Outstanding quality. Friendly and dedicated staff. Price more than fair…read more I found out about the place simply by walking around and overhearing people talking. My two visits were quite pleasant.

This monthly market is housed in the Mixin Mingle venue in charming Woodstock, chock full of shops,…read morerestaurants, bars and bakeries/candy-makers, so it's easy to fill up your day fast! See their site and Facebook page for the schedule, but it's always held on a Saturday. Definitely one of the better craft markets I've been to! There is such a variety of items, like jewelry, knitted accessories, hand made and stamped cards and stationery, custom commemorative dish ware and on and on and on. There were two rooms of tables to peruse, a larger room with about 12-15 tables, and a smaller room with about 8-10. Each table was better than the next, a paradise of gift shopping items. Prices vary dramatically, most being reasonable given the specific item, a few being clearly overpriced. All the vendors were nice and engaging, some real characters here...says the girl wearing reindeer antlers. It doesn't hurt that it's just down the corridor from Jaci's Cookies either!

If you're looking for a specific regional candy that isn't found elsewhere, you can be sure to find…read moreit here. If that's your objective, this specialty candy shop is a worthwhile destination all on its own. Same with regional sodas. If you'd like to try some soda or candy you've never had or even heard of, this is also worth being its own destination. On the other hand if you're in historic downtown Woodstock for any other reason, stop in here on your way around the center of town. If the town square looks familiar, you might be having a Groundhog Day moment, and then you might need some chocolate for that déjà vu moment. If you're getting your Bill Murray movies mixed up, you might need a Baby Ruth bar for a pool prank, this you also can find here. If you're diabetic, some of the best diet sodas I've ever had are here, they occupy one corner amidst a dizzying array of high sugar content soda pop that you shouldn't have. Maybe the name comes from the remarkably large selection of candy that fizzes when you put it in your mouth, not to be confused with rocket science or brain surgery.

We come here once a week and love it! The customer service is amazing! We also love the new…read moreproducts continuously coming in!

We had driven around the square in Woodstock, determined to continue on our trip to Minneapolis,…read morewhen either my boyfriend's mom or sister noticed a little shop tucked in among the other stores. They convinced my boyfriend to make another loop around the square and park in front of the quaint shop because we had to check it out. I'm so glad they made us turn around. The Backdrop is a find that is chock full of so many other great finds. This is a gift shop that makes you want to buy a few things for yourself -- which I did. The Backdrop has cards, pillows, trinkets, jewelry, novelty books, home decor and other doo-dads a-plenty. We spent more than the five minutes we told my boyfriend we would take perusing everything. And so many of the finds were very affordable, such as the locket I got for about $15 and a print about beer for $12. The owners -- or at least I believe they are the owners -- were also great to chat with. They had actually been down to Kentucky for Kentucky Crafted, and they had a better knowledge of past Kentucky governors than I have. It was nice to talk to someone who is passionate and easy to talk to about my fave state. It's probably good that I don't live in Woodstock or else I spend way too much money at The Backdrop on a regular basis.

Learning to speak Klingon can be a daunting task. You don't want to pronounce something incorrectly…read moreand find you've just called some temperamental Klingon a butthead by accident. So you can see why it came in so handy when I happened upon this cute shop in Woodstock Square that sold a book teaching Klingon. The Backdrop is one of the more unusual home decor shops I've ever come across. I could look for hours and spend a fortune. There are a lot of unique items such as the aforementioned Klingon book (see pic), weird and creepy mounted doll heads, beeswax art, beautiful handmade jewelry, and a ton of truly unique home decor. It is probably my favorite shop in Woodstock. I feel like you can find something for everyone at this store. If issued the challenge, I dare say I could buy for everyone on my Christmas list here. I could certainly buy a bunch for myself! Items found here are moderate to pricey, but you are definitely paying for a carefully curated collection of items, and in my book, unique equals special, so I very much appreciate finding items here I can't elsewhere. Everything here is unique, even items not for sale, like foam core cutouts and painted decor (that you would never believe were made from foam core in a million years), or yard sticks mounted and used as display shelves. Inspiring is the word I would use. You can really get your creative juices flowing after a saunter through the store. You will think of all sorts of home projects with The Backdrop as the inspiration. As a graphic designer, I admire the imaginative and innovative selections and executions. As a Klingon, I demand it.

What a cute place. Very underrated. I got a super fun bumper sticker but if I was going for a…read morefriend's birthday or holiday time I would buy more. There's such a wide selection and it's layed out really well. The staff was pretty friendly too and there was no line.

This small gift shop in Crystal Lake has a little bit of everything. It was pretty busy here at…read morewhilst I was visiting because it was the day of the Johnny Appleseed Festival. They have a lot of baby items here, which was a bit surprising. They have other decorative tchotkies; when I was in it was late September, so there were Halloween themed goodies to be had, as well as some Thanksgiving decor. They had a Halloween tree... like a ceramic Christmas tree that you sometimes see with the little pieces that fit into the boughs of the ceramic tree but in orange and purple. When did we start having Halloween trees? I also saw some jewelry and other gifts. It's not the shop I would go to Crystal Lake for, but I have been curious about this shop the last couple times I have been in Crystal Lake so I'm glad I stopped in this time.

I see stopped in today because their Instagram feed is constantly updated with beautiful things,…read morebut also recently they've been sharing some of their fall and Halloween goodies. On my way back to Chicago from Madison I was trying to make it in time to stop here and see what goodies I might want. I did indeed leave with some things and can't wait to put them up come October! But the best part was chatting with the shopkeeper. Lorraine is a gem! I spent more time chatting with her than shopping (I was able to pick out what I wanted straightaway!). Luckily there was no one else in the shop whilst I was there and I didn't keep her too long since I left at 5:00 exactly (quitting time). I will 100% be back because they have too many beautiful things that I want in my house.

A group of us who train at Lucky E Kennel in Ringwood wanted to honor/prank the dog trainer Vanessa…read moreby creating a version of a popular T-Shirt which reads "Don't make me us my dog training voice" changing to read; "Don't make me us my Vanessa voice." Danielle at The Thoughtfulness Shop" was amazing. She created the design and finished the initial order of more than 30 shirts in various sizes and colors in a few days. As additional orders came in, she was able to finish them on the spot, she even sent one to a customer from Arizona. Tuesday 10/24 obedience class was the day of the Vanessa T-Shirt reveal. It was even better than I had anticipated! A big thanks to the Thoughtfulness Shop and Danielle for making this fun event possible!

This place had a ton of hilarious coasters, which was what lured us in, to begin with. We saw them…read morethrough the window. They have a lot of fun stuff, great gift ideas, etc.

I was looking for a religious store and found The Little Way in Crystal Lake, Illinois. The Little…read moreWay has become my favorite place to shop, and sometimes just visit. The staff is incredibly knowledgeable and ready to answer any questions or provide guidance and suggestions for items I want to purchase. I was warmly welcomed on my very first visit and every visit since. The owner has an incredible memory and asked after a close family member facing health challenges that I made some encouragement purchases for. Highly. . .HIGHLY recommend. Religious or not. . .just stop by to take in the warm, welcoming atmosphere.

For a little shop, it has an amazing selection of just about everything. The prices are reasonable…read moreas well. It's a little "ma & pa" shop and they're very helpful. Lastly, it's handicapped accessible--even a scooter can get around.