I went to Beasties about 2 hours before a baby shower. I left the store with a custom gift which…read moreincluded a small animal-covered chest, novelty chef and healthcare professional bibs (friends are a pharmacist and a chef), baby's robe, and fun door sign with the text "If you wake him, you take him." Not only did the staff help me select the gift items, they packed everything nicely into the chest so I could present the chest as a gift box. From my experience, Beasties offers a well curated boutique (minus boutique prices) with a helpful and friendly staff.

Everything in here is so cute and random, I love the citchieness and vibe! Even as much as it's in…read morehere, it feels cozy without being cluttered. Love it, great gift ideas

2 B Inspired is a growing business in Lakeside. There are many nice, fairly priced items here…read more Although it is a small, there is quite a lot to look at! Seems to be a good addition to Lakeside.

You can find Jessmade products online as well as at the South of the James farmers market... and…read morethey were well-worth finding! Jess makes adorable bags, headbands, and all sorts of crafty items and fun prints. From what I can tell Jess is looking to expand into cooking as well (her website has a food section, with recipes) but her booth at the market is all about purses and headbands, and that suits me just fine. Now, if you are a handy sewer you might not think the headbands are anything to sniff at, so to speak, but for the rest of us, these are a great find. They are unique, and with the hot humid Richmond summer coming up quick, they are well worth the $8 investment. She also does wallets, dishtowels, credit card holders, even adorable little notecards made out of paint swatches from the local hardware store... If you like unique items, you should definitely check Jessmade out...

I recently bought a jessmade handbag for a friend of mine. Jessmade is also occasionally at the…read moreBryan Park Farmers' Market. Jess is super friendly and she had lots of cool stuff to choose from. Headbands, wallets and the oversized black and white bag my friend just loved. It even had a few pockets on the inside, something I find impressive when it comes to a handmade purse. Plus it was about $50. Not a bad price at all for a quality, locally made work of art. As I was deliberating on what to buy, Jess told me if my friend didn't like what I picked, she could switch it for something else. This is a nice philosophy for a local business. I'll definitely shop Jessmade's booth and/or web site again, and hopefully will get something for myself this time!

A very sweet gift shop with a wonderful selection of fun items!…read more Stopped in on a Saturday afternoon and was so happy to find an adorable dog (Dexter) and a very well behaved cat (Golda) - as well as some of the very elusive NeeDohs! Spoke with the guy behind the counter (not sure if he was the owner) and he was very friendly and nice. Also got some delicious smelling soap and a notebook for a thank you gift. Spend about $25 total, including the NeeDohs. Definitely a great stop for unique finds!

Look, it's a great shop, and staffed by very welcoming people…read more But what you need to know is this: they have a shop cat and they're the sweetest. You already know from that sentence alone if this place is for you.

We come and browse this store frequently. The staff is always friendly and helpful if you are…read morelooking for something specific. My husband picked up a couple pairs of earrings, and rings for our daughter and I. I love the selection because there are many unique and whimsical items, in a range of prices too! This shop is an example of why we love Carytown!

I went into Jezebel's with my friend and I found a purse for sale for $4. I thought "what a great…read moredeal!" and since it was marked in yellow, I figured it was a markdown. I went to the register with my purchase and the owner said that $4 was not the correct price. I told her that is what is marked and that she should sell it for the amount listed. She said it might have been the amount that she purchased it for, but that in no way was the correct price and she would sell it to me for $24. She basically just said I could buy it for a 600% markup! This says a lot about her markup on prices in the items in her store. I said it was unethical for her not to sell it to me for $4. She got mad, said I could buy it for $4 if I really wanted to rob her, and I said I would purchase it. She then said "NO! - I would rather throw it in the trash then sell it to you!". I started to walk out, told her I was going to go on Yelp and give my review of her "service", which is what I am doing. I have never given a review on anyone else before, but this woman was completely rude and should not be in business with a terrible and unprofessional attitude like hers. I also had two other friends across the street would might have been potential customers, but I stopped them from going into her store. My advice is to stay away from this store and shop elsewhere.

