[*All photos are taken from my Instagram account.]
With Love and God Bless,
Brindi
Showing posts with label Vera Bradley. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Vera Bradley. Show all posts
Saturday, May 2, 2015
My Beautiful Month
In case you aren't on Instagram, or don't follow me, here's a peek at my Insta-Life lately.
[*All photos are taken from my Instagram account.]
Easter adventures with the family.
My Emerald City.
He loves using anything as a pillow.
It's been FIVE years. It feels like yesterday.
With Love and God Bless,
Brindi
[*All photos are taken from my Instagram account.]
With Love and God Bless,
Brindi
Saturday, April 25, 2015
6. Vera Bradley
Vera Bradley, how I love thee.
Love might not be the word I'm looking for.
Obsessed. Devoted. Addicted. Huge fan. Avid collector. Yes. All of these, yes.
I can't help it. It's so beautiful. Whenever I walk into a store I want to BUY ALL THE THINGS. Pattern after pattern. Style after style. Item after item.
Multiple patterns of the same style. Multiple styles of the same item. Yes. ALL THE THINGS. My coworkers laugh at me. On an average day, I come to work with a dozen patterns between all my things...purse, tote bag, lunch bag, tumbler, lanyard, sunglasses, wallet, and the list goes on.... Hey, we all collect and like something. Right after all things coffee and all things Starbucks, I collect Vera Bradley.
But last Monday was special.
Last Monday, I walked through the door with a record 21 patterns. Grant it one pattern was a gift for my coworker, and my new pack of pencils, which contained four different patterns.
The other 16 patterns?
Guilty.
BUTTTTTT(!) in my defense, I had just come back from my annual trip to the Vera Bradley Outlet Sale. And this year it was killer. I adore everything I purchased. I adored my time with Jessica (it was just the two of us this year). I adored our traditional Cheddar's vegetable platter and drinks dinner and our Jimmy John's lunch. I adored our multiple trips to Starbucks and sleeping in a bed all of my own. I adored the hundreds of dollars I saved. Which is why I go. I go so our bank account can breathe.
This is what I tell myself. And my husband agrees. He'd rather I spend only $20 on a purse instead of closer to $100. We are all winners here.
Hello, VBOS 2015!!!!
This year was a blast as usual. We are all about the Vera. We hopped on that bandwagon years ago.
And my haul this year!!! So happy to see VB makes more patterns available for the weekend sessions. We we get back to the hotel room, I like laying out all my new purchases just as much as I like shopping the actual Sale.
Apparently, our hotel room wasn't full enough. We realized we were short a few things. Like the small spinner I had my eye on the entire time we were there. It's originally $299, but when we walked in it was only $169. As we headed to the registers, the price dropped to $139.
Oh my stars! Think what it could drop to on the last day? On Sunday?! I promise, y'all, another $30-drop and I was walking out of there with a brand new, beautiful carry-on.
Yes, we went back Sunday morning....
....just out of curiosity.
While we were there, from 10-11 a.m. the price did not drop. The session did run until 8 p.m. though. Imagine the final cost come Sunday evening....???!!! Unfortunately, we both had to work Monday and could.not.stay.
I was bummed. But I snatched up another $118 purse for 20 bucks, and another $40 purse for 5 bucks. A successful trip indeed, my friends.
And since I'm sharing with you all my love for VB, check out these mash-ups of our previous trips these last four years.
This huge love affair all started with Java Blue. I fell in love with this pattern. I just had to have it. But at the time, a college student's budget is not Vera Bradley friendly. It was tough. The struggle was real. For my birthday, Jessica bought me my this lunch bag in Java Blue. I finally owned a piece of VB!!! Eventually, I bought a purse, wallet, and a curling iron holder all in Java Blue. <--- That was back when I wanted everything to match. Now, I'm all about equal pattern love. I'm all about ALL THE THINGS.
I still own my first piece of Vera. I don't use it, but I can't bring myself to toss it. It's sentimental to me.
Once I decided I was writing a post just about my obsession, I figured I might as well rummage through the entire house in search of anything and everything VB I owned. As displayed in the very first picture of this post, there is a lot. And by a lot I mean A LOT.
I counted 40 different patterns in my possession.
Oh, and that picture doesn't count the few VB things in my office or are currently on loan. (Cough, like my Kindle cover, Mama, cough.)
Yikes.
I'll admit, I have a problem. It's a beautiful and fashionable problem. But I might need help. I need VB Addicts Anonymous. We can compare our purses, talk about our deals, and I can pass out homemade VB cozy sleeves for our coffee.
Gahhhhh. She's a beauty!
With Love and God Bless,
Brindi
Love might not be the word I'm looking for.
Obsessed. Devoted. Addicted. Huge fan. Avid collector. Yes. All of these, yes.
