at this weekend's Canandaigua Christkindl Market, benefitting the Granger Homestead. I told Suzanne, the show's director, that I wanted to see how the first Judgment Day went before committing to another. My time at Sonnenberg was fun and a good learning experience. I decided I would do it again in November and told Suzanne to put me on the roster.

Now in its 4th year, Christkindl Market takes over the front lawn of the historic Granger Homestead on Canandaigua's North Main Street. The Federal-style home of Postmaster General Gideon Granger is a beloved landmark and historic house and carriage museum. Monies raised at the event help to maintain and improve the house and its grounds.

Gigantic tents are erected on the front lawn and house over 100 craftsmen and food vendors. While the European Christkindl markets, upon which Canandaigua's event is fashioned, are out in the open, the local organizers decided it would be too much uncertainty and stress to hold a craft show outdoors in mid-November. The giant tents are heated and lighted and make for a very comfortable setting:

Many familiar faces were seen, including Linda Connor Cass, one of our favorite jewelers who has her work at JOOLZ. This is Linda's last big show before Baby #2 arrives in 8 weeks:

Another familiar face was Scott Mackey, who with his partner, Don Stevens, owns Wick-edly Sent Soap and Candle Company, located on Canandaigua's Main Street:

(photo by Don Stevens)

Canandaigua award-winning doll artist Nancy Wiley also won the Toys and Dolls award at Christkindl Market. Known internationally for her exquisite handcrafted dolls, Nancy has also written a book which features images of her dolls telling the story of Alice in Wonderland.

Our group of three judges, all involved in the arts in Canandaigua, was thrilled to be able to present the Best of Show award to Canandaigua goldsmith Eileen Quinn DelDuca. Her work is superb and the award is well-deserved:

It was a good day and lots of fun. Thanks to Suzanne for asking me to be part of the judging team and for the opportunity to meet and learn about so many delightful exhibitors. I went back on Sunday to do a little shopping and was able to get a few things from some vendors who caught my eye on Friday. That 1.5 pounds of fudge will be gone within a nanosecond!! Meanwhile, Suzanne sat for a minute to chat with me before I left and she's still smiling. She should be - it was a beautifully organized and produced show. Congratulations, dear friend!

VOTE - VOTE - VOTE!!

2010-11-11T20:20:00.003-05:00

The online version of the local newspaper is running a poll to determine the Best of Ontario County and JOOLZ shows up in the jewelry store category. We'd love to be the top choice and hope you will VOTE for us! It's open to everyone, near and far, but you can only enter once. Even if you're not familiar with the other Ontario County businesses, you will need to choose one in each category or the poll will not allow you to continue. Take a stab at it, but VOTE for JOOLZ. Thanks!

Tomorrow I will be VOTING as one of the judges at the Granger Homestead's Christkindl Market. Report to follow...

france - days 13 + 14

2010-11-05T10:50:00.014-04:00

Our last day in Paris was going to be chock full. We started off with a guided tour of the Musee d'Orsay, an old train station that had been converted into a superb museum. Now home to a fabulous collection of post-1830 French art, I was looking forward to seeing the Impressionist paintings, and more from Monet. Unfortunately, there was a large retrospective exhibit of Monet's work at another site, and the Orsay had lent out all but 3 of their Monets.

The large clock of the train station stands high above the museum's 3 floors of exhibits:

I was happy to get that shot before I saw the sign saying photos were prohibited. Regardless, it was a delightful visit and almost satisfied my need to see more from the Impressionists. Now if only those Monets had been there...

After the morning tour, we were on our own. We had tickets to the Louvre, the world's #1 ranked museum, which was right across the river. We crossed on a nearby bridge

and had this view of river boats on the other side:

We took a pedestrian tunnel under the nearby road and came up to find ourselves in the Jardin des Tuileries, the gardens surrounding the Louvre. There were lots of people in the gardens, jogging the trails, having picnics on the lawn and sitting in the many chairs provided throughout the park. We took advantage of the chairs and had a nice rest in the bright, warm sunlight. What a view!

Our prepaid tickets got us in a back door, so we only saw the I.M. Pei-designed glass pyramid from a distance.

One of my most vivid memories of that first trip to Paris was climbing up a huge staircase to see the Winged Victory. This time we approached her from a different direction, but I had to go down the stairs and look back up at her. As Yogi Berra would say, "it was deja vu all over again."

Another change at the Louvre is that Mona Lisa now has her own room and is positioned behind bullet-proof glass. The room was crowded with tourists and everyone had to raise their arms to get a photo (which is allowed in the Louvre - go figure) of Mona. One of our fellow travelers raised her arms to take a shot, with her bag hanging from her arm. She discovered her wallet was missing 10 minutes later and called her bank in Philadelphia immediately. The perps had already charged over $200 in perfume and had tried to get cash from an ATM (no PIN = no cash) when she called. A lesson learned...

We took a Paris city bus back to the Left Bank, but it stopped short of our destination and the driver turned to the passengers and said something very quickly. My French wasn't good enough to get it all, but the rest of the passengers exited the bus, so we did, too. Thank goodness we had taken that walking tour of the St. Germain des Pres area the day before. I knew where we were and was able to get us back to the hotel without too much trouble. It seems that the police had blocked the bus route for yet another demonstration, which we had to walk through to get "home."

For our last evening of the trip, we took a chartered boat ride down the Seine, enjoying a delicious meal and reliving the highlights of the trip with our fellow travelers. Along the way we saw Notre-Dame bathed in lights

and then came upon the Eiffel Tower lit up as well. Breathtaking.

On the dot of 9pm, the lights on the tower began to twinkle. It was a magical sight and the perfect ending to a wonderful trip.

Day 14 was an easy ride to Charles de Gaulle airport, where our plane (fully fueled) was waiting. We left early and arrived early in Toronto, where we caught a quick cab back to Lisa's studio to retrieve our car and lots of new Lisa Ridout joolz. There was no wait at all at the border and soon we were back home in our house on the hill.

Au revoir, France. Je t'aime, and I'll be back soon. I think I may have to schedule in an R&D trip to Paris every year. It was truly inspiring and I hope you enjoyed the ride along with me.

france - day 12

2010-11-05T09:10:00.012-04:00

When I first saw Paris, I was 16 and traveling with my parents and younger brother. My memories of that trip are like images flashed on a screen for only a few seconds. This time around I wanted to savor every minute and when I saw this lightpost near Notre-Dame, I knew I was truly back in Paris.

Our first morning in Paris we were taken on a bus ride to see the main tourist stops of the city: the Opera House, where we had a group photo taken, Notre-Dame Cathedral, the Place de la Concorde, the Champs-Elysees, the Eiffel Tower and many sites in between. It was a whirlwind, but it gave us a good overview.

Notre-Dame is perhaps the building that epitomizes the history of Paris more than any other. Construction was begun in 1163 and continued for two centuries. A favorite of visitors to Paris, there had been recent terrorist threats, and we saw soldiers in the vicinity with rifles. Our guide said that soldiers had been stationed near all the main tourist stops for the last 3 weeks. Not a very comfortable feeling.

The bus stopped at the Place du Trocadero for a photo shot of the Eiffel Tower. The place was crawling with tourists and those out to rip them off. Street vendors were everywhere, as were young women claiming to be mute, who wanted you to read a petition they had. We just said no, but I imagine others would fall prey to the scam and while reading the petition, the girl's partner would swoop in, bump against the tourist and grab a wallet. That's the part of Paris I don't like!

In the afternoon we took a guided walking tour of St. Germain des Pres, the area on the Left Bank where our hotel was located. This is where the writers, artists, and intelligentsia of past generations lived and worked. Today it still is home to many art galleries and unique shops. Since many of the streets are old and narrow, FedEx has adapted their trucks to conform. Here is a unique pedi-truck, out for delivery:

It appears that Canandaigua's wonderful new shop, F. Oliver's, is doing so well that Penelope has expanded internationally, with her first European location. Even the window sign is in English:

If you want to "eat American" you can always get Le Big One, a hamburger of enormous proportions and enormous cost. When we were there, 15 euros was about $22. We didn't stop.

