Where do I even begin when talking about such a unique, fun place like Anastasia’s Attic?  I have experienced Gardner Village multiple times and had never ventured that far down the path to this cute little shop.  With so many different things to look at, it is definitely a place I will need to go back to for more browsing.

The owner, Tara Starling, is so passionate and enthusiastic about her shop.  It makes you love all of the gems inside Anastasia’s Attic that much more.  All of the products that fill it up are put there with lots of thought and love.  It is nice to see someone care so much about their business and customers…it makes you want to support it that much more.

Besides finding a bracelet with my new motto “Expect Miracles” on it in the shop, I found something that has made every day a little bit better and more enchanted in our house.  Anastasia’s Attic sells fairy dust.  It makes my little princess feel extra special each morning we put it on her, and even makes big girls like me feel a little more young and special too.  It was the perfect gift to bring home to her, and definitely a gift that I would give to any princess that we come across!

Have you ever been to Anastasia’s Attic?  What would you say was your favorite thing?  Was it the chocolate, inspirational thought, or maybe your favorite things was the fairy dust too? If you’ve never been, here’s a “taste” of the chocolate and fairy dust experience:
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And because it wouldn’t be a Follow-up Friday post without some true behind-the-scenes action, here is our gag reel from the evening:
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If you’ve never been to Anastasia’s Attic in Gardner Village but would like a tour, we have a virtual one for you! Click on the links below to see what treasures this Attic holds:

Virtual tour of Anastasia’s Attic, Part 1: Old World, Ode to St. Valentine, Enchanted Fairy Glen & Jewelrytopia

Virtual tour of Anastasia’s Attic, Part 2: Personal Luxury, Pirate Land & the Rose Room

And ONE lucky commenter can win a $50 Gift Certificate to spend any way you’d like at Anastasia’s Attic!!!

Also, any Anastasia’s Attic shopper who mentions “SassyScoops” before March 15, 2010, can get 20% off all regular priced items!  Woot!!!  So head on over to Gardner Village and snag some treasures for yourself and your loved ones!

THE GIVEAWAY WINNER WAS LINDSEY, THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED.

So what did our Sassies and our fabulous guest Sassies Kami and Brooke think of Anastasia’s Attic? Is it truly magical, whimsical and wonderful? Read on to find out!
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QUESTION

What was your first impression?
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THE SCOOP

Brooke: That I had entered into a magical fairyland! It was warm and cozy and smelled good, and I loved the chocolates and of course being sparkled with fairy dust.
Emily: I’ve actually been inside Anastasia’s Attic a few times and am always struck by how so many unique, girly, feminine, random things can come together so well in one, tiny shop. It is like an oversized treasure chest but just for girls!
Evonne: Lots of fun different items, great gifts, and a unique place to find that perfect something.
Kalli: This is definitely a store for the big girls (and some little girls). If I brought my 18-month-old in here he’d have the place torn apart in 3 seconds. Too many “pretties” for him!
Kami: My first impression was that I loved how every corner had a theme. If one area of the store was not your style, then just turn around.
Michelle: It was like walking in to another dimension where women are treated like precious royalty. It smelled delicious.
Quinn: Simply magical. I love the setting of Gardner Village anyway, but Anastasia’s Attic was truly like walking into another world where the sweet things in life are savored and celebrated. It has such a great atmosphere and the fact that they give you a chocolate and stamp your face with fairy dust upon walking in is a sweet bonus, getting you in the mood right away to enjoy their shop.
Stephanie: It was very whimsical. And it smelled fabulous.
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QUESTION

What did you like the most?

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THE SCOOP

Brooke: I loved that you could spend an hour in the shop and feel like you still needed more time to uncover countless treasures! I loved how there were different nooks with different themes, I loved the decor, the water fountains, the whole ambiance. I loved Tara’s whole philosophy and passion for her place.
Emily: How about being greeted with a chocolate (dark, of course) and fairy dust when entering the store? That’s a given, so other than that I loved the decadent skirts and jackets and the jewelry…oh, the jewelry!
Evonne: I loved the fairy dust, because there is something magical about it.You leave feeling a lil’ younger. {Guess I didn’t get enough of that fairy dust!}
Kalli: Tara was so friendly and so passionate about her store.
Kami: I loved the selection of jewelry. Anastasia’s Attic has pieces that you just don’t see everywhere else.
Michelle: I loved that there were a variety of areas within the store with different themes: Medieval, Fairy, Royalty, Rose Garden, even Pirate. Each one had a wonderful story and beautiful and intriguing pieces.
Quinn: There were sooooooo many things to like, but I can’t get the pots of flowers that have lights in them out of my mind. I have plans to go back and buy a few pots of them for my home. I also loved all of the sterling silver bracelets with inspirational sayings on them. I came home with a gorgeous journal that I fell in love with.
Stephanie: The fairy dust. Having all boys I don’t get many “fairy” moments at my house.
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QUESTION

What didn’t you like?

