Hi Everyone!

Our daughter Tiffany gave birth to our first grandchild this past week. Everyone is thrilled and healthy. Being true artists, Tiffany and her husband Andrew named her Easter Lily! Tiffany’s favorite holiday is Easter, and Andrew’s favorite flower is the lily. I can’t wait to hold her; they will be coming to Albuquerque for Christmas. I think I am subconsciously trying to hurry the Christmas season along, I decorated my house this weekend, as well as our store….. tree and all!

To add to the excitement Miles, our son, just returned safely to New Mexico after spending the fire season on a hot shot firefighter crew in California. We looked at pictures and listened to his stories from the dangerous assignments they were called to in California and Arizona. What amazing work they do to keep us all safe and to protect our beautiful lands. Needless to say, we have so much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving holiday,

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. I love everything it is about, especially taking the time to give thanks for the people in our lives. I have wonderful memories of gathering with all of my cousins, aunts, uncles, and of course Grandma Dooley, and taking turns expressing what we were thankful for. After enjoying my favorite meal, we would all head outside for a rousing game of football, often in a freshly fallen Minnesota snow. We still do this too, although we have gotten less physical over the years!

I want to let you all know how thankful I am for your friendship and support. You are a very special part of my life. My wish is that you all have plenty of blessings to celebrate this season.

All of us at Relios wish you a happy, healthy and safe Thanksgiving holiday.

Sincerely,
Carolyn

Thank you all for joining me for our shows on October 20th! Wow, can you believe November is here? It really hit me this morning as I woke up to 15 degree weather and a beautiful blanket of snow! Mother Nature never ceases to amaze me! Here is a photo I took this morning from our living room window.


I am on my way to London, so I won’t be home to greet the kiddos. I just love Halloween, seeing all the kids out and about rather than in front of their computers or TV’s. My mom always made the holiday special, dressing up as a witch to answer the door, and making elaborate costumes for each of us. My favorite was a Minnie Mouse costume; although every time I think about it my nose hurts…remembering the plastic ball she cut a slit into and stuck on my noise. It looked cute, but ouch! Then there was the jack-in-the-box costume she made for my little brother. It was adorable, but a little awkward; the poor guy fell off a step and couldn’t get up. He kind of tumbled like a dice. The neighbor kids had to gather around and hoist him back up. Well, this year, Bill will have to man the door alone. I need to coach him on rationing the candy. One year, not knowing what kind of crowd to expect, we were very generous with the handfuls and ended up digging into the pantry for the pop tarts and granola bars for the late comers.

I wanted to touch base with you on an issue that has been brought to my attention. It seems as though some of our collectors have had trouble with some of our earring clutches falling off. A few months ago, we began using a slightly thicker post in order to make the clutch more secure. If you have had problems with your earrings, please contact us at customerservice@carolynpollack.com. Lawrence or Sandra will be happy to help you. We are also looking at longer posts which would include two notches for adjustability. This would be something we would transition into with future designs. We are committed to making our jewelry the best it can be, and thank you for your constructive feedback.

I’ll be back in touch when I return from London! I would love to hear how you plan to wear your favorite Sincerely Southwest collections this holiday season.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Sincerely,
Carolyn

Hi Friends! I am back in Philadelphia for my 3 Day 60 Mile walk and am happy to report that our team, Elise’s Army, is the number one fundraising team in Philadelphia! It is going to be a cold, wet weekend, calling for plenty of layering, rain ponchos, and hand warmers!

October has been such a fun month. Of all the seasons, autumn is my favorite. I love the smell of green chiles roasting over a fire, football, sweaters, bonfires, and most of all Balloon Fiesta! It is such a wonderful, happy event that truly brings people together from around the world! The same thing happened in my store! Many of you came to visit from all over the country as well as England! It was so much fun spending time together, hearing about your favorite collections, and playing a little dress-up! My mom came from Minnesota, along with my aunt Kristy from Wisconsin. I have to say, that made for an interesting Monday Night Football party at our house between the Vikings and the Packers! Go Vikes!

Our fabulous friend Libby surprised me on Tuesday, along with her wonderful husband! She picked up a few pieces from the Rain Flower collection. Here we are together in my store. Libby is wearing the Taos Enhancer on the leather cord from the Radiance Collection, BEAUTIFUL! I am wearing the Cielo Collection. The following day they came by our facility for a tour. Libby was amazed at the processes involved.