Where we did stop, later that evening, was at "A La Petite Chaise", a charming bistro which claims to be the oldest restaurant in Paris. At the suggestion of the hotel's concierge, we walked to the nearby restaurant to have dinner with another couple on the tour. I was seated on the banquette against the wall, with a good view of the small dining room.

I was startled and delighted to see an elegant, older couple enter the room. The lady took a seat on the banquette opposite me and I had an excellent view of her face. I knew immediately that it was Leslie Caron, the adorable "Gigi".

Now almost 80 years old, she is still beautiful and was quite animated during dinner. Another of our traveling acquaintances confirmed for me that it truly was Leslie Caron, and I heard snipets of Maurice Chevalier singing "Thank Heavens for Little Girls" in my head. It was the quintessential Parisian moment!

Continuing our quest, we both ordered the onion soup and both determined that it was THE BEST ONION SOUP WE HAVE EVER HAD. How could this day get any better?

france - day 11

2010-11-04T15:48:00.015-04:00

Feeling better on Day 11, I was ready to visit Giverny, the long-time home of Impressionist Claude Monet. But first we went to the city of Rouen, situated on the banks of the Seine River. We saw lots and lots of people walking with determination toward a common destination. There was going to be a large demonstration against the increased retirement age and it seemed that all the citizens of Rouen were enroute.

We, however, were enroute to the Cathedrale Notre-Dame. This Gothic masterpiece is dominated by the famous west facade, painted over 30 times, in different lights, by Claude Monet. We were shown where Monet had 3 different studios, each overlooking the cathedral from different aspects. Monet would move from one to the other, depending on which light he was painting.

We visited the interior of the church, known for its stained glass windows and cast iron steeple, and then exited through another portal which was also highly carved in the Flamboyant Gothic style:

We walked down the rue du Gros-Horloge (Big Clock Street), passing by this delicious tea and cakes shop:

Medieval and more modern buildings lined the street. We were told how to recognize the older buildings - in medieval times the building owners were taxed on the footprint of the building, so in order to get more space, they would build second and third stories that projected out from the footprint, thus avoiding increased taxes. The building on the right, below, is from medieval times; the one on the left is more modern.

The 16th century Gros-Horloge has a single hand, to tell the hour, and indicators for the day of the week and the phases of the moon. The street below is now only for pedestrians.

We walked down to the Place du Vieux Marche, the Old Market Square, where we saw the very modern (1979), dragon-like Church of Joan of Arc. In a sheltered courtyard was the spot where Joan of Arc was burned alive in 1431, having been tried and sentenced to death for heresy. She was 19 years old.

Then we were on our way to Giverny, the home of Claude Monet. A protege of Eugene Boudin of Honfleur, Monet was one of the most prolific painters of the Impressionist school, producing over 2000 paintings in his lifetime. As an art history major in college, I studied all the great masters. I liked some of them and disliked others. I LOVED Monet and the opportunity to see the spot where he painted so many masterpieces was truly thrilling for me.

Monet lived and painted at Giverny for over 40 years. Today, the gardens and his house are beautifully maintained by a charitable foundation, with admission fees helping to cover the enormous expense of taking care of the property. His lily pond was featured in many of his paintings...

as was his green Japanese bridge. Monet was highly influenced by Japanese woodblock prints, many of which are displayed in his nearby house. The photo below looks just like one of his paintings, but I actually took the picture. :)

We were there!

We left the lily ponds and wandered through the gardens on our way to Monet's house.

I couldn't believe I was seeing in real life what I had so often admired in museums or in art text books. I was in heaven!

Then our visit was over and we were on our way to our last stop, Paris.

france - my day 10

2010-11-03T19:03:00.008-04:00

My Day 10 was spent in our room on the 6th floor of the Royal Barriere Hotel in Deauville, on the Normandy coast. Larry was heavily involved with past history at the D-Day beaches; I was heavily involved with current day history.

We had been told on our first day of the trip that when we were in Deauville, a meeting of world leaders was scheduled to take place at our hotel. The French President, German Chancellor and Russian President were meeting for 2 days to discuss the delivery of oil through the pipeline from Russia to western Europe. All the trip participants would need to be vetted by the French Secret Service and we would be required to wear special security passes and carry our passports at all times while within 2 blocks of the hotel.

We arrived at our hotel in darkness, the night before the conference. We entered through portable metal detectors and were met by a member of the Secret Service, who checked our passports and gave us our passes, labeled with each of our names and strung on a lanyard to wear around our necks. Then we checked in with the hotel and got our room keys. Security was tight and there were soldiers and police everywhere in the hotel. We found our room, unpacked a bit and I went to bed. I really felt lousy and just wanted to curl up and sleep.

In the morning I made the decision to stay at the hotel, said goodbye to Larry and went back to sleep. The curtains were closed tight and I managed to sleep til about 10:30. When I got up and opened the curtains, I realized I was going to have a bird's eye view of history in the making.

Our room was above and to the right of the main entrance of the hotel. There was a small parking lot in front of the entrance and then across the driveway, there was a large parking area and the beach. A light tower and small grandstand were already set up, facing the entrance. The show was about to begin...

I positioned a comfortable chair in front of the window and proceeded to watch all the preparations for the arrival of the three presidents. I had no idea what time that was to happen, but people were already scurrying around. A group of 8 mounted soldiers, on perfectly matched chestnut horses, walked out in formation to the beach and then galloped as a group along the water's edge, returning at a slow walk. Hotel staff came out in their red uniforms to sweep up the parking lot. Contractors adjusted the red carpet under the see-through canopy and then recovered it with an additional layer of plastic, which was removed about 15 minutes before the first dignitary arrived. Town cars arrived over a period of several hours, delivering staff members of the various delegations. It was easy to figure out who was who: the French men were thin and all wore snappy looking scarves (it was a cold and blustery day); the Germans were older, greyer, heavier versions of the French and carried themselves very stiffly. The Russians were not as old as the Germans but were much more disheveled looking, paunchy and didn't look very happy. No women were seen exiting any of the town cars.

Around 3:30pm, the final prep was done on the red carpet and the cover was removed. In marched a large contingent of soldiers, who I later determined to be the Republican Guard in their dress uniforms. There was also a band, in the same uniforms. Here is what they looked like:

Several groups of citizens were brought in to stand behind police barricades. The press was in place on the grandstand, cameras at the ready, facing the hotel (and me). I noticed 2 sharpshooters on a building across the street, near the beach.

The first motorcade arrived with the president's car flying the French flag. Out came Nicolas Sarkozy, who handed his coat to an assistant and then walked across the drive to greet and shake hands with the citizens who had been brought in to witness the arrivals.

About 30 minutes later, the motorcycles zoomed in again, announcing the arrival of the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel:

Sarkozy was waiting for her at the end of the red carpet, surrounded by a special group of Republican Guards in ceremonial uniforms. She exited her car, the two kissed on both cheeks, and Sarkozy led her over to the citizens to meet and shake their hands. This time he stood back and let her interact with the crowd. They then went inside the hotel to wait for the arrival of the Russian President. All the citizens were led away.

About 6pm the motorcycles arrived for the third time. No town car for this president - he was arriving by armored limo. Sarkozy and Merkel were at the end of the red carpet, awaiting his arrival together. Dmitry Medvedev exited his car, shook hands with both presidents and the band played the three national anthems. No visiting with the citizens, who had been brought back out for this final arrival, and the three presidents went back inside the hotel.

The show was over, I had witnessed modern day history and Larry had returned from the beaches. Feeling better, I decided I'd try to eat some dinner, so we walked into town to an Italian place that had been recommended by Richard. I managed to eat a little and we walked back, meeting soldiers and/or the national police at every corner. When it was time to go through the perimeter, the soldier looked at our passes and politely asked to see our passports. He carefully matched the names on the passes to our passports and looked carefully at the photos. We were allowed back inside the secure 2-block perimeter and headed home to the hotel.

Both Larry and I will remember Day 10 for a long, long time.

france - larry's day 10

2010-11-03T18:30:00.011-04:00

My Day 9 was not a good one - I had a nasty intestinal bug that got me in the morning and then again in the evening. I decided that it would be best to stay close to the hotel on Day 10. I was really disappointed to miss going to the D-Day beaches, one of the main reasons we took this trip, but I really had no other choice. I handed Larry the camera and told him to bring back a full report of his day. He did.

