Vera Bradley Caffe Latte Tote Handbag

Totes, totes and more totes! A tote bag is probably the most useful and commonly used handbag in every girl’s collection. Why? Because of the large room capacity, it allows us women to cram everything we own in there. And let it be known, whether camping, going to the beach, to the park, shopping or the grocery, we women like to prepare for anything — so we bring everything! (Tee-hee!)

Ok, so today we’re going to chit chat about the new Vera Bradley Caffe Latte Tote Handbag. I chose this color because it’s time to get ready for fall ladies, so we need to BUY BUY BUY and SPEND SPEND SPEND!! It’s what we’re good at, right? And like mamma always says, “Never let a good talent go to waste!“

This year’s Vera Bradley Tote is a bit different. If you visit Vera Bradley’s Info page, then you might read a more emphatic version of the changes — but I’ll tell it to you straight… it’s basically the SAME BAG, only it costs a little more (maybe around $2.00 USD I think as opposed to last year.) So what’s all the hype about then? What changed? Well, there are some additional pockets on the inside. Before there was only one pocket, remember? Well now there’s three pockets. This might be a welcomed change for some, but as for me, it wasn’t a deal breaker.

Vera Bradley Caffe Latte Fall Color

Of course, the flavor of the bag has changed too, with 4 newly introduced Vera Bradley Fall Colors added into the mix, such as Caffe Latte, Puccini, Frankly Scarlet and Night Owl. Now I love all the all new fall colors, but for this Vera Bradley Tote, I was more drawn to the Caffe Latte color. The most obvious change (for me) was the tortoise shell toggle button. I absolutely, positively think this is the best button Vera Bradley could have ever placed on any of her bags! I adore this button — and yes, I know, it’s ONLY a button, however, that button really makes all the difference! Remember that other mundane button on the older Vera Bradley Tote bag? I never cared for it and it actually broke easily for me after owning the bag for a few months. I had to sow it back on again. But this tortoise shell button is strong and sturdy… it can handle more stress due to weight, not to mention it just looks better!

Vera Bradley Tortoise Shell Toggle Button

So there you have it. The same dimensions, just 2 more inside pockets and a newer (better) toggle button. Is it worth the extra $2.00? In my opinion, absolutely! The button will last much longer and it’s easier to open and close. You can find these bags on eBay right now for around $30.00 – $40.00… but you have to be patient. Click on any photo (or click here) to buy this Caffe Latte Vera Bradley Tote bag for only $35.00 with free shipping! Until next time…. happy shopping!

Today’s hot deal is with the Retired Vera Bradley Bermuda Pink Lucy Handbag. This is a classic cotton handbag with rolled handles and the most adorable tortoise shell buckles you ever did see! The bag is not very large, with the dimensions only being at 10¾” x 6½” x 4¼”. Now, why do I like this bag, you ask? Because it’s really cute and it’s a very functional bag to go to the mall with, the movies, the beach, etc. It’s a great bag to go shopping with if you don’t want to lug around a large tote.

Now, it should be said that while the handles are rolled, they are fairly small, so it’s not like you can just slide the handles over your arm and walk about. I have very small arms and even on me, this bag can’t really be thrown onto your shoulder. This is definitely a carry bag — but, that’s what makes this bag so cute! The bright pink colors really stand out and you’re sure to get compliments on this great little bag.

Along side of it being small, it still has 3 inside pockets and one of them fits your cell phone perfectly. My favorite part of this bag are the tortoise shell buckles. I just love them and wished more bags had these fashionable little buckles. They are so cute and really stand out noticeably against the bright pink color. It’s really a great compliment to the bag.

The only annoyance I have with this bag is that I paid nearly $80 for it when it came out. But now, I see there is one on eBay for sale at only $40.00!!! Can you believe that? Not to mention, the bag on eBay will also give you the cute matching pocketbook cover and the matching zip wallet for FREE! Not too shabby if you ask me! So get this bag now if you can, because they really are hard to find, especially at this price!

CLICK ON THE PHOTO BELOW TO BUY NOW!

It was in 2006 towards the end of the year. I was meeting my future husband for the very first time. He was American and I was Russian. We had met on the internet through Date.com (believe it or not) and we fell in love. I must admit it was rather scary, though more so for him, since he moved his life out to Russia just to be with me and see how things would go.

He got off the plane and I was very nervous. He smiled at me and immediately gave me a present… a Vera Bradley bag. It was the Vera Bradley Tropical Silk Limited Edition Kelly. I must admit, at first, I was a bit thrown off by the colors and flower patterns, After all, in Russia, I was used to knock off leather bags such as Prada, D&G and Chloe. I only liked leather bags too — but of course, the quality was very poor being that they were replicas.

My husband told me, “This is a Vera Bradley Bag. They are light and fun — not to be compared to the likes of Prada, but are gaining more popularity in the states. This is suppose to be a limited edition.” I didn’t know what to say, so I just smiled.

I then said to him, “Well… yesssss… interesting colors and flowers.” I, of course, was only being polite, as I really didn’t care for it that much. I then put it in the closet and left it there as a “souvenir” — and that was my excuse for not using it to — “Oh honey, this is the first gift you have ever given to me, I cannot use it. I shall keep it safe and clean.” Over the next 3 months, I never even used it until my husband and I got married and traveled to Istanbul, Turkey for our honeymoon. I brought the Vera Bradley bag only because I wanted something light to carry and I didn’t want to ruin my leather bags due to the winter weather. It was during this time that I really started to understand the whole “Vera” popularity.

When traveling to Istanbul, if you ever go, you will understand that Istanbul is the CAPITAL OF THE WORLD when it comes to the best quality replica bags. Their quality is sooooo good, in fact, that only CoCo herself could tell the difference between their bags and her Chanel brand. Now mind you, this is the type of shopping I’m used to — because in Russia, this is all we buy — REPLICAS.

But while I was there shopping for bags, so many people stopped me and asked me where I got my Vera bag. I would smile and say “What? THIS flower bag of mine?” I thought they were kidding, but each time, someone else would approach me and ask if it was a knockoff and where they could find them. I had no idea they were so popular — and only THEN did I realize, “Wow, Vera Bradley must be quite popular.” That was when I started to appreciate the bag more… and when I got back from Turkey, everyone asked me where I got my bag from and I had to say “Oddly enough, I got it from my closet, as it had been sitting there for nearly 3 months collecting dust.” Everyone wanted my bag and I just didn’t know why.

But that was then and this is now. I am now a huge fan and quite a collector. While I may have fell in love with the bags through an unorthodox way, I have now arrived, and that’s all that counts. In all honesty, I just can’t imagine how silly I was carrying around those heavy leather bags all my life… Vera bags are so light weight, soft and durable. I am so glad I have been introduced to them. And that’s my story.