I LOVERMONT

When we left Vermont back in July, it sure was a bittersweet moment.

Not counting the 5 years my family lived up north, I came to Vermont in the fall of 2000 to start my freshman year of college.  Brad joined me in the fall of 2003.  We lived there for years & although we had our good and bad moments, there's something about the little towns of Bennington & Woodford that really suck you in. 

I left Vermont thinking "you'll be here when we come back to visit."  And I was sure it would always be the same ol' Vermont.  I would have never guessed that Hurricane Irene would have had such an impact on those little towns & the place we called home for so long.

 

(This was taken back in 2008 in front of Wahoo's in Wilmington)

This is what that location looked like yesterday:

Remember the sweet little river that ran behind our apartment??

Brad LOVED that river!!!  But, it was bigger than ever yesterday & did a lot of damage to the house that we rented & a lot of nearby homes.  It's all so devastating & hard to grasp.

These were all taken before our landlord and the tenants were evacuated.  That black truck was washed away & from what I understand, the house is now unlivable.  If you've been to our old apartment, you will remember how far away that river was from the house.  It's amazing to see how high the water got.

Our neighbors up the road lost everything.  This is where our good friend Jamie grew up & his parents were renting it out to a family.  They lost EVERYTHING.  It is all so sad.

And if we thought Woodford got hit hard, Wilmington was almost unrecognizable.

This is a picture of Brad's old office.  There used to be a line on the side of the building that showed where the flood line of 1938 was.  If I remember correctly, I would say there is easily a foot more water in the flood of 2011.

This is just as you're entering the town (Brad's old office is in the background).  The entire town was destroyed.  It is so sad to see all of those places washed away.  Terrifying to think that sooo many of our friends had to experience this.  We are so blessed to know that everyone is safe, but wish we could be there to help!  We love you all so much and are sending so many prayers your way for a speedy recovery from this disaster.

For those who can afford to donate, please go to the {Red Cross of Vermont & New Hampshire website} to help!  Every little bit will make a difference!

We Love you, Vermont!!

**update**

I have made it out west!

After a trip across country with a few days rest outside of Chicago, we're almost to our final destination.

{See what we've been up to here}

Unfortunately, it is still going to be a few months before we find a place in CA & get our belongings shipped across the country, so we're not quite to the point of opening the store back up.  I have been resting at my in-laws in Arizona until all is finalized in CA & enjoying every moment.

I have had quite a few requests for items since going on "vacation," & I wish I could fill them all today!

Thank you to everyone for your patience & know I haven't fallen off the face of the earth yet!  I'm looking forward to opening the shop back up!  It can't happen soon enough!  Please follow us at {Keeping Up With the DeRoo's} for our most current status along this crazy journey. :-)

{Saturday Shopping Spree}: We're Moving

If you didn't know, we closed the shop yesterday for a few months.

I'm sad to have it closed, but it's necessary if I want to get any packing done for our move.

So, I have dedicated this week's Saturday Shopping Spree to moving!!!



I love those anchor note cards for writing to my family & friends.  I love snail mail... beats email any day!!!

And the anchor address box is adorable!!!

I can't wait to sit on the beaches of California, but I'm going to miss the colors & mountains of Vermont!

And, of course, everyone who moves needs moving announcements!  I can't wait to have a new address to shop for those! :-)

And how funny is that "America in my book" map?? 

So, needless to say, my butt needs to get off this computer and back to packing up boxes!

**sigh**

April is flying by.

We're going on VACATION {store closing date}

It's official... my house is turned completely upside down with the move & we are sad to announce that the store will be going into vacation mode for a few months just before our 1 year anniversary of opening the shop!!!

So, get your Mother's Day orders in this week because the store will be closing on Friday, April 15th until the hubby & I get to our new stomping grounds.

I am sad to be closing shop, but happy to know that it will reopen {in a much warmer location}.

Head over to {the store} & get Mom something special while you can!

{Saturday Shopping Spree} Play Ball

Let me start out by saying that I am a member of a Red Sox loving family!!  I grew up right outside of Philly {so, understandably, most of my friends and family are huge Phillies fans}, but my husband & I {along with my brother's family} are big Red Sox fans.  I was thrilled to see them beat the Yankees last night {it was brought to my attention yesterday that I am one of those fans that will cheer on whoever is playing against the Yankees anyway}.  So, in honor of last night's win & that baseball season has finally begun, today's Saturday Shopping Spree is all things baseball!!!

