Answer Me This - The Last One

1. What's your favorite grocery store splurge? 

I'm not one to splurge at the grocery store. In fact, I only buy things that are on sale unless it's something we need right then because I somehow failed to stock up when it was on sale.

However, a few weeks ago, I picked up some Trader Joe's Cookie Butter, which was decidedly not on sale. It is so delicious, it was worth having to drive 2 hours for it.

2. How's your penmanship? 

I teach primary grades, so my printing, when I try, is darn near perfect. My everyday writing tends to be a mix of printing and some cursive and I've been told it's nice. My actual cursive is okay. It's legible, but my 3rd grade teacher would be disappointed in some of my letter formations.

My everyday writing

 3. Do you have a "Summer Bucket List?" 

 Our anniversary is in the summer, so we always try to celebrate with a trip, usually just a day trip to an area zoo. This year, we're heading to the Indianapolis Zoo.

I also usually go to our county fair at lease once, but this year I decided that it just wasn't worth driving out there and dealing with crowds just for some ice cream, however delicious it may be. Besides, we've got a busy week planned since the husband is on vacation and my summer day camp job is over.

4. What's the best thing on the radio right now? 

 Oh gosh, my summer commute is less than 5 minutes, so I don't listen to the radio much. I can however, sing all of the "Watch me whip" song thanks to our camp talent show act.

I fully admit that Taylor Swift has sucked me back in with her pop stuff and I do like Bad Blood.



Of course, I also like anything Kelly Clarkson puts out and I've been enjoying Maroon 5's stuff again.

5. Ice cream or frozen yogurt?

Ice cream! Especially the soft serve from the county fair.

We actually have several frozen yogurt places around here where you do your own toppings and then pay by the weight. I haven't been to any of them yet, so I'm not opposed to frozen yogurt.  I actually just prefer to go to the frozen custard place instead.



 

Answer Me This

1. At what temperature do you keep the thermostat set? Summer, winter, day, night? 

We just replaced the air conditioner a couple weeks ago and got a new programmable thermostat. So, during the summer, while we're out and at night, it's set at 78 and when we're home during the day/evening it's set to 75. Our bedroom never seems to cool down at night, so we also have a window unit in there that we use when we get too warm.

In winter, my husband is a heat miser, so I think we usually set it to 68 or so.

2. What is your favorite frozen beverage? 

Alcoholic - lime margaritas with salt on the rim
Nonalcoholic - Frozen Coke

3. Where do you keep your keys?

 This is an ongoing issue in our house. I'm actively trying to find a solution - preferably some sort of storage unit for our back door entry area.

I currently try to keep my keys in my purse, but I have a habit of setting them down and forgetting where they are.

4. Have you ever really been lost? 

I have a fear of getting lost, so I try not to go anywhere I'm not familiar with. Of course, now that I have a smartphone, there's less chance of being lost.

5. What is the last movie you saw in the theaters?

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies for my annual birthday movie. Looks like I'll probably pick the new Star Wars movie for my next birthday.

We don't get to the theater very often. We will definitely be going to see Spectre when it comes out later this year.



 

Answer Me This - 4th of July Edition

1. How did you celebrate the 4th of July? (Or, for you international types . . . Do anything fun this weekend?) 

On the actual 4th of July, we didn't do much. We stayed home and were anti-social. I made ribs in the crock pot and we watched the neighbors' fireworks through the window while trying to convince the cat that the world wasn't ending.

Today, we are having my in-laws over for a cookout.

2. Do you sunburn easily? 

Yes, but only above the waist. It takes forever for my legs to even get a tan. Although, I did once burn my legs while sitting on the Florida beach and then the next day I had to wear pantyhose for job interviews. That was torture!

3. Hot dogs. Yay or nay?

 Yay, but I would prefer a cheeseburger.

4. Have you ever personally set off fireworks?

 I am terrified of amateur fireworks, so I've only done sparklers.

5. Have you ever jumped off the high dive? 

No. I always have to work up the courage to even jump off a regular diving board, so there was no way I was going near the high dive. It was one of the bouncy ones, so it was extra scary.

6. Do you do anything weird in your sleep?

Oh boy, I do all kinds of things in my sleep. I apparently have conversations with my husband before he goes to work, but I never remember even waking up. He swears I was awake, but I'm not! I've gotten up and used the bathroom in my sleep. And several times, I've woken up wearing things that were hanging in my closet when I went to sleep. Apparently, I got cold!


