A Friend is the present You give yourself

My trip to New York seemed to be over in the blink of an eye. I had a wonderful time checking out the latest and greatest products and trends at the New York Gift Show, talking with Sundance Catalog artist, Clare Goddard, and seeing interior designer, Jonathan Adler up close and in person.

While in Manhattan, I also had the chance to visit trendy Soho shops, funky boutiques of the Village and Upper West Side, and the posh stores of Madison Avenue. But meeting with fabric artist extraordinaire, Alma Stoller, was a highlight of my trip.

On my last day in the Big Apple, Alma and I had the opportunity to have lunch at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. During our meal in the museum cafe, we discussed our love of fibers and mixed media. She told me how she came to create zines, and I talked about my job as a product designer/illustrator.

After lunch, we dashed off to the Impressionist gallery and spent time enveloped in the atmosphere and artworks of Van Gogh, Monet, and Degas.
As we stood together in front of my favorite painting, Van Gogh's Cypress Trees, soaking in every nuance of this breathtaking masterpiece, Alma pointed out details that I might have missed without her careful eye.

Our time together felt somewhat surreal and was over all too quickly. Before we parted, Alma gave me some of her beautiful handmade fabrics, beads, and the most cherished gift of all... friendship.