I like you! These three small words speak volumes. I Like You, a funky shop in Northeast Minneapolis is much like its name. It is a smallish shop with lots vibrant colors, original prints and handcrafted gifts. Why do I like I Like You? For starters, the store’s name is begging to be friends with you! Additionally, by the time you walk out, you probably will have two new friends: awesome store owners Sarah Sweet and Angela Lessman. This fun duo created I Like You in 2007 as a store carrying handmade local crafts. In a time where it is more important than ever to shop local, this charming NE store showcases some of MN’s best print makers, textile designers and jewelry makers. Read on after the jump to learn more about I Like You and see a photo tour of their store.
I Like You is a store where you feel like you can stay and play all day long. The exposed brick walls are set off by an AstroTurf floor and a window wall full of hula hoops. Owners Sarah Sweet and Angela Lessman dd not always have the luxury of verdant AstroTurf floors in their store. Back in 2007, Lessman & Sweet met and became friends through their husbands. Both have a background frequenting and participating in crafts fairs and wanted to open a retail store selling locally handmade products.
After collecting calling cards at various local craft fairs & placing ads in Craigslist, the pair created partnerships with local artists to sell their products at their first location in Southwest Minneapolis. Their business quickly outgrew the SW Minneapolis space and after much hunting, their found their 501 1st Ave NE location. Because the space previously housed an old sound studio, the area had little windows, and dark walls and low ceilings. Sweet, Lessmann & their husbands went straight to work, personally tearing the place apart. Their hard work paid off, the result is a beautiful light-infused store with exposed ceiling beams & brick, giving the location an urban-warehouse vibe.
Their products come from a myriad of different local artists such as Adam Turman, Berry Holz, Linden Leaf Designs, & Hungry Dog Designs. They also offer craft classes in the back of their store. Their next event is a Soldering Pendant class on Tuesday June 22nd, 5:30 – 8:30. Keep an eye out for more classes on I Like You’s blog.
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