I stopped in after calling this location as I was desperately seeking some help with gift wrapping…read morefor my wife's birthday. I arrived at the store and was greeted by a gentleman who probably provided me with a number of options for gift wrap service. We quickly make some excellent choices for gift wrap and ribbon, and he properly suggested that I have a cup of coffee across the street while they took care of the four packages I brought in. They were friendly, courteous, and easy-going and they are also efficient in the Gift wrapping. When I came back from my coffee, they rang my order up, and I was surprised that the cost of the wrapping and the paper was minimal. I would recommend this shop to anyone looking for a gift wrapping or stationary or candles or writing instruments. It's a very nice neat, cozy and friendly place to shop. Kudos to duly noted stationary. You have a customer for life in me.

When I was looking for a card for the upcoming first anniversary of my marriage, I popped over to…read moreDuly Noted after work one day. Normally I get cards at Sweet Jane's, but I wanted a non-joke one, and one that was hopefully locally made. It's a small shop with a a few racks of cards, and an impressive amount of stationery fit into the space. There also seemed to be a wedding invitation consult going on at the time. The selection of cards spanned lots of events, although I just ended up going with a cute one with a blank interior. Most, if not all, of the cards seem to locally made, so if you'd rather your $4-5 for a card go to a local shop and artists instead of Hallmark (and you should), hit up Duly Noted! PS. Bonus points for that awesome donair-themed birthday card.

Inkwell is carved out of my artsy print and font-filled dreams. Or maybe letter-pressed out of my…read moredreams would be more accurate since the place is filled with insanely gorgeous prints, stationery, gift cards, calendars, notebooks, tote bags, and so much more. This is one of those boutiques that is just going to make me poor. Why? Because after my first visit this morning, all I can think about is who I can send gift cards to...which is soon to be just about everyone. Maybe I'll just slowly work through my entire Yelp friends list? The interior is a heavenly white with gorgeous painted brick walls, an open feel, round showcase tables, and a clean storage system that manages to keep a shop of small products looking both tidy and whimsical at the same time. I'm not sure if it's all the cute animals, trees, and nature prints, but it kind of feels like stepping into the world of the Fantastic Mr. Fox in all the right ways. I managed to keep myself on strategy today, buying only the four thank-you cards that I immediately needed. But I'll be back...I just pray for the strength to refrain from a purchase of nursery room prints that I'm in love with. You know...'cause I might accidentally give birth over the next few days. But guys, it was a family of elephants holding tails in a row! ELEPHANTS! HOLDING TAILS! WITH A BABY ELEPHANT! I've heard of worse reasons to have a kid than that...

I LOVE the new space! I think it's smaller than their old location, but it feels bigger - and…read moredefinitely brighter. There is so much natural light, which makes the whole browsing the beautiful art even more lovely. I want to buy everything in the store. They have gorgeous prints, cards, scarfs, key chains, tea towels, cat toys...yeah, just about everything. A huge amount of their stuff is locally made (anything with a little blue dot on it) which I really appreciate. I love supporting local businesses that support other local businesses. Inkwell is the reason I started buying cards again. I would much rather spend $5 on a locally made card than on something mass produced. And it's always a little piece of art too, so it's a two-in-one gift!

I admit it. I am an office supply geek. I love it when the sales reps come to visit, bearing…read moresamples of new pens, highlighters, papers, labels ... I'll take whatever they happen to be pushing that day. Basin Stationery is not the only office supply company in the city, but it consistently provides great service at low prices. Their catalogue is impressive and they offer phone or online ordering. (I have to say, though, that their website is a little embarassing - they need a proofreader before posting items online.) I use Basin's services through my day job. Basin offers free next-day delivery in Metro Halifax. Customer service is a plus at Basin: if your order arrives missing items they fix the problem right away, no questions asked. If you have the responsibility for ordering office supplies - or if you just want to huff highlighters and sharpies - Basin Stationery is the place for you.

I tried calling with a question 5 times through out the day. Each time when prompted, I pressed 1…read morefor customer service and over and over again no one even picked up. I will be giving my business to a company who actually answers their phone calls.

