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Posts Tagged ‘birthstone’

On Sale at Mother’s Day

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , on May 2, 2024| Leave a Comment »

All sterling silver birthstone rings are 20% off with code RING20 at Luna & Stella this year.

I always like to tell new readers how I got the title for this eclectic blog. My daughter’s birthstone and vintage locket company, Luna & Stella, offered to host a blog that didn’t need to be only about jewelry. Suzanne said I could write about anything that interested me, and as you have probably figured out, a lot of things interest me. So in May 2011, I was off to the races! Today I can boast 13 years of daily posting — and many fascinating blogging friends.

Occasionally, I do like to point out that Luna & Stella is an awesome place to buy jewelry and that there are often sales in May, in the lead-up to Mother’s Day. This year, Mother’s Day is May 12.

You have been thinking about what to get a certain person for Mother’s Day, haven’t you? This would be a good time to look at the sterling silver birthstone rings at Luna & Stella because they are 20% off with the code RING20. Order by Monday, May 6, with standard shipping, or Wednesday, May 8, with 2-day shipping.

And if the mother in your world prefers earrings, necklaces, vintage lockets, etc., take a look at the many other beautiful things at the Luna & Stella site. Tell your friends.

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Luna & Stella Jewelry Sale

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , on November 25, 2023| Leave a Comment »

Photo: Luna & Stella.

This is your Small Business Saturday reminder that Suzanne’s jewelry company, which hosts this blog, has a 20%-off sale until late Sunday Eastern Standard Time.

Suzanne writes, “Our only sitewide sale of the year is now open to all! Save 20% on everything on the website with code SHOPSMALL23, including all our antique lockets, vintage charms, victorian chains, modern necklaces, birthstone rings, and even our archive sale. 

“Thank you for shopping small, with us and in your communities.  It really makes a difference!”

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Mother’s Day by Luna & Stella

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , on May 3, 2023| 4 Comments »

Photo: Luna & Stella.
Birthstones of family members can be extra meaningful on Mother’s Day. For fun, read here about traditional associations with your own birthstone.

Newer visitors to this site don’t know that my eclectic blog is hosted by my daughter’s jewelry company, Luna & Stella. Suzanne gave me carte blanche to write about whatever was of interest to me, and I’ve been grateful for every day of the 12 years I’ve been writing here — through all the adjustments to aggravating WordPress “improvements.”

Although I tend to wander off in all directions, every once in a while, I get the urge to tell the world about Suzanne’s lovely products, especially at Mother’s Day, May 14th this year.

The necklace above is the kind you can customize with different charms using the birthstones of the mother’s family. I got one from Luna & Stella’s online shop years ago. It has birthstones for February, March, April, May, July, and December — my husband, my children, my grandchildren.

Today, Suzanne also offers an array of vintage lockets — all one of a kind. Look at three she just got in.

Luna & Stella will ship pretty much anywhere in the world.

PS. I need to show you a painting I saw recently. It reminds me of Suzanne at about six months old, reaching for the turntable on the days I tried bringing her along to my radio show. (Just a community station. Nothing big.)

Art: Karen Winslow, Self-Portrait with Daughter Annie, 1988. Working with a baby on a hip. Ah, yes indeed!

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My Luna & Stella Locket

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , on April 29, 2022| 6 Comments »

Vintage locket from Luna & Stella.

Mother’s Day is always a big day for Suzanne’s company, Luna & Stella. That’s because her lockets and birthstone jewelry are the kind of gifts that have extra meaning behind them.

My own locket is above. Luna & Stella studio manager Maddie sized a photo I gave her and placed it inside — a picture of my two kids, John and Suzanne. I also have a Luna & Stella necklace with the birthstones of my husband, children, and grandchildren (below).

Because Suzanne was kind enough to give me a blog attached to her company, I feel moved to tell people about her special jewelry instead of just going off on whatever else catches my attention. After all, the jewelry is amazing.

Suzanne and Erik told me when they first put up the website that they wanted a blog. And they said I could write about anything that interested me. So it was off to the races, and I have put up a new post every day for nearly 11 years now!

The beautiful photo at the bottom features Suzanne’s one-of-a-kind locket offerings in time for Mother’s Day 2022. Check out many other options at the Luna & Stella website, here.

Sending appreciation to blog readers who have found something unique at the site for themselves or family members over the years.

Luna & Stella birthstone jewelry reminds me of family members.

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Suzanne’s Big Sale

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , on November 24, 2021| 6 Comments »

For friends old and new, here’s a bonus post just to remind you that this blog is hosted by my daughter‘s vintage and contemporary jewelry company, Luna & Stella.

And that she has a sale going on right now!

Please check out Suzanne’s Shop Small Sale. Everything in the Shop Small collection is 15% off through Monday, November 29, 2021: see https://www.lunaandstella.com/collections/shop-small-sale.

