Anyone Up For Another Go At A #JewelryBizChat?

OK - UPDATE!   We are a go for #JewelryBizChat -at this point we are looking at Tuesdays at 6pm (West Coast should have time to get home from work - East Coast will be able to get the babies tucked in and grab a glass of wine).  See the next post for more info!

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Finally emerging from the Jewelry Show aftermath...if you follow my blogs you know that I cover all 40+ shows in Tucson every Spring and just about the time I start to do Vendor/Designer Spotlights on the Tucson Gem Show blog we start the pre-show previews for Jewelry Week in Las Vegas here on the Daily Jewel.  We are finally at the Designer Spotlights here and that will continue...with over 2500 vendors at JCK alone (I also cover Couture, the Las Vegas Antique Jewelry Show and LUXURY) and there are SO many really FUN, new looks, designers and trends that I will be writing well into 2014!  ...oh and look for some new Interview activity on my Jewelry & Gem Artisans Blog which has been dormant for months!!!

...you won't miss a minute of the fun if you are following all my blogs!

OK - that got a little to advertise -y...YUCK!  back to the Topic at hand. A while back several people in the Industry (Dan Gordon, Marc Knobloch, etc.) were trying to put together a Twitter Chat to keep Industry folks and emerging artists in the know...

So - why am I thinking about this again?  Because of a recent tweet from the enthusiastic Barbara Palumbo of Adornmentality!

This is SUCH an exciting time to be writing in the Jewelry Industry - the blog format is so widely accepted now and the Industry has become so much more supportive and, with only a few exceptions, sharing!

These tweets got me thinking...maybe it's time!

Thanks for the inspiration - anyone in?

What we need to get started:

     ► I have set the time and date - but it can be changed...
     ► Registered the hashtag
     ► Set up a Twitter Hub so that folks that can't make the chat can follow along!
         http://twubs.com/jewelrybizchat
     ► Need a couple folks to commit to Moderating
     ► Scheduling - interviews

I am sure there will be a million more things to do - we can handle them as they come our way!

SO - ANYONE ELSE IN?  

Beth Bernstein's "My Charmed Life"!

Why am I reviewing Contemporary Literature on a Jewelry Blog?   this book offers a really fun tie in for a Holiday Gift Giving Event in your Retail Jewelry Store!  this is a hot genre right now and Beth's jewelry connection WORKS!  Several stores have already hosted events with Beth doing readings...if you are trying to think of a NEW in-store event - this is it!

Beth Bernstein at a reception held by Manika Jewelry in San Francisco, CA

My Charmed Life: Rocky Romances, Precious Family Connections and Searching For a Band of Gold

I don't know about you, but when I first heard about Beth Bernstein's book My Charmed Life, I found the premise BRILLIANT!

Beth has written about dating, relationships and family for women’s and lifestyle magazines, and has worked in the jewelry industry for twenty years. She runs her own consulting company, where she works with leading jewelry designers and retailers.

...and the idea of telling the story of her life and the times she grew up in as these events related to a specific piece of jewelry intrigued me.

I have to say that I rank Beth among the relatively few fabulous women authors who through shared experiences, biting humor and sometimes brutal honesty have created a new genre in Women's Literature.  

Beth along with Jen Lancaster (Bitter Is The New Black) and Jenny Lawson (Let's Pretend This Never Happened) have carved a new Realism niche in Contemporary Literature.  With commentary that will have you howling, tittering and bawling, all the while nodding your head in agreement because you have been there!

With roots firmly entrenched in the Jewelry Industry it is no surprise that a Jewelry Box should hold the most important memories of Beth's life.  From the amazingly poignant tale of her Mother's Watch to her on-again-off-again relationship with a smoldering Italian...it truly is a Charmed Life!

Book Description from Publisher:

When Beth Bernstein’s mother unexpectedly passed away, Beth’s life was forever changed, as she knew that she’d lost not only her best friend, but also a big part of herself. In this heartwarming and moving memoir, Beth learns how to link together the platinum memories of the jewelry handed down to her by the woman who taught her how to love, overcome obstacles, and (most important) accessorize.

As a young girl, Beth learned that not all engagements came with a ring. The unconventional engagement watch Beth’s father gave her mother, her mom’s postdivorce transformation from wearing Jackie O pearls to donning love beads--each piece of jewelry represents an intimate memory, a reminder to rise above life’s challenges and enjoy its triumphs. And there are also Beth’s own experiences with rocky romances, of the too many engagement rings she fell in love with and the too few men who could commit. She tells the story of these relationships with sparkles of hilarity and glimmers of hope, conjuring up lost keepsakes and fiery moments--until she realizes that the brightest gems are the ones you give yourself, and finds freedom she never thought possible.