3 Charming Chicks is such a creative and affordable place to shop. I'm going to miss them. The…read morefirst week-end in May will be their farewell. Lucky for us thrifters, a new business called Terra-Cotta will be taking over. The reason I enjoy shopping at 3CC is I can find treasures at cheap prices. I love the bargains you can find at yard or estate sales, but I don't have the patience to drive around and shop them. That's why I love the ladies of 3CC, they do the shopping, buy the best offerings and bring them together at their showroom. Then I shop their boutique and get my goodies. Also within their showroom there are a variety of other vendors who offer; jewelry, greeting cards, jellies and clothing. It's almost like a famers market, but for home decor and clothing. While shopping, if you need to use the restroom, you will see a very stunningly beautiful non-gender specific bathroom. It's a deep green, has four separate stalls with floor to ceiling walls and three basins to wash your hands. I wish all public restrooms were this posh. The ladies who are the 3 Chicks, are charming and make shopping their showroom a fun experience.

This is such a fun place! My groups love going here and shopping - a whole busload of goodies!read more

What a find in Alton, Illinois! Great collection of vintage objects, clothing and other treasures…read moregently used And beautifully displayed. We scored some great shirts thanks to Kim, who could not have been more friendly and helpful. If you're in Alton, definitely check out StrangeLovely and the rest of Alton, while you're there!

They found their way to my Instagram feed, so I got in the car and found my way to their shop. If…read moreyou have never been to Alton, I highly recommend a mini road trip. The drive is beautiful no matter what direction you're coming from. I live in St. Charles county and took one of the river ferry's across into Grafton. The River Road gets you to Alton in about 20 minutes. Both Grafton and Alton have great food and antique stores to choose from. I was warmly welcomed into the shop. One of the co-owners was there during my visit to assist and answer any questions. The main level is eclectic filled with furniture, knick knacks, and tchotchkes. There is also a smaller selection of clothing on the main floor. The upstairs is a vintage shoppers dream! Clothes, coats, shoes, and accessories. I'm am a fuller bodied person and sometimes have a hard time finding anything in my size. They are size inclusive and did carry true plus size clothing. I can't really speak to value. If I see something and love it, I just buy it. But I believe the pricing is fair considering the care and attention given to the quality of the items they have curated. Enjoy your day trip!

OMG! White Birch has given itself a refreshing remodel and it looks amazing. The side entrance is…read moreno longer, you now enter through the front. A simple change like that, totally improved the flow of the entire store. Whenever I need gifts for my female family members and BFF's, I know I can find something at White Birch. They've got everything a person needs for entertaining. I have to control myself when shopping, because I want to buy something for myself. I love Nora Fleming and I'm always tempted to buy the newest items. I like that they have locally branded items. They'll offer locally themed tea towels with both. Alton and Godfrey printed on them. Another one of my favorite things to purchase here are; cocktail napkins and greeting cards. They've got some of the wittiest cards and the napkins make me laugh, too. They also have a fashion boutique for the ladies. A couple of my family members have bought items and have looked very stylish. On occasion, WB will have a few mens shirts and I've bought them and constantly get compliments, when I wear them. The service is very personalized and when you become a regular, they'll remember your name. If they don't remember your name, they'll remember what you bought and will make recommendations based on previous purchases. That's impressive and excellent customer service. Getting married soon? Be sure to use the Bridal Registry at White Birch.

Return/expiration policies are very strict. No exceptions...at least for me but I'm betting there…read moreare plenty depending on who you are.

If you need a unique gift, Honeybee is where you need to shop. It's a good mixture of new and…read morevintage merchandise. It is a great addition to E Broadway (Downtown Alton). I'll admit, I haven't bought a gift here. However, I have bought myself several new pairs of socks, a couple of Christmas ornaments and a candle or two. As you can see, any of those items would make a nice one. I apologize for no pictures, but was I so impressed while I shopped I just forgot. I'll go back and add photos at a later date. I also enjoyed talking with the owner, she is so bubbly and pro Alton.

Love this locally owned boutique! They have work from lots of local makers, it's beautifully laid…read moreout with a selection great for browsing. You'll spend more than 20min here. They have fancy chocolate, local food, dishes & silverware and ceramics. There's art for sale by local artists. They have plenty of jewelry to browse through. There's clothes and antiques too. Great spot!

I'm from out of town and visiting family there. We went into Rustic Roots and found all kinds of…read morecute things. Great for your home or gifts. I bought this beautiful and unique fall wreath!!! Things are reasonably priced and very friendly store. I would recommend shopping there.

