dinner,drink and a deal?

It is so hard to believe that the year is almost over...times does fly by when you are having fun!
In fashion we work so far in advance that I sometimes forget what month or season it is.
Fall 2014 is already in the works; picking colors, deciding on sizes and shapes.

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving a day of gratitude and instead of sitting down to cozy traditional family dinners many people are going shopping and making mad dashes for deals. Seriously are you really going to miss out? Instead of going to the mall, I have a suggestion, have dinner with your family and when that last dish is washed pour
yourself a glass of wine and shop on line RobertaChiarella.comhttp://www.robertachiarella.com/store/item.php?sku=st207. 

You will receive a free gift with every order; a gorgeous necklace and earring set. It is a sneak preview of the Pantone Color of 2014 - Dazzling Blue! Be the first to know it, show it off and shout out big fashion news.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving...gobble, gobble!

 

giving thanks on thanksgiving (it's not just a harvest meal)

That's what they called it, a harvest meal, enjoyed by the pilgrims after all the crops were in. To celebrate the completion of the harvest, the new england colonists went hunting with the indians and put together a real feast. In 1621, the year of the "first thanksgiving",the american colonists were celebrating the bountiful crops they had produced that year. Back then, it was easier to gauge the economy than it is now - if your crops failed it was a recession. You had to go borrow from the indians, and promise to pay when the next ships came over from europe. If you're curious, look up Edward Winslow's journal on the first thanksgiving.

One thing I love about thanksgiving is it is a holiday everybody celebrates. It became a national holiday during the civil war. Abraham Lincoln was looking for ways to unite the nation, and in 1863 he gave his Thanksgiving proclamation which declared the last Thursday in November a day of thanksgiving. Later, president Roosevelt wanted to lengthen the Christmas shopping season so he moved it up a couple of weeks. Finally, in 1941 congress decreed that Thanksgiving should fall on the fourth Thursday of November, where it remains till today. So, we have to give thanks to the congress of 1941 for defining the christmas shopping season. Of course, this year everyone will be watching to see how the shopping goes, hoping for some signs that things aren't as bad as we are hearing.

Besides the economy being as lousy as it is, there are still things I am thankful for. I'm healthy, and so is my family. Our dogs tails are all wagging, little chicklet sent the grim reaper packing and is back to her usual happy state. We're moving the jewelry studio down the hall of my apartment building to new quarters. And, I'm not cooking a thing for this holiday!!

My cousin Diane is doing the honors and having us out to her new home in New Jersey. Uncle Ernie and Aunt Frances will be there, in her role as chef emeritus, making sure we have lots (and lots and lots) of good things to eat. There will be cakes and pies and some wine, and of course, football. In our family, we love to celebrate thanksgiving ! Hopefully Donna will bake, and we'll get to enjoy each others company and have a good time after catching the parade. We'll hang out with Carly, Jason and Michael, and their dog Coco.

Being the start of the holiday shopping season, the stores have unveiled their elaborate display windows. Take a walk down fifth avenue you will be amazed by Lord & Taylor's windows, this year the theme is my favorite holiday traditions, with a show that you won't find at disney world! In Manhattan, tourists are everywhere, taking in the sights and crowding into the stores. People are decorating, and beginning to feel the holiday spirit.

So, even if all you are thankful for is two days off, it is a nice time of the year. Give thanks for the for the special people in your life, for your family or anything that makes you happy. And if you can work in some shopping, retail therapy is a good thing.

American made jewelry (hint, hint) keeps more of our money here in the USA. Money spent on American Made products brings our workers more work to do and helps fight the deficit. I want to thank my friends at Swarovski for making me part of their crystallized elements affairs, they were so elegant. I thank my friends and hosts at HSN for some great shows, and hope I get to thank them some more when they realize that my customers, mostly working women, are only available to buy my line when they are home from work.

I'm thankful for the health and happiness of the pups, Lulu and Boomer (and thankful for the dog walker who gives them a chance to stroll around the city). I am thankful for my husband Brian, my brother and his partner Thomas. They've all been a great help with the business and getting this blog up and running.

I thank my wonderful associate, Liz, and Jose Luis, who help me keep the place hopping, take orders, charm customers into gift sets and handle returns or repairs with a smile. It's good to have so many things to be thankful for. If you're in the city, come and meet us at our holiday sale next week December 2nd and 3rd at the affinia hotel, 155 East 50th Street, in midtown manhattan. Ciao.