Starting on the eastern edge of the 45-mile stretch of landing beaches, this is Juno beach, where the Canadians landed on June 6, 1944. Even today, the beaches are still referred to by their code names.

This stone marker identifies the departure ports and landing sites of the various troops:

This memorial plaque recognizes the 2nd Rangers, who scaled 100 foot cliffs, expecting to find a battery of German artillery. The Germans were there, but the artillery had been delayed and was still a mile away. In the ensuing battle, 90 Rangers were not killed or wounded; 225 had gone in.

Giant craters, 20 feet wide and 8 feet deep, caused by the artillery, are still evident:

This is a position made ready for German guns that never arrived:

A German pill box:

Omaha Beach, as it looks today:

The American cemetery is maintained in pristine condition by the French, in gratitude for the sacrifices of the American soldiers to liberate France:

Larry left a rose at the grave of Pvt. Taylor. My mother's maiden name was Taylor, and while Pvt. Taylor was not a relative, we will be forever grateful for his service.

france - day 9

2010-11-02T10:00:00.023-04:00

Today was going to be a long one and became even longer than anticipated, when Richard decided we needed to see the port city of Honfleur, even tho it wasn't on the official itinerary. It was a Sunday and the tourists were out in droves.

Our first stop was the marvelous abbey of Mont-St-Michel, one of the most enchanting sights in France. Surrounded by the seas at high tide, the island of Mont-Tombe (Tomb on the Hill) is connected to the mainland by a causeway. Lying strategically on the frontier between Brittany and Normandy, Mont-St-Michel grew from a humble 8th century oratory to become a Benedictine monastery that had its greatest influence in the 12th and 13th centuries.

Major engineering works are now in place to begin reversing the silting up of the sea around the island.

We began our climb up the pathway to the top, where the abbey occupies an impregnable position on the island. At this point, Larry and I went our separate ways. He went up (300+ stairsteps, which my knees couldn't take) and I went down, onto the Grande Rue, which was the pilgrims' route to the abbey gates.

The steeple can be seen for miles and miles:

Four bays of the Romanesque nave survive; three were pulled down in 1776, creating the West Terrace:

The cloisters, with their elegant columns in staggered rows, are a beautiful example of early 13th century Anglo-Norman style. The Fraternite of Jerusalem, a small monastic community, lives in the abbey and welcomes visitors.

Living atop a precipice long ago was not without its difficulties. Here is the "elevator" that brought supplies up to the top of the island:

Next up was a stop in Bayeux, famous for its 11th century tapestry justifying William the Conqueror's invasion of England in 1066. Bayeux was the first town to be liberated by the Allies in 1944 and was fortunate to escape war damage. 15th - 19th century buildings remain, including this charming mill:

230 feet long, the embroidered hanging was commissioned by Bishop Odo of Bayeux and offers insights into 11th-century life. The battle scenes are from the defeat of Harold, King of England, at the Battle of Hastings. The tapestry is valued as a work of art, a historical document and an entertaining read. This art history major remembers well seeing slides of the tapestry in a darkened classroom. Much more interesting to see the bright colors of the embroidery up close and personal:

Then it was on to Honfleur, a picturesque town at the mouth of the Seine River. A major defensive port in the 15th century, Honfleur became a center of artistic activity in the 19th century. Eugene Boudin, mentor of the Impressionist Claude Monet, was born in Honfleur, as were several other important figures in the arts community. Today Honfleur continues to be an arts colony, with many studios and shops lining the streets near the harbour.

Our final stop, before heading to our Deauville hotel, was Le Manoir d'Apreval in Pennedepie, just west of Honfleur. A family-owned estate surrounded by a magnificent apple orchard, the manoir is famous for its hard cider and Calvados, a potent (70% alcohol) apple brandy.

Seventeen different varieties of apples are assembled together on the estate, all completely different varieties of apples than are grown in New York State.

In an old restored press, the musts are gathered together to become cider, during which time the Pommeau (a less potent brandy) and Calvados are aged for up to 10 years in oak barrels.

Following a tasting of the Pommeau and Calvados, dinner was served before we headed off to our hotel, the famous Royal Barriere in Deauville. History awaits!

france - day 8

2010-11-01T20:22:00.013-04:00

This morning we drove over to the town of Dinard, with Placido's fill-in, Patrice, at the wheel. We didn't realize what a superb driver Placido was until we had someone else driving us through the very small streets of these Breton towns. With Placido at the wheel there were no sudden stops, no close calls, no surprises. We hoped he was having a nice day off and looked forward to having him back in charge of the bus.

After visiting the open air market in Dinard, and looking back east along the coast to see St. Malo, we returned to St. Malo for a walking tour of the city. The St. Malo municipal flag was flying in the stiff breeze:

An important port in the past and still very active today, St. Malo is home to several restored sailing vessels:

Jacques Cartier (1491-1557), a native of St. Malo, sailed from here to the west and in 1534, took possession of Canada in the name of Francois I, king of France. Richard, our Canadian tour director, holds a special regard for St. Malo and thinks of himself as French first, Canadian second.

Another famous son of St. Malo was the writer and politican, Francois-Rene Chateaubriand (1768-1848). The birthplace of Chateaubriand is noted on this plaque:

and he is buried on the island at the left of this image. He directed that he be buried in a vertical position and facing the sea, forever looking outward across the waves:

While we were on this trip there was a great deal of civil unrest in France. Demonstrations were held on a daily basis, throughout the country, as displeasure with the government's proposal to raise the retirement age was voiced. Fuel depots were closed down by demonstrators and gas stations ran out of gasoline. Those stations that still had gas were beseiged by long lines of cars. Many airline flights were canceled and on at least one occasion, our flight from Canada stopped in Manchester, England on its way to Paris to refuel, so that it would have enough fuel to be able to leave on time and fly back to Toronto. We saw and heard many demonstrations, including this one in St. Malo:

After the walking tour we enjoyed a nice lunch on the town square and did a little shopping. One fabulous shop was a chocoholic's delight (and I am a proud, card-carrying chocoholic). Look at these amazing chocolate designs:

and at these bins of handmade chocolate. Doesn't get much better that this!!

france - day 7

2010-10-31T10:04:00.014-04:00

We were back on the road again this morning, headed to St. Malo on the English Channel. But first we went back to Vannes, an important port on the Golfe de Morbihan. There we learned more about Brittany and the Breton people and language. Originally Celts, the Bretons share the roots of their native language with the Irish and the Scots. Today, parents can choose to have their children learn both French and Breton in school. Brittany was strongly independent for many years, but in 1532, signed a treaty to become part of France. The Bretons still honor their past with many festivals during the year where they wear their native dress, including the tall, lace headdresses of the women. Each headdress is specific to a certain parish, so Bretons can tell where someone is from just by looking at their attire. Here is the sign (in Breton and French) commemorating the signing of the treaty:

Again, we saw impressive gardens; these are near the old medieval walls of the city:

We approached the Cathedrale St-Pierre through a side street:

Begun in the 13th century, the cathedral has been remodeled and restored. I believe this window is original, however:

After a stop in the city square for possibly the best hot chocolate I have ever had in my entire life, we were back on the bus for the drive to the small town of Josselin. But along the way we were stopped by the cops. A gendarme (military police) was standing in the middle of the road and signaled Placido to pull the bus over to the shoulder. He wanted to see all of Placido's paperwork, including the activity log from the bus' computer. Off he went to his vehicle, returning 5 minutes later. He returned the paperwork to Placido and sent us on his way.

Placido told us that the gendarme ran his computer disk, showing when the bus engine is turned on and off and the top speed of the bus, and only because Placido made sure to take his 45 minute break the other day, was he allowed to go and was not fined. The gendarme also asked Placido when his next day off was scheduled. Bus drivers are only allowed to drive 6 straight days and Placido was scheduled to have a full day off the next day in St. Malo. We were all glad to be headed to the hotel and not to jail!

