This place has lots of art supplies and there's tiny af color pencils and sketchbooks. So nice!read more

Mai Do (Maido) is one of the sub-brands under the Kinokuniya Group and this stationery store is…read morelocated inside Mitsuwa Marketplace in Costa Mesa. If you isolate the stationery section of a Kinokuniya Bookstore, then you get Mai Do. There is a two-story Mai Do in Japantown San Francisco and another location in San Jose. [Parking]: Mitsuwa Marketplace has a designated parking lot, but it is one of the more difficult parking lots to navigate in Orange County because Mitsuwa Marketplace also has a food court that draws a huge crowd. [What to Expect]: A-tier selection for Japanese writing instruments, greeting cards, and journals. While the selection is not as customized or curated as some specialty stationery shops, there are still plenty of cute items to choose from. B-tier selection for plushies and the plushies are really overpriced here. [Conclusion]: Come here for Japanese stationery and only window shopping for plushies. P.S. - Kinokuniya Membership Card benefits do not apply at Mai Do (Maido) locations.

What a cute little place for gift shopping. This place has a great selection of just odd stuff. it…read moreis cute and clean and the service is very nice. Most of the items are from Japan and they have stuff I had not seen before. They had a little Toto lighter which I loved as I have a Toto at home (it is a toilet, made in Japan and has a washlet.) They also have stickers and tee shirts and hats, they have lots of hats. I bought one for my son in law. The prices are fair for the area. We really did love the service. It is not a place I would go to often, but it is adorable and worth a visit. We had a great time there, just looking at all the stuff. It was not at all busy when we were there and check out was super easy. So, if you are nearby stop there. It is not a must see, but it is cute.

Love the store but service 0/5…read more My friend and I had stopped by this shop after taking pictures at Booth by Bryant to take a look around. This shop is very nicely organized and aesthetic, however, the lady at the cash register who might be the owner did not greet us or anything, and seemed very bothered by us just walking in. There are some colorful crates in the back part of the store that my friend wanted to take pictures with, so I asked the cashier first if it would be okay to do so, since I had noticed that she already looked upset, and she said "yes and thank you for asking first since some people don't even ask" and I had also purchased a $40 hat prior to asking. I take a few pictures of my friend and as we're looking at them some customers walk in and are taking a look around and we scooted to the corner so they can shop. As soon as they left the cashier comes up to us with so much attitude saying "you guys need to get out when customers come in, if you guys are doing this they can't shop." when we literally were no where in the way of the customers. The last thing my friend and I wanted was to make her upset, which is why we asked permission first and purchased an item so we could stay longer in the store. But, the lack of customer service and passive aggressive tone was what makes us not want to shop here anymore. A simple "if customers come in I would appreciate if you guys step aside for them to shop" (which we did either way) in the beginning when I first asked for permission would've been nice instead of telling us to "get out" after I had already purchased something.

I purchased an expensive Nambe salad bowl with wooden and silver tongs. The sales associate was…read morewonderful and wrapped it in bubble wrap since I was taking it to SF. I held the gift at my seat on the plane. When we opened it at my son's house the tongs were chipped. I immediately called the store and they said they would call manufacturer . They never called me Back. I had to call again and they said they would call back. Never did. Bottom line I should have gone to Bloomingdale's. Despite the cordial nature of the owner and his partner they didn't offer any compensation nor did they even have the courtesy to get back in touch with me. Brandon finally called once he read my two negative reviews. Almost two weeks to the day when I called him. Again, the item was defective and no recourse was offered to me. His response consisted of blaming me for carelessness in transit. Absolutely nothing true.

What a delightful little shop!!!! How cute!!! Phenomenal customer service! Shoutout to Val! She was…read moredarling! In this unique store, they have candles, room sprays, diffusers, home decor, handbags, slippers, an array of jewelry that is very exclusive, and other accessories and gifts. Although, this store is pricey, it's Newport Beach what else!?!? Need a very nice quick gift to give, this place is your go-to! Lovely selection, and insanely clean and well organized shop! Parking can be difficult! Go just before opening hours. Highly recommended! You bet, I'm coming back!!! Thanks so much! LOVED!!!!!

