Great wee shop on The Antrim Road! Ideal for all occasions, especially Halloween costumes. The best…read morething about the shop is actually the website, you can order online. So you can take a jaunt to the shop, get some inspiration and then order exactly what you want online. Don't be leaving it to the last minute if you have a party to go to though. They have all sorts of costumes - from complete sets all ready for you to just put on or accessories to make that outfit complete. Lesser known than some other fancy dress shops so you'll be less likely to turn up to a party in the same costume as someone else! Don't take my word for it, go and have a look!

Party Solutions is a shop on the Antrim Road that is the first port of call for hen parties who…read moreneed some sort of pink sash or silly hat to wear in order to make their night more eventful! It also stocks party stuff for most other occasions. The best thing about this shop is how it almost completely changes its front window and most of its stock for the upcoming holiday or occasion that's coming up. Last Halloween I went here to get my costume, hoping to avoid the bigger queues in the main fancy dress store in town, Elliotts. Party Solutions was just as busy, I had to charge through the crowds to get what I wanted, but I paid a lot less than what I would have at some of the other stores!

It is with great regret that I inform you that I didn't actually purchase anything fancy dress…read morerelated from Laughin' Stock. Sob. It was a difficult decision, but I told myself, "Lynne, dear only know when you'll next be dressing up!", and decided to (wisely) avoid buying one of the wonderful outfits. However, when I'm in need of said outfit, I'm reckoning Laughin Stock (isn't that such a fab name?!) will be my first port of call. It has such a huge variety - nun's costumes to Daphne from Scooby Doo outfits; Red Indian costumes to Dennis the Menace outfits, and everything in between. Furthermore, they have the largest variety of wigs I've seen in a fancy dress shop, plus tons of accessories (including a few humorous / joke ones...I'll leave the rest to your imagination), as well as some cute animal puppets. When we popped in, the shop assistant was busy sorting out a customer on the phone, so I didn't hassle him, nor him us. He certainly knew his stuff, and offered to put in a special delivery for the person on the other end. Super. Pay this cracker fancy dress shop a visit. You'll be a laughin' stock otherwise...

Laughin Stock is an interesting wee shop with a funky exterior that I always noticed when I was…read moredriving past and meant to call into. I finally got around to it last year when I needed not one, but two outfits for parties I was attending. I had already managed to get one elsewhere, but didn't fancy wearing the same thing twice given the fact that the two parties were one night apart. I had had a look on the website of Laughin Stock and decided to call in, because they seemed to have a better range than the place I'd got my previous one from. I called in on the Friday and picked up the pirate outfit I had already decided upon, and couldnt help but notice that they also stocked the exactt same costume as the one I had already purchased elsewhere, but for a fiver cheaper, I wish I'd come here first!

Paragon Fabrics, I have discovered, is a good place to find plain coloured linen type fabrics which…read moreto me anyway can be very useful. There is also a wide variety of all sorts of other fabrics ranging from dress fabrics, including prints and satins to cotton checked ginghams and rolls of bright pink nylon fluffy stuff if that's what you're after. There are often ends of rolls being sold off cheaply if you happen to be in the right place at the right time - I found a large bolt of calico once for not much money which filled a gap at the time and if you want to find a local curtain maker this is also a good place to ask. I have visited two branches at Donegall Pass and Holywood Road and have found both shops have a similar standard of usefulness though perhaps there is a larger and more varied stock carried in the shop on Donegall Pass.

I always use Paragon Fabrics, Donegall Pass for all my quilting fabrics and blender materials - a…read morelarge range of fabrics that are brilliant for using with your embroidery machines - very competitive prices offered

This is such a cool shop! I love a bit of fancy dress and with Halloween coming up I thought I'd…read moretake a dander in to see what they had on offer. They have a vast variety of costumes in here, from 70's retro, to pirates to father Christmas and everything in between! They also sell lots of cool accessories and wigs and if you can't find what you're looking for they have a catalogue full of stuff you can order in! It's great! But now with so many great costume ideas opened up to me I think I'm even less decided than before! They also have a great website so check it out if you don't get a chance to get to the store!

