VIETRI

VIETRI Marketer in the News

2012-01-25T12:01:00.003-05:00

I’m so proud of VIETRI’s past Marketing Director, Cara Fratto, who left us for Saks Fifth Avenue and a position directly responsible to the Saks’s Vice President of Marketing. After all, she’s family. Cara is doing a fantastic job as one of the youngest statewide marketing directors nationwide. Cara’s sister is now Director of Sales and Marketing for VIETRI and her mother, Donna Fratto, is back with us in a new capacity after being Head of VIETRI Customer Service and manager of one of our top customer stores in Maine. Those family genes are superior!

Enjoy this article about Cara in a recent publication from her M.B.A. alma mater.

Auguri a Cara!

-Frances Gravely, VIETRI Founder

Look out for Lastra!

2012-01-20T14:32:00.017-05:00

VIETRI showed its first Italian stoneware dinnerware collection to the press in New York last fall. Editors jumped at the opportunity to borrow it for their magazines coming out this spring. Look for Lastra on an upcoming national March magazine cover featuring a table setting for Easter!

Lastra’s first public appearance, in Martha Stewart Wedding’s Winter issue, lists some of VIETRI’s top stores introducing the new stoneware across the country.

We are so excited to hear that our VIP and Villa VIETRI retailer in Denver, Homefest, sold every Lastra piece from their first shipment and has a future bride listing Lastra in her registry. Several Lastra couples already cover the country from California to Mississippi and Manhattan, in addition to this beautiful, newly married, young couple from Italy!

They used their Lastra during a dinner with my sister and CEO, Susan Gravely! We love how they mixed the white and gray together. So chic!

With old-world character and contemporary simplicity of design, Lastra has the strength of commercial dinnerware. Twice fired at stoneware temperatures, Lastra is oven, microwave, freezer and dishwasher safe and highly resistant to chipping and breaking.

From Italian culinary history comes Lastra’s original design. An overlapping wooden mold, used for centuries to form Parmesan and other cheeses throughout Italy, inspired Lastra’s rustic yet chic shapes. Lastra is Italian for “strap.” The overlap of the strap creates an interesting extra dimension on a rim or body of a bowl or mug.

A dusting of brown at the edges suggests the ash that was used to preserve these artisan cheeses and highlights each unique silhouette.

Handformed in Tuscany, Lastra’s organic shapes reflect contemporary design and old-world inspiration. So it nestles into a wide range of home décor styles and adds its own character to each setting. I think there’s a masculine strength in the simple shapes that echo the wooden, cheese-holding strap. The cup and mug handles even look like straps and are generous in size for big fingers. The smaller bowl handles are also strap-like in dimension.

Even the bases of Lastra pieces are overlapping straps with personality to be enjoyed while stashing plates in the dishwasher.

We’re thrilled at VIETRI to find that Lastra appeals to the young and the older buyer. Many VIETRI collectors are looking for new designs to replace selections made decades earlier.

We already know that Lastra is a star for VIETRI’s history. Immediate press enthusiasm and sell-through in stores are marks of a hit. Our Tuscan manufacturer and product design team predicted strong success for Lastra dinnerware.

I’m so glad they’re right.

How do you like Lastra? Please let me know!

- Frances Gravely, VIETRI Founder

Shoe Love at VIETRI

2012-01-13T16:22:00.015-05:00

I was just giving an interview to Kelsie Allen from Chapel Hill Magazine today with colleague Stef Perry, one of our product development specialists. Stef and I simultaneously admired our visitor’s stiletto taupe patent heels as we were moving to our showroom. We complemented her and mentioned that VIETRI’s public relations coordinator was wearing similar fuchsia heels today. So of course the two high-heeled ladies met in the showroom and compared heights, as you see below.

Ellen couldn’t resist showing Kelsie one of our newest handpainted collections, Countryside. Kelsie warmed our hearts with her complements.

Notice on our guest the leopard belt. It just matched the pattern on our product specialist’s skirt. Ah, Fashion!

It was a highly satisfactory visit. Happy Friday!

-Frances Gravely, VIETRI Founder

LOVE IS IN THE AIR

2012-01-10T11:48:00.005-05:00

It’s January, when engagement announcements begin, thanks to holiday proposals. Romance is in the winter air!

In late December I received word of an upcoming wedding from two favorite young writers in the LA movie world - with clear instructions not to attend. Coleman and Jenifer would marry romantically alone on New Year’s Eve in a luxurious California hideaway, San Ysidro Ranch, near Santa Barbara. No parents or other family and friends were invited.

On December 30th the couple would enjoy their “rehearsal dinner for two” when they’d read notes from those relatives and friends back home before retiring to their cottage at the ranch. On the next day, New Year’s Eve, they would be married and then honeymoon there too. On New Year’s Day they’d return to LA as Mr. and Mrs. Coleman Herbert, rested and glowing.

On December 20th, I was with three other close friends of the groom’s mother at the historic Carolina Inn in Chapel Hill, N.C. where we reveled over details of the upcoming wedding. Excitedly we brainstormed our wedding gift for the beloved couple and concocted a special delivery for them on their wedding day.

Next we asked our bartender to photograph us in mid-toast to the engaged couple. Over another round of drinks we wrote our congratulations.

A graphic designer friend laid out our creations a few days later. I printed our photo and message on white card stock and sent it to California for hand delivery to the newlyweds….

Our message reads:

Dear Coleman and Jen,

We STARS celebrate your wedding in Chapel Hill!
May greatest happiness shine in your married life together!

When you have time during YOUR celebration, please go to www.vietri.com and pick out your choice of VIETRI products worth $1,500.00 and send your picks to fgravely@vietri.com with the address to which our wedding gift should be sent.

We love you and are SO PROUD of you!

Mary, Diana, Frances and Betsy

Now we can’t wait to see which VIETRI pieces they pick for their LA lives together. I’ll keep you posted. What do you think these 30-something sophisticates will choose? I’d love to know your predictions.

Felice Buon Anno,

Frances

OC Tanner

2012-01-06T13:11:00.004-05:00

I had a wonderful time at OC Tanner, an incredibly elegant store in Salt Lake City. Vickie, the VIETRI sales rep, has bonded with the store and the buyer. We received a note from Bob Martin, the buyer, saying that VIETRI was the best-selling group they had for the holiday season. He is the one to thank for encouraging VIETRI for the store. The building is a library with a center round stairway with two floors of jewels and a top floor of gifts.We could not be in a more beautiful store!

Take a look at...

The Christmas event was elegant and fun. Bob's wife was the caterer and the food was extraordinary. They created amazing displays!

Old St. Nick Canape Plate, Bellezza Holiday Salad Plate, Rosso Vecchio Dot Charger, Red and White Stripe Accent Napkin and Dot Drinkware combine to make the ultimate holiday place-setting. Fabulous tablescape!

Susan and Vickie

I met such extraordinary people in Salt Lake City!

What a fantastic event! I am looking forward to many more in 2012!

-Susan Gravely, VIETRI Founder

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-22T16:04:00.001-05:00

Happy Holidays from our family to yours!

This just in.

2011-12-12T16:08:00.012-05:00

From Italian culinary history comes a new strength in design and durability. An overlapping wooden mold, used for centuries to form Parmesan and other cheeses throughout Italy, inspired Lastra's rustic yet chic shapes. A dusting of brown at the edges suggests the ash that was used to preserve these artisan cheeses and highlights each unique silhouette. Handformed in Tuscany of Italian stoneware, Lastra is microwave, oven, freezer and dishwasher safe.

Susan and Frances received the following note from Barbara Strom, owner of VIETRI Villa, La Bella Vita, with her reaction to VIETRI's first Italian Stoneware Collection...

Dear Sisters,

What a fantastic product this new Lastra is! Very different, yet it has the same whimsical charm as Bellezza with the shapes, detail and the unique finish. Yet it is cleaner with no frills. It has a rich luster to it and a velvet smooth feel. I have put it in the entrance...accenting with red. I'm very excited about it. VERY EXCITED!!! Good job!...No, Great Job! Trend leading, fantastic introduction!

Love,

Barbara

In 1996, VIETRI's Cucina Fresca collection made history as the first in the casual dinnerware revolution. In 2011, VIETRI introduces Lastra, predicted to make a revolution all its own.
Be a part of the revolution.

Join Susan this weekend!

2011-11-30T17:04:00.004-05:00

VIETRI Founder Susan Gravely is taking a trip out west this weekend and she wants you with her! Susan will recount the story of VIETRI's beginnings and share Italian style and decorating ideas. She will even be signing your purchases with special Italian phrases. What a wonderful time to start your holiday shopping! Check out her schedule over the next few days and join her at these fabulous events!

Utah

Thursday, December 1
6:00 PM - 9:00 PM
OC Tanner
Salt Lake City, UT

Colorado

Friday, December 2
11:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Villa Home Decor
Lone Tree, CO

Saturday, December 3
1:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Homefest
Greenwood Village, CO

'Tis the season to be jolly....

2011-11-30T16:10:00.007-05:00

It is finally time! Holiday gift-giving will soon be here so start your shopping now. Here at VIETRI we have created a gift guide just for you, full of the must-have items of the season. Click here to see our top picks!

Exclusive scoop just for you....

2011-10-19T08:55:00.030-04:00

What is the hottest holiday item of the season and our latest obsession? It's a one of a kind, exclusive, limited edition Old St. Nick Platter, signed and numbered by Alessandro Taddei (famed Old St. Nick artisan) himself!

Does it get better than that? Handpainted in Italy and ONLY 1800 created. Add it to your personal Old St. Nick collection and watch your friends swoon or give it as a gift to someone special...it even comes boxed! Not already an owner of Old St. Nick? Spruce up your holiday dinnerware with this treasure! This platter is absolutely not to be missed this season.

So how do you go about getting your hands on such a piece? This must-have item is only available during the nationwide Festa VIETRI event being held November 3-5 at stores all over the country. Click here to find a participating store near you and find your platter! Hurry, each store only received a limited amount and they are going to go fast!

VIETRI Fall Warehouse Sale

2011-10-03T11:20:00.010-04:00

Thank you so much to all who attended our Fall Warehouse Sale this weekend! It was a huge success and a fantastic time was had by all! The energy and excitement were at an all-time high and we thought you might like to hear some of the wonderful stories we heard- straight from our guests!

First a word from our winner!

When Dana, my friend who knows about all things VIETRI, told me to register for the VIP tickets I thought “Why not?” I had no expectation that I would actually win. By 10:30 am Saturday morning I had a gorgeous selection of goodies from the VIETRI semi-annual sale, had met Susan the co-founder and owner and enjoyed an insider’s tour with Lisa, head of marketing at the company. What an amazing and wonderful surprise. VIETRI is unique. The products are a slice of the Beautiful Italian Life and the people who make up the company’s workforce delight in sharing that experience. Thank you so much on behalf of myself and Dana. It was a splendid morning.

