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Giving Tuesday - Giving Gifts That Give Back

12/1/2020

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When I started Jewel of Havana I wanted to create jewelry that makes you feel beautiful; that celebrates life's special moments and connects you to those you love. I also wanted to be able to give back to some of the causes that do good in our community and make the life we are celebrating that much sweeter.

It's no secret 2020 has been a challenging year for businesses and many not for profits have really been hit hard. This year more than ever giving gifts that give back not only helps the business you are buying from but pays it forward in our community and beyond.

Here are a few of the organizations we work with all year round where your shopping dollars at Jewel of Havana  help support not for profits in our community.

Red Magnolia Theatre Company

Red Magnolia Theatre Co

Now through 12.31.20, use code: RED  at checkout to support the Red Magnolia Theatre Company! You'll get free shipping and 10% of your purchase goes to support their educational and performing programs supporting women in the arts.
SHOP FOR RED MAGNOLIA THEATRE CO w/ code: RED

Theatre Baton Rouge

From now through 12.31.20, use the code: ILOVETBR at checkout to support the theater fund at Theatre Baton Rouge. You get free shipping and the theater will receive 10% of your purchase supporting theater for the community by the community and their educational programs for kids and adults alike.
SHOP FOR THEATRE BATON ROUGE w/code: ILOVETBR
Theatre Baton Rouge

Copper Jewelry - Gifts that Give Back - Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center

Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center

Shop the copper Draped In Love Collection and 30% of your purchase benefits the Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center. (No code necessary)
SHOP DRAPED IN LOVE COLLECTION

Dodi Groves Breast Cancer Fund

Shop the silver Draped In Love Collection and 30% of your purchase benefits the Dodi Groves Breast Cancer Fund. (No code necessary)
SHOP DRAPED IN LOVE COLLECTION
Silver Jewelry - Gifts that Give Back - Dodi Groves Breast Cancer Fund

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Breast Cancer Awareness - Gift that Gives Back on BRProud

10/14/2020

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Breast Cancer Awareness Gifts that Give Back - Ana Maria Andricain - Jewel of Havana

Breast Cancer Awareness

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. If you are new to Jewel of Havana, you may not know I am a breast cancer survivor.

I am very open about my journey because at the time I was diagnosed, I had never heard about my only symptom being a sign of cancer: It wasn’t on a mammogram, I never felt a lump and I had no family history. These are the things we all hear about.

Early Detection

I am so lucky things happened the way they did. There were many moments along the way it could have been different. The GYN could have stopped at the first test. After meeting the specialist and learning there was only a 2 percent chance it was cancer, I could have chosen not to have the surgery. No family history, no one seemed alarmed, etc., but thanks to a Cuban Mom and her loud worry meter, I chose the surgery and found out I was in that 2 percent.

Gifts that Give Back

Because of the survivors that came forward to help me and my husband navigate those early days and my desire to create a piece of jewelry to thank them, the Draped In Love Collection was born.

For the past 6 years, your purchases from the Draped In Love Collection have raised funds for the Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center.

Last year, in celebration of reaching the end of treatments and hitting 5 years cancer free, I released the pieces in sterling silver. They celebrate this milestone and honor one of those original friends and survivors who is now a Heavenly Angel. Your purchases from the silver Draped In Love Collection support the Dodi Groves Breast Cancer Fund in her honor.

BRProud News

When reporter, Kourtney Williams reached out for BRProud’s breast cancer awareness story I was happy to contribute.

I share some details that could make some uncomfortable but if it helps one person get checked early, then I hope you will understand. We need to share with each other. Information is power and education helps you make the right decisions for you. Early detection gives us more options for treatment and hopefully saves lives.
Breast Cancer Awareness Gifts the Give Back - Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center - Jewel of Havana
Breast Cancer Awareness Gifts the Give Back - Dodi Groves Breast Cancer Fund - Jewel of Havana
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Here’s Kourtney's BRProud news story about my breast cancer journey and the jewelry that was inspired by it.

