Tu Vida Jewelry & Design
300 E. Fort Ave.
410-812-2547
tuvidaonline.com
Open by appointment Monday; 1 p.m.-7 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday and noon-4 p.m. Friday and Saturday
A few years ago, sisters-in-law Melissa and Katie Ramirez decided to host a jewelry party to help raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, where Katie worked.
At the fundraiser, they sold jewelry made by Katie and their mother-in-law, Tuli Ortiz.
"That was a huge success," recalls Katie.
In fact, the party went so well that the sisters-in-law decided to start their own custom-made jewelry and stationery business, featuring Katie's jewelry and stationery designed by Melissa, who was then an art director for a local advertising agency.
And so Tu Vida Jewelry & Design was born.
At first, the sisters-in-law confined their business to house parties. But soon it became apparent they would need an office and showroom in which to greet perspective clients.
In April, they opened an office and showroom in a former locksmith shop on Fort Avenue, an event that attracted a wide range of friends, family and neighbors.
Initially they were not thinking about a retail shop, but so many people dropped by the showroom that they are now expanding the items they have for retail sale. The owners say they try to work with clients to accommodate a range of budgets, but invitations run from about $5 to $12 each while necklaces range from about $40 to $60 and earrings about $20 to $40.
Display cases in the front room feature examples of their handiwork - pearl drop earrings and necklaces, bracelets of semiprecious stones, and custom-designed invitations and note cards.
The store's name, Tu Vida, which means "your life" in Spanish, pays homage to their mother-in-law, who lives in Colombia and makes jewelry, which they sell at the store and at local festivals. But the name also captures the essence of the feeling they want to evoke among their clients, who are primarily brides looking for gifts for their bridesmaids and for wedding stationery, Katie says.
"Our main theme is we wanted each piece of jewelry and stationery to represent a person's life," Katie says, adding that she expects the clientele to evolve as the women move through life's stages.
Already, she says, they are starting to print baby shower invitations.