Happy (Little Blue) Boxing day!

Merry Christmas, everyone! I hope yours was merry and bright. And Happy Boxing day! Remember this post about the little blue box under my tree? Well, I finally got to open that beautiful box yesterday and the gift inside was absolutely precious and I adore it. It was a Tiffany Blue patent leather and silver coin purse. Of all the accessories my mom could have chosen as a gift for me from Tiffany's, this one is the most perfect!

I know what you're thinking: "Renee, how could you want a coin purse when they have jewelry?" First of all, it's a totally fabulous purse that has a retro feel to it, which as you all know is perfect for me. And, I'll be honest, I already have a gorgeous bracelet from Tiffany's that my parents bought for me several years ago on Christmas. It's the Return to Tiffany oval tag bracelet:

I put it on that year and rarely has a day passed that I have not worn it. I even factored it into a watch-purchasing decision recently. So what is it about Tiffany & Co. that gets us so excited? A simple piece of jewelry becomes a status symbol once placed in an iconic little blue box, but it's more than just the status symbol that gets me. I've been a huge fan of the color Tiffany Blue since I was a little girl, long before I knew is was called "Tiffany Blue." When I got older, I made the connection between the beautiful color and the romantic ideals it inspires in us. I've always loved the movie "Breakfast at Tiffany's." I once signed a lease on an apartment without seeing the entire place simply because the bathroom was painted Tiffany Blue. (If you've lived in an apartment complex with nothing but white walls and a clause in the rental agreement about not painting, you might be able to simpathize a bit more with me on that.) And then there's my current apartment. Here's my bedroom:

I love waking up every day feeling like I'm in a Tiffany's box! I painted the walls and made the matching pillows myself, too. They are trimmed in white satin ribbon, just like a Tiffany's box would be. (Except at Christmas time when they wrap a red satin ribbon around those perfect little boxes.) The front pillow is a silver brocade, a perfect complement to the blue and white.

To me, Tiffany's represents more than just the idea of an engagement ring or fancy jewels, it's about special gifts- heirlooms. The pieces from Tiffany's that I have are special because of what they represent and also because of where they come from. To simply have something from Tiffany's is far less exciting than something from Tiffany's that has a special meaning and comes from a special person. That's why I don't think I'd ever purchase something for myself from Tiffany's. I've always said, "At some point in her life, every girl deserves something in a little blue box." I'm fortunate enough to have parents who have made that happen for me.

For those of you who have never been to Tiffany's on 5th Avenue in New York, please go there and look at the Tiffany Diamond- words can't describe it. (But I'll try!) At 128.54 carats, it's one of the largest yellow diamonds ever discovered. Originally over 287 carats, it was cut down to 128.54 carats with 90 facets. Tiffany's philosphy has always been to cut for maximum brilliance as opposed to cutting for maximum size. The gem cutter who cut the Tiffany diamond studied it for a YEAR before making his first cut into it. The most famous settings for the Tiffany diamond were both designed by Jean Schlumberger, who was hired by Tiffany's in the 1950's at a time when jewel-setting was truly becoming recognized as an art form. The first of Schlumberger's famous settings is this extravagant diamond necklace worn by Audrey Hepburn in publicity photographs done for the film "Breakfast at Tiffany's."

The second, perhaps most famous setting is the "Bird on a Rock" brooch which is currently on display at Tiffany & Co. in New York City. If you have not seen this stone in person, find a way to get there and see it. The diamond is literally blinding when the light catches it. The 90 facets sparkle from all angles and although it's less than half its original weight, it's still striking in its size.

Do any of you have stories of little blue boxes? I'd love to hear them!

A little blue box under my tree

So the other day, my mom called and said that she sent me a package but that I was to wait until Christmas to open it. Fine, no problem. Then a package arrived at my door and when I checked the return address it was NOT my mother's. I figured it was one of the Etsy orders I'd placed for Christmas presents. Turns out I was wrong. As soon as I opened the package and saw what was inside, I knew I'd opened my mom's Christmas gift to me. How could I tell? I'm sure it would have been a dead giveaway to anyone:

What is it about a little blue box that gets us girls so riled up? It's a bit too large to house a piece of jewelry and I've tried and tried to avoid visiting the Tiffany's website to see what might fit into a box this size! I'll have to resist for another seven days and trust me, it will be hard! Isn't it precious how they tie a red ribbon at Christmas time? I've received one other little blue box in my lifetime and it also came from my parents. It was a Tiffany's silver chainlink bracelet and not a day has gone by that I have not worn it. There's something so special about things that come in little blue boxes.

