After curating 22 pop-up shops over the last three years, Vanessa Milio has debuted her unique art, bath items and home décor products at the Village of Cross Keys. Taken highlights these locally made goods Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in June.
“We curate the items we think will be most appealing to our guests,” says Milio, whose pop-up features a Maryland summer theme. Taken displays soaps, body lotion and room sprays from Silver Linings Lavender, body scrubs from Becca and Mars, and bath bombs, body butters and after-sun spray from Deep Leaf Organic. Purchase unique letter art from 36 Letters. Treat your taste buds with McAllen’s Best Chocolate Almond Toffee and JD Honeybee’s cupcakes in a jar, which come in salt water taffy, lemon peppermint stick and other summer flavors.
Years of rummaging through estate sales in New England gave Milio the inspiration for the pop-up shop. “If you got there and the item was sold, it was marked ‘taken’ and you know you had gotten there too late.”
All the makers and artists are based in Maryland and committed to craftsmanship and sustainability, Milio says. “We love functionality mixed with whimsy and a pop of color.”
Taken also sells vintage items, including mid-century furniture from 605 Mod and its own linens and home accessories. “We feel that mixing old and new in your home helps tell a personal story and creates a design aesthetic that stands the test of time,” Milio says.
Taken features a total of 14 of its 45 makers at the summer pop-up. These are the other vendors that featured:
- Wright Tea Company
- Fuzzy Mug
- From Donna’s Hands
- Eikoh Design Studio
- J’s Studio Collection
- Kim Hovell Art
- Words with Boards
- Aluminate Life by LL
- Maggie Stewart Design
- McKenzie Elizabeth Illustrations
- Nathanial Badder Photography
- City Lines Ink
- Pinkkiss Pottery
- The Drift Shop
The Village of Cross Keys is also hosting a sidewalk sale June 14-17, with discounts at Octavia Boutique, Chezelle, the Store Ltd and Williams Sonoma.
Chezelle, which specializes in sizes 14-24, is offering summer clothes, jewelry, crochet handbags and other accessories on sale, owner Patricia Bavis-Puller says. Earrings, necklaces and other jewelry are marked 50% off, with items selling for between $5 and $25. Assorted summer clothing, including tops, pants and jeans, are also half off.
“It’s the best price of the year for the accessories. I went out and bought for this event,” Bavis-Puller says.
At women’s boutique Octavia, shoppers can expect dresses, sportswear, and other spring merchandise to be marked 50% to 80% off, with many items costing 29.99, 49.99 and 99.99. Select cocktail dresses and formal gowns will cost between 99.99 to 199.99.
Brands on sale will include Joseph Ribkoff, Tadashi, Foxcroft, Frank Lyman and Cartise, says Octavia owner Betsy Wendell.
Octavia will also host another promotional event later in the month. The Full Moon Sip & Shop will take place Thursday June 28 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., offering guests sparkling wine and beer while they shop. Adding another fun element to the event, Wendell has booked medium Tracy Hall who will read tarot cards, seeing into customers’ futures.
“We’ll have another big blowout sale in August,” Wendell says. From Aug. 14-19, the boutique will offer discounts on summer items and new fall merchandise, including sportswear, dresses, sweaters and ponchos.
Classic cotton women’s T-shirts, pants, tops and handbags at Store LTD are marked down 30% during the sidewalk sale, manager Amy Gold says. Tea towels, napkins, vases and other home goods are marked 25% to 50% off, Gold says.
Owned by legendary jewelry designer Betty Cooke, the 52-year-old shop will also get a new shipment next month of one of its best-selling items, cotton shirts from Japanese designer Yacco Maricard. “They’re pleated, stitched down and machine washable,” Gold says. counts four generations of shoppers among its customers.
Williams Sonoma is hosting a pop-up shop in the space that previously held The Girl Next Door. Selling cookware, bakeware, cashmere throws and other home accessories, which are 30% off, the pop-up will take place Thursday through Sunday from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. says manager Claudia Gettier. The store is offering discounts on outdoor tools, rubs and BBQ sauces, select outdoor furniture and outdoor entertaining items.
