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Whether it’s your mother, friend or neighbor, we all know someone who has been affected by breast cancer. Ever since my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2006, I’ve paid special attention to products benefiting breast cancer awareness and research, which is why I love this new cup from BoConcept.

BoConcept, a global retail furniture chain, has created a limited edition cup to benefit Susan G. Komen for the Cure. The cup, which has a suggested retail price of $10, features the signature pink breast cancer ribbon and is perfect for coffee, tea, soup, and more.

For every cup sold from October 1 to December 31, BoConcept will donate $3.69 to Susan G. Komen for the Cure, with a guaranteed minimum of $25,000. To find your local BoConcept store, please visit boconcept.com and for more information about breast health and breast cancer, please visit komen.org.

And be sure to stay tuned, we have a special pink section dedicated to products that have a portion of proceeds benefiting breast cancer research and awareness in our October/November issue.

As a writer, I have an affinity for stationery. Quite simply, it makes me happy. Yes, I know I’m a nerd and a bit old-fashioned. But in this age of fast-paced technology, I prefer a heartfelt, handwritten note to a haphazardly typed email. I also appreciate Maryland businesses, so imagine my delight when I heard about Muffy Writes a Note, a preppy stationery company based in Baldwin.

Co-founders Cindy Galka and Heather Gormsen began Muffy Writes a Note in September 2010. Recently, they received a call inviting their company to feature an item in the gifts bags for attendees of the 32nd Annual News and Documentary Emmy Awards next Sunday in New York City.

Galka and Gormsmen created an Under the Sea Note Card collection of assorted cards featuring several of their most popular images, including hand-drawn crabs, lobsters, seahorses and more.

All Muffy Writes a Note products are available personalized and non-personalized. The product line includes note cards, note pads, stickers, gift tags and place cards, invitations and announcements, and placemats. For more information, please visit muffywritesanote.com.

The worldwide web went crazy on Tuesday with the launch of Missoni for Target, a more affordable version of the Italian designer’s runway hits. The collection also includes colorful home décor accessories with the zigzag pattern.

At first I didn’t get the hype. I’d heard of people who stood in line hours before the stores open with hopes of getting a sweater dress or a soap holder. The frenzy even shut down Target’s website for several hours. But, alas, curiosity got the best of me and I had to check out the brand for myself–from the comfort of my computer, of course.

Many of the items are out of stock and there’s no word yet (or even if) there will be more available. But I was able to find a few gems still available online and my favorite is the Missoni Fabric Pentagonal Pouf in Rose & White Zig Zag, available for $99.99. I was immediately drawn to the color and the design and I think it would make a nice addition to a bedroom.

Other household items include vases, picture frames, pillows, rugs, and more. Missoni for Target also includes clothing, bedding, bikes, luggage and accessories. The exclusive collection is scheduled to end on October 22, but if you see something you like, you may want to grab it now either in stores or at Target.com before it’s gone.

More than 80 pieces of artwork from the Baltimore Museum of Art’s collection will comprise “Hand Held: Personal Arts from Africa,” which will run from September 25, 2011 to February 5, 2012. The exhibition contains a variety seats, vessels, blankets, combs, hats, and other objects created for individuals and households in 21 African countries, including Cameroon, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Morocco.

The beginning of this free exhibit focuses on personal objects, such as refined combs and hats, that expressed the owner’s personality and style. The second half of the exhibit includes domestic objects, such as ceramic and fiber vessels, wood and brass containers, as well as woven textiles. “Hand Held” is also a part of the BMA’s reinstallation of its African art collection, which is part of the museum’s major renovation project.

For more information, please visit artbma.org or call 443-573-1700.

Yesterday’s earthquake certainly took everyone off guard — a reminder, for me at least, that we should take time each day to relax, talk to a friend, or even just enjoy a few moments of down time.

In the spirit of kicking back and shaking things up, I’m going to spend a little time on the porch this evening with one of my favorite summer cocktails, the Morning Dew, created by master mixologist Brendan Dorr for the bar and lounge at B&O American Brasserie.

The bar at the B&O American Brasserie in the Hotel Monaco, Baltimore. Photo by Michael Harlan Turkell

Morning Dew is just one of many really tasty cocktails Brendan has created, and if you happen to find yourself in Baltimore with a thirst for something different, a visit to the B&O American Brasserie bar in the Hotel Monaco is sure to satisfy.

