Seed & Sprout an epic business making a real difference to our environment.  Founded by the lovely Sophie Kovic in Byron Bay just a few years ago. Sophie was inspired to start this forward thinking brand seeing a need for plastic free and fussy kid friendly products when her son started school. She has created products that bridge the gap between the ideal and action. Eco friendly products made for the everyday person. 

When procuring these textile gems, "I operate most of the time from a 'feeling' I see the photos and immediately know which ones will fit, as each piece stirs something inside of me. (I'm not always on point though ha ha)".

Beni M'Guild Rugs: For the Berber of the Beni tribes who made them, they were more functional in winter months serving as one of the main forms of warmth and insulation in their homes. The Beni M'guild region in the western Middle Atlas of Morocco can be quite harsh in the winters months. Woven by the women on a vertical loom they tend to have simple geometric designs running down or across the carpet with a background of red, brown, white or sometimes blue.

Beni Ourain Rugs: The neutral tones and elegant, stripped-down geometry of Beni Ourain rugs makes them one of the most loved. There are endless contemporary spinoffs of the style made known by the Beni Ourain, a network of nearly two-dozen individual tribes in the Middle Atlas region. “Woven from undyed, natural wool, the field is largely cream and the decoration is picked out in delicate lines of a henna-like brown,” F.J. Hakimiansays of the stylish textiles, whose darker-toned lines are traditionally woven with undyed wool from black sheep.

Turkish Kilim Rugs: Kilim, a word of Turkish origin, denotes a flatwoven and pileless textile, whose many variations share a common heritage and are practiced all across Turkey, the Balkans and throughout the Arab world. Because the resulting weave is lightweight, these rugs are well adapted for use in the hot summer months and are happily embraced by Moroccan tribal weavers.

Oushak Rugs: Ushak (Oushak) are known for the silky, luminous wool they work with. The dyes tend towards: cinnamons, terracotta tints, gold, blues, greens, ivory, saffron and grays. Antique Oushak carpets tend to be coarsely woven on a wool foundation with a wool pile, and are distinctive in both pattern and color palette. The designs of Oushak rugs and carpets are typically based on geometric motives with central medallion drawings, smaller all-over medallions or scattered sprays of vine scroll and palmettes. They are also famed for the grand, monumental scale of designs. Today, Oushak rugs are highly desirable and decorative for elegant room settings.

Boucherite: Who would guess such a fun-looking carpet was the result of serious social and economic changes? Boucherouite (from the Arabic bu sherwit, meaning “a piece torn from pre-used clothing”) emerged along with the transition from nomadic herding to modern forms of employment, which has made wool harder to come by. Initiated in the Central Plains by the Beni Mellal and Boujad, eventually this practice gained acceptance by even the most remote tribes in the Middle and High Atlas regions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

"I believe the energy of a space and how you feel when you are part of it is equally as important as how it looks to the eye. Creation is human expression and the rugs we stock in Trader Trove are the epitome of this process and truly are works of art."

Click HERE to see our latest rug collection.

 

 Introducing the lovely Anaïs and Wilder Alchemy to the Trader Tribe! Anaïs botanical perfumed oils are chemical free and smell absolutely heavenly. We would love to hear a little about you and the intention behind Wilder Alchemy?

Click to shop Wilder Alchemy online or pop In store!

Follow Wilder Alchemy ~ @wilderalchemy

Follow Trader Trove ~ @tradertrove

Period, Rags, Monthlies, Aunt Flow, “Time of the Month” whatever you want to call it, women from as young as 9 start their menstrual cycle. This means that the average woman endures around 456 periods over 38 years, which is roughly 2,280 days or 6.25 years of her life. We all have different feelings attached to this cycle (especially if your a man reading this) but......

Have you ever thought about the money you spend on sanitary items? Or about the impact on our environment? 

