The new 2010 Vera Bradley patterns are out. The response to the new colors and styles has been at both ends of the spectrum from “What was Vera Bradley thinking?” to “Wow!”

The new 2010 Vera Bradley colors / patterns are called: Totally Turq, Poppy Fields, Sittin’ in a Tree, and Loves Me.

Three of the four are Earthtones, but the fourth is a bright pink.

The Vera Bradley “Candle of Hope” is a soy-based, limited edition release candle. The candle glass label is printed in the Pink Elephant breast cancer support pattern, that has since been retired.

The glass container comes packaged in a Vera Bradley gift box with the same Pink Elephant pattern

This 9.25 ounce candle is soy-based, and burns for approximately 60 hours.  The soy-based wax burns clean and is virtually smoke free.

These candles retailed for a staggering $35, and are now only available at online stores and eBay.

Click here to find the Candle of Hope on eBay now.

The Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer was founded in 1998. The webpage, VeraBradley.org defines the fight against breast cancer as Courage, Compassion, & Commitment.

Nearly $8.5 million has been raised since they began their fundraising efforts. They’ve completed two major endowments to the Indiana University School of Medicine to support the Vera Bradley Chair in Oncology and to establish the Vera Bradley Center for Breast Cancer Research.

The new Vera Bradley Center for Breast Cancer Research allows Dr. Linda Malkas, the Vera Bradley Chair in Oncology, and her team, to focus on advanced biomarker technology that reveals critical genetic information about cancer cells. Identifying the genetic markers of cancer can lead to earlier and more accurate diagnosis, and treatments, of breast cancer.

“I’ve been driving full force,” she said, “trying to come up with a true detector to tell whether people have cancer or not… Currently, patients are often told to come back in six months when it’s easier to tell if their tumors are malignant or not. Six months is a long time to wait for something like that.”

Visit the VeraBradley.org website here.

Click here for Vera Bradley Breast
Cancer awareness products.