The bar staff mixes each concoction with the expertise of chemists, but if you are up for some experimenting of your own, Brendan was kind enough to share his recipe for my favorite summer sipper:

The Morning Dew

1 1/4 oz. Plymouth Gin
1/2 oz. St. Germain
1 oz. cucumber water
1/2 oz. lemon juice
1/2 oz. simple syrup

Combine ingredients in a mixing glass.
Add ice and shake.
Strain into an ice-filled rocks glass.
Garnish with a spear of cucumber and sprig of mint.

Enjoy!

Made of 100-percent all-natural soy oil, Soi Candles are good for you and the environment. Soy wax contains no toxic chemicals or carcinogenic compounds. Additionally, soy oil only heats to 106 degrees, which makes the candles burn about 140 hours, which is 40 percent longer than wax candles.

Once melted, the soy oil from the candles can be used as a skin moisturizer and help remedy sunburns, eczema, psoriasis, and poison oak. This a great benefit for people like me who can’t live without moisturizer–it’s two products in one, which make it a great gift for anyone.

Available in a variety of sizes and more than 30 scents, there is a Soi candle for every style and preference. My favorite scents are Sinful Cinna Bons, which smell just like the delicious dessert, and Pumpkin Spice, which is perfect for fall. For more information, please visit thesoico.com.

Today’s house tour on ApartmentTherapy.com is of a small studio in DC’s Georgetown neighborhood within walking distance of Dupont Circle. At just 330 square feet, the space needed to be well planned to live large.

Within the small footprint, the resident, Ryan Zagone, has managed to fit in a seating area, a place to sleep, an eat-in kitchen, a computer workspace, and more.

His self-described sense of style is rustic-Southern with vintage industrial elements and local art as well as some contemporary furnishings thrown into the mix.

My favorite element is the use of old theater-type seating as shelving for shoes and such in the closet—very creative and something I may have to try myself. Here’s a link to the full post on ApartmentTherapy.com. Enjoy.

Furniture made in America? Yes, please. Furniture made in our own backyard? Even better! Earlier this month, three Anne Arundel Community College (AACC) interior design students tied for first place in the 2011 MADE: In America Washington, DC Furniture Design Competition, capturing the BEST: Made in America Award.

Susan Wasilewski, Nadia D. Vemuri Cataldi, and Brandon P. King were showcased July 4 at the “Take Pride in America Celebration and Awards Ceremony” in the U.S. Capitol. Wasilewski’s award-winning PHI chair design was fabricated by Bielecky Brothers Inc. of New York.

In accordance with the competition rules, the top scorer was eligible to have their design executed by the 2010 BEST: Made in America award winner Bielecky Brothers. The prototype of the chair epitomizes Wasilewski’s design philosophy: good design + craftsmanship = happiness.

“This is a historic moment in her [Wasilewski’s] career,” Dimi Tangires, the students’ instructor, said. “Few interior design students have the honor of working with a prestigious manufacturer and seeing their own design become reality.”

The chair and the three first-place entries are on display now through August at “The All American Room” showcase at the Washington Design Center. The trio competed with peers from two- and four-year public and private universities in the competition. Cataldi created an elegant Hyannis Rocking Chaise and King crafted a space-saving Sky Box table outdoor table and chair series.

MADE: In America chairman and CEO James DeLorbe described the students’ designs as “simply incredible.” The five AACC classmates who saw their competition design entries on display at the event are Taylor E. Beck, Kershell L. Ford, Ana Laura Gonzalez, Rose M. Hilgartner, and Tracy A. McGuinness.

MADE: In America is a not-for-profit educational organization based in Washington, DC. For more information, please visit dcdesigncenter.com/MADEUSA.

Designed by Luigi Billiani, the Numbers collection from EurotrendUSA will add a dash of color and creativity to any room. Available in numbers 0 through 9, the side chairs can be arranged in matching sets or various numerical combinations.

Numbers are made in solid beech wood available in 180 matt lacquered colors and the chairs retails for $557 each. The chairs are perfect for contemporary living areas and studies. For more information, please visit eurotrendusa.com.

While browsing the magazine’s Twitter feed (which you can follow here, if you aren’t already), I stumbled upon Blik. What is Blik, you may ask? It’s a removable wall graphics company–perfect for commitment-phobes and as an alternative to traditional paint and wallpaper.

My favorite, so far, is the Love decal, based on a Threadless t-shirt design. Wall decals are also great for people who live in apartments and can’t paint their walls or anyone looking for a little bit of “pop” in their home. When you change your mind or you’re ready for something new, the self-adhesive wall decals are easy to remove.

For more information about Blik and where to buy it, please visit whatisblik.com.