They used to have a brick and mortar on Preston, Indie Beauty Co., which was more of a pop-up shop…read morethat lasted a couple of years with a really cute heart wall, and it was one of my favourite stores in the city. Before the pandemic, I loved attending their craft markets! Since the pandemic, they've moved to virtual craft markets and have continued to support local. They curate art, clothing, jewelry, home goods, beauty products, food items, and more from other local Ottawa businesses and those across Canada. I just bought some last-minute Christmas gifts during the virtual Holiyay craft market that's been running for about a month and will end on Christmas Eve. I placed my order on a Saturday but after 12pm, which means I missed the cutoff for same-day delivery, but still got it delivered to my door the next day, a Sunday! There was no "entry free" for the virtual market, they try to cut down on plastics and use recyclable materials for packaging, and it's delivered through an Indigenous-owned, contactless courier service rather than the standard postal service, so I was more than happy to pay the delivery fee. You can also have it delivered directly to someone and have the option to track shipping, so that's really cool, too. I haven't been able to use the majority of items I bought since they were gifts, but I did buy a couple of candles from HUSHT. Designs for the house and they smell amazing! They're natural, sustainable, and vegan coconut soy candles with crackling wooden wicks, essential oils, handcrafted in Ottawa, and hand-poured in small batches. It's the first I've heard of them, thanks to Freewheeling Craft, and I love that they're eco-friendly, modern, and chic. I'm currently burning the Tarte de Noël candle, which is described as a buttery baked apple pie scent. I also bought the Apple Fog + Brown Sugar candle, which is supposed to smell a sweet candied apples and oranges. Though both apple scented, they smell totally different and I can't wait to use them. Super easy browsing, purchase, and delivery process. Freewheeling Craft never disappoints!

So y'all know how I love supporting small local businesses, well, Carousel Collective supports…read morelocal designers and artists. The front part of the store features different entrepreneurs every 2 months. Everything in this part of the store is made in Canada and 80% is made in Ottawa. The back part of the store is the sale/clearance section, which had items from Canadian designers but also items that are not Canadian. They had lots of Geox and Camper shoes, and a small selection of Melissa shoes as well (sadly none in my size - I love Melissa shoes!). I was pleasantly surprised by their selection of shoes in size 5. Since they were 80% off, I had to get these cute Geox ankle boots. They were from 2 seasons ago, but they were only $44 (regularly retailed for $219), and really comfortable and super cute! Staff were really nice. The place is bright, clean and well organized. They just opened at the end of May 2018. So it's pretty much a "new store" every 2 months since they feature different entrepreneurs. They sell clothing, skincare, jewellery, accessories, and more. So happy to have this new store in my 'hood :)

This store advertises that it supports local artists. Instead, they sell the items and then don't…read moregive the artists the money they owe for those sales. They also steal display items loaned to them. If you want to support local artists, hit up another store or a local artisan market, rather than these thieves.

Adorit is such a cute and fun little shop. It reminds me a bit of Courage My Love in Kensington…read moreMarket in Toronto. It has that hippie vibe and smells of patchouli. It has vintage items but also new items. Their new items are all ethically sourced/fair trade, most are made of organic materials and the designers are Canadian. The owner, Emma, is very sweet and is so passionate about the items she sells. She introduced me to 2 designers that I totally love now: Smoking Lily, and Rabbit & Empee. OMG, why did I not know about these designers earlier? Their pieces are gorgeous! Most of the clothes in the shop are somewhat quirky with a bohemian vibe to them, some with slight steampunk elements, but there are pieces that look more mainstream too. They also have unique jewelry pieces, hair accessories, belts and purses. Prices run the gamut from less than $1 (vintage jewelry) to over $150 (new clothing). New clothing starts at about $35 for T-shirts and goes up to $100+ for dresses. The shop is small and is in an old converted residential unit in the Byward Market. If you are looking for a cool and unusual piece, Adorit is the place to go! ;)

Adorit is a lovely boutique in the ByWard Market that specializes in vintage, Tibetan and designer…read morerecycled clothes. The vintage selection is small and it's the only part of the store that has men's clothing, but they do manage to have some very unique finds. The new clothing is "environmentally friendly" and it's often made out of recycled clothing material with some really great patterns. The clothing is usually made in Tibet (fair trade) or Canada, including some work by local designers. The clothes are usually quite nice and Bohemian-inspired, although the prices run a bit high sometimes. However, they often have a sales rack and trunk with some great pieces, including my favourite coat that probably gets more compliments than any other article of clothing I own. They also have wonderful accessories and Tibet products.The owner is very nice.