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!

whats new?

New York is starting to heat up for summer, although you'd never know it from the weather. It's been so rainy we all feel moldy! I've been spending as much time outside as I can, getting some exercise and taking long walks with my pups all over manhattan. It is one way for me to get some inspiration- New York is full of tourists and you want to see what they are wearing. It's funny, in the past you could tell who the tourists were by the fact that they were so well dressed, in smart, modern european fashions.

These days, the guidebooks must be telling potential tourists that baggy pants and t-shirts are just fine. Maybe on the weekends, or at the Bronx Zoo, but midtown Manhattan is full of business people who, for the most part are a pretty fashionable bunch.

I just love meeting people visiting the city, so many come to my jewelry counter at Henri Bendel, we get some time to chat and I can show off my newest designs. I've met a few brides-to-be, thanks to the great press from Brides Magazine, The Knot and Modern Bride; my jewelry is featured in the issues on the newsstands today. Brides today want something 'super special' for themselves and their bridal party, and I've just started selling the grand super nova earring that really fits the bill.

It's an elaborate earring made with a micropave treatment of the swarovski crystals on the cage of the earring and it is stunning. These tiny swarovski crystals are so beautiful and sparkly, and micropave is a technique that you won't find from many designers, it is quite hard to make. The larger stones are inspired by the current trends in wedding and engagement rings, these are the most popular cuts and shapes out there today.

So, whatever ring the bride might be wearing, these earrings will complement it for sure. There are also some fun new items now available, the lucky 7 bangles is the perfect summer bracelet and comes as a set of 7 to give you the look that is so hot these days. We made it with many colors of stones so it's impossible not to find one you'll just love.

If you want to see some really outlandish beads and stones, be sure to head over to Coney Island. Today is the annual Mermaid Parade, it's sort of our answer to Mardi Gras. You won't believe the costumes, and the crowd goes wild when they see so many people dressed up as exotic sea creatures. There are lots of floats too, as it is undeniably hard to walk when you have fins where your legs would normally be! Check out this only in New York event, today at Coney Island, Harvey Keitel is the parade king this year. We hope to be out there with our cameras, see you there! Ciao.