Posted: Thursday, April 30, 2009 --- 5:32 a.m.

Coffee never goes out of style.

In this week's Hot Trends we combine a love of coffee, shopping and keeping your dollar local at Tuvalu Coffeehouse and Gallery.

When you walk inside Tuvalu in Verona on Main Street, it feels like a very artsy, comfortable coffee shop. But it is so much more.

They display and sell art from 49 local artists. Necklaces, glass work, pottery. They do it to get rid of the middle man and bring what's best from the community to you, while you enjoy your coffee.

And that is something that also follows in their philosophy to help others...its fair trade coffee.

"Fair trade ensures that people both domestically in our area and around the world are paid a living wage for the work or goods that they produce - so that could mean cheese from a local farmer it could mean coffee from Nicaragua.. "

Ericka also tries to buy as much local food for her customers as well and fill your mind at the same time.

Thru local farms, thru family farm defenders we work with that's where we get our cheese from. So we can over that to our customers. And we also try to show documentaries and have discussions about social causes and things."

There is also a children's play area and the Literacy Network comes every Saturday at 2 for story time. Best part about this experience...is its free. And what you do spend, goes back to help others.