But first was a stop in Josselin, a charming village which is dominated by a medieval chateau owned by the de Rohan family since the end of the 15th century. We approached and were let in the small red door:

We had a tour of the inside of the chateau, but were asked to refrain from taking photographs, as this was a private home:

The gardens are beautifully maintained and although they look as if nature designed them, they were in fact designed by a famous landscape artist, who determined the placement of each plant:

We were then delighted to be introduced to the Duke and Duchess de Rohan, who were at the chateau that day. Both English-speaking and very charming, they welcomed us to their home. While not in Paris, this is where they live and have raised their children. The Duchess has an extensive doll collection and when Larry asked if she had ever seen the Margaret Woodbury Strong collection of dolls, she said she had not, but that she was very familiar with the collection. They were on their way to New York City in a couple of days, and she asked how long it was to get to Rochester. When told it was a six hour drive, she said that it would have to be another time.

The 72 year old Duke, Josselin de Rohan, was mayor of Josselin and has been a member of the French Senate since 1983. He served as regional president of the Brittany region until 2004 and is currently president of the foreign affairs, defense and armed forces commission. Here is his official Senate portrait:

We were very impressed that they both took the time to speak to our group. After they left us, we saw them sitting for an outdoor portrait with a professional photographer.

After looking at the Duchess' doll collection, we were off to our next stop, St. Malo. Located on the windy English Channel, this was the view from our hotel room window:

We made a joint decision that we were NOT going to go windsurfing, but did take a nice walk down the boardwalk.

france - day 6

2010-10-30T16:32:00.011-04:00

As I was signing on to write this post, I saw that it was post #201. Who would have thought I would have so much to say?? But I have already heard many positive comments about our trip travelogue, so let it continue. Here we go with Day 6...

One of the downsides to traveling with a group is that you have little flexibility to march to your own schedule. I like to take my time when I'm on vacation; I like to have time off. So this morning I decided I would stay at the hotel, in the bed, with the curtains closed tight and get some extra sleep. Larry, meanwhile, got up to go see a prehistoric burial mound and a WWII bunker. He took the Flip and not the camera, so we have no pics to share, but he said it was all quite interesting. I am happy to report that my morning sleep-in was equally delightful!

After the morning group returned, we met a chartered boat on the Golfe du Morbihan and cruised the gulf to the city of Vannes. We enjoyed a delicious lunch on the boat while we passed many of the more than 40 islands that dot the gulf. We were told that one island was recently sold for 2.5 million Euros. Pretty snazzy neighborhood.

Placido and the bus met us at the docks in Vannes and off we drove to the charming, medieval village of Rochefort en Terre, home for many years to both French and American artists.

This small village almost felt like it was a movie set, but real people actually do live here.

There is an annual national contest in France to judge how well the towns decorate with flowers. Rochefort en Terre has won the national contest and it's easy to see why. Winning is allowed only once; from then on the town rests on its laurels, but continues to showcase its floral talents each year.

Meandering down the streets and alleys was a visual delight, with new vistas around every corner. I can only imagine what this town looks like at the height of the summer....more tourists than flowers??

Back to the hotel for an evening on our own. We hit the local Wegmans (no comparison!!) and brought back some bread and cheese, which was completely delicious. It was a pretty relaxed day...and I needed that.

france - day 5

2010-10-29T14:17:00.010-04:00

Day 5 was a long driving day. We needed to get from the Loire Valley all the way over to the west coast of France, on the Atlantic. But, as usual, there were interesting stops along the way.

First up was the chateau in Angers, which is the historic capital of Anjou, home of the Plantagenets and the western gateway to the Loire Valley. The chateau, built by Louis IX from 1230-40, stands on a rocky hill in the town center. The pepperpot shaped towers were removed in 1585 by Henry III and the fortress, which doubled as a munitions depot in World War II, was heavily bombed during the war.

Inside the chateau is the longest (338 feet) and one of the finest medieval tapestries in the world. It tells the story of the Apocalypse, with battles between hydras and angels.

The Loire and Maine rivers come together in Angers:

After a delicious lunch by the riverside, it was back on the bus for a two hour ride. French law demands that bus drivers may not drive for more than 3 hours without taking a 45 minute break. Placido's break came at Les Salines de Guerande, the Guerande salt marshes.

There are 190 member salt workers in the "Les Salines de Guerande" cooperative, operating 70% of the salt marshes in activity. The job of a salt worker is one of the few agricultural professions that does not use heavy mechanisation or chemicals. This traditional production technique is a thousand years old and not ony produces quality salt but also helps to preserve the site. In Guerande, salt is harvested daily and by hand only. Today, the Guerande salt marsh is one of the last places in France to produce traditional salt. Both coarse salt, which is slightly grey, and fleur de sel (flower of salt), which is finer and whiter than coarse salt, are harvested here. When we visited, the harvest of the salt had just ended and there were huge, covered mounds of salt near the information center.

Then we were on to the Miramar Crouesty hotel, located right near the Atlantic Ocean at Port Navalo. Designed to look like a cruise ship, the hotel resembles a ship both inside and out. There is also a well-regarded spa at the hotel and other hotel guests were seen walking everywhere in their spa robes, even into the restaurants.

The view from our balconey was breathtaking:

Before dinner we took a walk to the beach, where there were both sailing and surfboarding schools. But that day the ocean was like a lily pond and not a ripple was to be seen. Later we watched the sun set in the western horizon, sinking into the Atlantic. Atlantic sunrises are our norm, so this was a whole different geography to take in.

france - day 4

2010-10-27T19:10:00.019-04:00

Day 4 was a full one - horses, vineyards, gardens, chateaux and royalty....just a regular day for us. :)

In the morning we traveled to the charming town of Saumur (which has its own chateau, too) where we visited the world-famous National School of Equitation. Only the best of the best train here and we saw the horses, the grooms, the riding masters and the students. It was starting to sink in that there were going to be many sights and visits available to us that would not have been, had we been traveling on our own.

The stables were beautifully maintained. The riding areas contained felt mixed with dirt - the felt absorbed moisture but also muffled the sound of the hooves, so that the complicated dressage movements were done in complete silence.

This guy is the oldest and most honored horse at the school:

Here he watches his neighbor being brought into his stall by one of the 90 grooms on staff:

After touring the outside areas of the school, we went inside to watch the riding masters put their horses through their routines. Unfortunately, cameras were not allowed inside, but it was a magnificent sight. There was even an "equine choreographer" who trained the horses to "dance" just the right way.

Then it was off to Le Moulin Bleu (the Blue Windmill) for a tour of a Bourgueil region vineyard, a wine tasting and a delicious lunch.

This is a familiar sight to us, living in New York's wine country, but our steep hillsides were replaced by a flat plane leading out to the Loire River:

Back on the road again, we headed to the Chateau de Villandry, known for its magnificent gardens. Villandry was the last great Renaissance chateau built in the Loire Valley, a perfect example of 16th-century architecture.

The gardens were restored to their original splendour by Dr. Joachim Carvallo, whose grandson continues his work today.

The delicate roots of the 52 miles (!!) of boxwood that outline and highlight each section mean that the whole 10 acres of gardens must be weeded by hand. Ouch!

Can't you just picture Rapunzel letting her hair down from this tower window?

We left Villandry to return to our hotel to change for dinner and then we were off to yet another chateau, this time the Chateau de Champchevrier. Today's owner is Pierre de Brosse, Baron de Champchevrier. The "castle", as he calls it, has been in his family since 1728. A smart marketing executive, the Baron opens his chateau to select groups for tours, helping to pay the enormous cost of maintaining the house and grounds.

The Baron has a large pack of hounds that are trained to hunt for stag in the forest surrounding the castle. As a demonstration of their excellent training, the masters of the hounds brought the pack to the front lawn for us to see, keeping them completely still before giving them the signal to eat the meat that had been laid out for them. The ground steak had been hidden under the skin of a stag, so that for the visitors it looked like the hounds were finishing him off. In real life, the hounds only trap the stag and it is up to the hunters to make the final coup de grace.

