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

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!

The barrel itself looks great and I was happy when I first saw it. However, I was unable to get an…read moreunobstructed view of the finished product until I had it in my home as it was already wrapped and ready to load. While I want to give the business the benefit of the doubt on preparing it to load, in hindsight it seems mildly deceiving given some of the issues with it. There are three major issues with it: 1. The cutout for the door is crooked. 2. The metal band on one side of the door is about 1/2" short. 3. The door does not close all the way. After contacting the owner, he informed me that the stress released from cutting the wood causes it to deform. I feel like this should be disclosed upfront because it is a pretty significant amount of warping. I am not inclined to believe that this is the entire issue because similar barrels I have seen from other shops do not share this problem. This was not a cheap purchase and I expected a higher quality of workmanship for the price. I would recommend looking at other businesses in the area that offer custom barrels. At the very least, I would avoid having a door put on your barrel.

I was in search of a barrel for my daughter's wedding. I have to say this was the place!! They were…read moreso helpful and the barrel was just what we were looking for clean and very nice for the price too. I highly recommend them if you are searching for this kind of item. I also got to look at the amazing furnishings they make from barrels the tables and planters to barrel liquor cabinets. It worth your time to check them out.

What a great local garden shop! I picked up herbs, tomatoes and peppers. Service was amazing and…read morevery helpful. They have plenty of cute pots and garden decorations. Saw some cool succulents too. We just moved to Alton and I have a feeling this will be my go to spot!

THIS IS WHERE YOU GO FOR YOUR PLANTS AND GARDEN NEEDS!…read more Came here to get my MIL yellow petunias for her garden. She specifically wanted these, and my husband told me about this local garden shop. It did not disappoint. First off- this place is more than plants. There is yard and garden decor and needs, along with an array of flowers and plants. I know nothing about flowers and plants, told Will- Employee/Brother of Owner- what I needed.....and cannot say enough positive things about the experience! Will was patient, helpful, and so knowledgeable! He set me up with not 1, not 2 but 8 yellow petunia plants for my MIL! They were beautiful and my MIL loved them! The prices are so reasonable, the quality is fantastic, and the customer service phenomenal! SUPPORT A FAMILY-OWNED LOCAL BUSINESS AND GO HERE!

Everyone is friendly and the prices are good and it's a nice place. It's clean and very affordable…read morethe ladies are so welcomeing and help

A fabulous little thrift shop that benefited the cats and dogs at the 5 A's Animal shelter. It's…read moreset up as a boutique and for a thrift shop, it is merchandised well. You can tell that the volunteers that work here, put a lot of energy and love into their work and displays. They have a good variety of home decor, I found some Easter decorations for my mantle. I was also surprised to see a full silverplated tea service at a very reasonable price. The clothing department was primarily women's, but it seems to be extensive and clean. If you're a quilter, they had an extensive offering of fabric scraps at dirt cheap prices. This little shop may not have the large variety that the local Goodwill does, but I like the fact that the monies raised go to a no kill animal shelter. When: January 31, 2021 and February 5, 2021 Why: Thrift Shopping

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.

Five stars for sure! Barb and Cathie were very helpful with choosing chairs and getting information…read moreregarding warranty and fabric care. Tony and Gary delivered and set up chairs in record time. The sale price was an added bonus! New Frontier makes shopping local easy. Thanks! Mike and Toni V.