We Trovesters are so excited for the tastiest of days, Thanksgiving! While we have a whole slate of festive shenanigans planned for this season, we always love to kick off the holidays by sharing some of our fondest memories, most favorite traditions and those highly anticipated, carb-heavy side dishes we can't wait to devour.
A Sneak Peek @ Our Legendary Barn Sale
We're gathering so much GREAT stuff for our annual Legendary Barn Sale, listing it all would simply take too long. So, we thought we'd share with you a few sneak peeks...
Do NOT miss our Legendary Barn Sale. From big furniture to teeny, glittering jewels, our charming barn will be packed to the rafters (ok, not literally - that would be a fire hazard) with your new favorites. Save the date, bring your friends and make a day of it in #thenoke!
Once a year, one day only. Up to 50% off.
September 10th, 10a - 5p.
Proud Trovesters
We Trovesters are proud to have assembled quite the creative team. From our initial group of partners, we've added bloggers, writers, photographers and a few Jills-of-all-trades. One of these creatives is the outstanding Demi Balogun. Full-time college student (she's working on a degree in Engineering), part-time blogger slash photographer slash marketer, Demi is a powerhouse and we couldn't be happier to have her on Team Trove. When you see a gorgeous image on our Instagram account, it's pretty safe to say Demi was the one behind the camera.
So, when Demi was tapped by Harper's Bazaar as one of this year's Fabulous at Every Age winners, we weren't surprised but we were awfully proud. We know there are so many great things in store for her because she's a beautiful person, inside and out.
Please join us in congratulating our gal pal Demi and congratulate us for knowing to snap her up a few years ago! We kid... Then, follow her on Instagram @itsdemib to be inspired on the daily.
Look for Demi, and the four other winners, in the November issue of Harper's Bazaar!
Go West
We are beyond thrilled to share our expansion to Big Sky, Montana. Trovester Kate, known for her passion for Montana, opened our latest outpost on June 30th, with two local partners, Hannah Johansen and Katie Craig.
Trovesters Kate Tomkinson & Melani Wilson, with their supportive husbands in tow, worked hard (with some fun breaks in between) to get The Trove West ready for the Grand Opening.
The store is just lovely and full of indie goodies and gifts from all over these beautiful United States, including merch from both Montana and Indiana makers. If you're ever in the area, be sure to stop by to say hello!
Indiana State Pride
Hoosiers are we --- and proud to be! We adore #thenoke and #DTFW. We're passionate about Northeast Indiana and the whole d@mn state. We know the Midwest is a gem and has lots to offer. AND, we're happy to scream it from the rooftops whenever we get the chance.
We Trovesters travel - a lot. We love seeing foreign lands, experiencing other cultures, learning new traditions and that's not likely to change. We're all explorers at heart. Perhaps the coming Fourth of July weekend has us feeling patriotic. We know America is a diverse and beautiful country with amazing assets in every state, within every region, on every coast. But we're always happy to return home at the end of any journey, because our Indiana lives are just as rich with family, great friends and the diverse beauty of our home state.
We have so much Indiana pride running through our veins and tons of Midwestern goodness in store. Come shop The Trove and show your love for the crossroads of America.
Sister Act
The Trove was born out of friendship and a mutual passion for creating and sharing beautiful things. We have a deep love for our little slice of Roanoke and the town's oh-so-charming Main Street. We wax poetically about our enchanting barn and live for the Summer Friday night street fairs that bring hundreds of people to #thenoke. If you'd like to read more on our fondness for Roanoke, check out our Love Letter to Roanoke from September 2015.
All good things must grow and thus our latest development came after a few meetings with another friend, Libby Ash. We are simply overjoyed about the opening of our sister store, The FIND, located within the sparkling Ash Skyline Plaza. We're honored to be among the burgeoning lifestyle scene of the great city of Fort Wayne and are excited to see what else is in store for its continued growth. To read more about The FIND's origin story, take a peek at its brand spanking new website.
Finally, we are absolutely tickled about our Western expansion with The Trove West in Big Sky, Montana! We're over the moon for Trovester Kate and her plans to supply her beloved Big Sky with the chicest goods around.
Please join us at The FIND for our Grand Opening on June 1st! And, once we know the opening date for our new digs in Big Sky, we'll let you know so you can make travel arrangements. We just know you won't want to miss a thing!
Word to Your Mother
With Mother's Day on the brain, we Trovesters recently enjoyed a lively email thread where we shared some of the wisdom we've gained as well as a few funny stories we've collected along the way. Motherhood is no joke but thankfully, there's much comic relief for those of us who are lucky enough to know the highs and lows of parenting.
Here's a little glimpse into the convo from our most recent emails...