Stay safe and if anything is different, go get checked.   xo Ana
Breast Cancer Survivor Ana Maria Andricain - Gifts that Give Back - Jewel of Havana on BRProud
Ana Maria Andricain on BRProud News - Cancer Awareness Month - Gifts that Give Back
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The Dodi Groves Memorial Witches Ride

10/16/2019

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Last week, I released the Draped in Love Collection in Sterling Silver in celebration of 5 years cancer free. As mentioned, the pieces are dedicated to those who supported me throughout my battle with cancer and their sales will contribute to the Dodi Groves Breast Cancer Fund.

Dodi Barron Groves

Bryan, Ava and Dodi Groves
Bryan, Ava and Dodi Groves
Dodi Barron GrovesDodi Barron Groves
Today, I wanted to take a moment to talk about Dodi. I first met Dodi in Lafayette when she walked up to my jewelry booth with her big smile and sunshine personality. She was one of those people you meet who instantly feel like a friend. She and her husband, Bryan were getting ready to take a trip to New York and we bonded over theater and which restaurants they should check out when they were there. They were both wonderful supporters of my work through the years but mostly I loved seeing them and their beautiful daughter, Ava every time I was in Lafayette.
 
Just after my diagnosis, we were showing at Festival International in Lafayette. I had already had two surgeries and was to start radiation after the show. Dodi and Bryan stopped by to visit and this time her usual bouncy curly hair was in a pixie cut. She looked cute as a button but it’s when I learned she was having her own battle with cancer. In true Dodi fashion, she immediately began to share with me what to expect on the next part of my treatment journey and helped take away much of my fear of the next steps. She became one of my cancer angels, letting me know what to expect and encouraging me along the way. Dodi was the very first recipient of the Draped In Love copper earrings just after I created the original design.
 
Dodi was born and raised in Lafayette, Louisiana. After attending the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, she began teaching at Katharine Drexel Elementary. For 20 years Dodi taught kindergarten to over 450 students, touching many lives along the way.
 
Dodi was such a giving person. She was known to always serve others, often paying for clothes, supplies, lunches and snacks for those in need. She also anonymously provided resources to less fortunate families throughout her community.
 
Dodi began her battle with cancer in 2008. Even throughout her own treatment, she was still known to reach out and help those around her. During chemotherapy and radiation, she was known by many other patients as their “chemo buddy”, always uplifting and encouraging everyone she met along the way.
 
What I loved most about Dodi was her joyous spirit. I looked forward to seeing her and her beautiful family at every festival or market when I was in town and we would chat like old friends. It wasn’t possible to leave Dodi’s presence in a worse mood than you started. All who knew her were familiar with her radiant joy and contagious happiness.
 
Dodi lost her battle in 2015, due to medical complications of breast cancer. She left behind Bryan and their daughter, Ava. I, along with everyone who knew her, continue to remember her as the kind and radiant person she truly was.

The Witches Ride

Dodi Groves Breast Cancer Fund
As I prepared to release the Draped in Love Collection in Sterling Silver, I thought a lot about those who helped me through my battle with cancer. Dodi immediately came to mind, and I began thinking about how I could dedicate this collection to her. Before I even reached out, Bryan contacted me, letting me know about the 2019 Dodi Groves Memorial Witches Ride for Breast Cancer. The event is a Halloween-themed bike ride and all proceeds go to the Dodi Groves Breast Cancer Fund, which works to help those in the Acadiana area with breast cancer.
 
I knew I had to let everyone know about this event and this amazing organization dedicated to my friend. I also wanted to make sure this new collection worked to benefit the foundation, which is why I decided to devote proceeds to the Dodi Groves Memorial Fund with every purchase from the Sterling Silver Draped in Love Collection.
 
I think it is impossible for me to do anything that could properly thank Dodi. Her kindness and warm-hearted nature are things I will never forget. I hope that in partnering with her foundation, I can help others like she devoted her life to and work to keep her memory alive.

Picture
Bryan, Ava and Dodi Groves
Dodi Groves Memorial Witches Ride
If you are in the Lafayette area, I hope you will grab your bike and best witch gear and ride joyously at Sugar Mill Pond this Saturday just the way Dodi would have liked it!
 
You can buy tickets and find out more about the 2019 Dodi Groves Memorial Witches Ride here.
Dodi Groves Memorial Witches Ride
Draped In Love Collection - Gifts that Give Back
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The Last Pill - A Breast Cancer Survivor's Milestone

10/9/2019

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The Last Tamoxifen Pill - A Breast Cancer Survivor's Milestone
I was prepared for either choice based on what he said. I knew what I wanted to do but I am not a doctor & I wanted to do what was most medically sound.

