When most people shop for Back To School, they generally head to one of the big box stores. While that is understandable and, in a lot of cases, necessary, LBSPY Editor-in-Chief, Christina Entenmann, and I set out in downtown Lewisburg to see what we could find that would fit the Back To School Bill. I am, after all, a full-time, online college student at West Virginia University.

Our first stop was the Greenbrier Valley Convention and Visitors Bureau, where we picked up one of their black, quilted tote bags with an outside pocket. (It comes in other, brighter colors as well. I also happen to have one of their regular woven tote bags in lime green.) Christina and I decided it would be our mission to fill this bag while on our downtown journey.

From there, we headed to O’Shea’s All About Beauty shop. O’Shea’s is not only a salon but a place to find interesting and beautiful gifts as well as yarn, which is what I had come there looking for. I figured it was not too late to start and finish a crocheted hat by fall, for my walks to and from the Greenbrier County Public Library to do research and find a quiet spot to study. With that in mind, I selected my colors and went on my way.

For daytime school snacks, I immediately thought of Bella The Corner Gourmet. While prepping for my SATs way back in the mid-1990s, I had read that dark chocolate is good for memory retention and studying.
While I didn’t really need another reason to love chocolate, it certainly didn’t hurt – so I picked up a gourmet chocolate bar made of 70% cocoa. I have no regrets.

If you’re like me, you also really, really need your morning coffee and a breakfast loaded with good, energy-producing carbs, so I headed to The Wild Bean and picked up a pound of Mattie’s Mountain Mud French Roast (one of my favorite roasts). They’ll even grind the beans for you. Anything to shave off a few minutes in the morning, right?

As for the carbs, I headed over to The Bakery on N. Court St. Upon moving here, I heard how wonderful their bagels are, and I have to say, I wholeheartedly agree. They are not only great for breakfast, but they are perfect for sandwiches or a snack too. Being a gal on a budget, I dig that about ‘em.

Last but not least, I headed over to Hazel Boutique, where I had heard there was a sale. While there, I learned the sale starts on August 30th and goes through September 2nd. I decided to browse and kept a mental list of all of the things I could not wait to try on. Personally, I am a big fan of vegan, cruelty-free, Made In America, eco-friendly clothing. I will be honest, though, in stating that I can’t always afford it. However, that’s what responsible saving and sales are for!

By this time, my bag was full, so I called it an afternoon. Mission accomplished!

– Michelle Evans, LBSPY #40 (Aug 25-Sept 9, 2013)