to blog or not to blog ?

If you know me-you will know that i am not a women of many words-i am a women in love with images.

I can never explain anything without drawing it first-it is my communication.

I want to blog but i need to do it my way and i hope you will all agree- 

a picture is worth a thousand words.

with that said-here i go.....

Fifth Avenue NYC- my first job at Estee Lauder was in the tallest building

Everyone Loves Arm Candy

Everyone loves arm candy, it's easy and fun to pile it all on; real and faux! There are no rules, there is no rhyme or reason; it's what you think looks great together.  It is a fantastic and creative way to mix your favorite precious jewelry with your fun, trendy jewels.

We heart Kim, she LOVES the stack em bracelet - she piles it on everyday!

http://www.robertachiarella.com/store/item.php?sku=rc816

http://www.eatsleepwear.com/2014/01/06/sequin-stems/

New York City – A Winter Wonderland

Today's New York City might not be your typical Norman Rockwell winter scene but it is just as special and magical. Many traditions are held close to our hearts; Rockefeller Center & the Christmas Tree, elaborate decorated windows, the Swarovski Crystal Star, the smell of nuts roasting on the streets and of course Radio City Music Hall Christmas Spectacular.

This year snow has already covered the streets on a few occasions (as I am writing this the snow is falling – so pretty and cold!) so we think and are hoping that we might have a white Christmas. We all know there is nothing like a white Christmas no matter where you live and what your traditions are.

All of us native New Yorkers at Roberta Chiarella wish you a warm, cozy, happy and healthy Holiday and New Year!

Someone to watch over me

Atlas is a bronze statue in front of Rockeller Center in New York City on Fifth Avenue.
The sculpture depicts the Ancient Greek Titan Atlas holding the heavens. It was created by sculptor Lee Lawrie with the help of Rene Paul Chambellan and it was installed in 1937.
Atlas is in the Art Deco style of Rockefeller Center.
The entire statue is 45 feet tall, as high as a four-story building. It weighs seven tons,and is the largest sculpture at Rockefeller Center.


I worked in Rockeller Center in" Atlas's" building, and my office was directly
across from Atlas -we were eye to eye.
I stared at him all day and from the corner of his eye he stared back -
i  felt protected by him.
To get through the doors to my office you had to pass by Atlas and even though he was made of bronze and did not move he made me feel like no one could harm me.

It has been awhile since i worked there but i always go back and visit to say hello.

Independence Day, 2012--- Happy 4th of July!

 

The Declaration of Independence

For all the words, click here!

Have a great holiday! Ciao, Roberta.

I love Sue Simmons!

So, what makes New York "New York"? Is it the Empire State Building, Central Park, or the Statue of Liberty? Maybe. In my mind one of the things that has defined gotham's "personality" is Sue Simmons.

You know Sue, the groundhog wannabe, smart, funny and unpredictable. How could anyone be so good at what she does that I plan my day so I can spend some time with Sue each night at 11?

Native New Yorker!

It's not just me, countless New Yorkers felt the same way for over 30 years, through how many hair styles and outfits, watching whatever the headlines may be, but really just spending a good half hour with a friend. Well, those days are over now, WNBC decided to thin the ranks of beloved newscasters and so Sue is gone.  Last Friday was her last day, there were some compilations of what NBC thought were her highlights and there was a going away party at the Sea Grill. Thankfully some of Sue Simmons best (for me) moments are preserved around the internet- her 'falling off the chair' segment, her wildlife impersonations that were an annual treat on groundhog day and some other clips (you know which ones!) that made Sue the one to watch on TV.

I was worried last year when Sue had to take some time off for surgery and was so happy to see Chuck went to visit. We got to see Sue's apartment! How great was that!  Over the years, thanks to well-timed visits with Janice Huff I have seen Sue in her element and always felt inspired. How many women make it to the top of their profession, in New York, at the flagship station, for years and years? Watching Sue charm and educate New Yorkers of all ages makes me proud, New York women have got what it takes!

