Vera Sighting - Nationals Game

Hope Garden Tote sighting at the Nationals Game! Lots of other sightings too, this one just happens to be down the row from me.

From My Readers Friday - Hope Garden Cake

Thank you to OhMyVera reader Sarah who sent in a photo of her beautiful Hope Garden birthday cake!  She loves Vera Bradley and wanted a Vera Bradley birthday cake to celebrate...I think that most of us could relate!  Happy Birthday Sarah! 

Vera Bradley Outlet - Leesburg, VA

Sunday I had some free time on my hands so I decided to head out to the Vera Bradley Outlet in Leesburg, VA. I had a coupon for $20 off a purchase of $65 or more, so that was some extra motivation to drive out there. My Garmin said that it would take about 40 minutes, but it took me about an hour. That is one thing about living in the DC area...it takes longer to get everywhere! In California I would always beat the time that google maps would tell me, but here I have to add time on to my trip.

It was totally worth it though! The store had 20% off all bags and totes! Bonus! I picked up some great stuff! I bought a Pleated Tote for my friend Amber as a thank you for driving across country with me! She knows this is coming because I called her to ask what color she wanted :) I really wanted another Hipster to wear around DC this summer when I go check stuff out, so I got one in a color that I think is perfect for summer - Hope Garden. I didnt have a bag in that color yet, so I was pretty happy. The next bag I got kind of surprised me, first because I dont really care for Sittin' in a Tree and second because I assumed that these were sold out - Boardwalk Handheld. It was a limited edition collection made with the Sittin' in a Tree print. The bag is a canvas and has the inside print printed on the outside. It has a nice leather handle and the bag has a sheen to it. I love it! Plus it was on clearance for $16.99 (org. $55). Then I walked past the Audrey bags and I had to pick up one for a special little someone! :) I also picked up two Pocket Papers. And somehow I forgot to take a picture of my Paprika Lanyard. I got it to wear to the Bike MS event we have coming up at work next month.

So let me just tell you what a great deal that I got at the outlet! I added up how much my stuff would have normally retailed for and it came to $245! Yikes. But I only paid $104! And that counts the tax that I paid! What an amazing deal, I love a good deal! So I saved 58% off of the retail price. Oh happy day!

I have to tell you the women were so friendly and helpful this time around! The first time they didnt seem that interested in me and Amber, but this time I was greeted when I walked in and when I asked where the Pleated Totes were the woman had another woman show me where they were. When my hands got full and I was trying to talk to my mom or Amber on the phone one of them swooped in with a shopping bag for me to load everything up in. Also I really wanted that Paprika lanyard and they helped me dig through the pile looking for one. When we couldnt find one someone found me one from the back. I had a great time shopping there...I just wish that it was closer! Although, I cant really complain about it being an hour away. Plus it is a really nice drive through the country roads.

Check out my pictures of my purchases...I forgot to take pictures at the store...oops!

Outlet!!! Woo Hoo!

All the new bags! Except my lanyard which I forgot to take out of the bag.

The Boardwalk Handheld! I love it!

The back of the bag has a zipper.

The inside is lined with the print that is normally on the outside.

My new Hipster! I picked this one because it had 3 big pink flowers on the front :)

Super Cute little Audrey bag!

Vera Bradley Sighting - TV

Vera Bradley Hope Garden Beach Towel on Modern Family. Very funny episode tonight! Thanks for the heads up Rachel!
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Mark your calendars for QVC & Paprika and Hope Garden Sale

Two posts in one today because I am taking tomorrow off :)

First - Mark your calendars to see the new Vera Bradley bags on QVC. The new colors are released on Thursday, Sept 23rd and they will be on two times on QVC. The shows will air at 1am and 11am (Eastern). It is fun to watch because you get to see all of the sides of the bag, the inside and they point out features that you might not catch online, like extra pockets. They also usually have good deals too. So it is worth checking out. Last year the times on the west coast were horrible, so I taped them and watched them. Looks like I should be able to watch at least one of this time. Click here for a link to their program guide. You might have to type in Vera Bradley to the show search.