And then there's this gem, taken from the daughter of a Trovester:
Jean Therapy
Our quest for great jeans has been lifelong. Yes, we all know the struggle is real. But in denim brand beija-flor (pronounced beige-ah-floor), we've found some of the softest, most flattering denim around.
A mother-daughter duo founded the brand, inspired by figure-flattering styles seen on stylish ladies while living in Brazil. The team at beija-flor creates luxuriously lightweight denim that works with a woman's curves. The jeans come in universally flattering cuts with strategic stitching, illusion washes and perfectly placed pockets for those oh-so sought after slimming effects. Who wouldn't love THAT??
The entire line features wrinkle-free and breathable fabrics that keep you cool throughout the day that are also water-resistant, to boot! Each pair features "bounce-back memory stretch" which helps battle the dreaded gapping at the waist.
Our selection of beija-flor jeans will be gracing some of the models at the Spring Fling fashion show and luncheon on Thursday, March 10th. Get more details about this fantastic event here.
Come try on your perfect pair at our beija-flor trunk show at The Trove on March 10th & 11th and we'll give you a free gift! Purchase a pair and you get another free gift! We'll even be open at 9:30am on Friday, March 11th for those of you with school drop off/pick up schedules to consider.
While in Roanoke, stop by The North End on March 10th from 1-3pm & March 11th from 10-2pm for their Blanc Noir and Vignorella trunk shows. It's an absolute fashion frenzy in #thenoke this month!
Q & A with Julie Toles from Hedgehog Press
We're tickled about our upcoming barn workshops with Hedgehog Press. Julie Toles is a talented, driven, generous and kind artisan, who creates lovely goodies on her antique presses like greeting cards, cork coasters and leather tags for liquor decanters (all of which are available for purchase at The Trove). We asked Julie to share a little bit about her business, in advance of the workshops, so we could all get to know her a little better.
How did you come up with the name Hedgehog Press?
Hedgehogs represent optimism, feminine empowerment, and creative expression! It just fit! Also, I love that hedgehog's are generally considered a pest in places they are native to. They are very difficult to remove from a garden or backyard. I think I liked the idea that I would be difficult to remove...I'm here to stay!
What was your motivation for starting a boutique printing company?
My main motivation was to have a place to create my work. I am a printmaker which requires a lot of specialized equipment and space. Starting my own business came very naturally to me. My whole family is centered around entrepreneurship! We all have our own businesses and I have always grown up around family-run enterprises. I knew I had to figure out a way to sustain a space and not just rely on my artwork sales, then the printshop as it is now was born! And I absolutely love it!
What's your most favorite project to date?
It is so hard to have a favorite project! Everything is so different and specialized. I recently painted on a bass drum for a local jazz band, sculpted 11 elephants out of floral foam for a wedding, and was included in a styled wedding photoshoot that was picked up by The Knot! So many fun aspects about what I get to do everyday!
How do you stay creative?
I try to live a completely creative lifestyle meaning everything I do revolves around my creation process. I love being out in nature and try to go hiking at least one a week! That always gets me energized and helps me feel inspired! I also have a wonderful group of creative friends that keep me on my toes. Sketching and making things for no particular reason also helps me relax and hone in on what I'm doing.
Whose art do you most admire?
I have always loved Robert Rauschenberg's work. His style and compositional skills are just amazing to me. I love his use of color and the voice he chooses to represent in his work is very compelling. I also love Francisco Goya. I felt as though I had a religious experience while viewing his work in Spain in 2009 and since then have been an admirer. He created prints for a reason, for communication, a way to showcase injustices...I have always felt a strong responsibility to printmaking as an art form for these reasons.
What's next for Hedgehog Press?
With recent sales to larger retailers, I am looking to expand soon. I have some exciting ideas in the works and hope to see them come alive in 2016! I am sort of keeping the plans low key for now until I know they are able to happen.
We know you collect hedgehog figurines, etc and that people often give hedgehog paraphernalia to you. How many hedgehog tchotchkes do you own by now?
Oh my goodness! People are so sweet and find me the cutest hedgehog themed items. I recently had an elementary school group visiting and had them count the hedgehogs around the room while they each waited their turn on the printing press. I think we lost track somewhere after 62!
Sign up for these fantastic February Workshops with Hedgehog Press @ The Trove!
To Market, To Market
We Trovesters go to great lengths to bring the freshest goodies to our corner of Northeast Indiana. We search high and low during our personal travels and a few times a year, we assemble at the best wholesale markets to divide and conquer. We find not only fantastic pieces we just know you'll love but also make new friends, strengthen our team bonds and consume more than our fair share of vino after long days on our feet. We love (almost) every single second. Take a peek at our latest expedition to the famed AmericasMart Atlanta. This massive wholesale market features an exhilarating yet exhausting seven million square feet. Yes, SEVEN MILLION! Our FitBit bands didn't know what hit 'em...