 

Answer Me This - Home Sweet Home Edition

How long have you lived in your current home?

5 years

When we bought it 5 years ago, I was sure that by now we would be looking for a new house, but I think we're here to stay for probably another 5 years.

How do you find out about news and current events?

The Internet and social media. I see a lot of news updates through Facebook and Twitter. I do read the local newspaper on their website daily as well.

Would you be able to make change for a twenty right now? For a dollar?

For a twenty - no. For a dollar - maybe? I rarely carry cash unless I'm going to the flea market or garage sales.

What's the craziest food you've ever eaten?

I'm a picky eater, so I've never eaten anything too adventurous.

Which of the commonly removed parts have you had removed? (tonsils, wisdom teeth, appendix, etc.)

Only my wisdom teeth. I had the bottom ones cut out when I was 15 to prepare for braces. I had the top ones pulled out a couple years ago.

What's your favorite sport to watch on TV?

I like watching the Olympics. I'll watch whatever is airing on TV during the Olympics.

 

Answer Me This is Back!

Yay! Kendra at Catholic All Year is doing Answer Me This again this summer. Looks like I'll actually be blogging once a week this summer. I've been terrible about updating, I know! I owe you all an update about the end of the school year in kindergarten and starting my summer camp job.

Let's look at this week's questions!

1. Any big plans for the summer?

I'm working summer camp for the 3rd year in a row, so I'm busy for the next 6 weeks. We celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary on Friday and we usually do a day trip to celebrate, but since camp started early this year, we're putting it off until the end of July. We're planning on going down to Indy to visit the zoo. They have koalas for the summer!

2. What is the strangest thing you believed as a child?

I really don't remember believing anything strange. I had an active imagination, but I was also very practical as a kid, I guess.

3. What is your favorite amusement park ride? (can be a specific one at a specific park or just a type of ride)

I'm a ride wuss. I can't ride anything that goes upside down, too fast, or too high. But I can ride everything at Disney World's Magic Kingdom. My favorite ride is Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.

4. What's on your summer reading list?

Anything I can get my hands on! Now that school is out, my schedule is lighter and I will have more time to read. I've got a lot books on request at the library and I'll read whatever pops up. I already read the Fug Girls' The Royal We and really enjoyed it.

5. Have you ever fallen asleep in public?

The only time I've fallen asleep in public is when I slept on the high-speed train in France. I had to sleep because when I was awake, I felt extremely nauseous!

6. What is your favorite smell?

 I like floral scents. Lilac, because my grandparents had a giant bush in their yard and it always smelled so good when it bloomed. And peony because they are my favorite flowers and my wedding bouquet smelled so heavenly. I couldn't stop smelling it all day. Now the smell of peonies makes me think of our wedding day.

Photo by Amanda Fales Photography

I'm not sure yet if I'll do next week's questions - they're about fathers, and that's a bit of a touchy subject around here.
 

My Experience at the 2015 Vera Bradley Outlet Sale

Yesterday was my day to shop at the Vera Bradley Outlet Sale. I had so much fun, but now I'm sad that I have to wait a year for the next one!

I wanted to share with you a few notes about my experience and some pictures I took along the way. I shopped with my best friend Tricia and our moms. We are all veteran VBOS shoppers.

We arrived at the Coliseum about an hour before our 11:00 session. I'm still not sure what line we were in, to be honest. We were upstairs, so I assumed we were somewhere in line 2, but we got into the sale relatively quickly and it wasn't very crowded at all yet.

There was apparently some delay in getting people into the sale which resulted in Vera Bradley adding an extra 45 minutes to our session. They never announced this while I was on the sale floor, but I saw it on Twitter while I was shopping. They may have announced it towards the end of our scheduled time, but by then I was in the checkout area.

As I said, we got into the sale relatively quickly.  The line started moving right after 11:00 and we didn't stand still for long. I'd say we were in within 15 minutes of the sale starting. I was too excited to start shopping to look at my watch!

This year, I had grand plans to try to stay with mom while we shopped. So when we entered the sale, she and I headed for the Little Hipsters because she wanted one of those. I had also been thinking about getting one, but they didn't have any in Ribbons, so I decided not to get one.