Betsy, a lovely pediatric nurse in Albuquerque, shared her favorite collections with me in the store and over lunch as our raffle winner! Betsy is wearing one of our customer favorites, J00723. I am in one of my personal picks, the Twilight Collection.


After a busy Balloon Fiesta week in Albuquerque, Bill and I flew off to New York to visit our daughter Tiffany and her husband Andrew. They are expecting their first child in November!! We had a wonderful visit. I just love the city on a sunny crisp autumn day when you can walk forever, especially in Central Park. With walking such a huge part of Tiffany’s New York lifestyle, it was important to pick out just the right stroller, which these days is like buying a car. So many features and options!!

We went to a fantastic exhibit at the Museum of Art and Design (MAD) which is located at Columbus Circle in Manhattan. I highly recommend you go to see Read My Pins: The Madeleine Albright Collection. The exhibit features over 200 of her personal pins and really examines the significance of the ones she chose to wear depending upon the particular diplomatic mission she was on. Each pin expresses a message or a mood, and to see them presented in their historical context really reminded me of the power of jewelry as a form of communication and personal expression. It was also wonderful to see a powerful woman beautifully and boldly accessorized in the most stuffy, male dominated situations! I hope you get a chance to visit, or pick up her book which tells the story of each pin along with great photos of her wearing them in many historic situations.

I was inspired to pull out my favorite wraps and shawls and pin two of my favorites onto my shoulder, J142781 the Spirit Feather, and J31785 the Serenity Dragonfly pin. And if I wanted to do it “Madeleine style”, I might wear them both at the same time! I look forward to our time together on October 20th, from 1:00-3:00am and 7:00-9:00pm. This will be my final Sincerely Southwest special for 2009, so I think we will be in for some fun!!

With love and thanks for a wonderful year.
Sincerely,
Carolyn

I want to thank you all for a wonderful show on Designer Day! I haven’t had a chance to catch up with you because Bill and I left immediately for Hilton Head Island, and we had a rule, no computers!! It was wonderful to see Bill relaxing for the first time in months! We played tennis everyday, rode bikes all over the island, were visited by dolphins while we kayaked, and ate fish every day! We are rested, rejuvenated, and excited to get back to work. I returned to many smiling faces at Relios, happy that our new collections; Moondance, Mojave Lily, Sweet Dreams, and Flower Berry were so popular with all of you!

Then Susan and I were off for another adventure! First stop, Dusseldorf, where we premiered Southwestern Jewelry on QVC Germany with three shows. It was a lot of fun, very successful, but a little stressful. I had a translator in my earpiece as the show host was speaking to me in German. I tried hard to focus without looking like a deer in the headlights. I am now motivated to learn some German! I loved Dusseldorf and Cologne, the people were incredibly friendly, and the cities so clean. Then we were off to London for four shows, I have been going to QVC London for 14 years, five to six times a year, so I have some wonderful friends at QVC UK. I appreciated being back in the comfort of the English language, even if they do talk a little funny (just kidding)!


We had just enough time in both cities to absorb the European trends and of course, do some shopping! Wow, everywhere we turned we were surrounded by purple, fuchsia, and teal, not only in the clothing, but boots and accessories as well. There was also a strong western trend with lots of fringe detailing. I have to say, J17077 would be the absolute perfect set to wear with all of the purple and fuchsia! Check out the shade of purple in this designer storefront window from Dusseldorf, I wished I could have draped the mannequin in the Twilight Collection!

And the Sincerely Blue collection is the perfect choice to complement a teal wardrobe. Both of these collections will be featured during my Sincerely Southwest shows on October 20th, if you’d like a closer look. We will also be celebrating this irresistible color in a brand new collection, appropriately called Tempting Teal!

I am so excited to get back together with all of you on October 20th for two Sincerely Southwest shows. I will be with the beautiful Albany at 1:00am for two hours, and my fabulous friend Jane Treacy for two hours at 7:00pm! We will be introducing three new collections and bringing back three of my favorite collections from March. I’m sure I won’t be wearing any fancy high heels for these shows, as I will have just completed my 3-Day 60 Mile Breast Cancer walk on Sunday, October 18th. This will be the fifth year in a row that I have travelled this amazing journey through the neighborhoods of Philadelphia in the fight against this disease that has touched so many of our lives. As you can imagine, I am the team member who talks from the time I emerge from my little pink tent at 6:00am until the official “lights out” at camp at 9:00pm. I am usually without my voice for a few days after the walk!

