Calling all rays of sunshine...

Over the course of a day, I get countless tips and story suggestions emailed to me. I always read them all, and I appreciate your continued efforts to bring fresh news to Furniture Decorating. In our current macroeconomic climate, most of the news I receive is dire.

• Pier 1 announces a 17.7% drop in comps
• Furniture Brands International lays off 1500
• Select Comfort Eliminates 120 jobs

My heart goes out to those affected by the recession, which is in effect everyone. I make my best efforts here to show you what is new and what is interesting in the world of furniture and interior design. I hope that that I can help you think outside the box and make the most of your current furniture budget.

On a lighter note, we just got confirmation that we will be in Atlanta in three weeks for the AmericasMart trade show. We know we're going to find the new innovators and products that are geared to pump energy into the furniture market.