In our never-ending quest for the coolest merch in the land, we Trovesters trek all over the globe, often going for a divide and conquer method. This first quarter has seen Trovesters traveling to Atlanta, Las Vegas and Los Angeles for gift, home and makers markets. We're dedicated to stocking our store with unique and thoughtful goods, items not found in the big box stores or sitting on the shelves of other spots in town. While professional shopping sounds like one hell of a gig (it does have its charms), it can be stressful and sometimes grueling. We carefully create budgets, a physical plan of attack for the massive square footage of these markets and keep goals in mind for our specific departments. Then, we throw a good portion of that out the window on day one. Take a peek at some of our latest adventures in retailing:
Bloom & Give
There's nothing like a great scarf. This multi-tasking must-have accessory can act as a warm hug on a cold day or a light wrap on warm nights at the beach. We've even used ours as picnic blankets, baby wraps (in a pinch) and sarongs. We Trovesters are crafty like that.
When we learned about Bloom & Give, we knew we'd found our next favorite thing. These super soft scarves are crafted of hand-spun cashmere from Kashmir, hand-woven cotton from Bengal and hand-stitched silk from Orissa. But these scarves are more than just stylish. Bloom & Give donates half their profits to programs that help girls in rural India go to school. Adore...
Come shop (and snuggle up with) our selection of Bloom & Give scarves. They make for lovely gifts year round, for a stylish loved one or yourself.
Lip Service
We Trovesters love little luxuries. What could be better than an accessible touch of glamour as part of your am and pm skincare routines as well as on the go? High quality, safe beauty products and chic design, at an affordable price, is why we adore Henné Organics. The brand's vision "is to reintroduce a splash of luxury into the everyday without sacrificing design, ethics or one’s health. A modern and minimalistic approach replaces standard lip care products with something extraordinary."
Founder, Laura Xiao, says, "Living abroad and moving frequently forced me to declutter and truly focus on the essentials. When you’re living out of suitcases for several years, you quickly realize what’s important and what you can be without. This habit quickly developed into an essential part of my being and has led to a strong appreciation for beauty in simplicity and luxury in the basics." Thus, Henné Organics was born with a well-edited range of lip care products that bring a touch of elegance to an everyday, typically utilitarian, product.
New to the line is the cult fave lip balm in tube form, the highly anticipated Luxury Lip Balm V2. This sleek tube joins the best selling Luxury Lip Balm and Rose Diamonds Lip Exfoliator, both available in chic little pots. All Henné Organics products contain natural and organic ingredients proven to heal and soothe delicate skin.
Come experience Henné Organics for yourself and pick up a few extras for stocking stuffers or girlfriend gifts! We believe everyone needs a little bit of luxury every day.
Yonder
There's almost nothing more classically American than jeans and a T shirt. While some are too boxy, too stiff and corporately bland, it only takes looking at images of James Dean and Jackie O to see how stylish, and enduring, a simple T shirt can be. Modern options are softer than you can imagine, in cuts that flatter multiple body types and with designs that inspire, making the once humble T shirt a staple of the modern wardrobe, which can be styled in myriad ways.
Yonder T shirts are all of the above and we're thrilled to carry the brand in store. Blasting Hoosier pride with style and comfort makes us Trovesters incredibly happy! We pair ours with our favorite denim and booties, with oversized boyfriend cardis, leggings and ballet flats and even under a crisp blazer with heels. And, quite frankly, we're hard pressed to change out of our well-loved and oft-worn T's, so you'll find us cuddled up on our couches in them, too.
Come shop our current selection of yonder t shirts. they make for great gifts for hoosiers, hometown and beyond!
Warm, Sophisticated, Sultry...
When getting dressed for the day, applying fragrance is the final step we take. It's the icing on the cake, if you will. These days of cozy sweaters, boots and scarves call for a warm, sophisticated and sultry aroma. Ambre Blends is exactly that, which is why we are so in love with their intoxicating line of skin and body care products, all designed around their four signature, amber-based essences.
Image: Ambre Blends
Meet the Makers
We're hosting some of the coolest local makers in our barn and on our lawn, Saturday, October 15th from 11am - 4pm, for our first annual Makers Mart! The St. John Family Band will be delighting us with live music, while the makers exhibits will be open from 11 - 4pm.
Get to know some of these fab, creative peeps then come meet them live and in person, in charming downtown Roanoke. Supporting small, local artisans is one of the things we love to do most. Join us, won't you?
