Simply Made Here is a great shop and "maker space" a bit west of downtown Catonsville, on the north…read moreside of Frederick at Hillside (not Hilltop). They have cute and wonderful creations of at least 35 local artisans, and they host many many artistic workshops. We stopped by in mid-September 2025 and found locally-designed ceramics among a wide variety of other items. We got a pretty chip-and-dip dish with colorful flowers all around the edges. Our visiting 1.5-year-old niece loved discovering a pair of cute fuzzy bees! We saw some workshops were coming up where we could make things with the artists, so we looked for more and they've had wood flower-book making and wood-art painting and other woodshop, clay pet sculpting and clay earring making, stained-glass art making, leather crafting, journaling, crochet, coir matt making, ... and occasional multi-artisan events with kids' activities and food trucks! How have we been missing this??? They are open Wed-Sun, weekends mid-day to early evening, and Wed-Thu 3-7pm. (as of Sep 2025). Plenty of on-site parking. Got to find their upcoming events schedule!

What a cute gift and candy shop!!! Came in on a Thursday around lunchtime and it was very empty…read more The worker was very friendly and happy to answer any questions I had. There was a wide selection of candies, chocolate, Maryland themed gifts, and locally-made trinkets. I grabbed a Christmas ornament, some single candies, and a chocolate covered rice krispy treat. I will definitely be back for some Christmas shopping soon!

Pat's Porch is pure charm wrapped in nostalgia. It has this…read morevintage charm. Think of it as old-fashioned candy, Maryland-themed gifts, truffles, and warm, welcoming staff who make you feel like you've stumbled into your favorite aunt's cozy kitchen. Truffles are really good and fresh. Recommend this place

EC Pops specializes in gourmet popcorn, and they do it really well. Tons of flavors to choose from,…read moreand it's the kind of place where you'll probably try something you didn't expect and end up liking it. You can even see the popcorn being made, which adds to the whole vibe. But the popcorn is honestly just part of it. The store itself is big, bigger than it looks at first, and it's packed with all kinds of stuff. You've got Maryland and Baltimore themed everything. Shirts, hats, socks, magnets, stickers, books, metal decor, and just a ton of novelty items. Old Bay, Natty Boh, local pride is everywhere in here. It's got that quirky, almost museum-like feel where you keep turning corners and finding something new. There are a lot of little sections and nooks, so you really have to walk the whole store to take it all in. They also have a crazy selection of nostalgic candy and glass bottle sodas. Stuff you don't usually see anymore. It's easy to lose track of time just looking through everything. If you're trying to find a gift for somebody, this is honestly a great place to start. You can grab something simple or put together a whole mix of items without trying too hard. The vibe is what really makes it stand out though. It's bright, fun, a little over the top in a good way, and just welcoming. Feels like a place you go into for five minutes and end up staying way longer. Staff is friendly and helpful, and you can tell they actually enjoy being there, which adds to the experience. Overall, this is a must stop if you're in Ellicott City. Good popcorn, great energy, and a ton to look at. You're definitely not walking out empty handed.

Love the "Bodacious Butter" popcorn here! My daughter's fave flavor is the "French Toast" with…read more"Buffalo Wing" coming in a close second! EC Pop's has every popcorn flavor you could imagine and all are unique and make for a tasty (be careful, addictive) delightful snack! The store interior is so apropos for a "popcorn/ candy/snack" shop! The place is cute, bright, and colorful with a fun, upbeat vibe! And the personnel are absolutely lovable - kind, welcoming, knowledgeable about the ware, cheerful, generous, and easy-going! Today was sampler day! I discovered so many popcorn flavors unique to EC POPS that I hadn't known of before! This place has great popcorn options and what too-cute (it's giving souvenir) shopping bags you receive at checkout! Wha is a real delight to visit!

Kaysi Beauty is a beauty supply located in Columbia, MD, right of Snowden River Parkway…read more This store is massive. They have everything from hair products (new school and the OG products), hair accessories, braiding hair, wigs and even some beauty products. I know I can get everything for my hair at this store. Staff is pretty helpful and help guide you to what you need if you are unable to find it. The music they play in there is all good too.

