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October 28, 2013  by

3 FREE Give-Away Jewels Revealed!

FINALLY! Our final 3 FREE CUSTOM MADE Jewelry pieces that we just gave away during our last two raffles are revealed today. Let’s start right away!

 

“MY DEAR” – CUSTOM PENDANT FOR OUR WINNER, CHRISTINA (NYC)

We begin with the “My Dear” Pendant, which as you might guess is a play on words (“deer” and “dear”) that allowed me to express words of self-love while staying true to the main subject (deer) of this piece.

Christina, was our raffle winner during our  WEST ELM DUMBO “Jewelry Show and Class” Event that took place in Brooklyn, NY in late September.   I was so impressed with her talent during our jewelry class, but then again I learned she is on her way to becoming an Architect at Drexel University!

BTW, if you were NOT part of our last 3 online raffles, make sure to sign-up today to participate in our NEXT FREE GIVE AWAY drawing for a chance to win another a-m-a-z-i-n-g jewelry piece!.


As the winner of our event’s raffle, Christina earned the right to commission a necklace based on a West Elm product inspiration.  After browsing the WEST ELM DUMBO store, she came up with a very specific inspiration item: The paper-made deer heads that West Elm  recently introduced among their new cabin-inspired wall decor.

Can you see the similarity? Click on the image below to see more details on the inspiration!

It’s time to reveal our next GIVE AWAY :-)

 

“WINTER’S KISS” – CUSTOM BRACELET FOR OUR WINNER, CLAUDIA (AUSTRALIA)


Claudia (as well as Suz – our thrid winner below), was one of our TWO online winners of our early September raffle.  There was something personally wonderful about this winner.  You see, Claudia and I went to high-school together in Bolivia, South America.  We weren’t close friends at the time, but we  recently re-connected online.  Since then, Claudia became one of the lovely people I’ve come to connect at a more spiritual level.  And so, imagine my giddiness when her name came out as one of the winners of our raffle!!

 

Claudia, who lives in Perth, Australia won a commissioned  7-bead bracelet, based on her favorite colors and/or theme.  She chose RED, BLACK, WHITE and GRAYS as the primary colors for her piece, leaving the remaining design decisions up to me.

 

I found inspiration in a “handmade pillow” by SUKAN (click on the image below for more details), which to me, had not only all the colors I was looking for, but inspired in my head all the remaining BEAD designs to complete the piece.

Even though the weather is turning beautifully warm in Australia, here on the east coast of the US we’re feeling the kiss of winter approaching through the winds of fall . . . and with this feeling “Winter’s Kiss” was born :-)

Ready for our last reveal?

 

 “SUNSET SWIM” – CUSTOM PENDANT FOR OUR WINNER, SUZ (TEXAS)


Suz was the second winner of our FREE ONLINE raffle give-away.  And like Claudia, she got to commission a piece (in her case a pendant of this very specific design), but based on her favorite colors and/or theme.

 

Suz, who lives in Texas was quite specific as well.  She asked to use deep purple, turquoise and chocolate; or purple, orange and chocolate. She also loved the idea of incorporating a “moroccan-theme” inspiration.

 

The small size (and oval/egg-like shape) of the pendant created many subtle challenges in the design process, which got me very excited.  For a bead/shard of this size to truly shine, it is important that its colors create contrast among themselves.  And so, after trying all the different combinations of Suz’s favorite colors, I felt that orange, turquoise and purple created the loveliest combination for this size pendant.

The remaining design decisions (pattern) manifested almost magically when a friend (who recently came back from Casablanca in Morocco) shared this moroccan fountain picture she took with the EXACT colors I was working with.

It was meant to be!

The result was lovely but surprising.  The colors look beautiful together, and the theme turned out to be more “universal” than moroccan.  But with anything that is “inspired” (rather than copied), I feel we were able to capture the liveness and beauty of the inspiration, rather than its literal expression.

I hope you enjoy it too :-)

 

If you haven’t signed up yet for our next raffle make sure to join us today! :-)

 

And now its YOUR TURN:

Tell me what are YOUR favorite colors in the comments section below.  I will choose one of your combinations to inspire a future creation!

in BLOG / Freebies / Giveaways 0 comments
October 1, 2013  by

Make 2014 your best year yet!

