My wife and I went for date night on a Friday evening. The class was really fun, and we wound up…read morewith several nice items, which we'll be taking home after they're fired. Hannah, the owner and instructor, is a really remarkable young woman who built the school from scratch after graduating college. She has a has a real easy instruction style that just makes the whole evening a lot of fun. We highly recommend Common Clay Pottery for a fun evening or longer term classes (which we'll probably come back and attend).

The Cottage Gate is a lovely boutique gift shop located in the Westlake Town Center in Hardy,…read moreVirginia. I happened to be in the parking lot of this shopping center parking my pearl white Lexus when I saw many soap bubbles flying in the air. Naturally I went looking to see who was holding the bubble wand that was making these enormous amounts of bubbles at a time. I followed the bubbles and they led me to a bird house which seemed to have a motor inside that was producing these bubbles and this bird house was located in front of one of the most beautiful and one-of-a-kind boutique gift shop that I have ever seen. After having been selected as number 4 of Yelp's Top 50 most prolific Elites of 2025, a year when I was also awarded the Yelp Triad Squad Photographer of the Year Award at their Yelpies 2025 Award Ceremony, an event that honored the highest-performing Yelp Elites, and where last year I was awarded the Yelp Triad Squad Yelper of the Year Award, I decided that this year, as an All-Star Yelp Elite, I not only wanted to be the first to discover new restaurants, businesses, and important landmarks, and bring them to the attention of the public, but also to uncover those found in hidden paths that for one reason or another have not reached the public in its totality. And The Cottage Gate located in the WestlakeTown Center in Hardy, Virginia is a perfect example. Inside, I was welcomed by Jennifer Davis, the Director of Operations of the gift shop, a friendly, very elegant, and distinguish-looking lady with a wonderful personality. She graciously introduced herself and explained how this gift shop had been open for over 20 years and that the name of the owner was Lisa Settle. Later on I researched and found out that around three years ago the original owners Twila and Allen Tolley were planning to close the beloved shop or sell it and Lisa and Stan Settle purchased it in order to keep it alive. Lisa had owned a similar retail boutique in Northern Virginia about a decade ago before moving to Smith Mountain Lake, so she was delighted to take over the helm of this well loved shop by the community and visitors to the Smith Mountain Lake area alike. Even though I didn't get to meet the new owner on this occasion, her passion for the shop was present in the air. Her plan to continue the legacy of the original owners but make it her own was quite evident. Some of Lisa's wonderful ideas that have already been implemented and I was able to observe the results has been organizing the merchandise of the shop by categories such as: clothing, jewelry, home decor, gourmet foods, toys, games, unique gifts, seasonal items, and Smith Mountain Lake souvenirs; and placing these in their individual areas within the shop. Another of her great ideas for the future is expanding the Shop's hours of operation. That way they would get the traffic from the moviegoers of the Westlake Cinema next door, before and after showtime, as well of from the Pizza Shop near by, at the same time that it makes it convenient for the community to visit the gift shop. I invite you to view my photographs and video accompanying this review to get a better sense of the place and the high-quality of their merchandise, at very reasonable prices, and then go give them a visit. I can assure you their extraordinary customer service will not only win you over as a customer but also as a friend.

We were just in this store and there was 3 women working and not one of them even acknowledged us…read more I was not impressed with the hospitality!!

Just as bread and water are food for the body, art and music are food for the soul. And this is the…read moresignificance of this family-owned business. After being awarded the NC Triad Yelp Squad Yelper of the Year 2024 Award at the Yelpies Award Ceremony last year, an event that honored the highest-performing Yelp Elites, celebrating their contributions and accomplishments throughout the year, I decided that this year, as an All-Star Yelp Elite, I not only wanted to be the first to discover new restaurants and businesses, and bring them to the attention of the public, but also to uncover those found in hidden paths that for one reason or another have not reached the public in its totality. And The Frame Connection, in Salem, Virginia, is a perfect example. The local artist and co-owner of this custom framing and art shop, Sean Hatter, worked at The Frame Connection for over 23 years, and this year, after the opportunity of purchasing the business came up, he and his artist wife, Alison, didn't think twice about it, but went on with the heart, and took it. Today, I had the privilege of meeting Sean at the frame shop, conveniently located in the heart of Salem, Virginia, on 19 East Main Street, right next to the Mill Mountain Coffee & Tea Shop. When I walked into the shop, he greeted me and gave me a warm welcome. His amazing personality can only be compared with the quality of his art, which I got to see for the first time being exhibited in his frame shop. I found fascinating how in the small space of the shop, he managed to carry an extensive variety of frames of different styles and prices, including some very nice and elegant ones. All very clean and organized. As well as some framed paintings from local artists and from him and his wife that that were being exhibiting for sale. I immediately fell in love by his painting style which encompassed very detailed fine lines, as well as enough brush strokes to distinguish the painting from being a photograph. I was also very impressed with the samples he had available for customers to take into consideration as they picked the frame and glass type for their particular items they wished to have framed. I invite you to view my photographs accompanying this review to get a better sense of the place and the quality of their frames and artworks. Sean's fine art current focus is on portraits and landscapes. And his wife Alison's varies from representational, symbolic forms, and imaginative realism. You can see samples of these being exhibited at the frame shop. While I was in the shop, I had the opportunity of witnessing how Sean dealt with a young gentleman customer who wanted to have an eclectic artwork framed, but had a small budget. Before he was aware of his budget, he showed him some really nice frame, and once he became aware of his customer's budget, he brought out a simple, yet very nice frame. And then at the request of the customer, he allowed him to pay half of the total today and the other half when he picked up the completed framework. I highly recommend this frame shop for anyone looking to beautifully preserve a memorable item.