Wow, I was completely impressed with Kaysi Beauty and may never go to Sally's Beauty Supply again,…read moreunless I have to. This store is VAST! And they had an amazing selection of everything I was looking for [mostly]. I needed a bonnet, and there were almost too many to choose between, but I finally picked on. It was $3.99, about half the price I paid for a bonnet at Sally's. I also purchased a small pack of rubberbands, and a specific kind of Eco Gel. Since the store is so big, I did ask for help finding things, and the sales associate there was very helpful in directing me, and later in answering my inane questions and providing advice. Everything I bought was less than $10, so that was exciting. Will definitely return!

I came to the Nest for the first time today, and all I can say is this little shop is such a…read morepositive space and full of great energy. I came in just to look, but ended up leaving with a couple of crystals. I've always been interested in healing crystals, but I never knew where to start. The employee, whose name is Ali, was EXTREMELY helpful and kind. You can tell she is a genuinely caring person and she spent 30 minutes helping me find the right crystal. And I know that's hard to do because each person responds differently. But she was very patient and thoroughly explained everything and I definitely have a better understanding because of her so thank you so much, Ali! Highly recommend for everyone to stop by the Nest!

OMG OMG OMG. I love these kind of shops - one of a kind, unusual products that appeal to the heart…read moreand soul. I'm a sucker for unusual glassware, pottery, jewelry, books, candles etc. Sad that most of the clothes don't come in plus sizes. We gals like those clothes too. Staff were nice and not overly obtrusive. Parking is tight, as it shares the lot with Roots.

Had a great experience at Unusual several years ago, and it hasn't changed a bit. The gelato is…read moreamazing and service is exceptional. Definitely recommend stopping by if you're in the area! My friend and I stopped by on a Friday night right before closing. We had a coupon for buy 1 get 1 gelato. The man working was super kind and didn't charge us at all. The owners and rest of the staff have always been really friendly as well!

Really cool shop on Main Street! Loved all of the unique items available. They also have a…read moregelato/ice cream spot upstairs. Great place for fans of horror or other unique items! I definitely want to come back when I have some extra money to spend for gifts and things for myself!

Came here to the store's grand opening. It's located in the former Big Lots store on Route 40 West…read more Upon walking into the store, they have an array of clothing, accessories, beauty, and wig items lining each row. I can't go into to detail on exactly what this store has; just know if you are looking for a specific beauty item, you'll probably find it here. Braiding hair Wigs, wigs, and more wigs (in addition to a wall of assorted human hair bundles) Clothing Hair products (shampoo, flat irons, combs, brushes, blow dryers, etc.) Accessories (jewelry, belts, handbags, etc.) Beauty (makeup, eyelashes,etc.) The staff were pleasant and helpful when I was looking for a specific item. All in all, you MUST come and see for yourself just how extensive this store's inventory is. Also, they have 30% off the ENTIRE store going on until August 24, 2025.

I recently checked this location out after seeing it several times and they have so many good…read morefinds!! Literally the best beautiful supply in this area for sure. It's very clean and well organized not to mention you can find absolutely everything you are looking for here. I loved the selection of costume jewelry and perfumes they had available. The staff was also very helpful s c didn't make you feel uninvited or unwelcome. They were eager to answer my questions and helpful with my requests for retrieving things out of cases. I highly recommend you checking this beauty supply out for all of your beauty store needs! I'll definitely be returning frequently!! Also the pricing it's bad either I'm overall very satisfied.

I came in looking for a specific bead for a project I was working on. I ended up leaving with…read moreseveral different types of beads for other future projects. The staff was super friendly and helpful when I had questions about pricing. Too bad this place is a bit far out for me, but I'm glad its option for my future projects!

Fantastic store. Everyone was extremely helpful…read more Small store, however a mighty impact. They have a great selection of Beads, kits already to work up, classes a a lot of friendly student.