Julie, I want you to know how much your letter meant to all of us at Relios. The special relationship Ben had with his Grandpa will be with him forever, and we would be honored to have our turtle be the gentle reminder that brings a smile to his heart for years to come. We are working on your turtle pendant, and will let you know when it is available. Please email us with your contact information at customerservice@relios.com, and give Ben a big hug from me!

With love to you all!
Sincerely,
Carolyn

Hi Everyone!

I just returned to Albuquerque from a very busy week at QVC! Thank you for joining me for our Sincerely Southwest shows on Wednesday, and our Southwestern Jewelry shows featuring our Native American Designers on Sunday! As you can imagine, I don’t have much of a voice today!

As your pieces start to arrive, I hope you are all thrilled with the ones you chose! Remember, you are able to flex the leather portion of the Today’s special Value Silverado hinge cuff bracelet to contour to your own wrist for a perfect fit. I look forward to hearing what you think about the Arizona Chrysocolla collection when you receive it. Each stone has its own unique, mesmerizing personality, and a color that is just indescribable. We were thrilled to meet the miner at the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show this past February who had the high quality of rough material we have been in search of for years! I am so honored to be a part of the upcoming Sterling Designer Gallery day on August 29th. I just love being surrounded by such a talented, passionate group of people. It is truly inspiring. I will be spending two hours at 3:00pm with Shawn, which should be a blast! For those of you who picked up the Flower Berry ring on August 12th, you won’t want to miss the matching pieces! We will also be introducing three brand new collections and new additions to your favorite collections. I am so excited, as these are some of the most unique pieces we have created so far. I can’t wait to hear what you think!

We are looking forward to hosting our QVC buyers, Allison and Jessica, at the Santa Fe Indian Market this weekend. This, along with the Balloon Fiesta, is one of my favorite New Mexico happenings of the year! It is the largest and most prestigious Native American art show in the world, featuring the amazing work of about 1200 artists from 100 tribes! Over 100,000 people gather on the plaza each year to experience the best of contemporary Native American art and culture first had from the artists. This is such a wonderful opportunity to catch up with our Native American artist and collector friends, and to meet some new ones!

Bill and I sponsor the Best of Jewelry Award, which will be presented on Friday during a sneak preview event at the convention center. Then it’s off for an early dinner at the Coyote Café so that we are rested and ready to hit the plaza Saturday morning at 6:30! I just love the energy that builds on the plaza in the early morning hours, while the air is still cool and the sun is just rising. We’ll head to the booths of Roderick Tenorio, Fritz Casuse, Cody Sanderson, Veronica Benally and her husband, award winning jeweler Ernest Benally. There, we’ll select designs inspired by their incredible one of a kind pieces proudly displayed in their booths to bring to life for you, our QVC collectors, in upcoming shows!

Saturday night is the Gala Auction, which we also help sponsor. What a wonderful event. Dozens of prized works of art are donated by the very finest artists to benefit the Southwestern Association for Indian Arts (SWAIA), the organization responsible for Indian Market. There is also an artist collaborative piece that is featured each year for auction. Last year it was a beautiful sterling silver and gem stone decorative box that our friend and QVC jewelry designer Fritz Casuse collaborated with three other jewelers on. It raised over $30,000 for SWAIA!

I hope to see those of you who are travelling to Santa Fe bright and early on the plaza! And I look forward to spending time with all of you on August 29th!! Thanks again for joining me for our fun shows this month, and for continuing to collect our jewelry. All of our craftspeople here in Albuquerque really appreciate your enthusiasm and support!

Sincerely,
Carolyn

Hi Everyone,

This summer has been tremendously busy for us at Relios. We had so much fun designing and creating the QVoyager Arizona Turquoise items. The shows were a fantastic celebration of American mined turquoise in American made jewelry! Thank you for making them such a great success and for all of your positive feedback. As you know, all of our jewelry is crafted right under our roof here in Albuquerque, New Mexico by an amazingly dedicated group of Relios associates. Bill likes to remind me that with each new Sincerely Southwest collection we design, our craftspeople are increasingly challenged with new techniques and new materials. I can tell you that the pieces you will see during our three shows on August 12th are the result of many hours of dedicated skill and commitment, and some will be a little limited.

