Happen to stumble across this local market and found a booth serving kangaroo skewers. Being the…read moreadventurous foodie, I had to give it a try. The meat was cooked fresh over a large grill and was very tender and light. Served with a nice chimi sauce on the side it made for a great bite.

This was like an outdoor flea market and farmers market…read more It was lovely to check it out! My favorite vendor was the porcelain figures. They had a wonderful selection of beautifully hand painted miniatures! The market itself isn't too large. It took me about 30 minutes to view the whole thing and stop at vendors I wanted to see. There was a good selection of hand made goods, like totes, paintings and other goods. This is a wonderful spot to shop local!

As an American exploring Paddington for the first time I came across this awesome cafe on Oxford…read more My flat was close by and the purple exterior was a happy purple that made me curious. Then I saw things that sparked joy. Coffee, books, art, food, Australian wine. And the outside tables were occupied by chill patrons of the intellect hip kind. My kind of people enjoying the warm Sydney weather. Add to this 3 floors to explore. I loved this place so much I came a few times. I loved looking through all the books and trying items off their menu. Rose' excellent. Flat white perfect. Chai very nice. The food is made from scratch so I cannot give this place enough Yelp stars. It would be 5 stars for each category. Their wifi works great too. I tried to order things I wasn't familiar with. They also have specials of the day so give that a go if you find your way here. I tried a Caramel Slice coz I've never seen that before. It's a posh layered dessert snack type a thing. So glad I ordered and would order that again. This cafe / bookstore encourages you to grab a book and relax. So I found a few and ordered the Tapas board. Keeping with a variety theme. I had a variety of books and paired it with a variety board of food. They serve breakfast lunch dinner and good Aussie vibes. Mel M Yelp 22:10

As you walk down Oxford St, Sydney in Paddington, you'll find yourself passing by Ampersand cafe &…read morebookstore. Downstairs, it looks like a familiar cafe, with indoor and outdoor seating, but make sure you head upstairs in one of the three levels and find a seat amongst the floor to ceiling bookshelves. Set into three rooms, consisting of books aplenty, organised into their themes with comfortable seating, this is somewhere you could absolutely sit for hours. Order your food at the front, and it will be delivered to you as you immerse yourself in the books. Whilst it is only a small menu, the food is interesting and they also have some daily salads, sandwiches and pastry goods. A couple of options using black rice, we chose the brekky bowl with Bircher and sticky black rice with figs, cinnamon and fresh fruits. We really liked this as it was quite different to your normal Bircher. French toast is an option, baked or poached eggs and smoked salmon is on the menu but we opted for a familiar favourite - the eggs Benedict with crispy bacon and creamy hollandaise. We were hungry so we also shared one of the fresh Reuben Bagels. It was filled with a super flavoursome pastrami, cheese and sauerkraut and this was the winner on the day. For those wanting lunch, there's a burger, steak sandwich and even a black risotto or polenta chips. Coffee is by Little Marionette and the mocha was a good drop, complete with Lindt chocolate. We also had a cold drip which we certainly enjoyed. Smoothies and teas are also available. Pop in for a nice meal and a good read.

One of Sydney's newest art spaces. Sew Make Create has been around for almost a couple of months…read morenow. The owner, top Sydney designer Melissa Tan-Lu and Sew Make Create's resident dog Pepper are just adorable. The whole shop is quite funky :) I was fortunate to have been invited (through another blog) to experience their beginners crochet course with Bronwen. I arrived on a Wednesday night at 7pm a little tired yet eager as anything to learn, and learn heaps. My manual dexterity skills deflated me for a while, yet I was amazed with the crochet stitch and getting into a granny square so soon with confidence. The class sizes are rather small which is great. Lindt chocolate balls were provided with water as stunning refreshments, as well as biscuits and tea. This course is also available on selected weekends. Sew Make Create also run a variety of other craft courses. After the beginners crochet course, if you wish to take things further, then the crochet clinic is for you. Instead of yarn, turn that yarn into 'plarn' with a plastic bag crochet course. Sew Make Create is a dynamic arts space that also rents out sewing machines, and hence provides ample working space to design some pretty clothes. Sew Make Create also sell sewing machines and craft supplies. Sew Make Create (from the request of many parents) have put together a fantastic course schedule for the kids school holidays coming up, as at the time of writing this. Beginners crochet is also covered, and kids can also learn cupcake decorating and also learn how to make these adorable felt brooches. Located in Chippendale right near the Broadway Shopping Centre. If you're curious (in more detail) as to how my beginners crochet experience went recently, then follow this link: http://www.weekendnotes.com/crochet-for-beginners-sew-make-create/ For more information on the various courses put on especially for kids these school holidays, then follow this link: http://www.weekendnotes.com/crafty-school-holiday-activities-sew-make-create/ With many initiatives to ensuring that Sydney is an arts and crafts focused city, when is now a better time to learn a new craft? Go on, unleash the craft master within!

