Let your love shine

My mom wrote me recently that traveling changes you. I'm not sure if she's speaking from her own experiences lately. She and my father moved to Singapore in February. Or if this is a touch of wisdom passed unto her. Either way, it's right on. Things I used to love just don't matter so much anymore. Shopping? Eh...who cares? Shoes? Well, ok. Maybe...but now when I see all that stuff I think back to handmade crafts, the brilliant colors and the people who made them in South America. I've never been much of a brand girl anyway. Louis Vuitton? Did you know that those bags are made of canvas? You're dropping a grand, plus or plus, on a spruced up potato sack. And for me, it'd me more special with my own initials on it. And originality? I haven't seen that much that's all that original since back in the city. I'm keeping my eyes peeled. There's just no way New York could have lost its appeal for me. It just can't!

Ah, saving grace. Love Shine. What a fun funky store in my neighborhood: Love Shine. Thank the good lord. Keep your eyes open and don't forget the small stuff, Miss Anne. Love Shine is a pop & pop shop, the front showcasing the newest fabrics and styles of bags, the tail end of the shop awash in sewing machines, materials and swatches. They have laptop cases, fun handbags in all sorts of prints and styles, diaper bags even, yes, all of Manhattan is procreating, and most recently are venturing into sundresses and clothes. Phew. My faith in New York restored!