Which reminds me, I want to let you know that we are busy fulfilling your wait list orders from the QVoyager Arizona Turquoise shows. We want you all to get what you have patiently been waiting for. It will be worth it! Wasn’t Jane fantastic? What an absolute pro and delight she is, and a very dear friend. We had a great time hanging out in the desert together with you all!

Back to August 12th. You know how I told you about the fabulous trip Susan and I took to Basel last April, and how incredibly inspiring it was? Well, many of the new collections I will be sharing with you are the fruits of that wonderful experience. We have this big magnetic wall in our design studio where we first posted inspirational tear sheets from our trip, then conceptual renderings, and finally technical drawings. Yesterday I removed all of that work in process and replaced it with photographs of the actual finished jewelry. I have never been more excited! There will be six new collections, one of which features a rare gem from Arizona that we have never been able to acquire before!

I hope you will join me on August 12th beginning at midnight for two hours with Rick, and then at 2:00pm for two hours with Jill, and the final two hours with Carolyn at 7:00pm. I look forward to spending time together, and hearing what you think of all of our new collections and current favorites!

Our Relios family truly appreciates that you continue to collect and enjoy our creations. Knowing that you are all feeling fabulous is the greatest inspiration!
Sincerely,
Carolyn

Our good friend Linda from Texas called our Customer Service specialist today to inquire about what stabilization of turquoise entails, and if it is beneficial. I'd like to take a moment to address this concern.

Rest assured that our turquoise is natural turquoise, which is mined (in this case from either the Kingman or Sleeping Beauty mines) and then stabilized with an epoxy technique. This treatment improves the natural stone's intrinsic beauty and lasting durability. We use only this impregnated natural turquoise.

To maintain the beauty of your turquoise, we recommend cleaning your turquoise jewelry with a soft cloth. Avoid exposure to hot water, household chemicals, and ultrasonic cleaners, as these could cause damage to the stone.

Throughout history, people have treasured the beauty of turquoise. It is believed that some of the oldest pieces of turquoise jewelry that survive today are bracelets that the Queen Zara of Egypt was wearing when she was mummified around 5500 B.C. When archeologists drilled tiny holes into the bracelets to better understand their composition, they found that the turquoise had been impregnated with beeswax which helped to preserve the gemstones for over 7,500 years. There are reports of the many other cultures such as the Aztecs, Tibetans, and Native Americans who also loved this colorful stone and looked for ways to preserve its beauty by stabilization. So, it seems that turquoise has been often treated as long as this beautiful stone has been used in jewelry.

I hope you enjoyed the two shows over the weekend and for all of you who bought one of our Arizona Turquoise pieces, I hope the natural beauty of turquoise worthy of a queen over seven thousand years ago brings color to your life and radiates your own beauty.

Sincerely, Carolyn

Hi Everyone!

I just returned from London where they thought they were having a heat wave! Let me tell ya, it was nothing like what Jane Treacy, our QVC crew and I are headed for in Scottsdale, where it is forecasted to be 115 degrees! I told you these shows were going to be HOT !!!! (I couldn’t resist) The designs you will see during our two shows on Saturday, July 18th, at 10:00am ET and 8:00pm ET were especially created to showcase the beauty of two of the most famous turquoise mines in the world, Kingman, and Sleeping Beauty, both located in Arizona.

This has been an exciting 6 months, working closely with the owners of the mining operations, Marty and Monty, who just happen to be childhood friends. There is so much mining history in their families; I swear they must have turquoise in their veins!!! We have experienced first hand the perplexities of mining the rough material, sorting it according to our best prediction of the color and characteristics of the actual turquoise that will be revealed once it is cut., and finally brining it to life in jewelry right here in our facility in Albuquerque. This has truly been a mine through design, to finished beauty journey!! If ever I have taken for granted the magic that is turquoise, I never will again!!

The stories you will hear from Marty and Monty during our shows are not only informative, but truly show their passion for the treasures they hold the keys to. I will also be sharing the wonderful journey Bill and I took through our breathtaking American Southwest. This will truly be a celebration of Mother Nature’s amazing talent!

Can you tell I am excited, I hope you are too!!

Sincerely, Carolyn

Hi Everyone!

