Bunnies & My Best Friend

This is my best friend, Gina Enberg.

I think about Gina all the time, but Easter always reminds me of her the most because she LOVES bunnies.  When I met Gina in college, all she talked about was her black and white bunny named Mickey, who had passed away. She painted pictures of him, drew pictures of him and told stories. He was like a dog...would cuddle her in the bed, go outside to the bathroom, and he had one ear that flopped over. So over the years, I have bought everything "bunny" for gina: from vintage cards, to bunny-shaped wicker baskets, bunny jewelry, t-shirts with bunnies on them....just everything and anything you could imagine. It's not hard to shop for G, but if all else fails and I'm stumped, I just have to go on Etsy.com and find some cool Mickey-esque bunny goods.

I met Gina in Professor Luttropp's Graphic Design I class my junior year of college. Considering that 99.9% of Montclair States students are complete jack-asses, I was very fortunate to of found such a spectacular person. A diamond in the rough! We would go out on Wednesday nights to Chevy's for margarita's, we would have lunch together in the afternoons (usually Gina's famous tunafish sandwiches) with iced tea, she would drag my ass to the on-campus gym where we would chat away and do crunches, run (and walk) around the track on campus, and just hang out to listen to music and create art. Gina made my college experience what it was, and I'm so thankful for that! We would trek into NYC and eat good food, and buy PAPER. Gina loves paper. She has worked at the Montclair Paperie for years now. She is a professional slicer, gluer, designer, creator extrodinaire! She has designed invitations and cards for the rich and famous (literally...Montclair is a happenin' town), and she always takes time to create cards for her friends and family. For years now I have received atleast 2 cards a month from Gina...90% of them being homemade, down to the envelopes! I have been saving them all, and when Gina is a famous illustrator I'll joke about selling her cards for millions!! Really though, I've never met someone so thoughtful in my whole life. She is a slave for the paperie, and on her day off she goes to church and then cooks lunch for her grandmother. Whenever she has a free second she goes down to her basement art space and starts creating. 

Aside from her (serious) obsession with bunnies, she also has a passion for Led Zepplin, paper, cupcakes, and brushing her teeth...a lot. She's beautiful, sincere, and humble - a rare person. SO, I decided that I would share my best friend with all of you. If you ever need any invitations, illustrations, or really anything that deals with art - Gina is your gal. And pay her twice what she's asking...because she always charges too little!  

Here are two things that Gina has designed for me. One is a poster for a show. Me, as a mermaid, wrapped around a tree - which is a guitar. The other is one that she designed for me...which I have yet to use...as a mermaid. 

I hope that everyone gets one special quirky, lovable, passionate, bunny-obsessed friend like I have. Because really, having somebody like Gina just makes life a better experience!

"I'd like to be the sort of friend that you have been to me.

I'd like to be the help that you've been always glad to be;

I'd like to mean as much to you each minute of the day

as you have always meant, old friend of mine, to me along the way"

FOR GINA ENBERG's ARTISTIC SERVICES, please inquire here:

ginaenberg@mac.com