Shopping in Lafayette

Furnished with bins of vibrant yarn, antique fixtures, and even a few comfortable chairs reserved for onsite knitting, Nomad Yarns' sunlit shop feels like a home away from home to any crafter. The cozy shop is home to dozens of yarn, needle, and notion brands, as well as local fibers courtesy of the animals of local Breezy Manor Farm and Amber Meadow Farm. To put all these supplies to use, the shop also hosts a rotating schedule of classes that focus on wearable projects such as socks, sweaters, and monocle cozies, as well as a Thursday night knit and crochet club, which is free and open to crafters of all skill levels.

As Anne and Kelly Campbell can tell you, it's impossible to witness civil crisis in Kenya, spend time with people with mental disabilities in India, or watch women beg for food in the streets of Ethiopia and not feel compelled to take action. The sisters have gone from working for some of the top names in fashion—including BCBGMaxAzria and Tommy Hilfiger—to cofounding The Village Experience in 2008, a company inspired by its global journeys and dedicated to providing socially responsible travel and fair-trade goods. The business's accolades have since piled up: it won the Best Women's Accessories category of TheIndyChannel.com's A-List in 2010 and 2009. Additionally, Kelly was named one of Indiana’s 2011 Forty Under 40 by the Indianapolis Business Journal. The Village Experience was also asked to partake in the Emmy's The Red Carpet Luxury Lounge, where Emmy nominees, celebrities, and media peruse and try different products and retail items, with their jewelry also included in the Lounge's gift bags.

But the sisters' rewards do not come from high praise or recognition. Rather, the duo finds satisfaction in helping underserved communities build self-sustainability and making a difference in people's lives. In a 2009 feature, Rachel Meacham of Nuvo quoted a portion of Kelly's 2006 travel journal, which explains the impression left by an ailing Malawi woman: "She is [the] reason I risk getting sick . . . She is the reason I don't sleep well at night. Everyone has something they live for and risk their lives for—she is just that." Together with their partners, The Village Experience has opened a medical clinic and a nursery school in Kenya, as well as rebuilt The University of Fondwa in Haiti after the devastating 2010 earthquake.

The compassionate crew has led more than 30 trips to nine different destinations, during which guests ate, shopped, and stayed at local establishments. The store supports more than 30 artisan cooperatives in 25 countries, paying a fair wage for items such as handmade jewelry and envelope wallets that are ideal for holding IDs, credit cards, and Monopoly money. Each purchase provides economic sustenance for organizations such as women's cooperatives, microfinancing projects, and orphanages.

At The Exchange, a staff of media experts oversees a stock of new and used movies, video games, and CDs ranging from the latest releases to nostalgia-inducing classics. New music that spans artists and genres plays from multigenerational iPods and accessories. Game platforms such as Xbox 360 and PS3 rest side by side with older consoles including N64, Super Nintendo, regular Nintendo, Gameboy, and the first video-game system ever—a hollowed-out TV filled with finger puppets. The staff stacks their shelves to the ceiling with DVDs and Blu-ray discs as well as merchandise and memorabilia such as Homer Simpson dolls and action figures. The Exchange honors its name by trading goods with customers for store credit that can be applied to its myriad wares.

When a Missouri high school banned Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five, the Kurt Vonnegut Memorial Library channeled the spirit of the rabblerousing author in protest. Since the school locked away copies of the book, the library staged "Locked Up With Vonnegut," where writer Corey Michael Dalton lived in the library's front window for an entire week. The library even sent free copies to any student from the high school that asked for one.

Championing free speech is an indispensable goal for the library. It strives to engage visitors with the written and visual arts through its museum, art gallery, and reading room. The same aim fuels the nonprofit's events, which include Night of Vonnegut, VonnegutFest, and programs for veterans and teachers

If its full name––Two Fat Guys Summerfield Ace Hardware––isn't a clue about this store's unconventional nature, maybe its pet shop is. Or perhaps that distinction belongs to its owners' related endeavor: not only do Rick and Smokey inspire ambitious homeowners with rows of home-improvement implements, but they also encourage handiness by taking to the airwaves with a weekly hardware radio show. Summerfield Ace Hardware also doubles as a U-Haul Center, and animals are welcome, especially if they're able to drive a U-Haul but also if they just want to sniff around the pet shop. Prepping for barbecue season is a cinch on these premises: in the words of Rick and Smokey, "With a name like the Two Fat Guys you might expect that we have a complete grilling center and we offer assembly and delivery." Salespeople are trained to answer nearly any home-improvement question their customers ask, and a wide selection of hardware, paint, plumbing, and electrical supplies shares space with gifts, home decor, and housewares.

Every now and then, snow enthusiast Tiberius the Siberian husky can be found roaming through aisles of skis, snowboards, skateboards, and wakeboards at Skier's Edge. Though the friendly store dog may not be able to lend any advice on how or where to use the equipment, his owners and friends are more than happy to help.

At Skier's Edge, the water, snow, and skate specialists are eager to help customers with advice and equipment for enjoying the outdoors. They carry gear for snowboarding and downhill skiing, as well as skateboards, longboards, wakeboards, hoverboards, and waterskis. They also stock a range of helmets, gloves, boots, and jackets.