New York is not like anyplace else, it's not. I've sampled the evening news in countless cities and it is often hard to tell what city you are in because the newscasts are more or less the same. Fires, floods, scandals, weather and sports, in that order. We have those things here too, but Chuck and Sue made it interesting, classy and fun! It has been fun spending evenings with Sue (and Chuck and Janice) for so many years, we got the kind of news that only a New Yorker could give us and I am truly sad the party's over.


Thank you Sue Simmons, I had a great time. See you around!
Ciao,
Roberta

Sue Simmons

It's Mad Men time!

OK, after a loooooong delay Mad Men is back on the air. The Chiarella's have a special place in their hearts for this show as it feels like 'we were there'. I am reposting this from a while back in part because I love these old photos of my father. Enjoy!

Mad Men has started, and it's hard not to watch this show. You know, I knew 'Don Draper', or perhaps his real life body double! Our Don had a different name, though but it feels exactly the same. Dad lived a very similar life, his agency was actually right on Madison Avenue, and his clients were a lot like these characters.
We knew a lot of these 'mad men', they came for dinner parties in our Bayside home. For each party, I put on a great outfit and went in to greet the guests, then my brother and I would watch from the top of the stairs. When he was older, he tended bar, whipping up rye and gingers, bourbon old fashions and mai-tai's. The refrigerator was full of maraschino cherries and tom collins mixer!

Mom at a party (that's NOT dad)

The madison avenue husbands and wives really looked like the cast, we wouldn't notice anything funny if they'd been transported back in time and dropped into our house at one of moms dinner parties! Well, the pics below don't have the drama that comes with the real 'Don Draper', I think they are from a sales meeting my dad went to in 1964. The look is right, it's so cool. See where I get it from? Ciao!

Caption: Joe Chiarella, from Ad Graphics clarifies advertising policy. With a beer in his hand, at lunch. Seems perfectly fine, if you really want to know!








Caption: "Tell me another one". This looks like a meeting i'd
go to anytime!


The storyboard begins here....



"Joe swapping stories with Doug Blow and
Jack Ware." Dad was pretty cool, and a great
artist as well.



We still have drawers full of Dixon Ticonderoga pencils, the only pencils we ever had. No other brand would do, 'cause it was his account!

Style on 5th Avenue

When i started my collection, my GOAL as a designer was to sell jewelry at what i believe to be the best accessory store in the world, Henri Bendel on 5th Avenue. Well, to make a long story very short, my line is celebrating it's 20 year anniversary!!!!!!  I am proud to say i met my goal.

Henri Bendel is a magical place-accessories only, from floor to floor. It is amazing-fresh bright colors,sparkles and trends everywhere!!!!!!!

This year, my collection has the privilege to be working  with a fresh new talent in merchandising, Alexa.

She has made our colorful and sparkling world even more beautiful. Alexa spent some time there today and sent us some pics i want to share.

If you are in NYC-check out Henri Bendel at 56th Street and 5th Avenue. Shop the collection and see Alexa's great merchandising in person. btw-  i am always there too so i hope to meet you!

Ciao- Roberta

ps-next week - guest bloggers -it's a secret

Paper Beads- Green (and beautiful!)

I have been working with the men and women in the Philippines who make quality paper beads from old magazines and catalogs. I love the paper pinwheels they produce which I now offer as earrings. I am so impressed with the workmanship. They are not just beautiful and durable, but are also made in a clean and safe environment.

Paper Pinwheel Earrings

Paper bead making has become popular in poorer countries because they have readily available materials; glue and paper. The tools used can be anything from hand made dowel to metal wire. The raw materials are magazines, newspapers, catalogs or any kind of paper that's "old news." Just take a look at the earrings. You can actually see a newspaper here, a magazine there, all woven together. 

The Paper Pinwheel Earrings are in stock and ready to ship. $28 for the single pinwheel and $38 for the double.