  My love for the Red Sox started when I went to college in Vermont & started paying attention to the season!  When I saw that Vermont license plate sign, I fell in love {I really will miss this state & having access to watch the Red Sox games on NESN whenever I want}.  And I am a HUGE fan of anything vintage baseball.  If my husband and I are blessed with a little boy, someday, I can just picture his room now.

I LOVE that Phillies t-shirt, if only it had a big {B} on it!!  And how adorable is that AL East sign??

This may be my favorite Saturday Shopping Spree, yet!

Be sure to head over to the shop & get a necklace to cheer on your favorite team this season.

{You can find them here in the shop}

We even have baseball mit charms that can be added for only $5 extra!

These can be customized with your favorite team & their colors!

They're great for your little leaguers, too!

Get a necklace to match their team name & let them know you're cheering them on!!!

{Saturday Shopping Spree} In the Navy

My hubby & I have big news...

You can read about it {here}

So, in honor of our big news, today's Saturday Shopping Spree has a sailor theme

I think, at some point, I'm going to need to invest in that "Home is where the Navy sends us" sign & that lovely journal to jot down all of my experiences through this journey!

I bought that little sailor ornament for my hubby for Christmas this past year

& I've had my eye on that yellow flower necklace for a very long time!!!

And I just LOVE those dress blues!!!

I may have mentioned that once before {here}

I made this necklace when my hubby enlisted last summer & it's been a big hit for all branches of the military!

When my hubby graduates from boot camp, I will finally be able to wear my own!

You can find this necklace {here in the shop}

and the treasury {here on etsy}.

We are one excited family these days!

And with all of this big news, I encourage everyone to get your Mother's Day orders in soon before the shop has to go on vacation mode!!!

{Saturday Shopping Spree} Making Music

I am a firm believer that music is the best getaway

{well, next to a trip to the islands}

but, music is MUCH cheaper!

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to see a few members of my favorite band play in a small club in Vermont...

{you can read about it here on my other blog}

It was a wonderful experience & I haven't stopped thinking about it since!

So, for today's Saturday Shopping Spree my mind is on the sounds of music!!

Enjoy!

Sorry about the overabundance of Dave Matthews Band related items...

...I just couldn't Help Myself (<---every pun intended).  haha

I just love it all!

So unique and fun!

Be sure to go check out the shops on Etsy!!

What's your favorite piece?

{finally... a story about kevin & amanda's blog}

Over a year ago I was reading {this blog post}

from kevinandamanda.com

{I love her blog... and her photography and especially her fonts... she's so talented}

She posted these beautiful pictures of her scarves:

I LOVE scarves.  I can't get enough of them!

I also love navy anything & everything...

...so, when I saw that navy polkadot scarf in her collection,

I was bound and determined to find one for myself!!!

Now, if you take notice of the date on that blog post, it was February 18, 2010.

I have been on a mad online, offline, mall, outlets

{you name it I searched high and low for a navy blue polkadot scarf}

and I have had absolutely no luck...

...until last night.

Brad and I went to the mall & as usual, I wanted to hit up Old Navy to see if they had any cute spring dresses.  As we were rounding the corner, that silly navy blue polkadot scarf came up in conversation.

Now, mind you, I thought I had been searching high & low for much longer than a year.

We were discussing how we couldn't believe we never came across a

 navy blue polkadot scarf anywhere for the past "2 years."

{It must have been a pretty long year for us}

I did my normal rounds along the outskirts of the store & when I found nothing that sparked my interest, I was coming down the center isle at the dressing rooms.

The scarf rack was just staring at me from the end of the isle.

I was like a kid in a candy store & made a mad dash for the one navy blue polkadot scarf that was hanging on the rack.



I can't begin to tell you how THRILLED I am to have that scarf hanging with the rest of my collection! :-)

There's something about navy that makes me think of yellow.

I love yellow and navy together!

And now my mind is thinking this girl needs a pair of yellow ballet flats.

Something tells me that's another year in the making because I'm not having any luck finding a pair online.

Have you come across a cute pair of yellow ballet flats?

Please share... I can't possibly take another year of searching for that piece to complete my wardrobe...

