Thistle & Bess

Amazing classes and gorgeous unique merchandise. My fav place to shop in AA!

Lovely lovely shop perfect for gifting for a loved one (or buying yourself a little treat, as I am inclined to do). They carry really lovely and unique jewelry, papery goods like cards and journals, home décor like candles and throw pillows, plus textiles, artwork, techy stuff (cool phone cases), and even lovely goodies for kids and babies. The store itself is decorated so so wonderfully (that library wallpaper behind the cash register is so awesome) and the owner, Diana, is as sweet and helpful as can be. She’s got a great eye so the stock is fantastic and she’s incredibly helpful when picking out a gift or the like.
Extra bonus? They hold workshops here as well! I recently took the Creative Hand Lettering course hosted by Kristen from Worthwhile Paper. Other great classes they’ve offered include flower crowns, living (think succulent) jewelry, terrarium building, and cocktail mixing classes. All hosted by really incredible local businesses like the florists Passionflower and Two James Spirits.
A really fantastic store not just providing a great shopping exprerience but an outstanding outlet for learning as well!

Found this cute place on Unilocal recently and decided to stop in. It’s a fairly small gift store that is a bit feminine with some vintage and contemporary elements. The product assortment is about average, but the price points are a little higher than similar stores I’ve come across (except Anthropologie). They have a small section of children’s but it’s mostly paper products, home décor, and body care geared towards women. My boyfriend did find a few things he liked, but it was definitely more girly and interesting for be!

Thistle and Bess fits right in with the atmosphere of downtown Ann Arbor. The store has an excellent selection, while I was there I was impressed by their charms, candles, and adorable dogs. In addition, they have fantastic butterfly prints.
Walking out, the most impressive aspect was certainly the helpfulness and kindness of the store owner. When asking for advice I never felt pressured for time or to buy anything. This quality might seem necessary for a store such as this, and it most definitely is. The problem is that in today’s culture it is becoming increasingly more rare, thus I felt it deserved special recognition.
If you’re in Ann Arbor, sure to stop by for quick visit, even if you only have time to window shop.

Thistle and Bess is a fantastic addition to Kerrytowns’ appeal.
Apparently, the name of the store comes from the owner’s cultural background (‘thistle’ for the Scottish side and ‘bess’ for the English).
Keeping it quaint and cute, it’s a place that both kids and grownups can enjoy (so bring the whole family!). For the youngsters, you can find some sought after books like, ‘Flora and the Flamingo’. There are also lots of little trinkets and tchotchkes that are sort of hard to resist…,
For adults, there are vintage charms which are so rare that chances are, you haven’t seen anything like it. My favorite are the rare book locket necklaces with real words and photos. Popularized in the 1950s, these lockets are difficult to find now so it’s a treat to see them in such good condition.
There is paid parking across the street but it’s free of charge on Sundays.