Home goods and gift store The Milk Carton opened this fall at 352 West Ave. in Fayetteville in the building once occupied by Mae’s Emporium.
The shop was named so because a milk carton is a “seemingly insubstantial object, yet it evokes a feeling of nostalgia,” says April Rae Mallord, who owns the store along with Lauri Matisse and Wally Phillips. “Everyone remembers sitting at lunchtime with their friends through elementary, middle school, and high school with at least one milk carton present on the table. … The Milk Carton is meant to evoke that childlike curiosity, contentedness, and wonder that we all had as children—when we could find joy in the small, seemingly insignificant things,” April explains. “The building itself seems small and insubstantial, but once you open the door, just like a milk carton, you enter a world of enchantment, never knowing what magical finds will delight you.”
According to April, 60% of the shop’s goods—including blankets, ceramics, art, and her own line of handmade candles, Hobby & Hum—are made locally by Arkansas artisans. While the small brick-and-mortar has a constantly rotating array of goods, you can also shop online (themilkcartonshop.com). Through December 20, The Milk Carton and four other Northwest Arkansas newcomers—In Motion Active Apparel, Hello Local, The Nines Bentonville, and Luxe Beauty—have teamed up for a giveaway. Details can be found in the Instagram post below.
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