Even though we are 3 months away from 2014, and there is still much to be enjoyed this year, I’ve learned that when I plan ahead, the likelihood of experiencing new and wonderful things with VeruDesigns, and in my personal life, is much, much higher than when I leave it up to “luck” or circumstances.  It may seem early to begin planning, but as last year (2012) taught me tha hard way, once we get close to Halloween, the year-end holiday activities take over not just in terms of what we do as a business, but in our personal lives as well.

 

And so, just like most large companies do their “budgeting and planning” for the following year around this time of the year, we (here at VeruDesigns) will be spending the next 2 weeks imagining what we want our 2014 to be like, how VeruDesigns can become more meaningful, more of service to you, more beautiful, more unique, more worthy of your time, MORE.

 

So, during the next 2 weeks we will be absent from your e-mail so that we can focus purely in dreaming up our 2014.   The J.CREW inspired bead you see above, is part of our 2014 dreams and plans that I hope to share with you as they begin to unfold.

 

If this idea of helping shape your 2014 resonates with you, I’d love for you to join me (in spirit) imagining your own personal 2014:

 

  1. What are the 3 main desires/dreams you’d like to do/accomplish/experience next year? (a new skill? taking a long-delayed trip to a specific place? Starting your own creative/artistic endeavor? . There are NO RULES! Let your heart dictate your answers).
  2. Think of 3 simple and do-able steps for each of your 3 desires that will put them in motion, AND that you can commit to begin executing on as early as January 2014.

 

Take it one step further by sharing some of your desires/dreams with me in the comments section below.  There is POWER in  writing down our dreams, but even more so when we share them with like-minded women who have the same fears, vulnerabilities but also desires to make our lives a little more wonderful every year. There is no judgement, just love.

 

Enjoy this wonderful time of the year!
Much love to you,

– Veruschka

President & Founder

VeruDesigns, LLC

“If you love today’s reveal, SHARE the love! Forward this e-mail to friends and loved ones!”

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September 24, 2013  by

Featured Designer – Renee at Beautiful Oak Jewelry

One of the challenges I faced early on as a jewelry designer was accepting the fact that unlike some artists who are born with a very specific purpose, and have a laser-focused passion for doing that “one thing” alone, I had to come to terms with the fact that I’m a multi-passionate artist.  I love many artforms, and until I decided to see this as a strength, instead of a weakness, I kept wondering if I should make VeruDesigns happen or not.

 

Since then, I’ve come across several artists who share this multi-passioned profile. And today I’m thrilled to introduce you to one of them: Renee Beaucheane, a fellow Philadelphia-based Jewelry Designer and Founder of Beautiful Oak Jewelry.

Now, Renee is a triple-threat: She is not only a Jewelry Designer, but also a Graphic Designer and a Stylist!
Below is a sample of the custom designs she made for her own wedding: Stationary cards, Family Crest (which has an SUPER sweet story on its own!), and all these amazing details that made her day a very, very special one.

 

But her main passion is still very much Jewelry. In case you wonder, Beautiful Oak is the English translation of Renee’s gorgeous french last name (Beaucheane).   It fits not only her perfectly, but her quirky & earthy jewelry too.

Trained as an artist & designer, she started making jewelry as a hobby. It was a fun way to be creative and release stress. But over time she started to develop a style that didn’t go unnoticed, with pieces that not only fit together but form an ever growing and cohesive collection.

You’ll notice right away that her pieces are made of natural materials and motifs, such as wood and glass, and very much inspired by nature. I love the fact that she also likes to find old jewelry and give it a new life.

You’ll always find bold statement pieces with colorful elements that glow beautifully in the sunshine.  Whether they are glass or resin these translucent accents compliment the nature-inspired elements that make her jewelry so recognizable.

 

Of course all her pieces are 100% handmade and available for purchase at her gorgeous ETSY Boutique, which you can visit right away by clicking on her ETSY Banner below:


Make sure to scroll through our slideshow below that will give you a glimpse of her jewelry art:

[nivoslides width=”900″ height=”600″]

If you enjoy Renee’s pieces, make sure to LIKE her Facebook page, by clicking HERE. Or, if you’re on instagram, then make sure to click here.

 

What do you think?