The Average woman uses 12,000- 16,000 menstrual pads and tampons in her lifetime. In Australia alone 18,000 metric tons of metric waste goes into landfill which takes 500 years to breakdown. Just how much does your period set you back over your lifetime? Taking into account pads, tampons, pain relief, birth control, new underwear and of course chocolate, and we’re guessing it’d be around the $19,000 mark. (think of what you could do with $19k? Holiday to the Maldives anyone?)

If you know better do better hey? Well we are trying! You may have noticed Trader Trove is growing and evolving we are slowly exploring a new vision - which includes working towards reducing our impact on this earth. 

We are so excited to be stocking Modibodi - An Australian company, founded in late 2013 by Kristy Chong, MODIBODI, provides women all around the world with access to reusable and sustainable women’s and teen briefs. From periods to sweat, bladder leakage and incontinence. Empowering women to have the confidence to get on with life, whatever their challenge, while also reducing their impact on the environment (by reducing disposable personal hygiene products).  

So how does it work? its actually very cool - watch the video below. 

Anything new is a little scary! We get it! After using pads and tampons for years that the thought of just letting it all flow seems like crazy talk. 

I opened up a conversation with some lovely ladies in our community about ModiBodi Period undies and other alternatives - It was actually so refreshing to discuss menstruation and hear different opinions and candid questions. 

With those questions lets ask two of our Trader Team who have made the switch!

Avalon, Founder of Trader Trove, Energetic Healer and mother of 2 gorgeous boys.

&

 Sharna, Trader Trove's ray of sunshine Marketing Manager and Owner of Swimwear Label Salté.

 Why the change to Modi Bodi period undies?

Avalon: I had never considered switching from tampons and guess it was just a habit of cultivated since being a teen and uneducated. I have always suffered with pain and long bleeds so when a friend suggested that my symptoms may be caused by them I wanted to try an alternative. I switched to pads and found instant relief! I couldn't believe it actually! I’ve been looking at ways to be more sustainable in all areas of my life so instantly looked for an alternative to using many pads each cycle  and after researching online found Modi Bodi!

Sharna: Imagine this. Working your ass off each week, to save some money... and then using that hard earned money to purchase pads and tampons that we literally bleed on and throw in the bin. After researching the amount of money each woman uses on sanitary products in their lifetime I said cya to tampons and pads, and created a passionate love for Modi Bodi, and the menstrual cup!

Before converting to Modi Bodi what was your sanitary item of choice?

Avalon: Tampons and pads as I would need both because my cycle was long and heavy. I tried the cup too but found it messy and uncomfortable.

Sharna: Tampons during the day & pads at night. 

What type of Modi Bodi period undies did you buy and why?

Avalon: I bought a mix of the high waist intimates and 1 x boy legs to try something different. 3 x heavy flow and 2 x light flow in total.

Sharna: I purchased the Classic Bikini (max absorbency) in black & the Sensual High wasted bottom (moderate absorbency) in beige. 

Lets talk about the fit? does it feel like you are wearing spanx? and would you say true to size?

Avalon: love the fit! Super comfy, lovely fabric and true to size.

Sharna: The fit is amazing! They just feel like normal undies with a little extra padding. I would say they're true to size, yep!

How do they feel? damp? uncomfortable? Bulky?

Avalon: I was immediately so surprised that they are not bulky at all, nothing like having a huge pad in your undies. I was even doubting they would work as I just felt naked wearing them!

Sharna: I guess it depends on how much you bleed, but mine weren't damp. I mean, if you're a heavy bleeder & they felt damp you could always just swap during the day. I didn't need to though! Other than that they are super comfy! Comfier than all the other sanitary products that's for sure. 

Tell us about the washing process?

Avalon: I immediately rise them when I take them off or just hand wash and hang so they are dry and ready for the following day unless of course I’m out where I just take a bag to pop the used ones in and change to a fresh spare pair which I  take with me.

Sharna: After wearing mine all day, I rinsed them in the shower,  hand washed them with some mild soap & let them dry outside. Good to go again! Yipee!

