They have a lot of great things for crafting, but they also have a lot of cheaply made crap they…read moretry to sell as "decorations" for outrageous prices. It's always hit or miss at this location if you're going to get friendly help from workers. I only go here if I am desperate for certain craft items I can't wait to be shipped to me from somewhere else. Prices are all over the place so they want you to use the 50% off coupon to make it seem like you get a deal. I wish this place was just....better.

I had some needlework framed and was disappointed. There were wrinkles in the material and the…read morebordet outline was not straight. I had taken a similar item last year, and they had done a great job. That's why I decided to take this piece there, too, to get framed.I

They have ZERO cell reception in the building. I can't call or text anywhere. Horrible when you…read moredon't know where family is in the store not to mention trying to transfer funds with a debit card. Plus, I have ATT which is what they sell at their location. I will not shop here again!!

Shout out to the super awesome lady -- I think her name is Pat or Pam (white lady with long gray…read morehair). She helped me save so much by using the Target Circle app during the holidays. SHE IS AWESOME. GIVE HER ALL OF THE RAISES!!!

Once again, The Grapevine helped me find a perfect gift for a little person. I had a cousin…read morecelebrating his second birthday and he loves airplanes. When I shared that information with the owner, she knew exactly what I needed. She showed me a cute t-shirt that had an airplane on it with the caption, "Take To The Sky". It was perfect. Now I just had to find out what size to buy. The owner remained patient as I texted the grandma, so I purchased the right size. The t-shirt was considered a summer items and all summer fashions were on sale for 20% off. So I got a great gift at a discount. (Original price was good, too). I paired this t-shirt with a couple of Hot Wings toys from Funky Planet Toys, a fabulous locally owned toy store about a half block down the street. Alton is lucky to have these two children's stores in their downtown. As a bonus, both are women owned.

Wow! What a gem! We recently received a gift certificate to this store for my son's first birthday…read more We had never been here before and were very impressed. They have a great selection, everything from seasonal (currently Easter) toys, to dress up, stuffed animals, puppets, baby toys, books, board games, tonies, art supplies and so much more! The staff were helpful and friendly but let us roam around with our toddler without feeling rushed or pressured. All of the products appeared to be good quality and we felt good shopping local rather than Amazon. We ended up purchasing a neat little book that tells an audio story. They had others that were my first Bach book, my first Mozart, my first Ballet etc. that were more musical and less story. So much neat stuff, we spent quite a while in the store and I foresee us coming back for future holidays and birthdays.

This past holiday season, my favorite shopping trips were made to Happy Up. These days, kids get…read moreso much stuff with relatively short enjoyment and/or life spans. I wanted something different for the kids in my life, even if I had to spend a little bit more. My first trip to the store, I got acquainted with the layout, and all the wonderful toys and games filling the space. The second visit, I started to narrow my shopping list. Third trip, I purchased items. The staff was there when I needed them, but didn't hover, and let me browse. There's something magical about shopping for toys you see and touch in person, reminiscing about Christmases past, and dreaming about the one to come. Thanks, Happy Up!

Great selection on your home decor needs. This location was very well stocked and employees were…read moreout restocking as well. They had a lot of items on clearance. Plenty of items for the upcoming season and holiday. Pricing is fairly decent, but some items are a bit over priced if you ask me. Plenty of parking outside, and the employees were kind, and assisted when needed.

So glad to find a Home Goods close to my Illinois home. When I lived in STL, I loved the Kirkwood…read morestore and this one is quickly becoming my new favorite. Since the neighborhoods of Edwardsville and Kirkwood are similar, the merchandise in both stores is very similar. Actually, I would be in amazement if someone went into a Home Goods store and walked out with nothing. I think I've only been able to accomplish that once. I can always find some little trinket for the current holiday, a new pot for the kitchen or some new scoop bags for walking the dogs. If you can't find something for yourself at Home Goods, I am confident you'll find a gift or two for a friend or family member. If you haven't been, get yourself out of the house and go shopping. When: Whenever in E-ville Why: Decorating the home or gift shopping

I found the perfect gift for a two year old boy who is obsessed with planes. Right before a b-day…read moreparty for my little cousin, who is twice removed, I found out his new focus was on airplanes. So I headed to, Funky Planet to see if they had anything appropriate. OMG! David one of the owners, assisted me in finding the absolute perfect gift. He showed me some die-cast planes called, Hot Wings. Yep, they're just like Hot Wheels, except they are all different airplanes. Each plane comes with a piece of runway. So the more you buy, the longer your runway gets. The prices of Hot Wings, is reasonable so you will not break the bank while building your fleet. You can even get a control tower for your future pilot. When my little cousin opened my gift, he stopped opening the remainder of his gifts and had to fly his new planes around the room. All the other guest then started asking me where I found such a cool gift. I ended up sounding like a commercial for Funky Planet. Hopefully, my cuz will be getting more planes in the near future. In addition to the two planes, I got my little cousin an airplane themed t-shirt from Grapevine. Grapevine is a children's boutique about a half block down the street. Alton is lucky to have both of these locally owned stores.

Such a treasure right in downtown Alton. I stopped here for Christmas gifts and got something for…read moreeveryone in the family. All kinds of toys, puzzles, games, and more. The prices are super reasonable, and you'll find things you can't get anywhere else, which makes it pretty special. You can even buy yarn, and the owner knits plushies you can buy. Kids will love this place, but as an adult I was just as taken with it.

I can't believe I just finally went to this hidden gem. Located in a gorgeous building right on…read morethe Main Street in Collinsville. This shop has all you can think of and more. You'll find beautiful jewelry, handmaid soaps and candles and a lot of thrifted goodies. Everything was reasonably priced and high quality. I had the best service. I came for a gift for a friend and the woman working helped me wrap my item up, let me pick a cute gift tag and write my message. That little touch meant everything. So happy to have this store near me.

This is a cute little shop. Local artist work displayed. Cool vintage clothes and jewelry. We came…read morein for an after hours painting party. Cool venue, nice teacher/artist, and good music. We had a good time. Would recommend a visit here for shopping and painting.

Birthday run. We were in search of mylar balloons which were running $5 ea at some other stores…read more Not so for here, we created the entire balloon bouquet for $5 +tax Winning!!

Clean and well organized store. Nothing in the aisles; didn't see any items out of their correct…read morelocation (and I went up and diwn each aisle!) An associate was busy restocking shelves; another was at register. This location doesn't have self checkout though. Sign on front door indicated no helium, due to helium shortage, Bummer. Everything was in it's right place. Store was clean. Just no helium