This is my first post, and I am so excited to be able to tell you that our family business, "Pieces of Eight" in Lafayette, Louisiana, has a website up and running. Many of our friends and fans across the country have been waiting for this! For 38 years we have been known for exquisite and innovative gifts and accessories, but you had to be there to see them. Now we have many items on the web. And more are being added every day.
For those of you who are viewing this post to read the story about Paul Newman, here it is:
In 1974 Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward were in Lafayette on location for one of his films. Joanne came into "Pieces of Eight" numerous times and bought items to be shipped up to their home in Connecticut. One day late in the afternoon, almost closing time, my husband and I were in the back stockroom doing inventory. I was standing on a stool, and I heard a very loud, unmistakable guffaw (think Butch Cassidy). I was off that stool in one second and ran out to see the source of the laughter.
Paul Newman was standing at our sales counter, splitting his sides over a unique item I had purchased at the Dallas Gift Market for our store to sell. (When this item had first come in, my Dad had looked at it and said "Who in the ____ is going to buy this for $50?" He was a wonderful man, who gradually became accustomed to the unusual items I chose for our shop!) It was a small lucite sculpture of blue eyes which were open or closed depending on how you lay the sculpture.
Paul asked how many I had in stock. I had 2. He bought them both.
A few months later, my husband ran across an article in the "people" section of Time Magazine: Paul Newman presents the gift of blue eyes to his friends Robert Redford and Steve McQueen. Needless to say, I went up in my Dad's estimation as a buyer!!
Today, Pieces of Eight is still known for the beautiful and unusual, as well as for extraordinary customer service. Please check us out at http://www.piecesofeightgifts.com/ Visit us often to see what's new!
