Color is coming: Texas bound!

This weekend Vera Bradley web designer Nissa and I will be traveling to be with the be colorful team in Southlake, Texas! I won't spill any of the details, but I am looking forward to a crazy mix of Texas + Vera Bradley + 4th of July fun--talk about an unbeatable combination!

Now on to packing.... will it be too hot for cowboy boots?

Shopped 'til I dropped

My purchases for Vera Bradley: Large Duffel and Clutch Wallet

Yesterday I was assigned an important task: online shopping....with a corporate credit card... at my favorite stores.

Have I mentioned how amazing this internship is yet??

Yes, I did spend the day armed with the credit card, but it was for business, not pleasure, and all items will be returned! Vera Bradley is taking a closer look at our packaging for web orders and want to see what other companies are up to. When all of my packages arrive, we will have a big meeting and look at what I ordered! Everyone will open a box and the entire opening process will be documented: is there a gift box? What does the tissue paper looked like? Is the packaging pretty?

Even just thinking about a J.Crew gift appearing at my door makes me happy!

Checking out a Janie and Jack pint-sized apron... all in a day's work!

Seeing so many different check-out processes really started making me fussy! I became quite the demanding online shopper: I want to be able to see graphics or my item the whole time I am filling out the shipping and billing forms AND want an online confirmation email sent to me seconds after I place the order. My critical eye is being fine-tuned by "behind the scenes" experiences with web and retail... I am well on my way to becoming an expert shopper!

I highly recommend a little online retail therapy as a treat. (And for those who don't have a corporate card, our summer sale is still going strong!)

A VIP intern lunch

There was a definite bustle around the training room at Industrial Road around lunchtime on Friday. The china plates were set (on Poppy Fields tablecloths, of course) and catered food was delivered. Why? The interns had two special guests, co-founders Barbara Bradley Baekgaard and Patricia R. Miller, joining us for lunch!

Everyone was very excited about this lunch--I saw the news on a few intern Facebook profiles and Mike even wore his tie... on a Friday! Human Resources ordered a delicious spread and the guests of honor were great. They kept thanking us for being there and working for the company, but I was thinking "no, thank YOU!" Without them, my life wouldn't be as colorful!

I was lucky enough to sit next to Barb and we talked about the Providence store. She was there the week before Shannon and I made our trip to the east coast. I told her that two girls came to the opening and said they had met her the week before when she was making the finishing touches on the store!

Interns with co-founders Pat and Barb, in center.

One of the questions that they said they hear a lot is "Did you ever dream that it would get to this?" Pat's answer: "We never put a ceiling on it." Barb said that when they started, even when they were sewing on a basement Ping-Pong table, they treated it like a business and not just a hobby. They held booths in gift shows and enlisted friends and families to spread the word and sell. Now, there are more than a thousand employees and Vera Bradley stores across the country... proving that the best things ARE happening at Vera Bradley!

After lunch, we had a short meeting and have plans for an intern competition in the future.... go Industrial Road interns!

We are in it to win it... more details to come!

A walk on the wild side with CheetahMail

Yesterday the Vera Bradley web team had a visit from Experian CheetahMail, an email marketing and customer intelligence company. CheetahMail works with Vera Bradley in sending out the emails the web team creates.

I thought they gave a very interesting presentation! They presented on email trends, how to keep the interest of email subscribers, and even the most effective subject line content. Since listening to their presentation I have already started to look at my email inbox differently!

David Hirsch, Doug Turpel, and Liz Gould from CheetahMail (with new Vera Bradley ties and a tote!) with my mentor Sarah and I.

And the moment everyone had been waiting for? Chick-fil-A for lunch! Now that is what I call mixing business with pleasure :)

A Direct Sales birthday!

Industrial Road started the week off with a bang with the birthday of the Vice President of Direct Sales, Dave Thompson. The web team worked together and delivered a box of goodies that they had lovingly prepared for him. We waited until the end of the day to surprise Dave and crowded around his office to see his reactions...

A stuffed cheetah... just what he wanted...

Snack throwback: Star Crunch.

New 3D shades and wallpaper roller show that birthday wishes do come true!

I couldn't stop laughing while Dave was examining each gift. He asked if it was an intern project but I quickly redirected his teases-- I mean, thanks-- to the web team. Dave had a little quip about the usefulness or origin of each item: "Oh mints! ... Probably from lunch today..." (Yes, from Biaggi's!)

Best birthday ever? I think so!

Intern essentials

During the last few weeks, I've noticed I have several items that are always on-hand:

1. Let's Do Lunch in Mediterranean Blue. It's the perfect size for a Lean Cuisine and cut veggies. Mine is a gift from my mom--one of her purchases from the outlet sale!

2. Starbucks reusable "To-Go" cup. I feel like Fort Wayne's answer to NYC's Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen with my cup in hand. The straw top isn't practical for stopping spills... but I drink more so it empties quickly!

3. Vera in Night Owl, one of my favorite purchases from Wrentham. The Vera has inside pockets and the cute toggle closure. It is my all-day, every day bag-- big enough to fit my many folders, water, and any other miscellaneous odds and ends I accumulate during the day.

4. Take Note Cube in Make Me Blush. I keep it on my desk so I am always prepared for to-do lists and random scribbles. It's my stylish alternative to the ordinary Post-it!

5. "Keep Calm and Carry On" pillow from Target. This has been my mantra since my trip to London last summer. The pillow now matches my postcard and is a great reminder to breathe deeply... and carry on.

Take me out to the ball game...

It was a pretty packed crowd for a Thursday night!

As a visitor to Fort Wayne, I am often at a loss of what to see or do in this neck of the woods. Luckily, I have some local intern friends who can act as my tour guide! Last night's trip to the TinCaps game against the Dayton Dragons was Megan's idea, a Vera Bradley intern and Fort Wayne native.

Megan, Allegra, and I carpooled to the stadium and also met up with Mike and Bret, two other interns. I have to admit that we didn't watch too much of the game... we were too into our conversation to focus on the action on the field!

Bret left his Vera Bradley at home, but luckily we had a wallet he could borrow! Maybe a Vera Bradley tie would be more his style?

But we did turn our attention to the field when the fireworks started! I am not sure if the fireworks were because of a TinCaps win (yay!) or just because it was a nice night. Either way, they were impressive!

Very good--and very loud!