i’ve always had a soft spot for maps- especially those that are slightly decorative. so when i heard from designers jen and omar of these are things in columbus, ohio, i was excited to see they’d designed a lovely modern world map. their map is silkscreened by hand in four colors and measures 20×30 inches. each map is available for $60 right here and, if all goes well, jen and omar are planning to expand into new colorways and designs (us map, world cities, etc) in the coming months. thanks, jen and omar!

if you’re up for a little more world traveling, jen hill’s new “a toast to” collection also celebrates cities and countries around the world. each print in her latest collection is a series of riddles about different places, inspired by vintage flashcards. there is a print for each state and country that has been covered in jen’s “places i have never been” series and each print includes a year, map filled with pattern, country name, coordinates, a riddle and 3 key words to help you solve the riddle. check out the full “a toast to” collection right here and pick up prints for $20-$34. thanks, jen!

*need a valentine’s gift? jen is doing personalized versions of these prints for vday, so you can commemorate a special place (with your own riddle!) in your loved one’s life. (prices range from $49-$90)

i’ll admit, i’m not really a bike-riding girl (i’m a little too scared of nyc drivers). but if i was, i would totally rock one of these matching seat and handebar bags from beatrice holiday. beatrice holiday owner alison franson uses quality vintage upholstery and vinyl fabric to create matching seat covers, basket liners and handlebar bags. i know the matchy matchy look may be too much for some, but i can’t imagine how any girl’s bike wouldn’t look cuter with a seat made from vintage fabric. or maybe that’s just the fabric lover in me. either way, the day i buy a bike, it’s getting one of these seats. click here to check out beatrice holiday’s full collection and shop online. thanks, alison!

ps: the bbb craft sisters are tackling stitchcraft today! click here to check out their pretty stitching projects!

Did anyone even care about groundhog day before Bill Murray came along? Uhh… no. This little movie has done more good for the second of February than even a million weather forecasting mammals combined. Groundhog Day has been in my top 10 since elementary school, so three cheers for best darn holiday in February.

alarm clock $12, rosebud boutonniere $2, top hat $58, microphone $104, I’m sorry, try as you might, you cannot buy a real groundhog online, briefcase $206, scarf $65.

If I had to relive a single day on repeat, I hope I’d get Bill Murray by my side, preferably in small town Pennsylvania- replete with diners, snowstorms and donuts. Do you think it’s too late to put out a call for a hand sculpted snow statue of my face this evening? Mr. Murray? Are you out there? -amy m.

wall clock $33, cake stand $36, sugar pourer $3.50, napkin dispenser $10, donuts, creamer $5, wooden chair $70, table $188, diner mug $5.

a few months ago after brunch at buttermilk channel, i picked up a great vintage letter opener at general & fine. i’ve been hunting for more great letter openers ever since, so i thought it would be fun to round up the most affordable options for today’s under $100 column. i was surprised to see there weren’t as many stylish letter openers on the market as i was hoping, but i managed to find over 20 that would make my wishlist. however, if you’re up for a little bit of searching, ebay, 1st dibs, and ruby lane are full of unique letter openers that might be worth a few extra dollars (or a little bit of auction fun). i hope you enjoy the roundup!

*thanks to everyone on twitter for the extra tips last night!

[image above, clockwise from top left: gecko opener $95, vintage opener $55, customized heart letter opener $41 for 100, benbecula opener $95, bodo sperlein horse leg opener $75, match letter opener $57, spike letter opener $15, gingko letter opener $30, zeus lighting bolt opener (just got the price this morning, sadly it's €155, sorry!), @ sign opener $25.16, whale opener $20.25, ruler + letter opener $25, brio opener $89, saw letter opener $15, fox letter opener $24.95, kikkerland letter opener $4.95, girotondo letter opener $36]

CLICK HERE for the rest of the roundup after the jump!

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i’m thrilled to have meg touborg of design investors llc back for another wonderful biz ladies post. meg has already shared her tips for forming successful biz partnerships, making a strategic biz plan, and successful biz dev, and today she’s touching on a topic that i have been dying to tackle for a long time: creating a compelling work environment.

whether you’re a small or big business ownership, it’s incredibly important to know how to create a healthy, professional, and enjoyable work environment for your team. meg’s advice is spot on, easy to follow and perfect for any type of business. thank you again to meg for sharing her excellent advice!

CLICK HERE for the full post after the jump!

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image sources: death by 1000 papercuts & visit orange county

today we’re heading west for our weekly city guide- all the west to sunny orange county, california. when i think of orange county, my brain sadly cuts to an image of these ladies, so i was thrilled to hear from costa mesa local (and designer/artist) aileen holmes. aileen is walking us through her favorite art & design spots in over 15 areas of orange country and proving beyond a shadow of a doubt that orange county is far, far more than the oc and “real” housewives. thanks to aileen for sharing her favorite spots in orange county! as always, feel free to add your favorite spots in the comment section below. the oc is a big area so i’m sure there are some great spots people will want to add.

CLICK HERE for the full guide after the jump!

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the lovely sara jensen of lost bird found recently completed a series of melamine plates designed by herself and a small group of talented artists that include deadly squire, julia rothman and oh joy. each artist designed their own 10″ plate, which will be packaged with the other three designs and sold for $54 (the set includes 4 plates total). the best part about this new series, aside from the lovely artwork on the plates, is that 100% of the profit from these plates will be donated to oxfam’s efforts in haiti. whether you’ve donated to haitian relief efforts already or not, this is a wonderful way to buy something beautiful and give back at the same time. click here for more information and to buy the set of 4 plates from lost bird found, deadly squire, julia rothman and oh joy studio.

[image above: deadly squire (left) and oh joy (right)]

[image above: julia rothman (left) and lost bird found (right)

good morning! my stomach is already starting to rumble as i finish coding today’s guest post from the bbb craft sisters. today they’re turning their crafty focus to food-related gifts/projects. they’re sharing ideas for homemade granola, teas, pickling supplies and potted planting gitft so click here to check them out on the guest blog. granola for breakfast is sounding really good right about now…