-Naomi Lambert, Winner of VIETRI's VIP Tickets!
....

We were first timers at the VIETRI outlet since we live in Arnold, MD. I originally read about the outlet in a featured article in Bon Appetite magazine several years ago and always wanted to visit the outlet. We loved the cheering section, the pleasant enthusiastic employees, your energy, and without a doubt the products themselves. I originally purchased my first VIETRI from a small boutique in Annapolis that has since gone out of business. I purchased the Cucina Fresca. Since the visit, I now own 8 dinner plates and 8 bowls of the the Rosso Vecchio and 8 bowls of the Marina Blu.
-Andrea Mucci, Arnold, MD
....

Hi to everyone at VIETRI,
Had a great time at the sale on Saturday. This was our first time coming to your sale. We live in Durham and I have worked in Mebane for the past 11 years. Always saw your billboards on the highway, but just this year decided to check it out. We visited your outlet store in August on our way to the mountains on vacation. Found out about the upcoming sale and marked our calendar to attend. Glad we did! Bought a lot of nice gifts. We were #102 & 103 in line.
Thanks,
Vern & Mary Bell
....

Ciao, Frances and Susan Gravely and "tutti" at VIETRI Warehouse Sale!
We appreciate so much the opportunity Saturday, Oct. 1, to be at the Warehouse Sale, in order to spread the word about Orange County Habitat for Humanity's Women Build 2011, our partnership with the Thwai family to build a home in Phoenix Place, Habitat's Orange County community of energy-efficient homes.
Everyone on staff was so helpful and cheerful! Obviously, they enjoy working with the VIETRI products, and we enjoyed watching all the beautifully crafted pottery and lamps, in extraordinary colors and glazes, as they left the warehouse in people's carts! The linens and baggage items were colorful as well...of course, we had to shop, too! The satisfied customers from near and far were interesting and interested in the coupons you provided for a return visit October 6 - 31 that would benefit the customer and Habitat! Such a nice gesture to provide a way to further help with Habitat's work.

For all the contributions to so many non-profits by VIETRI, for providing jobs, business and quality products in this area....
Mille Grazie, VIETRI!
Binnie Davis, Deborah Roach
Women Build 2011 committee members
Orange County Habitat for Humanity
....
Ellen,
We saw Susan today at the sale and she asked us to write a short note to you telling why we come to the sale. My mother, Jacque Robins, is now 83 and we have made it a tradition to come to the fall and spring VIETRI sales. She loves the employees there and we always enjoy catching a glimpse of Susan and/or Frances. It’s a wonderful outing and one we cherish….and the VIETRI treasures we have collected through the years have such fond memories associated with them! We love living VIETRI style in her home and mine! We enjoyed our visit today!
We have a third generation VIETRI connoisseur who couldn’t be with us today…Cameron…who is 22 and has started her own collection as a new graduate of UNC and living on her own…VIETRI style! It is always a special treat when she can come with us to the big sale~!
Blessings,
Carol Robins Battle

Thank you so much for your kind words and support everyone! We hope to see you again in April for our Spring Warehouse Sale!

Mystery Man

2011-09-23T08:57:00.004-04:00

It was 2:00 on the sunny Friday afternoon before the Saturday VIETRI Warehouse Sale when a handsome man, looking about 45 years old, in a dapper business suit entered the VIETRI central office to ask the receptionist if she could tell him exactly where the first person in line for tomorrow’s VIETRI Warehouse Sale would stand on Saturday morning.

The receptionist, in disbelief that she’d heard him correctly, asked him to repeat the question. The second time, he asked the same thing. The receptionist led him out the front door of the VIETRI building and pointed discreetly across the wide green lawn to a spot where the employees’ driveway entrance met Elizabeth Brady Road that ran in front of our #343 building.
With that, the man crisply walked to his BMW, drove just past the spot and parked on the side of the road, got out of his car and removed a tall folding chair from his trunk and set it at the exact spot to which our receptionist had pointed. As she watched him from her receptionist post, he sat in the chair and pulled out his cell phone and made a call.

I’m talking about a man who looked like he could be the local bank president or CEO of a major company.

After an hour or so, the gentleman left his seat and moved to the driver’s seat of his car, remaining there indefinitely.

Speculation ran through the company about what could be the story of this well dressed, handsome man who was parked in his car with a chair outside set first in line for our sale the next morning. Susan’s and my mother was at VIETRI that afternoon, having arrived from Rocky Mount with dozens of fresh doughnuts for our staff who would be working the sale the next morning – a tradition of several years. At 4:30 she was leaving to go home and decided to solve the mystery. With her southern charm, she stopped by the BMW in her station wagon as she departed and the gent lowered his window to speak to her.

“We’re delighted you’re here and most curious how you’re so early for our Warehouse Sale tomorrow…” she mentioned, a bit doubtful of her hypothesis.

“Yes!” he chirped back proudly. “I made a bet with my three sisters over Labor Day that I would beat them in line for the VIETRI Warehouse Sale this year," he said with a laugh.

By 6:30 p.m. that evening, the sisters had arrived too and were seen drinking a glass of wine with their brother as the last VIETRI employee left for the evening. They got special applause from our staff as they entered the Sale first the next morning!

People don’t come quite as early any more for our annual Fall Warehouse Sale. This year it is October 1, 2 and 3 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily, and it’s just as full of treasures and bargains. Hope to see you here!

Click here for more details and sign up for a chance to win VIP tickets!

-Frances Gravely, VIETRI Founder

Back in the Good Old Days...

2011-09-13T10:57:00.007-04:00

The VIETRI Home Office is a rather handsome big warehouse with offices in front and a long, wide lawn that gently slopes downward to Elizabeth Brady Road. As I admire the expanse of green with morning sun sparkling upon it, I remember the early VIETRI Warehouse Sale days, when on a Friday early evening before the Saturday Sale the lawn would be filled with small groups of avid Sale shoppers sitting around their tents sharing glasses of wine or other drinks as they prepared to sleep out. They wanted to be first in line for the Saturday morning Sale. Sorority sisters, groups of family members, good friends from work, college or home towns would gather in reunions to chat and dine on take-out food from Hillsborough but more often from picnics brought in huge coolers in the back of SUV and station wagons. A dozen to twenty groups might be assembled for the pre-Warehouse Sale camping adventure, folding chairs, blankets and sometimes even a gas fire warming excited shoppers on a cool October evening in Hillsborough, North Carolina.

Somehow the early arrivals kept a list of each person in the order they arrived at VIETRI’s lawn and this became the order in which these first-comers would be in line for the Saturday morning Sale. We heard there was a lady from nearby Durham who would arrive early Friday afternoon to be the organizer of “The List,” but no one at VIETRI ever met her, so we assume this was just a rumor.

Concerned for our Sale campers, VIETRI would hire an off-duty policeman to guard over them for the night. Around 8 p.m. VIETRI CEO, Susan Gravely, and her husband Bill would arrive with Italian red wine and plastic cups to share with each of the camping groups. They’d walk from group to group to welcome camper shoppers and thank them for caring so much to be there early, and they’d share tales of their love for VIETRI. What a sense of togetherness!

The happy anticipation of the campers only ignited excitement for all VIETRI’s employees as we looked forward to rising early the next morning to be at VIETRI by 7 a.m. for last-minute preparations before the sale started at 8 a.m. sharp. Just as 8 arrived, all the VIETRI staff would form two lines at the entrance of the sale and we’d applaud and cheer as the shoppers would walk into our fenced-in selling area outside the warehouse. We wanted to especially thank those early campers who’d braved a cool evening on the VIETRI lawn to be the first to get those one-of-a-kind samples and other VIETRI treasures sprinkled among the many tables piled with VIETRI products.

I miss those early campers. Those were really fun times for all. Our staff still gather to applaud those first shoppers who enter our enormous Warehouse and Outlet area packed fully for our annual Fall Warehouse Sale. Don’t miss it, especially if you’ve never experienced it. October 1 -3 from 8 to 2 at 343 Elizabeth Brady Road just south of downtown Hillsborough.

CLICK HERE for more details and directions. We are looking forward to seeing you!

-Frances Gravely, VIETRI Founder

VIETRI's First Warehouse Sale

2011-09-06T12:53:00.011-04:00

The first VIETRI Flaw Sale (our original name for our Warehouse Sale) was in the living room of my house.

My husband and I gave up our second living room in 1984 to be the VIETRI office for my sister, our jack-of-all-trades assistant and me in our first operating year. Our fourth VIETRI worker was a college student who would come by the house from the University of North Carolina campus to pick up orders and then would drive twenty miles to our rented warehouse space in Durham to pick and box the orders until the UPS man came in the late afternoons.

We collected enough slightly flawed pieces from our handcrafted, handpainted dinnerware, plus a few samples of things we’d considered adding to our line of products for top specialty stores and Neiman Marcus, to have our first company sale in the fall. The items filled our dining room table and a slew of tables we assembled on the big covered porch that ran along the back of the house.

We advertised by calling everyone we knew in town who would like VIETRI. That Saturday morning at 8:00 – just as there has been for every VIETRI Fall Warehouse Sale – there was a line of excited ladies, and a few men, waiting in line for the front door to open.

I remember how thrilled Susan and I were that our town’s famous ex-movie star and the president of the university’s wife were almost first in line at 7:45 a.m. The president’s wife, Mrs. Friday, was chatting breezily with lots of people in line and continued to do so when the door opened at 8 a.m. Her dear friend, Mrs. Kaiser, the ex-movie star, promptly quit talking at 8 and dove silently into the house and along every horizontal space piled with VIETRI treasures.

For years, Mrs. Friday would talk about how her friend Georgia got all the best bargains and she missed them all due to “visiting” with shoppers. Famous throughout our university town as great friends, Mrs. Kaiser never gave up one of her VIETRI treasures to her best friend, Mrs. Friday. They returned to our annual Fall Sale for years and both shopped silently and intently from start to triumphant finish. Today, our Warehouse Sale is brimming with special Italian handcrafted products now retired or slightly flawed, samples and even especially ordered items. Perhaps Mrs. Kaiser and Mrs. Friday will be good models for many a successful VIETRI shopper, though it’s now so ample in products – that it’s more easy going today! So please join us October 1-3, 8 a.m.- 2 p.m. at our Warehouse in Hillsborough for the 2011 Fall Warehouse Sale and help us continue a great tradition!

Check our website for more details and early bird tickets!

