This afternoon, I was in the slave shop, trying to preserve my manicure while polishing a ring, when the store door opened. In came a woman who was delivering an incredible floral arrangement. Architecturally, it's a marvel, so tall that it nearly touches the ceiling, and when she set it down, we both had to stand back and catch our breath because it looked so breathtaking against our green wall. It's so Ivaan-like in its riot of colour and form, just like his most extravagant work. I only wish he were here to show me how to photograph it well. In order to fit the whole arrangement into the camera frame, I thought I would have to go outside (it's a small store and there is nothing small about these flowers).
Walking around it, the arrangement is quite different from every angle, and it reminds me strongly of Ivaan's aesthetic sense: every side is its best side. Every single person who came into the store since then has been pretty much stunned into silence. One guy forgot what he came here for. It dwarfs the enormous paintings on the wall behind it. I gave up polishing jewellery for the day, because I just wanted to hang around here and bask in the glow, and it would have felt all wrong not to have perfect fingernails at a time like this.
If you are out and about in Toronto tomorrow, you might want to drop by Atelier Ivaan. But I guarantee you won't be looking at any jewellery.
To my friend and benefactor, thank you for your flowers and your note. You really touched me. I'm not often short of words, but I was today.
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