Have a wonderful time ladies!

Just so you l know, I will probably be in a not so fab casual outfit suitable for water rides and running around an amusement park with a 7 year old. So you will all look amazing next to me!

Una, just pop on a denim jacket and scarf and you're all set! : )

Just kicking around something here. It's 10 p.m. and I was chatting with my husband and thought this may be fun. How about everyone coming to my house on Saturday morning for appetizers and a YLF toast of champagne and/or orange juice, and then we can go to the park for photos and to look at the ocean and Catalina views. I can grab some blankets, towels and chairs, etc. Then, after that, we can take off for South Coast Plaza! How does that sound? I live right by the Back Bay. If you like that idea, I can give you directions to my house.

Oh wow, Vicki! That is so generous of you to make that offer! If the others are agreeable, then I'm most certainly in!

What is the Back Back?

Vicki, I'd love to stop by your house Saturday - how fun! If the rest of the gang is okay with it, I'm in.

Aida, I think changing in the restroom at lunch would be your best bet. We should keep in mind that all these places are roughly 20-30 minutes apart...not horrible, but going back and forth could easily turn that into an hour just in drive time.

For the swap meet, DO NOT park at Toys R Us. They've started hiring a guard to go around and tow people who park there for the swap meet (hubs crossed over one day to grab a bite at Wendy's or something and ended up having a nice conversation with the guard). Exit Beach and take a right at Edinger, as Vicki said, and take another right at Gothard. This will take you to the rear parking lot of Golden West College, which will be on your left, across from Del Taco. I will meet everyone there, and we can walk through campus to the swap meet area together.

Vicki - that is so generous of you to make that offer! I am game for this plan if everyone else is!

Aida, if you wear a tank/camisole under the boxy top, then you can still try tops on at the flea market. A skirt or dress can easily be tried on over the shorts. Now if you were thinking of trying jeans/pants/shorts, I can see how that would be a problem. How about a long skirt with a stretchy waist. Then you can easily try on bottoms underneath the skirt.

Were these the issues you were thinking about or were you thinking you wouldn't be dressed appropriately for lunch and shopping?

Thinking through the logistics of Sunday. We are going to the swap meet in Huntington Beach, then meeting Una for lunch up someplace closer to where she will be staying, then going back to The Lab - and possibly dinner at the Gypsy Den. Am I correct so far?

The only problem that I can see with the plan at this point is that Kris had offered to take Una back to her hotel in Anaheim because she said that she would be heading that way on her way home. However, Kris wanted to shop at Buffalo Exchange (at the Lab) which would be AFTER lunch and AFTER Una had gone back to her hotel - so either Kris would miss out on the Buffalo Exchange, or we'd have to figure out another way to get Una back to her hotel. Hmmm . . . thinking . . . thinking . . . zzzzzz . . . Headed to bed - maybe I'l come up with something brilliant tomorrow!

I'll bring my tripod for the photo shoot!

Marley, MaryK is picking up Una and can take her back, so that's no problem. We originally thought that Una would be able to go shopping down south with us, but time constraints have nixed that idea.

So Una has transportation and Khris will have lunch and go to Buffalo Exchange with us before she skedaddles.

So, MaryK isn't going to shop with us? That is really hard to comprehend!

I know! Well she will be coming back from a cruise at midnight on Sunday morning so she'll be quite jet lagged. We can suggest for her to take a nap and join us for dinner and help us close down the shops. Hee-hee!

Oh, what time do shops close on Sundays?

Mmmm - I don't know! I'll check and let you know!

Aida, if you are going to go with the cami under boxy top idea, I would suggest leaving the boxy top in the car while heading into the swap meet. I had a bad experience once where the vendor mistakenly thought I was shoplifting because I had taken off my outer layer top to try things on... it wasn't their fault; it just gets kind of crowded sometimes, and they don't always see what you're doing. Jackets they are kind of used to coming on and off, but I think a top might be unexpected.

