Aiming to Please

If you follow us on Twitter and Facebook you may have seen a post or two referencing the piles of products we receive for each issue. We actually have a product room at the office where floor-to-ceiling shelving units hold submissions and props. The perimeter is filled with boxes stacked to the ceil­ing and the floor is sprinkled with packing peanuts. The product room plays a central role in the production of the magazine. It's here that we review submissions – from 100 or so companies each issue – with the goal of acquainting you with the most remarkable stuff. Regrettably, there aren't enough pages to include every noteworthy item, and sometimes the limitations of this medium make it impossible to relay the purpose of a complex product through a small photograph alone.

The toughest decisions are made in the product room. Which 10 scarves will we choose from the pile of dozens for the Tie One On feature? The ones that make the cut are the most fashionable of the bunch, of course. But sometimes the sweetest scarf doesn't photograph well (limitations of the medium again) and it gets switched out for another. Then, there are truly gorgeous products for which we just don't have a place. For instance, in Trends For The Table we had space to present just three style stories. While we trucked off to the studio for the photo shoot with our selects in hand, some noteworthy product was left behind on the shelves.

My stomach often churns with discomfort as a product I like from a company I admire is cast aside. Thankfully, there's always another issue waiting in the wings. What remains the same from issue to issue is our desire to present an interesting array of products (and stories) to inform, inspire and delight you. We hope this issue doesn't disappoint.

Erica Kirkland
Editor-in-Chief