There are many reasons why I was drawn to Kiskadee as a customer before I became an employee last year. When I walked into the shop, I felt at home. Perhaps because our physical space is a little yellow house, but more than that, it was the sense of community that I felt upon walking in.The shelves are adorned with local goods and our customers often know each other from the neighborhood. And if you’ve been here before, you know that we pride ourselves on handmade jewelry from local designers. This is why I’m so excited to spotlight one of our local jewelry designers, Debra Fabian.Originally from Cleveland, by way of New York, Debbie has been creating affordable luxury pieces for more than 20 years. She specializes in mixing metals, pearls, and semiprecious stones and is constantly thinking of new and innovative ways to help women of all ages look and feel their best.I sat down with Debbie this week when she delivered signature pieces from her Valentine’s Day collection. She shared her insights on how she’s pivoted during the pandemic as a small business owner, where she draws her inspiration from, and a hidden secret for how we can all take better care of our silver jewelry. Q: How have you pivoted your business during the pandemic? Building relationships with my customers is what I love most about the work that I do. Before the pandemic, I frequently hosted trunk shows locally and was able to engage regularly with my customers -- some that I’ve been lucky to know since I first started my business. I have become more tech-savvy these past several months and am proud of the website I’ve been able to develop and the opportunity to connect with my clients virtually. I have also created a number of simpler pieces that I have been told, pair well with loungewear. ;) Q: Where do you draw your creative inspiration from? As someone who went to school for fashion design and has a background in the fine arts, I draw my inspiration from fashion and art history. I also am a voracious consumer of fashion podcasts. Oh, and goop! I love goop. Outside of the fashion world, I find centering myself at barre class to be so valuable. Q: What is your hidden secret on how to take better care of our silver jewelry? Take a piece of tin foil and lay it out in your sink. Then, arrange your silver jewelry on top of it. Pour baking soda over the pieces and then pour boiling hot water on top. Any tarnished areas will disappear and your jewelry will look brand new again. Of course, the main event of Debbie’s visit was seeing the items from her Valentine’s Day collection, which range in price from $29 to $45. I have to say, I’d like one of everything! Below is a sneak peek of what we have in stock: 

Trillion Studs, $39

Mini Gem-Pink 14k gold, $29

Heart Studs, $42

Garnet Flowers, $45

 Whether you’re shopping for a partner, a parent, a teen or “tween,” or someone else special in your life, I hope you’ll consider shopping local by gifting one of Debbie’s beautiful designs this Valentine’s Day.