The Little Station is one of my favorite gift shops in Connecticut. Whenever I visit Hammonasset…read moreduring the summer, I make a point to stop in at the Little Station afterwards, but it's definitely worth a trip into Madison unto itself! The shop wares are eclectic, whether you're looking for a beach tunic or bag, lotions and lip balms, loose leaf teas, jewelry, candles, perfumes and eau de toilettes... They've got it. There are always special little treats that you just won't see elsewhere, which makes this a great stop if you're looking for stocking stuffers or small gifts. On my most recent visit, they had wildflower confetti: biodegradable confetti containing wildflower seeds, so you can celebrate and garden at the same time! I got a packet of those for my nephew, so hopefully he can have fun planting his own little garden. Highly recommend the Little Station, whether you're just passing through the area or making a special trip of it!

A sure sign of summer is the annual opening of The Little Station at Beech Tree Cottages. It's a…read morecharmer of a shop, the sort of place you can pick up a beach hat or bottle of water on your way to Hammonnasset. But that's never all. Owner Amanda has sweet taste in everything from breezy scarves and sarongs, to Rifle Paper Company Cards (a personal favorite), and cheap and cheerful costume jewels. If you don't know about the Beech Tree Cottages, it's become a popular Shoreline spot for a rustic wedding or family gathering. Either throw your bash on the tented lawn out back, or rent the entire venue, including eight tidy cottages. Their famous CT Roadside BBQ Truck provides a full-on Southern feast, from brisket and pulled pork to corn bread. There are plenty of fancy venues on the Shoreline, but if you're looking for something a bit out-of-the-box, Beech Tree Cottages could be just the ticket.

Do not shop at Blue Moon by the sea. the owners would not let me return a Christmas gift that cost…read more$11.95. the gift was intact and clean and still had all the tags. i was told that their return and it was a fews days later. My daughter lives in Maine and bought it at thanksgiving. we just came back and I went right there to return it. It was paid for with cash . I tried to get them to see reason but they were unrelenting. t

I received a glass globe filled with a liquid and seashells as a gift. When I opened it, the box…read morewas wet and the globe was leaking. A slow leak nevertheless, it was leaking. I took it back to the store, and the manager refused to refund or replace. I was told I could buy another one for 40% off. What horrible customer service!!! the manager said well, It wasn't leaking when it was in the store. It was obviously leaking in the box, a slow leak. Never buy anything at this overpriced store. I had to fork out $57 to buy my birthday present that my friend already paid for!!

There are some small boutiques and gift stores on the street, and this is one of them. You can park…read moreon the street in the front. Service was nice and friendly. They gift wrap for free. They have a lot of gifts and art made by local artists. They have sales, too.

Update:The store is now primarily a jewelry shop, with the same old tired tourist items. It will be…read moredifficult to go back and shop.

Cute shop in downtown Madison and a variety of nice items for gifts. She really has nice stuff and…read moreI've been going for years. But I should warn you it's always a little uncomfortable because the sales person hovers closely and explains each item as you move along the store. Like receiving a sales pitch I feel like I have to constantly tell her I need to think about it or she'll start piling these item behind the counter for checkout. I usually leave feeling pressured and a little ripped off.. thinking how did I just go in there.. barely get a chance to see everything and somehow leave with a few small items spending $60-$100?

The woman running the store actually let me purchase a $64.00 candle. I did not ask about the price…read moreand she offered to email or text my receipt without actually telling me the total of my purchase. Only after did I open the text message to discover what I had spent. I felt sick to my stomach. I know I should have asked about the price or returned after I realized my mistake. I'm not a rich tourist up from New York on vacation, I've lived in the town over for 25 years and sadly I knew better. Won't be coming back here and probably won't visit any other stores on the strip again.

Awesome shop!!!! Great value and products. They wrap all your purchases, big and small.. the…read moreLeopard paper bags they give you with your purchase...... in love with it!!!!! I live a few shoreline towns over, and WILL def be back soon, can't wait for all the fall pieces they will have!!!!!!! Love this place, my new found hidden gem

"A-OK" I liked this…read morestore, it had a nice mix of selections and designers and was organized in a way that wasn't too overly done, but made sense. The staff was extremely helpful (one of them) or mediocre & preoccupied (the other). I stopped in before a work related dinner as I arrived to town early and had already had some Starbucks, and I was glad I did. I walked away with 3 new tops which I'm thoroughly enjoying. Minus one star for size selection - they carry all 3 "regular" sizes (S/M/L) but she told me more than once that "they usually only send one in that size" and that people often ask for those sizes... so... order more? And minus one more star for price - there were no promotions or sales other than the weird colors from last season, and the products were overpriced compared to what you can get them for online. I liked the ability to try them on, but more than once I hinted I would purchase two more items if I could get a price break somewhere and it was essentially ignored. Their loss!

