Best of Cleveland 2015: All-time Favorite: The Republic of Cute

Then: In a town where we celebrate our Eastern European heritage as much as we encourage Cleveland's creatives, we ate up The Republic of Cute's pierogi pins as hand-sculpted tokens of our foodie fondness. Now: Even with a cast of fun figurines such as Demon Macarons, Cakezillas and Ginger Beasts, owner Karly West's flagship characters — Buck and Pink Pet — steal the show on her social media as they partake in fun Cleveland-centric adventures to Indians games and Playhouse Square. West is even developing an app, e-book and comics for the creatures, which draw inspiration from her own furry friend. "I have a Boston terrier," she says. "So I took his face, added teddy bear paws and named him the pinkest of all pets." therepublicofcute.com