:-)

{spring is in the air} cont'd plus coupon code

When I think spring, I think sunshine & flowers.

I was feeling inspired with this warm{er} weather over the past couple of weeks & came up with this lovely necklace...

I have been wearing this beauty for two weeks straight.

It goes so well with EVERYTHING & just puts a smile on my face.

This necklace has three dainty layers and is available in sterling silver & copper.

The pearl gives it that nice, classic touch.

Every lady should have this in her collection & we're making it easier to do so.

Purchase these sweet flowers & receive 15% off of your order using the following coupon code at checkout:

15FORSPRING

Discount ends on Friday.  Don't miss this wonderful opportunity!

Head over to the shop by clicking here to take advantage of this deal.

You can even add additional charms with your loved ones names.
Find them here!

Or a simple initial charm would be so sweet.
You can find those here!

I think these would make a beautiful Easter gift for a special little lady in your life, too!!
I can just picture it sitting in a beautiful spring Easter basket!

Don't forget to become a fan on Facebook & follow us here on blogger for future promotions.



{Saturday Shopping Spree} Spring is in the Air

I am a bit of a spring chicken

{not in the literal term... well, unless you think 28 is considered a spring chicken}

What I mean is I LOATH winter.  I don't think I could despise it any more

which is rather unfortunate figuring we live in Vermont.
For the past couple years I have been trying to make the very best of it
{and I've found making jewelry is a great excuse for me to stay out of the cold}

To say I'm excited for spring is an understatement!

And I couldn't be any more excited that it will be here at this time tomorrow!!!

So, in celebration of the change of seasons I am shopping for all things that remind me of spring today on Etsy!!!

I would sit here and point out the items I love most, but I just adore them ALL!!!

I highly recommend heading over to Etsy and checking all of these shops out that are linked to this treasury

and be sure to leave a comment while you're there!
Which one{s} do you like most?

{Guinness Cupcakes with Bailey's Irish Cream Cheese Frosting}

I want to take a moment to wish everyone a very 

Happy St. Patrick's Day

from Pumpkin Pie Design!

St. Patrick's Day is my #1 favorite holiday of the year.  I have my grandmother to thank for that.  She was 100% Irish & I have ALWAYS been so proud of that piece of our heritage.  I love anything and everything celtic & green is one of those colors that works so well with my olive skintone. :-)

I rarely have the opportunity to celebrate St. Patty's Day as the hubby usually works & more times than not, the holiday falls on a week night & this lady needs to get up early to go to work

{somehow 28 feels old when I don't get my 8 hours of sleep}.

So, I try to celebrate with only the best... delicious treats for my co-workers!

I will look for any excuse to bake!

Last year I found this recipe online & couldn't wait to share it with all of my co-workers!

It was a big hit so I knew it was a must again this year.

Please don't mind my uber dirty Kitchenaid.  I am not the tidiest baker!  I end up with flour and batter EVERYWHERE by the time I'm done!!

This year I made sure to go a little lighter on the Bailey's in the frosting.

A few of us could have gotten a little tipsy last year on the frosting alone... oops.

So, the key is to remember you can always add more Bailey's, but you can never take away.

I HIGHLY recommend a few taste tests in between each tablespoon of Bailey's.

So, if you enjoy these traditional Irish beverages, I highly recommend trying out this recipe!

Enjoy!!

{something new} mini baby spoon



This is our second baby spoon in the shop.

It has a shorter handle than our orignal and a smaller price tag.

I think this would make a wonderful toddler's spoon.

Supplies are limited on this listing, so get yours while you can!

Head over to the listing in our shop today.

{Keep Calm} cont'd plus coupon code

Have you had enough "Keep Calm" items yet?

I hope not because I want to share one of my favorite items with you

{do I refer to all of my items as a favorite??}

Well, I know I'm not the only one who loves this item.

It's one of our top sellers & we want to offer it to you at a special discounted price of

15% off

Head over to {our shop} & use coupon code: 

KEEPCALM15

at checkout to receive the discount.

Happy Shopping Spree Saturday!

{Saturday Shopping Spree} Keep Calm...

I love the Keep Calm & Carry On sayings & Etsy is full of them!!!

I have spent my Saturday morning so far, window shopping all of these creative designs.

Here's what I've found so far:

For all of you brides to be out there, I LOVE that "Say I Do" sign.