This is the last pill.

Although (odd as it sounds) cancer brought many blessings, it has also taken many friends who had reached this milestone before me.

This is the last little pill.

I called it a healing treatment to help me cope with it. It was both a daily reminder of the cancer yet a daily reminder to live life to the fullest.

It was a daily reminder of each friend who lost their battle in the years I have been taking it. It is not lost on me that the same may happen to me.

It’s a new way of life. A “new normal”. I had heard cancer survivors use that term before but I really didn’t understand until I went on the journey myself.

I have now been cancer free for 5 years. This is the last pill of my healing treatments.

I want to celebrate this moment, this journey & the blessings it brought with it. There were many not so pleasant things but I want to focus on the good I saw, the friendships made, the deepening of love between friends & family. But mostly I want to celebrate the cancer survivors who helped me along the way. They were my cancer angels here on earth. The ones I created the Draped In Love Collection for as a thank you for all they did to help as we navigated those first days. Three of them are now Heavenly Angels & with each healing treatment these last 1,825 days, I have thought of them...their strength, their courage, their selflessness, their complete joy of life & warrior attitude. 

In celebration of this milestone and in honor of those angels who are no longer with us, today I am releasing the Draped In Love Collection in sterling silver. The copper pieces will continue to raise money for the Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center but these new silver pieces will contribute to the Dodi Groves Breast Cancer Fund.

I will share more about Dodi's story and this very special foundation formed in her honor next week. Today, I want to say thank you, celebrate this milestone & all those who helped us along the way. I am forever grateful and promise to keep paying it forward whenever I can.  xo Ana

SHOP DRAPED IN LOVE COLLECTION
Silver Gifts for Cancer Survivors Benefitting the Dodi Groves Breast Cancer Fund

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    Ana Maria Andricain

    Ana is a metal clay certified artist creating handcrafted nature inspired artisan jewelry from her Baton Rouge studio.  If you love natural gemstones and metal, welcome home!

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Baton Rouge, Louisiana  70808

  • SHOP
    • Shop by Collection >
      • Statement Earrings
      • What a Wonderful World Jewelry
      • Snow In Havana Jewelry
      • Steel Magnolias Jewelry
      • Through the Looking Glass
      • Wedding Jewelry
      • Statement Necklaces
      • Into the Woods Nature Jewelry Collection
      • Layering Necklace Collection
      • Secret Garden Natural Stone Jewelry Collection
      • Angel Wing Jewelry Collection
      • Cameo Jewelry Collection
      • Children's Jewelry Collection
      • The Collector Series
      • Necklace Extenders
      • Gifts for Cancer Survivors
      • Copper Jewelry Collection
      • Woven Copper Jewelry Collection
      • The Beach Collection
      • Petite Gemstone Jewelry Collection
    • Shop by Gemstone >
      • African Green Opal
      • Amazonite
      • Amethyst
      • Ammonite Fossil Shell
      • Aquamarine
      • Aventurine
      • Azurite Chrysocolla
      • Black Onyx
      • Blue Crazy Agate
      • Brown Impression Jasper
      • Carnelian
      • Charoite
      • Coral
      • Crazy Lace Rosetta Stone Jasper
      • Dolomite
      • Dragon Blood Jasper
      • Emerald
      • Grey Sheepskin Jasper
      • Jade
      • Jasper
      • Labradorite
      • Lapis Lazuli
      • Malachite
      • Natural Agate
      • Opal Quartz
      • Owyhee Jasper
      • Pearl
      • Peridot
      • Red Creek Jasper
      • Rhodochrosite
      • Rose Quartz
      • Rhyolite
      • Ruby
      • Snakeskin Jasper
      • Sodalite
      • Strawberry Quartz
      • Swarovski Crystal
      • Tourmaline
      • Turquoise
      • Turritella Fossil Agate
    • Shop by Style >
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      • Earrings
      • Bracelets
    • Gift Certificates
  • Blog
  • About Us
    • About Ana & Team
    • Testimonials
    • FAQ
  • BECOME A VIP!!
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  • Please Call Us: (225) 442-8985