-Frances Gravely, VIETRI Founder

VIETRI Insider Club

2011-08-29T14:34:00.006-04:00

I’m so proud of my sister, Susan Gravely! Last Saturday morning, she got spiffed up and drove from Chapel Hill to VIETRI to greet about 25 VIETRI shoppers at our Outlet Store for an Insider Club tour. Susan gave them a tour of our warehouse and shared the story of how our mother took us to Italy on a mother-daughter trip and we all three fell in love with handcrafted colorful Italian dinnerware and started VIETRI from that trip. I know the enthusiasm she shared and how it’s just as contagiously strong because it comes from the Italian artisans who create VIETRI’s dinnerware and glass, garden pieces and wall décor with generations of passion and pride.

It makes our day to have a response like this one:

Just a note to thank you again for a fun and inspiring visit Saturday August 20 for your Insider Tour, something I have been hoping to attend for a while.

I am enjoying my latest Vietri purchase from Saturday’s outlet store, and it was a hard choice among so many tempting offerings. I look forward so much to returning in October for the “Big One.”

When I consider the entire Vietri line since the 1980’s, I have to think that it has added so much beauty to so many homes. I am really grateful that the ‘three lives’ made a choice to take a risk and start an enterprise that has brought so much fun and excitement around America’s dinner tables. We can serve our best recipes with confidence and pride as you make it easy to set a beautiful table. Every time I bring a covered dish to a group buffet of friends or co-workers, your serving pieces get their share of the attention and ooh’s and aah’s just as does the food offerings. I can think of nothing to match Vietri in its charm and appeal and beauty. I have had so much fun shopping your outlet store over the years and am so sorry I did not discover it a decade earlier.

Many thanks and all the best for your continued success, and for your support of artisans and their handiwork.

Sincerely,

Terry Jones
Midlothian, Virginia

I hope Terry's note will inspire readers to become a member of our Insider Club! Join the club and you will have the opportunity to meet one of VIETRI's founders and get your Insider card which gives you a 5% discount on all future purchases at the VIETRI Outlet store and bi-annual warehouse sales. Put October 1, 2 and 3 on your calendars for VIETRI’s Fall Warehouse Sale from 8am to 2pm.

We hope to see you in October!

-Frances Gravely

You're Invited....

2011-08-23T14:48:00.004-04:00

Hey Brides and Grooms!

Stop by one of the locations listed below and celebrate your engagement with a VIETRI representative!

Cary, NC – Cary Towne Center
Greensboro, NC – Friendly Center
Durham, NC – Southpoint Mall
Raleigh, NC – Crabtree Valley Mall
Winston-Salem, NC – Hanes Mall
Charlotte, NC – SouthPark Mall
Trussville, AL – Colonial Pinnacle at Tutwiler Farm
Flowood, MS – Dogwood Festival
Knoxville, TN – West Town Mall

We are looking forward to seeing you on Thursday!

SAVE THE DATE

2011-08-05T14:28:00.005-04:00

VIETRI FALL WAREHOUSE SALE

October 1-3, 2011

Mark your calendar now!

A Fabulous 4th?

2011-07-01T09:42:00.034-04:00

Blu Bianco Canister

Incanto Baroque Serving Bowl

Rosso Vecchio Dot Cachepot

Curly Q Cobalt Napkin and Red Dot Wine Glass

Rosso Vecchio Dot Charger, Bianco Charger, Marina Blu Charger

Beloved Tory Burch

Rustic Garden

Incanto Mare Antipasti Server

Blu Bianco Assorted Salads

Terra Linens

Rosso Vecchio Tavern Pitcher

Marina Blu Square Platter

Bellezza

Today at VIETRI, we are all back from our 4th of July celebrations (not too shabby to have Monday on a Wednesday!) and this morning was filled with chatter discussing our long holiday weekend that we all so enjoyed. Over our coffee mugs and cubicle walls, we heard tales of a clambake with family on the cape...a poolside cookout with friends in the Hamptons....fireworks in Charleston...hiking in the North Carolina mountains...turns out this VIETRI family knows how to celebrate! 4th of July is a time often filled with food, fun and a whole lot of red, white and blue. Why not go ahead and get your patriotic pieces ready for next year's big event? After all, it is America's birthday and the party should be just right. Check out VIETRI's many selections and be prepared in plenty of time. Now we are all dying to know...how was your 4th?

-Ellen Thompson, VIETRI Marketing and PR Coordinator

Gifts for the Girls

2011-06-17T14:39:00.037-04:00

Rustic Garden Terrace Mini Scallop Cachepots

Bellezza Amore Plate
Poppy Canape Plates

Incanto Mare Aqua Turtle Votive

Leaf Dipping Bowls

Incanto Scallop Three Part Server

Bellezza Large Oval Platter

Uccello Small Rectangular Plate

Incanto Amore Plate

Rustic Garden Terrace Knot Cachepot

Incanto Metallic Ridged Vase

Harlequin Assorted Cordials

Your sister, your college roommate, a couple of sorority sisters and maybe your fiance's cousin...they will all be there by your side the day you say "I do". Bridesmaids, shridesmaids...they are your girls! They will host your shower, plan your bachelorette party, address your invitations, help you pick out flowers and do their best to keep you sane. When it all comes down to it, don't they deserve a little gratitude? I should say so! Selecting the right bridesmaid gifts can be one of the hardest parts of planning your wedding. So many varying tastes and personalities in the group, how do you know what will work for all of them? You need something special, something unique, something to make them remember your day...and VIETRI has just the thing!

Most of the fabulous bridal images were taken from The Knot and Martha Stewart Weddings, both essential go-to guides for all you brides-to-be!

-Ellen Thompson, Marketing and PR Coordinator

"It's a nice day for a White Wedding"

2011-06-08T14:51:00.063-04:00

Bellezza

Clear Dot Drinkware

Incanto

Aladdin Brilliant White Flatware

Bellezza Tall Handled Vase

Bianco Tavern Pitcher

Bellezza

Bellezza Large Platter

Incanto Lace Rectangluar Tray

Incanto Candleholders

Incanto Small Ridged Vase

Incanto

Bellezza Medium Platter

Incanto Medium Lace Cake Stand

Incanto

Incanto Baroque Round Platter

Incanto Bottle Vases

Incanto Large Lace Cake Stand

Incanto Stripe Handled Platter

Is it finally here? Did he finally put a ring on that finger? Are you dreaming of peonies and lace veils? Deciding on casual beach wedding or swanky soiree? Traditional princess bride or a funky trendsetter? Whoever you are and whatever you're thinking, I do believe I have an idea for you. How about something sleek and sophisticated..something a bit unique perhaps?

WHITE WEDDING.

I know, I know your dress is supposed to be white, but what about everything else? White is so white-hot right now and yet it is about as classic and timeless as you can get. Unless you've been under a rock for a while, I'm thinking you may have heard that there was a royal wedding a couple of months ago. When it came to dressing herself and her wedding party, Princess Kate pretty much had her pick of any designer in the world, not to mention any color scheme under the sun. And what did she choose you ask? W-H-I-T-E. Pippa and the mini bridesmaids looked heavenly in their cloud-colored attire. As smashing as that was...why not take it all the way? White tables, white flowers, white accessories, white dinnerware, white flatware, white dresses, white lights...clean, sophisticated, chic. Sounds like a recipe for glamour to me! Where will you find beautiful, handcrafted Italian accessories in white to use on your big day? You have come to the right place my friend. VIETRI has just about everything you need to make this wonderful white wedding a whimsical wonderland.

So get to planning girl! Click here to find one of our many retailers all over the country participating in the Simply You National Bridal Trunk Show and pop into one near you to ask them about VIETRI's white collections and wedding accessories! They may have just what you are looking for.

Most of the fabulous bridal images were taken from The Knot and Martha Stewart Weddings, both essential go-to guides for all you brides-to-be!

"It's a nice day for a white wedding..."

-Ellen Thompson, VIETRI Marketing and PR Coordinator

Simply You, Simply Fabulous!

2011-06-02T14:51:00.006-04:00

Simply Elegant Look at The White Orchid in Estes Park, CO

At A Southern Season in Chapel Hill, NC...

Simply Fresh with a twist

Simply Elegant Look

Simply Elegant and Simply Fresh at NOFO in Raleigh, NC

Simply Fresh Look at Caterina, Ltd. in Columbus, OH

At Abbellimento in Lake Geneva, WI...

Simply Elegant Look- Abbellimento at Lake Geneva

Amber and Smoke Optical Drinkware- Abbellimento at Lake Geneva

Simply Chic Look- Abbellimento at Lake Geneva

Simply You National Bridal Trunk Show is in full force nationwide! Brides, there is no better time than the present to register for your favorite presents! Click here to find a participating retailer near you!

Happy Wedding Planning!

Simply You, Simply For You

2011-05-26T10:14:00.027-04:00

I’m thrilled to hear stories of Simply You success from Holli Draughn, VIETRI’s National Sales Manager. Here is a little bit of what we heard from Holli when she returned from her travels this week...

“The excitement around Simply You is absolutely unbelievable. I went to stores in New Jersey and Michigan, all participating in the month-long (May 20 – June 20) promotion. The displays all look amazing. Best sellers are featured along with over-the-top statement pieces. VIETRI marketing materials are everywhere for customers to learn more.

Retailers – and shoppers - were thrilled with the three Bridal Looks and all agreed that this was a great way for VIETRI to partner with their retailers and customers. Several engaged couples were in stores on the first day to register for VIETRI and receive their gifts – as were VIETRI shoppers who wanted the gift-with-purchase.”

Catch the VIETRI buzz by visiting the stores our Holli Draughn just visited: The Banyan Tree in Upper Monteclair, NJ, Latona Specialties in Garfield, NJ, The Polished Plate in Haddonfield, NJ, Cose Belle in Franklin Lakes, NJ, The Summit Sampler in Summit, NJ, European Elegance in Madison, NJ, Papers Plus in Grand Rapids, MI and The Italian Dish in Birmingham, MI.....

The Banyan Tree in Upper Monteclair, NJ

The Summit Sampler in Summit, NJ

Papers Plus, Grand Rapids, MI

Cose Belle in Franklin Lakes, NJ

The Polished Plate, Haddonfield, NJ

Latona Specialties in Garfield, NJ looked fabulous for Holli's first event of the trip!

The Italian Dish in Birmingham, MI...

European Elegance in Madison, NJ....

Click here to find stores in your area. Don’t miss this exciting bridal trunk show event happening now in 157 stores across the country!

This event is simply for you, our great VIETRI collectors. Grazie!

-Frances Gravely, VIETRI Founder

Simply You in Full Swing

2011-05-25T09:43:00.006-04:00

The Simply You National Bridal Trunk Show has begun with a bang! We thought you would enjoy taking a peek at some of our favorite photos we have received from our stores so far....

