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Who'd a thought that a candy shop and designer and estate jewelry shop would work well together?
This unlikely combo is owned by Sandy Wainwright, a very talented fine jewelry designer whose...
Who'd a thought that a candy shop and designer and estate jewelry shop would work well together?
This unlikely combo is owned by Sandy Wainwright, a very talented fine jewelry designer whose work evokes the Lalique era. It's stunning, very clean, and priced so.
There is also a collection of estate jewelry. I bought a lovely set of pearl earrings there for a reasonable price.
Combined with this is an upscale candy shop with some fun and interesting packaging. It's the best place on South Whidbey to buy nice seasonal treats, such as Halloween or Valentine's Day goodies.
It's a great store to browse in -- no overpriced tourist goods, like much of Langley. Nice staff, but if you want to know about the jewelry, ask for Sandy; she's charming, and knowledgeable person.
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Looking for some home cooking? The Braeburn delivers it in an apple-themed, comfortable cafe atmosphere.
They serve breakfast, lunch and dinner. The egg scrambles are tasty with lots of choices,...
Looking for some home cooking? The Braeburn delivers it in an apple-themed, comfortable cafe atmosphere.
They serve breakfast, lunch and dinner. The egg scrambles are tasty with lots of choices, the toast is not soggy or dry, and the coffee dark and hot. One of my faves for lunch is the meat loaf sandwich with apple coleslaw. And their dinners include chicken and dumplings, of course, and pot roast. They also have desserts, but after dinner, you'll likely be quite full as the portions are generous.
There are some vegetarian offerings as well.
The service is friendly, and best, of all, the food is consistently good. Prices are reasonable--it's one of the best places on south Whidbey, which is pretty lacking in the moderate cost/good food combo category.
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If you're looking for great clothing bargains, without a doubt, this is the best place.
Plan to spend some time. The clothes are well sorted, but there's a lot and if you take the time to look...
If you're looking for great clothing bargains, without a doubt, this is the best place.
Plan to spend some time. The clothes are well sorted, but there's a lot and if you take the time to look for name labels, you'll score. Like a Nordstrom Classiques Entier silk shirt for $4, or a cashmere sweater set for $5, or a Jones NY skirt for $3.
And, on alternate Saturdays, they have a big sale in the basement area and the prices are really cut. I got an Eddie Bauer shell and fleece combo coat in perfect condition for about $2.50 at one of these sales.
The company is listed as a recycler and apparently sends clothing all over the country and internationally, though one wouldn't know it from the modest shop on Portland's east side.
When I'm in Portland, this is on my don't-miss list.
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Whidbey Telecom is a local monopoly, now owned by the founder David Henny's family.
The founder's legacy lives on, however, and consumers should be very careful dealing with these folks.
Here...
Whidbey Telecom is a local monopoly, now owned by the founder David Henny's family.
The founder's legacy lives on, however, and consumers should be very careful dealing with these folks.
Here are some of their favorite tactics over the years:
Mining the local classifieds for small home businesses and then informing the folks that their home phone number is now a business and the charges henceforth will be much more as it's a commercial line.
Charging late fees 16 days after the bill is sent and sending letters that threaten to cut off the phone service.
Mislisting someone's name/information in their phone book and then charging to correct the mistake.
Pressing hard for favorable rules from the state's utility commission and then justifying it to consumers by saying that it's in their tariff from the utility commission, denying that it was their idea.
After many, many years of monopolistic abuse, it's now possible to have another long-distance service, avoid a land line, and get dial up from Isomedia or cable from Comcast. They still have a monopoly on local service and DSL.
Advice: Find someone else for everything possible and then document everything with these folks.
PS The founder spent a year and a half in federal prison at McNeill Island as a result of being convicted for felonies that he cooked up at and for the then-Whidbey Telephone Co.
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This store moved to a new building a few years ago and ever since, their prices have skyrocketed.
Things are frequently priced equal to new merchandise; they seem to think people will be willing...
This store moved to a new building a few years ago and ever since, their prices have skyrocketed.
Things are frequently priced equal to new merchandise; they seem to think people will be willing to pay top dollar to help support their cause. True, the money goes to senior services, but they've perhaps gotten in over their heads and have passed it on to shoppers.
Advice: Avoid Community Thrift and shop at Good Cheer in Langley or Clinton or at WAIF in Freeland for your second-hand needs.
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This little thrift store raises money to support animal welfare in the county.
The prices are about the best on the island and it's a great place to buy clothes. They often have good and upscale...
This little thrift store raises money to support animal welfare in the county.
The prices are about the best on the island and it's a great place to buy clothes. They often have good and upscale label clothes at very low prices.
The store is quite small, but carries a good selection of most kinds of stuff. Also, they often have daily special discounts--such as 2 for 1 or 25% off everything blue--whatever strikes them, I guess.
Look for it in the small strip mall across from the bus stop.
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Jim's Hardware could be characterized by that Garrison Keillor tag line--If you can't find it at Jim's, you can probably get along without it.
From fishing gear to flowerpots, paint to a small,...
Jim's Hardware could be characterized by that Garrison Keillor tag line--If you can't find it at Jim's, you can probably get along without it.
From fishing gear to flowerpots, paint to a small, obscure bolt, Jim's is a likely place to find it. And the service is friendly and personal--Jim or another staffer will take you there and help you find it, suggest a substitute, or tell you they're out or don't have it. The prices are reasonable and there are lots of unexpected stuff tucked here and there
This is not to say they have everything, or keep things stocked all the time. But this old-fashioned hardware store is a welcome relief from those mega-box places.
Check it out.
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