tonight is the baltimore biz ladies meetup! i’m in baltimore right now with the baltimore contingent of d*s (hi anne and felice!) and am getting ready for tonight’s event. if you’re in the area (or feel like a quick drive up from dc) please come join us tonight at the american visionary museum from 6:30-8:30 pm. we’ll have speakers covering business and legal concerns, pr/marketing, wholesale/retail and much more. attendance is free (and rsvp isn’t required at this point) so i hope to see you all there! more details below:

baltimore biz ladies meetup
date: thursday, july 31st
time: 6:30-8:30
location: american visionary museum (3rd floor of the Jim Rouse Visionary Center (JRVC))
fee: none! but please bring a snack or drink to share with the group if you can.
ps: if you have questions for our speakers please bring them with you!

when it comes to our bathroom i like to stick to basics- solid white towels and wash cloths and soft, fluffy white bathmats. but sometimes it’s fun to shake it up and a bit and these beautiful hand-woven cotton bath towels from india are just the ticket. based in kerala, india, kara weaves is a studio of designers who produce hand-woven, pure cotton home textiles that ooze the sort of warmth that only handmade work can. kara weaves only recently introduced an e-commerce shop and now anyone with a computer can pick up their beautiful textiles. i’m partial to the bath towels but you can also pick up some lovely cushions and curtains. click here to check out the full collection. thanks, chitra!

few things are as peaceful as climbing into a fluffy, well-made bed after a long day. tonight is the biz ladies meetup in baltimore and it think it might be a late night. i would love to end the day by climbing into a bed made with these colorful linens from porridge home. click here to check out their full collection and shop online.

when i was little i was never dreamed of having such incredible wall murals on my wall like these from nyc painter ami suma. ami specializes in murals for children’s rooms and has some some pretty fantastic work so far. i love the pieces above and below but you can view her full collection right here. thanks, ami!

just a little thursday morning eye candy: i’m loving these cartoon-like bird decals from elephannie at etsy. you can pick up a set of 3 for only $8 (in over 20 different colors) right here- they’re so chirpy and cute i can’t resist.

My friend Rakia and I love to shop. We decided to get together and do a websidoe at Topstitch, a really cute boutique here in Old City Philadelphia. We spoke with Tina Nguyen, who curates and manages the store, about what she digs right now on the fashion scene.

we’ve always loved customizing our clothing with tiny embroidered accents. a discreet script monogram on a collar, or just a simple running stitch along the edge of a shirt or dress can turn even the most ordinary garment into something truly unique. the same applies to your home. adding a touch of personality with a needle and thread is a fun way to draw attention to those otherwise invisible elements around your house, like these simple white curtains. click here for the full instructions or just click “read more” below.

have fun!
-derek & lauren