a beautiful day in new york, time to leave !

Well, we've finally had some decent weather here in the big apple. I can't say it is actually summer, as the evening temperatures are cool enough to require a jacket, and we have not used the air-conditioning much, but it is sunny and bright, after a month of cold, dreary rain. The 4th of July was perfect; a family barbecue, strolling along the water with the dogs at sunset, and having time to relax.

Of course, we spent some time looking at some new jewelry design samples that have come in from the factory, and I think we are going to have some hot new items on sale soon.

Generally, I design the pieces by drawing the basic look on paper, and we can make some mock-ups in the studio to get a feel for the pieces. Then, the factory will make prototypes and we will make modifications, pick the perfect color stones and fine-tune the pieces. Sometimes, we'll show the designs with beauty editors or some friends in the fashion industry, to get some feedback.

I had some great prototypes to show off at the barbecue, if our family's positive feedback means anything, there will be some knock-outs available in the upcoming season.

One hot trend this summer is the earring and necklace set, we featured this on the website and the sales are brisk. Women love light and simple pieces for summertime, and when the colors are bright and the price is really affordable, you might buy two or three at a time. Another hot seller is the grand super nova, it shows off beautifully when you are wearing just the right top.

And, if you want to see our newest collection for HSN, be sure to tune in July 14th at 2:00 eastern time. It's my "first anniversary on HSN" appearance, we've got a whole hour and I am really proud of the collection I am going to show on the network.

Bill Green will be the host, and he knows a thing or two about jewelry. I've never worked with him before, so it should be a fun experience.

To get ready, I went shopping for some clothes and accessories, and took a walk around the city to enjoy the weather. I love walking around manhattan, there is so much going on every minute of the day.

While walking down 42nd street, we felt a bit warm in the sun, so we ducked into the lobby of the Daily News building. Superman fans know this is really the Daily Planet, and as you can see, the place is still in it's 1930's glory. Across the street is the Ford Foundation, which has the largest indoor garden you'll ever see. It is truly amazing this place is in midtown manhattan, and it is both free and open to the public. When you are in the city, it is a must-see.

So, I'm off to Florida to get ready for HSN, they are the nicest people to work with and the trip is always fun, although TV appearances are not nearly as easy as they look. But try to see for yourself, we have some jewelry on this show that I made exclusively for HSN, and you will love it. The show is Tuesday July 14th at 2:00 PM. Ciao!