What's your Christmas wish this year? Is there something special you're hoping for? When someone asks me what I want for Christmas (or my birthday), I find it hard to answer. Sure, there are things I want, but I don't generally tell people, "I saw a cashmere scarf at Macy's I'd love to have." That just seems awkward to me. If someone sees something in a store and they think I'll like it, then most likely I will, but if there were no Christmas presents on Christmas morning, that would be fine, too. As long as I could spend the day with the people I love. My family hasn't bought fancy presents for each other in quite a few years, choosing instead to focus on quality time together, spending money on a nice meal out, or a day of shopping together. I like it that way... but I also like little blue boxes.

P.S. Don't forget to leave a comment on yesterday's GIVEAWAY post. Click here to be taken to that post. You could be one of two lucky winners who will receive a handmade zipper brooch! To leave a comment, click on the word "comments" at the bottom of the post.

Shoesday Tuesday, Rate My Look, etc.

Good morning, all! Yesterday was my first really relaxing day off in a while. Whenever I'm working on opening a show, I just can't relax. As you know, the Christmas show opened this weekend, so I was able to really enjoy Monday with some friends. I ended up going shopping with a couple of cast members and had a blast. Since I shop so much for work, it's often hard to separate myself from that when I'm in a mall or shopping center. But yesterday I was able to completely relax and enjoy myself and it felt great! So I got up after sleeping in a bit, dressed in a comfortable shopping outfit and met up with David to shop. Here's my "shopping outfit:"

Cowl neck top: Fair Indigo

Dress: Max Studio (but purchased at Marshalls)

Belt: Gap

Shoes: Maurices

Tights: Target

I like to be comfortable when I shop, but I also like to wear "easy-on-easy-off" type of clothes just in case I'm in and out of the dressing room a lot. I didn't spend a ton of money, but I got a fairly "big ticket" item (for me, anyway). I bought myself a new watch. I have not worn a watch since I was in college, so about 8 years. I've been getting sick of looking for my phone when I want to know the time, so a few weeks ago, I decided it was time for a "big girl watch." I wanted something nice but neutral that I could wear every day. Also, it needed to work with my Tiffany's signature bracelet since I wear it every day. I'll tell the story of that bracelet sometime soon. Anyway, at the Kenneth Cole store, I found this watch at 50% off:

Originally $95, I only paid $49.97 for it. Not bad for a nice watch if you ask me. I had decided to get myself a "nice" watch as a sort of show-opening treat for myself. I don't often spend that much on anything, but I felt I earned it, so I bought it without feeling guilty for spending that much. Other than that, I didn't really buy very much- a few accessories at Aldo (since they were buy one get one FREE!) which I'll show you soon. I also stocked up on my scent at Bath & Body Works. I was there recently and had trouble finding my scent. I have been wearing Velvet Tuberose since it came out a couple of years ago. I was running low not too long ago, plus I had a coupon, so I went in to stock up. I had trouble finding V.T. so I asked a sales person who gave me a pitying look and said, "It's over here on this shelf with the such-and-such scent. You know it's a bad sign when they start sharing shelf space with another scent. It means it's on the way out." I died a little inside. I love B&BW scents but I hate how they discontinue the ones I love. For years I was in love with the aromatherapy Jasmine Vanilla, and they discontinued it. I replaced that scent with the Velvet Tuberose and now they're discontinuing that, too! I stocked up and I think I got about 9 or 10 months worth so I'll be good for quite a while, but in the meantime I'll be looking for a replacement scent. Has that happened to you before? It seems like the scents I hate are the ones that stick around forever, but the ones I love always get discontinued. It's so sad.

Now I'm sure you're wondering where the Shoesday Tuesday element comes in. Well, I've been searching online for a picture of a pair of Miss Bisou blue suede pumps that I tried on yesterday, to no avail. I should have taken a picture in the store, but I just wasn't thinking. Probably because I was in so much pain. These shoes looked like the perfect "Renee" shoe: high heel, bright color, fun texture- all the things I love in a shoe. I asked for my size and from the second I slid my foot into the shoe, I was in major pain. BEFORE I stood up, mind you, these shoes were squeezing and pinching and killing my feet. Walking in them was even worse. The shoe pinched at the knuckle, almost as if the shoe was too narrow at that one spot. I've never experienced anything like it. I rarely try on a shoe that I love and walk away without getting it (it's a sickness, I know) and these Miss Bisou pumps were a less-expensive version of these bright blue Aldo pumps I loved so much in this post:

The Aldo version has a peep toe and exposed platform, where the Miss Bisou version was a closed-toe pump with a narrower heel and a hidden platform, but the color was spot-on. You couldn't pay me enough to wear the Miss Bisou version, no matter how much cheaper it is. Have any of you ever worn that brand of shoe? I've never worn them, to my knowledge, and after trying them on, I'm pretty sure I'll avoid that brand in the future. They were seriously like a torture device. I'm not even kidding.

But enough about my purchases and shopping experiences- David got some really nice things at Kenneth Cole and H&M, too. Actually, he bought a great outfit at H&M that I'm dying for him to wear so I can take a picture and put on the blog as a perfect example of great menswear style. (Hint, hint, David!)