Nook & Nest is a cute little gift store on Main Street in Ames. Compared to other downtowns in…read moreIowa, Ames is in pretty good shape with this store, Dog Eared Books, Cafe Diem (coffee), Oak Lane Candle, a couple decent restaurants and bars, and other businesses lining the boulevard. There's free parking in the lot next to the railroad tracks, so wandering around is a pretty easy and pleasant proposition. Although Nook & Nest features an interesting selection of home goods, I was drawn to the paper, including notebooks and cards from Moglea of Des Moines, and various other brands that would fill anyone's greeting card, writing, listing, habit tracking, and/or planning needs. I'm now stocked up for awhile (and with more than I really need), but when I return to Ames in a few months, who knows?

Located in downtown Ames, this place is a really good place to visit if you are looking for a gift,…read moregreeting cards, home furniture, or a unique item. I have visited twice, and found fun stuff both times, including some great cards that I have not seen elsewhere. The customer service is kind and never pushy, and their buyer has impeccable taste. I do like the layout of the store, as you're not cramped at all, a store that has plenty of space if you're browsing and not quite sure what direction that you're headed. I am grateful for Jamie Nessa's guidance on my last visit.

The Frame Shop is absolutely the best. I have had framing done there for decades. The two women…read morewho work there have guided me to be absolutely happy with every framing. Further, they brought back to life a 100 year old piece that had fallen from a wall.

I had The Frame Shop frame a sketch my father had done on vellum (very thin paper) and they did…read morean absolutely fantastic job with it!!! It was a complex framing with sketch on a white backing and glass raised above the sketch so it didn't touch the sketch. I am very impressed with their work!!!

Selection is outstanding! Our sales consultant, LuAnn, took a genuine interest in our needs, was…read morevery patient, and offered suggestions with no pressure. Her help ultimately lead to our success in finding what we loved to fit our needs. Highly recommend!

After shopping in other various furniture stores, we found Redekers to have quality furniture…read more Knowing what we were looking for, Hunter, our salesperson, graciously handed us the tape measure to begin our search explaining he was there to help when needed. We purchased a sofa, loveseat, two end tables, coffee table, sofa table, and a very solid recliner for the living room and very attractive shelving unit for nine of my antique mantle clocks. We love our furniture and have received numerous compliments. Thanks, Hunter, for your assistance! Also thanks to the delivery service as our furniture was covered with plastic for protection and the two gentlemen were very knowledgeable regarding the care of the wooden tables as they were manufactured by the Amish. Those wooden accents were very well made and so glad we purchased those.

MY HAPPY PLACE!! Every business owner should be like Talia. She's so friendly, inviting and excited…read moreabout every customer who comes into the store. It's so obvious that she loves and cares about her work. This store is adorable - always a solid offering of trendy and timeless clothing, quirky/fun gifts, plants, accessories, etc. Sort of like Target x10000 (you go in for one thing and walk out with 30). So much thought has been put into each product and detail of the store itself. I normally have to steer myself away from boutiques because I'm a poor young person and can't afford boutique pricing, but everything here is fair, affordable, and (yes it's true) high quality. I've been shopping here since it first opened and this place has always been quality/lovely! Whenever I'm back in Ames I have to swing in. If you're in the area, do yourself a favor and visit :)

Although the owner is very kind, after my best friend made a purchase, I searched for the brand,…read moreand they sell the clothing for less than half of what it is priced at in the store on amazon. I only hope my review can help other college students be smart about their money and realize, as my friend did, that instead of supporting a small business that she thought she was, it still supports unethical fast fashion. I also know how hard my friend works for her money, which is why I was prompted to write this. Even if it is legal, I find it wrong to upscale and mislead college students.

Janae and her team are professionals and do a fantastic job. So far I have only booked…read moreappointments for alterations, but would trust them with tailoring from scratch in a heart beat.

I came in with a pair of jeans that were really baggy in the waist. I needed them back within 48…read morehours, and these ladies delivered! I'm so happy with the results.

One of my favorite little consignment shops!…read more This is a higher end consignment shop for being in semi-rural Iowa. They recently (04/2025) moved from a location in Gilbert IA to Nevada IA. Not going to lie though... I liked the Gilbert space a bit better. Nothing wrong with the Nevada location; they are still working on getting settled so it may turn out just as nice in the long run, That being said... It's the the same great staff and same great selection. If you don't like dust this is the place for you. Always clean. Prices are reasonable and items range from smalls to beautiful handcrafted furniture. Definitely worth the trip to check this spot out if you are a treasure hunter!

This is a nice consignment shop to browse in. I liked how organized their clothing was, mostly by…read moresize so you can easily find the items that will likely fit you (and don't fall in love with something not your size). They had a lot of mid range and brand name items so the prices I saw were generally in the $7-20 range, and some items considerably more if they were a desirable brand. This is a good place to go if you like being able to find clean, current, brand name items at a good price because they're gently used. If you're more of a traditional "thrifter" you may find the prices to be higher than what you're used to paying.

This store couldn't be any cuter! Tasteful displays, easy to navigate layout and arrangement of…read moreitems, beautiful, lightly-worn clothing, purses, shoes, and accessories! The staff is very friendly, caring in what your shopping needs are and helpful in every way. The staffs degrees in this profession and fashion only enhance your shopping experience with having a professional stylist on hand to help with questions or even fully styling you. The owner is passionate about her job and has a keen eye for fashion and making your shopping experience a delightful one. I choose Miss Meyers time and time again over many other stores because the price is always right and the items are beautiful, classy, fun and almost brand new. Plus all name brand, designer and high-end. They strive for the best and offering you the best. They succeed in meeting this goal. Please do yourself a favor and make your next shopping stop Miss Meyers. You won't regret it.

This is one of my favorite places to buy gifts for my wife and is one of the strongest businesses…read moreon Ames' Main Street. Before there was a Wiliams Sonoma store in the state of Iowa Cooks Emporium has been selling high-quality cooking gear and offering classes in downtown Ames. While the location isn't huge you'll find the well-established brands (All-Clad, Le Creuset, Wusthof) that you trust right here. As someone who enjoys cooking, I can spend a lot of time browsing in here for kitchen gadgets. I do the majority of my business here around the holidays and they do a really nice job of wrapping gifts. They are very helpful in answering questions and guiding you toward the right purchase for your task or gift idea. As I write this review I can see many items that we've purchased from the Cooks Emporium. They are local, offer high-quality merchandise, and offer competitive prices on par with even online-retailers.

I love this store, but the employees are hit and miss…read more I am heavily tattooed (at least for Ames, Iowa) and sometimes there is a lady that is just rude and doesn't help me. I can tell it's because I'm young and tattooed by the look on the lady's face. Good thing she doesn't work on commission. If only she knew I graduated from culinary school four years ago and have been baking professionally since then, including wedding cakes. I'm not just some punk kid who can't afford your over-priced stuff. I usually buy my stuff on the internet - so much cheaper. But I love looking here and it's great for small buys (rubber scrapers) and "crap I need this right now and no one else in town is going to have it" impulse buys (mandoline). Great for seeing an item in person so you know what you want to order online.