Sis Lori here: The Gold Country Girls are obsessed with the Vera Bradley products. So, when I showed you in my birthday post the coupon they sent me to use in February, I had to do it!!! Combined with a trip to visit my Daughter (we needed some girl time, and she showed me things about my new iphone and Pinterest, more on that later), I made a trip to the store at The Fountains in Roseville.
First, at home, I had perused my catalog that comes in the mail:
They have many different styles and tech cases, etc.
I bought my first Vera Bradley purse at a women's convention, years ago, at a kiosk they had set up in the lobby, I loved the fabrics they used and it was very well made!!!
My second Vera Bradley purse was a lucky thrift store find.
For quite some time I had been yearning for a new one, in a different style.
I did my homework, found my favorite patterns and style, and with catalog in hand, stepped in the store. They very nicely greet you, and she was going to ask to help me, but she saw the catalog and knew I must be familiar with the product line. Left alone, I wandered the store, they have many more items than my last visit 2-3 years ago.
I finally decided and asked the nice gal for her help.
I decided on the Hipster style and had a different pattern in mind, but was drawn to the Tea Garden fabric, and then I knew why, the clerk told me that when you purchase that pattern, 10% of their net proceeds are donated to Breast Cancer funds, and I was sold, since our Mother died from this.
Here is my new purse and of course, a matching wallet!!! You can get carried away, but I am on a budget!! I love it!!!!! Happy Birthday to me!!!!!!!
They packaged it in a beautiful gift bag with tissue paper:
And even packaged my receipt in a cute little envelope!!
Now, I was also going to take a peek into Anthropologie which is right around the corner, but they were locking the door as I walked up. Oh well, next time!!!!
They come through in large flocks and settle into the trees, stripping the toyan bushes of any bright red berries that may have been left on them.
The first indication of our visitors is usually loud chirping that we can hear inside the house even if all the doors and windows are tightly closed.
If you look carefully at the above photo, you will see a nice fat robin, full of toyan berries.
I tried to attach a short video I made of the robins flying over our house, because I wanted you to hear the wonderful noise they make.
These pictures of robins in the trees are rather like a puzzle.
I tried to get pictures of the flock flying over the river.
Just connect the dots. I mean the robins.
Most of the robins leave after a week or so, but some have come home and stay with us.
I can't even find the robins in this picture, but I know they are there.
Aha! There they are.
After the large flock moves on, the few who stay with us start looking for worms and bugs in our grass.
For now they are safe up in the trees, hiding out, playing "Where's Waldo?" with me and my camera.
I wish I could share the delightful bird music that accompanies the experience. I guess you will just have to come and hear it for yourself.
