An acquaintance of ours reports she has completely finished her Christmas shopping. Few of us are as well-organized and highly motivated to say the same. But, occasionally, there’s an advantage to waiting until the leaves fall and frost appears on the ground. For instance, an extraordinary collection of beautiful jewelry awaits you in our showcases. From sparkling diamonds to brilliantly colored gemstones to high-fashion gold and sterling silver creations. Necklaces, earrings, bracelets, rings … all lovingly hand-selected, item by item, and displayed with care and creativity. So, treat yourself! Stop in and see all the lovely jewels. We’ll be happy to note your favorites on a wish list for you to share with Santa. He’ll be glad you did and, we’re sure, so will you!

As we begin to notice later dawns, earlier sunsets, flocking birds, and cool nights, we realize we’re on the “downside” of summer. Soon it will be Autumn. So we savor these lovely, sunny days by paying attention to things we might otherwise have overlooked.

This amazing yellow Dahlia was grown by our aunt, Giovanna Fellin, at her Drums, Pennsylvania home. An expert gardener, she artfully arranged the giant bloom in a centuries-old Japanese technique called Ikebana, emphasizing form and balance.

From time to time, we’ve glimpsed our friend, a Great Blue Heron, fishing at Brookhill pond in Sugarloaf, Pennsylvania. Shy by nature, he’d take off silently and gracefully as soon as he had sensed our presence. This time, however, he was content to pose for a few portraits …

Ms. Melanie Jane Laputka is happy to share her bridal registry table! Melanie is the daughter of Mr. & Mrs. George M. Laputka, Jr. of Drums, Pennsylvania.

Melanie will be married on October 11th to Matthew Robert Frakes, originally of Harrisonburg, Virginia. Both Melanie and Matthew currently live in Arlington, Virginia. The couple met in 2005 and became engaged at Barboursville Vineyard on December 15, 2007. Their wedding ceremony will be celebrated at St. Nicholas Roman Catholic Church, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, with a reception at the Westmoreland Club to follow.

Bridal showers in Melaine’s honor will be hosted by Barbara Ecker on Sunday, July 27th in Sugarloaf, Pennsylvania, and by Susan Garret and Linda Megale on Sunday, September 7th in Winchester,
Virginia.

We offer our very best wishes to Melanie and Matthew as they begin a lifetime of happiness together!

At last, the Summer solstice has arrived! We were beginning to worry … it seemed a little late this year. But no, its here and we couldn’t be happier. So, to celebrate, we are planning to feature a new selection of lovely sterling silver “bamboo” jewelry - something specially designed with summer in mind. Our “Bijoux Bambou” is on display in our front windows and right here in our blog. Beautifully crafted of sterling silver, each exquisite piece is made to last for years to come. Choose from pendants, bracelets, and earrings - everything you need to accessorize that little linen dress or those cotton capris.

To a daughter, Dad will always be “Daddy.” Always strong … “Pick me up, Daddy.” Always generous … “May I have a dollar, Daddy?” Always kind, never harsh. Always funny and brave and smart.

It is said when little girls grow up, they look for a mate who shares all the wonderful qualities they found in their Dad. This would explain why some of us never marry.

Thank you, Dad, for everything … always.

What can we say about graduation that hasn’t already been said in countless valedictories? All the cliches about endings and beginnings, about fond memories and high hopes for the future. Graduates are told to pursue their dreams come what may and make their mark on the world.

Meanwhile, what they’re really concerned with is the minutia of everyday life: moving into a new apartment, upgrading one’s wardrobe to include something other than t-shirts and jeans, settling comfortably into a life of nine to five. Just in case your special graduate doesn’t have time, just now, to savor the singular achievement spelled out on his diploma, allow us to suggest some important gifts to remind him of this important occasion:

A Fellin’s Signature Series watch for him or her. Let’s face it, using a cell phone to tell time is all very well and good, but wouldn’t it be nice to have an attractive wrist watch to wear to that business meeting? We’ll be happy to engrave it with a monogram and date … with our compliments, of course!

Perhaps she’ll need to do some traveling in her new career. In that case, she’ll enjoy having a clever, little travel case in which to pack a few special items of jewelry. Each one is expertly crafted of embossed leather and designed to make the most of the least space. And such delicious colors … they’re irresistible!

