Shopping in Lyndon

The atmosphere of Bluegrass Blends percolates with the energy that radiates from fresh-brewed coffee drinks and healthy shakes packed with vitamins and antioxidants. Friendly baristas chat with customers as they pull fresh shots of espresso, which form smooth, creamy lattes when topped with steamed milk or frothed with a soprano saxophone. All-fruit smoothies brim with colorful blends of berries and bananas; peanut butter, soy milk, or whey powder hop into the mix to create hearty protein shakes. The café’s libations find sweet and savory counterparts in a menu of baked goods such as muffins, bagels, and all-natural oatmeal.

The rich soil of Walnut Grove Farm—tilled throughout more than 150 years and four generations—sprouts with flowers, shrubs, and trees sold in an eponymous onsite nursery. Arched greenhouses plant their pillars in the grounds' northwest corner, where they shelter shrubs such as boxwoods and holly, annuals such as petunias, mums, and pansies, and more than 80 fragrant perennials. Mulches chipped from hardwoods and cypress join peat moss and compost to blanket exposed roots, and a Gardener's General Store stocks country essentials ranging from grass seed to locally laid eggs. Walnut Grove's green-thumbed experts also emerge beyond the nursery walls to beautify lawns with landscape designs and routine maintenance such as edging, weed control, and flamingo herding.

Since 1971, Doo Wop Shop has outfitted musicians and event hosts with a bevy of rental equipment, instruments, and music accessories at discount prices. Four locations burst with Roland keyboards, Zildjian cymbals, Washburn guitars, and live sound and recording gear for rent as well as sale. The shop also has everything needed to throw a full-on karaoke bash, from PA systems to discs of the latest hit songs and tongue-twisters.

Another Time Around's staff sorts through consigned women's, junior's, and infant's clothing and accessories to unearth items from popular labels such as American Apparel, Gap, and Abercrombie. Maternity clothing from Ann Taylor and Olian also peppers the racks, as well as a frequently rotating collection of purses and shoes for juniors and women. Shoppers young and old sift through a selection of new gifts such as jewelry, Little Pink Ladybug hair bows, slap watches, and travel coffee mugs. The search for perfect cribs, infant furniture, and toys occupy parents as their tykes romp in the shop's playroom, which is lined with thousands of Beanie Babies for safety.

The lavish accessories indigenous to Art & Soul Beads drip with Swarovski crystals, Venetian glass, pearls, and whatever other gem designer Emily Kaniasty deems worthy of her jewelry. With her baubles, she strives to fuse traditional with trendy. She drew inspiration from gazing at her mother’s Swarovski collection as a child to design the Vanessa Loves Bibs necklace. Its tribal bib design and embellishments of yellow crystals exemplify Emily’s playfulness. Many of her pieces incorporate bold colors and chunky beads, much like the curtains that separated 1979 from 1980. Such a distinct aesthetic vision yearns to be shared, and Emily obliges at jewelry-making classes held throughout the week.

Realizing that she had a passion for dressing her daughter in unique clothing, Ashley Bonner was inspired to open My Bel Amour, a showcase for children’s clothing designs. She draws her store's collection from the lines of Mud Pie, Haute Baby, and other designers, which temper the functionality of diaper-containing onesies with healthy doses of kid-friendly and flashy fabrics and unique boys’ clothes. Though the shop is predominantly girl centric, Ashley's little dudes department features plenty of style for budding fellas.