Bill and I just returned from a fabulous voyage through the magical American Southwest! We spent six sun filled days with three fabulous QVC production crew members. Not only are they talented, but quite entertaining as well. It is obvious that Tim, Scott, and Sean love what they do and it shows in their work, if you can call it “work”. We had so much fun getting to know them, it actually felt like a great family vacation, and in the end, as we parted ways in Laughlin Nevada, I felt tears welling up in my eyes. Then, in true Tim Neely (producer)style, my tears turned to joy when he quoted a famous line from the Wizard of Oz, “I’ll miss you most scarecrow”.

Our trip began in Globe Arizona, home of the famous Sleeping Beauty Turquoise Mine. We spent the day with Monty, the owner of the operation, who took us through the intense process required to discover the vibrant blue magic that Mother Nature creates here. There is no other turquoise available with the color and clarity of Sleeping Beauty. Chipping away at the bright blue vein in the mountainside was a very special experience. I can’t wait to share this incredible place with you, along with the legend behind its name.

The next day, we went for a hike at Pinacle Peak, where we captured some amazing photos of the beautiful landscape around Phoenix and Scottsdale, before heading north toward Sedona. Along the way, the crew strapped a camera onto our van so that we wouldn’t miss a moment of our trip, and you won’t either! I am always intrigued be the saguaro cacti in Arizona, since we don’t have this particular type in New Mexico, They always make me smile; maybe it has something to do with reminding me of one of my beloved childhood toys, Gumby.

What can I say about Sedona? It is one of the most breathtaking places on the planet! The red rock canyons appear to be on fire in the glow of the sun, contrasted by the lush shore line of Oak Creek. In order to capture the glory of this landscape, we felt we needed to get off the beaten path so to speak. So the next day, at 4:45am, we joined Blair, with Northern Light Balloon Expeditions for a guided tour of the Sedona area from the sky! All I can say is “wow”! At one point we were at 7,000 feet, which was 3.000 feet above the landscape below. It will be wonderful to share these sights with you!

All that fresh air made us hungry, so our next stop was the famous Cowboy Club for some deep fried rattlesnake and prickly pear cactus fries. Obviously I was completely wrapped up in the moment for me to eat food like that! Still in the adventurous mood, we joined Shane with Pink Jeep Tours for another must-do experience when in Arizona. He took us where only a pink jeep could venture, deep into, and high up onto incredible red rock formations. We’ll share some amazing sights with you, like Chicken Peak, and Submarine Rock. The audio should be interesting as well, as Shane took great pleasure in driving the jeep at what seemed to be completely vertical angles! We re-lived the wonderful day over dinner at the Javelina Cantina.

We left Sedona early the next morning for Kingman Arizona, where we spent the day with Marty, the owner of the Kingman Turquoise mining operation. Marty is the third generation of miners here. His son is now following in his footsteps. The stories Marty shared about his grandfather’s discoveries at the mine in the early 1960’s are fascinating, but I’d rather you tune in to hear it straight from Marty. Equally intriguing is the presence of so many different layers and colors of earth, or “host rock” at the mine, and how those particular minerals affect the color and personality of this famous, highly collected turquoise. I came away with some wonderful examples of each color that Jane will be able to share with you during her shows. In fact, our jewelry designs will feature all of the beautiful shades of Kingman Turquoise throughout the shows.

It was certainly our great pleasure to take this journey through two of the most important turquoise mines in the country, as well as some of the most beautiful landscape. I am so excited about sharing our adventure with you during QVoyager Arizona Turquoise, live from Scottsdale with Jane Treacy on Saturday, July 18th from 10:00am- 1:00pm, and 8:00pm- 10:00pm.

Every piece was designed and created in our facility in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Through QVoyager Arizona, our company and QVC were passionate about capturing the finest American mined turquoise in true, American made jewelry!!! I think you are going to love the jewelry in this show, every design is brand new, and created to really showcase the beauty of turquoise. You’ll find contemporary pieces in sterling silver, 14K gold, and two-tone, and some with classic southwestern elements! I can’t wait to hear what you think!

Sincerely, Carolyn

It seems like forever since we were together for our Sincerely Southwest Anniversary show! I hope you are all enjoying your new pieces. Wow, what fun we had that day!!! Thank you for all of your kind words and suggestions!

I have been busy traveling these past two months. I have been to London twice for QVC shows, and for my April visit was joined by Susan, my design partner, right hand, and good friend. We spent a few days trend shopping all over the city. We put quite the miles on our poor feet, but still managed to get up out of our seats to dance during an amazing performance of Mama Maia at the Prince of Whales Theatre!!