Oh boy, oh boy…read more.. I'm one of these people who always wanted to be artistically creative. My mum can paint, sketch, knit, crochet, and all the rest of it, but unfortunately I didn't inherit her arty farty genes. Stick men and colour co-ordination is really the height of it for me. Well, at least my stick people will be well dressed... Thank goodness for Craftworld, a haven of every possible kind of art form known to man. To my delight, this includes those colourful beads which you place on a random plastic shape, cover with iron-proof paper, and iron. Cue excitement. I actually made one of these a number of years ago. A blue and red place mat in the shape of a star which sits on my desk. Craftworld appreciates the lesser forms of art. Happy days. If you're not one for fusing together beads (and let's face, apart from a five year old and myself, who really is?), do not fear. Everything from dolls houses to thread, from glitter to polystyrene shapes can be found in Craftworld. There's a lovely wee wedding section at the very back too. Lovely jubbly.

This place is unbeatable for everything craft, ribbons, buttons, wool..everything…read more I had the very frustrating experience of going here to pick up stuff everyday for two weeks before my wedding...men beware it may just dooo your head in unless your the president of your local sewing club. Prepare for a busy stuffy room with way too much choice!!!!

Super little charity shop where you can browse to your heart's content searching for the perfect…read moreitem of clothing, hat, scarf, shoes or handbag. Sometimes you'll spot a few items you want and sometimes there will be nothing appealing - but that's half the fun! This Oxfam is much cheaper and better than a lot of other second hand shops or as they're called these days 'vintage' stores.

I really like charity shops, they're a great place to shop on a budget whether you be wanting to…read morebuy clothes, books, dvds or anything you can usually get a good wee bargain. If your are shopping for fancy dress or if you're looking for costumes for a play the trusty charity shop is completely essential. This particular wee shop is really good. There is a good atmosphere and the staff are really friendly, helpful and polite. You can pick up some really good bargains in here, particularly if you want to get some jackets as I noticed they had a huge selection when I was last in. Its a really nice thing to do and way better than going to one of the chain vintage stores that are starting to clutter up Belfast. Well worth a look.

As Snagglepuss would say "Heavens to Murgatroyd"…read more The rip you off blind market has returned with even higher prices than last year. I didn't think that the robber merchants could increase prices this year as they were extortionate last year. I was wrong. I think I was in this market for 10 minutes Christmas past but this year I left after five minutes. Never again. I nearly swallowed my teeth when I saw a plastic skinned hotdog being offered at a stall here at six quid, or $8 equivalent, and then I saw an Americano coffee at another place here at three quid. Three quid for an Americano - no chance. The coffee was being sold without any embarrassment at a wooden cart and if you preferred a hot chocolate here instead then according to the mini blackboard display you'd have to part with four quid. Despite the stonking prices there are no seats here, no comfort here, instead customers just stand in the damp cold and part with nearly an hour of minimum wage for a 20 year old just for a hot chocolate. Now I hope I'm not coming across as mean, but I could go into Castlecourt and get a first class Chinese king prawn meal at Yangtze on the first floor and receive change out of six quid. In fact that's what I did. I could cross the road from this market in under two minutes into the comfortable heat and seats (and toilet) in Hotel Chocolat and enjoy their first class hot chocolate for £3.50. I really, really despise being ripped off. As I wandered the stalls, trader after trader displayed prices that made me suck in my breath and think 'yer having a laugh'. Am I delighted we live in austerity as I'd hate to see the prices here in good times.

The Christmas Continental Market arriving at Belfast City Hall always signifies the start of the…read morefestive season and approach of Yuletide. Filled with food, mulled wine, olives, sweets, treats, music, merriment and gift ideas, a meander around this market is a must. I go numerous times every year and love to soak up the atmosphere with a cup of warming mulled wine in hand. Yes the stalls are often the same, yes it's often crammed full of people, but it's only on our City Hall doorstep for a few weeks each year so I can forgive all that. I'm a devout advocate of this market for the Christmas spirit, warmth and excitement it brings to Belfast each year. Love it.

