Ten Thousand Villages is a colorful, global gift shop on Madison Road in O'bryonville. All of the items they stock are fair trade certified and made by artisans around the world. The quality is great and the prices are reasonable. Every time I walk into the store, I want to completely clear out my house and re-decorate with the goodies they carry. My favorite things are Ugandan baskets and the jewelry. It's a wonderful place to find unusual and beautiful gifts and that's why I recently stopped in. I was in desperate need of a bridal shower gift and did not have much time to shop. I was actually on my way to the Art of Entertaining down the street but saw that Ten Thousand Villages was open until 6:00. I checked the time, 5:51. If I focus, I can do it. Focus is somewhat hard in this store because there are so many beautiful things to look at. Luckily, a salesperson stepped forward to help me. The store is a non-profit and staffed by volunteers. I told her I was looking for a shower gift for someone who likes to entertain and she showed me several shelves of serving ware, platters, etc. I found a great blue and white divided serving tray with a basket (among other things). Knowing it was a gift, the salesperson found a box for it, snipped off the price tags, wrapped the separate pieces in tissue and taped the box shut. The only thing she didn't do was gift wrap it. They sell gift wrap, but it's not a service they offer.
This is a wonderful shop to spend an hour browsing and learning about the artisans around the world who make the items they offer. You'll find beautiful things to perk up your home or share with friends or family. I also stock up on Fair Trade coffee and tea when I'm there.
