TPT - Meant to Be

Have you ever experienced one of those serendipitous moments where everything just falls into place and works out just right?  You know it was meant to be.  That is what happened to me this week.   My new favorite store that I discovered in Utah (see my last Yellowstone trip post), Tai Pan Trading, had announced that they were opening their first store in So. California.  I have been anxiously following its progress and discovered to my great joy that it would open on Monday, October 20.  That was the day I would be flying home from Oregon into the Ontario Airport.  The new store is right across the street from the Ontario Mills Mall, which is just nearby the airport.  Our flight was coming in at 4:30, so we would have plenty of time to shop!  See.  Meant to be!

It really did work out just like I thought it would, and it was just fabulously fun!  I should have taken pictures. TPT is a Mormon-owned giant warehouse of super-great priced wholesale home decor.  Only it doesn't look like a warehouse, it looks like an out-of-control-huge boutique.   You know how when you walk into one of those pretty little boutiques, you just love to look at all the pretties, but you don't dare pick them up to look at the prices, because you just know they are too high, but then you look at the price anyway and are shocked because it is even higher than you expected?  Well, here the prices shock you because they are so low.  You love to check out the prices because it makes you so happy! And there is SO much to see!  It took us almost three hours to see it all.  Of course it was opening day, and crazy and crowded.  

The gal who worked there noticed my email address when she took it down and asked if I was with Stampin' Up!  She said she was Shelli Gardner's (the founder and chairman of SU) niece.  Moments later her mom and grandma (Shelli's sister and mom) walked in the store.  We started talking and I found out that she, Shelli's mom, was the very first SU demonstrator (her demo ID is #1, mine is #17373) and that I am her down line just 3 steps down - kind of a SU genealogy.  It was so fun talking to them, and they gave us each a gift certificate for $10 for TPT.  That was unexpected and exciting! 

 I got some really great deals that day and loaded everything up in an already luggage-packed car.  Don't you just LOVE it when things just work out so nicely?

Here are a few of my many fun finds from Tai Pan:

Artificial plants.  I have always wanted to have pretty little plants and herbs growing in my kitchen, but plants commit suicide in my care.  I say it is a good thing kids don't grow in pots, or mine would all be dead by now.  So I bought these very realistic looking potted cherry tomatoes ($14.95), eggplant, Roma tomatoes ($9.95 each), lavender ($7.95), and herbs in a peat pot ($2.95).  Tai Pan specializes in silk flowers, plants, and produce that look totally real, and are much cheaper than the not-so realistic flowers, etc. found at craft stores.  So now I can have a green thumb all year round.  How fun is that?

Also these yummy looking chocolate covered strawberries that can fool the eye, but not the taste buds, unfortunately.  A bag of 5 cost only $3.95!

Here was a souper deal.  8 tomato red soup bowls at $1.34 each = $10.74 for all of them!

OK. so now you can see what I mean.  It was all meant to be.  I was supposed to have those soup bowls.

So ladies, the offer is up on the table once again.. Who wants to take a trip up to Ontario to go to TPT with me.  We have to go before Christmas, definitely! They have Christmas decor galor!  Krispy Kreme is right across the street.  I'll buy you each a doughnut, OK?