Graduation Gift Wish List...

I was talking with a friend about graduation and the topic of graduation presents came up. Normally I dislike asking for specific gifts. Part of the fun of gift-giving, I think is finding exactly the right gift... by way of happenstance or by strategic investigation. However, my friend made an excellent point: "Why get another coffee pot or toaster oven or something you really don't want or need?"

So I decided to compose a list of suggestions:

• Art: I love art. I just started collecting it. My collection is super tiny, so I'm looking to add to it. I tend to go for smaller pieces since I don't have any space. I don't care if the artist is famous or not. And if given by another artist, I usually give a piece in exchange. I really believe in creating a dialogue between artists. I would pass out if I got a piece by Dianca Phelps or Lucas Samaras or Kiki Smith.
  
• Raffle Ticket at Momenta's Annual Benefit: Along the same lines as the previous idea, it adds to my art collection and supports a great cause.
• Art books: I am obsessed with collecting books on art. When I used to have a bigger budget, I would buy an art book (or two or three) every week. I have been trying to track down two books for the past few years. Agnes Martin: The Nineties and Beyond and Ross Bleckner: Watercolor. I also have been planning to buy Jutta Koether's new book.
• Tea: I love tea. I especially like receiving it as a gift, because it is an invitation to conversation. I like gifts that can be shared.
  
• A Bottle of Wine or Champagne or Prosecco: Again, I like gifts that can be shared and promote conversation. I especially like to see what people's favorites are and trying them out.
• Chocolate: I'm a chocolate whore. I almost got a job at a chocolate store/kitchen just so that I could learn all their secrets. Fancy truffles make my heart swoon.
• Anne Choi Beads: Anne Choi is one of my all-time favorite bead artists. I have a small collection of her work and pick up a piece here or there whenever I can. I hardly use them in my designs, as I'd much prefer to keep them in my treasure chest to fondle at my leisure. The mandrakes are my favorite.
• Owls: I collect miniature owls that fit in my curio case. Now that my collection is pretty extensive, I only like the really rare ones. Like the Zuni Fetishes or the ever elusive Hagen Renaker Miniature Snowy Owl Figurine.
• Print Gocco: I was terrible at silkscreening in school, but like the graphic effect and the opportunity to make multiples. Gocco is a seemingly easy-to-use home printing system that I could use to print greeting cards and/or specialized papers and drawings for my collages.
• A Kiln: I want to start firing my own PMC and ceramics in the comfort of my home. We just won't tell my landlord. I really want to get my jewelry and inspirational items company off the ground. Having a kiln would allow me to easily create new product.
  
• A Donation Made in My Name: Now that I'm pretty much broke all the time, I can't afford to support some really great causes that are in need of help. NURTUREart, RAINN (Rape, Abuse, Incest, National Network), and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital are just a few organizations among many others that could use a little help.
  
• Dried White Mulberries: I'm a foodie, or rather... a wanna be foodie. I saw an article in Saveur about these Dried White Mulberries that can be purchased at Kalustyan's. I pretty much love Kalustyan's. They have such a wide variety of fine specialty foods. For me, sharing a good meal with someone is the best! It's one of my favorite things in the whole world.

When I finished writing this list, I realized that it was a list of some of my favorite things and that it tells a lot about me and my interests. Gifts and presents are great, but what's really important to me are the connections between people.