If you order $75 or more you get FREE shipping. I found out, they're right where I do volunteer…read morework, and not far from my grand baby's house, I thought I could call them and just go pick my merchandise and save for shipping. Right! I found out, their warehouse is in Eugene. So, I went ahead & ordered. The photos don't do wanders, because whatever they have @ the warehouse, that's what you'll get. Of course, one of my items, 5% of one inside the package (I ordered 5 items in bulk) was not exactly as the photos I wanted. I emailed customer service, on which I got a respond back, and yes, I could exchange it. I called her back, rather than explain exactly what I needed, I got a human voice - not playing phone tags like before - and I was told 'there's no guarantee, they can re-send me a new package, without the shipping, but I may end up getting the same package, not the one in the photo." But no matter, I went ahead & re-order it and I ordered more of the same, just different colors. She didn't even charge me for the 'wrong item'. I'd say, they have the best CS, and shipment is fast! I seldom order online, because I've been burned before, by using Paypal. I used my CC now!

This place gets my 5 stars. I ordered some buttons, very specific: 7/8", white. with a shank. I…read morebought what i thought was the right thing, described as a shank, but when they arrived it was not really a true shank and would not work for what I wanted. So before I returned them I decided to call and get help. The woman on the phone understood what I was talking about, she went onto the web site and found just the right thing, and then she said not to bother sending the others back, just keep them and they sent me a pack of the new ones, no charge for anything! They do not have a retail presence so I would say, before you pick anything out, call as they have great customer service.

I visited this store for the first time yesterday having moved to Portland recently. From walking…read morein the door, greeted with a smile every step of the way. All 4 employees were so delightful and helpful, I just wanted to stay. The assortment of creative supplies available was great and the pricing affordable. It's so nice to have this store close by for my newly upped game of painting. Thank you!

I think it's a wonderful art store with a great selection, and I'll definitely come back.read more

I had always thought it would be fun to try one of these ceramic shops. Finally I tried Amazin'…read moreGlazin". After driving around forever on super narrow streets, I found a parking spot. We went in just after they opened for the day. I and my 16 yr and 10 yr old daughters were the only ones in there. We chose a nice big table, the owner explained everything to us, made suggestions, helped us pick all of our supplies and we were Off! What fun. We each selected a peice to paint. I chose a big long salmon shaped platter, Mandy chose a lotus fairy and Jess picked a big cup and saucer. It really was "Amazin'" in the fact that for 3 hours the girls didn't bicker, say I'm bored, say I'm hungry, say this sucks, critisize, NOTHIN! They got along, were polite to me and eachother, and truly enjoyed them selves. The store really filled up while we were there but we hardly noticed, we were in our own little world. We turned in our peices to be fired and i came back a week later to pick them up. They looked real cool. The owner wrapped them real good in bubble wrap but when i got home I noticed the fairy had a chip on her wing. Had to have happened before they got wrapped. Oh well, we love our ceramic peices and it was worth every penny for some decent quality time with the kids.

Shortly after a colleague from my old job told me that another former employee opened a shop…read morefollowing the birth of her son, I found myself wandering aimlessly around Sellwood, as my Mother-in-law indulged her penchant for antique-shopping... and ran across Bowl of Thistles, entirely accidentally. As I was telling my husband "Hey! I know who owns this place!" Stephanie (the owner) was busy telling her coworker "Hey! I know that woman!" Happy reunion ensued, followed by amazed perusal... honestly, I was astonished by the array of beautifully-showcased, high-quality, candy-like local artists' works tempting me from every corner. And she put it together in only a few months...! There were art-glass bowls and vases and jewelry, watercolor paintings and print cards, fabric arts fashion accoutrements and wall-hangings, crazy and humorous and "why-didn't-I-think-of-that" useful home decor, and all in a cute little renovated Victorian... must go back when I have a tshatshke/goodie budget. Really reasonable prices, too, especially given the quality of the merchandise and the trendiness of the area...

