Stopped by M.Lovewell yesterday for their first day opening since their store refresh! There are so…read moremany new items and artists that have been added to the store which was nice to see! I love coming by here to look at their selection of fountain pens, inks, journaling supplies, and especially stamps! I hope they continue to add more varieties of washi tapes and stamps to their store as it's my new current obsession! Their prices are always reasonable and their workers are always super friendly. I love chatting with them whenever I visit :) Also love that they host fun learning workshop classes and events! Definitely check out their website for upcoming scheduled events if you're interested. There's a parking garage behind the corner of the street where the wall art is, which is typically free for 90 minutes I believe.

CUTE INDEPENDENT SHOP (4 stats)…read more There isn't much happening in downtown Santa Ana but there are a few hidden gems. Did I overhear that this place has been open for ~10 years?! I stumbled upon this shop while walking around the small downtown and as I walked more east I questioned should I turn around? Right when I was able to this store popped in view and I had to go in! What a cute shop if you are into stationary and pens and etc. I love supporting small independent businesses so I was determined to leave with something. There were a collective of independent products from different companies/artists that sell their items here. I didn't expect to leave spending $70.05 on 5 tiny items. WAX SEAL ($20) - by Made of Honour. There weee a handful of styles available. Very nice packaging. SEALING WAX BEADS 100pc ($9) - by Fiona Ariva. Variety of stunning colors. WAX SEAL HANDLE ($9) - by Fiona Ariva. I believe this is the standard size that fits other brands. BOAT PEN CASE ($13) - by Luddite. I been looking for a small compact pen case for my very few ones that i own and this was what I was looking for. ANTERIQUE BALLPOINT PEN ($13) - I love this mini pen and how it writes. The store DOES sell anterique refills BUT not the mini anterique refills that is needed for this pen. You can order the refills online on Amazon. So here's what gets me about shopping here. - California State Tax (0.5%) - Orange County Tax (0.25%) - Santa Ana City Tax (15%) - Orange County District Tax SP (0:5%) - Orange County Tax SL (1%) ^^ Added an additional $5.95 to the initial subtotal. That's alot in my opinion! Cool store, with a checkout. Until the next review....

The store gets 2/5 mainly because they seem to have partnered with official retailers and some…read moreartists so I think that's very good. But it loses three stars because a figure was being sold at $290 when from the company itself it cost $170 they sell figures at a 70% markup. The section itself has figures prices above what they should be so the figure selection is just pricey compared to you buying it yourself. The service was meh they don't really talk to you unless you're buying something. As a tip if you wanna buy a figure you see go online or AMIAMI and you'll probably save yourself an insane amount

I love Sora Gumi and all the official Hoyoverse merchandise it has to offer. It's always a treat to…read morevisit no matter the location

i love this shop sooo much! i loved their costa mesa location but hated parking at the lab, so i'm…read moreglad they opened up this location (also love how it's right next to my favorite coffee shop) ! they have a great selection of all things stationery and so much more. stickers, pens, notebooks, trinkets, even toolboxes--they have it all! i get most of my stickers here and it's also my favorite place to get gifts for friends since everything is so cute and high quality. honestly a safe place for me since the workers are always so kind and friendly :)!! i love having small talks with them and i always feel so comfortable shopping there. the photo booth is such a plus too!!

Pen Pals Stationery is my go-to spot for grabbing little gifts & journaling supplies! So many…read moreoptions to choose from and I'm always satisfied with what I end up purchasing. I love that I also get to support local/small artists when I shop here! Every time I stop by, the staff is so friendly and welcoming, and I always feel like I'm taken care of if I have any questions! They have journals & notebooks, pens & markers, individual stickers & sticker sheets, greeting cards, pins, bag charms & keychains, hats, tote bags, washi tape, even a photo booth & mini print vending machine & free trinket exchange! Highly recommend stopping by, they've got something for everyone :)

Pen Pals Stationery and Gift Shop is a cute Japanese-inspired stationery and gift shop located…read moreinside The LAB Anti-Mall in Costa Mesa. Recently Pen Pals Stationery and Gift Shop opened another location in Fountain Valley. [Parking]: The LAB Anti-Mall has a designated parking lot, but finding a spot can be hit-or-miss depending on what time you visit. [What to expect]: The shop is comprised of two vintage Airstreams with one Airstream focusing on stationery items (pens, Studio Ghibli-themed journals, and stickers) + greeting cards while the other focuses on plushies (including Sanrio characters), mini games, pins, greeting cards, etc. [Conclusion]: This is a really cute stationery shop to visit and definitely a worthwhile stop for stationery enthusiasts.

