Our Weimaraner and Doberman Mascots - Introductions

When we designed our current website, and for fun, we added a page about our then Doberman mascots, Ida & Stetson. I supposed mascots can be living or passed on. After each traveled across the rainbow bridge, I didn't have the heart to update our website. I feel as if by keeping them on our website, a little piece of my sweet dober-dogs stay with me. I miss them so much.

Since then, I've adopted two other dogs. As team players, they carry on the duties that Ida and Stetson had. They often model our jewelry when I want to create a fun social post. Probably the most important thing they do is announcing when they hear the postal truck drive up for deliveries and pickups. Yeh yeh! The UPS driver receives the same greeting. He just doesn't come around as often.

Let me tell you about our current mascots. They've been around for a bit. I've just never officially introduced them.

 

Bella' Shelter Pic

During COVID lock-down, I adopted Bella from the LA Shelter in San Pedro, CA.  I confess, I had been looking for another doberman and it just wasn't happening as I had imagined it would. One day I was randomly looking at available dogs at the LA Shelters and spotted Bella's photo. It was as if she was posing. My first thought was wow, she's a beauty. Since my first dog (and first mascot) was a mix of Vizsla and Weimaraner, I wasn't afraid of the breed and the energy that comes with it. I called the shelter and they said come get her. The next morning I drove down to Harbor Shelter and do you know what? I completed paperwork and adopted her without even meeting her. Talk about a leap of faith. Out came a VERY strong girl, pulling me like you couldn't believe. My first reaction was "she's so short, she's so tiny, what's wrong with her?" She's just a bit of a runt for a Weim. I'm actually named for my great-aunt Bella. Adopting Bella the dog seemed like kismet. Bella was an owner surrender and came with the name. Since she was already 5 years old, how could I change her name?

 

Two Toys are better than 1

As it turns out, I describe Bella as comatose in comparison to my first dog, Byron. He was over the charts active and his exercise needs were enormous. I'm blessed that Bella is not remotely as demanding. Her favorite activity is lounging around and chewing on toys. Actually I'm not sure if eating things she shouldn't eat in the garden is more fulfilling than chewing toys. This pic was snapped a few days ago when she had decided 2 toys was better than 1.  That definitely is the case, when... our current mascot #2 is anywhere near us.

Bella had the job of mascot for more than 3 years when I decided she needed an assistant. 

I religiously follow Southern California's Doberman rescues on social. Dobies & Little Paws, Bella & Sunshine Rescue and Doberman Rescue Network. It was only a matter of time before a post piqued my interest enough to get me on board. I was quite close to adopting a young-ish boy that had been dumped and rescued with injuries from the side of the road. He'd had surgery and had healed and through the Doberman Rescue Network, a meet and greet was scheduled. Two days before that meeting, I was informed that this dog had healed so well, he was jumping 6 feet concrete block walls. Oy. Our meeting was canceled since I knew my home would not be safe for him. (And as it turned out, his foster had fallen in love with him, and adopted him.)

Timing is everything. Dobie & Little Paws posted info about a female dobie-mix in need of a home. The post appealed to me. I've always been told that it's easier to marry a girl dog with a boy dog than a girl with a girl, or a boy with a boy. Bella and I made an appointment and headed out to Fillmore, CA to meet this girl. It didn't click. And there I was, at the rescue where they have over a 100 dogs in their care needing to be placed. Ardis and Colleen who run the rescue (this is the same rescue from where I adopted Ida. Yes, you can still see that cutie on our website if you didn't click the link in the first paragraph above.) have such a good sense of what dog might go with what dog and person. I think they thought I was a bit high-maintenance when I said, I'd like a smaller boy (Nancy, doberman boys are typically quite large), a dog that isn't crazy active, been there-done that, (Nancy, dobermans are working dogs), yada yada yada. I was okay with a dog that was slightly older. No problem. Turns out they brought out 2 younger adult dogs for us to meet, both 2-3 years old. And one of them came home with us!

First Photo Together!

Meet Winston. He didn't come with a name he knew, so I named him. He hadn't been at the rescue for long, and I was told if they didn't know he was there, no one would have known. He just hid in the back of an igloo in a kennel with a few other dogs. He was a bit emaciated and he was healing from all-over bite marks. Evidently he was dumped by his owner at a shelter after the other dog or dogs in the house attacked him. From here Dobies & Little Paws saved him. He seemed sweet to me. And the interaction between Bella and him seemed okay. It's so random. Just like that I said "we'll take him home!" It seemed as if Ardis and Colleen were almost surprised by my choice. Now at a healthy weight, Winston weighs 62 or so, and he is fairly calm. He is and was the perfect choice!