My mind is blown. When I was a little girl, there were plenty of real fabric stores, but for…read moredecades now I've lived in places where the only option is JoAnn's -- which is better than nothing but not by much. Mill End is GIGANTIC and they have every kind of fabric you can think of -- woolens, silks, athletic fabric, canvas, corduroy (when's the last time you found corduroy in a fabric store?), seersucker, etc etc etc. and they have a HUGE selection of notions -- every kind of zipper, cording, elastic, buckles, buttons... Every employee was friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable. I will be back more often than I should!

They need to revamp the store. Prices too high and it looks dreary. Looks like it did 30 years ago…read morewith the same bolts of fabric.

Bullseye Glass Is a familiar name in the Dallas, Texas área among glass artists, so coming to the…read moreBullseye Factory and Resource Center Is a huge bucketlist item. My trip did not disappoint! I was able to see glass sheets being made and take a tour of the factory and Resource Center. The staff was friendly and helpful and I had a whole new appreciation for the amount of work and quality controls that go into each sheet of glass. I really appreciate that the company works hard to retain their employees and create an atmosphere of collaboration. Seeing the thought that goes into creating the glass not to mention the choreography of the adding and mixing (and yes, I DO mean choreography!) to make the combination of colors. I can't wait to visit again and see and do more. Thank you for a wonderful and unforgettable first visit!

We stopped in here last weekend for I wanted to get some mosaic glass. This place does mainly fused…read moreglass but it's worth the stop! We made snowflakes this visit. So cool!! My boyfriend after that wanted to take a class so we are doing that in March. This place is pretty cool. The people there are very friendly and the glass is well organized

There is more than one bookstore to choose from…read more There are even many bookstores in Portland beside the big one. Anne Bloom's bookstore is a small well-curated classic. Their sections are well organized and the staff know where things are on the shelves. They have a large selection of fiction, nonfiction, then specialty sections. They have a nice children's area with a young reader engrossed in a book. They have the little table and chairs. They are up to date with a graphic novel section. I stopped in for a new book in high demand. As in sold out online, at Barnes and Noble, at Powells, and with a 6 month wait for the audio book at the library! In its first day, the book sold 150,000 copies, and by day three, it is, for now, a rare book. Annie Bloom's had it! Annie Bloom's is in a pedestrian-oriented neighborhood. So you can bring your book to nice bars and restaurants, dives, cafes, pizza shops, sandwiches and beer/wine at John's, the Multnomah Art Center, and gift shops, or book shop after those. Annie Bloom's is an approachable bookshop which has what others do not.

Visited this spot for the first time last weekend. As an avid reader, I was excited to check out an…read moreindependent store. The bookstore itself was quite large, but I felt as though the selections were limited. Nobody from the staff greeted us upon arrival or checked in. There were a few fairly priced books, but none that caught my eye. Not sure if I'll go back.

What an adorable craft boutique! Stumbled upon this gem as I was checking out downtown Milwaukee…read moreafter an appointment. The shop is a blend of vintage and Parisian inspired decor with glass armoires and baker's racks filled with treasures. Upscale craft, party, and card making supplies are in abundance. This is not Michaels crafts; these items have been thoughtfully selected and curated to create the charming ambiance of the store and the items that can be created. I wandered in a few weeks before Valentine's Day so hearts, Cupids and vintage Valentine's Day card supplies were plentiful. The owner, Kelli, offers classes which are held in the back of the shop where there is a huge rectangular table that can comfortably sit 15 or so eager crafters. I found the shop and environment to be very inspiring. I've been an active crafter since I was a pre-teen so this shop really spoke to me! I'll definitely be signing up for classes; a great way to make something unique without having to buy packets of the individual components. Plus the opportunity to meet others with similar interests. You can even organize a class for a group of your friends around a theme - bridal shower, special birthday, reunion, whatever! Kelli and I chatted for awhile; she gave me a history of her shop and her sister Kim's Chocolate Shop, Enchante, next door (see my review.) It's obvious that attention to detail, designing beautiful spaces and experiences, and a love for all things Parisian is a family trait!

For those who have not stopped by Kelli's new location you should. Also check out her website…read more Www.kmarielovesglitter.org. You will be impressed with the classes/trainings as well as enjoy the atmosphere at Milwaukee floral. Don't hesitate and sign up as soon as you can.

