Brilliant art supplies shop in the hills. The lady who runs the store is so helpful and…read moreknowledgeable. She understood exactly what I was trying to achieve and gave a quick demo. Better than paid lessons, exactly to the point and when I checked around cheaper too. Don't hesitate to ask difficult or even silly questions because this place will keep you on track and at the right price

I hadn't come across this store before, so popped in to see what they do. I was impressed by their…read morerange of notepads and account books. I could find any size here I needed! I stocked up on a couple of obscure sizes I use for everyday notes. I was bemused by the shelf of instant coffee and kitchen cleaners in the centre of the shop, then more so by the paper plates and cups nearby. Then I realised - it's EVERYTHING an office could need. How clever! I always got cranky if our shop kitchen didn't have coffee or milk. Way to keep the employees happy - stock up on caffeine when you pop in for 500 reams of paper. In terms of paper, they're not very cheap, but they have a large range of oddities, like all different sizes and widths of receipt papers and specific printing paper. They also sell ink jets and blank CDs and DVDs, which always come in handy. A good little store, with friendly staff.

Discovered this store is an agent for Australia Post since the one across the road was closed down…read more Very useful. Friendly staff. Good range of stationary products.

You could walk into this place 10 times over and still see something you haven't noticed before…read moreafter the tenth time I reckon. It is actually two shops with one entrance and opened up in the middle. And it is jam packed all the way to the ceilings. Not a great place for kids to be running around inside. They have a massive range of model kits and accessories for all sorts of stuff like aeroplanes, buggies, earthmovers, trains and helicopters. I like going to shops like this occasionally when I need a present for someone and have no idea what to get. You can always find odd things in stores like this and little extra's that you would not find at other stores, therefore your gift is always unique.

This model store has an excellent range of models. There are trains, planes, cars and everything in…read morebetween. The staff are friendly and are well versed on different models and collectors items. While the store may only be small, it is certainly packed from wall to wall. Pricing wise, it is obviously a tad expensive however there are very few model shows around these days so I guess supply and demand comes into play with this. The store has somewhat unusual trading hours, so it is always good to check before you go. Also, it also helps if you do your homework beforehand and actually get model numbers and details, as this can really help with finding the parts you need. From past experience, I have been able to find what I need on at least four occasions of being there, even though that was several years ago, which was quite promising.

Dessert was so disgusting i'm going to cry thinking about it my wife is still mad at me for making…read moreus eat here. Apple pie was cold and base was sitting on my tongue with bad feeling. Chocolate cake was a flop, let it be known i'm an eater and do dabble with chocolate often but this is a cry for help. Never again!

Ok... I am going to do it. I am going to review IKEA…read more So, it is hard to describe my relationship with IKEA. I remember when this place first opened. I actually did not know a whole much about IKEA. The brand was very foreign to me. I heard of it, but was unfamiliar with it's scale. Like the rest of Adelaide, I had to check it out. All new, shiny and plastic. Oh yes, walking through the maze that is IKEA was quite wonderful. I then started to notice something. It is not only the deisgn of their products that make IKEA successful, it is also the design of their stores. Do you ever find that when you go to IKEA you end up taking home a shoe horn, dish brush and a new mirror that you don't need? You end up having to go fetch your car to drive into the bay to load it full of stuff with a $2 icecream in your hand. I am always left saying huh? How did that happen? Over the years IKEA's appeal went downhill for me. I have had furniture and items break. What I have always been impressed with is the 3 month return policy. So, if you are not happy you can take it back for store credit. That is a plus. What do I usually get in this store now? Water glasses, plastic tubs, glass jars, curtains and maybe linen. That suits me fine. Every now and then I might get a decoration of some sort, but I have to really like it. I recommend IKEA if you are on a budget. It was awesome while I was at Uni. Try and look for the solid wood furniture if you can. They last a lot longer than the chipboard stuff. It's great that they have started to use solid pine now! Also, here is my HOT TIP: If you want to get furniture from IKEA and want it to look a little special and not just from the catalog, check out a website called IKEA Hacks. It is full of ideas for turning IKEA products into something really cool and unique. Also, don't feel like you have to use their door knobs and hinges, you can get cool antique ones from thrift stores or salvage places to make the furniture look more funky!

