My bucket list isn’t very long, however, on that list were two items that exceeded my expectations. This past week, I’ve crossed them off in an over-the-top sorta way.
The first item crossed off was: “Little Blue Box from Tiffany & Co.”
Unexpectedly, mine arrived in the mail.
I didn’t want to open it. It was so simple. So elegant. So much more than I dreamed a blue box could be. I savored it. I held it in my hands, and finally, gave into my husband’s peer pressure and opened it to discover the contents were JUST as amazing! Read about what was in it in “A Little Blue Box and the Key to My Dreams“.
The second on my bucket list was to walk through Tiffany & Co. This one was crossed off big!
About a month before the box arrived I received an invitation. It took my breath away. I talked about it every. single. day. (sorry, Mom!)
My coveted invitation to Breakfast at Tiffany
When I told Charlotte the Great, she just lit up. Grandma is 90 years younger than Tiffany & Co. I was shocked at how much the name meant to Grandma. I have always considered her a relatively simple woman, never thinking that she might be, like me, a woman who dreams about Tiffany & Co. in her world.
Nearly every day Charlotte the Great asked what she should wear. She wanted to know what we were going to do. She needed a new blouse. She wanted to know how much longer. We were like little girls dreaming of the wonderful.
Then yesterday, it all happened.
I picked Charlotte the Great up and we headed downtown to the new City Creek Center.
If this site doesn’t make your heart flutter:
But we weren’t just here to window shop. It was the day Tiffany & Co. was celebrating the opening of their 3,500 square foot store in my home town, Salt Lake City.
As we grew closer the windows were breath-taking. Local artist, Kandyce Groesbeck transformed the Tiffany Blue boxes and shopping bags into a moving artwork, inspired by the water that flowers through City Creek Canyon.
Past the window we arrived:
Tiffany Blue Boxes and women in dresses that matched impeccably! I’m sure you heard me squee!
A wheat leaf pattern, the same the is so well-known on the original Fifth Avenue store, is carved into the glass facade and show windows of Salt Lake’s City Creek store. It continues in glass vitrine and mirrors, reflecting the light of the chandelier.
Tall, stainless steel entry doors with a center medallion are finished with the Art Deco-inspired fluting detail that embellishes the entrance of the New York store. The fluting also trims the City Creek Centerstore’s elliptical and rectilinear showcases.
Grandma and I were greeted and then we stepped through the doors into a world of utter beauty. Celebrating 175 years of design excellence there were sparkles everywhere. Diamonds set in the famous Tiffany Setting, the coveted Tiffany Yellow Diamonds, Tiffany Keys (JUST like mine), symbolizing an experience never to be forgotten!
We took in so much in such a short time that Charlotte the Great needed to sit and rest while enjoying her coffee. It was an indulgent rest, surrounded by a palette of blue and silver. Admiration of it all from the shimmering showcases to the carpet, fabricated in a magnolia and dragonfly pattern inspired by the renowned stained glass works of Art Nouveau designer Louis Comfort Tiffany, son of the company’s founder.
But we came to Tiffany & Co. to do more than sit on an amazing couch. We came to see the infamous jewelry.
We pressed our noses against the glass to see the beauty:
Case after case there was beauty. I commented that I liked stuff I didn’t know I liked! There was gold, silver and my favorite, copper!
On maybe our fourth lap around the store, a woman asked if we had tried on a Tiffany diamond. We had not. The gentleman behind the counter said, “As it so happens, I happen to have one here in my hands.”
Grandma radiated joy! Her smile broadened. Her hand swayed slightly left and right, allowing the diamond to pick up and reflect all the light it could capture.
Then I tried it on:
I sent a tweeted out, “Hey, Honey buy me this” and included a picture.
Hubby wasted no time in calling me IMMEDIATELY to tell me to “step away from the counter”. Oh, boy!
Oh, yes. There was food too.
We tried mini omelets with mushrooms:
Tiffany & Co. Mini-Omelet with Mushrooms
There were scones–sorry, I ate mine before I could take a picture!
My favorite was the honey-dew melon wrapped in prosciutto. Oh, my!
honey dew wrapped with prosciutto
The staff at Tiffany & Co. is awesome! We loved Ian. He was energetic and even modeled the men’s jewelry. Check out his Tiffany & Co. Oval Cuff Links:
Tiffany & Co. oval cuff links
Of course, all good things must end. We left all the sparkle and stepped outside for the Ribbon Cutting ceremony. While we waited, I spotted Miss Utah, Danica Olsen:
Miss Utah, Danica Olsen
We witnessed our first Ribbon Cutting Ceremony:
The “official” Tiffany & Co. Ribbon
Truly, this will be among my memories I relive, recount for all the days of my life. It was amazing! Grandma talked about it all the way home…when she could get a word in over me!
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received media passes to attend the event mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. TIFFANY, TIFFANY & CO., T&CO., TIFFANY 1837, ATLAS, the TIFFANY SETTING, the color TIFFANY BLUE, the TIFFANY BLUE BOX and TIFFANY CELEBRATION are trademarks of Tiffany and Company and its affiliates.”