Lots of miffy items and other stuff. Definitely would come back. Worker was kinds and amazing.read more

It's that time of the year where you are getting ready for the holidays. And it only means one…read morething...getting the cutest gifts for your favorite humans. You can choose from blind boxes to tees to plushies to kitchen and home goods, believe it or not. This store reminds me of my bedroom as a single person, packed with toys in every nook and cranny. Give yourself a good amount of time to check out all that you can. Go through the store twice, because chances are, you will miss something the first time around. I love all the fun Miffy and Monchhichi items available. And there are other popular characters like the Peanuts gang, Moomin, and the newest edition Zilly Tales created by Zillymonkey. The store is pretty well-stocked...until it sells out - worst feeling ever! Pricing is subjective. Black Friday prices were pretty cool. Anyway, you can order online too and pick up in-store. Service is super friendly. Parking is plenty. Happy shopping!

Pen Pals Stationery and Gift Shop is a cute Japanese-inspired stationery and gift shop located…read moreinside The LAB Anti-Mall in Costa Mesa. Recently Pen Pals Stationery and Gift Shop opened another location in Fountain Valley. [Parking]: The LAB Anti-Mall has a designated parking lot, but finding a spot can be hit-or-miss depending on what time you visit. [What to expect]: The shop is comprised of two vintage Airstreams with one Airstream focusing on stationery items (pens, Studio Ghibli-themed journals, and stickers) + greeting cards while the other focuses on plushies (including Sanrio characters), mini games, pins, greeting cards, etc. [Conclusion]: This is a really cute stationery shop to visit and definitely a worthwhile stop for stationery enthusiasts.

This store is very cute and it smells good inside. I was surprised it is very cool and not stuffy,…read moreeven on hot days. The staff is very nice and friendly. The store has a good selection of everything. We love the Miffy collections, the stickers and the plushies. The prices are very reasonable. I found the mirror photo op outside very cute and thoughtful of the owner. Many customers are so rush in and out and they totally missed this. Slow down, enjoy your time and take pictures :)

Omg I love this store so much. Anytime I work in Costa Mesa, I stop by to get some crystals sage…read moreor Palo Santo. The price point is just so great and affordable. Everything inside is designed very great, with fantastic merchandise inside. I would highly recommend this store if you enjoy a local must see store. Also the staff was very kind and helped me find the crystals I needed :)

I first heard of this store at a 12 step club conference in Wisconsin 7 years ago. I have been…read moreordering coins for our Alano club from them ever since. My only wish is that they had a store in the Midwest. Kind and helpful people take my phone orders and send them quickly. If I ever get to Costa Mesa I will go to hug these beautiful people and I give good hugs.

Great spot for unique gifts! Very nice owners and helpful as well. My wife really enjoyed the…read morefollowers.

What a lovely little gem I found! Great gifts, stickers, school supplies from Japan, and…read morebeautifully dried flowers! The owner is fun and loves to chat. He worked with me because I wanted different flowers than were in the bouquets and was so kind. I love the ones I chose!! Groovy things to look at as well. I loved all the school supplies from Japan from his friends company!! I've homeschooled for 18 yrs so I'm drawn to these items. What fabulous gifts and fun place to visit!! Wishing him and his wife great success!

Oh my, this is a very cutesy place. I've eyed Jini Mini a lot as I'm often nearby but didn't know…read morewhat they had in store. Recently, I came across them on a hunt for cute bag charms (thanks, Yelp Assistant) and I was blown away by the selection! In addition to tons of plushies, they have a whole wall of bag charms. I didn't find what I was looking for (something Disney and/or cherry-themed) but I found a cute charm for a friends birthday gift and the claw clips on the shelf below caught my eye because many of them were metal and large. Perfect for thick hair! The cashier confirmed this as well which made me feel confident and I can confirm they hold up with long, thick, hair. It seems like this place does a lot of limited drops so definitely get there early if you're looking for a trendy item. But, it wasn't too crowded when I went around 11am.

I walked in expecting a full Jellycat selection. The shelves looked almost empty. It felt…read moremisleading and frustrating. My excitement disappeared instantly. This was not what I came for. The only options were the Lunar New Year one. There was also a random softball plush. That was it, nothing else. No variety, no classics, no fan favorites. The selection was honestly disappointing. I drove out of my way for this. The display felt poorly stocked. It seemed careless and unprepared. Three stars only because the plushies were decent. I expected far more than this. .