City: Des Moines, IA

Category: Shopping

Telephone: (515) 244-4211

Address: 503 E. Locust St.

Description: Named after two of the canines who hang out in their own space behind the counter, this East Village shop offers dog items that are both practical (organic dog foods and shampoos) to the more extravagant (doggie sweaters in a variety of colors). A countertop case holds fresh-baked doggie cookies and biscotti. Being dog lovers, the staff are good for recommendations for local vets and other pet professionals.

City: Des Moines, IA

Category: Shopping

Telephone: (515) 270-8202

Address: 400 E. Locust St.

Description: This East Village shop is chock-full of all sorts of kitchen gear, including a wide array of baking pans and every type of kitchen accessory you might need, whether preparing a small, intimate supper or a major feast. There’s a nice selection of knives as well. High-end coffeemakers and coffee accessories are piled on shelves in the middle of the room. The test kitchen in back hosts occasional cooking classes as well as other classes on topics like knife skills. A knowledgeable staff can help you sort through the vast array of items and pick out the cooking gear you need. Closed Sunday.

City: Des Moines, IA

Category: Shopping

Telephone: (515) 271-7625

Description: A fine selection of oil lamps built from different types of stones, as well as incense burners and jewelry, can be found at this Valley Junction shop. All items are handcrafted in-house, with many of the lamps fashioned out of stones the owners have collected on their far-ranging travels. There are also lamps made of petrified wood and other materials. Closed Mon as well as Sun from Jan through Mar.

City: Des Moines, IA

Category: Shopping

Telephone: (515) 255-1010

Description: Lots of fabrics, plus complete quilts, are for sale here at the north end of Valley Junction. Numerous patterns and notions are available as well. The shop features Bernina sewing machines and offers regular classes on using them and creating various projects, and also serves as a clearinghouse of information on local and area quilting shows.

City: Des Moines, IA

Category: Shopping

Telephone: (515) 288-1323

Address: 400 E. Locust St.

Insider Pick:

Description: This funky East Village T-shirt shop, run by a scrappy young entrepreneur, specializes in offbeat screen-printed shirts with sayings that have an often mischievous and decidedly local edge. Samples: Des Moines: French for “The Moines,” or “Iowa City: All Our Creativity Went Into the Name.” (There are other designs that probably can’t be mentioned here.) Many shirts have a decidedly political bent. The selection of shirts can change, with new shirts coming onto the racks that line the narrow, minimalist space, and the young staff will probably be hard at work printing shirts when you drop by. The store also has other hipster wear like jackets and sweatshirts and an eclectic selection of books and novelty gifts.

City: Des Moines, IA

Category: Shopping

Telephone: (515) 244-3277

Address: 500 E. Grand Ave.

Description: A funky, boutique-y garden shop, with its stock about evenly divided between plants and garden decor items. Among the plants are some interesting tulip bulbs and a wide selection of herbs, including rosemary, Greek oregano, and grapefruit mint. Some gardening implements are available, as well as a whole rack of gardening gloves. The staff are a good source of information, particularly if you have questions about garden design and which plants are best for your garden.

City: Des Moines, IA

Category: Shopping

Telephone: (515) 277-1120

Address: 3200 Ingersoll Ave.

Description: Entering this storefront in a strip shopping center set back from the street, you are greeted with a riot of color—there are all sorts of home decor items and jewelry in a rainbow of hues. Many of the items would make a nice yet funky addition to your dining table or living room—plenty are by local artists, with some pieces cleverly constructed out of found or salvaged objects. The store also has many seasonal themes, making this a good place to go if you’re looking for stuff to decorate your home for Halloween, Christmas, or other holidays.

City: Des Moines, IA

Category: Shopping

Telephone: (515) 282-0844

Address: 521 E. Locust St.