In addition, there are lots of good deals in the Luna & Stella Archive Sale: https://www.lunaandstella.com/collections/archive-sale. Find gold and silver lockets, charms, and contemporary birthstone jewelry for every taste. I think the chains are pretty special, too — hard to find.

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Mother’s Day Is May 9

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , on April 27, 2021| 14 Comments »

Photos: Luna & Stella.
“Who’s Your Moon & Stars?” birthstone jewelry and antique lockets can reach you by Mother’s Day.

New followers may be unaware that this blog exists because one day 10 years ago Suzanne, the founder of the jewelry company Luna & Stella, asked me to write a blog she could link to because her website didn’t have any other blog yet. She told me to write about whatever interested me (which explains why Suzanne’s Mom’s Blog is so eclectic).

A lot of random things interest me, but as Laurie and Brenda and others among you know, I do write about jewelry as well as bighorn sheep and mushrooms. I especially like to let everyone know what’s available at Luna & Stella for a special occasion like Mother’s Day.

The options range from birthstone necklaces, earrings, and rings to exquisite vintage lockets that Suzanne has continued to source right through the pandemic. She has a curator’s eye, though it’s her mother who tells you.

The pictures here feature just a few of the newest acquisitions. The antique lockets have invisible hinges, which is how Suzanne expanded from contemporary birthstone jewelry into antique and vintage in the first place. A light bulb went off, you see, after she had searched for more than a year to find a modern manufacturer who could make an invisible hinge for a new locket she had in mind.

Of course! Why not sell lockets that already had invisible hinges? Suzanne loved vintage, and it turned out vintage was “in.” Vogue even featured one of Suzanne’s finds on a model in one of the magazine’s fashion spreads.

Suzanne says, “If you are ordering with USPS, please place your order by this Friday, April 30.  We also offer 2-day shipping with UPS and FedEx (worldwide!). Order by Wednesday, May 5, for Mother’s Day.” 

Newly acquired antique lockets are ready to start making new memories, new traditions.

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Friends with Unknown Interests

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , on December 17, 2018| 4 Comments »

When you want to bring a small token of your esteem to a party and you are not sure of people’s interests, you can start by making a list of things pretty much everyone likes.

Candy, flowers, wine, specialty coffee, exotic tea, unusual soaps, fancy olive oils, and candles. If it’s a Christmas party, maybe Christmas cookies, a tree ornament, or holiday napkins would be good. I know you’d rather not see your present regifted all around town, but be sure you’d like it for yourself in case it comes back to you.

Next: How about finding a gift that serves a second important purpose? My first thought was to get something at a retail shop in town whose business has been hurt by a chain that just moved in. But I was also thinking about buying from a nonprofit that helps the needy. Then by chance I ran into a charity representative on the street and was delighted with the soaps pictured above. I hope my friends like and use these soaps, but if they regift them, I’m fine with having them land back at my house. I hardly ever entertain, though, so seeing them again is unlikely.

Meanwhile, if you want a really special gift for someone you adore, you’ll check out Luna & Stella — the business this blog is connected to — because Suzanne sells meaningful contemporary birthstone jewelry and amazing vintage lockets. Of course, each locket is one of a kind. (Men can wear lockets, too, you know.) If you want your locket delivered by Christmas with your digital photos sized and placed, then December 17, 2018, is your deadline. That’s today! (Click now.)

For other occasions, such as birthdays, weddings, and Valentine’s Day, you have more time, so what would it hurt just to take a look?

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Mother’s Day in One Week

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , on May 6, 2018| Leave a Comment »

 

 

 

Mother’s Day is a week from today. Be sure to check out Suzanne’s antique lockets and contemporary birthstone jewelry at Luna & Stella.

 

 

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Jewelry for Mother’s Day

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , on May 7, 2017| 2 Comments »

I want to share a few more examples of Luna & Stella jewelry and let you know that Suzanne is offering free shipping for everything in stock if you order today.

After today, you can still get a gift to your mother in time for Mother’s Day if you order by Thursday, May 11, 2017, and use FedEx Overnight delivery.

Check out these beautiful pieces. Think about mixing modern and antique stacking birthstone rings for a uniquely personalized gift. The mother and daughter necklaces are another great Mother’s Day idea: for example, the smaller and larger suns below.

And do remember to sign up for Luna & Stella’s antique locket giveaway by tomorrow, May 8. My fingers are crossed for a blog reader to win.

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Enter Locket Giveaway by Monday

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , on May 4, 2017| Leave a Comment »

Dear Readers, this is just a reminder that I’m Suzanne’s Mom (John’s Mom, too), and Suzanne is the founder of the contemporary birthstone-jewelry company Luna & Stella, which hosts this blog.

