The most wonderful array of paper goods and other gifts, all of the highest quality and many made…read morein house. I'm lucky I don't live in Santa Barbara or I'd spend all of my money here!

I was shopping for a last minute Mother's Day card with my three kids in tow, including my…read morerambunctious 3-year-old. I audibly stated that I was looking for a Mothers Day card and the face-pierced girl behind the counter didn't even look up from her phone to help. I was one of two people in the store.

I really was becoming exasperated in looking for the right wedding invitation for me and my…read morefiancé's wedding. I searched the web, I looked through hundreds of samples, I ordered samples, I called, I chatted online, I went to different locations, spoke with different reps, and for the life of me, I couldn't find the help or service or the design I wanted. Then one day I got an email from Paper Star/Diane. I yelped her business but it showed up "Closed". I was a bit disappointed because she was the only one with 5 stars. So with some confusion, I replied her email asking for her business status. She explained that she is in business but no longer on State Street. She now works out of her home for the time being having to commute to another city. But right away, she was interested in what I might be looking for. She shared a little bit about herself and business in Santa Barbara, then she asked me about my wedding, which was refreshing. She asked about my theme/colors, my dress, guests and location. She then said she'll get some samples over to me, and she did with a very quick turn around. I liked what she showed me right away but I wanted to see more options. When I got to her place, she bought out some catalogues and it had SO MANY beautiful options to choose from! Diane guided me through all the different things to look for, asking what I would like all along the way. There were so many choices, I just loved it! I was really impressed with her diligence and her sincere passion in finding the perfect wedding invitation that expresses what Brad and I both want, which is Rustic Elegance. She's a straight shooter, speaking her mind on what she thinks it's best, what she'd recommend and if you want something else, she's diligent in finding that for you too! Diane is awesome. She's professional but very personal and just warm hearted all the way. She's gone beyond just offering her expertise in wedding invitations and into seamstress and wedding planning services. And she'd often end our conversation with the reminder of calling her if I have any questions about wedding planning and she will direct me to different sources with no charge, just something extra she does for her brides. She made me feel so special, like a special bride :)) She has beautiful jewelry to choose from too, and the sweetest doggy to greet you at the door! :) I would highly recommend Diane for wedding planning in all areas and not just wedding invitations because she's so well connected to all the wedding sources in Santa Barbara, being in business here for over 20 years. I feel like I'm working with a friend who truly cares about my wedding! Love her!

From the owner: Paper Star offers a unique selection of wedding invitations, stationery and accessories as well as…read morecoordinating services for your special day. Wedding invitations including Crane, William Arthur, Carlson Craft and many others to suit your budget needs. Professional consulting services include: -Ceremony only -Week of -Day of Price will vary depending on your needs.

I shop at my local paper source a lot and stopped into this one while on the road. The selection…read morewas good, it's a good sized store, but the clerk was unhelpful and actually downright rude. It seemed like she hated her life.

this stationary store is so cute. i was on a hunt for a journal and was tempted by all the other…read moreassortment of stuff this place offers. the aisles were a little squished together though.

Art Essentials had a variety of painting materials. After going around town so happy I found this…read moregem! Has individual watercolor paint tubes available in variety of colors. Staff were super nice and helpful locating color I was looking for. Lots of arts supplies for painting or art activities for all ages.

Great selection! Everything for the artist and the only game in town. Plus the discounts keep me…read morecoming back.

Wow! The scent of paper and print hang heavy in the air. It has been a long time since I have…read morebeen in a book store that is as densely packed with such an array of reading material. If they don't have it, it probably wasn't worth reading anyway.