I loved The Cozy Journal so much that I went two days in a row. My manager who is a huge journaler…read morewas in town so we had to check out the hot and new journal shop in Carytown. I've been seeing this on a lot of newsletters so was super excited to visit this incredibly charming spot. We went on a Friday morning and it was packed. It was also packed on a Saturday morning. Richmond is excited to explore a new paper and stationary shop. They had all your journaling needs from washi tape to pens to stickers and more. They even had crafting supplies, cards, and wax seals. On Friday I fell in love with some beautiful stickers. Walking around the store left me feeling so inspired. When I left I kept daydreaming about the junk journal I kept as a child. I had recently gotten some film photos back from my birthday and bachelorette so decided I wanted to buy a beautiful journal to "junk journal" in. I went back on Saturday and got this stunning big journal, washi tape, and a few stickers. The pricing seems pretty reasonable here. You can get beautiful journals for what seemed to be $25-40. A lot of the washi tapes were $5. The stickers were $3.50-6ish. I'm sure some pricing was higher and lower, but it depends on what you're looking for. I highly recommend checking out this charming and inspiring shop.

The Cozy Journal is a one stop shop for all of your journaling needs. From notebooks, pens, rubber…read morestamps, Washi tape, stationery, to wax seal sticks to add that finishing touch to your snail mail, you will find everything you need to begin your journaling journey. Add in their print and sticker collection, and visiting the Cozy Journal is the perfect way to support your local business and artists. While they are in their soft opening stage as of my visit, I am excited to see how their selection grows and changes!

Bloom! There it is! Talk about Variety! This quaint, fair sized, charming farm/nursery has a…read moreplethora of plant choices for your garden! I worked here several years ago when the farm was in its embryonic stage and let me tell you, it's blossomed! Here you'll find an amazing selection of herbs, vegetable/fruit plants, flowers, annuals, perennials and more! And of course, the gorgeous lavender! RVA residents shouldn't miss an opportunity to visit this small farm tucked away in a Glen Allen neighborhood. Off Greenwood Road, drive down the country lane and it will dead end at the farm. If you have out of town guests, a ride to this hidden treasure will make for a fun day trip! In the spring, plants and herbs from A-Z are available, starting at Anise Hyssop and down the line! Some of the perennial herbs I had purchased here years ago, still come back year after year! My Sweet Woodruff was planted many moons pasts and flourishes as a ground cover each season! They also carry some hard to find herb varieties too! I'm especially fond of the Cuban Oregano, Tuscan Blue Rosemary(that's for remembrance, quoting Ophelia in Shakespeare's Hamlet) and the Rue (you must wear your rue with a difference, Ophelia says!) Winter, spring, summer or fall, there's always something to see at Lavender Fields. In addition to the wide selection of plants, LFHF also has other amenities; local raw honey, tours, classes, a gift shop, teas, garden supplies and tools, planters, beautiful landscaping that backs up the the Chickahominy River, and don't forget their famous lavender lemonade and ice cream. I'm happy to support this family owned, local business that is spreading seeds of joy in their path, beautifying Richmond one garden at a thyme! You'll rue the day you missed the opportunity to visit Lavender Fields Farm!

Staff is very helpful and kind. High quality plants. Also have a terrific gift shop full of…read morelavender products and local raw honey.

Always have an incredible experience here. The owner's taste is so lovely, fun, and unique. You're…read moreguaranteed to find something you love here for a reasonable price. Tons to choose from!

I absolutely love The Lioness! It is a small but mighty shop! I originally went as part of a Yelp…read moreevent earlier this year and I have returned on multiple occasions to get presents for friends and family members. Every item is so thoughtfully curated by the owner, Kristina, who not only sources items from her travels but also makes several of the gifts available in the store. I always leave with so many cute presents for people or for myself. Some of the things can be a bit pricey but you can clearly see the quality and why it's worth it to purchase it! I will definitely be stopping by there again before the holiday season is through and even more in the year to come! *the attached photos are a little old but show a sampling of the fun items in the store!!