There are so many wonderful handmade soaps on the market and many can be found at local farmers’ markets. One of my new favorites is goat's milk soaps from Amelia Soap and Herb Co., a home-based business started by crafter Janice McKinney 13 years ago.

With scents such as peppermint and plumeria, magnolia and mango papaya, these goat's milk soaps deliver fragrance and functionality. Every bar is made of all natural ingredients coupled with a large portion of powdered goat’s milk. Botanical extracts, natural herbs, grape seed oil and shea butter, to start, make for skin-nourishing cleansing and moisturizing bliss.

I first discovered these creamy soaps in their pretty colors at Pandora's Posies at the Sycamore Square Shopping Center in Midlothian. This florist shop, which also offers a smattering of gifts, is owned and operated by Teresa Taylor-Hoxie and her husband Mark.

Teresa‘s a fan of Amelia soaps, too. She’s partial to the wine and roses and clary sage varieties. Six-ounce bars at her store are $6.95.

You can also find Amelia Soap and Herb Co,’s soaps and lotions at farmers’ markets across the metro area. They’re sold at the Powhatan market at the Round on Thursdays; Chesterfield Towne Center on Fridays and the South of the James market at Forest Hill Park on Saturday mornings.

Artesian soaps like these – Amelia Soap and Herb Co. creates glycerin soaps too – make great hostess gifts and treats for house guests. I treated myself to a few. Trust me; the Lilly of the Valley one is truly divine.

Wine & Design is back this Thursday night. It’s a quarterly party hosted by and at DéCOR, the Design Center of Richmond. It’s a relaxed and entertaining event that will run from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. on May 9.

The party promises not only wine, hors d'oeuvres and refreshments but also the opportunity to meet and mingle with many of Richmond’s top design professionals who have vignettes and boutiques within the shop. From designers and contractors to framers and artists, DéCOR provides great ideas and access.

Bring friends and swing by after work or dinner. Wine & Design is a great occasion to check out new arrivals for summer and to take in three trunk shows with specialty focuses.

Les Stinson, of DéCOR’s Mélange, will be there with a full array of cotton towels by Fouta. Made in Tunisia, these traditional Turkish towels will be offered in a variety of memorable colors and sizes. From citron and salmon to aquamarine and azure, the guest sized towels are $18, and in their largest size – which can be used as a scarf, sarong or table runner – is $63. The knotty fringe on these towels is natural chic.

Mélange is also having a jewelry show featuring pieces by Chris Williams.

Kathy Corbet’s shop, At Market, is having a trunk show featuring Fresco beach towels. Come see and feel these luxuriously plush towels and learn for yourself why celebrities both male and female have made these their go-to choice for the beach and pool. (Architectural Digest, House Beautiful and the Wall Street Journal have also featured them.) Available in richly colored damasks and exotic patterns, Kathy is offering 20 percent off these unbelievably soft, sophisticated and absorbent towels on Thursday evening.

Other vendors have a few showcase sales in the works, and there are three new shops at DéCOR for you to visit. Just Jill Erwin Interiors and Colonial Metalcrafts have just opened. Brocante Home Collection has moved to a larger, sunny space with more room to feature Annie Sloan chalk paints, refinished chests and accessories. Wendy Umanoff, of Restoring Style, has more than tripled her square footage and has introduced her furnishings line Restoring Home to complement and extend her industrial smart lighting.

“There’s nothing better than having a glass of wine and spending time with some talented designers and home experts,” says Marc Cates, DéCOR’s director. “Check out the latest finds from Market and designers’ travels — items that really are off the retail beat and path.”

DéCOR is at 19 S. Belmont St. Regular store hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Mother’s Day is May 12. What could be a better gift to prop up mom for breakfast in bed than a lovely monogrammed European-sized pillow customized just for her?

Atlantic Embroidery Works offers such sumptuous 26- by 26-inch pillows for $140. The shams are made of a luxurious Portuguese percale, and the pillow insert is made of a plump-able faux down.

Options for monograms are plentiful. As a monogram studio, the store offers a choice of 100 fonts and 200 thread colors, so matching mom’s bedding and room colors couldn’t be easier. But if so many choices leave you scratching your head, Niky Davis is in the shop to assist with choices. You can get a head start by clicking here to view a sampling of the exquisite monogram and initial fonts available.

The turnaround time on monograms is no more than a week.

Note: If your Mom’s initials are K, M or S, you’re in luck. Atlantic Embroidery Works has these initials on three European pillows in stock. As floor samples, you can scoop them up for 20 percent off $120, or $96. This includes the pretty “M” pillow pictured.

Atlantic Embroidery Works is upstairs at the Village Shopping Center at 7027 Three Chopt Road in Suite 201. Store hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Their tagline is “a different store every week,” and that’s been my experience, for sure, at Born Again Furnishings. Every visit to the shop at 5446 W. Broad St. brings new surprises and items, from colorful 1970s glassware and antique china to mid-century modern chairs and Danish-style coffee tables. There are always friendly greetings from the owners, sisters Kim and Karen. They opened the furniture, home décor and accessories consignment store near Artéé Fabrics and Home on March first.

This Saturday, May 4, they’re hosting a Grand Opening event from 12 to 4 p.m. There’ll be entertainment, sweets and special sales, along with door prizes and gift baskets for lucky shoppers. Outside, take in their sidewalk sale.

New items have arrived just in time for the celebration, including plenty of vintage glazed pottery, from curvy decorative bowls to funky ashtrays. New to Born Again is a mid-century credenza that has great allure with its long, low profile and walnut wood grain. (If you’re a fan of furnishings from this era, check out Born Again Furnishing’s Facebook page on Mondays when they post a selection called “Mad Men Monday.”)

Good finds for great prices make for lots of turnover. That’s why I’d act quickly on the trio of bar stools pictured, as well as a pair of just-in-the-store neo-Deco cascading metal sconces that hold 10 tea lights each and have me thinking about Gatsby, the movie that opens on May 10.

Regular store hours at Born Again Furnishings are Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

If you are looking for a daytime jaunt jam-packed with all sorts of home design inspiration, head to Charlottesville this month to visit the Charlottesville Design House.

The house opens its door for the public to tour on Saturday, May 4, showing off local designers and their talents at a home on the 11th hole of Farmington Country Club's golf course.

The four-bedroom, one-level brick home built in 1965 has been renovated and expanded several times, giving designers 7,000 square feet to decorate. Each room throughout the home reflects each designer's creative vision and shows off the latest design trends and techniques. And, representing Richmond talent will be U-fab Upholstery.

Tours will be available every day except Tuesdays, with extended hours on Wednesday and Thursday evenings, May 15 and 16, and will run through May 19. Tickets are $20 per person. Parking for the tour will be provided at Westover Farm, 555 Old Garth Road (County Road 601), Charlottesville. 

For more details about the Charlottesville Design House, visit www.cvilledesignhouse.com.