Skip to main content

Oh Vera

Sometime around 1998, I was visiting my cousin, Lia, in Atlanta and caught sight of her adorable yellow quilted dufflebag with her monoram. Monogrammed luggage??? My mind reeled. How have I not heard of this before? After a thorough grilling of the origins of this fabulous bag, I came to know (finally) what Vera Bradley was. My little world was rocked.

I decided to go the route of picking a pattern and sticking with it, as opposed to having different pieces in all different patterns. And I discovered Classic Black.


My love of Classic Black was born. Over the next few years, I collected and received as gifts all kinds of beautiful pieces -- duffels, totes, garment bag, wallet, cosmetic cases, you name it. Alas, in true Vera Bradley fashion, patterns are retired after a period of time.

Out of respect for my beloved Classic Black, I only collected pieces from random patterns subsequently. Only recently had Versaille become my new favorite.

Speaking of favorites, there are some beautiful pieces in the summer collection. Here are a few of my new favorites:

** Note: I have not been compensated by Vera Bradley to sing their fabulous praises. I do that voluntarily.

Beach Towel in Ellie Blue - $38

E-Reader Sleeve in Island Blue - $26

Medium Resort Tote in Camellia - $48

Paddleball Set In Summer Cottage - $26

Picnic Blanket in Lime's Up - $60

Sarong in Camellia - $58

So Cool Picnic Tote in Daisy Doodle - $72

Umbrella in Blue Lagoon - Sale $24

Visor in Lime's Up - $26

All of these great items and more can be found at www.verabradley.com. What are your favorites?

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Instant Pot Chicken Marsala

Day two with my Crock-Pot Express (CPE), aka Instant Pot. Tonight, we are making Chicken Marsala, one of The Captain's favorites. Since I'm preparing to get back into the 21 Day Fix starting on January 15 (with the new 80 Day Obsession plan!), I'm going to enjoy the chicken and green beans only, while the rest of the family will have egg noodles with their chicken. I found a simple enough recipe on Pinterest that I'm going to adapt to work for our family's tastes a little bit better. Here is the plan: Ingredients: - 2 lbs chicken thighs, boneless, skinless - 1 T olive oil - 1/2 t garlic powder - 1/2 t salt - 1/4 t black pepper - 1/2 yellow onion, diced - 1 pint sliced baby Bella portobello mushrooms - 1 c Marsala wine - 1/4 c chicken stock or broth - 1 T minced garlic Instructions: - Set device to “Sauté” and add oil. Allow to heat for 1 minute. - Season chicken with salt, pepper, and garlic powder - Add chicken to pot and sear meat for 3 ...

Creamy Tomato Sauce

This is my best low point tomato sauce concoction yet! Let's get to it: Ingredients: 2 cans diced tomatoes (do not drain) 4 t EVOO 1/4 c fat free sour cream 2 T Italian Seasoning 2 t garlic salt 1 t dill 1 t thyme Combine all ingredients except the corn starch. Bring to a boil and simmer on med-low for 15-20 minutes to begin the thickening process. Transfer about 1/4 c of the liquid from the tomatoes to a small bowl and mix well with corn starch to create a roux. Once free of lumps, add the roux to the tomatoes and stir well. Continue to simmer for another 5-10 minutes on low until ready to serve. Stir periodically to ensure the sauce doesn't get too thick or begin to dry (add a little water of this occurs). PP+ 2 for 1/4 of the tomato mixture Serve over pasta (I served it over beef ravioli). Enjoy!

Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meat Sauce 

Raise your hand if you LOVE washing dishes? Yes? Then this recipe isn't for you. Because dinner is done in one pot. Set it and forget it while you change into something more comfortable after a long day. Ingredients: 1 lb. ground beef 1/2 onion, diced 2 c broth or water 3 c (24 ounces) pasta sauce (marinara or tomato sauce recommended) 1 lb. any pasta (I used whole wheat high protein spaghetti) 2 T Italian Seasoning 1 t Onion Powder 1 t Garlic Powder 1/2 t salt 1/4 t black pepper Instructions: Set your pot to "Saute" and cook the ground beef, breaking up with a wooden spoon as it cooks. Add the onion to the ground beef and they will cook together. Once it is cooked through (about 4-5 min), do not drain out the fat. **If you prefer to use frozen meatballs, skip the above steps, start with the meatballs in the bottom of your pot, then go from here:  Mix in all seasoning (Italian seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper) Layer in ...