Yesterday, My two friends and I were doing some early Christmas shopping. We were excited to see…read moreSuite 52's holiday inventory. Upon entering the store, there was a sign greeting us that said "No Christmas decor can be purchased until their Open House Oct 31- Nov 2." What???? What retail establishment won't sell to interested customers?? And to top it all off, I let the employees at the register know that this practice was "weird." A snotty woman came back with this, "it's either this inability to buy, or they would have to shut down for two weeks." What retail establishment in this day and age turns away possible customers??? We left this store with ZERO plans to return. Bottom line: there are many stores to stock up on Christmas decor, don't bother with Suite 52, unless you want to shop in the fray of an Open House!

We have been enjoying our beautiful couch!! We had help…read morePicking out material. The end product is excellent!! Thanks!!

News Flash!!! All Illuminations stores are closing forever! Another victim of the failing economy…read more I popped in while making my weekly pilgrimage to the mall to check out the sale. All candles are 50% off. After literally sniffing each and every fragrance, I made my selections. I chose Vanilla Pound Cake, Almond Biscotti, Bora Bora, Island Flowers, Pumpkin Chai and of course Lavender (one of my all-time faves). I wanted to eat the Vanilla Pound Cake and Almond Biscotti candles, but a diet of candle wax is not very nutritious or even healthy. All of the candle wall sconces and chandeliers have been sold. I would have loved to purchase a candle chandelier. How cute would that be in the powder room? Oh well, I guess a candle chandelier is not in my future. *Sniff!* :(

Just came home from Illuminations in the Vintage Fair Mall. Got myself some great diffusers and…read morecandles for a minimum of 50% off. The diffusers were 75% off. The house is going to be smeeelllling great for a long time. 300.00 worth of items for 130.00. Now if that isn't a steal, what is??

The candle scents are amazing!! The mall is semi open and taking precautions! Masks are required…read moreand there is a limited number of customers allowed in the store. The wait was not long and the associates had great communication with their headsets. My favorite thing here has to be the car scents! And the wallflowers( think glad plug ins) the scents last a very long time and are reasonable when you catch the sale prices!

I love home fragrance. I love how the perfect scent can transform a house into a home. Years ago,…read moreVintage Faire Mall was home to a a White Barn store. I was saddened when they closed because I really enjoyed all of their cute decor. Now, White Barn is back! Lots of yummy fragrances such as candles and plug-ins as well as some quite adorable home decor items. I will definitely return!

Everything one needs for smoking and grilling can be found here. Super knowledgeable and friendly…read more Prices are reasonable as well.

Excellent selection of bbq wood chips, specialty seasonings and various home goods and gifts! Did…read morean online order that was ready for pickup within 20 mins! Unbelievably quick! Love their products. New inventory all the time and the friendliest owners to greet you. They will go the extra mile for you. Definitely one of my fav small shops in the area! Thank you!

The Gateway Plaza has everything you need: a 24 hour ER for pets, a grocery store and what one can…read moreimagine to be this bitter rivalry between donuts shops - one a very much loved mom and pop shop and the other a corporate giant - Duncan's. Whats more important than having a 24 hour vet? If I'm ever traveling with Baby Wrinkles or Little Sweets between the bay and Sacramento I have this mental GPS of all vets in my brain in case something happens. Even confined in a small car those two could find trouble. They are a recipe for disaster. The grocery store is a Food Maxx. I could never get jiggy with these. Low prices but they force you around the perimeter like cattle. Lastly there is this tension between the two donut shops. As far as strip malls go this is as exciting as it gets. Not exactly a Greek tragedy but it creates enough interest and tension. The one mom and pop shop versus Duncans...

Well as of last year the Mistlin Gallery closed permanently. It was taken over by the City of…read moreModesto and a good community of artists of all ages were left disbanded. We had a wonderful gallery with events and shows and volunteers committed to the arts. Sad to see it go........

A local treasure that many cities the size of Modesto don't have: a good-sized gallery devoted to…read moredisplaying local art, with a gift shop that sells pieces by local artists, including very affordable prints and cards. Some of the same local artists whose art you can buy also give classes in the learning space. Exhibits rotate often, and there are always announcements for the next one. Now here's the thing with a place that displays a lot of local art: the aesthetics will vary. There are artists I think are top-notch (and I buy the print versions I can afford because my current budget doesn't stretch to originals to go over the sofa). There are artists I think are.. having a great time with self-expression (so I don't buy). Regardless, it is delightful that these are my neighbors (more or less), and many are depicting the local landscape in a part of California that tends to get neglected. Where else can I buy prints of actual Modesto-area places, rather than the "more important" beauty spots elsewhere in the state? I adore this gallery and go as often as I can. Occasionally they will feed you cheese bits or whatever, in a festive way.

Stumbled upon this place when we were going to have coffee next door…read more What a hidden gem! There were lots of nice Christmas decor items for half off. I had to take home a few. It smelled like the holiday season when you walked in. I was pleasantly surprised by all the Brighton jewelry and purses. I love Brighton! The gal that worked there was very nice which made it even more pleasant to shop! I will definitely be returning.

stopped in Tracy for dinner and found this wonderful shop! a great selection of items. if you're…read morelooking for a gift this is the place to go! I went in and found Brighton, holiday items, beautiful baby gifts, home decor and some women's clothing. and gifts for that special man in your life. I'll be making this place one of my regular stops.

This business is never ever open!!!! We constantly drive by there because the one time over a…read moreyear ago we found it open we loved the items they had. There are no continuous hours or days open. They post they are open and I go there again and again and they are ALWAYS closed. What the heck?!?

Eclectic selection of goods. A great shop to buy unique gifts. Find hard to find and one-of-kind…read moreitems for yourself and friends.