Cute little shop I found after dinner in the area. There were a lot of cute kitchen knick knacks. I…read morepersonally came for chocolate though. I tried the cherry cordial. I never had a dark chocolate one and I may not go back to traditional milk chocolate. If Im ever in the area in again, I try some of their other seasonal chocolates.

For a guy that takes an inordinate amount of photos, I am surprisingly unobservant. This place is…read morejust three doors down from the Posh Bagel on Main St. How is it I just noticed this fantastic store? I mean, stores that sell candy and chocolate are my jam. But it was invisible to me. Until today, anyway. I am so happy I finally found it. Because Gourmet Works is much more than a store that sells candy and chocolate. In fact, as the name would suggest, it's more of a Gourmet food store and Gift Shop than a Chocolate Shop. But it's also a hella cool chocolate shop and that's the main reason I will be sure to return. Right when you walk in the door you are surrounded by an astonishingly large variety of items that would make the perfect gift for a loved one, or for yourself. Because, I ain't gonna lie, there were at least a dozen items that I considered buying for myself. I thought to myself, you know, I do so much for me, and it seems I rarely properly thank myself for my devoted patronage and self care. If you are interested in high quality gourmet gifts, Gourmet Works is definitely the place to go! They carry so many products you would be hard pressed to find elsewhere. Gourmet Salts, Dried Herbs, Pasta Sauces, Dried Pasta, Curry Sauces, Masala Simmer Sauce, Special Preserves and Jams. An impressive, well-curated selection. Then, at the back of the store you find the kind of Chocolate display case that dreams are made of. Oh my Lord! Just the Truffle side alone would be enough to melt anyone's heart. But the other side, with the astonishing variety of hand dipped chocolates is where I lost it. I saw the Almond Bark and stopped dead in my tracks. I stared at that Almond Bark. The Almond Bark stared back at me. We were locked into that stare down for what seemed like an eternity. I was sure neither of us would ever give in. But then I blinked. Somehow I became aware that the wonderful woman behind the counter was asking me if she could help me. As I regained my senses, suddenly I felt so embarrassed. How long had I been staring at that Almond Bark? How many times had she tried to get my attention? I had no idea. I tried to play it off like there was nothing going on between me and that Almond Bark. I casually inquired about some Chocolate Covered Caramels with Sea Salt on a totally different shelf in the display case. Then, of course, I had to buy a couple of those Chocolate Covered Carmels with Sea Salt, to cover up the whole situation with me and the Almond Bark. I purchased a couple ordinary, un-chocolate covered Caramels with Sea Salt too. The woman behind the counter couldn't have been more gracious. She didn't let on that she knew exactly what was happening and I wasn't fooling anyone with the whole Chocolate Covered Caramels with Sea Salt charade. So, my thanks to Gourmet Works, and the gracious woman behind the counter, Padmaja (her family owns Gourmet Works). It was such a pleasure to shop at your wonderful store! Mikey C says: I'm coming back for you, Almond Bark!

I like this cute gift shop. It's great if you need to pick up a gift or a card for someone. They…read morehave a lot of doodads, small bags, blank journals, tea gift sets, and other odds and ends. I have bought a cooling towel here because it was hot outside and I kept on sweating too much when I was walking around. Some of the stuff does seem a bit overpriced, as in it'll probably be cheaper from a major online retailer, but if you don't care or if you need a gift right this instance (instant?), this place is a good option.

Paperwhirl is one of the only places where you can go in Los Altos for cards and gift bags of many…read moresizes. They have a decent card selection that covers most occasion. They also sell things like stationary, note books, candles, pens and fun gifts. One of the cute things they carry are little garden statues. You can get life sized bunnies holding leaves, over grown frogs doing yoga or other anthropomorphize animals. I don't know why but I love them. Too cute. I generally come in here when I needed to get a small gift for friends. I appreciate that the staff just lets you roam around and take your time looking at things. I've always had a good experience with the staff.

This is an interesting store located on Castro street , Mountain View…read more It is called " Therapy Stores " because it carries so many cute items that would made you smile I love the painted shells , mini ceramic vases and trays . Some handmade dolls and animals: men and women mini felt dolls , stuffed animals that are so cute ! There are earrings , hair clips , leather handbags , wallets , pens , umbrellas with colorful duck heads , etc You would definitely find one that will make you smile !

This was a fun store to peruse through in downtown Mountain View. It's surprisingly a NorCal only…read morefranchise of small stores selling gifts, accessories, and other small knick knacks. It's probably the best bet to get a gift that is cute and unique but you want it to lean more towards being western and not too kawaii and anime. Think of gifting a punny keychain or cute Jellycat versus a Chiikawa plushie or anime acrylic if that makes sense. Meaning that it's probably easier and maybe more acceptable to get a slightly more normie a gift here than it is elsewhere. As you can see, I'm learning what it's like to touch grass and re-integrate into human society. There's a good number of plushies, Jellycat and unique ones like a pink fairy armadillo mole one, tote bags and socks, nice range of jewelry, lots of California themed goods if you're looking for souvenirs that aren't mega generic, and they have a lot of other items as well. As with the quality and high regard some of these items have (Jellycats are NOT cheap), it can be a bit pricier, so make sure that you shop around and check prices elsewhere and that you actually truly care about the person you're getting stuff for and it's not a forced obligation one (family member you're ugh with or coworker Secret Santa that you barely know). Maybe a couple cute things I had my eye on, but it wasn't really for me (speaks volumes about me), but I can see how a store like this works in a pinch if you're gift shopping.

