Last night I saw a friend who lives out of town that I have not seen in ages. Every year we have a little gift exchange, though this year she really outdid herself. I love art books, but I rarely buy them for myself, so it was a lovely surprise to get not one but two from her. Both are books that have been on my Amazon wishlist for a while. My wishlist is less an actual wishlist as a list of books I want to remember and possibly buy someday, so she really floored me when she handed me two large and very heavy packages to open. I'm sure I'll be spending more than a few hours pouring over Art: The Definitive Visual Guide with a forword by Ross King and Fashion: A History from the 18th to the 20th Century from the Collection of the Kyoto Costume Institute. I especially love the two volume set (which is also slipcased) on fashion. It is a gorgeous set of books and the clothes are really fascinating to look at. Both books are lavishly illustrated and I am feeling especially spoiled at the moment!