Holiday Guide: Cherished @verabradley gifting this season and beyond!

 

Years ago I spent the summer with my grandmother on an island just outside of Seattle. Though it was only for a short period the impact was a profound and cherished. I had my grandmother to myself for three glorious months; we cooked, sewed, shopped, and just were together. It would be the last real time I spent with her.

One of my favorite things we did together was to ride the ferry into Seattle to explore second hand stores. I enjoyed the treasures we found just as much as the time that we had together. It was then that I discovered my passion for handbags; big, small, snappers, zippers, leather, straw, pockets, single compartments, matching cosmetic cases, handmade, manmade, wrist straps, shoulder straps, no straps………………… I used to buy my outfits to match the bag, not the bag to match the outfit!

On one of our trips I was on a mission to find a bag that was different, something special. Something no one else had. We took the ferry into town early that morning; it was one of those perfect spring days that only anyone that had spent time in the Pacific Northwest can understand. The air was cool, crisp, not to hot, not to cold, the sun was shining……….perfect. 

We walked for miles visiting every nook and cranny that we could drag ourselves into. We were just getting ready to leave our last shop and while I had found many wonderful things and we had a fabulous day I still hadn’t found “the one.” Grandma was visiting with the cashier about how she might alter an old matching Victorian type bed set that I snagged for next to nothing (it really was amazing), I was taking one more browse through when I saw it. It was a hand quilted polka dotted deep shade of purple that so dark it was almost black.

It has four pockets sew along both sides of the inside panels and long shoulder straps. It had a charming appeal to it that superseded any handbag before it; big enough for a day at the beach but small enough for a day at the mall, dressy enough for church but casual enough for jeans.

It of course was the start of another love affair…………..I’m talking about Vera Bradley. Maybe it’s the connection to that summer with grandma or my love of the classics but I’ve never lost my adoration for the quilted perfection of Vera Bradley. I’ve had other similar bags but the knocked off version has never given me the same joy as the real deal.

Needless to say that every time I put my hands of a piece from the collection, I’m taken back to that day in Seattle with grandma…….

Vera Bradley has come along was since my thrift store adventure but each new piece gives me just as much delight as my consignment shop first. The vibrant spring colors the matching bangles, coin purses, backpacks and be still my accessory loving heart a matching umbrellas too!

As a mom that doesn’t wanna necessarily look like the rockin mom jeans stereotype I am thrilled with all that Vera Bradley  has…..give me a VB bag and I can get a whole lot a kid junk in there and still keep my wanna be pulled together look! It’s the perfect mom-with-kid-in-tow-on-the-go bag or chic enough to pack for a day at the beach, as a carry on, or as an overnight bag!

Sentimental or not, Vera Bradley is an absolute must for my feel good and gift giving arsenal!

A special thanks to Vera Bradley for the vicarious moment and of course for the addition to my collection! Muah!

 

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