Winston on Alert

You know I could go on and on and on about every detail of my sweet mascots. I will tell you that Bella has relinquished most of her barking duties. Winston is now the primary announcer of delivery trucks. Thy family dynamic is so funny. Bella adores me. Winston adores Bella. And me, I adore them both. (Winston loves me too, but he is crazy for Bella.) These two are the light of my life.

 

And for the heck of it. Today's attempt at a team selfie! - ND

Our Fair Trade Jewelry. We Smile Big When Our Clients Share our Designs on Social!

We smile big at Dunitz & Company when our retailers share pics of our fair trade jewelry. I just scoured through Facebook to find some of the shots that have been posted in the last several months.  There  are many more shared on Instagram. I confess, I can "save" them easily on Facebook. On Instagram, you can't right click and save. Here's a shout out to some of our clients with links to their websites. If you near any of these stores, go check them out. And - thank you for being our customer. We appreciate our stores and the shoppers that visit them.

Animas Trading, Durango CO - lots of ceramic and laser cut earrings, on our earring cards.

The Artful Nest, Marietta PA - currently has an excellent supply of our ceramic hoops!

Ethical Hope, New Kensington, PA - We just shipped embroidered and beaded earrings (shown) and glass studs!

Fair Trade Decor, Coronado, CA - Recently restocked beaded earrings. And - they consistently sell our Joanie M fused glass earrings.

Just Creations, Louisville, KY - You can count on finding a variety of Dunitz fair trade jewelry at Just Creations. This bowl features our butterfly studs and our fused glass studs.

My Fair Trade Lady - Haddon Heights, NJ - always has good stock of our famous art earrings. They recently added studs to their line-up!

Refunkit, Ashland, VA - Check out this social post. It features our new ceramic flower studs. These mod adornments are super fun, if we don't mind saying.

 

Summer House Designs, Port Townsend, WA - We confess. We have a secret shopper who always tells us about the fabulous displays at Summer House Designs. Our laser cut and embroidered designs are often in their window. Here's a shot they posted on Facebook.

Sunnyside Shop, Cambridge MD - has been our loyal customer for many many years.  Heidi the owner takes the BEST photos. They've carried many of our designs in-store. This shot captures our Joanie M fused glass almond shaped dangles oh so well.

Trinity Church, Boston MA - I confess. When I think of this customer, I'm reminded how they sell a lot of our monarch studs. But they sell other things too, including the one-of-a-kind embroidered flower earrings they featured on their social page.

Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond VA - Who doesn't love Starry Night? And VMFA offers fun gifts from so many vendors that feature Starry Night. Our earrings are part of their collection!

Zumbido Gifts, Eureka CA - always offers a fun selection from our fair trade collection. Recently they posted about our laser cut bird dangles. We thought it was fun that they used this blue sky background.

Seeds to Sew, Hopewell, NJ - Seeds to Sew is a non-profit that works with artisans in Kenya and their mission is to support them. Having said that, they do sell a few other fair trade lines in their store in Hopewell. Recently I spotted this pic on social of a group of students who organized a fundraiser for them. And on that table, among other goodies, you'll find Dunitz & Company jewelry.

Did I miss pitching your store? Send me a photo and a link where you shared it on Facebook or Instagram. The more the merrier. I want to tell everyone to find Dunitz & Company fair trade jewelry in your store. - ND

Business Phone Call Etiquette. What Is Your Preference?

There was a time when most business for Dunitz & Company was conducted over the telephone. I left "Corporate America" in 1989, before cell phones and before fax machines. And yes, before the internet.

For the first many years of running Dunitz & Company, I set aside hours and hours to follow up with customers by voice on the landline phone. I'd follow up on orders shipped. I'd call prospects I met at trade shows to encourage them to order. I phoned customers to encourage them to reorder. In the early 90's you didn't have to make appointments for phone calls. You just made them. You just received them. It was before "caller ID." I learned to recognize Suzie and Linda by the sound of their voices. I knew when their kids or grandchildren were born. I heard the details of the struggles of putting on a new roof for their recent home purchase. It seemed as if I was forging so many relationships both on a personal and professional basis. And to encourage these relationships, Dunitz & Company had an 800# where we paid for the phone calls.

Back in the day, I had a sales rep on the east coast that mailed her orders in by snail mail. Yes, by the postal service. No on expected things to happen 24/7.  And then the fax machine came into play. Every business had one. Instead of calling in orders, many customers began faxing them. Even that east coast sales rep graduated from stamps to the fax machine. I was still making phone calls to connect with my retailers, but they were calling me much less often. Note to reader: We no longer have a fax machine. But, we do have a fax line that operates through email at the cost of $5.00/month. I'm not sure why we keep it. But, we do seem to receive two viable faxes yearly, and need to send the same. For now we keep it. (Wanna fax? (323) 769-8111 will reach us. We'd like to receive some faxes that aren't selling ink toner or roofing services.)