I discovered this place after a friend told me about it and my friend and I have made it a weekly…read morestop recently. Attached to the historic brewery market. Part craft/art supply store, part teahouse, combined equal perfection. I think absolutely everything about this place is adorable. The art supply area of the store has cute postcards, stamps, stickers, journals, planners, pens, jewelry beads, tea sets and so much more. The teahouse portion offers hot beverages, as well as, vegan and nonvegan light food fare. Vegan options include a rice, seaweed and mushroom soup (doesn't sound like much but it's actually delicious), a fruit breakfast bowl with rice, green onion and seasame pancakes and candied walnuts. They also offer soy milk for drinks or to bring home. The gentleman who has always been working when we have gone (I believe he's also the owner) is very nice as well. They have a nice seating area and my favourite spot is the window where there are stools. There's a little rock garden with adorable plants and cacti. It's simply heavenly. Prices are also very reasonable. It is probably my new favourite place to relax.

Disclaimer: I haven't experienced the tea house portion of Yu Yo yet. I was drawn in for the crafty…read morebits, and oh boy are there lots of crafty bits! The room is divided between the craft section and the tea house, where there are tons of different types of tea and lots of places to sit and sip, or craft away to your hearts content. The art/craft section sells just about everything you could want from washi tape to brushes. I really need to make a point of going in again and having a more thorough look because I got so excited about the washi tape that I didn't look as closely as I wanted. I bought a couple of tea samples to take home with me as well and the green tea is delicious! Man...this is really reminding me that I've got to go back and have tea!

Kept is one of those places where as soon as you walk in, you know you could spend hours looking at…read moreall of the things they have for sale. Tea, chocolates, fancy paper, cards, hand bags, home wares this is a "get all of your gift shopping done in one place" kind of store. The store is nice and spacious with a good flow to it, and is packed with goods without being over packed. It's definitely full, but not so much so that you have to sort through piles of things to find what you're looking for. Whoever does the merchandising for Kept knows what they're doing, I'll say that for sure! If you're looking for local gifts, they've got some local products in here too. I noted some local card makers up on the second floor - if it can be counted as a second floor? - and Rousseau's has chocolates there, for instance. And in the not local category, they have Rifle Paper Co. here. I'm completely in love with the Rifle Paper Co. art style, so that made me incredibly happy!

This is such a cute little shop. I could definitely spend a fortune in here. Lots of cute…read moreknickknacks, kitchen gadgets, gift ideas and so much more. I was particularly fond of all the cat themed items, being a crazy cat lady, I approve. I forsee myself doing holiday shopping here. Plus there's a squirrel on the sign and I love squirrels. Nope doesn't take much to win me over. The new location is more spacious which is great!

During our first visit to Halifax, we passed by this shop while exploring and decided to have a…read morelook inside. It's a charming little shop with hints of Japanese culture out for display. Perfect place for gifts ranging from plushies, figures, notebooks, calligraphy sets, and a number of accessories and clothes. Very polite staff who are from Japan I believe. Will definitely come back on our next trip and bring a bigger luggage!

This is a great edition to Quinpool Rd. It seems Quinpool Rd, is becoming the food mecca of…read moreHalifax. Ikebana is full of wonderful gifts that will be a great surprise for anyone. If you are a tea drinker you will find some fantastic Green Tea here. The owner is a wonderful man who takes the time to talk with you and give a little education on the unique gifts here. The arrangements might be a little high for the budget with some people. Stop by and have a look.

I can't believe I've never been here before because this is everything I want in an arts and crafts…read morestore. Not only does it carry gorgeous local art from some of my favourite artists, but they also do workshops and classes. I believe the post them on their website, but I heard there's a book binding one coming up that I would love to go to. When I went last weekend it was because I wanted to meet Amy of Friday55 (one of my favourite local artists) and I ended up learning how to do some embroidery while there. It was really lovely! The Lunenberg Makery was also there showing how to do felting, but I ran out of time to learn that one because I was loving embroidery so much. I think I've found a new favourite hobby. The Trainyard General Store is one of those stores that is completely community-oriented, and I adore it. It's a bit hidden on Portland Street, so a keep an eye out for the sandwich board pointing you in the right direction.

From the owner: Unique and practical handmade goods…read more Workshops led by the Makers whose goods are in store are offered weekly.

I'm here visiting from Ottawa, ON. Found this cute shop and went to drop in, super cute stuff!…read moreBought a cute fairy ring :)

From the owner: Welcome to YOLO CRAFT! Discover a creative space where you can craft your own unique hand-tufted…read morerug through our tufting workshops. Tufting is a traditional craft with modern techniques, perfect for creating carpets, coasters, purses, and more. In addition to tufting, we offer a variety of exciting workshops, including Decoden Cream Glue for decorating phone cases, Silver Ring Workshops, DIY Beading, and other fun DIY corners to explore your creativity. We also have a selection of handmade crafts and supplies for sale. The possibilities are endless – come create something special with us!