Wish I could leave an actual review, but for a Time Travel Mart that promises to already be…read morewhenever you are, I'm not actually certain if they're open to regular business anymore? I love the Echo Park Time Travel Mart and wanted to give their Mar Vista location a visit sometime while I'm on the west side. Their hours are pretty limited. Google and Yelp claim Friday to Sunday from 12:00-6:00pm, but buried on their own website it says 2:00-6:00pm on Tuesdays to Saturdays. Not sure which is more up to date. But I've gone out of my way on two separate occasions when the hours overlap, and both times they've been closed anyway. Their website does warn they're often closed during their hours and to call ahead, but I haven't gotten an answer. (I guess because they're usually closed?) So yeah, if you can catch them when they're open, great! But I wouldn't advise going out of your way for it unless you can call in advance and confirm they'll actually be open.

If you're coming because you saw this on instagram, please dont set your expectations too high!!…read more I'm really happy I found this place by chance when strolling through the area. Then I saw it on my IG feed weeks later and all I could think was how content creators over-hype all these hidden gems in LA. I just notice that influencers put an exaggerated spin on spots like these to make them seem a lot bigger or crazier than they actually are for the sake of views. Not to say they aren't worth visiting, but I think the fun part about these kinda shops is discovering it for yourself or that element of surprise. I've just been severely disappointed by some places I've visited that didn't live up to the expectations set by content creators. It's not the businesses fault, but just how social media works these days. Anyways, it's a small shop that you'll probably get through in a few minutes, but definitely worth checking out. I'm so glad I so happened to stumble upon this place by surprise, and I hope that's how you find it too :)

What a fun experience! My friend made a reservation for a group of 3…read more The studio is a small room inside the building it's located, but I think it's a cute quaint place. We had a 2-hour time limit to choose our charms (literally the hardest part because they're all so cute), and decorate our item of choice. At the time my friends and I went, they offered phone cases, hair clips/claws, handheld mirror, desk mirror, and jewelry boxes. The staff give you tips on piping the frosting glue with paper plates to practice before you start putting on your charms, which I thought was very helpful as a first timer. All materials are provided so I didn't mind the cost too heavily, since you're paying for the supplies & the experience, also I'm a sucker for cute things. Would definitely return with my friends! (:

Tucked away in Sawtelle is a very cute DIY Art Workshop that deserves way more recognition!…read more My friend and I stumbled upon it on Instagram and we are so glad we did! We were very excited to participate in the decoden decorating. They had plenty of options including jewelry boxes, claw clips, phone cases, mirrors, and more. The best part? No charm limits here! The staff was very friendly and informative, she guided us through a variety of piping techniques to make sure we were confident with our skills before we got started on our own creations. The entire experience took about 1.5 hours, during which we had a really great time! You also get $5 off if you post about your DIY on your story on IG. If you're feeling a little crafty, make an appointment ASAP! Other than decoden decorating, they also have pouring art, candle making, and squishy-charms making. Parking: There's plenty of meters and there is also a paid parking lot nearby.

This is my go-to gift shop in town. The selection is beautifully curated, thoughtful without…read morefeeling generic, and I've genuinely never left disappointed. The owner is incredibly intuitive, and has an amazing eye. I always ask for her advice, and she somehow always points me to the right gift for the right person. It makes gift-buying feel effortless and actually enjoyable. If you want something meaningful and well chosen, this is the place.

Amazing stuff! Stopped in for a small kids gift and ended up getting myself a bunch of things as…read morewell. Amazing selection, very well curated, and staff was very helpful and knowledgeable. Highly recommended!!

this is my go-to place for gifts in Sunset Park! I am lucky enough to live just a few blocks away,…read moreso I wander in every few weeks to see their new & seasonal items. they have a highly curated selection of home, body, baby & food goods. I've gotten jewelry, candles, PJs, chocolate, napkins, fancy salt, trivets & more-- seriously, there is something for everyone! and at every price point. love the ladies that work here. great gift wrapping.

GOODs' good things come in a small package real estate wise!…read more Think "...global and local textiles, pottery and succulent arrangements, ... organic baby gifts, unique jewelry pieces made by local artists, ...repurposed billboard wallets" https://goodsla.com/pages/about-us And so much more, do explore GOODs' website, better yet stop by and browse. GOODs is an ideal shop to find a perfect hostess gift unless you share my recent dilemma: a lunch invitation from my hubby's acquaintance and his wife, a couple I have never met therefore an event that rendered me clueless as to what to bring all the while my mother's voice in my head on a loop admonishing, "Good guests never arrive empty handed!" Flowers? I love flowers but as a hostess, receiving flowers can interrupt the entertaining rhythm; can't just let that bouquet sit, must find the right vase and then there's the arranging while the puff pastry burns. Please bring flowers to established friends' gatherings only then offer to do the arranging. Scented candle? Like I said, have never met this couple. What if the fragrance triggers an allergy and while on the topic of allergies, food, chocolate, nuts could be problematic? Same goes for wine; do they even drink? Any and all of the aforementioned non-perishables could definitely be re-gifted as well as any fine GOODs' gift I selected but I remained stymied. SO I did the only logical thing my pea-brain could think of, I gifted myself - IZIPIZI sunglasses in grey cuz it's completely neutral - totally THE best, well constructed, inexpensive shades ever! AND this manufacturer also makes classy readers of identical quality both with frames in muted go with everything in your wardrobe colors. Service is gracious, knowledgeable! One-hour free parking on the south side of Ocean Park Boulevard and free two-hour parking on the Boulevard's north side west of 17th Street but please read signage to avoid an unpleasant, pricey ticket. GOODs, once I know these folks better (color schemes, interior design, likes) I'll be back, perhaps prior because I was completely impressed AND there's always my fave kind of shopping, one for them, one for me.

