Too pricy for me, Glenda, but I have bought a few gifts there over the years. We also have Sur la Table which has a lot of nice kitchen things.

They used to carry some Harney's teas that I liked. My kids have fallen in love with that store, so I visit it often for gifts. It is interesting to browse there.

One of my favorite stores.

The BEST place for quality cooking and baking supplies.

I love their peppermint flavored shaved chocolate(in the candy stripe can) for hot chocolate.
Got to get over there and get some, and a free sample of the peppermint bark !

Peppermint bark and chocolate covered marshmallows!

They had their candies on sale today! Ya'll missed out.

No samples out today!

This is what I'm eyeing for couple gifts: salad dressing emulsifier. It has dressing recipes around it and markings for measurements

{{!gwi}}

I used to get Williams-Sonoma catalogs, and have still have dishes that I bought years ago. My favorites are the dark green Majorca ware in the shape of geranium leaves. Haven't been to a store for so long.

i'm on my way for a gift cert for dil...she's dumping all her old things for new there...

I love both W-S and Sur La Table. Mine are about four miles apart which is really bad for my wallet. I bought some Pomegranate Cosmo Mix from W-S and a peppermint fudge mix from SLT yesterday. Both are for a party this weekend.

I love Williams-Sonoma!

They had a set of goblets in the older (mid-80s) catalogs that I loved. They were made from recycled glass and were "hand blown in Spain and using 200+ year old goblet molds."

While we were stationed at Dover AFB, DE (about '93-'94) the base sponsored a one-day trip to NYC. Off I went, looking for excitment and adventure. I found them, but more importantly, I found a Williams-Sonoma store on Madison Ave.

Oh my! I'd never been in a WS shop before. There were "my" goblets in all their pale green, recycled glory, and they were on sale, a really good clearance sale.

I bought six. They didn't have the boxes so the sales clerk carefully wrapped them in heavy paper and packed them with even more paper in the back pack I'd brought along for just such items. He was so careful with them.

I lugged them all around as I explored the city and then took the bus home late that night.

I still have them. They are my "special crystal."

When we were stationed at Travis AFB I would often go to the Williams-Sonoma in Sonoma, CA. It was a dream come true, a WS close enough for a day trip. I have their older tart pans and a garlic press.

This is a poor photo of two of them.

caroline, oh, they are so very pretty, and make a beautiful table setting.

Love the tablecloth.

I grew up in my Grandmother's house. There was a starched, ironed tablecloth on the table every day. She used various prints and plaids through the week and white Damask on Sundays and Holidays.

DH, poor thing, did not grow up with tablecloths. He cannot sit at the table without messing up the cloth.

It befuddles my mind; pull out a chair, sit down, eat. Don't 'scoot' the dishes; lift them up and pass them (to the right). I tell him it's simple; you don't have to touch the cloth, or drag it half way off the table, or bunch it up. I lovingly (LOL) demonstrated how I could sit, stand up, leave the table, and return, all without moving the tablecloth.

Well, he couldn't (or didn't want to) get the hang of it and I can't (or won't) have a table at home without a "cloth."

What to do; what to do?

I went to the fabric store and bought vinyl "tablecloth" by the yard. Yes; it's 'plastic.' I have two sizes of several "cloths" to fit the table, or to fit when I have the leaves in. I have this white "lace," yellow plaid, and green and white checked.

I wipe them with Windex after our meals.

LOL Grandma has spun circles in her grave, but I have the look of a tablecloth and DH can't pull it off the table every time he sits down. The vinyl "clings" to the table; heck, it hangs on for dear life.

It's a comprimise. When he goes somewhere for more than three days I pull out the real linen and use it until he returns.

You're right, caroline. It was in the 80s that I bought these plates from a catalog, at different times, the one on the left is the geranium leaf plates (set of 4), on the right - one of a set of six each with a different fruit pattern. I apologize, I don't see the word Majorca anywhere on the back. The geranium plates say: "Faiancas, Belo, Caldos (an?) Rainha" Made in Portugal. The fruit plates say "Williams Sonoma, Grande Cuisine, San Francisco,94120, Made in Portugal.

The yellow spots you see are reflections from the overhead light in the kitchen. I hardly ever used them, but all of the geranium leaf plates have at least one chip.

{{!gwi}}

Forgot to say, I like those goblets caroline. Now I have to go online and browse their website.

Love the store.
Bought friend a red knife and sister a yellow one there for Christmas one year. I love my green one.
The peppermint bark is top quality to, so worth the price.

When I lived in CA, I was 30 minutes away from the town of Sonoma and loved going to Williams Sonoma. A couple of years ago I got an apple corer peeler from them. It is so much nicer than my old, cheap one.

Sonoma is the site of the first store. I wonder if it is any larger than the one in our mall.

I remember it having two large rooms and was a rather big place on the square. One room was more for food items and the other was for all the cookware. This was in the mid-90s and my mind could be playing trick on me!

I so miss being in civilization!

We have one about 10 minutes away. I don't go there very often. Sometimes if I'm down town, i'll stop in and browse. It's fun to look but so expensive.

And a compliment for WS, is they are friendly and most helpful!

Glenda,

I have that WS salad dressing emulsifier and wanted to let you know that the pouring spout is really narrow. You can't have any large pieces of garlic, pepper or anything else in there, they wont come out.

I'm still on the lookout for the perfect salad dressing mixer/dispenser.

Helene

I love to look in that store but hardly ever buy anything. Can't afford it.

If you like the store then go work for it part time. I did. It was a dream come true.

The people are hired because they know the merchandise and are users. You get big discounts and that is why most employees are there. Everyone is part time.

Throw in your cooking stories and you will have a ball.
The staff is made up of people like all of you who will become life long friends. As you see them as a sales person is truly who they are.I have been to them all over the country and I know you all agree.

They knew me as a customer before I had cancer and when I got cancer and was bored they said come be with us and pick your own hours. They begged me to. I did and gave cooking demonstrations. I was so alive and happy doing that. The best customers in the world go in there and there is no pressure.

I was too sick to stay but it was my decision to leave. After I was done with cancer I celebrated in many ways and one meaningful way was with them. You betcha.

At this time of year I do think of my dear, dear friends who are working very hard and I go in to give them a few hundred quick kisses and hugs.

I hope one of you does work for them.