Wow! What a great and unique gift shop. Rustic Roots has furniture, home decor, custom signs,…read morecandles, jewelry, accessories, gifts and much more. What surprised me most is that it's located in a small town in IL. This normally is the type of gift shop that you'd find in a trendy neighborhood in a big city. I was blown away by the selection of candles from two companies; Milkhouse and Malicious Women. If I had not already bought all of my holiday candles, I would have gone crazy with the scents they had to offer. When I need to re-stock my candles, it will be no internet ordering for me. I'll head down to RR and shop local. Being a foodie and one who enjoys cooking, I love a good cotton/flour sack dish towel. Especially those that have witty saying on them and I hit the jackpot here. So many to choose from. I had to stop myself at three. It also had an amazing collection of ornaments. They had a Grinch ornament that was extremely popular and they sold out it right before I arrived. It had a 2020 theme saying, it Stink, Stank, Stunk. However, I found two to add to my tree this year, so I was a happy shopper. The variety of merchandise goes on and on. They had treat jars for pets, caps, signs, soaps, birdhouses and much much more. Best of all, the majority is created by local artist. So when shopping here, you truly are supporting local.

When you move from a 990 square foot house to a 2100 square foot house, you need a lot of new…read morefurniture. To fill all of this extra space, it was a no-brainer for me to come back to NFHF. Especially now, since I had moved to the Alton area, it was a logical choice. I'll be honest, I did shop some of the local chains, but they could not match the quality and prices I found here at NFHF. When I moved to Godfrey, I gained a great room, formal dining room, breakfast nook and a second bedroom. So you can see why I needed lots of furniture. The entire staff knew me by the time I was done with all my selections. I'd get dimensions and go home to measure, making sure it would fit. Then I'd take pictures to text to friends and family, to help when I could not decide between two items. All the staff was so patient and helpful with me. I could not have asked for any better customer service. Here's a breakdown on what I purchased: Dinning Room - A bar cabinet and Sideboard Great Room - Sofa, Coffee Table and Comfy Chair Breakfast Nook - Drop-leaf Table and Two Chairs My Bedroom - Nightstand to Match my Bedroom Set I bought 10 years ago. Second Bedroom - Wood & Iron Bed-frame - Queen Size Front Porch - Unfinished Chair to paint orange Having a larger bedroom in the master suite, I was excited to see that they still offered the same set that I purchased 10 years ago. I was able to finally purchase the nightstand. It was a wise move to select a traditional style that stays in fashion in home furnishings. All my guest who have visited my new home, love my new Bar Cabinet. They all comment how unique and different it is from the regular bars you see at other major retailers. What has blown most of my guest away the most is the upholstered items I purchased. My friends and family from the Alton area had no idea, that NFHF had upholstered items, they just knew them for their quality wood furniture. One of them has gone in and purchased a sofa for themselves. My personal favorite items that I purchased are the drop-leaf table and chairs for the breakfast nook and the chair I bought for the front porch. I love relaxing in my breakfast nook and the orange chair on the front porch, is a great eye-catcher for people to find my new home. If you are in need of quality solid wood furniture or some upholstered items, I recommend checking this place out. New Frontier Home Furnishings has made my new house a home.

Was looking for a floor lamp. Visited a cpl local furniture stores only to be told they don't sell…read morelamps. Walked in to this store, and immediately I liked it. Was able to find a floor lamp in no time. They offer a lot of beautiful furniture and furnishings. Service was great, their store layout was nice. Shop local.

Had a great visit to this one after eating next door. We grabbed some fudge and my wife was able to…read morefind some fun thing for the front of the house going into fall :) Pretty sure we were talking to the owner, she was super nice! We will be back to this one again as well. Near laid out store, lots of seating upstairs with tons of outdoor stuff or things for around the house. Worth a visit :)

Just visited 1904 General Store for the first time…read more I visited downtown Alton yesterday -- for the first time in years. Decided to check out the general store as soon as I saw it -- it's a cool, welcoming old building. The first floor is full of candy, chocolate, fudge, ice cream, and other treats. I picked out some candy and sampled some delicious Belgian chocolate bars. I bought one for me, but I'll be back in a few months for friends' birthdays, and to try the fudge myself. The ice cream flavors (about 8) were all unique -- you aren't getting a simple chocolate or vanilla here. The most common of the flavors available was a rainbow sorbet. I think some of the other flavors were Shipwreck, Pirate's Bounty, and Superman, though I may not be recalling the names accurately. The upstairs is full of home decor items, including a wall decorated to look like someone's front porch. The styles are cute, though not my speed, as I am something of a minimalist. You can read all about their business and the building's Worlds Fair history over on their facebook page. Hope to visit again soon.

Vintage 71 is a fun store. I originally discovered them on Facebook and started following them…read more Unfortunately for me, most times when I was in Edwardsville, they were closed. Lucky for me, yesterday I was having lunch in E-ville, so I made a point to stop and see what they had to offer. OMG! If you need silly fun yard decor or if you are into Farmhouse decor for your home, you've got to shop here. There is stuff everywhere and it's all rustic and vintage looking. The creative side of my brain was working at warp speed trying to figure out where I could use many of the items. The couple working were a true mom & pop team. I may have walked out empty handed today, but there were many garden items calling out to me. So I know I will be back. When: April 22, 2021 Why: Browsing for the garden

It was closed even though Facebook hours said open! We should have called ahead. Drove 30 minutes…read moreto not get in and have lunch down the street.