You would not believe the prominence of southwestern jewelry influences in all of the trendiest shops throughout London! From feathers to fringe, conchas, and cuff bracelets, the message was loud and clear that southwestern style is the number one jewelry trend in London right now! Of course, most of what we saw was resin and base metal, but let me tell you, it was not priced as such! Isn’t it fabulous to know that all of us who love our Southwestern Jewelry are not only big trend setters, but also know the value of the real thing!

Speaking of the real thing, we have a very exciting event coming up on May 26th! It is our 21st Anniversary of Southwestern Jewelry so we’ll be celebrating with 8 hours of fun, fabulous, colorful jewelry, all made right here in Albuquerque of sterling silver and genuine stones! I will be on throughout the day, along with my good friend Native American designer Roderick Tenorio, who will be presenting something very exciting at midnight! Along with Roderick, I am so honored to introduce you all to three amazing award winning designers during an entire hour of Native American Designer Jewelry at 9:00am ET. To learn more about these gifted artist, please read a recent article I wrote for the QVC Jewelry Newsletter.

I look forward to spending time with you on May 26th! In my next blog, I’ll be sharing some of the inspiration Susan and I soaked up as we traveled on to Switzerland for the incredible Basel World Watch and Jewelry Fair. We have been hoping to get to this show for years, and finally decided there was no time like the present! We stayed in Lucerne, and I have to say I fell in love with this city on the lake and its kind and happy people. Susan and I were so invigorated by this trip and the opportunity to spend a week together completely focused on jewelry and great cheese! We are busy bringing 20 new collections to life for our upcoming shows this summer in June and August. I promise to be back in touch soon!

We are going to have a great summer together!
Sincerely,
Carolyn

Hi Everyone!

First, I would like to apologize for not being in touch sooner. The good news is that we have been very busy here at Relios, getting all of our new collections ready for our 6th Anniversary Sincerely Southwest event on March 7th and 8th!!! I am so honored to be a part of QVC’s International Women’s Day celebration. It will be wonderful to be in the company of so many incredible female entrepreneurs over the two days. We will be introducing 8 new collections in addition to the Today’s Special Value and its coordinating pieces! I hope you can join me, beginning at 11:00pm ET on March 7th for three hours, and again on March 8th at 9:00am for three hours, and 9:00pm for a final two hours! I have to say that each time I walked through our production facility over the past month I was like a kid in a candy store surrounded by so many beautiful colors and styles. I just cannot wait to share them with you all! Each of the new collections will come to you with its own romance card, which will show the entire collection together. It will remind you of the inspiration behind each collection, and also list the gem stones in each piece.

I want to thank you for your wonderful comments on this blog. It feels as though we all belong to a wonderful community. I truly appreciate your kind words, your support, and your suggestions. I share them all with the dedicated and talented people I work with. You all inspire us!

I look forward to our big day together! Sincerely,
Carolyn

How did you get started?
Even as a young teenager, I loved designing my own clothing, especially special occasion dresses. My mother is an incredible seamstress, and she would somehow bring everything to life, with only my rough sketch and description as her pattern. Thank goodness she was amazingly patient! My first involvement with jewelry was just out of college with a large fashion jewelry company. As soon as I moved to New Mexico and met my husband, Bill, I was immersed in our Southwestern culture, natural beauty, and the importance of bold jewelry. I was hooked!

What inspires you?
The natural colors and characteristics of gemstones inspire me to bring color together in fresh new ways. I also enjoy a very bold, active lifestyle, which is reflected in my designs. I am fortunate to be surrounded by beautiful landscapes, vibrant cultural traditions, and very passionate and creative people. Our New Mexico lifestyle provides many opportunities to be inspired.

Did you have a mentor? If so, who?
I truly believe that we all have angels in our lives who guide us in certain directions, primarily through their belief in us and their encouragement to accept greater challenges, even when we doubt ourselves. I was blessed to have such a person in my life named Dixie. She was Director of Advertising, Promotion and Public Relations at a regional, family-owned department store in Minnesota. She brought me under her wing when I was 16, and made me her assistant at 18. I worked closely with her until I graduated from college. Dixie continuously challenged me with new responsibilities, and gave me the opportunity to represent our company within our community, which was rewarding on many levels. These were the days when the local department store was a vital part of the community, so this was an exciting time to get involved in promotions and events that would benefit all. Believe it or not, I was terrified of public speaking before Dixie's encouragement! By the way, Dixie also drove a very cool turquoise sports car!