Thanks so much for sharing Renee’s beautiful Art Jewelry via Facebook, twitter, pinterest or e-mail.  Your support means everything!
Much love,

– Veruschka

in BLOG / Featured Designer 2 comments
September 10, 2013  by

Welcome to our Inner Circle Of Friends!

I’m so honored to have you in our very special and loving Inner Circle Of Friends.

To start, there are 4 things you automatically get by having JOINED our very special community of besties: 

I’m so excited!!

What next?

1. Make sure to “LIKE” us on facebook where you’ll get our spontaneous “behind the scenes” updates and videos of our jewelry making process. CLICK HERE :

 

2. Follow us on Pinterest for our HIGHEST resolution of pictures of our always growing collection of jewelry pieces. CLICK HERE :

3.Begin the fun by exploring what we have in store for you in our online SHOP.  To Begin just click on the image below and begin the fun :-)

 If you’re new to our VeruDesigns world, check out this super brief and FUN INTRO into this world of fun, beauty and love :-)

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August 27, 2013  by

SAVE THE DATE! West Elm DUMBO – The Workshop


You are the firstto know about our FIRST EVER VeruDesigns HANDS-ON WORKSHOP!!!!!! (I’m sooooooooo excited!).   

 

  • So first, make sure to SAVE THE DATE:  SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 14, 2013 from 10am to 1pm (It’s NO coincidence that it’s happening on the same week of FASHION WEEK in NYC!).


  • Second, write down our awesome location:  We are being hosted by WEST ELM DUMBO,  one of West Elm’s most beautiful stores AND home to their corporate offices here in the US!  Right across from lower Manhattan in Brooklyn NY.

 

  • Third, stay tuned, as we’ll be announcing within the next few days the remaining (awesome!) details included in the event as we open our workshop for REGISTRATION!  (no worries, you’ll be the first to know when that happens!!).

West Elm DUMBO – 75 Front St, New York, NY 11201

To learn more about West Elm Dumbo, follow them on Instagram (by clicking here) or facebook ( here!)

 

A few more things about this workshop:

 

1. LEVEL (Expertise Required)

This workshop is designed for BEGINNER to INTERMEDIATE level polymer clay fans. So, even if you’ve NEVER worked with Polymer Clay before, this course will not only teach you the basics, but you will leave with more hands-on experience and knowledge than most other beginner courses out there.

NOTE: The workshop and techniques were specifically adjusted and designed to accommodate the limitations we have time-wise.  The construction of the bead/shard was engineered so that it requires tools that are small and light, and to ensure that the completion can be accomplished within approximately 2-hours.

 

2. THE PROJECT:

We will make together one of these 3 WEST ELM INSPIRED PENDANTS.

The class will consist of 3 Parts:

  1. Part 1: Creating the bead “pattern” –> Demo followed by execution (with my help).
  2. Part 2: Adding the “back” of the bead –> Demo followed by execution (with my help).
  3. Part 3: Baking the bead (toaster oven), and finishing it.

 

3. MATERIALS & TOOLS:
Among many “other” amazing surprises and take-aways to be disclosed next week, these are some of the basic tools and materials that you will be provided to create your limited-edition jewelry pendant:

 

4. LIMITED SEATING:

Because we’re having to purchase your materials ahead of time, and because our space (even though BEAUTIFUL) is also limited, we have limited seating.

So make sure to stay tuned as we’ll be announcing the remaining details of the event as we open our workshop for registration!

Got questions or comments? Ask me! Share with me!

I LOVE to read your thoughts and opinions through the “comments” section below.  Also, SHARE THE LOVE!! If you think a friend or a loved one would enjoy our EXCLUSIVE CLASS, then let them know by sharing this post through any of the “sharing” buttons below.

I’m very excited!

Much, much love,

– Veruschka

in BLOG / News and Events 0 comments
August 22, 2013  by

DIY West Elm Inspired Pendant

Hi Tricia!

Just so you know, this page is only visible to you and Erin :-)

 

For our DIY Project  I’d love to make ONE of  these pendants (unfortunately making all 3 would require a full-day for beginner-level students).