Also present were the horn players. Before the age of cell phones and wireless communication, messages about the hunt were relayed to the hunters by various hunting tunes, each of which meant something different. There is an especially regal sounding tune that tells of the stag having an extremely large rack - he was truly a king among men.

The last chateau of the day was our very own. Our hotel was the Chateau de Rochecotte - so yes, I can now say I've slept in a castle. But boy, the bed was really uncomfortable with that pea under the mattress!

france - day 3

2010-10-26T14:35:00.010-04:00

After being introduced to our driver, Placido, we all piled into our luxurious Mercedes-Benz coach. One of our fellow travelers pronounced it the most comfortable bus he had ever been on...and he was a tall and hefty guy.

Our destination...Chartres...world-known for its magnificent cathedral with its stunning stained glass windows. We first went to the stained glass restoration center and had a most informative introduction to the world of stained glass as it has developed over centuries. I was especially taken with the gorgeous cobalt blue for which Chartres is known.

We could see the twin spires at quite a distance. The taller one dates from the start of the 16th century and is Flamboyant Gothic in style. It contrasts sharply with its very solemn Romanesque counterpart. (Scaffolding covers the West Rose Window, which is undergoing restoration).

We entered through the Royal Portal (1145-55)...

...and had a glorious view of the nave. As wide as the Romanesque crypt below it, the nave reaches a height of 121 feet.

The North Rose Window depicts the Glorification of the Virgin, surrounded by the kings of Judah and the prophets, c.1230:

All the stained glass windows were removed for safekeeping at the beginning of World War II and were then reinstalled in the cathedral. The windows above the choir bring additional light to the nave:

The astronomical clock is surrounded by ornate carvings:

Small chapels, with their own stained glass windows, surround the altar area:

Overall, the windows of the cathedral cover a surface area of over 28,000 square feet. We were told that the French government pays for the upkeep and restoration of the exteriors of the churches, while the Catholic church is responsible for the upkeep of the interiors.

We had lunch at a nice creperie and tried their onion soup, continuing our 40-year hunt to find the BEST French onion soup ...anywhere! (This one did not make it). And then it was back on the bus to drive to chateau country in the Loire Valley.

france - days 1 + 2

2010-10-25T09:55:00.013-04:00

We boarded our Air Transat flight in Toronto for an ontime departure around 11pm and I promptly took 50mg of Benadryl to help me sleep. Didn't help. I was awake for the entire flight and watched the sun come up as we flew east. Larry worked on his snoring technique.

We were met at Charles de Gaulle airport just north of Paris and were driven to our hotel in Versailles, a western suburb of Paris. For the very first time, we were joining an escorted Tauck tour. Normally very independent travellers, we decided to let someone else do the driving and the schlepping of the luggage this time. We had heard good things about Tauck from our friends T&J and decided to give it a try.

Our driver took us to our Versailles hotel:

We arrived a day ahead of the tour so that we could try to adjust to the new time zone before the opening bell. After meeting the tour director, Richard (a French-speaking native of Montreal), we found our lovely room and promptly took a nap. Somehow, somewhere, I needed to sleep. That Benadryl was finally starting to kick in.

The next morning we walked to the downtown market and enjoyed seeing and hearing all the action. This booth, selling fresh meat, seemed to specialize in rabbit. I was somewhat surprised to see a patron at the case who looked like she was wearing the skin of a couple of tasty treats on display in the case in front of her:

We returned to the hotel for a brief stop and then walked around the corner to the park of Versailles. It was a gorgeous Sunday afternoon and every family in Paris seemed to be out for a stroll.

We picked up our tickets for the park and palaces and off we went, wandering down a country lane that had livestock grazing on both sides of the road. First stop was Marie Antoinette's farm, where she would retreat to get away from all the court hustle and bustle:

Restored in the early 1990's, this is a working farm that just exudes charm:

Then it was a bit of a hike over to the Palace of Versailles, a tourist mecca that was overflowing with crowds of people. The fountains were to be turned on later in the afternoon - last time before the winter schedule went into effect - and everyone in Paris seemed to have turned out for it.

Built by Louis XIV, the Sun King, construction began in 1668. Much of the decor is an homage to Louis himself - Louis was quite impressed with Louis, it seems. Here is the gilded gate by the grand courtyard:

The Chapelle Royale was magnificent. The royal family attended services on the second floor choir, while the courtiers stood on the ground floor:

Perhaps one of the best-known rooms in the palace, the Hall of Mirrors was where the Treaty of Versailles was ratified in 1919, ending World War I:

Imagine having this magnificent view every day:

We walked back to the hotel, met our fellow travelers at a nice reception and dinner in the Gordon Ramsay restaurant in the hotel (2 Michelin stars but not so good food and no ranting Gordon on site). Our lack of sleep was catching up with us again and we were ready to crash. But in the morning, we took one last look at the palace from our hotel room window. What a gorgeous beginning to our trip:

behind the scenes

2010-10-24T22:36:00.010-04:00

We're just back from a 2-week trip to France (more about that in upcoming posts) and still figuring out which time zone we're in. After looking at Orbitz, Expedia, airline sites, etc., we consulted our travel agent and learned about a good deal on Air Transat out of Toronto. It's about a 3.5-4 hour drive to Toronto from our house. Weather and border crossings permitting, that would end up being a shorter haul than flying from Rochester to JFK or Boston, and risking lost luggage and missed flights. I called Lisa Ridout, our favorite Toronto artist, for advice on where to park our car for two weeks. Lisa very kindly offered her studio parking spot (she said she usually rides her bike or hoofs it to work) and also invited us to tour her studio. We readily agreed, but only if she would let us take her and her husband, Ben, to dinner before we headed off to the airport for an 11pm flight to Paris.

The border crossing was as speedy as it's ever been, but traffic closer to Toronto was wall-to-wall. We soon discovered that it was Thanksgiving weekend in Canada and every single person was leaving Friday afternoon for the country, ready to enjoy the last 3-day weekend of the year. We arrived after a 4-hour drive and Lisa was ready and waiting to tour us through her studio.

Making sterling silver chain jewelry for over 15 years, Lisa is a master of her craft. Collaborating with a mechanical engineer, she has retrofitted ordinary machines to do extraordinary work.

First she flattens the end of a coil of sterling silver wire:

Next she pulls the wire through a sizing plate, stretching it to just the right diameter for her intended project:

The perfectly-sized wire is then coiled and finally cut, creating a cascade of silver rings that sounds like a winning Vegas jackpot when Lisa directs the rings into a metal storage container:

Then it's over to her bench, where Lisa works her magic with pliers in both hands, twisting the ends to a seamless connection - no soldering needed. She says she can tell "just by the feel and the light on the metal" when the link is perfectly round.

Lisa creates traditional designs and other, more unusual chain designs of her own creation and puts them together with sparkling Swarovski crystals. Into the tumbler they go to be brightened up and the result is her highly reflective, intricate, gorgeous Lisa Ridout jewelry. We love it...and so do our customers.

Here are studio shots of her Shift bracelets and necklaces, some of which we brought home with us on Friday:

We are so pleased to have Lisa as one of our JOOLZ artists. She's also become a good friend - and that's a big part of what makes my job so much fun. Find great joolz and meet nice people...and get to go behind the scenes and see how it all comes together. Doesn't get much better than that! Thanks for everything, Lisa.

happy new year!

2010-09-30T15:53:00.004-04:00

Today, September 30, is our fiscal year end. I chose it originally because our insurance requires that we do a physical inventory of all our joolz at year end. Thinking ahead...I said "why on earth would I want to be counting inventory on New Year's Eve?" And I also thought it would be good to know exactly what was in the store going into the holiday season.

Good news all around. I spent the afternoon doing a complete inventory, and everything that is supposed to be here IS here. We have had no theft, no unusual disappearances, no question marks since September 30, 2009. And we currently have over 700 pieces of jewelry from 60+ jewelers to show our customers.

It's been a great year. We moved. We successfully transitioned into the new store. We hired an additional staff member. We increased our customer base and our sales since the move are up exponentially. Thanks to all for helping us achieve all these accomplishments.

