Chamomile, please

At only 30 years old, Rachel Koo has her own clothing line and is churning out five collections a year. Right now she's in the middle of designing spring dresses and tops that will be unveiled at shows in Las Vegas and New York this fall.

Koo is a California native who uses Los Angles as a home base. She has been working on her label, Tea and Honey, for almost two years. Much of the clothing is in silk or cotton-silk combos that are sometimes washed down to give the fabric a vintage feel. Often, Koo's designs feature bare shoulders and bright vibrant colors. Purple in all shades -- violet, lavender and lilac -- are some of her favorites right now.

Koo initially studied art while attending UCLA. "I loved the colors and really loved the clothes and this was a way to bring the art and clothes together into something you can wear," she said.

Now, she uses friends' travel adventures, National Geographic photos and fashion blogs for inspiration.

"It's really exciting," Koo said. "I love what I do. It's great to be able to put your creativity into something tangible."

Tea and Honey designs can be found at Nordstrom, Anthropologie and Macy's, among other retailers.

Home sweet home

Maybe it's all the great interior design ideas. Maybe it's that it's just a wee bit voyeuristic. Regardless, I thoroughly enjoy Todd Selby's Web site, which depicts creative minds at home, in their own spaces. (Plus, he wears fabulous glasses.)

Selby's latest installment features fashion designers Susien Chong and Nic Briand in their home in Sydney, Australia. The couple runs the label LOVER. Loved — not just liked — it.

Soaked

Speaking of rain, here are some other goodies for wet weather.

Wear: United Bamboo, run by Miho Aoki and Thuy Pham have quite a few cute rain coat candidates. I like the slimming lines of the classic black trench coat and the big 'ole buttons.

Give: The "thank you umbrella card" from the goofy online store, The Curiosity Shoppe.

Eat: Monsoon restaurant in Seattle "marries traditional Vietnamese cuisine with Pacific Northwest innovation" according to its Web site. Two locations, called Monsoon and Monsoon East, are run by brother and sister chefs Eric and Sophie Banh.

Raindrops are falling

Courtney Chu, of Chicago, creates imaginative clothing for kids using found fabrics that look as comfortable as they are colorful. She even incorporates silk screening into the CourtneyCourtney line. Each item is one of a kind. Totally giftable and adorable!

Weekend adventuring

Good stuff from a blog with good taste: 3.1 Phillip Lim Safari Dress via Cracking Good.