I Can't Help But Wonder If He Would Trade Lives With Me...

I am upfront about my love of shopping. I like the process of browsing & purchasing stuff. I don’t much care that much of the world would find this to be the shallowest of endeavors. I am, after all, quite shallow, my gravest concern at any given moment is- do I look cute?
I have a new TV show that I am really zany about- Man Shops Globe (Wednesday nights at 10pm) on the Sundance Channel. It is very well done; even the commercials from sponsor Stella Artois are artful & interesting.

As the found-objects buyer for Anthropologie stores, Keith Johnson combs flea markets, antiques stores, art shows & bazaars around the world for marvelous things. He spends six months of the year in Europe, with periodic jaunts to Asia, buying up old furniture & objects, searching out artisans with unique wares. In other words, he gets paid to travel & shop. I want his job! Mr. Johnson’s aesthetic is very much like the Husband & mine; we love furniture & objects with real patina & a certain amount of decay.

He lives & works with his partner of 35 years- Glen Senk, CEO of Urban Outfitters, the parent company of Anthropologie.The duo met at age 9, after Mr. Senk’s family moved next-door to the Johnsons. “I started school and on the first or second day, I don’t know why, we were having a religious discussion,” Mr. Senk said. “& I, the new kid in class, said I didn’t believe in God because I didn’t have any evidence.” “& then you said you thought hemlines were going to be coming up this year,” Mr. Johnson said with a laugh. “I went out for recess & I got attacked,” Mr. Senk continued. “& I didn’t even say there wasn’t a God—I just said that I wanted proof. Keith came to my rescue.” “I was basically the same size when I was 9 that I am now,” Mr. Johnson said. “Today it’s not all that big, but when I was 9, I was a big kid & I could come to his rescue.” “I fell in love with him the first time I saw him,” said Mr. Senk with a smile. “I really did. It took him a bit longer. Their terrific NYC apartment is featured min this month’s Elle Decore magazine.