Stopped by M.Lovewell yesterday for their first day opening since their store refresh! There are so…read moremany new items and artists that have been added to the store which was nice to see! I love coming by here to look at their selection of fountain pens, inks, journaling supplies, and especially stamps! I hope they continue to add more varieties of washi tapes and stamps to their store as it's my new current obsession! Their prices are always reasonable and their workers are always super friendly. I love chatting with them whenever I visit :) Also love that they host fun learning workshop classes and events! Definitely check out their website for upcoming scheduled events if you're interested. There's a parking garage behind the corner of the street where the wall art is, which is typically free for 90 minutes I believe.

CUTE INDEPENDENT SHOP (4 stats)…read more There isn't much happening in downtown Santa Ana but there are a few hidden gems. Did I overhear that this place has been open for ~10 years?! I stumbled upon this shop while walking around the small downtown and as I walked more east I questioned should I turn around? Right when I was able to this store popped in view and I had to go in! What a cute shop if you are into stationary and pens and etc. I love supporting small independent businesses so I was determined to leave with something. There were a collective of independent products from different companies/artists that sell their items here. I didn't expect to leave spending $70.05 on 5 tiny items. WAX SEAL ($20) - by Made of Honour. There weee a handful of styles available. Very nice packaging. SEALING WAX BEADS 100pc ($9) - by Fiona Ariva. Variety of stunning colors. WAX SEAL HANDLE ($9) - by Fiona Ariva. I believe this is the standard size that fits other brands. BOAT PEN CASE ($13) - by Luddite. I been looking for a small compact pen case for my very few ones that i own and this was what I was looking for. ANTERIQUE BALLPOINT PEN ($13) - I love this mini pen and how it writes. The store DOES sell anterique refills BUT not the mini anterique refills that is needed for this pen. You can order the refills online on Amazon. So here's what gets me about shopping here. - California State Tax (0.5%) - Orange County Tax (0.25%) - Santa Ana City Tax (15%) - Orange County District Tax SP (0:5%) - Orange County Tax SL (1%) ^^ Added an additional $5.95 to the initial subtotal. That's alot in my opinion! Cool store, with a checkout. Until the next review....

What a cute little place for gift shopping. This place has a great selection of just odd stuff. it…read moreis cute and clean and the service is very nice. Most of the items are from Japan and they have stuff I had not seen before. They had a little Toto lighter which I loved as I have a Toto at home (it is a toilet, made in Japan and has a washlet.) They also have stickers and tee shirts and hats, they have lots of hats. I bought one for my son in law. The prices are fair for the area. We really did love the service. It is not a place I would go to often, but it is adorable and worth a visit. We had a great time there, just looking at all the stuff. It was not at all busy when we were there and check out was super easy. So, if you are nearby stop there. It is not a must see, but it is cute.

Love the store but service 0/5…read more My friend and I had stopped by this shop after taking pictures at Booth by Bryant to take a look around. This shop is very nicely organized and aesthetic, however, the lady at the cash register who might be the owner did not greet us or anything, and seemed very bothered by us just walking in. There are some colorful crates in the back part of the store that my friend wanted to take pictures with, so I asked the cashier first if it would be okay to do so, since I had noticed that she already looked upset, and she said "yes and thank you for asking first since some people don't even ask" and I had also purchased a $40 hat prior to asking. I take a few pictures of my friend and as we're looking at them some customers walk in and are taking a look around and we scooted to the corner so they can shop. As soon as they left the cashier comes up to us with so much attitude saying "you guys need to get out when customers come in, if you guys are doing this they can't shop." when we literally were no where in the way of the customers. The last thing my friend and I wanted was to make her upset, which is why we asked permission first and purchased an item so we could stay longer in the store. But, the lack of customer service and passive aggressive tone was what makes us not want to shop here anymore. A simple "if customers come in I would appreciate if you guys step aside for them to shop" (which we did either way) in the beginning when I first asked for permission would've been nice instead of telling us to "get out" after I had already purchased something.

Pen Pals Stationery and Gift Shop is a cute Japanese-inspired stationery and gift shop located…read moreinside The LAB Anti-Mall in Costa Mesa. Recently Pen Pals Stationery and Gift Shop opened another location in Fountain Valley. [Parking]: The LAB Anti-Mall has a designated parking lot, but finding a spot can be hit-or-miss depending on what time you visit. [What to expect]: The shop is comprised of two vintage Airstreams with one Airstream focusing on stationery items (pens, Studio Ghibli-themed journals, and stickers) + greeting cards while the other focuses on plushies (including Sanrio characters), mini games, pins, greeting cards, etc. [Conclusion]: This is a really cute stationery shop to visit and definitely a worthwhile stop for stationery enthusiasts.