Simply Chic Look- The Italian Dish in Birmingham, MI

Simply Chic Look with a twist- Robert's China in Houston, TX

Simply Elegant Look- Molto Bella Boutique in Ormond Beach, FL

Simply Fresh Look and a fabulous bridal display at Interior Digs in
Lauderdale-By-The-Sea, FL

Don't our stores look fantastic? You have GOT to see the rest! Click here to check out all of the extraordinary displays that are popping up all over the country!

Happy Simply You Everyone! Brides, you better get going!

"Your Something Blue"

2011-05-17T11:34:00.035-04:00

Marina Blu

Incanto

Navy/Cream Greek Key Napkin

Rustic Garden Terrace

Sorbetto Aqua

Aqua/Cream Greek Key Napkin

Blu Bianco

Bellezza Sky Blue

Incanto Aqua

Aladdin Blue Brilliant

Blu Bianco

Planning your wedding consists of making one decision after another. White Satin Ball Gown or Ivory Lace Sheath? Band or DJ? Roses or Hydrangeas? Buttercream or Fondant? Emily Post wrote the book on wedding etiquette, but who was it that coined the saying..."something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue?" Whoever it was has gained quite the following. Most brides are determined to abide by the rules of this riddle on their big day. Whether it's aqua shoes or sapphire earrings, the wife-to-be is going to want it somewhere. So, I can't help but wonder...if blue brings good luck by wearing it on your wedding day, why wouldn't it bring good luck by having it around you everyday? Relax brides, VIETRI has you covered! From table to garden, we have enough blue to bring good luck to you, your groom and maybe even your new in-laws! So ladies, get to planning and when you register don't forget to add that lovely, lucky something blue! If registering is still on your to do list, now is a GREAT time to check to see if your local VIETRI store is participating in Simply You National Bridal Trunk Show.

Most of the fabulous bridal images came from The Knot and Martha Stewart Weddings, both essential go-to guides for all you brides-to-be!

Happy Planning!

-Ellen Thompson, VIETRI Marketing and PR Coordinator

Simply You...Simply Us

2011-05-10T10:55:00.007-04:00

VIETRI's first-ever national bridal trunk show starts in just two weeks in stores nationwide and the buzz at the office is undeniable- we are all so excited! Especially for this celebration, our showroom stylists created top bridal displays for stores to use for their bridal registries.

There are three very different bridal looks to choose from- Simply Elegant, Simply Fresh and Simply Chic- each look representing three very different brides. When the stylists first unveiled these looks to our Sales and Marketing team, three of our most recent brides were each drawn to a different look. The more I thought about it, the more I noticed how perfectly each "look" fit our differing personalities and styles......

Simply Elegant Bride
Holli Draughn, VIETRI National Sales Manager

Holli met her groom in 8th grade and when they finally tied the knot in October of this year, they had been together longer than some couples stay married these days! Holli was glowing at a beautiful southern wedding, decorated with rich autumn colors and surrounded by hundreds of guests in High Point, NC. She was so excited to finally become a wife to her longtime love, Travis, and she knew right away what she would register for. The Simply Elegant Bride has a classic style and puts a new twist on tradition. We watch Holli walk into work every day, perfectly put together- not a hair out of place and a different pair of Tory Burch flats to match each adorable outfit. Always elegant, Holli chose to mix Bellezza Celadon and White for a timeless look. She loves Aladdin Brilliant Tortoise Shell flatware and she has recently added a classic Optical drinkware to her collection to complete the look.

Simply Fresh Bride
Lisa Boyles, VIETRI Director of Sales and Marketing

Lisa met Ben four years ago while out and about with friends. The two stuck it out through years of Ben studying in dental school and both commuting back and forth between Raleigh and Chapel Hill. When the groom finally surprised her with an antique engagement ring, Lisa was elated! A wedding was planned for September in Portland, Maine. It was a beautiful setting for a beautiful couple. Ever the style icon at VIETRI, Lisa knew right away what would be on her registry. The Simply Fresh Bride can create a casual or formal gathering with ease. Lisa is the eternal hostess and she always looks flawless in one perfectly (J Crew or Anthropologie) tailored ensemble after another. Choosing a polished look for her home was a no-brainer. Bianco and Sorbetto Aqua create such a clean, fresh table and Lisa fell in love with the new Greek Key Linens! The clear Aladdin flatware is such an easy addition to every table setting and the Clear Dot Drinkware adds a playful touch.

Simply Chic Bride
Ellen Thompson, Marketing and PR Coordinator (aka...me)

I first saw my future husband while he was playing in his band two weeks before my scheduled move to NYC. After a few visits back and forth, my "Devil Wears Prada" moment was over and I was home in Raleigh with my handsome musician! The ring followed pretty soon after and a fall wedding was in the works. The Simply Chic Bride is a glam girl who loves to shine. Now, I don't know about all that- but I do love fashion and keeping it funky with my clothes and my decorating. When VIETRI introduced Incanto Metallic and Aqua, I was totally captivated! I registered for Incanto my first go-round, but if Aqua and Metallic had been available it would have been the buttercream icing on my four-tiered cake. These fabulous accents were quickly added to my wish list and will bring the perfect pop of glamour to all of my everyday tabescapes. The Smoke Optical Glass would have absolutely been my first choice on the registry and that taupe Greek Key Linen has my name written all over it.

Click here to get the scoop on VIETRI's Simply You National Bridal Trunk Show and go ahead and mark your calendar for May 20- June 20!

Which bride are you?

-Ellen Thompson, Marketing and PR Coordinator

What will I give my mother for Mother's Day?

2011-05-02T16:52:00.041-04:00

Harriet Beecher Stowe said, “Most mothers are instinctive philosophers.” Though I did not birth my children, my step children and nieces and nephews would probably say this is MORE than true!

So what VIETRI items would I give my mother for Mother’s Day and why?

Nothing makes me happier than birds in the spring with their new babies – nurturing their little bodies, preening their coats, and coaxing them to fly. I would first give my mother our new Bellezza White Handled Platter with the little birds on the border. The engraving comes from 13th century markings used to decorate church altar cloths and the birds hop with happiness and freedom. It is made of a dense terra cotta which is very durable and chip resistant for entertaining! The handles are easy for carrying which would be important for Momma.

Next, I would give her four Clear Dot Champagne Glasses. I would bring peach juice and prosecco and invite her two best friends. They have all traveled to Italy a lot, so we would celebrate those years of exploration, toast Harry’s Bar in Venice where the Bellini was created, and have lots of laughs!

My mother, Lee, loves flowers more than anyone I know. I would buy the Sara’s Vista Utensil Holder and fill it with a big bouquet of poppies, her favorite! She would tell me the story of her travels through the poppy fields in Tuscany, or about the time we stopped on the highway for her to pick the wild bright red ones she saw! We would hug each other and have so much fun remembering our travel days together. If Frances was with us, she would add some fantastic tales!!

If I could not find poppies, I would pick out a Rustic Garden Terrace Pistachio Scallop Mini Cachepot and find a small gardenia topiary to put inside. Nothing is more beautiful or more sensuous than a gardenia. Momma would be very happy.

Just for something extra, I would place the Bellezza Amore Plate with a favorite piece of milk chocolate on her pillow before I headed home. I would probably cut out a heart from a scrap piece of paper, find a red or green pen, and write “I am so lucky you are my Momma” ......

If I stayed for the night, I would wrap four new Campagna Mugs - the cow for its color, the sheep for its peacefulness, the rooster to greet the day, and the rabbit for its sweetness – to add to her collection that my sister Frances, Momma and I bought on our first trip to Italy when we decided to start VIETRI. We would have a delicious cup of coffee in the morning with something probably sweet and gooey, and I would ask her lots of questions about raising her four children, and what were her greatest joys.

I would tell her in numerous ways that she was the BEST MOM in the world – even at 85, and me at 60!!

And since she probably has most everything else from VIETRI, I would give her time, just time to talk and be together and love each other the most we can!

Happy Mother’s Day to all!

Click here to see these and more gift ideas for Mother's Day!

-Susan Gravely, VIETRI Founder and Product Designer

Royal Wedding Fever hits VIETRI

2011-04-25T17:20:00.007-04:00

Us VIETRI girls have been on Royal Wedding Watch for weeks...all of us have been tuning in to the specials about William and Kate and discussing them during lunch. We are even waking up early on Friday to watch, so we don’t miss a minute of the “Wedding of the Century!”

The frenzy got us thinking about the couple’s registry- what would be on the royal registry? What do you get the couple that has everything? Diana and Charles created a registry which got a lot of flack for being “vulgar.” They registered for “gourmet barbeque tools and a pair of cockatoos”- just what every young couple needs, right?! Kate and William have chosen to forgo a wedding registry all together, and are asking guests to donate to a charity in their names: (http://www.royalweddingcharityfund.org/)

But let’s just pretend for a moment that they did create a registry…with VIETRI of course! With European aesthetic and young, fresh style, our collections are fabulous, even for the next Queen of England!

Kate would love the Bellezza collection in Buttercream and Sky Blue. It would be a great choice for her casual china since it can go in the dishwasher – and we know she will be washing these dishes, as they aren't taking a staff like most royals. They intend to live life like any “normal” couple doing their own shopping, cooking and cleaning. The future Princess of Wales is "just like us" after all! ;)
Bellezza seems like it would perfectly fit her casually elegant style. For a custom look, she would mix it with Sara’s Vista salad plates to remind her of her hometown of Buckleberry, England’s spring countryside.

If she is a girl after my own heart, she would have to have fanatastic wine glasses. Kate and William would love our Optical Drinkware – it has a formal, sophisticated look – but is still dishwasher safe. For their flatware, we imagine they would choose our Marellato Collection – it is a favorite of VIETRI brides and we think Kate would love its unique, hammered style.

What VIETRI would you register for if you were the next Queen of England?

-Margaret Brooke, VIETRI Sales Coordinator

Come on and celebrate!

2011-04-20T14:32:00.022-04:00

You celebrate your birthday, your graduation, your wedding, your new job, the purchase of your first house, the birth of your first baby....if you're like me, you can pretty much find a reason to celebrate anything! Here's a really good one...what about celebrating good old Mother Earth? She makes it all possible...after all, where else would we host all of these fabulous celebrations?

Friday is Earth Day, so come on and celebrate!

From the clay VIETRI Artisans use to mold the products, to the glass they use to create the handblown recycled glassware...VIETRI makes going green look good. Most of the collections produced by our artisan factories focus on the importance of their country - the earth which gives them the clay and the colors of the landscape they see everyday.

Italian artisans create natural products whose forms and decorations are inspired by Nature herself. With natural glazes, metals, glass, wood and clay in its purest form, VIETRI's treasures honor the earth.

"Nature uses human imagination to lift her work of creation to even higher levels"

-Luigi Pirandello, Italian Writer 1867-1936

The Earth gives so much to all of us, isn't time to give back to her? What are you doing to celebrate Earth Day?