What is the best way to achieve long-term success?
Choose to do something you love, and never let opportunities or challenges distract you from your own definition of what is ethical, positive, and worthwhile. I measure my own success not by the dollars generated, but by the trusting relationships built, the joy our jewelry can bring, and the pride and success our employees feel.

What lessons have you learned since your career began?
You are truly in charge of your own destiny. Sure, there are challenges and situations beyond your control, but there are also opportunities around unexpected corners. If you remain positive, creative, committed, and true to your personal and business vision you will be able to weather the storms and look forward to the rainbows!

If you had one piece of advice to give someone starting out, what would it be?
Do something that you are passionate about, and surround yourself with positive people that you feel you can trust.

What has been your most satisfying moment?
When Relios was awarded the 2008 QStar for Merchandising Teamwork. This award was so special to me, and to my husband, Bill, because it truly does honor all of the people who make what we do not only possible but extremely rewarding on so many levels. Our Merchandising Team at QVC is absolutely the most dedicated and passionate group of people we could ever hope to work with. And we accepted the award on behalf of the hundreds of people at Relios who are so dedicated and passionate about creating our jewelry for our wonderful QVC collectors. The entire team, all QVC and Relios members, had a moment to celebrate what can happen when there is trust, passion, and commitment ― a true team.

How do you generate new ideas?
I am blessed to have a partner on my design team by the name of Susan. We have been designing together for 10 years, and have this incredible connection that ultimately comes through in our designs. She and I both love wearing colorful, unique clothing, and we usually base our wardrobe around our favorite jewelry designs. We are both very in tune with fashion/color trends, while enjoying our New Mexico lifestyle. I think that while we both love visiting the big city, we enjoy even more returning home and giving fashion our own twist.

What was your very first product?
A sterling silver angel/cross earring. When I first presented it on QVC, I opend my mouth and it seemed like an eternity before any words actually came out. I know, that is hard to believe!

How did the idea for your product line come about?
I had a desire to design jewelry that I would love to wear, and I hoped others with the same affinity for bold, colorful, expressive style would also appreciate!

What’s the toughest part of running your own business? What’s the most rewarding?
Toughest part - Turning it "off" at the end of the day. Most rewarding - Knowing that we have created a positive and thriving environment for a wonderful group of dedicated, skilled, and passionate people at Relios who truly love creating jewelry that people find joy in wearing.

I am looking forward to being with you all on January 20th for two shows. We will have 3 hours of fun at 1:00am with Sharon and lots of laughs with Rick for 2 hours at 10:00pm. I plan to pop in on Shawn during QCheck, as well. There will be some exciting new collections to explore, as well as many new pieces to match what you may have picked up in recent shows. I am so proud to bring you jewelry that is made right here in America as part of this special Inauguration Day celebration on QVC!

I am thankful that we are all busy here at Relios designing and crafting many new collections for you in 2009! In fact, Susan, Bill and I will be traveling to the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show in early February, and are compiling our list of gems to search for. Our approach to color begins with gathering trend information from many different sources, and kind of soaking it all in. What usually happens when we arrive at the many shows in Tucson is that we are naturally drawn to certain stones based on our interpretation of the trends, how we can make them our own, and bring gems together in new and unique ways to enhance the colors we will be wearing this year.

What I love about bold, colorful jewelry is that it can literally transform something I have in my closet. The gems can bring out the best in our clothing, and our clothing can bring out a different personality in our gems depending on the play of colors.

I would love to hear what colors and gems you would love to see more of in our upcoming shows. Some of my best ideas come from you, and I truly appreciate your sharing them with me before I head for Tucson!

I look forward to hearing from you, and to spending some fun filled hours together in this New Year!

Sincerely,
Carolyn;

I hope you all have plans to do whatever brings you joy this holiday season! Bill and I will be celebrating Christmas in our favorite traditional New Mexico style. Christmas Eve will take us to Santa Fe, where we will have an early dinner at the romantic Geronimo Restaurant. Then we’ll take a stroll along charming Canyon Road, which will be all aglow with luminarias and farolitos where families will gather to warm their hands and spontaneously join in Christmas carols. The galleries open their doors and hearts with warm cider, posole, and bizcochitos for all. It is simply magical.