Making paper pinwheels and beads is a real art, and in places like the Philippines where employment is scarce, 
it's a talent that provides them income. I buy the their pinwheels and finish them here in NEW YORK CITY, with 22kt. gold and platinum plated wires. They are so cool, i thought you would like them too. Big and dangly, light and bright, they are really fun to wear. I'm truly thrilled to offer these earrings. It is not every day you can wear something that looks good and helps people. Ciao!

We're in People StyleWatch!

Just look at this! You know it's a jewelry designers job to be out there predicting trends, right? We've got to see what's hot, walk around New York City and check out what people are wearing and visit those little boutiques that have the coolest new stuff. Then I draw, and take my ideas of what you are going to like next and send the drawings off to the factory.

Linear Crystal Earrings


After that the jewelry is delivered and we hold our breath, cross our fingers, light candles and rub Chicklet's belly for good luck, hoping people really do think we've got a great new item. One super-accurate way to know if you got it right is when a magazine editor picks up your newest design and features it. It's an amazingly fantastic sign of 'you hit the nail on the head' when that magazine is People StyleWatch. If they don't know what is in style today, nobody does!

So, take a look at this. The linear crystal earrings, part of Selena Gomez' 'cover look' ensemble in People StyleWatch are here! We've got them in stock and ready to ship to you. We love Selena, she favors dangl-y earrings and seems to really like platinum. Her hair is perfect and the color is a perfect backdrop for the linear crystal earrings. And her mother is Italian!

You should get a copy of StyleWatch while you can and look at the great pics. Browse over to robertachiarella.com and look at our earrings, many are super-affordable with our winter sale still going strong. It's going to snow this weekend here in New York so I've gone to the newstand so I can catch up on my reading while we stay indoors by the fire. We'll make some popcorn and watch the Grammy Awards on Sunday, there's never a Red Carpet I don't love to watch. Ciao! 

VIRGINIA, your little friends are wrong.



It's New York, we don't all have chimneys!

Here's a piece that is one of my favorites, I am re-posting it from a couple of years ago. Leave your skepticism at the door and enjoy!

From the New York Sun, Sept. 21, 1897

DEAR EDITOR: I am 8 years old.

Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus. Papa says, 'If you see it in THE SUN, it's so.' Please tell me the truth; is there a Santa Claus?

VIRGINIA O'HANLON

115 West 95th Street

New York City

VIRGINIA, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except [what] they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men's or children's, are little. In this great universe of ours man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect, as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.

Yes, VIRGINIA, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus.

It would be as dreary as if there were no VIRGINIAS. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.



Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies! You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas Eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if they did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that's no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.

My brother Joe says Santa has a Corvair!



You may tear apart the baby's rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived, could tear apart. Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, VIRGINIA, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding.





No Santa Claus! ! Thank God! he lives, and he lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.

I rediscovered this famous letter when it was read by Marty Keating at his fabulous holiday party held in New York City this week. It comes from Newsman Francis Pharcellus Church, who wrote The Sun's response to Virginia in 1897. The New York Sun ceased publication in the fall of 2008, but lives on thanks to the internet.

Merry Christmas from all of us at Roberta Chiarella Jewelry!





Just back from the North Pole, Chicklet checked in on Santa!



Comin' down a chimney near you

It's almost time! Robertacharella.com has broken records with our 'embrace' collection and we're just thrilled. So many people ordered some items they literally sold out. But fear not, one of our best sellers, the chunky necklace, is available and ready to ship. You've got just a couple of days, we will rush out our orders on Monday 12/19 to get it to you before Christmas. After that, well, in a pinch I've wrapped up a photo of the item and given it when the actual gift is late so I'll leave it to your imagination.



The Swarovski Star at Rockefeller Center NYC



But you've probably gotten cousin Diane and her beautiful daughter Carly their gifts, the presents for your friends Linda and Binty are already in the mail to their homes. So treat yourself to something while it's on sale! In the winter you have so many opportunities to wear great earrings and necklaces, think bold when it comes to jewelry.