-Ellen Thompson, Marketing and PR Coordinator

Are you ready for Easter?

2011-04-13T14:51:00.013-04:00

The weather is finally warming up, the flowers are blooming and one holiday in particular is on everyone's mind! Whether it means church or brunch, an Easter egg hunt or a family dinner, Easter tends to hold a special place in most of our hearts. VIETRI wants you to celebrate in style this Easter. Campagna is our first choice for entertaining at Easter, maybe because it has such special meaning in VIETRI's life....

Over 25 years ago, a mother, Lee and her two daughters, Frances and Susan, took a magical trip to Italy.

While having dinner in a restaurant at the San Pietro Hotel on the Amalfi Coast, the Gravely ladies fell in love with the colorful, handpainted dinnerware they were served on. They traveled to the local Solimene factory where the dishes were created by local artisans.

Upon learning there was no major importer to the US of this beautiful, handcrafted Italian dinnerware, they spent three days in the factory, with their car driver as interpreter, identifying favorite patterns and pieces for wholesale, learning the names of shipping companies in the US and leaving with dreams and plans to create a company to import handcrafted dinnerware from Italy. VIETRI was born that summer of 1983.

VIETRI's first show was the New York Tabletop Show. Susan went up to New York with a trunk full of samples and met with Mr. Gene Wolfe who rented out the public rooms of a hotel around the corner from the huge permanent showroom building at 225 5th Avenue. Susan showed Mr. Wolfe our products and talked about how wonderful they were. That night, Gene went home to his business partner wife and told her about meeting the most attractive Southern girl with colorful great looking Italian dinnerware. “ Too bad we don’t have any more exhibit space, “ said his wife. “Well,” he said, “all she needed was room for a small table to set her place settings and a small cupboard to show the accessories. I decided we had just enough space for that beside the registration desk!” And so, VIETRI made it into the show!

All the savvy buyers stopped by the Prince George Hotel to see the newest products by up and coming vendors. Cynthia Marcus herself saw VIETRI, fell in love with just it as the Gravelys had, and put in an order for Campagna for ALL the stores. We were REALLY up and running! Neiman Marcus is still one of our top accounts today.

VIETRI has grown from a small company representing one Italian factory to the largest Italian importing company in the American tabletop industry. With approximately 40 employees, VIETRI now serves a customer base of over 2,000 top specialty stores in all 50 states, plus Canada, England, Mexico, Europe, South America, Asia and Australia.

Do you have your own magical story to share?

-Ellen Thompson, Marketing and PR Coordinator

Go on, GET GLAM!

2011-04-12T14:31:00.020-04:00

Skirts...shorts...tops...nail polish....heels...handbags...bangles...where is your hint of shine this season? Metallics are back in a big way ladies. The beauty of this trend is that glitz and glam is made effortless- all you need is a touch of silver or bronze added to your neutrals to make a chic statement. Lamps...wall plates...candlesticks...platters...chargers...vases...bowls...make your home just as fashionable as you are with a few pops of VIETRI's brand new metallic pieces!

Snake Glass

Etruscan Metallic

Elle Decor May Issue features Incanto Metallic

Tortoise Shell Glass

*All fashion images were found on: http://www.instyle.com/instyle/package/springtrends/photos/0,,20460115_20459067,00.html http://www.refinery29.com/go-for-gold-in-springs-shiniest-metals-dresses-makeup-shoes

Happy Tuesday Everyone!

-Ellen Thompson, Marketing and PR Coordinator

Could it be?

2011-04-08T16:24:00.013-04:00

Everyone has their guilty pleasures right? Chocolate, vino, celebrity gossip magazines...you know you have one. Mine just happens to be reality television. Who's with me? Can you resist the variety of Housewives and all the other reality deliciousness on Bravo? Come on ladies, be honest! I, for one, am an avid Bravo TV watcher (much to my husband's dismay) and I just about jumped out of my skin when the stylist for a new Bravo show called me about using a few VIETRI products on the set! She told me the new show would follow pregnant socialites, their fabulous lives and their choices of the best of the best, including the help of a Maternity Concierge....is this ringing a bell yet? It's Pregnant in Heels!

Rosie Pope, Maternity Concierge on Pregnant in Heels (Check out her shirt while you're at it... what did I tell you about Blue and White Print?)

The first episode just aired on Tuesday April 5th and let me tell you, it is just as enticing as I had hoped. I will keep you posted when our products do show up, but until then...keep your eyes peeled for VIETRI on these high-society tables and let me know what you see! *Rosie's image above and all of the information about Pregnant in Heels can be found on http://www.bravotv.com/.

Happy Friday!

-Ellen Thompson, Marketing and PR Coordinator

A True Testament

2011-04-06T14:15:00.005-04:00

Susan Gravely received the following note from one of our top VIETRI Sales Reps yesterday....

Susan,

I have been using the same ONIEDA flatware for over 30 years and finally decided to do something about it. I already sell a ton of Martellato to my customers, so since I really believe in it, I ordered it for myself. I absolutely LOVE it. The feel, the look and everything about it. Anyway, I wanted to thank you for the "HOME RUN"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you,

Joan Flowers (VIETRI Florida Sales Representative)

VIETRI Founder Frances Gravely will be at La Terrine in Manhattan NEXT weekend!

2011-04-04T16:44:00.013-04:00

I’m going to Italy for April 9 and 10..in New York City at La Terrine…a wondrous store where you are transported to Italy and France! Please join me between 1 and 4 pm at 1024 Lexington Avenue, on the East side, on Saturday, the 9th – or 280 Columbus Avenue on the West side on Sunday, the 10th. I’ll be signing our handcrafted Italian pieces, sharing stories of artisans and design, and celebrating VIETRI’s honor in having La Terrine join the elite 14 stores in the USA that are VIETRI Villas. Breath-taking handcrafted European dinnerware, glassware and tabletop treasures – many discovered by owner Deborah Friedman from master artisans’ workshops each year

– swell the heart with harmonious colors, patterns, shapes and taste of old-world Europe and leading trends. As A VIETRI Villa, La Terrine carries the very best of everything handcrafted from our company – dinnerware, glass, flatware to linens, lamps to wall decor, our most fabulous ceramic serving pieces and glass accessories. Enjoy a full bridal service with registry and room to put your choices together with expert advice and personal guidance of La Terrine’s staff. Please join me for a sip, a bite and be transported to Italy at La Terrine, on the East side of Manhattan on April 9th or the West side on April 10th, from 1 to 4 pm. We’ll feel like we’re in Italia!

-VIETRI Founder Frances Gravely

Get it Right with Blue and White

2011-04-01T11:40:00.019-04:00

Blu Bianco

Blue printed pieces have taken the runway by storm this season! Mix the funky designs or add a pop of bright pattern to an all-white look. Top your trouser jeans with a blue and white printed blouse or pair blue floral high-waisted shorts with a white tee, just don’t miss out on this trend. When it comes to bringing this fashion on home...never fear, VIETRI is here!

Blu Bianco

In January, VIETRI introduced our press favorite of the season, Blu Bianco. Glazed in white and handpainted in Tuscany with navy, cobalt and pale blue, this collection hits the nail on the head of this blue and white printed trend. You may remember a previous blog about how Tory Burch visited us at the New York Gift show and chose this collection for her home. Can you get more trendy than that?

Not ready to commit to a table of all blue and white? Our Greek Key Linen in navy would be the perfect way to bring a touch of this craze to your white tablescape.

Greek Key Linen

*All of these fabulous fashion images were found on:

http://www.refinery29.com/spring-trend-to-try-now-printed-blue-pieces?page=1

Hop on the blue bandwagon!

-Ellen Thompson, Marketing and PR Coordinator

Giada De Laurentiis and VIETRI

2011-03-30T13:26:00.016-04:00

Watch Everyday Italian with Giada De Laurentiis on the Food Network and you are sure to see VIETRI! The Cucina Fresca dinnerware, canisters and baking dishes are frequent guests on her show. Cioccolata and Chiaroscuro dinnerware and baking dishes have also been known to make an appearance. Take a look at this link to see exactly which pieces Giada loves to use: http://www.foodnetwork.com/shows/everyday-italian-set-list/index.html Giada has a great fan base here at VIETRI, so when there was an opportunity for some of us to meet her, the office was wild with excitement! Giada came to McIntyre's Books in Fearrington Village (Pittsboro, NC) about a year ago for a book signing for her latest cookbook. Susan and Frances had the chance to visit with her and present her with some gifts from our Incanto Collection! Will you look at her charming thank you note? Talk about a class act! VIETRI is proud to be associated with such a fabulous celebrity! Who is your favorite Food Network star?

-Ellen Thompson, Marketing and PR Coordinator

Lake Geneva Bridal Walk

2011-03-28T12:07:00.003-04:00

The Lake Geneva Bridal Walk is a one day event that offers couples planning to wed the opportunity to get ideas and individual attention with our local shops, restaurants, hotels and wedding related businesses. Stroll the streets of historic Lake Geneva on Sunday, May 15th and indulge in everything wedding. Considered one of the nation’s most romantic destinations, Lake Geneva will host every aspect of wedding planning for the soon-to-wed couple! Register to attend the Lake Geneva Bridal Walk at www.mylakegenevawedding.com. Prizes and gifts offered from participating businesses.

Color Block

2011-03-25T13:57:00.024-04:00

I can't make a trip to New York without at least stopping by good ole' Bloomy's! I was in the city a few weeks ago and the window displays were spectacular as always. The focus was on the-brighter-the-better-bold colors, which just happens to be my favorite spring trend. I couldn’t help but notice how each color coordinates perfectly with the colors of VIETRI...

Emerald Green is right on trend- just ask Elle Decor who featured our Aladdin Green Flatware in the latest issue!

Aladdin Green

Blue, blue, blue, boy is it time for you!

Marina Blu

Blu Bianco

Rich red is red-hot in clothing, home decor and bridal this season!

Rosso Vecchio

It seems like every week another magazine editor is asking me for yellow product for an upcoming story- this bright sunshine yellow is about to be all over the press, so you better hurry up and get it in your home!

Yellow Greek Key Napkin

Fantasia Yellow

What's your favorite spring trend?

-Ellen Thompson, VIETRI Marketing and PR Coordinator

Southern Lady March/April Issue

2011-03-24T16:25:00.010-04:00

VIETRI's versatile styles are perfect for any spring soiree! Whether displaying elegant wedding cakes or serving fresh fruit, Southern Lady shows that VIETRI is a must-have for this spring season!

Custom cake toppers look fabulous atop Incanto's Large Lace Cake Stand.

Spring strawberries look vibrantly delicious served in a Bellezza White Medium Handled Serving Bowl with Duetto Flatware.