While my family has been going into Chaucer's for many years, it is due to the fact that they're…read morethe only surviving bookshop in Santa Barbara. We have seen chains like Borders and Barns & Noble, as well as locally owned shops - Granada Books and Earthling - all sadly disappear from our community, and I am concerned that Chaucer's has become complacent, secure in the knowledge that they hold a monopoly on Santa Barbara readers. Chaucer's selection is expansive, however, in their effort to provide a broad range of titles, there is usually only one copy of each. The staff over-crowd their narrow aisles, oftentimes with books stacked on the floor, a difficult navigation when you are also trying to squeeze past another patron in their aisles that are barely two-people wide. I also am ambivalent about Chaucer's organization. Mind you, it is easy to miss the placards that indicate each section and sub-section, as they are the same hand-written signs on cardboard that have been stuck between the books for the past 20 years. It is unclear also who is staff and who is not, because there is no dress code and there are no nametags... except on the dog wearing a bandana identifying her as 'Shop Dog.' Look for whoever is actually behind the counter, I suppose. It must be said that they are friendly and helpful. If they do not have a specific book that you are looking for, they always offer to order it for you.

Loveeeee Art From Scrap! I can spend at least a couple hours in there every time I go. I am always…read moreinspired and the employees are so kind. The prices are great and the selection is amazing. I hope to participate in a workshop soon. They sell everything from pencils, pens, photos, books, magazines, art, jewelry, knock knacks and more!

Wow!! So good to know this place is here! I don't need to own everything they offer, just nice to…read moreknow I could find it if I needed it! It's fascinating to wander through the aisles, noting every miscellaneous item (photographic slides, assorted flags, vintage postcards, weird jellyfish-like shavings from skateboard wheels - - it really goes on and on! I'm also adding this to my circuit to visit when I have friends in from out of town!

Shout out to Brittani and Joseph for all their help. Great customer service. Thank you!read more

I want to be clear right off the top. This review is for the COPY CENTER only. The supplies part…read moreof the store is good. Every time I have tried to use their copy service though, things have never gone smoothly. Only tried using them for a big job one time, and that was a low quality job and they seemed to have no interest in making it right. After that, I decided to only use them for a couple copies of something here and there now and then. Two days ago I needed to make a double sided copy with two forms of ID, so I figured that would be easy enough... wrong! The person working the counter (Christine) acted as if I was bothering her with that quick simple job. After she gave me the original with all documents on one sheet, I went to the self serve machines to make a few more copies. I unfortunately was unfamiliar with the operation of their new machines and needed to ask a couple quick questions. Well you'd think I had asked her to help me unload furniture from my truck. After she made a couple snide comments and a very unfriendly vibe, she actually argued with me about how simple the machine was to use.... that may be, IF you know the terminology the machine used, but I did not, not yet. I said Thank You twice during her help and again at check out. Not once did she respond even so much as a grunt, just dead silence and the MOST unfriendly personality I have come across at that store, yet. I'm just done with that shop and won't be back for anything, ever. There are other options in town, but that one just happened to be the closest to my house. I'm very happy to drive out of my way though, to receive decent customer service. We all have a bad day now then, but there is no reason it should be that consistently bad.

We had a small wedding in Santa Barbara and used Santa Barbara Company for welcome gifts and…read moreflowers. Rita, the florist, did a beautiful job with the bouquet, boutonniere, and table arrangements. The flowers were fresh, elegant, and perfectly matched our vision. Rita was attentive and easy to work with throughout the whole process. The welcome gifts were a lovely touch for our guests and everyone loved the flowers. We had a great experience and would highly recommend Santa Barbara Company for any event!

I am so thrilled to have found Santa Barbara Company for all my gifting needs. As a frequent…read morevisitor to Santa Barbara, I am familiar with and love the products they include in their gift boxes and baskets. They are truly unique and well-priced. Local delivery is super-fast and shipping is too! If you want something unique, special, beautiful but also practical--this is your one-stop shop.

I rented out this beautiful vacation rental for some of the out of town guests to my wedding in…read moreAugust and I had no complaints. The home is quite beautiful and spacious with some wonderful landscaping. The house was literally built around the landscape and sits quite nicely with the area. The parking area is a little small for the size of the house, but it's right on the edge of mission creek and there isn't much they could do about that. You can fit 3 cars in the driveway and there is limited street parking. Hmm, I suppose that's ample parking for most, but we held a Lingerie party there for my wife and it filled quickly. I didn't actually sleep in the house but I heard nothing but praise from the people who did.