The Multnomah County Fair has been a constant event every summer that I can remember. It used to…read moretake place in Gresham, Oregon on quite a large piece of land that is now a shopping center. We attended it quite often because of the farm animal displays and also because my Dad had a lot of friendships with farmers due to his business. Later on, I joined 4H through my elementary school. 4H is a youth organization for youngsters interested in farming. I wasn't interested in farming as a career, but a few friends joined as well. The leader lived on my way home, so we'd stop there and worked on our cooking skills (a part of the time I was raised in) and cakes I baked won blue ribbons at the fair! Once I started high school, I lost interest and moved on to other things. It was only later that I realized the fair had moved to the Expo Center in North Portland. It's a fairly urban environment and I was quite disenchanted and gave up on the fair. Last summer, Ron and I visited Oaks Park, an amusement park on the banks of the Willamette River and lo and behold realized the fair had moved yet again. I found the new site rather nice what with all the rides there, but also too small with a modicum of farm animal exhibits. In the end, I realized that I preferred the fair site in Gresham for it's rural flavor and cake baking contest. But as they say, times change, and I think I'm going to have to stick to my memories.

We came to see the rabbits and found angoras the size of pillows. If you shave one of the rabbits…read moreyou make about $120 every three months, and need about 100 of them to make a living. A rabbit lady handed me one and said I looked like her husband trying to hold their first baby. In other words: wigged out. Well, I thought maybe they eat people. She said no they don't. Next I went to the 4H tent and saw some more bunnies. I saw some really odd-looking micro bunnies who then turned out to be guinea pigs. Who knew, right? They didn't go, "boink, boink, boink," so I had no idea. If they made their noises, I'd know, but they were right next to the roosters. Next I saw some hornless goats and wondered aloud how a goat is de-horned. A baby girl child informed me they they use irons to smoke the horns off the goats, but it doesn't hurt. I asked the baby girl child if she wished she had horns and she laughed. She had no good answer. World, if I ever grow horns, please don't smoke them off and put me in a pen at a 4H show. Even if I say it's okay. There was an abortion booth with some bored looking abortion people, some sort of nail color thing, a lady with mom jeans wandering around dragging a Trump sign behind her, another place selling Harley Davidson crap, a booth with a hand painted sign stated you had to answer two questions if you want to go to heaven. Look, no disrespect, but who wants to look at dead fetus pictures while they're gnoshing on their corn dog? I did not care to answer the questions, so I'm going to the same place as the hornless goats, I guess. There was a New Age guy in a billowy black shirt selling pyramid things, some middle-age chubby lady tie-dye clothes--Stevie Nix summer wear, an old couple selling some kind of device that looked like a cross between a shotgun and a clown car horn that's supposed to "do a better job than plastic explosives!" in blowing up mole holes. The guy told me moles don't really have skulls, and they eat babies, and when you see the earth go BOOM! from his mole-exploder you'll grin from ear to ear. A mini-train went round and round a small track. I considered jumping it, but someone shouted even before I stepped forward. My favorite though was the elderly hard of hearing ex-U.S. Marshal selling scalpels and self-surgery suturing kits complete with thread and needle. He told me "any idiot" can do surgery on themselves. He said, "any idiot" twice and looked at me and said, "I think you could do it." I believe any idiot can, or at least many idiots. He also had dental tools. I really, really wanted to buy some. When I saw the youtube videos later on, I can't understand why anyone would even waste time in med school. Everything here is DIY, baby. Inside a large building is a hall of inane trophies. I saw an exhibit tagged "lego bed" made from four pieces of legos that won a blue ribbon...for what? Laziness? I'm not sure. I saw a table dedicated to what I can only call vegetable art, with things like cabbages with mushroom ears and a pepper mouth. Blue ribbon. A rotting banana with two eyestalks and a tag that reads "slug." Blue ribbon. A pile of limp celery with parsley on top. Blue ribbon. I should've taken a dirty sock with a hole in it, scrawled the f word on it and stuffed it full of decomposing hamburger, and given it tennis balls for legs. BLUE. RIBBON. Outsider art. Take out the f word and it's totes mainstream. In Portland, anyone can do brain surgery. In Portland every vegetable is a masterful art piece. In Portland, we are all winners. Even the hornless goat and I.