This store is very cute and it smells good inside. I was surprised it is very cool and not stuffy,…read moreeven on hot days. The staff is very nice and friendly. The store has a good selection of everything. We love the Miffy collections, the stickers and the plushies. The prices are very reasonable. I found the mirror photo op outside very cute and thoughtful of the owner. Many customers are so rush in and out and they totally missed this. Slow down, enjoy your time and take pictures :)

So many gacha options! I ended up going for the Smiskis and had such a fun experience. The…read moreselection was great, and opening each capsule was exciting definitely brings out that sense of surprise and nostalgia. I'll definitely be coming back again to try my luck!

If you're reading this review, you probably already know what gachapon capsule machines are,…read morecollectible dispensers popular across Asian countries, most associated with Japan. There's been a huge explosion, especially with Gen Z, in rediscovering Asian collectible culture around these figures. It used to be Japan-only, or you'd import them and get overpriced merch on eBay. Bandai has official shops in places like Mitsuwa and Little Tokyo with their own machines, but it's rare to find collector-focused, authentic gacha outside those official stores. Gotcha Planet is really awesome. It's a small location, but packed to the brim with collectibles from popular series like Frieren, Dragon Ball, Chiikawa, Sanrio, JoJo, etc. There's a convenient coin machine to tap your card, get coins, and start pulling. Everything is clean and organized, and although it's usually just one staff member, they've always been nice and helpful. A couple things to know: * No bathroom on site, so plan accordingly. * It's a small space, so it can get cramped if there's a crowd (though I've rarely seen more than one or two other people there at a time). * Pricing is fair considering they're paying rent like everyone else here. * Restocks are fast, so it's worth checking back for the latest stuff. My one real complaint is the selection leans hard into what's popular... cute stuff, current or timeless anime franchises. As someone who collects the weirder side of gacha, like fake miniature food, bugs, dinosaurs, animal figurines etc, I wish they carried more of that. There's a huge market for it, especially in Japan, where you'll find gacha for things like miniature tech, or even a dental office set with tiny chairs and equipment for dioramas. I'd love to see Gacha Planet lean into the weird and niche a bit more, not just the reliable sellers. For now, I go when I need character merch or blind boxes for friends who just want something cute or cool, not the weird stuff I'm after.

*** Only opens on Saturday and Sunday ***…read more This is a cute hole-in-the-wall crochet specialty shop located in Garden Grove. You usually see this type of handmade crochet seller at arts and crafts festivals so I was surprised to see someone dedicate an entire brick-and-mortar store selling only crochet items. The shop is decorated with both small and large crochet (ranges from $10 to $60 depending on sizes) and it even sells crochet tote bags ($35 per bag). The shop also offers crochet flowers so customers can put together their own bouquets ($10 or $15 depending on which flower). The only non-crochet items the store sells are a small selection of greeting cards. This is one of those niche shops that may not fit everyone's taste, but it is perfect for anyone who is a crochet lover. P.S. - Easy parking in front of the store as it is located in a plaza.

GREAT customer service, clean, easy to shop environment and lots of cute handmade items!!!read more

Unexpected selection of very cute items, some Sanrio products and even Pokémon cards. Friendly…read moreservice and clean store. A little bit of everything! Pricing is reasonable for Koreatown as well!

Zero stars. Wrong packaging. Scammers. Scamming children. Asked for refund was denied. Horrible…read moreservice.

The owners are very nice and helpful…read more Their stickers are very cute. I love Mari's Tik Toks! I call her Super Star every time I go in. (Because she is)

The Stkr Store is a Filipino family-run small business that focuses on cute and creative custom…read morestickers as well as some stationery items and greeting cards. [Parking]: Easy and free designated parking for the plaza and our party had no issue finding an available spot on Saturday afternoon. [Products]: Most of the stickers are original artwork with only a few anime IPs (less than 1/8 of all stickers). I thought their LA County stickers (including some cities from San Bernardino County) for each city were pretty neat. The shop also has some decent Japanese-brand notebooks, toolboxes, pens, etc. Customers can also make their own through the website by uploading their own images (minimum order of 50 stickers). [Conclusion]: The store is not everyone's cup of tea, but for the right target customers this is an amazing store.