 

 

Websites. Email. Email Broadcasts. Smart Phones (for everything other than voice calls.) Quick. Quick. Quick. Over the years everything has to happen faster and faster. And voice calls have become mostly obsolete.

 

It seems in current time, we almost never speak to anyone by voice anymore.  And when we do, calls don't come spontaneously. Apparently, we need to schedule the day and time to speak. Everyone has been conditioned to schedule now, even in their personal lives. Heck, I had a good friend get angry at me (at least it sounded that way) when I made a spontaneous call just to chat and check in. And she's not the only friend who now prefers to "schedule" social calls.

I have one long time customer who until very recently telephoned in her orders. I enjoyed that so much. I knew her voice. And over the years we've developed such a nice friendship. She was one of the last holdouts. I was happy to receive her most recent order, but a little disappointed it came through FAIRE. When asked, she told me she had been resisting - but she discovered their system was so easy for her to order. Does that mean I will no longer learn of her future vacation plans?

 

As many of you know, FAIRE is now a game changer and many stores prefer to shop on their site. Many clients tell me it's really easy to place their orders on this site. I think a lot of it has to do with the Net 60 terms they provide, which most small businesses can't afford to offer. Because FAIRE is the legal seller, there is less reasons for phone interaction with customers.  Their messaging seems to be the preferred way to reach out. Most of you know I ask my customers if they prefer Dunitz earrings on our cards or without. I've learned over the years that many stores private label and carding earrings without need is a waste of time and money. (And adds to landfill.) Often I need to call customers because they don't check their FAIRE messages often. Once in a while I actually am met by a voice and I have the wonderful pleasure to "meet" my new customers. Wow, I love that! I'm so old school. When I am prompted to leave voicemail messages, I let my customers know they can call me back, or respond to the messages I've sent them. Hmmmm. I'd say it's 30/70 that customers phone back. 40/60 - maybe?

Unlike many small businesses, I don't use my cell phone for business. (Except for double verification of this and that.) I don't give the number out. Our office line, although no longer a landline - does not send or receive text messages.  For that, I'm a holdout.

The world of communication has changed so much since 1989 when I launched Dunitz & Company. I almost never telephone my clients anymore. I miss this sort of interaction. What about you? What is business phone call etiquette in 2025? What is your preference? If you prefer voice, please please, call me at (323) 769-8600. -ND

Who Doesn't Love Cookies? Fair Trade Cookies, Even Better!

I love to bake. If I'm not packing a parcel of fair trade jewelry for Dunitz & Company, I might be baking. Sometimes it's tough finding new recipes I want to try. Truth is I'm sort of in a rut. I seem to always favor recipes I've been making since I was a young girl. If you've known me for years and years, you're probably familiar with my Chocolate Chip Cookies. Other favs come from my grandmother's Settlement Cookbook. Peanut Butter Cookies. Oatmeal Raisin. Date Squares. The classics! I thought I'd search the internet for some recently published yummy looking cookies that are made using fair trade ingredients. Do you think it's time to try one of these recent recipes? Maybe one of these below will become your new favorite.

 

About a year ago, I attended a beach marshmallow roast with my Fair Trade Los Angeles friends and colleagues. At the time, I'd never eaten Tony's Chocolonely's yummy bars. Tony's had donated some of their "everything" bars for our s'mores and now I'm hooked. I discovered this recipe from New Zealand of all places that uses broken up pieces from Tony's bars. This is definitely on my list for a new baking experiment. And I'm sure you could swap out the type of candy bar you select for your sweet creations. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And from the UK comes another recipe discovery using Tony's chocolate bars. This one calls for two different types of chocolate bars.  Honestly, it never dawned on my to use fair trade chocolate bars for baking. But, honestly, it makes a lot of sense. Note to Nancy. Time to substitute chips from grandma's cookbook with fair trade certified candy bars chopped up! 

And another from the fair trade kitchens of the UK.  These Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Cookies use candy bars from Divine. And I know you can buy Divine in the USA, because I have.  It never dawned on me how to even bake red velvet cookies. Now I know what to do! Shall we give it a go?

Seriously! I'm now all about using candy bars as part of cookie prep. I had no idea Dr. Bronner offered their own brand of candy bars and coconut oil. Evidently they do, because I found this recipe on their website with these as part of the ingredients listed. Did you know that Dr. Bronner is a member of Fair Trade Federation? (Dunitz is also a verified member.) They call their cookies Magic Nut Butter Cookies, probably because they don't use traditional flour.

Here's a call out to Fair & Square Imports of McKinney, TX. Not only do they have a blog which includes a post (and video) of this cookie recipe, but they also sell Dunitz & Company jewelry in their store. You know I love that! OK - so back to recipes.  Sure enough "Arthur's Fair Trade Salted-Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies" also use Divine Chocolate bars. 