So now it's time for our New Year's resolution: Get the online store up and running again. We'll report back at the end of next year. Happy New Year!

a name that works

2010-09-29T14:34:00.006-04:00

One of Rochester's well-loved newspaper columnists was Peter B. Taub. He wrote about all sorts of things, but was best known for his pieces on people. He especially loved to connect someone's name and what they did for a living - and would say "now, that's a name that works!"

Our newest artist at JOOLZ, William Glasner of Victor, NY, has a name that works. A glassblower of long standing, he first opened his studio in 1978. He's been part of the Middlesex Folk Art Guild for over 30 years and has had his work exhibited and collected throughout the United States, Canada and the Far East. Formerly creating vessels of carved glass, he now focuses on much smaller pieces that make up his glass jewelry, but the process is still the same.

Traditional techniques are combined in an innovative way to create a historically new bead style Since no two beads are identical, each piece of jewelry is an original work of wearable art.

All the beads are made entirely by hand in his home studio. Hot glass is pulled into long handblown tubes which, when cold, are sawn into bead-sized segments. These are individually carved by hand with diamond wheels using traditional cut glass and Italian "batutto" techniques, then finished with a proprietory polishing or acid etching process. Other components are sterling silver.

We're delighted to have William Glasner as one of our JOOLZ artists, and invite you to stop in to see his very interesting and unique work.

(all photos courtesy of William Glasner)

twisted tuesdays

2010-09-14T18:27:00.008-04:00

Webster artist Kerry Bogert, one of our favorites who has been with us since the very beginning, is one talented girl. Not only does she produce gorgeous lampwork glass beads and sterling wire work jewelry, she's a fabulous photographer. She and her husband, Ron, came to JOOLZ for a visit recently and she took some snaps. Today, her visit to JOOLZ was featured on her blog. Check it out and see her great pics of the store and Joolie, our shop dog.

"restaurant critic"

2010-09-12T14:12:00.003-04:00

I've just returned from visiting the Memorial Art Gallery's annual Clothesline Show. Now trimmed down to about 400 artists from across New York State, this show draws lots and lots of visitors, many of whom return each year to check out their favorite artists and to discover new ones.

I've been attending this show for so many years I can't count them. But since I've opened JOOLZ, I go to troll for new jewelry artists and usually just waltz on by the other booths - painting, ceramics, glass, photography, wearable art, etc.

Today I ran into Penelope, who owns F. Oliver's in Canandaigua. She and some friends were in a jewelry booth, checking out all the yummy designs. She proclaimed me to be like a restaurant critic: I go into the jewelry booths anonymously, check out the goods and then make an internal decision as to whether or not I will identify myself. Unlike a true restaurant/food critic, I don't get to eat the product I am reviewing (darn!) and my likes and dislikes are not printed in some publication for others to read.

Visting many of the jewelry artists today, I was happy to be incognito until I revealed my JOOLZ connection...or not. That got me thinking about the many celebrities in this world who can't go anywhere without 99.9% of the people around them knowing who they are. Certainly many of those by-standers feel as if they "know" the celebrity, having read all about them in magazines or on the internet. What a constraining, claustrophobic lifestyle that must be. Thanks very much, but I'm happy to be an anonymous "restaurant critic."

email frustration reaches boiling point

2010-09-07T20:20:00.003-04:00

The email situation with our shop email account finally got to me - hard to access while away from home, constant spam getting through the filters, difficult to save into cohesive folders, etc. etc. etc.

So as of today, JOOLZ has a brand new email address:

shopjoolz@gmail.com

Try it out and say hi.

just in from california

2010-09-06T11:32:00.007-04:00

We can't seem to keep Shirley Price's pendants in stock. We place and receive a new order and within days they start to leave the store with happy customers.

Shirley worked through the night to get us this latest order in record time. Just take a look at these new, delicious creations:

Emperor's Dragon

Twilight

Samurai

These are just a sampling from the latest order. Come in and see them all for yourself.

jewelry made from a car's radiator?

2010-09-03T18:56:00.006-04:00

Mckenna Hallett, our newest JOOLZ artist, has just joined us from Wailuku, Maui, Hawaii. Scouring her beautiful island for reclaimable materials that she turns into fascinating jewelry, Mckenna proudly lists the odd materials that have made her famous in her own community. She says "My list includes roofing and gutters, airplane engine parts, radiator sections, plumbing and electrical discards, and some items I can't even identify. I call them UFO's: unidentified found objects."

Ceremonial Kimono necklace

Designing with a decidedly Asian bent, Mckenna first created the necklace above for Neiman Marcus. Now our Canandaigua (and beyond) customers can have their very own edition. Each time this piece is created, it's new and different - never are the metals exactly the same.

Origami necklace

Each necklace is adjustable for length and all are amazingly lightweight. Even the earrings tell a story:

Dangling pieces of repurposed copper gutters - now lovely squares tied with copper wire. How old was the building that "discarded" this metal? Who lived or worked there? How many hurricanes did the building survive? If only this jewelry could talk...

kerry bogert extravaganza!

2010-08-30T17:18:00.003-04:00

JOOLZ favorite Kerry Bogert has been working hard in her studio to create a new collection for us. Master lampwork glass bead creator, master wire worker and master photographer, Kerry sent us this photo just minutes ago. I couldn't wait to share it with you!

Get in line - one of the necklaces has already been spoken for!!

august wrap up

2010-08-29T09:58:00.003-04:00

As we wrap up the last month of summer in our new location, we want to share some exciting news with you: AUGUST 2010 HAS BEEN OUR BEST MONTH SINCE SEPTEMBER 2008.

As the in-house keeper of the books, I am constantly looking at the numbers and trying to rationalize their ups and downs. We're delighted to have the upward direction of August 2010, and attribute the good results to both our new, more walk-in friendly location and the apparent loosening of the spending grip that has been in place for a couple of years.

Our number of daily visitors has increased well over 100% and we're seeing many more tourists than in our old location. Pennsylvania and Ohio seem to be the winners in the "where are you from?" contest, but we've also seen many from Canada and states farther afield. Just yesterday a visitor from the Syracuse area said " Canandaigua is just a hidden gem - what a great place to visit!" More and more folks are figuring that out.

Our Sunday hours experiment, however, was less than successful. We have carefully tracked the numbers for Sundays and have decided it's not worth the overhead to open the doors for 4 hours. So today is our last Sunday and we will return to our regular hours, Tuesday - Saturday, 10am - 5pm, beginning August 31.

words of wisdom

2010-08-23T13:54:00.003-04:00

Jerry Elman, formerly in the corporate world and now owner of his own business, was recently quoted in a brief article in Rochester's Democrat and Chronicle. I like what he has to say about being in business during these economic times:

I learned that you have to look at things not the way you wish they were, but the way they are. When things you don't control are happening fast, you have to adapt faster.

If your fundamentals are straight, if you have a business based on ethics and honesty and high quality and you are providing excellent service to your customers at a fair price, you can ultimately prevail in the worst of times.

I've been doing all of that, but Jerry put it into words....words to live by, words of wisdom.

judgment day

2010-08-21T21:42:00.006-04:00

Several months ago I was asked to be one of 4 judges at the 2010 Arts at the Gardens outdoor arts and crafts show, held on the grounds of the lovely Sonnenberg Gardens and Mansion. Today was the day....

I'm never one to hold back on giving an opinion, but today I would need to visit 100 artists, examine their booths and their work and make decisions about each:

what was the level of creativity?

how well did they use/handle the material?

did they present their art well? how attractive was their booth?

10 Judges' Awards and a Best of Show Award were at stake - prestige and dollars were on the line. I hoped I was up to the task.

One of other judges and I traveled together, starting at one end of the show, while the other 2 judges worked their way toward us from the opposite end. We broke for lunch, graciously served to us on the veranda of the mansion, and chatted about what we had already seen - what we liked and what we didn't. Then it was back to work, ending about 3:30. We hunkered down again on the veranda, discussing each and every artist in the show. The four of us, having never worked as judges together before, were surprisingly cohesive in our comments, our likes and our dislikes. After 30 minutes of discussion, we had our award winners.

The show organizers were notified and the winners were announced at a lovely reception for the artists, judges and committee members, held on the veranda after the show had ended. There were smiles all around - the show was a success, the committee had done a fine job, the judges had made their decisions and the artists were pleased with their awards.

