Why I wanted him to find it that way

He has a neighborhood bookstore where he always gets lost among spines and yellowed pages. I didn't want to give it to him in public or in a formal package: I wanted him to come across it by surprise, like finding a dedication in an old book.

The idea

I went to the bookstore one day with an excuse —to look for a title I knew he'd be interested in— and asked the bookseller for a favor: to tuck a stuffed toy into a visible but discreet corner. The bookseller smiled and agreed.

I chose a Puffy wearing a little blue jacket; I thought it would look lovely among the book spines. I left a small note next to it with a short line and a tiny hint: "For someone who reads slowly."

The discovery

He walked in as usual, greeted the bookseller and started browsing. Ten minutes later I got a photo by message: him sitting on the step, holding the Puffy and smiling for no reason.

• Preparation I left the Puffy with the bookseller and the note.
• Arrival He comes in looking for an author and stops at the shelf where the little bear sits.
• Discovery He places it on his lap and sends me a photo, smiling.
• Ritual Since then he brings it to the bookstore and to cafés when he reads outside.

That day he messaged me: "It's like you're here reading with me." It wasn't a grand gesture, but one of those small things that turn an afternoon into a memory.

— Olga, Madrid

What came after

Now, every so often he sends me photos of the Puffy in different corners of the bookstore: next to a poem, on an old chair, peeking out between two novels. It's our little private joke. Sometimes, when I pass the shop window, I imagine it winking at me from the shelf.

If you'd like to plan a similar surprise, Contact us and we'll help you choose the Puffy and its look.

Discover our styles at Puffys and mix-and-match outfits from atuendos sueltos.