There was one Little Hipster in Go Wild on the pile and I very stupidly did not grab it. Of course, later when I went back, it was gone. Always grab something you're interested in, even if you don't think you will buy it!

After picking out a Little Hipster for my mom, I headed for the Glennas and Emily Satchels which were in the same section. At this point, my mom wandered off, but no big deal, we had a meeting point set up.

I did find a Glenna and an Emily Satchel in Ribbons, so they both went into my bag to consider later. I then got distracted by various items in that area, like the baby stuff. I had to force myself to focus on what I was there for first and then I could browse. But there was so much stuff and so many great deals!

I found the Veras and got one for my mother-in-law and then looked for the Tumblers, which were gone, and the hair accessories. After I had the things I had come for, I wandered around looking at various other things and documenting prices for the price chart.

I also decided to go back and pick up a Little Hipster to consider. As I said, there weren't any in Ribbons or Flutterby and the Go Wild one was gone, so I ended up grabbing one in Flower Shower, which was the same pattern my mom picked out.

Eventually, we all met up at our meeting spot and started sorting our things and adding up our totals. I compared the Glenna and the Emily Satchel and ended up going with the Glenna again. While the Emily seems to have lots of room and I like that it's divided, ultimately I didn't like the shoulder strap. It felt shorter than the Glenna. Vera Bradley says it's a 1/2 inch difference, but apparently, that makes all the difference to me!

We headed to the checkout probably somewhere after 1:00 and while the line was long, it moved quickly. We didn't really stand in one spot for long. I was attempting to update the price chart while in line, so that was an adventure!

Things I Liked This Year

• Bonus Buys! I admit, I was a little skeptical this would be a good thing, but I liked it. Our session had quite a few Bonus Buys and one of them was the Vera, which I was getting for my mother-in-law. The Bonus Buys were marked with balloons and they frequently announced what they were throughout the sale.
• Markdowns! Markdowns had already started on Thursday, and I was happy to see the silver balloons marking them. Sadly, it wasn't anything I wanted in my session, but I'm always happy to see markdowns.
•  Things were actually where the map said they were. Last year, this was a problem, but this year was good. Although if something was sold out, there was usually another product in that spot, so that was a little confusing. 
• Friendly workers! Once again, everybody I interacted with was super friendly.
• Jewelry! This year the jewelry, readers, and sunglasses were located in a special area on the sales floor with plenty of workers to help. This is so much better than having them after the checkouts or located elsewhere. I was so happy to get the necklace I've been wanting since last year. 
• Coupon! Vera Bradley printed a coupon for $30 off a $100 purchase at the Outlet Sale in a local newspaper. Thanks to Tricia's mom and dad we were able to get our hands on 4 copies. After doing my calculations, I was able to keep the Little Hipster I was considering because I basically got it for free thanks to the coupon. I LOVED that coupon! My mom didn't spend enough to use hers, so we gave it to the lady in the checkout line behind us.

Things I Didn't Like This Year

• Strollers! Look, it's crowded, it's chaotic, and it's hard to move around. The strollers do not make things any easier and I cannot imagine it's easy to maneuver with one. I'm just worried somebody is going to get hurt. I did see several ladies wearing their small children, which is great.
• Sold out items. I know it's hard for Vera Bradley to predict what is going to sell out quickly, but it's really annoying to get excited about something on the map only to find out it's gone already. For example, pet items were on the map, but they were nowhere to be found during our session. I found where they were supposed to be, but there were only beach towels there. They need to put up a sign saying that the item is sold out. I know the map is trying to be helpful, and I appreciate that, but they couldn't have had much pet stuff if it was already gone, so maybe it didn't need to be on the map? I don't know. Better communication about sold out items is needed though.
• No prices on the shopping guide again. Finding the right sign for products was sometimes tricky with the crowds and I always have a hard time remembering things. The price scanners were helpful, but with no prices on the guide, it meant that everybody wanted to use the scanners. You had to fight the crowd to get a chance to scan your item. I like being able to provide the price chart though and hopefully, it was helpful to a lot of people this year.

Here's what I bought...