I don't often, never, go into book stores. Had lunch at RJ Cafe & Bistro and popped in to find my…read moresisters newborn a Christmas gift of a book. I was very pleased with the service from the lady who worked upstairs. She was very helpful and knowledgeable with children books and even gave a lady and her newborn a quick story tell. She also gave me some insight on how to sell my mazes as they had a kids and an adult section for puzzles. Again, very pleased with this store and would recommend stopping in.

This is an independent bookstore in Madison with great, helpful service. It's very popular. They…read morehave gifts, a cafe, and a lot of books! It's very clean. They have a lot of events. There's free street parking in front.

Soooo basically, I want absolutely everything in this store…read more It has such a fun, funky and artsy vibe. All items were truly beautiful. I only had a short period of time to browse during a break at work, but I really can't wait to come back, take my time and make some purchases!

Maybe it's just me, but the outside of the store gave me the impression that it was dowdy and sold…read moreNative American Crafts (not that there's anything wrong with that !), which are not a draw for me. So, in the years I've visited my family in Guilford (I'm from Chicago), I've bypassed this store until this month. What a surprise! A lovely, mostly modern, eclectic, interesting collection! Items for many tastes in various products, such as: jewelry, tote bags, and kitcheny- stuff desirable to non-kitcheny (me) people. Reasonable prices. Give it a try - it's small, the owner is friendly but won't follow you around and be smotheringly helpful. I won't pass up this store on my next visit.

Not sure why I have to drive 2 hours to Clinton Crossing Outlet mall in Clinton, Connecticut to get…read moreoutstanding customer service at a Vera Bradley outlet store but that's what I did and the shopping experience was amazing. The experience in Clinton is entirely different than the experience had at the Vera Bradley outlet store located at the Wrentham Premium Outlets in Wrentham, Massachusetts, that is just a mere 15 minute drive from my house. The Vera Bradley staff in Clinton was amazing. They were helpful, kind and polite. They went above and beyond and that level of interaction wasn't limited to just me, I could see that they were doing a wonderful job with all of us customers and the store was pretty busy. I am perfectly okay with having to travel that far to get great Vera Bradley deals and to be treated with respect and dignity. The Vera Bradley outlet in Wrentham, Massachusetts will never be a destination for me again. Their customer service is horrible!!!

So in college, I was BIG into Vera Bradley. Had to score…read morethe latest/seasonal prints for my bags, makeup pouches, ID tags and yes, even my checkbook cover which I still use.. Now a decade later, I've totally VEeRed-Away from them. (See what I tried to do.. but failed there?!) Anyway.. I happened to be shopping in the outlets a week ago today and passing by the store, I was grabbed by the bright colors I could see through the window and a display of a floral print that really caught my eye. When I wheeled my son's (16 monther) stroller into the store, I was greeted by an associate who told me about their current sale of everything being 50% off. um Wow! Plus she handed me a card and showed me that 3 specific prints were an additional 20% and would you know that the floral one that I fell in love with was one of those prints?! Yup. Great product placement on your part. Sneaky I see, put a massive display in window sight and captivate people like myself to come in and then provide us with a crazy discount on it. Got me! So we browse the store and I found an iphone 6 case in the print, I wanna say it was originally $36? But got 70% off of it. When I got to the checkout, I was told that the phone case didn't ring up 70% off because it was technically named something else in the system or something bogus like that. Regardless, she discounted it for me and I threw in one of those reusable bags in the print too. (Originally $10, but hey, I got it for $3, damn...now that I think of it, I should have snagged a couple more to give as gifts.) Totally great shopping experience all in all. This is a beautifully well stocked store. I just might be hooked again Vera, keep the style coming.

I went in looking for a jeweler to inspect the prongs on some earrings and a ring. He isn't in…read moreeveryday so the two people working did the inspection and cleaned them. All was well. The jeweler changed sa pair of my mother's earrings to work in my pierced ears. My husband even found a pair to buy for me. Lovely little store!

I have now been in to see Daniela twice with regard to the appraisal of family jewelry as part of…read morean estate settlement process. She has been so very helpful and informative. I also couldn't help but observe how patient and attentive she was to each and every person who entered either store, regardless of age or what they were there for. Her staff is equally as pleasant and helpful. I could not recommend Water Street Jewelers more highly. Karen V. E. Haddam, Ct.