Travelers throughout West Virginia have likely spotted stickers and hats featuring authentic Appalachian phrases displayed in gift shops, at festivals and even at the Tamarack.
Elizabeth Elswick, the creative force behind those designs, now proudly owns Hippie’s Daughter.
“Everything that I use has just been things that I’ve heard my family say my entire life,” Elswick said.
Those Appalachian-inspired products are now finding a permanent space.
Elswick is opening her own storefront in St. Albans, casting a positive spotlight on the region she has proudly called home for decades.
“We’re flipping the narrative and bringing light that Appalachia is not bad,” Elswick said. “It’s not I mean, yeah, we are kind of poor. But we’re making the best of it and we have such a great community. I’m excited that people are actually seeing that.”
Since settling into the St. Albans location, she hasn’t set regular business hours, but she has hosted several successful pop-up sales.
The name Hippie’s Daughter began as a playful joke between Elswick and her husband, but it has since grown into a thriving business.
“My dad is like hippie. He’s a hard-working Appalachian hippie,” Elswick said. “He worked for the phone company also all of his life. Loves nature will not litter down to cigarette butts, puts them in his pocket.”
Elswick, a fifth-generation West Virginian, draws inspiration from the life she was raised in to showcase aspects of Appalachian culture that often go unnoticed.