So, I’d love for you and Erin to decide which of these 3 pendants you’d like me to teach our guests :-)

Below I describe 4 critical aspects for us to be aware of about any of these 3 DIY project:

 

1. WHY (why did I choose these pendants and not other jewelry DIY projects):

This is a brand-new design that I came up with this week specifically to accommodate the limitations we have in terms of time and the event’s “fee”, while making sure that we make something inspired by West Elm products.  Just so you know the biggest challenge with polymer clay jewelry making is that it requires lots of tools and materials that are not just pricey (pasta machine is $75-$100) and/or handmade by myself , but also large, heavy and bulky.  So, this design was made specifically to require tools that are small, light and as inexpensive as possible, and where the full project could be completed within a much shorter period of time .

NOTE: There are many other projects that are much, much simpler.  Unfortunately they are  way too easy (and don’t take more than  5 to 10 minutes to complete); so much so that I our guests are likely to be disappointed. Also, it wouldn’t be reflective of the “West Elm Inspired” theme we want to keep, nor is it reflective of my brand.

2. TIME (how long will the class take):

Approximately a little over 2 hours.

The class will consist of:

  1. Part 1: Creating the bead “pattern” –> Demo followed by execution (with my help).
  2. Part 2: Adding the “back” of the bead –> Demo followed by execution (with my help).
  3. Part 3: Baking the bead (toaster oven), and finishing it.

NOTE: The only difference between our 3 pendants is “Part 1”. Making the pattern for “Pendant #2” takes slightly more time than Pendant #1 and #3. (See the very first picture to see which is pendant #1, 2 and 3).

 

3. MATERIALS & BUDGET (Which determines the “Event Fee”):

 

A) Materials and tools to be purchased (and prepared by me) in advance for each guest (Right side of the image): 

Total Approximate dollar amount per guest to cover tools and materials: $45.

These materials and tools are shown on the RIGHT side of the image (above). Each item that is numbered (in the image) is described below in case you’re curious about what they are and how much they cost (approximately with shipping included).

  • 1)  Plastic Laminated Placemat: None-stick work surface. $4/each per guest. Not very pretty, but absolutely necessary.
  • 2)  5 pieces of polymer clay (in white, grey, yellow, hot pink):  Each guest will get their polymer clay pre-massaged, softened and perfectly flattened to begin our project. This saves us 45 minutes!. $15/per guest
  • 3)  One flexible razor blade. $3/each per guest.
  • 4)  2 pieces of sanding paper: 3M 80 grid, 400 grid. $8/per guest
  • 5)  4 Pieces of baking paper: $1/per guest
  • 6)  1 Acrylic Roller: $8/per guest
  • 7)  Burnishing square: $2/per guest
  • 8)  Silver Finishing Detail: $3/per guest.

 

B) Materials and tools that I will bring, to be shared by our guest:   The LEFT side of the image (above) shows some (but not all) of the tools that I will bring and share with our guests. Unfortunately I have only one sample of each, so there will be a little bit of waiting around while our guest share these tools to complete some of the steps (fortunately each step with these tools is fairly quick).

Note: I will bring a small toaster oven, which needs to be plugged somewhat close to our working area.  If you can also improvise an additional toaster-oven, I’m sure we’ll eliminate the possibility of taking longer to complete the pendant due to the “baking” part of the project.

4. SPACE  (and logistics)

  • For my demo: A table with enough space to place all my tools and materials.
  • For guests: A couple of tables (with chairs) with enough space for their tools and materials.
  • For my West Elm Inspired Jewelry Collection: An additional table (or several smaller tables/ coffee tables), to showcase our “WEST ELM COLLECTION“, which consists of approximately 15 necklaces that will be displayed.

Note #1: Our placemat should protect the table from getting dirty, but it’s inevitable that some clay will stick on the table.  Feel free to take any additional measures to protect your tables if needed :-)

Note #2: Normally it works best when the DEMO part of the class takes place only at my table, with our guest surrounding my table to have a close-look  and ask questions, before sitting at their table to do the work.

 

I’m very excited! Let me know if you have any questions!

With warmth,

– Veruschka

in Uncategorized 0 comments
August 20, 2013  by

And the winner of our 1st raffle is…

Ok….so, I know you were expecting to learn WHO WON this Sunday’s AUG. 18th raffle in a couple of weeks form now.   But I couldn’t WAIT!

So….dear SUZ…Congratulations. YOU WON!!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

Love your choice of colors, and I will e-mail you directly later on today!

