If you love local art, unique jewelry, cute stickers, and other handmade artsy items, you must…read morecheck out the local Raleigh gem, Curate on Hargett Street. I initially wandered in because the "Support Local Artists" sign caught my eye. I am an art lover so this store was 100 percent calling my name. The visual art caught my eye first (art lovers, you'll appreciate the vibe immediately), but I quickly realized this place has so much more. It's a small store but the carefully curated selection of handmade items makes a huge impact. The handmade jewelry selection is awesome. The statement pieces you will find here are super unique. Some of the rings were made from recycled vintage earrings. Definitely not the kind of stuff you see everywhere. They also had stickers galore for me and all the planner lovers, which made me happy. T-shirts, tote bags, bag charms, and on and on. And bonus: there's a great juice and smoothie bar right next door, which makes the whole stop even better. The staff was incredibly friendly and helpful, which always makes a shopping experience feel special. This store is 100% my vibe, and I already know I'll be back... probably to buy one of the art prints I can't stop thinking about.

What a unique boutique store at Crabtree!…read more While waiting to be seated at The Cheesecake Factory, we browsed this store. I liked it immediately. I found a pair of earrings that I knew would match a particular dress I like wearing. I held them in my hand, still looking around for other things to buy. The person at the register reminded me that the store closed in 15 min. It was 8:45 in the evening, and soon after, our table was ready. I bought those earrings. My one negative feeling was the pricing. Even the things I wanted were financially out of reach for me. We were about to spend over one hundred dollars at the restaurant, and these earrings were affordable. Other items weren't. Will I go again? I think I will. Lots of cool companies selling their homemade goods there. I understand marketing and price points. Everyone deserves a profit. If I come into some money, I'll try and spend it there.

I've been going to Happy House since they first opened and it quickly became one of my favorite…read moredonuts shops in the Triangle. It's a minority woman owned business and she's mostly at the Raleigh Flea Market on Friday's and Saturday's. Her donuts aren't super sweet and they are very fluffy. Her signature donut is the banana donut and I could eat a whole dozen myself!! She has boba, horchata, and other drinks that are worth trying, especially on a hot summer day walking through the flea market. She's usually located towards the front of the market and it's hard to miss her because she is the only one with bright yellow tent!!

An absolute yes for me. This is a fun co-op style store that offers a wide variety of unique and…read morefun pieces for just about any personality type. A fair amount is handmade pieces, so if you like one-of-a-kind options, this is your place. Staff was super friendly, greeting us as we entered and offering any assistance should we need it. They have signage throughout with prices and info on the makers and / or the pieces. I loved the jewelry and art in particular. Overall: A+ A must stop in the mall for one-of-a-kind pieces from unique makers.

This is such a great store if you are looking for a relaxing browse. This is a gem of a store in an…read moreunexpected location, the mall! This is the type of place you might expect to find in a small tourist beach walk area! What you can find here varies all the time, as there are a variety of items from local artisans. This is a great place to find small gifts or even gifts representing Raleigh! I bought a beautiful canvas tote, celebrating the city of oaks, a great bag to take to the farmers market or street fairs! I also bought a variety of inspirational stickers for my journal! This store is located on the upper floor of the mall at the end near Belk's. The great thing about this store is it has an outside entrance and an inside entrance so it is easy to pop in and out of!