Greenhills is a fairly well respected commercial Gallery in North Adelaide…read more It is housed within a stately heritage building which once upon a time served as an inn. The quality of artists shown at Greenhills varies from time to time. I recently checked out the work of Ben Stack and Michael Lindscott, and I must say I was not thoroughly impressed. Stack's work was there in parts. Consisting of fairly bleary coloured abstracts. I would have little time for this sort of work were it not for Stacks employment of shadowing to achieve a tromp l'oeil effect whereby the abstract clumps of jarring impasto seem to levitate from the canvass. For the most part this merely lifts Stack's work out of the complete rubbish pile, and at times achieves little more than novelty, however in the case of the work entitled "And then .... So clear" a really lovely effect was achieved. This work stood out completely from the others and was reminiscent of an abstract landscape, as opposed to happy pants which was the prevailing aesthetic for the other works on show. The entire work appeared much more considered and the tonal and colour relationships more harmonious. The levetatiting impasto trick, although still present, was much more subtle, thus becoming more of a feature than a novelty and allowing the work to stand on its own. Lindscott's work consisted of washed out poorly drawn photographic compositions with little consideration of colour or tone. Whilst the subject matter was at times interesting, technical competence was clearly an issue inhibiting the artists expressive possibilities. An instance, where this played to Lindscott's advantage, however, was the work "At night there are lights by the river." This moody work captures beautifully the essence and ambiance of it's subject matter and the dimly lit lighting scenario caters well to the washed out appearance of Lindscott's work. Less successful was "Pink Top and Jeans," where Lindscott's inability to handle colour, tone and the human form, and his reliance upon photographic reference material were truly evident.

While the sign says Picture Framing, what caught my eye was the jewelry in the window…read more Crossley Picture Frames stocks a large range of Blu Shimma jewelry, made by an Australian woman named Tanja, who usually sells her jewelry wholesale or at markets. Crossley has been selling her stock for over a year, and the blown glass beads and pearl pieces make an interesting contrast to the enormous body of the building, with picture frames and prints covering large work tables. The jewelry is large yet elegant and ranges from casual glamour to pieces suitable for a mother of the bride. The prices are reasonable, ranging from $15 for smaller, simpler pieces up to $100 for the better quality. Nothing is overly expensive, but it all looks like quality without screaming expensive. The framing part of the shop sells a wide range of realistic and traditional art prints, many on an Australian landscape theme. There are also many large wall mirrors in classy frames. So be it your house or yourself, you can find a beautiful decoration here.

Hill Smith is an up market commercial gallery located on in the middle of Pirie St in the city…read more It is housed within a beautiful red two story building with large windows at the front and a charismatic black umbrella dome covering the entryway. There are exhibitions more or less monthly, as well as a number of works held in their stockroom which can be accessed on request. Hill Smith represents a number of the better known local and interstate artists, including David Bromley, Robert Hannaford and Nick Harding. Presently on show is the work of Stephen Trebilcock (Main gallery), Janine Mackintosh and Peter Syndicas (First Floor Gallery). I really love Janine's work which consist of something representing Mandalas constructed from various found natural and man made objects. Her work with eucalyptus leaves has an especially appealing aesthetic, the leaves being beautifully preserved and meticulously stitched with linen thread to the canvass. The juxtaposition of rusted man made objects with preserved natural elements also gives the work a musical quality. Syndicas work, exhibited also on the First floor, consisting of sticks cast in iron and bronze, also follows this natural aesthetic but is, in my opinion, less appealing and although certainly difficult to accomplish, less creative. Trebilcock's work, presented in the Main Gallery consists of a series of beautifully painted still lives, vibrant in colour and texture. The few exteriors presented in the body of work appear slightly illustrative and artificial due to an oversaturation of colour which is more suited to the still lives. This detracts slightly from the overall effect. Of particular appeal were the two triptychs, "Australian Selection" and "Oranges and Grapes."

Tucked in beside Foodland in the Norwood Mall, this newsagent looks super unassuming - but it's…read moreactually a pretty OK selection of mags for what is a relatively small space. While not as big as Dillon's Newsagent just across the mall (near Coles), they stock all the usual suspects. If you're after your Vogue or Elle or Frankie or other big titles you will find in on their shelves. I couldn't see many overseas titles. I've found the staff to be pretty chatty and kinda funny. Last time I went in to get Harper's (with the winner of ANTM on the cover) for a friend overseas, I ended up chatting to the guy about Australia's Next Top Model for ages...which I don't actually watch, but I winged it pretty well! Good for your basics!

Weird set up, it's like a walk through newsagency. one side is the bottle shop and the other is…read moreFoodland, people tend to use it as a thoroughfare to get to either side so it tends to get quite busy in there, for the wrong reason. Or maybe it's just really good marketing, people come out of food shopping with the kids and think "man, after that I reallllly need a beer" so they decide to take a short cut through the newsagency and along the way they decide "man, I really need a pen too". You never know. There are books available here too, last time I visited I spent a good 10 minutes leafing through a book about the life and designs of Coco Chanel, of course I didn't buy it because it was $50, besides, I'd already read it hadn't I? If I need a pen I just go in and use one and then leave, they should really monitor people like me! But, considering these guys don't, that makes them 3 stars in my book! There are little gifty things available too, take a squiz on your way through to the bottle shop.