Roman Pewter Flatware, Incanto serving platters and dinner plates create a nautical theme for a festive maritime gathering.

Happy Spring Everyone!

Click here to see VIETRI's New Product Preview

2011-03-18T10:58:00.003-04:00

Happy Friday! Jump start your weekend with a quick peak at VIETRI's brand new collections!

VIETRI Stars in the Movies

2011-03-17T09:36:00.008-04:00

Have you ever seen a piece of VIETRI in the movies?

We’ve appeared lots of times! Those Cosmopolitan drink glasses for the Sex In the City girls were VIETRI’s. So was the Puccinelli Classic wine glass Carrie often sipped across the outside café table with Mr. Big.

Yet VIETRI has never paid a penny – or a Euro – for placement. Set designers, prop masters and prop houses love VIETRI.

Our Marketing Department often receives telephone calls from leading prop houses in New York, California and elsewhere asking to borrow or buy some of our great colors, patterns and shapes in dinnerware and décor.

Years ago, when I felt like the octopus-of-a-thousand-hands heading up VIETRI’s Marketing Department, I got a call from Tina Elmo of HBO. (We’d worked together frequently and had quite a friendship.) She was in distress.

A live shooting of Sex in the City, during their first year on TV, set at Barney’s on Fifth Avenue had been scrapped. Tina said they had to create a studio set overnight of a Barney’s interior for a reshoot. Would we pick out three shelves worth of VIETRI dinnerware and glassware, about 4 feet wide and 4 feet high, that would look like it was in Barney’s? Oh, did our team have a ball!

Fortunately, VIETRI had experience with Barney’s as a customer so we knew “our store.” Boxes of VIETRI were shipped overnight to HBO’s studio across the river from Manhattan. Oh, what fun we had brainstorming the pieces and patterns that would be best for HBO!

Our tip for today is that a sunny, big, hand-thrown platter from VIETRI – from our microwavable Fantasia Yellow Dinnerware, style number FNT-2628Y - is in the current Little Fockers movie. A studio bought it from Terrestra, one of our VIETRI stores in San Francisco, California.

This may not be as exciting to you as Faith Hill & Tim McGraw owning VIETRI’s red Rosso Vechio Dinnerware…but it surely is to us at VIETRI. We’ll send a little gift to the first VIETRI fan who describes where in the film you’ve seen this VIETRI Star Platter. We want you to be our star!

Frances, VIETRI Founder

a note from Italy...

2011-03-14T15:43:00.009-04:00

Salve sig. Susan
Le invio questa email per fargli vedere l'opera in carta pesta che abbiamo fatto quest'anno, e' stato interamente creato da noi , dal progetto alla modellazione e anche la decorazione. Giorno 5 marzo e' venuto a trovarmi a Sciacca Gianfranco Savio (Biordi art import) parlando con lui le ho detto che ho conosciuto lei tramite telefono. il sign Savio mi ha parlato bene di lei dicendomi che da molti anni che la conosce e mi ha spiegato della vostra bellissima realtà aziendale.
cordiali saluti ceramiche Schittone

This note was written to Susan over the weekend. He says that this was entirely created and made and decorated by them in paper mache for the Carnival. On March 5th Gianfranco Savio from Biondi Import visited him and he talked highly about you and Vietri. Matter of fact, Schittone visited San Gimignano last fall and he brought Ferdinando anchovies from Sciacca, a nice guy…

Ceramiche Schittone.

This is a wonderful story of a vendor in Italy that we have worked with who creates incredible displays to support Carnevale in his town in Sicily! The work of MANY hands!

House and Garden Day at the Palm Beach Garden Club

2011-03-11T14:48:00.014-05:00

In crates and boxes, our product was set off to the booth space, for the Palm Beach Garden Club fete. With beautiful herbs and flowers to adorn, our VIETRI Garden booth on March 6 was born.

The ladies were happy, their clothing pastels, their straw hats with ribbons, all were feeling swell! Beth and friend Ethel walked the booths and then back to us to purchase napkins and cachepots without any fuss.

Cachepots and flowers and hats and new baskets Jewelry and goodies - everything was fantastic until the rains came and our friends held on tight, even the umbrella was struggling to stay upright.

Alas, all was successful, the goodies and flowers were seen, the houses and gardens for all were supreme. The rains did end, the next day was a delight and Beth and I walked the Four Arts gardens - and oh, what a sight!

Beth's friends and garden colleagues were gentile and happy, our contribution to the Garden Club, I hope was quite snappy.

I returned to Chapel Hill, VIETRI and my life
So honored to be a part, for a day, of Beth's Palm Beach delights!
Thank you dear Beth and Weegie and Cindy and Roxanne and Kathryn and Bobby........ and all the wonderful people who made the Garden Club Flower show such fun!

Love,
Susan

Ethel Kennedy was there!!

Party in Los Altos!

2011-03-10T12:02:00.005-05:00

5-8 pm Friday, March 11, at Cover Story in California!

One of VIETRI’s cool stores in Northern California annually has “A Spring Fete” with wine, bites and new displays of the newest and greatest of gifts, tabletop and fabulous finds for Spring. I just happened to be talking with owner, Craig, this week and learned the hot tip. It’s always fun and hip.

These quick pics hint at the sparkle.

Sara's Vista Collection has the newest impressionist paintings of Italian spring on fab accessories to make your solid colors blossom!

New is Blue! Blu Bianco in Cover Story

Go by if you can be in the area! And please let us know your new VIETRI faves.

-Frances Gravely, VIETRI Founder

A Note from a Wonderful VIETRI Customer

2011-03-07T11:03:00.010-05:00

Hello!

I just felt I needed to write. I have loved your Vietri products for years. I just wanted to say that Sara's Vista is the most beautiful Vietri I have seen to date. I just love it and hope that you will add more pieces to this marvelous collection. Sarah Bellini's Wall Plates and Square Platters make my kitchen look like it is filled with original paintings! A little trip to Italy in my mind each time I step into the room!! The colors will work so beautifully for my Easter and Spring Colors.

Please tell Sarah Bellini that she has a big fan in America!

The pattern Sarah's flowers is also very beautiful. So bright and cheery you can't help but smile when you look at them. In the Fall I bring out your Landscape Wall plates and square platters. I feel like I am in Tuscany - the bounty of the season displayed in the sun.

My husband's grandfather came from the Lake Como area of Italy. Which makes these pieces extra special to our family. Thank you for bringing a little of Italy into my home!

Sincerely,

Jeanne Ann - VIETRI Customer of Creative Interiors in Yuba City, CA

Hot White

2011-03-02T09:42:00.005-05:00

WHITE is a hot trend for 2011 in fashion, weddings, home décor – everything. We’ll tell you why and how VIETRI is a part of it!

Fashion trends say too much dark is not good. So, white was a great contrast to black on recent runways. It’s cute, feminine and gives a great chance to make the world lighter and more exhilarating.
White cakes show off fashion-forward sparkles, calligraphy and petals especially well.
In home décor, use white VERY DELIBERATELY – not as the absence of color. Think: “I want a white lamp and wall decor to punch up my room.” Not, “I don’t know what color to add so I think I’ll choose white.” Consider matte white on glossy white, or bright white with creamy white.

VIETRI’s GOT WHITE – Bianco, Incanto and Bellezza

Bianco is bright white in simple, clean shapes – some old classics from Italy’s 14th century peasant pottery and some contemporary additions – with strong character and practical microwave usability.

Incanto is sculptural, varied, the white-glaze-on-chocolate-clay highlighting the curves and deeply embossed details. Italian patterns with stripes, baroque curves, ruffles and lace mix serenely due to the white-color unity. Men love the weight and gutsiness. Everyone loves the microwave, freezer, oven and of course dishwasher strength!

Bellezza is more southern-French in personality with intricate details embossed with ancient Tuscan tools on hand-formed shapes. The lighter weight contrasts Bellezza’s durability for frequent microwave and dishwasher use. Great style for daily entertaining.

WHITE is never out of style!

-Frances Gravely, VIETRI Founder

Oh You Brides!

2011-02-23T17:50:00.004-05:00

Calling all you lucky brides to be...check out our fabulous new combinations to complete your new table with your new husband!

It's almost time!

2011-02-22T17:14:00.001-05:00

Mad Men Star Picks VIETRI

2011-02-21T10:16:00.004-05:00

There’s always a “silent buzz” in the VIETRI Showroom whenever a celebrity is visiting. I remember Carly Simon visiting VIETRI incognito at the New York Gift Show, buying for her store in Martha’s Vineyard. We’d always respect her desire for privacy.

At the Atlanta Gift Show recently, there was a surge of warmth when handsome Bryan Batt shopped for his home design and gift store in New Orleans, Hazelnut. He’s exuberant and fun – exactly the opposite of his Mad Men character, the surly, chain-smoking Art Director, Sal Romano. (We do like the way he’d talk to his mother in Italian during episodes.)

With his life partner, Tom Cianficchi, Bryan was like an old friend chatting with VIETRI’s Sales and Marketing Director, Lisa Boyles, as he admired our newest Optical Drinkware, Organica Accessories and Tortoise Shell Platters. He added some new groups to the Incanto and Bellezza White that he sells like mad to his New Orleans customers.

It was like an Italian party. Bryan told us proudly of his recent memoir about his mother, an amateur actress and dancer. We complemented his very Italian name in Mad Men (Salvatore Romano) as he ordered our handcrafted Italian products. Below are a couple of Bryan Batt’s picks for Hazelnut, a great store that reflects his many talents.

-Frances Gravely, VIETRI Founder

Frances goes to Florida

2011-02-17T12:06:00.003-05:00

I'm getting ready to go to one of my favorite places in all the world...Fabec-Young in Naples, Florida! Fabec-Young is a fantastic store and between Mama, Susan and myself, we have been there at least 6 times. The displays are always stunning, the food and wine are always fabulous and the customers can't be beat! I will be there on Saturday afternoon between 1 and 4 and I am looking forward to seeing all of our VIETRI fans and friends!

I hope to see you there!

-Frances Gravely, VIETRI Founder

The PUBLIC helps choose VIETRI’s Bellezza for One Lucky Bride

2011-02-14T11:44:00.004-05:00

Who helped you pick your Wedding Dinnerware when you were a bride?

Who’s influencing you the most if you’re a bride now?

Today’s bride usually consults her mother, her fiancé and even her friends. She probably gets advice from bridal consultants in stores. Maybe she researches ideas online too.

Not Erin Byrd.

Her dinnerware choice was most influenced by the Vote of THE PUBLIC!

Erin and her fiancé Jeff Kinzie of Greensboro, NC won their VIETRI Bellezza Dinnerware, VIETRI flatware and VIETRI glassware… by winning the Triad Dream Wedding contest.

Wouldn’t you vote for them too if you saw them in the local paper?

