"Shopping Date" to Jacksonville's St. Johns Town Center

This is THE shopping mecca. Among many, many other stores, there is Anthropologie - and I could stop there, but they also have Williams-Sonoma, Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn Kids, White House Black Market, Forever 21 (which has killer jewelry!) Lucky Brand Jeans, True Religion, Cole Haan, J Crew, Abercrombie & Fitch, Gymboree, Ann Taylor, Louis Vitton - the list goes on and on.

J Alexanders - and The RattleSnake Pasta!
We chose J. Alexanders because it came so highly recommended from the young, hip people that worked at some of the stores. As you sit down, the waitress tells you about the guacamole that isn't on the menu and she brings some. It comes in a huge and glorious mountain sprinkle with tomatoes, with super salty tortilla chips. It is divine. Jim orders a RedHook beer - which is really good...



and The RattleSnake Pasta. I order the Pork Tenderloin with Bang Bang Sauce and the Not Your Usual Mac n' Cheese (which wasn't so great actually) and a huge Diet Coke with lime because I felt like a camel!

Williams-Sonoma
Here I am outside Williams-Sonoma.

I have decided that the sales staff at St. Johns Town Center must get commission. We got followed and watched like 2 jailbirds wearing stripes! I could sort of understand at Cole Haan, but at Williams-Sonoma? Come on! And the newest tactic is not to offer you a bag or basket for your soon-to-purchase items, but instead to take them to the register for you ... this eliminates the possibility of early buyer's remorse in case you decide to put something down before you make it to the register.

Anthropologie
Sadly, I didn't have a pic of Anthropologie, I was just too mesmerized to even remember my name, much less take pictures of the heavenly store. Know this - once you get the opportunity to shop at a store you've been obsessed with via the internet - suddenly the realization sets in, that no matter what you buy from that store, your house just isn't going to look like the store itself and so you sort of give up in a way and shockingly only buy what you need (oh I hate that word!) I left with a new crock for mixing spoons, a new sugar dish, a set of beautiful antiquish pearl bobby pins and a ruffled rose blouse.

GAP
Score of the day - after trying on $98 jeans all day, I quickly and easily slipped into some "Sexy Boot" Gap jeans and they fit like favorites, so I bought 3 pair for only $35 each!

The Cheesecake Factory
Dessert came in the form of Hot Fudge Cheesecake (me) and Godiva Cheesecake (Jim.) Need I say more? OMG!

Pottery Barn
We sat on every single sofa - because one day we hope to buy a sectional, and I dream (irrationally) that it will come from Pottery Barn. I thought I was in love with the down-wrapped cushions, until we flopped and sunk into them and realized that they offered absolutely no support for us middle-aged parents. We continued on - Goldi-Locks style, trying out every sofa in the store. Somehow we left, unscathed and empty-handed. I bet Jim was smiling to himself! LOL!

Here is a cutesie decorated end table.


Pottery Barn Kids - Trouble. Period.

For some reason, ALL reason goes out the window (Jim's window) in this store. Something overtakes "the nerd" (Dave Ramsey's definition of the more financially sane person in the house) and "the free spirit" (the dreamer and spender - me)becomes the responsible one. I am not sure how it happens, but it does, in furnitures stores nationwide, and in Pottery Barn Kids.