Birthday Weekend Re-cap part 1

1/21/2012

I woke very early and met JenJ in Edna. We had a fun day of activities planned.
Down side? Those fun plans were going to be cut short because at the last minute a friend needed help with a catering job. More on that later.

We met in Edna around 7:30 and raced off to Houston.
We had a mission!
Galleria Mall for Godiva, Tea, and make-up.
Charlotte's Saddlery for window shopping, and hopefully some real shopping too!
JenJ had a lunch surprise planned, after which we would spend our remaining time in Houston in a few more places as time allowed.

Off we went!
Ritual pit-stop at Buc-ee's in Wharton. Can't drive by without stopping there we have found. It's a great place to get gas, as it is usually the cheapest on hwy 59 between Victoria and Houston. They have great bathrooms. Super spacious and always neat and tidy! And, they have a variety of food that is second to none!

We arrived at the Galleria and allowed the car to get eaten by the underground parking monster. If you've never been to the Galleria, you should go. When you go, you should enjoy the fun and games of the underground parking 'garage'. The ceilings are so low, I didn't even feel like my small crossover was going to fit.
The first time JenJ and I went....we took my truck. BIG mistake! It's a F150, 4x4 and sits higher off the ground than the average bear. We both literally held our breath and closed our eyes as we went down the ramp and into the garage. It was very scary, as it seemed the roof of the truck would get ripped off the truck like a lid on a sardine can any moment. But, we realized after we got out that there was plenty of clearance above the roof. It just didn't seem like it at time time.

Having an amazing sense of direction and knowing where the main places we wanted to stop were located, JenJ led us straight to Godiva. Well, with one wrong turn. Almost straight there!
The scent that greets you when you walk into that store is truly a gift for your senses. The sweet chocolaty goodness inside is almost too much. I mean, I know I felt like I gained 10 lbs when I walked in the door!
JenJ and I perused the pristine displays until we found the chocolate confections that we just could not live without. As always, our purchases were tucked into Godiva's signature gold bags with the chocolate colored logo and lettering.
We had Godiva. We could now take on the rest of our day!!

JenJ needed some make-up from Bare Escentuals. I nearly had a melt down when I walked in that store. It was girlie to the max!! Bright pink walls, black and white striped wallpaper. A crystal chandelier hung from the middle of the store.
Small containers of various make-up in an array of styles and colors adorned the numerous glass top tables that the were used by the girls working there to assist customers with the correct choices for their skin.
JenJ made her purchases and we hightailed it out of there! Thanks JenJ for not torturing me any longer in that store!

JenJ has fallen in LOVE with a Tea store in the Mall. Teavana is a unique tea store that carries loose leaf teas for those that appreciate a fresh, high quality tea. It's for those who can afford it, too!
There are people that sit home in the morning and drink Folgers, and then there are those who leave the house 5-10 minutes early so that they can enjoy a cup of coffee perfection, or liquid sunshine as we like to refer to it, from Starbucks. Teavana is to the Tea World what Starbucks is to the coffee world.
JenJ had me try their sample tea, as it was something I'd smelled her make at her house a few weeks back. It was ok. Too much cinnamon for me, but it tasted very fresh and pure.
We perused the small store and stumbled upon a 50% off sale!! The clerk was quick to point out it would be the last week of the sale, and that we should take advantage before it was too late.
We found a gorgeous tea pot with cups for about $25.00. It is a gorgeous sky blue and paler almost white with a hint of blue. It has a quirky wicker handle and two small traditional tea cups. It was precious and JenJ couldn't resist the sale. Who could blame her? Not I!

We strolled through the gargantuan mall, not really seeing anything else that we couldn't live without. We did venture into Charming Charlie, which was an adventure in itself!!
Table after table of color coordinated fashion accessories and purses greeted us in the aforementioned store.
A co-worker of mine talks about this place all the time, and the great purses you can find there. I'm not really the kind of person who goes purse shopping on a whim, it must be out of necessity. Still, I felt the need to satisfy my curiosity and check the place out.
We gave it our best shot. We did walk every inch of that monster of a store. I'd pick up something and tell JenJ she just couldn't live without this. To which I would get a reply snort, or raised eyebrow, or both!
We could have done without the very well endowed woman wearing a tank top that barely covered the unmentionable area of her upper body that is illegal to show in public. She obviously had NOT looked in the mirror before walking out of the house that morning. Or, she just flat out didn't care!