It's all in the wristlet

Plain and simple, I adore handbags. I try not to buy too many and keep the cost of my handbags fairly reasonable, but a new hobo/tote/crossbody/satchel is always a temptation for me. One of my current favorite brands is Vera Bradley - you know, the colorful fabric handbags. Inside Stitch, the Vera Bradley blog, is one of the many company blogs that I follow on Facebook; it's a great way to learn about new product releases, special promotions and contests. Emphasis on CONTESTS.

Several weeks ago, Inside Stitch held a customer appreciation giveaway. All you had to do was comment on the blog post and five winners would be chosen at random to receive a Vera Bradley Smartphone Wristlet. And I was chosen! (I just looked at the blog post and saw that 2,545 comments were left on that post - wow.)

I got to pick the pattern for my wristlet and I chose Bittersweet, which is a bright red, rusty orange, golden yellow and warm umber floral print with a black-and-white houndstooth accent pattern. I do love houndstooth!

Today my prize package arrived, much to my delight:

The card, from the Vera Bradley stationery line, contained a handwritten message:

 

The cellophane bag contained my new Smartphone Wristlet and a set of emery boards (in the Summer Cottage pattern):

Just for the record, I do not have a smartphone. But my LG dumbphone fits in my new wristlet just fine, in its own little compartment secured by a snap flap:

In a separate zip section, there are three card slots, a bill compartment, a gusseted coin purse and an outer ID window:

When I run out for a quick trip, such as picking Aidan up from an after school meeting, or when I'm toting a knitting bag and don't want to also tote a handbag, a wristlet is the perfect bag to carry. And a free wristlet is even more perfect - thank you, Inside Stitch!

Sew proud

In addition to the standard core classes, Aidan also has an "encore" class each marking period - music, art, technology and FACS. His encore class this marking period is FACS, which is Family And Consumer Science; in other words, home economics. The main focus of this nine week session is learning the basics of sewing, and using those basic skills to make a pillow. I think making a pillow is a very smart idea, a gender neutral project that is useful.

Each student had to bring in fabric of their choice along with a coordinating color (or colors) of felt and a spool of thread. We had a fun time in Jo-Ann Fabric looking at aisle after aisle of fabric before he settled on a pirate/treasure map print.

Aidan has really enjoyed learning to use a sewing machine and I am proud to say that he had absolutely no problem with learning to sew. He has watched enough episodes of Project Runway with me to know that men absolutely do sew. Almost every day he came home with a story about what he learned, how he had to redo part of the pillow and how the project was progressing.

Yesterday he came home with the finished pillow:

 

Aidan did a great job on the pillow and he is [rightfully] very proud of it. Don't ask me why a pirate treasure map pillow has a duck applique on it because I don't know...quack marks the spot? It seems that each student had to make an applique out of felt and there were templates or stencils available from which to choose, and he chose a duck. And why not a duck?