Judgment Day was over, and I, for one, was ready for a nice long rest!

overheard this afternoon...

2010-08-18T19:28:00.001-04:00

"This is the most wonderful jewelry store I have ever seen...and I don't usually like jewelry!"

another family wedding

2010-08-15T18:59:00.003-04:00

It's been a summer of family gatherings - weddings in both June and August, celebrating the marriages of two nieces.

This weekend was the wedding of Allison and Keith, two people who were destined to be together. Thanks to the help of an internet match site, they found each other about 5 years ago and have been blissfully happy ever since.

The day was perfect, the bride was beautiful and her parents were beaming. It was a day we'll all remember and relive time and time again.

ethereal

2010-08-02T22:41:00.004-04:00

July was a month of heat and humidity, which often culminated in late afternoon thunderstorms. Just before the lightning sparked one early evening, I ventured out to take a couple of pictures of the breathtaking clouds that were building all around us. Beautiful and ethereal, don't you think?

our august newsletter

2010-08-02T18:44:00.002-04:00

Here's the link to our August newsletter, just published today. As you can see, August is lookin' to be pretty darn busy and the upcoming famly wedding is right in the middle of all the JOOLZ activity. It's going to be a crazy month!! Fun....but crazy!

boom!

2010-07-26T22:13:00.004-04:00

4th of July fireworks at Canandaigua's Kershaw Park.

Photo by Todd Matarazzo

www.toddmatarazzo.com

sing along

2010-07-20T22:34:00.003-04:00

We're all still reliving the family wedding in June. The MOB posted some pics on Facebook and I lifted this one of my brother, the FOB, together with my two girls. They're sure belting it out!

home sweet (old) home

2010-07-19T15:45:00.003-04:00

You just never know who's going to walk into the store!

This past weekend was the Art and Music Festival in downtown Canandaigua and the sidewalks were full of people all weekend long. Many of them found their way into JOOLZ, many for the first time...several longtime friends and customers. It was great exposure for the store and I think we made lots of new friends who will return and return.

Two women and one of their daughters came in and looked all around. One decided to buy a necklace and I went to the computer to input her info for our customer files. (We keep names and addresses, along with contact info, on everyone who is willing to share it. We find that having the ability to look up previous purchases is very helpful when trying to answer questions or to direct someone shopping for that customer).

Imagine my great surprise when this new customer gave me a house address right next door to the house where I grew up! My parents brought me home from the hospital to that wonderful house and Larry and I had our wedding reception in the back yard. It truly was the only house I knew until I flew the coop (and landed in Texas - a story for another time).

The customer and I chatted about the 3 families who have lived in "my" house since Dad sold it in 1976. It sounds like she loves the neighborhood as much as we did. I told Larry about meeting Carol and then dreamed about my home, sweet (old) home that night. It looked just the way I remember it - not the way it looks now. I'm still likin' the former white shingles and black shutters better!!

soul proprietor

2010-07-11T09:58:00.009-04:00

This morning I was looking through my favorite blogs and came upon a 45-minute podcast with Jane Pollak, a successful lifestyle entrepreneur who began her career as a young mother/art teacher who designed Ukrainian decorative eggs. 30 years later she has written a book, works with individual clients and has a successful speaking career.

Jane comes across as extremely centered, very positive and very happy with what she does.

Life is good for Jane.

Life is good for Francie, too, but Francie is happy to take some of Jane's words of wisdom and apply them to her own life/business:

"I create what I want in my business."

"Be passionate - do it with your whole heart."

"If you don't set your own goals, someone else will do it for you."

"If I'm happy doing what I'm doing - that's success."

I'm ordering Jane's book this morning!

bathing beauties

2010-07-06T14:29:00.004-04:00

If you're in the Northeast, you know that the current weather is almost unbearable....high 90's in both temp and humidity. Stiffling. Beyond uncomfortable. Treacherous.

I need to go for a swim. Think I will get the girls together and make a party of it.

Do you want to join us??

off the charts sparkle factor

2010-06-26T17:21:00.007-04:00

Toronto artist Lisa Ridout has just sent us a delicious shipment of new joolz that sparkle with Swarovski crystals and gleaming sterling silver. Known for her great sense of style and meticulous craftsmanship, Lisa takes handcrafted jewelry to its highest level. We just love her work and so do our customers.

This morning I worked to put her 14 new pieces into inventory, rearranged a few cases and opened the doors. Alice came in to work a few hours later and I encouraged her to wear one of Lisa's new pieces, the aqua Carlu pendant on an elegant sterling choker. It looked magnificent on Alice and she was just beaming.

In walked a new customer, accompanied by her daughter and two granddaughters. She said she was looking for something "pink." I showed her a number of pieces, including Lisa's Carlu pendant in pink. She then asked to try it with the choker Alice was wearing. The result was heaven and she took both pieces. Another perfect match. Alice had to look for another Lisa Ridout necklace to wear with the aqua pendant.

Lisa has also sent us the Carlu bracelet in aqua - a showstopper in its own right:

The sparkle factor is off the charts but not all of Lisa's pieces include crystals. Here is her charming Flower bracelet. We also have the matching pendant and earrings:

This is one talented lady. Each link is handmade by Lisa and then incorporated into outstanding designs. Come in and see them all for yourself. You won't be disappointed.

shake 'n bake

2010-06-23T18:32:00.006-04:00

University of Rochester seismograph tracing 6.23.10

Summer is only two days old, but it's been hot and muggy - usual August weather in June. And then this afternoon, at 1:45pm, the house started rocking from the 5.5 earthquake centered up near Ottawa. We had a good 45 seconds of movement.

Mother Nature is definitely trying out her new Shake 'n Bake recipe on the Finger Lakes area.

coming soon...

2010-06-18T20:20:00.006-04:00

Our trip to Jackson Hole last September continues to pay off for JOOLZ customers. You'll remember that we found popular JOOLZ artist Monica Jansen and her 60" long wrap necklaces in a gallery there.

We also found the work of Massachusetts artist Barbara Silverstein during a quick stop at the Amangani resort shop. I broke my own rule of never buying jewelry at retail prices and purchased a wonderful necklace of Barbara's that incorporates egg-shaped stones of smooth rutilated quartz and a single black lava rock. Stunning.

Now we have some of Barbara's work on order and it should be arriving soon. Here is her necklace of faux pearls encased in stainless steel knitted mesh, together with the matching earrings:

Another piece that will be coming in our first order is this simple yet breathtaking cable necklace and matching drop earrings. We'll have them in both white and grey "pearls":

Once again, updated classics hit a home run.

sugarland!

2010-06-14T09:34:00.010-04:00

Reports ahead of the Sugarland concert at CMAC, the open-air concert venue in Canandaigua, were that over 12,000 fans were expected and parking was going to be a nightmare. We arrived early, reading material in hand, found a good parking spot with no problem and waited it out. We found our seats about an hour before the concert and settled in. Then the two "ladies" in front of us arrived and settled in. Our concert experience was going to be different!

These two women were jazzed up and ready to party. They were chewin' their gum, drinkin' their beers and wigglin' their fannies. Their unbelievably tacky hats (which they were NOT going to remove) had rhinestone designs on the front that included blinking, battery-operated lights. The only time I could see anything on stage during the opening acts of Danny Gokey and Luke Bryan was when they left to go outside to smoke.

Danny and Luke got the crowd ready for the superstars and the show was on! We stood for the entire Sugarland concert and finally I could see something on stage. (It helps to have stadium seating and to be 5'9"). The set was great, Jennifer and Kristian were great and it was one fabulous concert:

The crowd loved it and so did we. And while I left my rhinestone-studded hat and chewin' gum at home, I admit that from beginning to end, my fanny was wigglin'.

family wedding

2010-06-07T21:45:00.004-04:00

Our family gathered in Westchester County this past weekend to celebrate our niece's wedding. Despite the overwhelming heat and humidity, we all had a great time. The bride was breathtakingly beautiful, the wedding was gorgeous and our kids looked pretty darn good, too. Here they are....all dressed up and ready to party:

Peter, Marnie and Katie

sneak peek

2010-06-03T16:25:00.003-04:00

Our new Time Warner ad is finished and will be launched in the Finger Lakes area during the week of June 21. Here is your very own sneak peek...

breakfast at the airport

2010-05-30T13:03:00.008-04:00

This morning we drove to the other side of the lake to have breakfast with our friends, Kathy and Bill. We love our trips to the Middlesex Valley Airport - a nice 30 minute drive, good food and often good entertainment, with planes flying in and out.