Next, we’re off to the beautiful, cozy Loretto Chapel for a Baroque Christmas Concert. This is the chapel with the miraculous staircase, a must-see if you come to visit Santa Fe. We’ll then attend midnight mass at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, a parish founded in 1610, and a Basilica since 1853. This is probably the most photographed building in Santa Fe. It is magnificent.

On Christmas morning we will head up to the Jemez pueblo to visit our friends and watch the traditional winter dances on the plaza. Bill and I treasure this truly vibrant, spiritual Christmas tradition. The weathered adobe homes that surround the plaza glow in the high desert sun, as families and friends wrapped in colorful blankets watch hundreds of beautifully adorned dancers, young and old. The beating of the drums and the chanting of the men echo throughout the canyon. After hours of constant dancing, everyone gathers for a celebratory feast. I am thankful for our friends and retired Relios craftspeople Frank and Angelita, for introducing us to their wonderful traditions many years ago, and for welcoming us into their home each year.

It is hard to believe the next time I will be visiting with you on-air at QVC will be in January! I will have an absolute “wow” piece in the Turquoise show on January 8th during Gem Gallery….let me just say that we had to create a bigger box to package it in! And there will be many more brand new items during my Sincerely Southwest shows on January 20th.

In the meantime, I have great news for those of you who have been patiently trying to pick up the new rope chain I showed you briefly in November. It is now available on qvc.com. The 18” version is J37927, and the 20” is J37944. This is a fabulously fluid chain that looks great on its own, and its texture makes it a perfect choice for all of your oxidized Sincerely Southwest pendants ! Thank you for your patient persistence in helping me get this chain back on the web site for you!

As we look forward to the New Year, I have some exciting news to share with you. Over the past year Relios has begun using only recycled sterling silver in our casting process. This means that when you choose a piece of Sincerely Southwest jewelry, you will know that the earth was not disturbed by any silver mining processes in order to create your piece. This is one of many initiatives we are implementing at Relios to do our part in protecting our beautiful Mother Earth.

All of us at Relios would like to express our sincere appreciation for your enthusiasm, your honest feedback, and for sharing in our passion for our jewelry. We wish you all love, peace, comfort and joy this holiday season!

Sincerely,
Carolyn, Bill, and everyone at Relios in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

We are really getting into the spirit here in New Mexico, as the temperature dropped below freezing last night! It is hard to believe that my last QVC visit for the year is coming up on November 17th! We will have a fun-filled two hour Sincerely Southwest show at 3:00pm. I am really excited about the new collections, as well as some great additions to some of your favorites! And, there is a special surprise twist to our Hot Pick for the day that you won’t want to miss!

I want to thank you all for a fun Balloon Fiesta celebration on October 23rd! We are busy designing some new pieces to coordinate with the collections you loved that day, particularly Durango and Vista.

Speaking of additions to your favorites, have you checked out my Sincere Complements section on QVC.com? I am really thrilled about this new opportunity to feature the perfect additions to your favorite collections that we just don’t get a chance to feature during our shows. Many of these pieces were designed at your request, like J104759 in your choice of brights or pastels, which are the perfect layering pieces to the past Today’s Special Value necklace and pendant set so many of you enjoy. Also, J104743 is the must have necklace to wear with your Sunburst pendant, and J104755 and J104757, in a choice of lapis or green turquoise, were designed to match one of our most popular Hot Picks.

Something else I would especially like to share with you on QVC.com is the Charms for Children’s Charities collection that I am so proud to be a part of. 10% of the proceeds from the sale of a collection of designer charms will benefit three special children’s charities, Alex’s Lemonade Stand, Big Brothers Big Sisters, and Jewelers for Children. I designed a reversible charm with a sculptural cross element which features one of December’s birthstones, turquoise, and accents of rich brass. I think this is a wonderful gift for yourself or someone special on your list. You will not only enjoy a beautiful piece of jewelry, but you will be touching the lives of special children in need of help. I want to thank QVC for the opportunity to participate in this important cause this holiday season.

I have some exciting news to share with those of you who plan on visiting Albuquerque, or who live in the area. We are opening a new store at the Shops at ABQ Uptown on November 14th!! All of us at Relios are excited to have an opportunity to personally meet our family of collectors and to introduce some new friends to our jewelry as we celebrate 33 years of our company’s history in Albuquerque. I hope to see you all there sometime soon! I am off to decorate and merchandise the store as soon as I sign off.

I look forward to celebrating the holiday season with you on November 17th!!

Love and cheer to you and your family!
Sincerely,
Carolyn