I am so excited!  Tomorrow I am attending the Texas Women in Business Beyond 50 Conference.  This year it’s at The Renaissance  Arboretum Hotel.  For the first time, the vendors will be in the same room as the presenters,  making it easy to visit the vendor booths, and not miss the speakers! But, that’s not the biggest reason I’m excited – I am helping a friend who is a vendor, and she has the most beautiful silk cases for throw pillows you’ve EVER seen! She used to have a manufacturing company that made beautiful artwork and  decor. (Think: all the goodies you see at Pier 1 or Z Gallery). Because of this, she had opportunities to go to Viet Nam to source new products.  I was fascinated; all I know of Viet Nam is from the French film ‘Indochine’ with Catherine Deneuve, and ‘Apocalypse Now.’ She speaks fondly of her time there, and of the people: they laugh a lot, they are very warm, happy, and demonstrative. She and her husband enjoyed the colorful food markets, ate at delicious French restaurants, and they even saw where John McCain’s plane went down. She recalls traveling out to the country villages, and meeting the women who made these beautiful silk cases. She was surprised to learn two things: each village carefully protects their “artistic secrets” and passes them down. And, she wasn’t expecting to find immaculate women in blue jeans and white linen blouses working on these silks…not the factory atmosphere she expected at all! If you attend, come find me and visit!  Stop by to browse, and buy yourself a pillow cover (or  three)! There are stunning Shantungs, and a passel of hand-painted cases made by women in a Cambodian commune established to help them stay out of prostitution and have a life off the streets. What a beautiful testament to women helping other women!     XO  Donna