Most readers did…and so they visited The Extra Ingredient, a kitchen, gourmet and tabletop store in Greensboro where owners Martha and Art Nading helped them narrow their favorites down to 5 dinnerware, glassware and flatware combinations.

The public was then invited by the local newspaper to vote online and, thus, identify the TOP THREE CHOICES which you see above. VIETRI’s Italian glassware and stainless flatware were the top pick for all three options!

And the final winner by Erin and Jeff…..

Bellezza Dinnerware in Sky Blue mixed with White. That’s VIETRI’s Puccinelli Glass and Martellato stainless flatware.

They’re part of a $32,000 dream wedding package the lucky couple won! If 30 people let us know you want to hear more, we’ll tell you more details next week.

Happy Valentine's Day!

-Frances Gravely, VIETRI Founder

CELEBRITY SIGHTING! And she LOOOOOVES VIETRI!

2011-02-03T13:49:00.004-05:00

Tory Burch just visited VIETRI’s booth at the New York Gift Show this week – and not for the first time! Our “VIETRI Girls” – sales and marketing staff – love her style already…so you can imagine how thrilled we are that Tory loves VIETRI.

Want to know her favorites?

We’ve known that blue is back… call it navy, cobalt or marine… Our Blu Bianco is the tip of the wave of fashion for BLUE & WHITE…

Blu Bianco is Tory’s pick too!

Blu Bianco ( “Blue White” in Italian) home décor and serving pieces lead the color trend! The original designs from China go back 900 years – here now with a new twist of Italian style. Some of the botanic motifs recall recent Hermes scarf patterns.

Salad plates are great for brunch or lunch - and mix with solid dinnerware to update your look! Put them on your wall, table or mantle to decorate when not dining.

We hope to tell you about more celebrity fans of VIETRI later.

For now, pick up some new Blu Bianco to enjoy life with Tory’s fave and VIETRI too! Blu Bianco will be available in stores and online in March!

VIETRI wins Academy Awards of Tabletop in Dallas!

2011-01-25T17:15:00.005-05:00

Susan and Holli accepting the award!

VIETRI just won the Academy Awards of the home decorating industry on Saturday, January 22. For the 4th time, VIETRI won the ARTS Award for Best Tabletop Company in the world, presented during a gala evening at the Dallas Market Center.

From a huge, swish stage, glamorous industry stars first read the three Tabletop nominees with enormous screens running video clips about the companies. We’ll admit VIETRI got the loudest applause even then.

Next, THE envelope was opened midst a hush. As VIETRI’s name was read, spotlights beamed on CEO Susan Gravely and National Sales Director Holli Draughn who floated, also beaming, to the elegant stage to accept the crystal award.

It was truly just like Hollywood. Everyone at VIETRI is thrilled! We were also greatly moved by two retail store owners who won the 2011 ARTS Award in their categories and who thanked VIETRI from the stage for our company’s contribution to their success. This was just as sweet because we’re truly in the business to help our beloved retailers as much as the maestro Italian artisans who make our products.

VIETRI has been nominated (secretly, by stores, sales representatives or other manufacturers and retailers) every year since the Tabletop award began in 2005. There are ARTS Awards given to retailers, sales representatives and designers, as well as to wholesalers. By accepting the nomination, one agrees to create a book presenting company history, philosophy, differentiation from other companies, product pictures and descriptions. VIETRI has accepted the nomination four times, made four unique books and won the ARTS Award all four times!

As we wrote in our entry books, we owe our success to our master Italian artisans, the best stores in the world to whom we sell, and to you, who join us in our passion for design, color, craft, style, history and creativity... and so much more in these still-irresistible VIETRI treasures.

Grazie mille! (Thank you a million!)

Frances Gravely, VIETRI Founder

CEO Gravely with Goetz Showroom Owner, Leon Goetz

Taste of the South

2011-01-25T13:28:00.003-05:00

Hot new Incanto Aqua is featured in the February/March Issue of Taste of the South!

ARTS Awards

2011-01-24T10:30:00.004-05:00

VIETRI is honored to be a 22nd Annual ARTS Awards Winner! The ARTS Awards is an annual collaborative effort by Dallas Market Center and the Accessories Resource Team (ART) to recognize the best in the decorative accessories industry. Receiving an ARTS Award is the most prestigious honor for outstanding achievement in retailing, manufacturing, sales representation and product design. We are so excited!

Chilly Night

2011-01-11T13:56:00.009-05:00

What a perfect night for comfort food! Try our VIETRI recipe for Pasta e Pomodoro and wow your crowd tonight! The Affresco platter and pasta bowls add the perfect touch to cozy dinners like this.

Cozy Winter Display

2011-01-06T14:45:00.003-05:00

What a cozy winter display at Spaces Unlimted in Grand Rapids, MI! Wouldn't you love to curl up by the fire and enjoy a meal at that table?

Happy Holidays!

2010-12-26T12:07:00.001-05:00

VIETRI hopes you and your family have had a happy and restful holiday!

Old St. Nick

2010-12-20T10:44:00.001-05:00

VIETRI tries their hand at painting Old St. Nick!

Tea Time Magazine

2010-12-17T16:56:00.003-05:00

Tea Time Magazine features a fabulous holiday table full of VIETRI in the November/December issue! Bellezza Santa White, Rosso Vecchio, Rosso Vecchio Dot, Incanto, Red Stripe Napkins and Aladdin flatware make a festive combination!

Beloved Deer

2010-12-16T10:10:00.003-05:00

I have 18 deer that walk along the wooded edge of my front yard each morning as I have my first cup of coffee. No longer do I grow hostas, impatiens or many other favorites of both myself and my herd.

I've decided to remember the deer worship in Nara, Japan rather than drive myself crazy.

So my heart leapt noticing the white VIETRI deer that sweetly nest in stores across the nation midst Old Saint Nick displays. When I was 14, I'd have adored such deer in my room!

These were in Abbellimento in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. Have you spotted some in your local VIETRI stores?

Frances

A Letter from Susan

2010-12-15T16:51:00.004-05:00

What an incredible day Saturday was. We had met new Vietri lovers and friends, had seen nice stores at our other events. But I was having a hard time in my heart because I had lost my incredible friend Elizabeth Edwards and was not going to be home to say goodbye.

I felt Elizabeth's spirit all around me. We arrived at Homefest with over 90 pre sold, mostly large pieces. I signed and wrote holiday words of love and friendship and positive thoughts constantly from 10-12.

At noon, Alessandro began painting beautiful pieces that everyone wanted to buy.

Six women and one man cried during the day after we wrote what they wanted on OSN or Incanto or star pieces or trees. Someone I knew in college came by with our college yearbook and 18 year old photo of me. Had not seen her since college.

The staff at Homefest laughed and enjoyed the day and each other so much. The environment was what they say in Italy "signorire" which is a high level of integrity and respect for each other and each person who came to the store.

There was no doubt that many had had so much fun with Frances last year that they came back for more. Truly, folks were laughing and staying a long time. Yes, a bit was because of Alessandro and Vietri but it was also an enormous tribute to the DiPaulo's who own Homefest.

The event was to be from 12-4, so at 6:30 the last customer left. I then completed the pre sale signing around 7:30. We all sat and toasted each other as a day well spent for all. Truly a splendid, splendid day. A day of celebrating what is really important in this tough world. Friends and new acquaintances who let their hearts express their love of life, and love for friends and family and no reticence in just saying thank you.

Thank you, my dear friend Elizabeth for sending your spirit to me that day.

Thank you, dear dear Vietri family for being the support and passionate friends and colleagues you are! Frances and I are honored beyond all to be part of your life.

Love,
Susan

HGTV- Celebrity Holiday Homes

2010-12-14T09:47:00.002-05:00

Tomorrow night, December 15th at 9:00PM e/p, tune into HGTV for an episode of Celebrity Holiday Homes and pay close attention to Brooke Burke's home! Click on the link above for more information.

City Floral in Denver, CO

2010-12-13T17:43:00.003-05:00

Mom Candace, owner of City Floral, gets her little Griffin started early on a fine Italian collectible- Old St. Nick! Here he is receiving his first piece signed by the artisan himself!

Colorado Villa Decor was bustling with holiday excitment!

2010-12-09T09:09:00.004-05:00

Colorado Villa Decor was bustling with holiday excitment yesterday at the event with VIETRI Artisan Alessandro Taddei and VIETRI Founder Susan Gravely! Pictured above are the Ewings, the owners of the store, and their family. Below is Customer Donna Henkel who bought an Old St. Nick wall plaque and met the artisan himself!

Colorado Villa Decor

2010-12-08T17:09:00.001-05:00

Linda Palmer from Colorado Springs came to Colorado Villa Decor to have Susan and Alessandro Taddei sign the Bellezza Santa since Frances signed it last year!

Colorado Villa decor

2010-12-08T11:53:00.003-05:00

VIETRI Artisan Alessandro Taddei and VIETRI Founder Susan Gravely will be at Colorado Villa Decor TODAY between 11AM and 2PM! Head over there and Celebrate Italian Holidays with some of VIETRI's finest!

A Southern Season

2010-11-30T17:34:00.003-05:00

Don't miss out on the Holiday Founder's Event this weekend with Susan Gravely at A Southern Season in Chapel Hill!

Elle Decor Thanksgiving

2010-11-30T11:30:00.004-05:00

One of the editors of Elle Decor added a Baroque Sauce Server to her chic Thanksgiving table. Everything looks so sophisticated!

Plum Pudding

2010-11-23T13:35:00.005-05:00

Take a look at Plum Pudding's fabulous VIETRI Display at the Fall in Love Bridal Show in Aiken, SC! Bianco and Cappucino on Incanto chargers are elegantly paired with Ivory Aladdin flatware for a romantic look. Don't you want to just take a seat at the table and enjoy the reception?

Music to your Mouth

2010-11-22T10:12:00.004-05:00

Vietri team tastes quail eggs atop salmon on hot fingerling potato salad by chef
Johannese Klapdohr of Old Edwards Inn, Highlands, NC at Palmetto Bluff food and
music festival where VIETRI accessorized the demo kitchen at one end of a huge tent
and Coastal Living's host tent at other end. Proud we were! Note body language of
delightful Chef. Ellen was a superb ambassador.

Southern Lady Celebration

2010-11-17T12:10:00.005-05:00

VIETRI Founder Susan Gravely spoke at a Southern Lady Celebration in Atlanta, GA last week. The weekend extravaganza was attended by 450 ladies - from many states, and many who make it an annual weekend with friends and family. Phyllis Hoffman DePiano is also shown here speaking as part of the program. Phyllis is the editor-in-chief of Southern Lady, Victoria, Tea Time, Taste of the South, Phyllis Hoffman Celebrate Christmas and the head of Hoffman Media. Hoffman Media also prints Cooking with Paul and Sandra lee Semi-Homemade. The event was created to celebrate what it means to be a true "Southern Lady"! One of our Atlanta stores, Fragile, set up a booth and sold over $10,000 of VIETRI products in 2 days!! Congratulations to Fragile and to Laura Sampson Bowers, our Georgia/Alabama Sales Rep! What an outstanding event!