Second - For 4 Day only, now through Sunday, Paprika and Hope Garden are 40% off online at verabradley.com and select Vera Bradley stores. Make sure you check that out if you have been wanting to pick anything up in either of those colors. I am so tempted to get something in Hope Garden, but I think that I am going to pass.

Lastly - I know I said that I would like all of the bags that I want to sell this week. I just haven't had time to find boxes to mail them in, plus I am not going to be around this weekend to mail them all out. So I think that I will give it another try next week.

I hope everyone has a great weekend! Tomorrow is my Labor Day! Yay for 3 day weekends!

Hope Garden and Paprika - Now on Sale!

Hope Garden and Paprika have been added to the colors that are now on sale! They are 25% off both online and in the stores.

I have always really liked Hope Garden, but I dont have anything in that color. It would be nice to have a cute little purse in that color, but I won't be picking up anything in the near future. I do have a Bucket Tote in Paprika, but that one is in my decluttering list. I like the color, but the Bucket Tote was just too small for me.

Here is a picture of the Bucket Tote in Paprika. I only used it once for a Pacific baseball game because our school colors are orange and black.

Vera Sighting!

There are Veras everwhere! The lady at the table next to us has a Mod Floral Pink Backsack and at the table across from us there is a Botanica Betsy. I also missed a picture of a woman with a Puccini wallet with a strap and and a tote!

Here is a Hope Garden Backpack.
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ebay stuff sold!

I came back from my scrapbooking retreat to find that my Vera Bradley items sold on ebay! My Hope Garden Taxi Wallet sold for $15.27, so I was pretty happy about that. My other item didn't do so well. My Simply Violet Curling Iron Cover went for just $4.90! That person got an amazing deal!

Selling stuff on ebay is always a gamble. I usually start my auctions at 99 cents and then anxiously watch it all week to see how many bids it has.

I have a couple more items that I might sell. I might give the Vera Bradley sales board a try next time. Then I can use the money to buy my new Vera Bradley bags! I will have to bank this $20 to save up for my next bag.

Back from Vacation!

I had a great time in Northern California this weekend. Here are some photos.

Amber picked up a Paprika Bucket Tote and Hope Garden Taxi Wallet for me at the preview party/sale last month and had it waiting for me when I got there. She also bought me a Beach Towel! I love it! She also had collected a couple of water bottles.

My new Bucket Tote was perfect for the Pacific baseball game, since our colors are orange and black.

The Vera Bradley in Roseville.

Water bottles in Night and Day, Make Me Blush and Call Me Coral

Another Vera Sighting!

Vera Bradley fans are Padres fans!

Stephanie in Hope Garden!

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I finally have something in Paprika!

So Amber was able to make it to the Signature Store in Sacramento yesterday! She picked up a Bucket Tote and Taxi Wallet for herself and she was able to get one for me too! I bought a Bucket Tote in Paprika and a Taxi Wallet in Hope Garden. I always liked Paprika, but never could commit to buying a bag in that color. I don't wear a lot of orange, but the good thing about Paprika is that it has some other colors in it, so I wont have to wear orange. My college colors are black and orange, so it will be a good bag for when we go to games and alumni stuff. I plan on taking it to the Pacific baseball game in April!

Thirsty? Grab a water bottle!

If you ever go to a Vera Bradley Signature Store you might be lucky enough to get a water bottle. If you shop long enough, they will usually offer you one. I don’t know about you, but I work up a thirst shopping at a Signature Store. I can spend so much time in there! One time we asked for one, I forget who I was with, but I think that we asked at the Sacramento store. They are so cute! They always have them in the current colors. I have Daisy Daisy, Frankly Scarlet, Hope Garden, Symphony in Hue, Loves Me and Totally Turq. I don’t know why I have held on to them, they are just sitting on my counter taking up space. I still haven’t used the Daisy Daisy or Totally Turq. I think that it is time to let these bottles go. Make sure to pick one up next time you shop at a Signature Store!

