Looking for more ways to spoil yourself after the Vera Bradley outlet sale?  With Easter quickly approaching, it brings another must-visit Fort Wayne destination to mind.  Fort Wayne is a leader in making fabric handbags, but did you know that we also make some of the best chocolates you will find in the States?  It’s true!  I’m talking about DeBrand’s Fine Chocolates. 

 You won’t find DeBrands chocolates at your local Wal-Mart (or any other regular retail store, for that matter).  Nope, Godiva fans, not even at Macy’s!  That’s just how seriously this Fort Wayne company takes their quality.

While you are here for the Vera Bradley Outlet Sale, schedule some time on your itinerary to tour the DeBrand’s chocolate factory and see how the chocolates are made.  If you have a group of twelve or more joining you, you can schedule a tour in advance.  If not, DeBrands offers tours on Tuesdays and Thursdays - their website has specifics.  If you can’t make the tour, it’s ok - just make sure you sample some of their chocolates before leaving town! 

Shopping Destination #1 - Glenbrook Mall

After attending the Vera Bradley Outlet Sale, there are a couple other shopping destinations in Fort Wayne that you will want to check out.  The first is the Glenbrook Square Shopping Mall, located just a couple of miles north of the Allen County Memorial Coliseum (the location for this year’s outlet sale).  With two levels of shopping, and Macy’s, Sears and JCPenney as anchors, this is one of my favorite places to shop year round.

While out and about at Glenbrook Mall, make sure you show off your new Vera Bradley purchases.  Don’t be surprised if total strangers come up and ask you about the outlet sale - it’s par for the course around here!  I usually can’t even run a short errand to the gas station during the outlet sale weekend without running into someone who admires my bag and shares their great finds.  It’s part of the fun!

The 2008 retired Vera Bradley patterns are now 25% off when you shop online at VeraBradley.com.  Retiring colors include Windsor Navy, Capri Melon, Medallion, Classic Black and Petal Pink.  I’m not sure how long this deal will last.  As they say, here today, gone tomorrow.  I will keep you posted if I come across any other Vera Bradley coupons or deals.  And as always, don’t go without checking our selection here at Discount Fabric Handbags.

This past weekend I was looking through the JoAnn Fabric and Craft Stores sale flyer, when a free fabric tote bag pattern caught my eye.

Whether you are new to sewing or a seasoned seamstress, you can always use a few free tote bag patterns.  Right?  With this particular pattern, you can make reusable grocery bags, an environmentally-friendly way to spend a lazy Sunday afternoon.  Not to mention, it’s also a good way to use up old fabric scraps. Whip up a half-dozen of these cloth grocery bags, and not only will you use up some of those spare fabric scraps you have laying around, you will keep a few more of those break-too-easy-don’t-know-what-the-heck-to-do-with-them plastic grocery bags out of the landfill.

The free project sheet also includes instructions for making a matching coupon holder.  You know us Vera Bradley fanatics, we do like to coordinate!

Of course, you can also use these bags for hauling around library books or packing the essentials for a day at the beach. However, I encourage you to give it a try for bringing home your store bought goodies, even if you don’t think of yourself as an environmentalist.  As a matter of fact, I have a short story (somewhat unrelated to handbags) about going “green”…

When my youngest son was born, I decided to give cloth diapers a try. Admittedly, I was much more concerned about saving money than I was about saving the environment.  However, not too long after starting cloth, I found that I actually felt embarrassed when purchasing disposables at my local Wal-Mart - imagine that!  I started out trying to save a few bucks, but ended up caring about something bigger. Of course, I’m sure my washing machine probably didn’t share my enthusiasm…

Anyway, that’s enough rambling on my part.  This project is the first of many free tote bag patterns that will be featured here.  Make sure you check back often for more.  Give this project a go - I bet you will agree that making your own cloth grocery bags really is “sew easy”!