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THE SCOOP

Brooke: I can’t even think of one thing I didn’t like. I loved the whole experience and could have stayed longer!
Emily: Once when I visited Anastasia’s Attic the rose scent in the store was a bit too strong for me. This time it wasn’t quite as strong, thank heavens. The store does have a lot of treasures (i.e., breakable things) so I wouldn’t bring a child under the age of, say, 8 with me unless her hands were duct taped to her side and she was on a very short leash!
Evonne: I wouldn’t dare take my 5 year old in there in fear of breaking something.
Kalli: The smells and fragrances were a little overwhelming for me. {Are you saying I smell bad, Kalli?}
Kami: The aroma of the room was a little overpowering.
Michelle: Sometimes it was difficult to maneuver around all the wonderful displays with ten of us wandering about.
Quinn: Some things are definitely not my style and don’t fit my tastes. I definitely couldn’t come home with just anything from the store, but there’s enough variety that there really is something for everyone (and plenty for me to love).
Stephanie: Oddly enough, the smell. While it was wonderful at first it got overwhelming.
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QUESTION

Would you visit again?

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THE SCOOP

Brooke: I already have. I needed more bracelets, one of those Bee Bars, and I wanted my 2 little daughters to be sprinkled with fairy dust. They loved it!
Emily: Obviously since I’ve already visited a few times. I love stocking up on her silver inspiration bracelets. At less than $5 a piece they’re great gifts for girlfriends. I also have my eye on a jacket I’ll purchase if she reaches her Facebook goal of 1,500 fans (everyone will receive a 50% off one item coupon!).
Evonne: Yes, I would go back.
Kalli: To find a birthday gift for my niece I would, she would love fairy dust.
Kami: Yes! I would love to go back!
Michelle: Yes, I would love to go back if only to smell that wonderful fragrance again. I think I need some of those inspiring quote bracelets I put back at the last minute.
Quinn: I loved Anastasia’s Attic and plan to go back often, especially when I need to find gifts for people in my life.
Stephanie: Yes. I have to buy my niece some fairy dust for her birthday.
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QUESTION

If you could only send out one tweet about the business, what would you say?

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THE SCOOP

Brooke: For a shopping experience that’s unique and full of fairytales and whimsy, visit Anastasia’s Attic!
Emily: @TaraStarling’s Anastasia’s Attic (Gardner Village) is a treasure chest full of fairy dust and pretty things!
Evonne: We are enjoying our fairy dust from @TaraStarling. It makes a little girl and even big girls feel extra special.
Kalli: Anastasia’s Attic, for your inner girly girl you must shop here!
Kami: Anastasia’s Attic is the place to go for unique gifts.
Michelle: Need a little magic in your life? Take a walk through Anastasia’s Attic where whimsy meets royalty. They will treat you like a princess. {okay, this is my favorite tweet so far}
Quinn: Get swept away in the magic of Anastasia’s Attic, created by the fabulous @tarastarling! Go there NOW.
Stephanie: Visit Anastasia’s Attic to bring out your inner fairy.

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CHECK OUT THEM SCOOPS!

Here is the official SassyScoops.com rating for Anastasia’s Attic.
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Atmosphere	Family friendly	Location
Prices	Quality	Service

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Return to SassyScoops.com on Friday for our follow-up post on Anastasia’s Attic!

We just might have a GIVEAWAY for SassyScoops.com readers!

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Here’s the scoop on our guest Sassies Kami and Brooke (Brooke’s actually a repeat guest Sassy–we love her!). We’d consider it a real treat if you’d visit their super sweet blogs.
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Kami

Kami Bigler is the thrifty maven who runs the blog: no biggie—a montage of all her favorite things, including crafting, cooking, and thrifting. Her interests include portrait and tabletop photography, paper crafts, decorating and experiencing the thrill of the thrift find. She graduated from the University of Utah with a degree in Public Relations. She loves to spend her non-blogging hours with my husband Kyle, their two children and one little puppy-faced dog. No Biggie is updated daily… week-daily.
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Brooke

I’m a stay-at-home mom with 3 beautiful children who keep me hopping all day long! My husband and I met when we were 14 and we’ve been happily married for more than 9 years. We love our little family of five. I graduated with a degree in Nursing from BYU and worked as an RN for several years but currently I’m not working as a nurse. I love music, having little dance parties with my kids, being with family and friends, photography and digital scrapbooking—I feel like I have to something a little bit creative every day or I’ll go insane! I love to try and create fun memories with my family. I love learning new things. I wish I loved cooking. You can read more about my creative adventures at Little Wonders.