Jan 4, 2010
Nearly one hundred budding artists from all corners of the country participated in the Bliss Kids Arts Festival, and we could not have been more delighted and proud of the stunning designs that kept on coming in throughout the months of April and May.
After a week of careful review and long deliberation, we are thrilled to announce the names of two finalists: Aria Curameng, age 11, from Fort Washington, MD and Darwin Lau, age 8, from Virginia Beach, VA. Both Aria and Darwin have been notified of their current status and are awaiting the winner announcement – which is expected for the week of June 15. You can view their submissions above and below this post. Share your comments for our talented young designers!
ps. we (digitally) framed Aria and Darwin’s artwork in My Brother’s Frame, available in our Home Accessories II category.
Dec 17, 2009
Dec 17, 2009
The most important thing to understand about thread count is higher numbers do not mean better quality. In fact, there is an argument to be made that a lower thread count may be a more comfortable sheet. Let me explain.
First, you have to understand thread count. The right way to calculate this involves adding up all of the vertical and horizontal threads (warp and weft) in a square inch of fabric. There are only so many threads you can realistically fit into a square inch and generally speaking, anything over 300 is more perceived value than real value. Many companies exaggerate the number by counting the number of ply’s in a yarn, so a 300 count sheet using a 2 ply yarn may be promoted as a 600 count.
The key element most people don’t think about when purchasing sheets is how they sleep. Everyone perspires while sleeping, so ideally you would want a sheet that is breathable and absorbent, as well as being soft and comfortable. Higher thread counts mean a tighter weave and consequently a sheet that does not breathe as well, or a hotter sleep. If you live in a warm climate already, sleeping with a higher thread count may just make your nights even warmer.
Selecting a good quality sheet involves looking for a brand that uses 100% cotton. Cotton is still one of the best fabrics when it comes to comfort, durability and care. In August 2005, Consumer Reports issued a report about high thread count sheets from nationally known brands and concluded; “Two hundred is typical and perfectly fine; 400 may provide a finer, softer sheet. Above 400, the only difference is likely to be price.”
Blissliving Home selected our 100% cotton 300 thread count sateen for our sheets. The yarn is soft to the hand and the thread count provides a comfortable sleep in almost every environment. Sateen provides a smooth hand through a weave of four or more vertical threads over a single horizontal thread. We add deep 18″ pockets with elastic all the way around the fitted sheets for a more secure fit on most mattresses. We invest a great deal of time selecting the best fabric to meet our standards, and confident you’ll enjoy a Blissful sleep.
Dec 17, 2009
On March 31, 2998 Blissliving Home was featured on NBC’s News 4 Today. Erin Hartigan, Daily Candy’s Washington, D.C. editor, presented our Give & Receive Shopping Event benefiting Food for Others, one of the largest food banks in Northern Virginia. Here’s the clip. Check it out and enjoy!
You can still Give & Receive with Blissliving Home through the end of 2009! Food banks around the US are experiencing major shortages and we’re excited to offer this special deal to help. Just enter the code FOOD4OTHERS when making your purchase and you’ll receive both Free Shipping and the satisfaction you just helped contribute 10% of your purchase to Food for Others to help feed hungry families. Consider this… buy a duvet and help feed a family.
Dec 17, 2009
“Follow your passion and the money will follow,” Mei Xu, creator and CEO of Blissliving Home, advised career-minded women last October. Mei was selected to join a discussion panel for PINK magazine’s conference, “America’s Most Influential Women in Business”.
A monthly publication, PINK magazine targets women professionals and organizes an annual conference series aiming to deliver advice and strategies for greater professional and personal success to conference attendees.
PINK’s conference series is a forum where influential and successful businesswomen meet to “share tools, tactics and strategies.” The panel shared the secrets of their success with an audience of approximately 500 women professionals. As a special treat, Blissliving Home contributed exclusive shopping invitations to the conference attendee gift bags!
Dec 4, 2009
Back in March of 2008, we shared one of our first industry awards, bestowed upon us by leading trade journal, Home Textiles Today. On of our most popular bedding sets, Ashley Citron carried off with the title of Best Color Story for the Spring ’08 season. Ashley Citron won the hearts of many of our customers with it’s unexpected color palette of cool grey, clean white and fresh citron yellow and is still one of our most requested collections. Over one year later, Family Circle magazine picked up our palette and recognized it in their November 2009 “Hues Flash”! We’ve been thrilled that our customers have fallen for our citron & grey color combination just as we did! If you have a Blissliving Home color story that you love, let us know – we want to know!
Dec 3, 2009
With the launch of our new website and blog, I wanted to re-post a few of our Blissliving Home milestones (separation anxiety). I’m starting here with our early feature on MSNBC’s Your Business. This was shortly after we launched our new brand. Your Business focuses on the world of America’s small business entrepreneurs and features profiles, news, advise and tips. So back in March f 2007, Blissliving Home was the featured business. Back in January 2007 Frank Silverstein, the producer of the show, and JJ Ramberg, the host, visited us in our offices to shoot interviews with our owners Mei Xu and David Wang, along with our team. Frank Silverstein and his camera crew also followed us to the New York Home Textiles Show – where we created quite the buzz… We are so very proud to present the story of Pacific Trade International as told on MSNBC’s Your Business. Pacific Trade International is home our Blissliving Home brand as well as Chesapeake Bay Candle.
