One Small Room began life in one small room! A street frontage shop selling second hand furniture…read morewith a Scandinavian, Eames era flavour which quickly flourished and became ever so popular. This was a turning point to the whole streetscape as other businesses took residence and it just evolved into what it is today, a funky, trendy, popular place to be in Elizabeth St Croydon, especially on a weekend. OSR has optimised the space to feel and look like your living room at home, a place to test the chair or browse the pictures on the wall and it's never a dull shop to be in as there is always something new and quirky to fill a vacant spot. With so many things and so little space and evolution taking place OSR gradually expanded taking over the shop next door and then the door next to that one, I suppose you can call it three small rooms' now but the theme still continues. A lot of items have a distinct Ikea-esque feel but with quality and much more expensive to match. Mind you, OSR is not just about furniture it also has vintage clothing, fabric, lampshades and knick-knacks plus always more. As long as they don't bubble up and burst at the seams, the store will remain in the street for many years to come I'm sure, when you're on a good thing stick to it. Parking is on the street and I recommend you don't leave the Jag there as it gets pretty squeezy, don't want any nasty surprises. And also, many people have been confused in the past thinking OSR is on Queen St - which does have a better ring to it- but as you go over the Croydon train line it then becomes Elizabeth St and then trails off down the road. Incidentally, the owner is also part developer of the Bowerbird Bazaar.

One Small Room, unusual name, moderately unusual shop. They'll sell you something obscure, like a…read morewooden cage for taking the cat to the vet, beautifully hand crafted at some stage; and they'll wrap it for you. There's a collection of fabrics you can go through, books, furniture and what would once have been called curios I suspect. Most of it has a natural finish to it, and it's almost all wood. It's a lot to go through so if you like to browse this is a good place to do it.

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.

A shop after my own heart. They stock Eiffel Tower shaped products here, a true winner in my books…read moreseeing that I absolutely love collecting Eiffel shaped products. Lending a whisical, dreamy and romantic ambience, this delightful giftstore has now become my favourite place to shop. I picked up a chocolate shaped teaspoon for my sister, to enjoy her daily delightful treats and a heady mix of jasmine and vanilla scented sachet to intoxicate my drawers. Cream bird cages and black framed Eiffel Towers lay outside the store for all to gaze and fall in love with. They are magnifique and will add much charm and character to any dull room. You'll find inspirational journals here, stunning jewellery holders, printed tea towels, linens, accessories, home decor and just about anything that would appeal to us women. Pink, subtle and with a lacey bow, just the way we like it!

Totally Wrapped specialises in gift baskets for all occassions and there certainly isn't a shortage…read moreof gifts to choose from as their shop is full to the pussy cats bow. The shop on Winston Avenue Melrose Park is open Monday to Saturday 9 - 5 and also provides a dry cleaning service. There are so many items in here and definitely not big shoulder bag territory, otherwise it'll be a very expensive visit. It never ceases to amaze me the amount of financial investment businesses such as this one make on their stock and when is it considered to be too much stock. A blend of folk art items to shabby chic, decorative outdoor wire love seats - which are going to be really hot stuff left in the sun!

The Ivy Room is one of those stores that represents the next coming of the 'Anti-Dude'! Random…read morelittle gifts, a plethora of hand bags and other random gear that ladies will go 'Ooooooo, isn't that pretty', and we will reply 'no baby, you butt looks really small'. There seem to be a number of chicky specific stores popping up along Jetty Road, and say we need more! The more shops along this strip that will keep the ladies busy, the more time the boys can spend at the Jetty Bar watching the Cricket!

The Ivy Room is a funky little gift shop with lovely clean lines and lots of space. It stocks a…read moregood variety of gifts and accessories without feeling cluttered. The gift ware and jewellery is generally modern in styling; no sign of flying ducks for the wall here. It is a great place to shop for birthdays for your stylish friends and relatives and like most good gift shops they offer a gift wrapping service.

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!

You know I always thought this shop was a Fella's Gifts store but apparently not. See, too busy…read morelooking at the stuff IN the windows rather than the name of the shop. I still know exactly where it is, what it has and why I always go there. They stock some great gifts for any adult, especially ones for special birthdays, like 40th, 18th, etc. Plus they have plenty of funny silly stuff you could give almost anyone with a sense of humour, plenty of drinking stuff like stands, mugs, etc. The walls are filled pretty much with limited edition prints of various descriptions. They have sport and plenty of music related ones. They are really good and quite well priced for what they are. They also have some great novelty stuff, especially the novelty phones they stock. They also have games, novelty t-shirts, some jewellery, watches and more. You need to go look. Most of their items are adult based items, although some just funny whilst others may be a little naughty. But all great fun!

What a lovely surprise find! As the name suggests, it certainly is the place to "pop" in and look…read morearound. If you are looking for that special gift for someone, or something new for yourself, you will not be disappointed! I found the prices really low and the quality very good! Hand crafted potted succulents, lupin heat packs, jewelry, relishes, soaps, and wonderful hand made cards, and so much more. I'm sure that you will find what what you are looking for. Make sure you have enough cash as eftpos is not available with all stall holders. The next one is on the 14/08/2016. It's on my calendar for sure!

For those of you who don't speak French, or can't work it out anyway, the name of the shop means "A…read moretouch of Paris" It is certainly ornatedly decked out with a "French flair", chandeliers and glitz. This unique accessory store opened up in Glenelg this year. The owner is beautifully dressed and gracious in her approach and certainly passionate about her stock. On visiting the store recently , she spent a lot of time and patience showing me her diverse selection of watches. It is good to find a shop that offers something different in an era of mass produced products. So, if you are looking for something different for yourself or a gift and have quite a few dollars to spend this could be for you.

Mum and I were down Jetty Road a few weeks ago. Mum was in desperate need of a new bag, so…read morenaturally we headed into this beautiful bag store. It was full of all sorts of bags and all different colours. The shop assistant was extremely helpful. Mum described what kind of bag she would like and the type she didn't want. The lady showed mum several options and was patient with mum's indecisiveness. Touche de Paris also sells other accessories such as jewellery, watches, wallets and sunglasses. I'm not sure if I'd recommend this store to my friends (because it seems a bit mature for our age group), but I would recommend it to anyone with a taste for Paris, luxury and a big budget!