If you’re in need of a little retail therapy (who isn’t?), this month’s “Shop Around The Block” gives you the lowdown on neighborhood shopping in Denver. But, we also ventured across city lines to the ‘burbs for our shopping fix, including Boulder’s Pearl Street Mall area, where new stores like the boho-chic Nod & Rose Storehouse caught our eye. We tracked down husband-and-wife storeowners Elizabeth Rose and Nod Norkus—newlyweds who, wanting a fresh start, moved from North Carolina to set up shop on the Front Range—to chat about road trips, customer appreciation, and why Boulder is just right.

5280: How did the Storehouse come about?

Elizabeth: Our favorite bands took us traveling all over. Any time we went to see music we researched the cool boutiques in the area and ended up loving the retail side of travel. We knew we wanted to leave Charlotte; we wanted to bring our style to a new place.

5280: So you did it—quit your jobs, packed up, and hit the road. How’d you land in Boulder?

Nod: We thought about Nashville (too spread out) and Asheville (too seasonal) before taking a road trip: Atlanta to New Orleans to Austin (120 degrees in July!) to Marfa to Santa Fe to Taos to Boulder. There is magic in the mountains. In Boulder, we found that perfect formula of a college town with good music, restaurants, and bars. You have the advantages of city folk in a small town.

Elizabeth: There’s a young energy. Our customers are so unassuming. They’re interesting people with interesting stories.

5280: What’s your favorite part about owning the store?

Nod: Getting to hang out with my wife every day. We wanted to create a place you can really hang out it in. That is why we have the record collection, the couch…

Elizabeth: Obviously it’s awesome when the store is doing well, but the best is having the family at the store all together. We walk here every day with our dog, Annie.

Nod: We’re not only making a living, we’re making a life.