Mother’s Day is a big season for Suzanne, and you will be seeing her moon and stars charms and her antique lockets in magazines such as Marie Claire and on websites such as CoolMomPicks.com.

Suzanne is also giving away one of her beautiful antique lockets. Here are the rules for entering the drawing, as seen on instagram @lunaandstella:

We are giving away this sweet hand-engraved floral antique locket for Mother’s Day. 🌸
To enter
1. Follow @lunaandstella on Instagram or Facebook
2. Tag 2 friends
3. Tell us in the comments portion of this instagram post whose photos you’d put inside
Giveaway ends Monday May 8 at 3 pm EST.

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I have to say, I’d be thrilled if the winner turned out to be a reader of Suzanne’s Mom’s Blog. Do consider entering the Luna & Stella drawing on Facebook or instagram.

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Luna & Stella in the News

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on April 7, 2016| 2 Comments »

Imagine how chuffed I was to see this article about Suzanne by Charmaine Gahan!

A close friend since kindergarten, Charmaine has been a huge support to Suzanne and the birthstone-jewelry company that hosts this blog, Luna & Stella.

In a delightful report, Charmaine describes how her whole family joined Suzanne’s family in New York City over school vacation to lend a hand at the Playtime trade show, a big deal for promoting new products to retail shops around the world.

Among the highlights of Suzanne’s growing collections are sweet Mama + Me bracelets, just in time for Mothers Day (May 8), and some stunning vintage lockets.

Notes the website, “All of the lockets in the Luna & Stella Vintage Collection were made in Providence, East Providence or Attleboro between 1880 and 1940.”

Why vintage mixed with contemporary? That’s kind of an interesting story, too, being the result of a hunt for beautiful hinges to use in new lockets. After the long search, Suzanne concluded that they just don’t make smooth and subtle hinges like they used to.

But sometimes an apparent dead end can lead to even better ideas, and Luna & Stella’s cool mixing of old and new seems to be an idea that is catching on.

At the Concord Journal (here), you can read more about the two friends and their families working the trade show in New York during the coldest week of the year.

Photo: Charmaine’s girls join Suzanne to look over the Mama + Me collection from Luna & Stella.

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This Store Sells One Book

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on March 17, 2016| 2 Comments »

Well, this is a new one on me: a bookstore that sells only one title at a time.

Amy X. Wang reports at a website called Quartz that in September 2014, “Yoshiyuki Morioka, a bookseller who had been running a store in Tokyo, Japan, for 10 years, had a curious thought. Lots of customers, it seemed, dropped in during book launches and other events to buy the same title; others often appeared overwhelmed by all the extra variety. So why not start a bookstore that only sold one book at a time?

“Now, Morioka Shoten — Morioka’s new venture that threw open its doors in Tokyo’s trendy Ginza shopping district in May 2015 — operates around that very principle. The store stocks multiple copies of only one carefully selected tome each week …

“Takram, the design engineering firm that helped Morioka put together the look of his new store, says the experience highlights ‘the importance of a physical venue in the era of digital reading.’

“Books that have been displayed so far include Swedish-Finnish author Tove Jansson’s The True Deceiver, Hans Christian Andersen’s Fairy Tales, and works from well-known Japanese writers like Mimei Ogawa and Akito Akagi. Each title is displayed for six days in a row—Tuesday to Sunday—and then swapped out for a new book.

“And things are going quite well at the quiet little store. According to Morioka, Morioka Shoten has sold more than 2,000 works since it opened. Proof, then, that readers seeking deep, personal relationships with physical books are still around across the world.” More here.

You know, that last sentence strikes a chord. I was just explaining to a friend today how this blog resulted from my daughter asking if I would apply my love of blogging to support the vibe of the jewelry company she founded, which emphasizes deep, personal relationships.

If you’ve never clicked on the Luna & Stella site (or even if you have), please do now. Suzanne and Erik have posted a steady stream of new birthstone-jewelry designs and charms over the five years I’ve been blogging. Each one is full of meaning.

Photo: Takram/Miyuki Kaneko
The one-room bookstore Morioka Shoten in Tokyo

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Playtime Trade Show, New York

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on February 15, 2016| Leave a Comment »

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Trade shows have been helpful to Suzanne’s birthstone-jewelry company, Luna & Stella, as it branches out from being strictly online to selling to retail outlets like Talulah Cooper Boutique in Providence.

A couple weeks ago, Suzanne took Luna & Stella to the trade show NewYorkNow (“the market for home, lifestyle + gift”). Today, she is making an impression at PlaytimeNewYork — while making friends with other relationship-oriented businesses, like Little Paisley People.