Have we decided on a place for lunch yet? It would make sense to eat near D-land, but I don't know of any place around there that isn't a touristy, expensive cattle call. Does anyone else know of a place?

Rae, THANK YOU BIG TIME for the PARKING DETAILS! I don't want to get my car towed. I'll park at the GWC Gothard lot as you mentioned. Really appreciate your help!

AJ, I meant to type "Back Bay," and will be happy to have everyone here. Who's coming and what time? 10 a.m.? Is that too late on Saturday? Love your note to Una about the scarf and denim jacket! That always works, although I hear it's going to be REALLY WARM this weekend and as Rae says, it may be better to layer with a cami or something light. Shall I put my address here? What's protocol? It's really easy to get to my place and all depends on where you're coming from.

I think, from Marley's note, we're still working on Sunday lunch, correct?

Vicki - do you know of a good place to eat on Sunday that is about half-way between Disneyland and Huntington Bch.? and then would be an easy route for us to get back down to Costa Mesa to The Lab? I'm at a loss for ideas - unless we go all the way up to Disneyland and go to one of the hotels for their Sunday brunch (which I'm not crazy about because of the expense and the traffic and the people) - but I can't find/think of anything else that is on that route? Perhaps something on Harbor Blvd.?

Ok thanks for all the tips! I think I can figure something out

Now when you gals say "REALLY WARM" what temps are we talking about? 80? 90?

I wish I knew more about the lay of the land - all I can tell you is to arrange things in the least difficult way for the group and fit me in whenever you can.

@Aida: My iPhone is NOW saying that Saturday will be a lovely 72 degrees high and a low of 58 degrees. Today, unbelievably here along the beach, was a whopping 96 degrees!! I think we're in luck!

Thank you for checking Vicki! *calms down* OK ok after reading 95 on Rae's other thread I was starting to have some serious weather anxiety! I just checked some weather forecasts and it's looking like it'll be 75-80 for the weekend so I am feeling MUCH better

I am psyched that it will be above 30! I am actually looking forward to 100 degree desert heat in Palm Springs. I'm bringing my climbing shoes to scramble around Joshua Tree in the sun!

Vicki's facebook friends posted these restaurant suggestions:

(These are NOT near Disneyland and closer to the Huntington Beach Swap Meet)
”There are lots of restaurants in the Bella Terra shopping center by GWC college, on Edinger and Beach….Corner Bakery, next to it is a Chinese restaurant, King’s Fish House is in that area…..closer to Barnes and Noble, same shopping center, is California Pizza Kitchen, Islands, Cheesecake Factory, and other restaurants close to the theatre….

"I can’t think of any place on Harbor to eat….what about Crystal Court and whatever they call it now….there are lots of restaurants there, also across the street where Karl Strauss is…”

So I don't know. We just need to make a decision. Anyone willing to be the final vote? This is the only detail we have left. Help!

Crystal Court is in South Coast Plaza. If we went all the way down there, we might as well stick with the Gypsy Den, which is in mall with the Buffalo Exchange. I mentioned to Vicki I thought Bella Terra might be good, since it is sort of central to Anaheim and South Coast Plaza, which is where we're going next.

Bella Terra sounds good! Now let's pick a place to eat:
http://www.bellaterra-hb.com/restaurants.php

I could go for California Pizza Kitchen, Romano's Macaroni Grill or Whole Foods. We are not limited to what I want. Please put your vote in.

Rae, what time would be reasonable to have lunch given that we are meeting at the flea market at 9:30 am?

Whole Foods is a grocery store, and California Pizza Kitchen's are more like fast food, so I vote for Macaroni Grill.

Hmm... how about 11? About an hour at the swap meet, plus a bit of time to walk to/from cars, deposit shopping bags, and find parking at Bella Terra? Yelp says Macaroni Grill opens at 11, so there shouldn't be any crowds yet. Is that enough time at the swap meet for everyone? I usually spend 2 hours, but I was thinking that would be too much for our purposes.

Rae, I think your schedule, for the day, is just right along with the Macaroni Grill choice you and Khris mentioned. It's all coming together!