And I think the "Shoot On" blocks are going to be a must add to my collection!

I adore all of these items & since Etsy is FULL of all sorts of "Keep Calm" creativity, I couldn't stop at just one treasury, so I continued:

How great is that "To Do List?"

And that ring?!?  I think I need to get rings in the shop!

I love the Bob Marley inspired sign {takes me right back to Jamaica}

What are your favorite "Keep Calm" sayings?

There are some snazzy ones out there!

Ok, enough window shopping for me...

...this girl has a hair appointment to get to!!!

{something new} grandma's necklace

I have had this item sitting in the "to post" folder for quite some time.

I need to get better at posting existing items before making new ones,

but sometimes my creative mind gets the best of me & I get so excited to make something new

that I forget to post existing items to the store.

When one of our followers reached out to me a few months ago to make her a necklace,

I was THRILLED!  I LOVE when you guys ask me to make a custom item!  You're all so creative!

Her husband bought her a similar necklace for Christmas & she wanted something similar for "Nanny."

This was the final result:



It is posted {here} in the shop.

Of course, everyone is going to need a different number of pendants, so we narrowed it down that the item listed is for a large round pendant, a small round pendant, and a rectangle pendant for $40.

If you need additional pendants on your custom necklace, just convo me.

{price subject to change}

I'm often asked if we can create something that will fit all of grandma's little ones on it & I think this is a wonderful piece for that!

Do you have an idea for a piece of jewelry?

Send an email to: aswedanceaway@gmail.com

I would love to work with you to make a one of a kind item!

{expecting} a new necklace

These are my dear friends, Amanda & Brie:

Every Wednesday we get together for a game of trivia at a local restaraunt.

It's so funny what odds and ends we come up with for answers.

We're a plethora of {useless} information.

There must be something in the water at the restaraunt because both Amanda & Brie are expecting!

{either I missed trivia night a few weeks in a row or I was drinking beer those nights}

because they're due within WEEKS of each other!!

Because I love them both so much & I'm so excited for their little bundles of joy to join us in this world,

I gave them each a bundle of joy to enjoy now:

I LOVE hearing their stories about their little ones!

They are going to be WONDERFUL mommies! 
I'm so glad I can catch up with them every Wednesday on their journey.

Last Wednesday, I gave them their little gifts & from their facial expressions, I think they loved them!

Amanda is due at the end of August & Brie at the beginning of September!

Amanda told me she loves that she doesn't have to explain to people that she is, in fact pregnant, anymore... it's written on the necklace. :-)

Each necklace includes the birthstone of the month they're due & these absolutely adorable baby feet:

I LOVE THEM!!!

The necklaces are now {in the store}.

Give a beautiful handmade gift to somebody you love who is expecting, too!

Why make them wait 9 months to receive something special???

{something new} whimsy border

We have a new border & two new listings in the shop:



The mini pendant borders the name....

Or add your entire family to the large pendant with the names along the border.

Either way, it adds a nice, girly touch & is tons of fun!

You can find the mini pendant here.

And the family pendant here.

There is so much more to come!  I have been a busy girl today, but I'll be sure to spread it all out & not bombard you with posts in one day!

{lucky you} cont'd

To continue with the Irish theme today, I wanted to share our very own "Lucky" necklace...

This was one of my very first creations for the shop and a big hit!
I just love the little green shamrock accenting the sterling silver pendant.
We can custom stamp it any way you choose,
but remember, all St. Patty's Day orders must be in by March 7th {Monday}
to guarantee shipping for the holiday.

Get your favorite leprechaun something green for March 17th {and all year long}!

{saturday shopping spree} Lucky You

Since St. Patrick's Day is only a week & a half away, I have been shopping all things {green}!!!

These are some of my favorite items on Etsy, this week!

Have I ever mentioned that St. Patrick's Day is my #1, all time favorite holiday??

My paternal grandmother is 100% Irish & boy, am I proud of my heritage!

I can't tell you how badly I want one of each of the items listed here!

Take a second and visit all of the shops... they're wonderful!!!

Don't you just love those Eternity knot earrings... and those shamrock cookies look DELICIOUS!!!

Stay tuned... I have a few posts coming today!

{the beauties of trying to kick a cold from your couch}

{Cute as a Button, cont'd.}

I have been inspired by this morning's shopping experience

and have decided to create a button piece of my own.



