Button Button

Button Button
422 Cordova Street West
Vancouver, BC V6B 4K2(604) 687-0067

There is something so deliciously old school about a store that sells only one, very specific type of item. Vancouver has several of these: Drexoll for board games, a pen shop downtown but my very favorite is Button Button for, you guessed it, buttons. The store sits on a quiet corner in Gastown; a giant spool of thread marks its entrance. And because its inventory is only buttons, the range available is mind boggling. There are vintage buttons of porcelain, resin and wood to new plastic ones, and for lovers of kitsch there are those shaped like bananas, monsters or cobs of corn. I need buttons because I make crafts; I love buttons for their tiny punches of flare.

Daiso - $2 Store

Daiso

Unit 1080, 2030
Aberdeen Centre

4151 Hazelbridge Way,

Richmond, BC, Canada V6X 4J7

Tel: 604-295-6601

http://www.daisocanada.com/

So it seems the rainy season is inching its way back into Vancouver. This time, to thwart any possible weather-inflicted depression, I’m starting to prepare a cache of rainy day activities to lighten my mood. My first find is Daiso – the Japanese $2 store. Located in the Aberdeen Centre in Richmond, Daiso is a crazed superstore of Asian goods and of course, everything is priced $2. In my first trip, I bought fake eyelashes, placemats, dishtowels, a pot holder, and cute containers to hold loose coffee and sugar. Yet, the two floors contain so much more and many items have the kawaii aesthetic that many of us are drawn to. The Aberdeen Centre is an interesting mall in itself – other Chinese and Japanese stores offer candies, teas, clothing and dried goods. Needless to say, it’s a popular spot so try and go early on in the day so you have plenty of room and patience to marvel at the exotic selection.