Description: This rambling, tasteful storefront in the East Village houses a cornucopia of furniture, household decorating items, and accessories. Many of the pieces have a distinctly folk art look, with bright colors and whimsical touches a feature of many items. The store grew out of the work of a local abstract painter who designed small decorative items. Today all pieces are designed and crafted by a team of artisans in the shop’s own design studio, who use birch, poplar, and driftwood to turn out everything from armoires to dresses and beds, and also create mirrors, lamps, and candlesticks and everything in between—you can spend a lot of time in the store perusing the selection. The staff will also build custom pieces based on different themes and colors.

City: Des Moines, IA

Category: Shopping

Telephone: (515) 274-3661

Description: A treasure trove of costumes, from historical figures to superheroes and everything in between, is piled high in the aisles and along the walls at this store, which announces itself with a large marquee in the heart of Valley Junction. There’s a wide selection of kids’ costumes, as well as wigs, makeup, accessories, and some risqué items for adult costume parties. Also sells standard theater and dance supplies.

City: Des Moines, IA

Category: Shopping

Telephone: (515) 288-1349

Address: 400 E. Locust St.

Description: A shoebox of a boutique in the East Village that has lots of interesting items, such as T-shirts with printed designs and batik-pattern dresses. There are some nice tote bags and kids’ items too, as well as a good jewelry selection. Most of the items come from local artisans and designers. Poke around the clothes and accessories that line the walls—you should be able to make some good finds.

City: Des Moines, IA

Category: Shopping

Telephone: (515) 279-0371

Address: 333 E. Grand Ave.

Description: A cornucopia of neat items from around the world is found in this small shop. This is the place to pick up African woven baskets or an Andean panpipe, and there are plenty of items that would make great gifts. Several musical instruments are among the offerings, including a good selection of drums. One display case holds a fragrant array of soaps and lotions, and there are plenty of kids’ T-shirts with colorful designs. Pick up a tote bag made from all-natural fibers or a bag of fair-traded coffee. Closed Monday.

City: Des Moines, IA

Category: Shopping

Telephone: (515) 243-4405

Address: 22 SW 9th St. (corner of Ninth and Cherr

Description: This redbrick warehouse in the shadow of a traffic overpass is 4 stories of recovered vintage treasures for the home. Stuffed in the high, open rooms is everything from basic building materials to fine antiques. Whole sections are devoted to lamps, doors, and furniture, including pieces made from recycled materials in the in-house workshop. Stained-glass windows stand alongside old advertising signs. Retro decorative objects stand on every available flat surface. Telephones on each floor put you in touch with the staff, who will run your finds down in the freight elevator. There’s a coffee bar on the first floor—you’ll need it to take a break from your hunting!

City: Des Moines, IA

Category: Shopping

Telephone: (515) 288-6888

Address: 3313 Ingersoll Ave.

Description: Located in the heart of the Ingersoll Avenue commercial strip, this small shop has a pretty good selection of camera and accessories, with all the major brands represented. They also carry a full line of photography guides if you’re looking to brush up on your technique or just need some tips on shooting better. Several of the sales staff are photographers themselves, and they can advise you on everything from camera selection to lighting to the proper filter to use to get the shot you want. Closed Sunday and Monday.

City: Des Moines, IA

Category: Shopping

Telephone: (515) 270-8030

Address: 6721 Douglas Ave.

Description: This family-owned camera store near Merle Hay Mall has a good selection of photography items. In addition to all the major camera models, including the newest digital cameras, they also carry darkroom supplies and lighting equipment, and do digital printing for customers. The store offers photography classes that are a good introduction to the basics of digital photography. They also take trade-ins on used cameras. Closed Sunday.

City: Des Moines, IA

Category: Shopping

Telephone: (515) 244-5195

Description: In business for over 100 years, this shop in a brick warehouse on the edge of the Western Gateway carries a full line of cameras and accessories, including a wide selection of Canon and Nikon models, everything from point-and-shoot cameras to more professional outfits. Offers lots of accessories as well, like lenses, flashes, and camera bags. The sales staff knows their stuff, and they can help track down more obscure equipment and order it for you. Closed Sunday.