And finally, may we direct you to our sister website, www.ivycoveredhalls.com. There you will find an extensive selection of the most wonderful desk accessories and wall art featuring almost every college, university, medical, dental, and law school in the United States! Each gift can be personalized with the graduate’s name and “class of” year. Its difficult to imagine a more relevant and impressive remembrance of such an important achievement.

Mother, mommy, mere, madre, Mutter … no matter what language, the meaning is the same. Mother, the one who sees us safely into the world, who nurtures us before and after birth. She carries us, feeds us, teaches us to walk and talk … to play and to pray. Perhaps the most difficult thing she does, after all that care and concern, is let us go. But wherever we go and forever, we carry her in our hearts.

I have often thought that mothers are the closest thing to a supreme being we’ll know in this life. Who else gives so much of themselves to another? Who else rules with such wisdom and tenderness … with the head and the heart? Who else deserves so much reverence?

We reserve a day for Mother … twenty-four hours to celebrate, to remember, to pause and reflect. To express our gratitude on a special day. Just one day for a lifetime of love.

Thank you, Mother!

Ms. Loni Marshalla Anne Lukatch is happy to share her bridal registry table with everyone! Loni is the daughter of Ms. Gloria Ann Cheslock of Hazleton, who will host a bridal shower in her honor on Sunday, May 25, 2008.

On December 1, 2006, Mr. Brian Stanley Cinoski, son of Mr. and Mrs. Stanley Cinoski of Mount Laurel, New Jersey, proposed to Loni at Lake Seneca, one of the Finger Lakes in New York. Since then, they have been enjoying their engagement and the planning of their wedding ceremony, which will be celebrated at Saint Peter’s Cathedral in Scranton on Saturday, July 5, 2008. Their reception will take place at the historic Radisson Lackawanna Station Hotel in Scranton, where they first met in April of 2004.

Among the many songs written about weddings, this gem, by Fleeson and Von Tilzer, from the 1920’s is our favorite:

“I’ll be with you in apple blossom time,
I’ll be with you to change your name to mine.

One day in May
I’ll come and say:
‘Happy the bride the sun shines on today!’

What a wonderful wedding there will be,
what a wonderful day for you and me!
Church bells will chime
You will be mine
In apple blossom time.”

Wedding season has begun and in this space, from time to time, we hope to include snapshots of our brides and grooms and their bridal registry tables.

For decades, Fellin’s has taken special care to lovingly display each bride’s shower and wedding gift suggestions on unique tables in our store. When relatives and friends come to choose a gift, they can see all the happy couple’s choices in one place. Upon selection, each gift is removed from the table, attractively wrapped, and delivered (in the Greater Hazleton area) with our compliments.

We love our brides and grooms and we feel very fortunate, indeed, to share in their special day. We’ll do everything we can to help make their new life together a joyful one.

“The first Sunday after the first full moon after the Vernal Equinox.” An elegant formula to determine Easter Sunday’s date. This year, Easter is about as early as can be. And, while the temperature and weather forecast here in Northeastern Pennsylvania agree its still Winter, we know that Spring is coming.

Just today, while walking in a little wood nearby, I spotted an impressive hawk’s nest under construction. The builder was perched nearby, silently watching me watching him. I didn’t mean to, but I disturbed a flock of robins feeding in a saturated clearing - all those luscious earthworms! And then I spotted a chipmunk rustling in some oak leaves near a rock wall. When a clever, little chipmunk appears, you know its Spring.

Every Easter, we take special care to feature lovely gifts for adults’ Easter baskets. While we confess that nothing is quite as perfect as a giant, solid chocolate bunny, we’re sure our charming, enamelled collectors’ boxes will bring a smile. And no calories! Choose from a delightful selection of songbirds, birdhouses, puppies, and bunnies.

Carl Faberge, legendary jeweler to the Czars, is remembered most for his fabulously ornate, jeweled eggs. Our colorful egg pendants are inspired by his creations. Carefully crafted in Russia of enamel on gilt silver, they may be worn as a pendant or on a chatelaine pin. Very stylish, indeed.

A new tradition: “Lovelinks” murano and sterling bead bracelets. Start with three or four beads and add them whenever you like. Choose from a large selection of wonderfully vivid colors and patterns and whimsical charms. As fun to build as they are to wear!

Let us never forget why we celebrate Easter. More than bunnies and baskets, more than just a change of seasons, it is a time of remembrance and renewal. Precious symbols of faith, crafted of 14K gold, are a lovely way to mark this very special day.