 

What would you say to the ladies contemplating but maybe a lil nervous about making the switch? 

Avalon: Try them! You have nothing to lose! Even if you use tampons, a cup or have heavy discharge the Modi Bodo product is so versatile, sustainable and feels like a gift for my body every cycle. Honouring the flow is more then just awareness. My cycle went from a painful 14day mess to a now 4 day healthy joy. No joke, Modi Bodi has totally changed my life!

Sharna: Do it darls! It's not gross! It's better for the bank, the environment, and your body. What have you got to lose?

We have a size range of all the most popular styles of ModiBodi in store!

If you a curious and want to know more follow the link below.

https://www.modibodi.com/pages/how-it-works

Meet Carl & Nicole from Exotic Soirées - Luxury Marquee Hire! A local dynamic duo who we have had the pleasure of working and collaborating with. We featured one of their Luxury Marquee’s at our recent night market. The whole experience was effortless and made our event so so special. Over the past few months we have also worked closely with Carl & Nicole collaborating on the Freya range available in store at Trader Trove and for hire via Carl & Nicole. We love supporting and building strong connections with local businesses and are so excited to introduce this amazing team.

Our greatest inspiration comes from the close connection we experience with nature and the outdoors. This is expressed through our work with amazingly creative florists and stylists who are part of the team we’ve formed for our installations.

Exotic Soir ées -  https://www.exoticsoirees.com.au/

In 1990, with a background in fine art, Annie Sloan created her own range of paints for decorative purposes, which filled a huge gap in the market. Her paints, stencils, inspirational books and magazines are now available in fifty-five countries and have given at-home-furniture-makeovers a whole new direction.

Whether it is your first time attempt at DIY to spruce up your beloved furniture or you are an interior designer, or artist looking for some high quality paints to help your vision come to life, these paints will not disappoint! With plenty of step-by-step online tutorials of different techniques on multiple surfaces, created by Annie Sloan and existing customers; creating a unique masterpiece or refurbish a favourite item has never been more simple.

We have a vast range of Chalk Paint shades and fun stencils available in store, along with Volume One and Two of Annie Sloan’s Magazine The Colourist, which features inspirational ideas, step-by-step guides a stencil for your work and more.

Introducing Little Loving Things and the brilliant lady behind them: Quigley Ashton. These beautiful, locally handmade soaps and hair bars, have recently graced the shelves in our store and we could not be more excited! Aesthetically pleasing and created with sensitive skin types in mind, these products are bathroom essentials! We sat down with Quigley to learn about her journey, process and juggling her creative passions with her day to day duties, in a home of six.

I’ve always thought of myself as a wannabe clever person. This has somehow allowed me to give myself permission to learn new things
( and not feel bad to call myself a “beginner”, regardless of my age ). 
 I’d dabbled in soapmaking about 5 years ago whilst attempting to follow youtube videos and various blog instructions. However, my results displayed themselves in mushy disintegrating lumps in the shower.
About 6 months ago, I found a local instagram soap account, Allison @gigglesuds. Her beautiful soap is similar to what I envisioned myself wanting to create. After making contact I was fortunate to be kindly welcomed into her home for a soapmaking workshop. I’ve been mixing, combining and creating my own recipes and blends ever since in my kitchen :)

I’ve never really enjoyed using soap. My sensitive skin has always found it too drying, irritating or heavily fragranced. My husband, however, loves using soap. I became frustrated with spending money on soap that had weird stuff in it and decided it was high time to have a go at making some. I wanted to make something that was kind to my whole family’s skin as well as something that was beautiful to look at and lovely to smell.

Now, our whole family loves using soap (all six of us!). Personally, I love enjoying how much my skin is nourished. The ingredients are all beautiful oils and the results are that my skin is not as dry nor as reactive. AND! My shower doesn’t smell like a hospital anymore (no offence to hospitals).