Oh, how I love this vintage style "Cute as a Button" necklace.

The listing includes one 20 gauge, sterling silver pendant, engraved with a one-of-a-kind button

and hand stamped with the name of your choice.

We can add as many pendants as you need for only an additional $7 per pendant.

Each necklace is accented with a beautiful pearl & hangs from a 17" chain.

These will make for a wonderful Easter gift for Mom!

But, why wait... Get yours today by visiting the shop!

{Saturday Shopping}

Have I ever told you how much I love Etsy??

And how much I just LOVE LOVE LOVE buttons??

If my husband allowed it, I could spend a fortune on both...

I spent my Saturday morning dreaming about these pieces

.

What are your favorites?

{monday fun day} & a giveaway winner!

It's not often I say this, but I love Monday...

...when I don't have to get in the car first thing in the morning & head to the office to crunch numbers.

Thanks to a long President's Day weekend, I was able to wake up on my own time snuggled between hubby & the pup

{I never have to worry about being cold} :-)

Hubby was able to get a later start than normal this morning, so when I finally crawled out of bed, my day looked a little like this:



Hubby got heart shaped blueberry pancakes for breakfast.

I did the dishes...

...followed by some laundry

{something's wrong with this picture & it's not just the camo pants in that pile} ;-)

I took advantage of a buy one {get one free} coupon I had for Yankee Candle...

{was that a good choice, or what??}

I made some jewelry...

Damon helped.

...but most importantly

{and the moment you've all been waiting for}...



...I picked a winner {using random.org} for our Wizard of Oz giveaway:

Rebecca said:

Love it! Pick me! I would be a "Bad Witch" most days. ;)

You're not the only one, Rebecca! :-)

Email me at aswedanceaway@gmail.com to claim your necklace!

Thank you all who participated & don't forget, you can find that oh-so-cute necklace in the store

by clicking here.

Happy President's Day!!!

wizard of oz & {a giveaway}...CLOSED.

I love The Wizard of Oz & decided to spend my Sunday morning watching the movie.

I recently bought these little red slippers for an up and coming giveaway {stay tuned}

& wanted to come up with a Wizard of Oz themed necklace for the extra inventory.

This is one pendant that can be worn two different ways...

stamped on the front and back with the words

"Good Witch" and "Bad Witch."

Wear it on the "Good Witch" side on a good day

& warn your kids & co-workers by wearing it on the "Bad Witch" side on those

"woke up on the wrong side of the bed" kind of days.

This is the perfect gift for any Wizard of Oz fan & will make a great addition to their Easter basket, too!

Find it in the store: {here}

We want to give one away to our followers.

Two entries allowed:

**Enter to win by posting here

**and by posting on our Facebook page

One lucky winner will be drawn tomorrow!

{giveaway}



{hope.believe.pray}

     



A few months ago, I received news from my aunt that a close family friend is fighting the battle of her life.

At the young age of 17, our dear friend was diagnosed with cancer.

While my mom battled cancer, I remember having a lot of questions,

but there were three little words that helped me deal with those moments...

hope.  believe.  pray.

When all else failed, I knew God would carry the burdens of uncertainty for me.

I wanted our friend to know this, too, so I made this necklace just for her.

We pray everyday for increased health for her & I ask all of you out in Blogger-land to do the same.

If there is something we can do in this world to make a difference, it's to hope. believe. pray.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I have made this necklace available in the store for all of you who want to send the same message to a loved one.

We will donate a portion of the proceeds from the sales of this necklace to the "For the Love of Donna" Relay for Life team in Boyertown, Pennsylvania.

To order a necklace for you or a loved one {click here}.

{is that a...}

...Tiffany bracelet???

It may look like a Tiffany bracelet & I may have put it in a beautiful blue box for that extra effect,

 but this sterling silver beauty is 100% handmade by Pumpkin Pie Design for a fraction of the cost of that designer accessory.

This has become my #1, all time favorite piece {I know I say that a lot, but I've had my eye on the real deal for a LONG time & I can't tell you how happy I was to be able to make a look alike for much less}!

This will make the PERFECT gift for your Valentine!

Remember, only 4 more days to order in time for holiday delivery!

Order yours today {here}!

**Bracelet does not come in the pretty blue packaging**