Kept is one of those places where as soon as you walk in, you know you could spend hours looking at…read moreall of the things they have for sale. Tea, chocolates, fancy paper, cards, hand bags, home wares this is a "get all of your gift shopping done in one place" kind of store. The store is nice and spacious with a good flow to it, and is packed with goods without being over packed. It's definitely full, but not so much so that you have to sort through piles of things to find what you're looking for. Whoever does the merchandising for Kept knows what they're doing, I'll say that for sure! If you're looking for local gifts, they've got some local products in here too. I noted some local card makers up on the second floor - if it can be counted as a second floor? - and Rousseau's has chocolates there, for instance. And in the not local category, they have Rifle Paper Co. here. I'm completely in love with the Rifle Paper Co. art style, so that made me incredibly happy!

This is such a cute little shop. I could definitely spend a fortune in here. Lots of cute…read moreknickknacks, kitchen gadgets, gift ideas and so much more. I was particularly fond of all the cat themed items, being a crazy cat lady, I approve. I forsee myself doing holiday shopping here. Plus there's a squirrel on the sign and I love squirrels. Nope doesn't take much to win me over. The new location is more spacious which is great!

Love both locations of this store. I love supporting local businesses, and Made in the Maritimes…read moreallows you to support a local business ... by supporting local businesses. Yes, their wares can be pretty expensive, especially some of the beautiful wall art on display, but it reflects the effort, talent, time and money that goes in to producing handmade items on a small scale. And there are some lovely things here: jewellery, yarn, wood crafts, candles, treats, and of course the artwork. They have something for just about everyone on your gift list. Staff are friendly and helpful at both locations, and I don't think I've ever left empty-handed.

From the owner: At Made in the Maritimes, we support over 200 local makers. There has never been a better time to…read moresupport local business in the Maritimes and across Canada.

I can't believe I've never been here before because this is everything I want in an arts and crafts…read morestore. Not only does it carry gorgeous local art from some of my favourite artists, but they also do workshops and classes. I believe the post them on their website, but I heard there's a book binding one coming up that I would love to go to. When I went last weekend it was because I wanted to meet Amy of Friday55 (one of my favourite local artists) and I ended up learning how to do some embroidery while there. It was really lovely! The Lunenberg Makery was also there showing how to do felting, but I ran out of time to learn that one because I was loving embroidery so much. I think I've found a new favourite hobby. The Trainyard General Store is one of those stores that is completely community-oriented, and I adore it. It's a bit hidden on Portland Street, so a keep an eye out for the sandwich board pointing you in the right direction.

From the owner: Unique and practical handmade goods…read more Workshops led by the Makers whose goods are in store are offered weekly.

Tal Gift Shop in Dartmouth Crossing fits the need for the little gifts. I was greeted by a nice…read morelady who actually asked me if I would like a cup of coffee, I thought this was a nice gesture. The store itself is packed full of merchandise for every occasion, my favourite was the display with all the Betty Boop items on it, again, my list of stuff has grown. :) I would not say there was too many speciality items, but they seem to have the basis covered, there was even a card rack, this is great, so you do not have to go elsewhere to complete the shopping. Nice gift ideas and a friendly staff.

Driving through the crossing I stumbled across Aby Tal which recently opened almost 5 months ago. I…read morewas looking for something for one of my Godson's for Easter so hey why not check it out. Walking in I was greeted by a woman working in which she asked me if there was something that she was able to help. I stated that this being my first time I just wanted to explore. Looking down the isles I came across some really neat and interesting items anything from pic frames, to candles to some fragrance kits, a little pricey to me but I continued on. The baby section was really nice and had something called a pee pee tee, think about that one! cute. Beautiful keep sake items for someone very special. I actually did not stay in the store long as I felt very uncomfortable with the way I was being watched. It was to the point where I just walked out of the store not feeling to great.

I can't resist walking by stores like this…read more I admit, I'm a sucker for local made knick-knacks, smelling handmade soaps and admiring all the talented artists work. Made in the Maritimes has a lovely collection of local goods all in one adorable little shop. Today we were greeted by a sweet smiling young woman who chatted with us while we browsed. Even though I didn't have the money to buy anything I still enjoyed browsing all the wonders Maritimers have to offer. We need more stores like this.

From the owner: Made in the Maritimes Artisan Boutique brings the best of the Maritimes under one roof. Unique,…read morehigh-quality gifts and souvenirs made by local artisan producers. Our contemporary product range includes pottery, fine art, prints, textiles, post cards, woodwork, jewellery, photography, housewares, soft furnishings, glass art and gourmet edibles.

One of my favs for finding interesting or funny gifts and enjoying a delicious coffee. Be a…read morefrequent customer here - you'll love it!