My husband was an instructor pilot in the Air Force and is familiar with many of the single engine planes that drop out of the sky, taxi on the grassy runway and park just inside the driveway fence. This cute little plane was built in 1946 and came out of the factory painted bright yellow, according to its pilot:

The pilots hop out and come inside for a hearty breakfast. There's outside seating, too, where the sunshine can be fierce on a day like today - but where there's an excellent view of the action.

Stomachs full, the flyboys return to the air and make room for the next plane coming in.

And those of us who never leave the ground are happy to sit back, relax with friends and enjoy another gorgeous day in the Finger Lakes.

joolz artist rocks american idol

2010-05-25T21:15:00.004-04:00

I admit it. I am an American Idol junkie. I love, love, love the show. Last season I was all about Adam Lambert and you may remember that my husband got tix to the AI tour for my Mother's Day present. Seeing Glambert perform in person really rocked my boat - it was a night I'll never forget.

This season - from the very beginning - I have been all about Crystal Bowersox. Her glorious, pure voice says something to me and I could listen to her for hours. She has a unique singing style and certainly a unique appearance. Imagine my surprise when I learned she wore earrings designed by Pittsford artist Nicole Yacano last week - feathers, gold, carnelian -- definitely Crystal.

Nicole has been a JOOLZ artist for over a year and her work always garners comments. Tonight in the finale Crystal again wore earrings designed by Nicole - turquoise, gold, feathers. I hope they brought her good luck - she deserves to win. Looks like Nicole already has!

lights...camera...action!

2010-05-21T13:54:00.007-04:00

Those of you who know me well know that I have had a long-time fear of public speaking. I mostly got over it when I had a volunteer job that required me to speak in front of audiences of 250+ women. So I thought when I decided to do a cable TV ad that I would be OK with the speaking part. Today we found out for sure that the public speaking devil is still riding on my shoulder.

In walked Sheri, my producer/director from Time Warner, who set up her equipment this morning, ready to film me, the store, the store's dog, Joolie, and last...but most importantly...the joolz. She rolled in a cart carrying the camera and tripod and then lugged in a huge aluminum case of lights. She was ready to work!

I, on the other hand, was getting more and more nervous by the minute. Sheri decided to do my part first. She fitted me with a lapel mic, turned on her high-intensity light and started the camera rolling. We did take after take, not because I flubbed the lines but because I needed to S.M.I.L.E. more. (It's darn hard to talk and grin at the same time). And I needed to look "right into the camera"... so I imagined George Clooney in there. You know that old adage - make love to the camera!

George and I weren't alone in the room, however. Tom, the Time Warner salesman, had also dropped by for the shoot, and my right-hand gal at the store, Suzanne, was there to keep me loose. Tom even brought me chocolates from Sweet Expressions. Bribes are great and much appreciated!

Folks were peering in through the window, trying to see what all the lights and cameras were for. I was trying hard to make this all look natural and like I made commercials all the time. Sheri was trying hard to keep me from checking myself into the Rochester Psych Center. Suzanne and Tom were trying hard not to laugh.

It was a good morning.

an issue of trust

2010-05-15T18:10:00.004-04:00

A gentleman came into the store the other day, looking for an anniversary gift. He told me that each year he and his wife celebrate the anniversary of their first date...and this year they would be celebrating their 50th. He also told me he had already given her an anniversary present - a shotgun! - so his budget was limited. I stifled my reaction to the gun info. We found a lovely necklace that he thought she would like, I wrapped it up for him and away he went.

I, meanwhile, kept thinking about the shotgun. That certainly says something about their relationship. No question in his mind that she might use the shotgun on him. Nope - theirs was a marriage of trust.

The next day they came into the shop together, she wearing the necklace, looking for the matching earrings. No gun in sight. The trust was still there. Happy Anniversary to them both!

thanks, mom

2010-05-09T09:51:00.008-04:00

My Mom has been gone a long time - she passed away in 1975 at the age of 55, after a 4-year fight (and I do mean fight) against breast cancer. She met my husband, one daughter-in-law and 2 of her 8 grandchildren. She would have loved to know the rest of her extended family. But her spirit lives on in her 3 children and their children, and now, in her one (so far) great-grandchild.

Mom always put family first and was a good and loyal friend to her many friends. She devoted a large part of her time to volunteer work, making Rochester a better place to live, for all its residents. She loved to travel, she loved music and art and she definitely inherited the "jewelry gene" from her mother and grandmother.

I, too, love to travel, love music and art and have inherited the "jewelry gene" from her. It's truly due to her that JOOLZ exists today, so thanks, Mom - for everything you did for me on earth and for everything you're doing for me from Heaven. I love you.

water...water...everywhere

2010-05-07T08:38:00.008-04:00

Cape Cod

The design artistry of Oregon artist Jane Barthelemy is evident in her new Bauble Pendant creations. We received 3 of these sparkling glass bead pendants in our latest order from Portland, and already one has been sold. We love the fast turnaround, but at the same time, the pendants are so gorgeous, we'd like to look at them a little longer!

H2O

Sparkling blues and greens evoke the oceans and lakes that we all love so much. There's water...water...everywhere...

Underwater

new in town

2010-05-02T13:44:00.004-04:00

We have a whole new vista in our new location on Main Street, and one store we see across the street is F. Oliver's. Every day something new is happening to the exterior of the store and we've heard wonderful reports about their fresh olive oils and balsamic vinegars. We've been sending our customers over there and they, in return, have been sending their customers to us. But neither I nor Penelope, the owner of F. Oliver's, have visited the other's store.

I fixed that today when I stopped in on my way to JOOLZ to do some bookwork. There was a guy painting the front step a wonderful, rustic red and I asked if he was the landlord. Nope - he was the hard-working husband of the owner. Since he had painted himself out of the front door, he took me around the back and introduced me to Penelope. What a delightful, energetic woman....and with such vision.

The interior of the store features an old brick wall, wide-plank hardwood floors, and schoolhouse lights hanging from the gorgeous tin ceiling, together with painted walls of mustard yellow and an earthy green. Gleaming stainless steel containers, called fustis and made in Italy, are displayed on great looking tables and counters. Even the sunflowers in the windows bring a little bit of Italy to the shop. The overall ambiance is fresh, clean, cheerful and welcoming. Next time, when I'm not rushing off to do work (when will that be??), I'll take time to learn more about Penelope's oils and vinegars and do a tasting.

From the classy black awning featuring their logo, to the newly painted front step, Penelope and Eric have pooled their talents to make F. Oliver's a visual show-stopper on Main Street. You owe it to yourself to check it out....inside and out.

wine walk this saturday

2010-04-29T20:55:00.005-04:00

Canandaigua's Main Street will be hoppin' on Saturday evening and you should be part of the crowd. Our monthly Wine Walks have taken off like a jet-propelled rocket - almost 200 attendees in March and over 400 in April. We have wide sidewalks in Canandaigua, but the April crowd filled them to overflowing.

This Saturday, May 1, JOOLZ will be hosting Billsboro Winery from Seneca Lake, just south of Geneva. Stop in between 4 and 7pm to check out our new store and taste some delicious, award-winning Finger Lakes wine. We'll be ready for you!

new from sara silvio

2010-04-25T22:54:00.006-04:00

Lots of artists work in gold and silver. Copper, not so much. Rochester artist Sara Silvio takes vintage glass and combines it with copper wire, oxidized rings, niobium ear wires and tiny seed beads to create a look uniquely hers. Come in and see our wonderful selection of Sara's latest styles.

first mow

2010-04-12T22:01:00.003-04:00

Love the smell of newly cut grass after the first mow of the season - earliest one ever.