I love how the founder of Little Paisley People describes the origins of her business: “I spent the most memorable summers of my childhood in Amalsaad, a quaint village, in Gujarat, India. … I grew up watching my mom work with the local artisans to hand-make toys that would support the local community. Those are the toys you also see in the Little Paisley People line. And that’s the logo you see – the passing on of the thread over the generations. …

“We create handcrafted lifestyle products for children, never forgetting that kids need to be kids. The handmade nature of these products evoke an understated elegance but are always playful. Social responsibility, the people who make these products, and how they make them are very important to us.”

Here, she and her daughter model Luna & Stella’s mother-daughter heart rings. How nice that new businesses are emphasizing the importance of family and friend relationships!

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Poetry and Art Walk July 18

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on July 2, 2015| Leave a Comment »

Kate Colby (for whose offer of a room to Suzanne and Erik when they were house hunting there can never be enough gratitude) is a poet.

She came to the rescue when Suzanne was starting Luna & Stella and was having trouble finding a writer to capture the more ethereal qualities of the birthstones.

“What you need,” I said, “is a poet.”

“I know a poet!” she cried. She remembered Kate used to write copy for a catalog.

Beyond such marketing endeavors, Kate publishes poetry, choreographs offbeat theater, and co-leads art/poetry walks. An example of the latter will occur soon.

As Eryn Carlson writes at the Boston Globe, Kate is collaborating with artist Todd Shalom to offer “Duly Noted,” a participatory walk incorporating techniques from poetry, sound, and performance, at deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum in Lincoln, Massachusetts, July 18, at 2 p.m. and 5 p.m.

Carlson comments, “Shalom and Colby know that the very nature of tours makes it easy to overlook the ways in which artworks and their settings inform one another. … The pair created the collaborative walk ‘Duly Noted,’ a poetic exchange between participants and the Lincoln museum’s site and surroundings.

“ ‘Reading the art is apt because it’s so framed by woods and walls and water, and all this history,’ said Colby, who grew up in Wayland and lives in Providence. …

“ ‘It’s all about reframing the site,’ said Shalom, a Brooklyn, N.Y.-based artist who founded Elastic City.”

At a performance in May, “participants evolved from visitors to artists and performers. Individuals gave one-word soliloquies atop a stump, announcing their visual discoveries, and, guided by a partner, wandered the grounds with eyes closed to pay special attention to the surrounding cacophony. …

“Shalom and Colby, who met while working on their master’s degrees in fine arts at California College of the Arts, planned ‘Duly Noted’ meticulously over the course of a year, visiting the deCordova several times to perfect the route, pacing, and segues. But a degree of uncertainty and room for spontaneity remained.”

This could be a fun activity on July 18 if you live in the area. The grounds of the museum offer breathtaking views and sculptures everywhere you turn. Add to that a participatory happening like this, and you have the ingredients for a memorable day.

Read more here.

Photo: Barry Chin/Globe staff
Visitors at the deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum on a participatory walk titled “Duly Noted.’’

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Profiled: Suzanne and Luna & Stella

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , on May 27, 2015| 4 Comments »

I need to share a really lovely piece on Suzanne and Luna & Stella, the company for which I blog.

Of course, with my eclectic topics, you could be forgiven for forgetting the Luna & Stella connection. But Suzanne’s birthstone jewelry speaks to relationships, and like all good relationships, this blogging one lets me breathe. (Suzanne said, “Blog about anything that interests you, Mom.”)

At OurBackyardRI, photographer-journalist Connie Grosch writes, “Based in Providence, the family-run business was founded in 2009 with the goal of blending great jewelry design with thoughtful meaning. Her merchandising and product development roles at J.Crew, Bally, and Victoria’s Secret combined with her experience as the Vice President of Merchandising and Design at the online retailer RedEnvelope, gave Suzanne a solid entrepreneurial foundation. …

“Having lived and worked in Switzerland, San Francisco and New York City, she and her husband chose Providence as their home four years ago. Living in New York City, pregnant with their first child as she and her husband were both starting new businesses, the couple decided they wanted to have a house and a yard. ‘And it wasn’t going to happen in NYC.’ They started looking for a small city and ‘Providence just came up on the map. We took a leap.’ …

“Suzanne is totally optimistic about the future of the business. ‘Rhode Island is just right in terms of design, manufacturing and business resources – from casting and plating to design and marketing.’

“And she is tapping into Rhode Island’s jewelry manufacturing history. ‘I’m a bit of a history buff and I like the idea of bringing that history to the present.’ Someday, she would like to manufacture the line herself – have a workshop. ‘And when I do, I want it to be in the Jewelry District.’ ”

More here. Grosch’s photo collage, taken at Talulah Cooper in Providence, where Suzanne had a trunk show before Mother’s Day, is really creative and nice. The only thing missing is Erik and Suzanne’s son digging into the shop’s many penny candy jars that day. So I add that here.

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