We're after the same rainbow's end.

Two drifters, off to see the world,
There's such a lot of world to see.
-- Moon River

To me, the corner of 56th St. and Fifth Avenue is among the most splendid places on Earth. On the east side of the street, you have Tiffany & Co., the place that cures the mean reds and has been causing young ladies to dream of diamonds for ages. On the west side is Henri Bendel's, with its sparkling window displays and proud stature, where a girl can go to ready-to-wear heaven.

And somewhere in the middle is a little lamb inhaling the splendor of this big city and soaking in the abundant sunshine.

It's fitting that I love Tiffany's and Bendel's so much. They are the respective Meccas of two of my favorite literary heroines (if you use the term somewhat loosely): Holly Golightly and Blair Waldorf*. It is also fitting that Blair is just as obsessed with Breakfast at Tiffany's as I am. So today, in honor of the holiday and our fabulous lives in this fantastic city, and the premier of Season 2 of Gossip Girl (do not judge me), one of my best friends, Flavia, and I decided to go on a very Blair outing.

My love affair with Bendel's started the first time I set foot inside its sparkling walls, but it has been increased ten-fold today, when I discovered the hair accessories section. (Blair would be so proud.) I probably tried on 50** headbands. The best part of all, and the entire point of telling this particular tale, is that I inadvertently made a new best friend. I'm pretty sure the hair accessories salesgirl adores me. She even told Flavia, "I'm going to steal your friend from you!" It was utterly silly the way we kept saying the same thing at the same time - who knew someone else could love headbands the way I do?

Best quote of the day:
Lorna: "And you know who are really crazy about their headbands and things? Girls from Texas. They all just come in here and go for the funkiest, cutest things. Those Texas girls are serious about their hair."
Me: "Um, I'm from Texas originally."
Lorna: "You know, I really should have guessed that. That's perfect. For real though, the Texans and the Brazilians. For some reason, those girls just love their hair accessories."
Flavia and I share a glance and a giggle, because she is from Brazil.

We also explored the entire store while Flavia decided whether or not to buy a fabulous feathered headband for herself.*** I adored the fact that they were playing Girl Talk in the chocolate shop, and that they had a children's book about the life of Coco Chanel. Fan-friggin-tastic.

So now we've sauntered home to pile up in Flavia's I-just-died-and-went-to-Sex-and-the-City studio, where we'll watch Breakfast at Tiffany's until it's time for the Gossip Girl premier, while eating Pinkberry (yet another of my newly formed obsessions). Like I said, Blair would be proud. The forecast for abundant sunshine continues throughout the week, but I know today has to be one of the bright spots. And I'm still after the same rainbow's end as you, Miss Golightly. Maybe I'll sit and sing on my fire escape-cum-balcony**** later tonight, while I'm already on this little fantasy trip.

*Can I digress for one moment to mention that both of these characters are even more fabulous in print than their celluloid counterparts?
**Of course, I did NOT buy 50. I wish.
***She did!
****If you think that's a dirty turn of the phrase, go back to English class.

Pictures to come, promise!