A super cute coffee shop just outside Dartmouth. They have a lot of customization available for…read moretheir lattes which is great if you are looking for dairy free options. There is also a store section on the top and bottom floors with cute local merch (mugs, tea towels, cards, etc.) I highly recommend as the coffee is tasty and less than Starbucks. The vibe of the restaurant is very relaxing as well.

TL;DR/The Short Version: Fun candy and gift store. They had few locally sourced gift items…read more The Slightly Longer Version: Sweet Jane's is a cute little store. I was admittedly drawn to it because of the giant lollipops on the walls outside and their bubble machine that blew bubbles into the street, lol. The store sells candies and gifts. They have cool greeting card and unique gifts like mugs with funny sayings on them. They also have locally sourced items like jams and pickles made in Nova Scotia. Fun store to poke around. Staff were pleasant and greeted us when we entered and said goodbye when we left. (191)

Sweet Jane's was wonderful, I'm in Ontario and them came through for me with a wonderful gift…read morebasket that was shipped to Alberta! They did a fabulous job and Highly recommend them. I'll be sure to recommend them to anyone and will definitely use them in future. Thanks Sweet Janes, Sophie and team, you are awesome Traci Kerfont

Inkwell is carved out of my artsy print and font-filled dreams. Or maybe letter-pressed out of my…read moredreams would be more accurate since the place is filled with insanely gorgeous prints, stationery, gift cards, calendars, notebooks, tote bags, and so much more. This is one of those boutiques that is just going to make me poor. Why? Because after my first visit this morning, all I can think about is who I can send gift cards to...which is soon to be just about everyone. Maybe I'll just slowly work through my entire Yelp friends list? The interior is a heavenly white with gorgeous painted brick walls, an open feel, round showcase tables, and a clean storage system that manages to keep a shop of small products looking both tidy and whimsical at the same time. I'm not sure if it's all the cute animals, trees, and nature prints, but it kind of feels like stepping into the world of the Fantastic Mr. Fox in all the right ways. I managed to keep myself on strategy today, buying only the four thank-you cards that I immediately needed. But I'll be back...I just pray for the strength to refrain from a purchase of nursery room prints that I'm in love with. You know...'cause I might accidentally give birth over the next few days. But guys, it was a family of elephants holding tails in a row! ELEPHANTS! HOLDING TAILS! WITH A BABY ELEPHANT! I've heard of worse reasons to have a kid than that...

I LOVE the new space! I think it's smaller than their old location, but it feels bigger - and…read moredefinitely brighter. There is so much natural light, which makes the whole browsing the beautiful art even more lovely. I want to buy everything in the store. They have gorgeous prints, cards, scarfs, key chains, tea towels, cat toys...yeah, just about everything. A huge amount of their stuff is locally made (anything with a little blue dot on it) which I really appreciate. I love supporting local businesses that support other local businesses. Inkwell is the reason I started buying cards again. I would much rather spend $5 on a locally made card than on something mass produced. And it's always a little piece of art too, so it's a two-in-one gift!

I spotted this store by accident and immediately knew I had to go in…read more The outside is adorable with the sign having a witches had a witch decoration by the door. When you go in there's just so many adorable and unique witchy items to look at. Everything from jewelry, crystals, herbs, ornaments, bath bombs, tarot cards and much more. The store is also a lot bigger than it looks from the outside. It was a surprise to walk around the corner to more rooms full of treasure. Probably one of my new favourite stores in the HRM.

It's a beautiful place the staff is very genuine and very helpful they have a large selection of…read morebasically every witchy item you could think of

You can easily order online - very easy process, except that I wanted to send two different…read moreproducts to one person. So I made two separate orders. I was impressed that I received a call right away to confirm that was not a mistake (thank you because you never know these days if someone has stolen your credit card or that you hit the back button and ordered twice by accident). That was much appreciated! And it was nice to know someone is at the store to assist if you need human interaction. And as one of the items was sold out, she recommended a suitable replacement and without hassle, the item was substituted. Delivery was prompt and products were received in good condition. So... I will definitely order here from now on.

I'm always surprised by the number of businesses just tucked away in suburban strip malls. I mean,…read morehow do enough people realized they're there in order to keep the shop in business? Well, last weekend I figured I'd do some adventure-shopping which led me to this little hideaway. Once you open the door, you'll be surprised by what you find. Unlike the pretty unremarkable exterior, the inside is kind of adorable with a section dedicated to festive teddy bears greeting you at the door. It's all very 'country kitchen' but that's a relief when you don't know if you're walking into a flower boutique or a total dive. Staff were friendly, helpful, and quite lovely as I checked out some of their premade bouquets and pretended for a minute I could come up with something unique from the mix-and-match selection. Spoiler: I couldn't. So I walked out with a nice glass globe holding some stones, watery greens, and a Gerbera daisy for $20. Modern, simple, and a nice way to celebrate a dose of Spring in the middle of February!