Was looking for a local frame shop and been pleased with every piece Frame Connection has done for…read moreme. They have done several pieces in my collection and each one done beautifully. Conservation museum quality work, timely service and at a fair and competitive value. Sean is knowledgeable and has a great eye for design, he has always been kind and professional in all my dealings. A great local shop and worth your support. 4.5 Stars rounded up for the excellent service 01028

I recently through a 50th anniversary party for may parents at Woodland Place. I really liked the…read moreway the look and setup of the facility. Crystal the event manager was great to work with and provided great service and advice (she even stayed the entire night behind the bar which was not expected but was much appreciated). She also helped with room decore ... The room looked great! The room was kept nice and cool all night which is a problem I have experienced at others venues before. They even upgrated there video projection before our event which looked great. Everyone said it was one of the best parties they had ever been to. I would highly recommend them!

I have attended several events that this company has attended and/or hosted. In my experiences I've…read moremet nothing short of professionalism and top tier services. My nieces are absolutely in love with these girls and constantly ask when they're going to get to see the princess again. An innovating business with fresh ideals for the Roanoke Valley with just as an impressive message behind them. As of now, the tea party, the skating rink, and the pajama party that my nieces have attended have all been five star events!

My husband and I had the Best time and experience. Shout out to Damian for being great, at what you…read moredo.

Really fun place to learn how to throw an axe. Staff was friendly and helpful. It was also a clean…read moreand safe environment to try this out.

There are times when we are fortunate enough to find a very special business, and this is precisely…read morewhat I found while traveling down Franklin Road in search of gift shops, during this special time of the year. For what I found inside this place was more than just beautiful gifts, I found the gift of a friendly and welcoming environment where you can feel at home at, while shopping for gifts for those special people in your life, and then relax drinking a cup of coffee at their Coffee Bar. After being awarded the Yelp NC Triad Squad Yelper of the Year 2024 Award at the Yelpies Award Ceremony last year, an event that honored the highest-performing Yelp Elites, celebrating their contributions and accomplishments throughout the year, I decided that this year, as an All-Star Yelp Elite, I not only wanted to be the first to discover new restaurants and businesses, and bring them to the attention of the public, but also to uncover those found in hidden paths that for one reason or another have not reached the public in its totality. And Abide ( Home Goods & Coffee) in Roanoke, Virginia, is a perfect example. This women-owned, cozy home goods store and coffee shop, opened its doors around 6 months ago and many of us didn't even know it existed. As I entered the shop, the first thing I saw on the main wall was the name Abide, followed by a short definition. But I immediately thought to myself one of my favorite Bible verses from John 15:7 : "If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you." Then as I looked down, behind the main counter of the shop, I met the store owner herself. She graciously welcomed me and was surprised when I acknowledged that she must be a German Baptist, not only from the way she was dressed, but by the kindness in her heart. The gift shop had a wonderful selection of quality merchandise, including home goods, clothing, plants, and books, among other things. I invite you to view my photographs accompanying this review to get a better sense of the place and its amazing merchandise. Everything was so clean and organized. The place had beautiful hardwood floors, white walls and ceiling, and an amazing lighting treatment. On the right end of the store was their Coffee Bar, with an excellent menu of amazing crafted coffees, frappes, and lattes, as well as a variety of pastries, and one of the nicest, modern coffee makers that I have ever seen. The owner's daughter was in charge of making the coffee. While watching other customers having coffee, I got encouraged to have one too, and ordered a medium Iced Bit-O-Honey Latte, made with caramel and honey. It was very refreshing and delicious. I didn't have nothing to eat because afterwards I had plans to have dinner at a new Mexican Restaurant that just had opened a few days ago. After I paid for the coffee at the main counter, I thanked the owner for such a lovely experience exploring her shop and enjoying her coffee. I highly recommend and encourage all of you reading my review to visit this place and give them your wholehearted support.

I recently discovered one of my newest favorite plant and coffee shops! I work close by and stop in…read moreoften on my lunch. If you love rare and tropical houseplants, especially starter plants without the markup of big box stores, this is the place. They also have super cute home decor, bespoke gifts and clothing. The ladies that work here are very nice. Definitely worth the visit!

Very unique atmosphere. Redecorating an old bank and filling the display cabinets with chocolates…read moreand candles

Hopefully they just had a bad day. The grilled cheese with 3 kinds of cheese ended up being cheese…read moreon toasted bread not warmed enough to even soften the cheese. The sandwich was not grilled at all. Probably won't go back.