 

 

Camino is based in Canada and offers up all sorts of fair trade ingredients - many appropriate for baking. This must be why I discovered a couple of cookie recipes on their website. Their Healthy Snack Cookies might be a fun option because it uses bananas and blueberries. And of course they suggest substituting fair trade chocolate for some of the blueberries. Did I mention that Camino offers a variety of chocolate bars? My guess is if you're not in Canada, you can find the needed ingredients in the USA.

 

Here's another recipe from Camino I know a lot of you will want to try. Double Chocolate Chip Cookies! Many people I know are crazy for chocolate. They'll always go for fudge cake and chocolate ice cream over other choices. Me, I prefer carrot cake and vanilla. Given that, let me know, hahahaha, how you like this recipe. It looks rich and crazy good for you chocolate fiends. 

 

Want to know my take away after discovering these recipes online?  It's time to pull out your grandma's cookbook and start doing some ingredients substitutions. Even if you haven't located fair trade sugar or cocoa powder, I know you can find some amazing chocolate bars. Time to break them up and start substituting them for the chips you might otherwise by at your local supermarket. What do you think? My grandma's cookbook dates from 1945. And I think it's time to do some updates. My updates might just be the way to everyone's heart! -ND

My Drawings. Dunitz Fair Trade Jewelry!

Many of you know, I've taken up drawing. And you know I love showing off some of my works after I've used Photoshop to add Dunitz & Company jewelry. It started with a class I took in 2019 with a talented artist, Isis Rodriquez in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. If you're looking for a teacher I highly recommend her. She actually teaches via Zoom now as well. (I know, because I have another talented artist friend who has studied with Isis remotely.)

 

Here are some of my more recent drawings with jewelry you could either be selling in your store or wearing on your ears or wrists.  

 

 

Let me know which are your favorites. Favorite earrings. Favorite bracelets. Favorite drawings. (Should I start taking commissions?) Let me know how your doing and how we can add to your personal style of store shelves. -ND

Holiday Spirit - We Adore Seeing Through Windows & Behind the Windows

I love scrolling through Instagram and Facebook feeds and discovering the holiday spirit our customers share. Unfortunately most our Dunitz & Company retailers are far away from us. I sure wish I could experience their festive mood firsthand. Just in case you're near any of these stores, please please please go check them out! Supporting small is so important!

 

The season's flavor always starts at the front door. We love how Animas Trading of Durango CO decorated their front door with a red ribbon!

Could this storefront and window be any more amazing than it is? I don't know how The Artful Nest could top this. If you're near Marrieta, PA, definitely stop into this store.
 

 

 

 

 

 

I love seeing big decorated trees! They really spice up the displays, don't you think? This one was spotted at Bunyaad Fair Trade in Lititz, PA

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another decorated tree. Ah, I love it. I know Creative Women of the World of Fort Wayne, IN is well stocked. Definitely check them out :)!

 

 

 

 

Stores that sell vintage (and new stuff too) always seem to have very cool stuff on display in their windows all year long. What do you think of that little red radio flyer wagon at Eclectic Calico of  Madison, NC?
 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm tellin' ya - it's always festive at Floral & Hardy of Skippack, PA! They've so many decorated trees, I didn't know which one to share here. I love how they've added beautiful flowers - which for a super duper garden center makes sense.

 

 

 

 

 

Who wouldn't want to ride this bike turned into a table? And especially at Christmas time with the wheels all adorned with tinsel. Find this festive display at Frame Gallery Gifts & Art of Sewanee, TN :)!
 

 

 

 

I confess, I snagged this pic only as Humankind Fair Trade was "starting" to decorate their window. But that smile and the snowflakes got me going. If you're near San Luis Obispo, CA you'll need to check out this wonderful store.
 

 

 

 

 

 

This window literally says Merry Christmas! And that's some of brightest festive writing we've seen on our retailer's windows. Check out Molly's in Leland, MI. Did I say they have a terrific selection of jewelry?
 

 

 

 

 

Over the Rainbow in Fort Davis, TX definitely is showing the holiday spirit this year. I love this bright display you see when you look in the window, and from this view, when you're looking out the front window.
 

 

 

 

 

 

I spot a lighted tree, a sled and a llama! (Or is that an alpaca?) What is more wonderful than this winter wonderland view? If you're near Berea, KY please stop in at PeaceCraft.
 

 

 

 

 

Finally, there's nothing more fun than seeing a window lit up at night. Why not check out Summer House Designs of Port Townsend, WA during business hours. We've been told our jewelry is up front and center when you enter their store. (You know I liked hearing that!)
 

Do you have a photo you'd like me to add to this post? Bring it on. Dunitz & Company is always about collaboration over competition. I'd love to share your store with our blog audience. Happy Holidays! -ND