BK Collections is a very nice gift shop located in downtown Los Altos. It's a relatively small…read morespace that is fully stocked with something for everyone. It's beyond even listing what you can find there so I'll just name a few things I have purchased myself. I have greatly enjoyed my Powder socks. Powder UK specialize in a soft bamboo blend fabrication and fantastical prints. My most recent purchase of vintage inspired ornaments look lovely on my Christmas tree. Prices are on the high side, but I would expect this at an independent boutique. If I love something and don't think I would be able to find it anywhere else I will take advantage of the moment and make the purchase. The owners are always up for a nice chat at the register. They do a wonderful job gift wrapping.

This is my go to shop when I need a gift. Lots of nice items in a small space makes it easy to…read morebrowse and really beautiful free gift wrapping.

Wonderfully cozy and bright bookstore that kids and folks of all ages will enjoy…read more Great place for kids' birthday party gifts, whether books or Linden Tree gift cards. Service is always friendly. Linden Tree is a fun local business in downtown Los Altos to support.

I've, literally, walked past this children's bookstore every week for years, and I've never walked…read morein because I buy children's books like maybe once a year. I found a really interesting book about bibimbap here. For my little nephew. His dad spent years in Seoul, so I thought a children's book about bibimbap would be a great book for him to read to him. The book is called Bee-bim-Bop! A Korean American girl celebrates food and family in this cheerful book about cooking a special meal by Newbery Medalist Linda Sue Park. I bought another book for my nephew called Kindness Makes Us Strong by Sophie Beer here. But then almost immediately after buying it, I gave it away to a friend whom I bumped into just a few steps from the bookstore. Her son was with her in his stroller, and he's just a few days older than my nephew.

This review is about Cost Plus which is just a great store overall for items like exotic European…read moresnacks and trinkets etc but it's really about Saundra. My wife, 2 young boys and I went in on a Sunday evening to get some stocking stuffers for family and friends. We expected a normal typical night of just doing errands and going home. Instead we were greeted by Saundra whom not only smiled but warmly conversed with us. It was not forced but felt genuinely sincere. In a current world of this geo political climate, to have someone be so kind to out minority family just made our night. We went in to buy snacks and all left smiling, warm hearted and happy. God bless you Saundra (and your mom whom you spoke about at check out as well). The world needs people like you and you deserve all the absolute best. I hope management and whomever else that works there sees this. She is an absolute gem, please treat her well.

Clean and organized store with diverse offerings of products throughout, just like the many other…read morelocations I've been to. Got a couple of my faves, keogh's irish butter potato chips and laceys dark chocolate and almond toffee wafers. No line at the front register. But the worker did the strangest thing. She tried to squish the brittle cookies and multiple large packages of chips into a tiny paper bag half the size of my puchased items (there were clearly bigger regular-sized bags available right next to her). I ended up just holding some of the snacks separately. Luckily my car was parked close by, as there were plenty of spaces available in the lot.

You can smell the herbal magic inside this gift shop. Sure, there are some books available on the…read moreshelves (especially the self-help variety), but this store offers so much more. Buddha statues and figurines, tarot cards and oracle decks, zen gardens, wishing activity kits, art supplies and coloring books focused on self-care, rainbow candles, clothing, kitchenware, and dragon and unicorn themed products. A therapeutic setting, with alluring decor and even a beautiful fountain sculpture near the back. I purchased a gratitude tree and zen gong before leaving, and service was fast and friendly. A great experience overall.

Selection of different spiritual practices has gone down. Seems to be very heavy into Buddhism - a…read morefew years ago they seemed far more open to other religious stock.

Beautiful flowers especially Orchids for a Display in your…read morehome or office. So beautiful.

It's an alright spot -- as another reviewer mentioned, you don't really feel welcomed here over the…read moreseemingly regular customers (e.g. older white folks as reflective specifically of Ladera). It was enough that I noticed a couple of workers glared at me. For what's meant to be a leisurely, outdoor space, they overall don't appear very happy or warm, at least not to the casual customer curious enough to walk in on a weekend. I did end up getting a reasonably priced house plant (~$26, sticker says it's from a farm in Half Moon Bay) and a beautiful pinkish 5-stem rose bouquet (~$12) because they looked nice and healthy and I knew they'd make me happy, but the vibe itself here isn't the best compared to other nurseries. This also isn't really a full walk-in florist space. There are some pretty bouquet options to choose from, but it's not as extensive as expected particularly given the other reviews that make it sound like a dedicated florist service. I did see a lot of colorful potted orchids lined up across the front window. Also, overall the items in the gift shop are extremely pricey and up marked -- doesn't seem like much shopping gets done in this space -- and it's less so a quaint country shop vibe and more so try-hard pretentious.