This is one of those places that Sydney is famous for, at least in my mind - secondhand bookshops…read moreand coffee shops. Honestly, why can't they introduce a concept like this in Melbourne because it will make the secondhand bookshops so much better when you can sit on a comfy chair and drink a coffee (or a tea) while perusing a book. Not only that, but it is just across the road from the railway station, another awesome aspect with Sydney because you honestly don't have such convenience in Melbourne. Okay, I didn't stay for a coffee, but I did browse the books, and even found a couple that caught my attention. We certainly need something like this in Melbourne.

With bookshops continually disappearing, it is sad to think that the bookshop/coffee shop may no…read morelonger be a thing any more. The book station is a lovely little reminder of how nice it is to take yourself away from home, away from work and enjoy a coffee and a book. The book station at Caringbah is essentially a secondhand book shop with a coffee shop which oozes community spirit and a love for books (and coffee). The shop is split level with an array of eclectic furniture, where you are encouraged to browse and read at you leisure. The books are very well organised in sections according to interest, and the people who work there will do what they can to assist you in finding what you need.

Bondi art supplies have been in this same place for over 20 years, and they're ability and…read moreknowledge have cemented them as a place of education, a manic, hectic, eclectic, inspirational place of worship for artists at heart. They're comprised of 2 stores, one at 183 Bondi Road, and one 2 shops down at 179 Bondi Road. This is strategically done to accommodate different requirements for artists in the area - 179 offers a full range of artists materials and which encompasses an enormous specialty paper. Trust me they're beautiful, and very hard to find elsewhere. 10 metres down the road, the store at 183, is where they stretch canvasses, and is a mecca for lovers of primed cottons, acrylic and oil primed linens - dozens to choose from - every one displayed with a hand stretched example of how your finished piece will look. Not to mention they have a large array of art books from all over the world, for all age groups. So if you're in the mind to nurture your young ones' talents the come down and show them around. You'll find a large collection of drawing supplies, papers, pigments, art easels, mount boards, portfolios, architectural equipment, varnishes, inks, oils, and canvases.

Truly excellent service and amazing range of hard to get supplies and very fair pricing,…read morewouldn't hesitate to recommend. Hope they are there another 20 years!

They had a nice selection of papers but outlandish prices. I picked up similar quality at Dymocks…read morefor about 1/2 the price. The staff didn't even acknowledge our presence. There was a sign in the window announcing store closure in Feb. 2018, so check before you go.

I love stationery. Leather bound notebooks, journals of all shapes and sizes, felt tip pens,…read morepaperclips, cards, - you name it I love it and want it. It's been a fetish of mine since I was a kid and it's never gone away. If it's my addiction, then Paper2 is my dealer - this place is amazing. I can spend hours in this store and it's really not big enough for that but the range of cards and gifts on offer here is superb. There's an excellent collection of vintage style posters and cards which I can't get enough of at the moment. Stop in here for journals, notebooks, craft supplies, wrapping paper, globes... I could go on and on. The staff are lovely and helpful, which is no surprise I'd be super happy if I worked here too.

Located on Salisbury Road in Camperdown on the corner of St Marys and Probert St…read more Was here for the opening of Hamish Campbell's Exhibition. Great layout and use of space with his artwork. Staff are friendly and they have card facilities in case you are low on cash to purchase some artwork :P Great location and the gallery is in collaboration with The University of Sydney.

Supporting local and Australian emerging and mid career artists, original artworks available in…read moretheir stockroom starting from $250. A great gallery to browse with high quality work and artists exhibiting.

When I am looking for ANYTHING random, like oh for example, massive capital letters (LOLKAZ) to…read morefashion into a Halloween costume (what, it's ALLCAPS, I thought it was hilarious) or a pinada or crafts materials or fabric- which is what Spotlight actually exists for- Spotlight is in my top three places to trawl. As my most recent visit was the Saturday night before Halloween, I clearly wasn't the only person searching for last minute props or inspiration, but there were an equal amount of shoppers who probably had no idea about some misappropriated Pagan festival. Usually by the time I hit the buttons sectionat the back of this huge store I am fantasising about all the fabulous clothes I could make, and my imagination went into overdrive on Halloween but unfortunately I didn't have time to bring any of my ideas to fruition. I did get enough inspiration from that visit for 5 Halloweens to come though...

I can't decide if my love for Spotlight is greater than my boyfriend's hate for it or vice versa…read more I remember as a kid being dragged into Spotlight and other fabric stores by my sewing loving Mum and thinking it was the most boring thing ever, but I think that indicates how old I am that I now count Spotlight to be one of my faves! This is a particularly good Spotty too, it's large, has a great selection and the staff are super friendly- I always leave with thousands of potential projects running through my mind. Tip: try not to pay full price for the fabric- they have really decent sales pretty regularly!