My Sister and her Vera

If there was ever someone who I thought would never like Vera Bradley it was my sister. She looked at my mom and me like we were crazy for liking these bright, patterned bags. Well slowly but surely she came around. She isn’t a fanatic or anything, but she at least now sees the appeal. She even has a few of her own!

Her first Vera was a Card Holder in Hope Garden that she bought on our trip to Hawaii last summer. The next item came when we were in Temecula visiting our cousin Katy. I knew there was a store up there that sold Vera Bradley so we took Katy with us to check it out. We spent way too much time is this great country store called The Farmer's Wife and Erin came home with a Notable Mousepad in Hope Garden. Katy even picked up a couple Vera Bradley items, I believe a Nylon small cosmetic bag and the Black Microfiber Zip Ar0und Wallet. For Christmas I gave Erin a itunes giftcard and decided it would be fun to put in a Zip ID Case, so I got her one in Hope Garden.

For her birthday I couldn’t decide what to get her, but I had a feeling that she would like Sitting in a Tree. I decided to get her the All in One Wristlet. She opened it and she didn’t hate it, but I could tell she was a little hesitant. I thought maybe I had gone too far, maybe four Vera Bradley items was too many. I told her that she could return it or exchange it and I wouldn’t be offended. I knew I had taken a risk. She said no, that she thought that it would work for something and that she would keep it. She works across the way from the store that I bought it at and on a break she wandered in there to check out what else they had and came across the Flapper Wristlet in Sitting in a Tree and decided to exchange for it. I was excited when I found out that she exchanged the one I got her for the Flapper Wristlet. The Flapper Wristlet wasn’t out when I bought her present, but I had seen online and knew it was super cute! And she is really happy with it, which makes me happy.

The one thing we realized that all of Erin’s Veras have in common, is that they aren’t quilted! Vera Bradley quilts almost all of their items and Erin’s collection is strictly non-quilted. There are only a couple of other items I can think of that aren’t quilted like the Quickstep Wallet and the Ditty Bag, but I think that I will wait a while until I try to buy her any more Vera. We have come a long way since the summer! I am so glad all the girls in the fam like Vera!

Vera Bradley Breast Cancer Patterns

Like I mentioned yesterday Vera Bradley always have a pattern out that they giave 10% of the proceeds to their Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer. The current pattern is Loves Me.

The colors are always so fun and bright. I have Loves Me, Hope Garden, Pinwheel Pink and Pink Elephants.

Loves Me:
Alice

Pinwheel Pink:
Super Tote
Lindsay
Ditty Bag
Sunglasses
Zip Sunglass Case
Ribbon Board, not pictured

Hope Garden:
Nail File
Luggage Tag

Pink Elephant:
Coin Purse

Medium Bow Cosmetic, not pictured

Summer colors are on the way!

So I tried to scan in my postcard but had technical difficulties, so I had to take a picture of it. Get excited because Summer 2010 are coming out soon! Their official release date is March 22nd, but I bet you can find them sooner if you wanted to. The new colors are Call Me Coral, Make Me Blush (a pastel version of Poppy Fields) Night and Day and Simply Violet. There are also new styles coming out and two of the new styles are a Hobo bag and a travel case. The Hobo bag is the bag on the top of the stack in on the postcard and it looks pretty big!

The new colors look really pretty, but none of them really stand out to me or make me want to go buy them next week, which is actually a good thing, because I don’t know how much more Vera my bank account can handle. I think that I will have to get something in Night and Day though, because it will be nice to have a black and white bag. One thing that I have heard about VB bags with a lot of white on them like Mediterranean White and Hope Garden is that they put something like Scotch Guard on there to help keep them looking nice and clean.

Another thing that I am really looking forward to is a yoga mat! I know they will be in the spring colors and I really want one in Loves Me. I think that they are coming out around the same time, but I am not 100% sure.