Catching Up

Shopping has taken a back seat to family obligations, work and school lately. But that's not to say that I haven't strolled into a few boutiques as stress relief. And oh, more is to come. We're heading to another city filled with great outlets this weekend and plan to do some major catching up.

This past weekend, we were in Memphis, where we hit the Pottery Barn and Williams Sonoma outlets - two favorites. But we didn't have any major luck at them. If I'd had more time, I probably could have done some damage buying kitchen staples at the WS outlet. But I need time to think during that kind of endeavor, and that's difficult with parents and a husband who want to vacate as soon as possible. Maybe next time.

I did, however, stumble upon a new Memphis obsession: The Vera Bradley store at Saddlecreek Shops. I'd never been in a store that was solely dedicated to Vera. I was in heaven.

After discussing my VB passion with a friend, I agreed with her conclusion that it tends to be an SEC trend. Never have I seen a piece of Vera outside the dirty south. But oh, how I adore it.

My love affair with Vera Bradley didn't exactly begin happily. I received a piece in 1999 for my high school graduation and knew nothing about it. I was like, "Wow, a printed duffel bag." It came from family members who had two daughters at a snooty southern state university, and they promised it was all the rage.

I toted it to my non-Fayetteville SEC alma mater and was the only girl in my dorm who'd even heard the name Vera Bradley. You couldn't buy it anywhere in our trendy college town, and when I looked for a matching piece in a nearby major southern city, none was to be found there, either.

But I started to love this bag because I could stuff a ridiculous amount of crap in it. I mean, tons of dirty laundry, all my books and folders, a pillow, my make-up bag, a variety of hair dryers and straighteners, plus clothes and jewelry for the weekend. That meant only one trip down four flights of dorm stairs was required for any trip back home. Perfection.

Two summers later, Vera was in every boutique and Hallmark store I entered. This is my long way of telling you I pride myself on being ahead of the Vera Bradley curve.

I now have six Vera patterns, four of which have been retired. I get a piece for every major holiday or milestone from my family, and I'm always excited to see which pattern and bag I'll be adding to my collection. If you're not the type who loves frou-frou bags and luggage, do keep Vera Bradley in mind simply because it's incredibly durable and the bigger pieces can hold EVERYTHING!

In Little Rock, you can find the best Vera selections at the Crown store at Park Plaza and the one near Wild Oats. If you're in Memphis, be sure to drop in the Vera store there. It's kind of breath-taking.

I bought this great travel brush holder, with six very nice make-up brushes for $35. The pattern is Yellowbird:

In other news, we ate at a restaurant in Memphis that is slated to open a branch at Shackleford Crossings, Yia-Yia's Euro Bistro. This will be a welcome addition to The Rock. Yia-Yia's pizzas rivaled Za-Za's in the Heights (go figure). They also served generous portions of delicious entrees. The menu included gnocchi, risotto, inventive burgers and a flavorful baked chicken with peppers. The atmosphere and appointments were similar to PF Chang's -- very metropolitan. We were pleased with the experience. Hopefully the Little Rock branch will be similar.