Simon was out-numbered by three women who love to shop and he was the best of sports as we scoured the markets for sari fabrics, exotic foods, and other Indian treasures. On this particular trip, I fell in love with many gorgeous, handmade Indian papers that are seen throughout my gift wrap collections.

Being a gardener and flower lover, I missed the boats full of flowers and the floating gardens that I had experienced on earlier trips to Kashmir, which was not open to Western tourists at the time of this trip. But our days were full of staggering beauty and history and we all returned home refreshed and full of wonder and new inspiration.

When I travel, I love to look into my bags and suitcases and see coordinating items like these chic leather goods from the Bright Gifts collection. It gives a sense of order to my helter skelter packing, as I have a tendency to throw in extras when I'm trying to get out the door to the airport. I also find that colorful luggage tags are a boon when looking for my bags on the carousel.