First off I want to thank Stephanie for her help. I was buying my first fountain pen and while I…read moredid have an idea of what I wanted Stephanie let my try out different pen nibs and walked me through different brands. She showed me inks, journals/notebooks and even another fountain pen brand. She was very sweet and attentive. I look forward to coming back in the future and trying out other journal/notebook brands. :)

An awesome little stationary store in Westwood Village that has a surprisingly amount of great…read moreoptions. They really do have a great selection and even have some Jellycat in the back. Whether it's stationary or pens and everything related to it, you can pretty much find it here. The staff is also really polite. Parking in this area isn't too bad, you can find metered street parking if you go during the right time of day. I would say that pricing is fair and I would recommend to anyone searching for a good stationary option.

OK is by far my favorite store in all of Los Angeles -- actually, in all of the world. Everybody…read morewho works here is genuinely lovely, knowledgeable, patient, and kind, and it's truly such an oasis of joy and humor and intellect. The selection of items is so unique and special; I buy all my gifts here and the recipients are always blown away by the creativity of the gifts and also the AMAZING GIFT WRAPPING (I apologize for likely being the source of my paper cuts). OK the Store is a true godsend and we are all so lucky to live in a world where such a gem exists.

Jane was an absolute treasure! She is very knowledgeable about the product and takes time to get to…read moreknow you. This location also has an Inciardi print machine and when I got a double of one of the prints, she happily traded me for another. I would come back to this location just for her!

So many great finds here! You'll be allowed in after ringing the bell. The front room is filled…read morewith unique items out on display. Most of the items available for purchase are in the back. Shelves stocked with bowls, mugs, plates, trays, and more of all different shapes and sizes. If you're looking for a collection of products, have no fear. Looking for a gift for a friend? Wanting a piece of art in your own home, perhaps? The staff here are amazing! Helpful and not pushy at all. I ended up leaving with a few great unique selects! A beautiful espresso cup, one of their famous knuckle ring mugs, a candle, a matcha bowl, and an artsy bowl / mug for a friend. I loved these mushroom looking pieces in the front. I thought it was for artistic display only, but they also can be used as a plate / bowl! Expensive, but so so so exquisite. If you purchase a candle from them, you can always go back in to get a refill (not sure how much they charge for that). All of the items were wrapped with the utmost of care. Be sure to let then know if something is a gift for someone too cause they can wrap it in its own separate bag for you.

Wife bought a tea set from Destroyer as a gift for me. We went to Destroyer to exchange it with…read moresomething else and were denied and asked to go directly to Match. We went to Match which is right around the corner and were told that they were closed and that we should come back after the holidays. Today wife goes there and she is blatantly told that they have a no return policy. Do not buy gifts from these people as you cannot return them. I think we will start a claim with our credit card company and see what they can do about this.

This place should be titled "Pulp and Hide Your Prices"…read more So, my mother-in-law and I went in here with around a $500 budget. We thought that this would get us some nice wedding invitations. The women showed us expensive ones first, putting the bill at a minimum $1000. We told her our budget, and then she brought out the "cheapie" book. The customer service just declined from here. We found some invites that we liked a lot in this book. She said it would be around $500. She kept being vague about the price (which should have been a huge RED FLAG!). We went through other features, what have you, and made our choices. We had a few other questions a couple days later, and despite many calls, no calls back. Finally, she called us when the proof was ready. We loved them and ordered them. Still vague about the price . . . roughly $500? Right? We came back to pick the invites up, and mysteriously, she brought the bill up to $1500. All these little perks, like, do you need your ribbons tied (which she never said cost money) to do you want a proof (like a $150 service, I guess). We were shocked. The invites are nice-ish, but we have totally been ripped off. If you want a scam artist, and some pathetic customer service, here it is folks. UPDATE: Two days later, we discovered that she had given 60 of our RSVP envelops to another customer by mistake. Currently, my invites are waiting for this little error to get worked out . . .

Amazing candy shop!!!!!!!! Filled with goodies and treats!!…read moreMust visit the shop the people their are sooooooooooooooo nice!!!!!!!!!