Glenna in Ribbons

Little Hipster in Flower Shower

Colorful Hair Clips in Ribbons and Flower Shower

Cleaning Cloth in Indigo Pop

Carpe Diem Necklace in Petal Paisley

Not pictured - Vera in Indigo Pop for my mother-in-law and another item I'm saving for mother's day.

What did I put back? I put back the Emily Satchel I had been considering as well as a Loop Keychain because $6 was more than I really wanted to pay for a keychain I really didn't need.

How did my wish list do? I did get the Glenna, Colorful Hair Clips, and necklace that I wanted. The Tumblers and Umbrellas were already sold out by my session. There were no large flip flops left either. I did see the Ruffle Cosmetics I like, but they didn't have any in red.

After shopping, we headed over to Jefferson Pointe to shop and check out the Vera Bradley store. Of course, I spotted items I'll be adding to my wish list for next year's sale.

We also discovered that Fort Wayne now has a Tim Horton's, so we checked it out and got doughnuts. They were delicious and we'll be adding a stop at Tim Horton's to our annual girls' day traditions.

Yum! Double Chocolate!

We had a great day of shopping and I can't wait for next year's sale!

Tricia and me

Have any questions about the Outlet Sale or Vera Bradley? Feel free to ask them in the comments or over on the Argyle Love Facebook page.

What did you get at the Vera Bradley Outlet Sale?

 

2015 Vera Bradley Outlet Sale Wish List

This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a small amount of compensation which I will then use to buy more Vera.

This week, I'm making my trip to the annual Vera Bradley Outlet Sale next week. The sale is crowded and chaotic, so it helps to go prepared. I like to make a wish list of items to look for first before I attempt to browse the rest of the sale.

Today, I'm sharing with you my Vera Bradley Outlet Sale wish list.

Glenna

In 2013, I picked up a Glenna in Island Blooms and I loved it. Last year, I picked up one in Olivia Pink to carry in fall and winter. I really love this style. It's big enough to hold everything I like to carry, it has 2 generous pockets on the outside, and the strap is the perfect length. This year, I want to get one in Ribbons, since that is my favorite pattern.

Tumbler

I really wanted to get one of these last year, but I only want one in Ribbons, which was not available. I'm hoping it will be there this year. I drink water all day out of tumblers, so I'd love to have a Vera Bradley one.

Colorful Hair Clips

Last year, I picked some of these up in Go Wild. I'm still kicking myself for not buying more than one pack. I used them all summer to help keep my hair up in a ponytail for summer camp. I'd like to get some in Flower Shower and maybe another pattern.

Emily Satchel

Source

Even though I love my Glenna, I'd like to check out this style too. It is very similar in size to the Genna, but it is divided into compartments on the inside.

Bubble Umbrella

I just really love this style of umbrella. I'm a sucker for a cute umbrella and this one would be handy for when it's raining at school dismissal and I'm walking the kids to the buses.

Of course, I have other items I'm interested in getting, but unless the price is right, they aren't as important as these items. Check out my wish list on Pinterest to see more of what I'm wishing for!

What's on your Vera Bradley wish list?

 

Tips for the 2015 Vera Bradley Outlet Sale

The Vera Bradley event of the year is next week and I cannot wait! The Annual Vera Bradley Outlet sale is held every year in Fort Wayne, Indiana. It's an arena full of handbags and accessories all at a discount price. For me, it's just as good as Christmas!

Basically, once you enter, you grab a big plastic bag and a price sheet and then it's time to shop! My plan is to grab anything I think I might want and stuff it in my bag. Then, when I've browsed everything, I find a spot and sort through what's in my bag. Rejected items are placed in nearby boxes and carts to be restocked by Vera workers.

After making my decisions and any final sweeps around the arena, it's time to pay! There are always tons of registers and the lines move pretty quickly.

To prepare for the sale, I try to make a list of styles I want to look at the most. These are the items that I will head to first before taking some time to mosey through the rest of the sale. I'll share my wishlist for the sale soon, so come back to check it out!

Just about every current and retired style of bags and accessories will be at the sale. What's unknown is exactly which patterns will be available. Based on what I've seen at previous years' sales, I can usually make a pretty good prediction of what I'll see. I try to identify which patterns I would most like prior to the sale. This is especially helpful if you are attending the sale with a group. Your friends can help by grabbing things in the pattern you want if you want to split up to shop and then meet back up to sort. (Of course, you'll help out your friends by grabbing what they want.)