I can't help it. It's so beautiful. Whenever I walk into a store I want to BUY ALL THE THINGS. Pattern after pattern. Style after style. Item after item.
Multiple patterns of the same style. Multiple styles of the same item. Yes. ALL THE THINGS. My coworkers laugh at me. On an average day, I come to work with a dozen patterns between all my things...purse, tote bag, lunch bag, tumbler, lanyard, sunglasses, wallet, and the list goes on.... Hey, we all collect and like something. Right after all things coffee and all things Starbucks, I collect Vera Bradley.
But last Monday was special.
Last Monday, I walked through the door with a record 21 patterns. Grant it one pattern was a gift for my coworker, and my new pack of pencils, which contained four different patterns.
The other 16 patterns?
Guilty.
BUTTTTTT(!) in my defense, I had just come back from my annual trip to the Vera Bradley Outlet Sale. And this year it was killer. I adore everything I purchased. I adored my time with Jessica (it was just the two of us this year). I adored our traditional Cheddar's vegetable platter and drinks dinner and our Jimmy John's lunch. I adored our multiple trips to Starbucks and sleeping in a bed all of my own. I adored the hundreds of dollars I saved. Which is why I go. I go so our bank account can breathe.
This is what I tell myself. And my husband agrees. He'd rather I spend only $20 on a purse instead of closer to $100. We are all winners here.
Hello, VBOS 2015!!!!
This year was a blast as usual. We are all about the Vera. We hopped on that bandwagon years ago.
And my haul this year!!! So happy to see VB makes more patterns available for the weekend sessions. We we get back to the hotel room, I like laying out all my new purchases just as much as I like shopping the actual Sale.
 |
| My first-day haul. |
 |
| SOME of Jessica's haul ;) |
Oh my stars! Think what it could drop to on the last day? On Sunday?! I promise, y'all, another $30-drop and I was walking out of there with a brand new, beautiful carry-on.
Yes, we went back Sunday morning....
....just out of curiosity.
While we were there, from 10-11 a.m. the price did not drop. The session did run until 8 p.m. though. Imagine the final cost come Sunday evening....???!!! Unfortunately, we both had to work Monday and could.not.stay.
I was bummed. But I snatched up another $118 purse for 20 bucks, and another $40 purse for 5 bucks. A successful trip indeed, my friends.
And since I'm sharing with you all my love for VB, check out these mash-ups of our previous trips these last four years.
This huge love affair all started with Java Blue. I fell in love with this pattern. I just had to have it. But at the time, a college student's budget is not Vera Bradley friendly. It was tough. The struggle was real. For my birthday, Jessica bought me my this lunch bag in Java Blue. I finally owned a piece of VB!!! Eventually, I bought a purse, wallet, and a curling iron holder all in Java Blue. <--- That was back when I wanted everything to match. Now, I'm all about equal pattern love. I'm all about ALL THE THINGS.
I still own my first piece of Vera. I don't use it, but I can't bring myself to toss it. It's sentimental to me.
Once I decided I was writing a post just about my obsession, I figured I might as well rummage through the entire house in search of anything and everything VB I owned. As displayed in the very first picture of this post, there is a lot. And by a lot I mean A LOT.
I counted 40 different patterns in my possession.
Oh, and that picture doesn't count the few VB things in my office or are currently on loan. (Cough, like my Kindle cover, Mama, cough.)
Yikes.
I'll admit, I have a problem. It's a beautiful and fashionable problem. But I might need help. I need VB Addicts Anonymous. We can compare our purses, talk about our deals, and I can pass out homemade VB cozy sleeves for our coffee.
Gahhhhh. She's a beauty!
With Love and God Bless,
Brindi
Friday, April 17, 2015
Lately
1. The Vera Bradley Outlet Sale 2015 came and went. I was there. I bought all the things. My list for next year has already begun. Y'all, the joy I have for this annual trip with my best girlfriend.... I.CAN'T.EVEN.
I'm planning an entire post on this, but this year's haul has been my favorite yet. I
Next year it's April 6th-10th, 2016
You know, just so you know.
2. Five years ago tomorrow, Mr. B and I signed some pretty serious paperwork.
FIVE YEARS!!! Oh my stars, where did the years go??! This is a big one. We might have to do something special. Although, we booked a mini vacation to Hocking Hills for next month as a sort of belated anniversary celebration....and if you refer back to the above, I spent a tiny bit of money this weekend...but, it's FIVE YEARS, right? We must celebrate. We must go crazy.
3. And speaking of cabins in the woods, vacations, and summer, I should probably start my Yogalosophy program again. Dig deeper into clean eating. It's boat and bikini season again. Yikes. Wasn't I just devouring cookie platters??!