A hidden little gem where imagination comes alive. The kids loved exploring every colorful corner,…read morepicking out their favorite stationery, and making sweet memories together. Sometimes the simplest outings become the most unforgettable.

Mai Do (Maido) is one of the sub-brands under the Kinokuniya Group and this stationery store is…read morelocated inside Mitsuwa Marketplace in Costa Mesa. If you isolate the stationery section of a Kinokuniya Bookstore, then you get Mai Do. There is a two-story Mai Do in Japantown San Francisco and another location in San Jose. [Parking]: Mitsuwa Marketplace has a designated parking lot, but it is one of the more difficult parking lots to navigate in Orange County because Mitsuwa Marketplace also has a food court that draws a huge crowd. [What to Expect]: A-tier selection for Japanese writing instruments, greeting cards, and journals. While the selection is not as customized or curated as some specialty stationery shops, there are still plenty of cute items to choose from. B-tier selection for plushies and the plushies are really overpriced here. [Conclusion]: Come here for Japanese stationery and only window shopping for plushies. P.S. - Kinokuniya Membership Card benefits do not apply at Mai Do (Maido) locations.

I've been coming here for years to buy gifts for all occasions…read more However, They dont care about customer service in any capacity. They Wouldn't accept my return on an unused, brand new with tags item because I didnt have my receipt. I understand my responsibility to have a proof of purchase. However to not even have an exchange or store credit offered when clearly the item still had their original price tags on it is absurd. They could have issued me store credit, charged a restocking fee, and they would still have us as customers. Store credit would not only guarantee a return customer, but it would also show ' good faith ' and appreciation to their customers. We wont be returning. And im sure thats exactly what they wanted given how they treat people.

Zillymonkey is one of my favorite go to gift shops for my Miffy and Monchichi loving friends!!…read more The store has a variety of many different items/characters as well as a gashapon machine! Everything is so cute, it's hard not to shop for yourself as well! The owners are truly the sweetest. Every time I come they will gladly provide any recommendations to find the perfect gift! I was looking for a Miffy plush and they helped me find the one! The owners are also very knowledgeable about all their products as they informed me that the specific teddy material I grabbed was being discontinued so this was the last chance to grab it! Parking is plentiful as it's located in the Irvine Skypark business center!

Zilly has a great Milly selection -- anything from themed cups to baby rattlers…read more The store was well put together and had a good atmosphere walking in. The service was friendly. My favorite part here was that when I checked out, the items I picked up were swapped with fresher versions without the price tag sticker. This made it easy to prep as gifts. Will be coming back for more stickers (and hopefully for any Pochacco restock).

I love anything Japanese so I was super excited to find this new store at the Irvine Spectrum. We…read morehad some matcha and yuzu tea samples and looked around at all of the wonderful items. I love the cherry blossom sake cups for $26 and all of the other beautifully designed sake paraphernalia. I wish they sold sake! I love all of the matcha tea choices especially yuzu which is like a Japanese lemon. They also have other types of glasses and plates and everything to decorate your zen home!

More beautiful platters and ramen bowls from Orange Market Tableware! They definitely elevate my…read morequick, weekday meals.

We had a quick fascinating walk through of this American Indian goods shop. There were all kinds of…read moreart work, and souvenirs and excellent gift ideas.

I love visiting Matoska Trading Company in Old Town Orange! Such a hidden gem. This place has such…read morea unique and welcoming vibe. A one stop destination for gifts or to buy yourself something cool. One of the best things about this store is definitely their prices on crystals. They have some of the most reasonable prices I've seen anywhere. I was recently in Sedona where prices were double to triple the price. Whether you're shopping for quartz, amethyst, or any other stones, you get great quality without breaking the bank. Many are in different sizes, shapes, etc. They also carry a really great selection of Sage and other smudging herbs. Beautiful dream catchers, jewerly, beautiful pieces of art, books, etc. I am a fan.

Stamp Fever is my go-to for stamping and card making! Linda Foley is the best and is very…read moreaccommodating. She will order what you need from the vendors with whom they do business. It's such a convenience and you save on shipping costs. I've been going there for nearly 15 years!

Love this place! Linda is so helpful!! Love the classes too! Lots of stamping and paper!!read more