Celebrating survivors

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, ILLINOIS - A year ago, the owner of Vignettes asked a friend if she would make a quilt for her upcoming event to raise money for the Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer. “Yes," she said, "of course I will. I haven’t been touched by breast cancer in my family, but I would love to help.” So she made a beautiful quilt, one that raised over $1,000 in the auction last year at Vignettes. The morning she was to deliver the quilt to the store, she was diagnosed with cancer. Today, one year later, she came back to the store for the second annual event. She had just completed her treatments this afternoon. I have kept her name off for anonymity, but this is a thank you for her.

To all of you who are survivors, to all of you just now calling yourself a survivor, and to those just beginning this journey, please know we do this for you. Every day, we do our best to raise funds for breast cancer research so that we will have fewer members in ‘team survivor’.

A lovely night for a party

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, ILLINOIS - The weather was perfect last night for this indoor/outdoor ladies only shopping party at Vignettes, which kicked off the Illinois part of the Hope Trail. For the second year in a row, this great shop hosted an event to help raise funds for the Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer, offering late night shopping, beverages and fun door prizes. Many survivors were in attendance, and so many came up to tell me how much of an impact it had on them that the Foundation has someone who is a survivor who attends events and speaks to them. It is so moving when people approach me with tears in their eyes to thank us. I am the one who thanks you - you make it all worthwhile!

Getting fired up!

PHOENIX, ARIZONA - The average temperature it takes to fire ceramics in a kiln is just under 1600° F, did you know that? But let me tell you, it gets a whole lot hotter than that when you gather a group of professional ceramic studios together who want to help raise money for breast cancer research! The Contemporary Ceramic Studio Association adopted the Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer as their charity for their annual convention, which was held in Phoenix over the weekend. They pulled together the most impressive auction I have ever witnessed with beautiful items like the clock in the picture. There are so many compassionate, wonderful people in the world of ceramics, and I am just so honored to call them my friends now! It is truly the rare event that I attend where we are simultaneously sharing stories of breast cancer, crying and then laughing until our sides ache. Exact numbers on how much money was raised are still coming in at this time, but we have been told that close to $30,000 was raised in just one evening. Simply amazing!!! So, I want everyone to go have a ‘Girls Night Out’ party at a paint your own pottery studio (make sure it’s a CCSA member!), and tell them how cool they are and thank them for supporting us!!! Find a location near you at ccsaonline.com or paintyourownpottery.net.