4. It's National Library Week!!!! Woot. Woot. To celebrate, enjoy these.
5. I'm a mess. I have all of these plans to organize, organize, ORGANIZE! But instead I find myself on the couch watching Netflix. Me <--- in desperate need of motivation.
6. And one more. Because I can.
Happy FIVE years, Mr. B, you stud.
With Love and God Bless,
Brindi
Saturday, May 3, 2014
My Beautiful Month
In case you aren't on Instagram, or don't follow me, here's a peek at my Insta-Life lately.
[*All photos are taken from my Instagram account.]
Shoot. I think we forgot to get something?!
I know I shared the 80-degree day spring cleaning photo a few posts ago,
but I had to post again because a few days later came more snow.
Cheers to Ohio living.
The never-ending task of creating more space at work.
With Love and God Bless,
Brindi
[*All photos are taken from my Instagram account.]
With Love and God Bless,
Brindi
Saturday, April 12, 2014
Eight Things I'm Loving Right Now
1. Dark Chocolate Almond Milk
During my whole can I have dairy, can I not have dairy, should I just forget it and eat dairy anyway because I want to, by golly(!) fiasco, I discovered one small glass of this satisfied my ice cream craving perfectly. And that's all I want. One glass. Every night. This, too, could turn into an issue....
2. My new Lipstick necklace.
From Premier Designs jewelry. I am completely giddy about this chunky, very pink necklace. I have so many summer dresses I see matching perfectly with this piece, I can't wait for the sunshine! A beautiful pop of color.
3. Upwave.com <---UPDATE: this site decided to close down May 2016 :(
Thanks to Jen over at Peanut Butter Runner, I have found my latest web site addiction. And I am addicted. Above is a screen shot of my home page, which---once you answer a few questions---caters to your personal interests. It provides healthy challenges of all sorts. "A daily opportunity to kick butt." You know I love mini challenges. The challenges I have going right now include Stop Skipping Breakfast, A**hole-Proof Your Week, Eat One Vegan Meal Every Day, and Declutter Your Workspace. Plus, the short articles, quick tips, and healthy living facts feed my addiction. Also, it can sync to your other accounts (like My Fitness Pal or a Fit Bit) which is excellent for keeping track of all your different entries in one place. I am telling y'all, check this out. (Yes, it's FREE.)
4. Grilled Cheeses!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I haven't had a grilled cheese since November. Honestly. Don't worry I have rescued myself from this no dairy devastation. But I must keep my dairy intake in moderation. So, grilled cheeses every day for a week! I must make up for these past months of deprivation.
5. Unglued Bible Study.
My particular Good Morning Girls' group leader of our Facebook chapter, suggested a book study to the members, and asked if anyone was interested. Am I interested?! Let me tell you what I do for a living. Let me tell you about my other book group. Let me tell you all about the books on my mile-long to-read list. Yes, please, sign me up. (Let me not tell you I was the first person to scream, Interested!) We're half way through the book and I'm finding it very encouraging, inspiring, and most importantly, relatable. Lysa TerKeurst has a humorous and effective way of getting her point across while illustrating very familiar unglued situations. Yes, like the nerd I am, I went out and picked up the book's devotional as well. I highly recommend picking up both books. What an important and encouraging study.
6. Dishing out my own fresh nut butter at the new Market District.
I make it right there. It's still so, so warm. And then I get a free sample to enjoy as I walk around the store purely astonished at the price of healthy, "good for you" food. If this food was much cheaper, I'm sure the obesity epidemic would plummet. I'd love to buy these organic apples, but when three of them cost as much as a whole bushel of the non-organic ones...I'm just saying. Thank goodness my almond nut butter is reasonably priced. And thank goodness for local produce which keeps my grocery budget on the cheap[er] side.
Oh, and I enjoy their Oil and Vinegar Bar, too!
7. My new Vera Bradley haul. Patterns galore.
This year's trip was fan-freaking-tastic. I wish I grabbed more headbands, flip-flops, and slippers. Love these items...soooo comfy!
8. Warmer weather.
Hello, Spring! And by that I mean spring cleaning. Mr. B wiped down all the windows, while I tackled the closets, switched out the clothes, and cleaned off the outside furniture.
We are grilling out tonight, yes sir!
With Love and God Bless,
Brindi
During my whole can I have dairy, can I not have dairy, should I just forget it and eat dairy anyway because I want to, by golly(!) fiasco, I discovered one small glass of this satisfied my ice cream craving perfectly. And that's all I want. One glass. Every night. This, too, could turn into an issue....
2. My new Lipstick necklace.
From Premier Designs jewelry. I am completely giddy about this chunky, very pink necklace. I have so many summer dresses I see matching perfectly with this piece, I can't wait for the sunshine! A beautiful pop of color.
