Bed Bath

Monday •Reports: March Institute for Supply Management services index, February national pending home sales Tuesday •Reports: Federal Reserve meeting minutes Wednesday •Reports: February consumer credit •Earnings: Bed Bath & Beyond Inc., Family Dollar Stores Inc., Monsanto Co. Thursday •Reports: Weekly initial jobless claims Friday ...

One of the first conversations my fiancé and I had after the spastic, electric dust settled from our engagement was about our registry. I am a slob, wannabe chef and part magpie, so getting presents to help me organize, cook and fulfill my need to see sparkly stuff seemed awesome. It didn't occur to me at first that we wouldn't register -- until Rob (my fiancé) suggested something radical. No gifts. Just wine. We're moving into a new home and hope to build a wine cellar in the stone basement.

Another "category killer" is coming to the Baltimore area.HomePlace Inc., a Cleveland-based home furnishings retailer, plans to enter the Baltimore market, the company confirmed yesterday.Details were unavailable, but typically each store -- called a category killer because of the breadth of merchandise -- is about 50,000 square feet and hires from 80 to 100 employees, both full-time and part-time.The move into Baltimore is part of a major expansion plan for the privately held chain, which opened its first store in September in Dallas and will open its 11th in Tulsa this weekend.

Monday •Reports: March Institute for Supply Management services index, February national pending home sales Tuesday •Reports: Federal Reserve meeting minutes Wednesday •Reports: February consumer credit •Earnings: Bed Bath & Beyond Inc., Family Dollar Stores Inc., Monsanto Co. Thursday •Reports: Weekly initial jobless claims Friday ...

A weekly briefing on the economic calendar Monday Earnings reports: Carmax Group, Standard Microsystems, Adobe Systems, Red Hat, PalmOne Tuesday Housing starts for August The FedM-Fs Open Market Committee meets Earnings reports: General Mills, Goldman Sachs, Paychex, Scholastic Corp. Wednesday Earnings reports: AutoZone, Bear Stearns, ConAgra, FedEx, Morgan Stanley, Bed Bath & Beyond, Darden Restaurants Thursday Leading indicators for August Initial unemployment claims for previous week Earnings reports: A.G. Edwards, Rite Aid, PalmSource Friday Durable goods orders for August Existing-home sales for August

Cotton for sheets is, like, so five minutes ago. Several new fabrics have been warming beds for some time now, and many of them are kind to the earth, too. Try bamboo fiber. It's new and soft and harvested from farms, meaning no forests were decimated. Mixing the sensual drape of silk with the warmth and softness of cotton, bamboo fiber sheet sets are available at Bed Bath & Beyond in a variety of soft colors, from $39.99 to $99.99. Linens-N-Things also sells a bamboo fiber duvet for about $150.

A roundup of new products and servicesA cool night lightA new night light uses electroluminescent panels, traditionally found in liquid crystal displays, instead of the standard 7-watt bulb, to produce a soft, green glow. The Limelite helps prevent many of the hazards of standard night lights -- bulbs that break, burn out or burn little hands. The light consumes fewer than 2 cents per year of electricity, about 1/100th of the power needed for a regular night light, and it's guaranteed never to burn out. The Limelite is available for $7.99 at Bed Bath & Beyond, 9021 Snowden River Parkway, Columbia, (410)

Towson University sophomore Pamela Geisel wants her dorm room to feel like home. Like most college students, she jazzes it up with decorative lamps, rugs and lots of bright colors. And Geisel covers her walls with photographs and posters. But comfort comes with a price: Geisel spent $400 on decor last year. And she is shopping now to spruce up her room when school starts next month. "The best thing is to have a room that you feel comfortable in," said Geisel, 17. College students are spending more on back-to-school bedspreads, trash cans, curtains and scores of other materials for dorms and apartment rooms.

You go ahead and pick your dumbest "As seen on TV" product. The Presto salad shooter that shreds veggies like they've been blasted with an AK-47? Mighty Putty, "the super-powered epoxy"? The Get-A-Grip bath handle? I've got one that makes those look like they were designed by NASA scientists. This would be the Snuggie, the ridiculous "Blanket That Has Sleeves!" featured in that goofy commercial that airs all the time now. If you haven't seen it, picture various smiling people talking on the phone, watching TV, working on their laptops, etc., all while swaddled in a robe-like fleece that makes them look like a cult of blissed-out friars.

For all the voters out there who've found themselves in desperate need of bed linens and lip balm, the choice in the 3rd District is clear. John White, the Republican running against John Sarbanes, is the guy who brought Blistex to Bed Bath & Beyond. He also put Tylenol and Splenda on the shelves of Office Depot, and - his latest coup - Campbell's soup and Chex snack mix in Home Depot. Ever wonder why you can pick up drywall and chicken noodle soup at the same store? Of course not. You just think, "Great!

Towson University sophomore Pamela Geisel wants her dorm room to feel like home. Like most college students, she jazzes it up with decorative lamps, rugs and lots of bright colors. And Geisel covers her walls with photographs and posters. But comfort comes with a price: Geisel spent $400 on decor last year. And she is shopping now to spruce up her room when school starts next month. "The best thing is to have a room that you feel comfortable in," said Geisel, 17. College students are spending more on back-to-school bedspreads, trash cans, curtains and scores of other materials for dorms and apartment rooms.

Cotton for sheets is, like, so five minutes ago. Several new fabrics have been warming beds for some time now, and many of them are kind to the earth, too. Try bamboo fiber. It's new and soft and harvested from farms, meaning no forests were decimated. Mixing the sensual drape of silk with the warmth and softness of cotton, bamboo fiber sheet sets are available at Bed Bath & Beyond in a variety of soft colors, from $39.99 to $99.99. Linens-N-Things also sells a bamboo fiber duvet for about $150.

Old Navy? Bed Bath & Beyond? Pottery Barn? By bypassing Baltimore, you national retail chains might be missing out. Downtown Baltimore has the population and the ready cash to make it one of the country's top 10 retail markets, according to a new study. A retail assessment commissioned by the city and area development organizations shows the wealthy, waterfront parts of town boast demographics that rival established urban markets such as Philadelphia, Boston and Washington. "I was surprised," Downtown Partnership President Kirby Fowler said of the results.

Decorating for back to college used to be a no-brainer. All you had to do was buy a new bedspread, sheets, pillows and a plastic bucket in which to carry your toiletries to the communal bathroom. Not anymore. Everyone is competing for your back-to-dorm dollar -- from Ty Pennington's TYU Back to Campus Collection at Sears to Room Solutions at design-savvy Target. Even Kmart is trying to generate hipster hype with the 0-60 Collection, a brand kicked off just in time for back to school. These collections join the offerings from typical spots you shop in for dorm decor, such as Linens 'N Things, Bed Bath & Beyond and the Container Store.

Peter Raimondi is pressing malls, retailers and restaurants to help him and other disabled people. The 77-year-old Bel Air resident and polio survivor has written letters to a slew of stores and shopping centers, requesting battery-operated carts for disabled customers. He knows that laws do not require businesses to provide carts. But rather than base his request on moral or ethical footing, he puts forth a practical appeal: Millions of disabled people in the United States have billions of dollars to spend and would do so more readily if they could shop comfortably.

As much as he respects classical style, 43-year-old fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi doesn't mind raising an eyebrow or two. He is known for simple garments that often are as exuberant as their maker, laced with delightfully unexpected bold color, pattern, trims and combinations of fabric, like casual fleece with silk and wool. The New York designer of haute couture made a daring segue to the masses two years ago with fashion for Target. So it came as no surprise when Target invited him to bring his stylish sizzle into the home this year.