How long does it take to make each batch of soap, please briefly run us through your process?
Each batch of soap is pretty special. It takes a few hours to mix and blend all of the oils together just so. Then, after mixtures are poured into moulds, they have to sit for two days so that all of the ingredients can hang out together and celebrate the amazing thing that they are creating!

Then, it’s time for my favourite part... slicing! ( I often post the slicing process on my instagram account @littlelovingthings ) It’s so soothing... like cutting the most beautiful butter with a sharp knife. 
 After bars are sliced, the soap sits for 4 - 6 weeks in a quiet shady calm part of the house so that it can cure. This means that the water slowly evaporates which allows the soap to harden so that it lasts a really long time at your house!
We understand that you make soaps for different skin/personal needs (eg. sensitive skin, dry skin, vegan etc.) and you mainly scent your products with essential oils.

Please run us through a couple of soaps that are best for these needs and why you use certain ingredients?
All of the soaps from Little Loving Things are Palm Oil Free. This means it’s a bit more expensive to make, but also more appealing to many customers. I’m really happy that I am able to meet the requests of this supportive community in a sustainable manner.

Little Loving Soaps are also only scented with essential oils. This scent is softer than fragrances which works better for sensitive skin and can be a bit kinder on the nose. Essential oils also have many wonderful benefits which is a lovely way to make using the soap an even more nurturing experience. As you probably know, Lavender may be calming for some, whilst Peppermint may be uplifting for others. Both wonderful qualities to have in your soaps whilst you are starting or finishing your day.
The soaps are vegan (except for a couple varieties which use a bit of beautiful local honey) mainly because I have an unusual allergy to meat which makes me unable to work with tallow, another soap base (which is not vegan). However, it’s also nice to know that vegans can use this soap with confidence knowing that it ethically aligns with their beliefs as well as beautifully nourishes their skin. Some people prefer an unscented very simple soap, which we have as well. Our Refresh bar is made of only olive oil for soothing sensitive skin and little bit of castor oil for a good lather. This soap is plain, luxurious and only available after a minimum 6 - 8 week cure time.

What is your personal favourite, go-to soap from your collection?
Well, that is a tough question! Is it trite to say that I love them all? 

I really find them so beautiful to look at. I also love the way they feel as I lather up in my hands. The subtle scents are so lovely too, as they’re not too strong on my nose. Did you know that each bar looks different? Because of this, I feel like I’ve won a prize with every bar that I choose! I’m going to officially say that I can’t choose wrong - they’re all my go-to!


You are also an amazing artist! How long have you been painting and what inspires you when creating art?
Why thank you! I’m so flattered. You see, as a wannabe ;) clever person, I’m still strengthening my “accept compliments” muscles. So, thank you very much.
When painting, I love love love to be led intuitively. I love to pick a few colours and then just go. Let my hands, wrists and fingers move as they may and see what happens. Its a very freeing, terrifying and invigorating experience. Every time. Then, I sit back, breathe and allow the painting to come together. Quiet things down. Finally, a completed piece results. A reflection of wild abandoned chaos and quiet calm together on a page. Perhaps a depiction of my life?
( usually more the wild chaos than the quiet calm )

Yes! 

Work life balance does not exist! 
Whether your work is in the home or outside of the home, this whole balance concept can be crushingly misleading. If I’m soaping, the house doesn’t get cleaned. If I’m on school holidays with the kids, the soap has to be put on the back burner a bit. I’ve set up my painting area in the kitchen so that I can paint in between making a meal. Sure, it’s great to have hours on end, but more often than not, painting is me with 5 minutes or 30 minutes on a timer. 
 Ready! Set! Go! ...and I’m only allowed to celebrate the results. Celebrate that I somehow carved out a moment for myself to create. That always feels good.
We have to forgive ourselves more, and just do what we do. 
 That is where the balance is. 

Be kinder.

To ourselves.

Shop Loving Little Things soaps, hair bars and wooden drying racks in-store.

Follow Quigley on Instagram!: @littlelovingthings