* BK Handcrafted Design Artist, picker, hoarder and mad scientist, Bob Kiel makes custom furniture, sculpture and artwork created from reclaimed, re-purposed and found objects. LEARN MORE
* Hedgehog Press Artist Julie Wall creates cork and wooden coasters, small embroideries as well as greeting cards and art prints on her vintage printing presses. LEARN MORE
* Bored Otter Soaps These lovely and fragrant artisan soaps and candles are handmade by Joe and Lee Hildenbrand MacSorley in Hoagland, using natural ingredients like Shea Butter and essential oils. LEARN MORE
* Ron Ostlund Custom Design Artisan and designer Ron Ostlund, Jr. dreams up unique, one of a kind pieces for body and home with a cool, industrial vibe. LEARN MORE
* Andie's Pearls Andie Landrigan combines pearls and leather to create gorgeous, feminine jewelry. LEARN MORE
* Gilley Flower Baby Danielle Woodward makes handmade baby bibs, burp cloths and baby blankets using soft, colorful, stylish fabrics. LEARN MORE
* Hetty J Handmade Hetty J hand paints wooden signs, key and leash hooks, chalkboards and adorable family and classroom birthday calendars. LEARN MORE
* Heartell Press Rachel Kroh creates beautiful letterpress, wood block greeting cards, card sets, art prints and mahogany card holders. LEARN MORE
* FoxSea Skin Inspired by her love of Cape Cod, Jennifer Dodds Fox crafts organic and natural skincare for healthy, glowing skin. LEARN MORE
* Kelly Pottery Designs Kelly Roth infuses a love of carving designs into functional pottery, creating delightful one of a kind pieces. LEARN MORE
* Dave Stinson Handmade Pens Dave Stinson handcrafts gorgeous ball point pens made from different woods, corn cobs, deer antlers and acrylics, as well as small bowls and salt and pepper shakers, letter openers and bottle stoppers. There's no web address for us to share with you which means, you'll just have to come to #thenoke to check out these functional pieces of art as well as all of the great indie merch by these fab local artists and artisans.
Come meet the makers!
Backpack, Backpack!
Channel your inner Dora the Explorer and go hands-free with a durable and stylish backpack that also gives back to children in the developing world, who don't have access to meaningful or safe education opportunities. ESPEROS donates a percentage of each sale to help fund global education efforts so your purchase helps bridge this very wide educational gap.
Designed in Austin, Texas, ESPEROS bags feature water and stain resistant, military-grade canvas, thoughtful and stylish details like their signature railroad stripe lining and cleverly placed pockets. The bags are machine washable and the cotton canvas material, free from harmful chemicals and dyes, gets more unique and better looking with use and age. These ethically manufactured totes and backpacks are clean and classic and work for students, adventurers and professionals alike.
Come see us in #thenoke to shop our most current selection of ESPEROS bags.
Major Style, Minor History
We Trovesters know the value of a handbag which features both form and function and we're suckers for timeless, chic style. We get all of that from Minor History, a leather goods brand known for high quality staples with a modern twist.
We feel comfortable calling this slim crossbody style one of the top IT bags, of this season and many more to come. The sleek silhouette, in supple leather, and slim pockets that hold all the essentials without adding bulk makes this hands-free style a workhorse for the daily grind as well as fun-filled weekends.
Shop all our Minor History goods in store in #thenoke!
FEED
One of the first, and most fabulous, brands that give back is FEED. Activist Lauren Bush Lauren saw during her travels that poverty and hunger are still very real problems for many people across the globe. In 2007, she founded FEED with the mission to fight world hunger through the purchase of stylish goods, one bag at a time.
We are so proud to carry FEED products in store. We love that what we choose to buy and wear can make a difference in the lives of underserved people we will never meet, who deserve all the riches we can already lay claim to: clean water, food when we want it and an education.
“Research shows that when children are given school meals, attendance doubles and performance greatly improves. Girls with just a few years of education have fewer children, have them later in life and are better prepared to care for and educate them. For many children, a school lunch is the only meal they recieve all day.”
Current Obsession: Charcoal
When it comes to beautifying potions, these days we're all about charcoal. This unlikely ingredient can be found from some fab beauty brands and we're so in love, we stock a few charcoal products.
Because charcoal attracts toxins, it's brilliant at cleansing every skin type. Charcoal can help make pores appear smaller, balance oily skin, treat acne, detoxify and soothe irritated skin. In basic terms, you need this multi-benefit ingredient in your life, STAT.
Little Barn Apothecary's best-selling Charcoal + Aloe Foaming Face Cleanser draws out pollutants, helps to heal and prevent breakouts while gently hydrating. With additional ingredients of hemp seed and essential oils, this effective facial cleanser cleans with a smooth and silky lather. $22
FoxSea Skin's Konjac Cleansing Sponge works with your favorite cleanser du jour or simply water to deeply cleanse and gently exfoliate. When properly cared for, this inexpensive tool can last a couple of months. $8
Gentle enough to use every day, Herbivore Botanicals' Bamboo Charcoal Detoxifying Bar Soap gives both face and body a deep cleanse. This soap is especially great for oily, combination or acne-prone skins. $12