Updated Oct. 15, 2021

A good shopping day is when you go with one item in mind, and come out hours later with a whole other story.

Edmonds is that kind of place. It’s easy to get lost in all that art and magic…a little like Alice Through the Looking Glass. Curiouser and curiouser…

Besides, nothing beats a little retail therapy in the heart of Main Street. 

Crow. This charming store sells cute, quirky character crows for fun, to plant in your backyard garden, hang on your tinseled tree, enjoy on your soon-to-be favorite drinking glasses, and ward off any bad juju. 

Jen Lawson opened up her brightly-lit, funky shop in November 2019 with fun, comfort, and artisanship in mind.

Sit for a spell in a replica of the comfy orange “Friends” Central Perk couch — and when you’re ready, browse a broad, cheerful spectrum of local, handmade gifts: enamel jewelry by Sarah Meranda, Handy Happy fantasy animal pillows and plushie toys, Childs Stoneware Pottery, striped cotton shawls, and of course, lots and lots of local art, crows included. Crow is located at 105 5th Ave S, 425-245-8036.

Not far from crow is the mysterious and enchanting The Curious Nest, a curious, Victorian French antique maze of lost and found treasures, the kind you’d find in your cool grandmother’s attic, along with a closet full of period costumes to play dress-up in. Magpie artist Andrea Savar makes and curates jewelry from bits and pieces of her heart’s desire — gemstones, vintage pearls and French medals, evil eye charms and metal stag heads. She also finds scores of exceptional antiques that will make you swoon, like a pearlescent shell-encased jewelry casket from 1800s France. 

The handcrafted jewelry, up-cycled and paper art, ceramics, textiles, soy candle tea cups, and so much more are fetching, extraordinary pieces dying to be held, stroked, and taken home.

The Curious Nest can be found on 405 Main St., 206-729-6378.

Go exploring for exotic treasures from Europe and Asia, all over the world, at Alexander’s Bead Bazaar on 407 Main St. in downtown Edmonds. A family business (The Curious Nest’s jewelry artist Andrea Savar is one of the co-owners) for over 30 years, Alexander’s Bead Bazaar unearths and showcases all kinds of cool, intriguing, and unique finds — tribal art, sacred statues, ethnographic wearable art pieces, gems and beads fashioned into eye-catching jewelry. “We carry a large collection of unusual tribal art and beads collected in years of travel to many parts of Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. From African statuary to Laotian antiquities, we have an ever-changing collection of unique ethnographic wearable art pieces, as well as components. We also carry a large collection of Thai silver charms and beads sold individually, as well as at a reduced bulk price. [website]” The shop recently moved from the Roosevelt neighborhood of Seattle to Edmonds. Come say hi, and pick up a few treasures for yourself.

The Wishing Stone’s nature discovery store is a good place to unearth fascinating artifacts (fossilized dinosaur dung and insects caught in amber!), sterling silver and gems, minerals and healing stones, plus “thousands of unique inventory items” not listed online. The seaside boutique in Mukilteo, circa 2001, moved to Edmonds in 2005 before eventually settling on 523 Main St. in 2014, its current location, 425-712-1060.

Slow down or you just might miss Harvest Lavender Essentials just off the corner of Main Street and 5th Ave. N., which would be so sad, because this intoxicating oasis of serenity is just the tonic for a stressed, taxed, and weary world. Phone: 425-744-0140.

After a full day of shopping, treat yourself to a pick-me-up you can only find in Edmonds. The bakeries, cafes, and coffee houses here are plentiful, and addictive. Pain au chocolat from Red Twig Bakery & Café, a Walnut Street Coffee latte and mini-donut, Café Louvre affogato, Turkish Eggs and cold-pressed juices at eco-friendly Jaiiya Café — from Chee Wong and wife Sherlyn, who once owned Waterfront Coffee Co. by the ferry dock, old-fashioned donuts and iced cookies from Edmonds Bakery… Enjoy your “Me Time.” You deserve it.