 

Also, TODAY we announced the launch of our CUSTOM JEWELRY BOUTIQUE to the rest of the world, and opened our 2nd Raffle (to take place on Sep. 2nd) to everyone who wants to participate.
Check out our short but FUN VIDEO we released today to make the announcement, by clicking HERE or on the picture BELOW:

If you already shared your favorite colors with me, you are ALREADY IN for our 2nd raffle.  If not, then there is stlll some time. Just REPLY to this e-mail and tell me your favorite colors, and you are IN!

Much love to you,

– Veruschka

President & Founder

VeruDesigns, LLC

in All VeruDesigns Jewelry / Giveaways / Videos 0 comments
August 20, 2013  by

Welcome to VeruDesigns!

Before we get you all setup to automatically participate in our next FREE Jewelry Raffle , there are 4 things you automatically get by having JOINED our AWESOME “Inner Circle Of Friends”: 


Now, back to our RAFFLE!

Almost every month, we host a RAFFLE where I give away a beautiful (and custom made) jewelry piece  for FREE!! 

 

How can you participate?

  • There are TWO small steps to follow:
  1. —–>  First you need to make sure that you are subscribed to VeruDesigns.com (which you should if you are on this page!).
  2. —–>  Afterwards, all you have to do is tell me your favorite colors by e-mailing me directly at “Veruschka@VeruDesigns.com” (OR sharing them in the “comments” section -below- on this page), anytime before the raffles take place!.
  • Not subscribed yet? No problem. Just enter your e-mail below and you are DONE!

 

 

WHO?

Eligibility: Who can participate?

  • If you are a VeruDesigns subscriber, you are eligible to participate in BOTH FREE raffles.
  • If you are not a subscriber yet, sign-up today! and you’ll be automatically eligible to win during out next Raffle.

 

That’s it!

If you are our winner, I will reach out to you directly via e-mail, so that -if you like-  you can additionally provide an inspiration image for me to use to create your custom jewelry piece.  Or not!, remember that you can participate as much (or as little!) as you prefer in the design of your jewelry :-)

 

I’m so excited!!

Not signed-up yet?! Make sure to sign-up now and don’t forget to tell me your favorite colors in the “comments” section below!

 

Make also sure to share this post with your friends and loved ones via facebook, twitter, e-mail or pinterest! Remember…this is all about sharing the love!
If you don’t know much about who I am and what we do here at VeruDesigns.com, then maybe you want to check out this super brief and FUN INTRO into my world :-)
Much love to you,
– Veruschka
in Uncategorized 0 comments
August 13, 2013  by

Introducing our CUSTOM Jewelry Shop!

THAT’S RIGHT! You are the VERY FIRST to see our brand new CUSTOM JEWELRY SHOP!!    And to celebrate I’ll be hosting TWO RAFFLES where I’ll give away 2 (two!) amazing (and custom made) jewelry pieces  for FREE!! 

 

So, let me first explain what our CUSTOM Jewelry Shop is all about, and then I’ll give you all the DETAILS on how you can win one of the two custom jewelry pieces I’ll be making for the winners of our raffles :-)
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Starting today,  you can finally commission a one-of-a-kind jewelry piece through our online Custom boutique. That means you can buy a piece made just for you and based on your favorite colors and/or any inspiration idea you’d like to see expressed in a jewelry piece.

 

How does it work? Our shop let’s you commission a piece in THREE (3) VERY easy steps!

 

STEP 1 – Choose a “White Canvas”: First, choose one of 5 designs/models from our online custom shop. You “choose” a model by adding it to your cart  (like you would normally do to purchase an item online).   The number of models/designs available to you to choose from will continue to grow over time, but for now you can choose among the top 5 designs that you (our AWESOME clients) have made the most popular in our store.


 

STEP 2 – Tell me your favorite colors or  Inspiration:  After you have completed the purchase of your CUSTOM piece online, you’ll receive an e-mail from me. The e-mail will be an invitation for you to participate in the design of your piece, by telling me the colors and/or the inspiration idea you’d like me to use to create your one-of-a-kind jewelry piece.

 

In the example below, we used the pictures of 2 chairs and a rug to create this necklace.

 

And/Or just tell me your favorite colors (and leave the remaining design decisions to me!)