This place is kids heaven! It's full of glitter, Plasticine, pains, cards and everything for making…read more big big mess. The stuff in here is perfect for stocking up on great gifts for birthday presents or Christmas! And they also have a whole range of costumes and toys in here too. If you come n here with a child be prepared for a long stretch as the store is jam packed and kids just love it! It's pretty cheap too which is always good as people do tend to rip the arse out of kids shops as they know tantrums could result in a child not getting what they want and parents looking for the easy life begrudgingly giving in. Ahh, the joys of what I have to look forward to.

I like shops like this. I think the kid in me is just attracted to glitter!…read more I'm also a big fan of hand-making cards for friends and family, so I do spend a good bit of time in shops like Art & Hobby, agonising over which thickness of card to get (seriously. I've been known to have to leave the shop to have a think before I buy!). The Art & Hobby shop is in a great location, probably the best location of all the crafty shops in town, so I end up going in simply because I'm passing it. It's not my favourite though. I find it a little more expensive than its rivals and it is a lot more focused on kids toys and crafts, which can make it hard when you want to make a card for someone over the age of 5!

Utopia is my first port-of-call when I know someone's birthday is coming up, or at Christmas…read moretime...you're pretty much guaranteed to find something in here you know that person will like. The variety is huge - massive wooden chess sets to quirky key rings and everything in between. There's nothing cheap or tacky, just beautiful gifts at incredibly affordable prices. The last time I was (it was only last week, due to their being a friend's birthday on the horizon), I was served by the most friendly lady I've ever had the pleasure of speaking to. She really was genuinely lovely, and that really made the trip for me. There's nothing better than decent customer service, and I definitely experienced some top class service that day. With some of the loveliest ranges in town, and wonderfully helpful staff, Utopia really is a must see...you won't be disappointed.

Yeah I have no complaints about Utopia. I'm glad there is only one of its kind in Belfast as that…read morekeeps the family who run it in trade and the customers flocking back. I love to go in at Christmas time as my mum has a thing for Christmas decorations and this is the best place in town to get a quality piece at a really good price. It houses such a mixture of goodies you could spend hours just browsing. There is a massive selection if ornaments such as statues of dogs, animals and fairies. They also have a large collection of really nice inexpensive costume jewellery. You can pick up anything in here from a rubber chicken to a ceramic panda. It is definitely the place to go for gifts of any sort. I was bought a poker set from here many moons ago and I still treasure it as although it wasn't really expensive it has the feel of a luxury item.

I'm not used to decorating homes and recently I have undertaken some redesign and decor of our…read morespare bedroom. I called in here to price curtains and bed linen as they have been about for absolutely ages and have a decent reputation. I wasn't that impressed. The stuff, I felt, was out dated and expensive. The staff weren't very helpful even though I very obviously needed help with measurements, colour schemes and the like. I personally prefer Dunelm Mill but I was in the centre of town and couldn't have been bothered traveling about the place. I don't think I will go in again for anything other than a definite item as I just felt a little overwhelmed at all the stuff but the lack of help.

I'm not really big into curtain / fabric / bed linen shops, since I don't have a requirement to buy…read moreany of these types of goods. However, when my parents were away on holiday last year, I decided I would venture in and purchase a duvet cover set for myself, having been in dire need of one for quite some time. Undoubtedly one of the most important days in a girl's life... I was fortunate enough to be in the shop during sale time, and was even more fortunate to find a blue and white barcode striped duvet cover for half price...£10 ("how do you do it?" is a frequent question asked by my mum). That usual jubilation that suddenly overcomes me the moment I find a bargain eluded me for once. I *had* to phone my mum and dad to ensure that my find was genuine and the bargain was good enough to warrant a purchase. A five minute phonecall later, and we established that this was the case. Phew. A year later, and my blue and white striped duvet cover is still perfectly intact, currently taking pride of place on my bed. Having had such a wonderful experience, when I went back this year to a newly refurbished Spinning Wheel, I was slightly disheartened to find no duvet covers on the bottom floor, despite the fact that this was indicated on the wall. Being in a hurry, I had to go, but I will definitely pop back in for a proper look very soon. And to get lost among all those curtains. Looks like such fun...