3. Upwave.com <---UPDATE: this site decided to close down May 2016 :(
Thanks to Jen over at Peanut Butter Runner, I have found my latest web site addiction. And I am addicted. Above is a screen shot of my home page, which---once you answer a few questions---caters to your personal interests. It provides healthy challenges of all sorts. "A daily opportunity to kick butt." You know I love mini challenges. The challenges I have going right now include Stop Skipping Breakfast, A**hole-Proof Your Week, Eat One Vegan Meal Every Day, and Declutter Your Workspace. Plus, the short articles, quick tips, and healthy living facts feed my addiction. Also, it can sync to your other accounts (like My Fitness Pal or a Fit Bit) which is excellent for keeping track of all your different entries in one place. I am telling y'all, check this out. (Yes, it's FREE.)
4. Grilled Cheeses!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I haven't had a grilled cheese since November. Honestly. Don't worry I have rescued myself from this no dairy devastation. But I must keep my dairy intake in moderation. So, grilled cheeses every day for a week! I must make up for these past months of deprivation.
5. Unglued Bible Study.
My particular Good Morning Girls' group leader of our Facebook chapter, suggested a book study to the members, and asked if anyone was interested. Am I interested?! Let me tell you what I do for a living. Let me tell you about my other book group. Let me tell you all about the books on my mile-long to-read list. Yes, please, sign me up. (Let me not tell you I was the first person to scream, Interested!) We're half way through the book and I'm finding it very encouraging, inspiring, and most importantly, relatable. Lysa TerKeurst has a humorous and effective way of getting her point across while illustrating very familiar unglued situations. Yes, like the nerd I am, I went out and picked up the book's devotional as well. I highly recommend picking up both books. What an important and encouraging study.
6. Dishing out my own fresh nut butter at the new Market District.
I make it right there. It's still so, so warm. And then I get a free sample to enjoy as I walk around the store purely astonished at the price of healthy, "good for you" food. If this food was much cheaper, I'm sure the obesity epidemic would plummet. I'd love to buy these organic apples, but when three of them cost as much as a whole bushel of the non-organic ones...I'm just saying. Thank goodness my almond nut butter is reasonably priced. And thank goodness for local produce which keeps my grocery budget on the cheap[er] side.
Oh, and I enjoy their Oil and Vinegar Bar, too!
7. My new Vera Bradley haul. Patterns galore.
This year's trip was fan-freaking-tastic. I wish I grabbed more headbands, flip-flops, and slippers. Love these items...soooo comfy!
8. Warmer weather.
Hello, Spring! And by that I mean spring cleaning. Mr. B wiped down all the windows, while I tackled the closets, switched out the clothes, and cleaned off the outside furniture.
We are grilling out tonight, yes sir!
With Love and God Bless,
Brindi
Monday, April 7, 2014
Must-Have VB Road Trip Snacks
It's here! It's here! THE VERA BRADLEY OUTLET SALE 2014 IS HERE!
We're pulling out early this morning, heading to Fort Wayne, IN to do a [tiny] bit of damage to our bank accounts. Don't tell our husbands. Every year they trust us to be responsible women in search of a few things we don't need. Every year they realize we have [very little] control when around said things of the Vera Bradley nature. When discussing mine and Jessica's smaller, umm let's go with budgets here, with my husband, I realized Mr. B likes the idea of this set, albeit smaller, limitation. I figure when I slightly go over that amount, he won't be entirely shocked. That seems like an easy WIN for both of us, right? Yep, that's what I thought. Genius.
This morning I woke up extra early to squeeze in a short yoga practice and enjoy one of my VIA Protein Power Shakes. (A definite must on the days I need to be on the go-go-go.) And, of course, to make sure I didn't miss anything I might need and forgotten to pack in my mad rush to cram as many things as I could into my VB bag[s]. You never know what you might need for a less than 48-hour trip away from home.
What I didn't forget to pack were plenty of road trip snacks. Here are my must-haves to keep our bellies satisfied.
My latest chip obsession.
I'm a huge fan of granola bars (particularly those of the homemade kind). They are always a great snack option for the road. Normally, I make some beforehand, but I ran out of time, so I grabbed a few store-bought favorites, including these berry crisps that I forgot I really, really, really enjoy. Usually, I prefer Larabars, but my store was all out.
A favorite chocolate candy. I don't normally indulge in candy, but when I do, for some reason I like the most expensive one on the shelf. Yes, I know, Jessica, champagne taste on a water budget. Champagne taste on a water budget. (<--- insert heavy sigh).
I packed my beloved nut butter and apples, along with some crudites and sliced strawberries. Plus, a plethora of beverages because I enjoy options.
Of course, we can't be without the cookies!
Alas, last year Jessica and her mother-in-law were not the devoted fans of the Black Bean Chocolate Chili [Cranberry] Cookies that I was/am, so I
And I don't think I need to mention where our car will be headed first....
With Love and God Bless,
Brindi
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