The Power of Full Wagon

2010-11-17T10:01:00.002-05:00

VIETRI's mistake turns into a huge success...

Cactus Flower is an account that we double shipped by accident. Joan Flowers, VIETRI's Florida Sales Rep, and her assistant, Mary, went to the store to set up the displays and Cactus Flower has sold a good portion of both the first and second orders. They even placed a large reorder! They sold so many big pieces, Joan's head was spinning! The other reps at the event were in shock as she ran back and forth to the register with sales to be rung up. The store had the largest single day ever in her 22 year history. Joan said she knows it was due to having plenty of VIETRI stock on hand to sell to excited consumers.

A great testimony to the power of a "FULL WAGON"!

Click here to see holiday displays at A Southern Season in Chapel Hill, NC!

2010-11-17T09:04:00.002-05:00

My Favorite Things

2010-11-16T09:05:00.002-05:00

Frances signed over 100 VIETRI pieces at an incredible event at My Favorite Things in Tallahassee, FL last week! The store displays look so festive!

Pizzaz

2010-11-15T15:50:00.005-05:00

Frances had an exciting event at Pizzaz in Gulf Breeze, FL last week! With the bus full of women who traveled an hour to be there and great sales all day, Pizzaz said Frances was the hit of the season!

Pineapple Post

2010-11-12T15:17:00.003-05:00

Frances had a wonderful time at Pineapple Post in Jacksonville Beach, FL last week! What a successful event- Congratulations to Pineapple Post!!

Rosso Vecchio Dot

2010-11-11T15:16:00.003-05:00

Take a sneak peak at the making of Rosso Vecchio Dot, one of our favorite collections! Log on to www.vietri.com to stock up for your holiday table setting!

Click on this link to see the wonderful VIETRI displays at My Favorite Things in Tallahassee, FL!!

2010-11-10T15:58:00.003-05:00

Godfrey Cox Event

2010-11-10T11:15:00.003-05:00

Susan had a fantastic time visitng Godfrey Cox in Madison, GA! Great photos taken by Dianne Lively Yost. Thanks Dianne!

Page Gravely's Birthday Party

2010-11-09T11:35:00.003-05:00

Happy Birthday Page!

A very VIETRI event in Middleburg, VA! A surprise 50th birthday party for Page Gravely with Incanto, Cucina Fresca Saffron, Puccinelli glass, Old St. Nick and Campagna! The table looked amazing and the field outside Page and Donna Gravely's home was the perfect setting!

Canada joins in the Festa Fun!

2010-11-05T14:02:00.002-04:00

Canada joins in the Festa fun! At Home in West Vancouver, BC is celebrating Festa VIETRI and their own 20th anniversary. At Home was started by a mother and her two daughters…just like VIETRI!

Barrington Home Shop

2010-11-04T13:43:00.001-04:00

Barrington Home Shop in Barrington, IL has one of the best Old St Nick displays in the USA and the friendliest, most joyous staff. Their Festa will be fun, says Founder and fan, Frances Gravely.

George Watts

2010-11-04T08:56:00.002-04:00

This man is the cutest hippest store manager in Wisconsin. At George Watts in Milwaukee, go meet him! Check out his suit! Dana, left, does Watts' brilliant VIETRI displays. Go for Festa.

George Watts shows VIETRI in windows and lots of other places with elegance and style in downtown Milwaukee for Festa and fan, Frances Gravely. Visit them!

Festa Display Contest

2010-11-03T16:37:00.007-04:00

We asked our stores to send us photos of their Festa VIETRI displays to be judged by our New York design team. All of the entries were wonderful and festive, making it very hard to choose the top three! The winners all displayed creativity, diversity of product, and holiday warmth. Congratulations to the following stores:

Winner: Hollyhocks, Lubbock, TX

Second Place: Owen Allen, Winter Park, FL

Third Place: My Favorite Things, Tallahassee, FL

Yvonne Estelle's

2010-11-03T12:23:00.004-04:00

Yvonne Estelle's in Park Ridge, Chicago has hip purple linens with VIETRI's flatware and gorgeous Incanto ready for Festa visitors. High ceilings, lots of brass chandeliers and a rising VIETRI star, Yvonne Estelle's.

La Bella Casa

2010-11-03T08:45:00.002-04:00

Bella Casa in Portland's Pearl District has lots of "interior scenes" with VIETRI set. Inspires with creativity. Visit this Villa during Festa, says recent visitor Frances Gravely.

Festa Fleur De Lys Costa Mesa, CA

2010-11-02T13:50:00.005-04:00

Be happy like this customer (seen with owner and VIETRI founder helping her) by visiting Fleur de Lys in Costa Mesa, CA during FESTA! It has fabulously unusual offerings, including a crystal-covered footed tub, kitchen scenarios you can't imagine and amazing finds of the savvy owners. Also one of the fullest VIETRI displays in the USA, says Frances Gravely.
No telling what you'll find at Fleur de Lys! Founder in crystal tub Pallini!
Owners of Fleur

Barrington Home Shoppe

2010-11-01T10:37:00.002-04:00

Frances had a fabulous event at Barrington Home Shoppe in Barrington, IL! We love this Old St. Nick display they created!

Click this link to see a true VIETRI Bride!

2010-10-28T16:53:00.001-04:00

Barbara Strom from La Bella Vita in Cleveland, OH sent us this fabulous video of her Incanto Bride of the month! What a beautiful VIETRI bride!!

Spaces Unlimited

2010-10-28T09:13:00.002-04:00

Frances had a wonderful event at Spaces Unlimited in Grand Rapids, MI!

2010-10-27T16:21:00.007-04:00

Abbellimento at Lake Geneva

If you’d like to walk into a European boutique, enter Abbellimento, on the tree-lined main street of Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. Owner Kathy Francke has created a dream store of special products, beautifully displayed for dining and entertaining, home décor, garden, sending cards and drinkware… plus flatware and flirty aprons so cute I wanted to buy two and make a skirt! I’ve only touched the surface of what you’ll discover at Abbellimento. Plus, VIETRI’s handcrafted treasures from all over Italy are shown in all their glory. It’s like being in Italy!

Kathy’s taste is fabulous and the way she combines handsome pieces is an inspiring experience. It’s comfortable, casual, approachable and fun… just like the natives of Wisconsin. Abbellimento is 2 blocks from the edge of breath-taking Lake Geneva, a town that’s a natural highlight of a gorgeous state where lakes dot the tree-filled landscape. No wonder so many folks from Wisconsin stay or come back after worldly success.

Abbellimento hosted two wonderful events while I was visiting. Plan a trip there soon…and especially November 4 – 6 when, during Festa VIETRI, you can win a door prize custom made by VIETRI. You’ll be given a Reindeer Votive with your purchase of $150 of more. He’ll make you smile!

Seeing Lake Geneva and visiting Abbellimento is worthy of your Bucket List. I’ve been there twice and

Our youngest VIETRI customer!

2010-10-21T11:58:00.001-04:00

Katherine was born on the Saturday before a VIETRI Founder signing event held at Pete's Greenhouse in Amarillo, TX. This dad had an ornament signed from Mommy and Daddy to their first child

Occasions gets festive for fall!

2010-10-20T10:35:00.004-04:00

Occasions in Tampa, FL created a beautiful display with Bellezza, Incanto, Painted Palms, Jute and some of our fabulous garden pieces! Happy Fall!

Fantastic VIETRI Displays at Owen Allen in Winter Park, FL

2010-10-19T11:15:00.003-04:00

Continuing our Celebration of all things Italian...

2010-10-15T08:28:00.003-04:00

A wonderful time was had by all at Gourmet Pantry in Lubbock, TX on Wednesday, September 29th! VIETRI Artisan Franco Ammannati cooked away and served his favorite antipasti from his mother and grandmother's recipes! We signed plates, spoke with lots of customers and also were honored to speak with the Chamber of Commerce. The displays were enticing, and customers enjoyed the day!

Thank you so much, Ed and Jane Fowler, for having VIETRI and supporting us as you do. Franco and I loved our time with you - and also, the delicious Texas filet that evening!

Best,
Susan Gravely and Franco Ammannati

Celebrating the Italian Lifestyle!

2010-10-14T12:04:00.007-04:00

I recently had the pleasure of visiting one of our top customers, Domain XCIV in Fort Worth, TX, for a wonderful evening of wine, food and camaraderie! On the evening of September 30, Domain hosted their first-ever seated Italian Wine Dinner. Famed Cucina Fresca artisan, Franco Ammannati of Tuscany, accompanied me on this trip to celebrate the Italian lifestyle! Acclaimed Fort Worth chef, Asdren Azemi prepared a sumptuous, 5-course meal paired with Italian wines presented by wine and culinary expert, Guynell Whetstone.

Our day was welcomed by ghosts and goblins at the front door. Franco and I were thrilled to be at owner Mark Vaughn's absolutely beautiful store. We began to sign VIETRI purchases immediately on arrival! Each table was dressed with different VIETRI product. The chef was warm and his food was delicious. Mark greeted everyone, and Franco, the chef and I spoke on food and Italian lifestyle! The wine steward was delightful and she kept us all abreast of her favorite flavors with the food!

At the end of the night, the plates were cleaned and drink was dry - and we had signed hundreds of large, beautiful VIETRI pieces for the guests that evening and during the day!

Domain XCIV is a lovely, elegant, and warm store and we are so, so honored to be a part of it!!! Thank you Mark and team! And thank you to our rep, Shirley Thomas!

Best,
Susan Gravely

Tableware International- September/October Issue LINK

2010-10-05T11:15:00.003-04:00

VIETRI's Pallini is featured in the September/October issue of Tableware International! Click the link above and flip to page 18!

Owen Allen

2010-10-04T12:13:00.003-04:00

Take a look at this beautiful fall display at Owen Allen in Winter Park, FL!

Spread the Love!

2010-10-01T13:47:00.004-04:00

During the month of October, buy a beautiful Amore ring plate and 20% of that purchase will go to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. Visit www.vietri.com for details!

Today...

2010-09-30T09:40:00.001-04:00

If you happen to be in Fort Worth, TX, be sure to go to Domain XCIV between 11AM and 4PM to Meet VIETRI Artisan Franco Ammannati and VIETRI Founder Susan Gravely! Or, if you are closer to Los Angeles, CA, you can go to Haven & Company between 1 and 5PM to Meet VIETRI Founder Frances Gravely!