My Friend in LA - Ann Taylor

I was sharing this funny little story with a friend today and decided I'd share here too! Anyone woman with a man in her life will appreciate it! A few years back my sister and I were producing an event in LA and I had to go out and book the space and taste the menu with our client. I certainly could not do that in my Denver clothes, right? So, the night before I left, I went shopping, in Denver. Nevermind that at that time I was staying thin and rewarding myself by shopping, errrr.....spending. A lot. I was spending money I really should not have been at that time, but thats another story for another day. I already had plenty of things to wear, but this was special and important. Ah yes, special AND important! And these clients, they were gonna be dressed to the nines!
So there I went to Ann Taylor, found myself a nice black suit, a girl can never have too many right? I hadn't ever tried the shoes there, which was, well, just wrong. Over the years I'd trusted Ann with businesswear, casualwear, outerwear, the occasional accessory, it was only right that I give her a chance to style my feet! And, the gal was so nice to get them for me to see how the suit looked with proper footwear and all, I could hardly NOT get them too.
We ran into a small snafu with the jacket size. They didn't have it! It was too late to get to another store(they offered to track one down)! I told them I had to catch a plane to LA at 8 the next morning. No problem, where are you going, we'll call a store there. So, while I went and plopped down a few more bucks on stuff that was not on my list, they called around and the store at Beverly Center had my stuff! All of it, in my size! They had me pay locally and promised to have my outfit pressed and ready to wear at the store the following morning in Beverly Hills.
I pretended to expect such service, but still said thank you a gazilion times, that was truly above and beyond. Not to mention, I felt pretty darn special, maybe because I was headed to Hollywood. Hmm, I will have to re-think this story with Muskogee as my destination and see how it feels. Um, no been there-loved it- felt pretty special- but that's because our son was playing in nationals for baseball. Hmmm, Timbuktu, nope, definitely not feelin' the love. Yep, it was the Hollywood thing. And that service-it was the golden ticket-think American Idol-I was goin' to Hollywood and I had people there already takin' care of me!
Anyway, I got checked in to my hotel and headed to the mall. I introduced myself to the gal at the counter who told me the fitting room on the right was all ready for me, and did I need hose or anything else? She also neatly bagged the clothes I showed up in. And, she was genuinely happy to have helped. Heres the funny part-she'd called my hotel-and our house and left messages. This is so and so...Ann Taylor, your outfit is ready to go... come on over...... so, my husband calls my cell phone and leaves this message, " Honey, I didn't know you were going to get to see a friend while you're there? That will be nice. She ironed your clothes and everything, did you forget your outfit or something? It's Ann Taylor? Her number is on the caller ID, call me if you need it. Bye."
Is that the cutest husband story ever?
PS-the clients, after all my worry about them being dressed to "the nines" they weren't. At all. I mean, compared to what I'd envisioned. And I am pretty sure they did not even care about my new shoes, or suit, or blouse. Wait, maybe they did, and they just were playing it off like they weren't hangin' with a fancy party planner from Denver-thats it! Well, at the tasting, they did ask for "more fried appetizers on the menu please" (in LA-really??!!). Yea, they didn't care about my new get up. They were very nice genuine people. The kind that would have liked me even in my airplane clothes. But I really wanted to play fancy business lady that day, (or at least fancy for off the rack , I know I wasn't wearing Gucci or Prada!)!! I really liked that outfit, I still have it. And one day, I will get it up over my thighs again!