fat quarter bundles and the Garden Princess complete quilt kit
WOW what a great deal, there were fat quarter bundles, fabrics, floss, quilt blocks in progress, patterns, and a quilt kit.... I would have spent $ 17.00 for just one fat quarter bundle in a quilt shop. The lady told me she was cleaning out her sewing room to make way for a foster child and I was helping her by buying the material. A Win Win situation for us both. I belong to the World of Charity Stitchers and I do the quilting for this area so getting all this material at this price is a blessing for me, as I am sure you all know how much quilting materials cost.
From there we headed to Alabama and some of our discount stores, just to be nosy and see if we could find any bargains. We stopped, but no luck at the stores we visited. We did pass the Tanger Outlet Stores and I happen to spy the Coach sign. Hubby turned the car around and into the shopping center we went. This is a place that we normally do not go to, I know outlets are supposed to be cheaper, but I really don't see that much of a difference, but hey we were just having fun so why not stop. We stopped by the Corelle store, I just love my Corelle Dishes, but I am getting a little bored with the pattern and I have broken a few so time for a new set. Well, we looked and I found a style I loved, but the price was just not that much of a bargain so I talked myself out of them. I will wait till Wal-Mart has them on sale.
We then proceeded to drive around the center to see what other stores might capture our attention. There was only one that caught my eye and that was the Coach Store, the sign that had lead us into the center in the first place. We parked and entered the store, there were tons of shoppers everywhere. There was a lady handing out slips of paper and on the paper it said take an additional 20% off. Seems we hit the jackpot, a big sale day for the Coach Outlet. I love the Coach Style, but they are just way out of my price range, now was my chance to own my on Coach purse. I expected the purses to be around the normal $300 dollar range, but they were lower and on opposing sides of the store were shelves with 50% off. OK, the purse I fell in love with was Dk blue shoulder bag, $269.00 so 50% off would be $135. then another 20% off, so what is that around $108. I really wanted it, the purse was in my hand, the check out was just steps away, and I put it back on the shelf and we left the store. Hubby asked why I didn't get the purse, he would have bought it for me after all my birthday is coming soon. But I just have a hard time spending that much money on a purse. I know people do it all the time, but for me, I would rather spend money on materials for my charity quilts or items for the grand kids. I guess I am just the typical giving Mom type, always thinking of others and trying to make their day just a little brighter. I will one day have my Coach purse, I will find a gently used one at a yard sale and pay a lot less then the $100. for it. In the meantime I will continue to try to brighten the day for others that are facing a far rougher road than I. Maybe others will follow my example and lend a helping hand, give from their heart, brighten a strangers day and ask nothing in return other than a smile. 
On our way home we stopped by the Oasis Truck Stop at the Wilcox Road Exit along I-10, Hubby wanted to get something to drink. We noticed three train cars sticking out of the building as if they were derailed, broken cement blocks lay on the ground and the siding of the building was torn back were the cars had entered the building. Seems this is a new themed restaurant and yes we decided that we would give them a try. On entering the train car, we saw a train track over the entrance, I then spotted a counter and I started laughing. There at the counter were the stools as every counter has, the only difference was the seats. The first stool was a western saddle, then a round bar stool, followed by two airline seats, a metal tractor seat, and what looked like the seat from a Harley. As we were taken to our booth I noticed the tables were glass topped with hot wheels, tech decks or other transportation vehicles tucked inside along with travel trivia. On the walls were Bikes, scooters, peddle cars, skates, and anything else that had wheels. The area for the server station was designed to look like a school bus and yes they entered this area through the bus doors. I also noticed the back end of a pickup truck with the tail gate down, which was the table for two dinners. The place was charming in its decor. I ordered the Crab Cakes and hubby had the Shrimp. Our orders were delivered in a short time and the food was wonderful. I found the broiled Crab Cakes to be more crab then filler, perfectly seasoned and cooked. I also tried one of Hubby's shrimp and they were as good if not better then the crab. There was a light breading on plump shrimp cooked to perfection. French Fries, Hush Puppies and Cole Slaw were served with the platters and Hubby always judges a restaurant by the Cole Slaw, this restaurant passed with 4 stars. I only had one minor complaint and that was with the Hush Puppies, I found them to be undercooked and I told the server who in turn told the kitchen manager. I was told they had a new cook and he was then instructed to cook Hush Puppies a little longer. I was a little disappointed that the manager didn't think a complaint should have been addressed by him as most restaurant managers would do. But all together this is a very good place to eat and the prices are very reasonable. We will stop again and try more items from their menu. I found this article on the web on this restaurant.
http://www.wkrg.com/alabama/article/derailed_diner_on_track/551149/Nov-29-2009_11-03-pm/
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