 

 

STEP 3 – Enjoy! From there on all you have to do is wait 7 to 10 business days to receive a completely unique and absolutely gorgeous piece of jewelry with its own fully custom designed packaging.  I promise that this will be the most personalized gift you may ever get for yourself or someone you care about!

 

Finally, all our CUSTOM MADE jewelry pieces come with a 100% Guarantee, so there are NO risks for you, only JOY!
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WHEN:

We will have TWO FREE RAFFLES!!

  • The first one will take place on Sunday Aug 18th, 2013.
  • The second will take place on Monday  September, 2nd 2013.
  • Our two winners will be announced during our Tuesday’s Reveal newsletter of Sep 3rd!

 

PRIZES:

  • Our Aug 18th raffle winner  will get a “CUSTOM 1-SHARD Necklace“.
  • Our Sep 2nd raffle winner will get a “CUSTOM 5-large Bead – Bracelet“.
  • To see what both prizes will look like, visit our CUSTOM Jewelry shop HERE.

 

HOW?

How can you participate?

  • There are TWO small steps to follow:
  1. —–>  First you need to make sure that you are subscribed to VeruDesigns.com.
  2. —–>  Afterwards, all you have to do is tell me your favorite colors by e-mailing me directly at “Veruschka@VeruDesigns.com” (OR sharing them in the “comments” section -below- on this page), anytime before the raffles take place!.
  • Not subscribed yet? No problem. Just enter your e-mail below and you are DONE!

 

 

WHO?

Eligibility: Who can participate?

  • If you are a VeruDesigns subscriber the day this announcement came out (8/13/2013), you are eligible to participate in BOTH FREE raffles.
  • If you are not a subscriber yet, sign-up today! and you’ll be automatically eligible to win our Sep 2nd Raffle.

 

That’s it!

Remember that only those of you who are subscribed to VeruDesigns AND have shared your favorite colors with me (via e-mail to Veruschka@VeruDesigns.com OR in the “comments” section below) will be included in our super fun raffles!

It’s NOT enough to be subscribed only :-)

 

If you are one of our two winners to be announced on Sep 3rd, I will reach out to you directly via e-mail, so that -if you like-  you can additionally provide an inspiration image.  You can participate as much (or as little!) as you prefer :-)

 

I’m so excited!!

Not signed-up yet?! Make sure to sign-up now and don’t forget to tell me your favorite colors in the “comments” section below!

 

Make also sure to share this post with your friends and loved ones via facebook, twitter, e-mail or pinterest! Remember…this is all about sharing the love!
And now… 
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Much love to you,
– Veruschka
in BLOG / Giveaways / News and Events 9 comments
August 6, 2013  by

VIDEO – The Philadelphia WEST ELM Event

On July 20th, 2013 – on one of the hottest summer mornings of the year – West Elm Philadelphia and VeruDesigns hosted an amazing group of women for the unveiling of the “West Elm Inspired” Jewelry Collection that we’ve been working so excitedly to complete.    Our 2+ hour event turned out to be an amazing morning thanks to the fantastic women, little girls (and a few men!) that joined us for the unveiling of our collection and demo.

 

Even though I had limited video and photo footage, we were able to capture the heart of what took place thanks to the  video and pictures taken by some of our guests and West Elm Team members! (thank you, thank you, thank you for allowing me to share your footage with our friends!!)

 

This is how it unfolded …

Our friends got to see the full collection of 14 one-of-a-kind pieces, all inspired by West Elm furniture and accessories.

 

You can see (below) 5 of those 14 pieces, but no worries, we’ll be adding all the remaining pieces in time for our next Tuesday’s Reveal :-)

 

A heartfelt thank you to every single one of our gorgeous guests (who couldn’t have been more fantastic!).    And a special thank-you to the amazing West Elm Philadelphia Team.  You made it all possible (yes, YOU made it FABULOUS!).  A very special hug of genuine appreciation to the force behind the West Elm Philly Team – Krista Wintrode, the BEAUTIFUL Area Manager at West Elm whose support has been unbelievable.

 

If you haven’t visited your local West Elm store and you enjoy being inspired, then don’t wait any longer.  Learn more at WestElm.com :-)

Much love,

– Veruschka

in BLOG / News and Events / Videos 0 comments