breakfast, lunch, dinner and maybe even a midnight snack at Tiffany's

I heart Tiffany's.

I LOVE IT I LOVE IT I LOVE IT SO MUCH

BUT-- before I go any further, I have to acknowledge that I KNOW it's not "Tiffany's". Neither is it "Nordstrom's", "Penney's", or "Gap's".  It's just the singular, in this case "Tiffany and Co." One Tiffany, a lot of company. But that's just so much harder to say! And really, if I can go to McDonald's or Norm's or Wendy's, and they're inviting me into their establishment with open arms and saying "hey-- this is OUR house, come on in! Good to see ya!" then I believe that Mr. Nordstrom and Mr. Tiffany and Mr. Gap all feel the same deep down, and just forgot to add that all important S for some reason. Which I don't need necessarily; I still trust Messieurs Nordstrom and Gap and, especially, Tiffany. And really, I don't want to go to McDonald's or Norm's. (But maybe Wendy's, she makes good Frosties.)

Oh, and just a little tidbit for you-- the use of Tiffany as a given name died out after Medieval times (not the restaurant-show, the time period), and re-appeared in 1961 with the popularity of the movie "Breakfast at Tiffany's". And in present day is a great choice for a bowling name, esp. abbreviated as "Tiff". 

My love affair with Tiffany's began a few years ago when I received my first little Tiffany-blue box from mi Padre for Christmas, containing that ever-popular silver link bracelet with the "Please Return To..." charm (circle, not heart). My father's love affair began that same year, and since then, he's established an intimate customer relationship with "his girl" at Tiffany's, and finds great joy in bestowing a little blue box on me annually, usually containing a small ornament for my tree. I, too, find joy in this tradition. :)

And I'm not usually a very materialistic person-- don't really care about cars or clothes or the like-- and have always poo-pooed such highfalutin shopping venues as Rodeo Road, Fifth Avenue, and really anything that doesn't have a nice Target nearby, but-- well, that all changed for good last summer when we wandered into the NYC Fifth Avenue Tiffany & Co...

I WOULD LIKE TO LIVE THERE.

Six (seven?) floors of sheeeeer heaven, all sparkly and enticing and loving, and the people are so nice to you, even when you're heading straight to the "silver" floor (the most crowded), probably because you're floating around with a huge grin on your face. Everyone is just so happy there. It is my Happy Place.

We couldn't really take photos on the showroom floors, so Stace and I captured our happiness in the ladies' restroom. (Also great.)

SO-- 

How great is it that WILLIAMS-SONOMA, my other guilty pleasure/addiction, rewards its employees with anniversary gifts from Tiffany?

Nothin' quite like that blue bag to get you all giggly.

I have been at the WS for five years... wait, correction. I've actually been there for over 8 years, but I had to "quit" for 3 months when I started working on cruise ships, so they calculate my time with them beginning with my re-hiring... whatever. It has been five years since then, though, so my reward was this little baby!!

The pineapple is part of the WS logo (because the pineapple=hospitality) (although that's a polynesian thing, and WS is supposed to be all Frenchy...), so I got this lovely little silver keychain!

I know that's almost an identical shot, but I can't help myself. I like to look at it.

I'm not going to use it as a keychain-- HELLOO, why would I want it to get all scratched up? So as soon as I can get my hands on a silver chain (strange that I don't have one), I'm going to wear it as a pendant.

My loyal service is documented/engraved on the back of it. Not quite a Purple Heart or a Nobel prize, but loyal service nonetheless. And does me helping others acquire lovely kitchenware give a little nudge towards a better world? I think so.

WS + T&C = TLA