Get some sparkly big jewelry to go with this sweater!



If you've got a reindeer sweater to wear (thanks, aunt Elsie) get something colorful and sparkly to draw attention to your jewelry! Nobody will notice a tiny delicate earring, so get something fantastic like the 'larger paisley' or angie earring. You don't want a little necklace to hide under your scarves, your winter fashion jewelry ought to be big to be seen, so take a look at a statement necklace. You can wear the Brava Bib necklace with a red blouse and look festive and fantastic!



Chunky Necklace featured in InStyle!



When you gather with family, antique and estate jewelry always looks great, especially when Aunt Lorraine will be wearing a bracelet she bought in 1955 that looks amazing. What you can do is pick up our Moonstone Earrings, these beauties are made from stones I found in the basement of our jewelry factory which has been in the same family for generations. These beautiful stones were probably purchased in 1950 and there weren't a lot of them so I took them all. When these sell out that's it so get a pair today. 

New York City Christmastime

When you're done shopping take a deep breath and relax. Soon it'll be Christmas and hopefully you've been invited to spend some time with family and friends. It's been a long year and finally we get to enjoy a couple of quiet weeks and holidays. May you and yours enjoy good health, peace and prosperity in the coming year, thank you all for your support. Ciao!

New York City Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving!

Today is the day after thanksgiving and one of the biggest shopping days of the year. From my window on the upper east side of Manhattan I can see people on their way to fifth avenue, dressed in casual "I'm ready to buy anything" outfits, no coats needed on this beautiful fall day. There are also people already on their way home, shopping bags and boxes on their arms.

For us, orders are coming in like crazy, I guess lots of people are shopping from the comfort of their homes, buying online and having it shipped to them. Hey, just saving sales tax (sorry, NY customers) makes it worth it for most of us. Today we've gotten 4 orders for the Chunky Necklace, featured in InStyle this month! We've got different colors and this necklace is so beautiful (and not too heavy) it is a must have this season.

New York City is getting ready for Christmas, er, the holiday season. Rockefeller Center has put up lots of decorations and the trees are full of new high-tech LED lights. The toy soldiers are one of my all-time favorites and they're everywhere around the ice-skating rink.

Last night my husband Brian and I had dinner with NYC's favorite meteorologist, Janice Huff, and her husband. The WNBC-TV studios are high above the Rockefeller Center plaza (right near Saturday Night Live's studio) and we all met up between newscasts. As they say, a great time was had by all. Have a wonderful weekend and happy shopping. Ciao!

Baby it's COLD outside (good thing!)



Perfect for fall

Snow! In October! In Central Park! Oh, I never knew global warming was going to be like this, we've barely had time for fall and all it's fun.

New York City is the place to be in fall, tourists love the fact that the weather is (usually) beautiful and the museums, theatres and cultural institutions roll out their new productions this time of year. And so do we, check out our Superstar earrings which are featured in Glamour magazine. We looked around the studio and realized how many of these we had in stock and decided to have a sale! Yes, for a short time the price is reduced to $74- no it is not a halloween trick- buy two and get free shipping!



Want more? Our super fall sale is going on and we've added some really great items to intice you. How about the semi-precious waterfall earrings, or the Bright Betty Girl earrings (perfect this time of year!) and the antique enamel cuff bracelet- all on sale at the lowest prices they have ever been listed for. Shopping for the holidays (already?) is no problem because our gift wrap is here and shipping is fast.



Swing Dancer Earrings $48!

Right now in New York the sun is shining on the icy rooftops and there are icicles on the window sill right in front of my desk, making it feel like february. I've got a nice cup of coffee and am reading some emails and orders that have come in for jewelry. It seems that many of us were stuck indoors thanks to this freak storm, or hadn't even gotten the winter coat and boots out yet so stayed home! That means shopping online and taking advantage of our great features and sales. Thank you, mother nature. Ciao!