I've found that the patterns are mostly ones that have been retired since the previous year's sale as well as some that are going to be retired after the sale. These are often the colors listed as "sale" on the Vera Bradley website

So, what colors do I expect to see at the Sale? I usually say it's a good bet we'll see plenty of the patterns that have been retired since the last sale, but at the 2013 sale, there were lots of new patterns available, so it's really anyone's guess. However, I would not set my hopes on a getting a new pattern and instead be pleasantly surprised if they're available this year.  I believe that most of the available patterns will be retired patterns.

 Starting with the colors most recently retired..

Ink Blue

Flower Shower

Then, those retired in November and December...

Canterberry Magenta

Fanfare

Flutterby

Blue Bayou

Clementine

Midnight Blues

And the patterns that were retired last August...

Canterberry Cobalt

Plum Crazy

Jazzy Blooms

Ribbons

And I'm sure we'll see some of the colors that were retired just after last year's sale...

Julep Tulip

Citron

Venetian Paisley

Bittersweet

Olivia Pink

Tutti Frutti

Source for all pattern pictures

As in previous years, there will also be older patterns available in select styles, but it's tough to predict just what exactly will be available. For example, I've been seeing Night Owl every year since 2010. Your best bet is to look over the Sale section of the Vera Bradley website to get an idea.

Retired styles are usually available in all patterns that they were made. Theoretically, you could find a bag in a Spring 2015 or Summer 2015 pattern, but I've found that anything that new tends to disappear fast. Your best bet of scoring those will happen in the first few sessions on Wednesday.

What about prices? Exact prices won't be known until the sale opens, but looking at previous years' prices can give you an idea of what to expect. Keep in mind, that beginning the second day of the sale, prices may start dropping. Just a few on the second day, then more as the sale goes on. Just keep in mind, the later in the sale you go, the less selection you may have to choose from. I value selection over price, so the second day works well for me.

To help give an idea of prices, I made a chart comparing the prices I could find from sales over the past few years. I'll be updating this as I find out prices from this year's sale. Keep in mind, the prices on the chart are the starting price; I did not include any markdowns that occurred as the sale went on.

This will be my 8th Vera Bradley Outlet Sale and I've picked up a few tips along the way.

• Use a crossbody handbag or a smaller purse. It gets crowded in the arena as you can see from the pictures and believe me, you'll want your hands free to shop!
• Wear comfortable clothing and shoes. You're going to be on your feet the whole time. Don't wear flip flops or you risk having your foot stepped on.
• A couple years ago, several readers suggested using a tote or larger bag to hold their shopping. I was buying a tote for my mother-in-law, so I stuffed my other shopping in it and it was awesome. It was much easier to carry than the plastic bag you are given. If you are not going to purchase the tote you use, I would suggest making sure you use one that is well stocked so that you don't take away somebody else's chance at getting that bag.  There are boxes at the registers to put back items you do not want to purchase.
• Bring your registration and your ID. There are usually computers set up to print off your registration, but you'll have to wait in line. Save time and do it before you arrive. You will not be able to purchase anything without your ID, so make sure you have it!
• Please don't bring children! There is no way I'd bring a kid to the sale. It's crowded and you won't enjoy yourself if you have to worry about keeping your child with you at all times. I'm going with my best friend, Tricia, and she is leaving her adorable toddler at home. He's a great shopper, but she knows that the Outlet Sale is no place for a child. I'm so glad I have responsible friends who value the safety of their children.
• This is not the mall, do not bring a stroller! You will only annoy everyone else and your baby really doesn't belong. If I couldn't get a babysitter, I wouldn't go to the sale. I really cannot stress this one enough. Last year, there were tons of strollers and I even saw a double stroller. It is very crowded in the sale and at times, impossible for an adult to just walk through the crowd. A stroller will only make your shopping experience unenjoyable and unsafe.

Don't forget to like the Argyle Love Facebook page and follow me on Twitter and Instagram. I'll try to tweet from the sale and hopefully share some pictures too. Also, follow my friend Trish on her Twitter and Instagram. We're shopping together and I'm sure she'll have things to share too!

And finally, remember to have fun! Score some great deals and enjoy being in the company of other Vera Bradley lovers.

Any questions? Leave them in a comment below and I'll try to answer them!