You may have seen the Maud and Mary- Jane stall at perhaps one of the Auckland festivals or maybe…read morepassed by her stall in either one of her locations: Matakana, Devonport or Titirangi. I was thrilled to browse Alexandria Mahoney's stall when I visited Matakana Village this past weekend. The stall is bustling with customers; she is a lovely and chatty lady, who has a passion for wool blankets, knitting, and collectable wool and fabric cushions. I love that every piece is so original, and all hand stitched and planned by this one lady. I am impressed with the creativity and comfort of her products, and trust that many a child would be thrilled with a fluffy owlet or Scottie dog from Maud and Mary-Jane. I have become fascinated with cushions of different colours, textures and materials, and really liked the choices here, with vintage wool and even crochet blankets- just amazing!

The rise of the '50 Shades of Grey' franchise has inspired a whole lotta women to experiment with…read moredifferent sexual ideas and formats. Sex is meant to be fun right!? If you want your own '50 Shades of Grey' experience then you will find everything you need at Peaches and Cream. The shop itself is even getting on the bandwagon selling the official themed merchandise, which comes in a few different options. I like the kinky handcuffs and feather duster ones myself! The shopping experience at Peaches & Cream never seems awkward, and the assistants are always so discrete, which I know a lot of people appreciate. It doesn't even feel like you are browsing in a sex store to be honest. My boyfriend and I come in here sometimes just to have a look around and contemplate new 'purchases', its always fun to be able to be silly and laugh at ourselves. It's hard not to when your surrounded by inflatable private parts!

An excellent find in Matakana!…read more Although just browsing; I was super pleased that I came across this natural NZ hat stall,(while visiting the Matakana Farmers Market) my partner had admired her works quite a few times in the past however never had the chance to stop and try on her products. A Lazy Sunday was the perfect opportunity. Friendly Terrie who owns Matakana Millinery was more than happy to let us decide on that perfect hat, and showed my partner the size differences to match. After choosing the classic open weave men's classic fedora , priced about 25 dollars less than bought online, Terrie explained that you could even iron the hat should it ever become ruffled, and pack in and around it when travelling distances. I shared with her that I wish she did toddlers fedoras, they would be the cutest! Not only does Matakana Millinery have the best quality NZ naturally sourced product hats in town, they also do stylish felt hats, and stunning cloche and floppy brim hats for the ladies. As winter is soon upon us I shall be back for my stylish winter hat!

St Vincent de Paul in Onehunga is the ORIGINAL op shop as far as I'm concerned. Back long long ago…read morewhen I was an awkward 14 year old setting out on my own personal style journey this was where it all began. I still have several items bought back in the late 80s from this very store; they are (I shit you not) family heirlooms I will be passing on to my daughter. Sixties green/red lurex shift with low back featuring a large bow? Yep, I own it and it was mere measly-bucks. In fact I remember this was the place where I got my forest green faux suede belted safari jacket. I LOVED that jacket so much I literally wore it out and have major regrets because when I bought it from here circa 1987 there were several others EXACTLY THE SAME right next to it. I think they were all completely unused stock from some recession-hit 60s groove factory. Oh those were the days. Anyway, these days of course you'll find the people who run these places are much more savvy and the good stuff costs a bit more. Also the word "vintage" was added to fashion-speak and ever since op-shopping just hasn't been as much fun. I do love this place though, but you can't be in a rush - these things take time. Another thing I love is the characters. Trannies, old dears (actually quite a lot of trannies); they all still come here and I love it. I think they even may be the exact same people who were shopping here from the early days. Like me.

The dopest of the dopest. The wrinkliest of the wrinkliest. The dustiest of the dustiest. From the…read moredollar racks to amazing 3 piece 80's business suits, all roads lead to St Vincent de Paul. This massive shop actually used to be two op shops - from competing churches/ parishes. Ah those were the days. What makes me sad though is the vultures who are just there to buy stuff to trademe. I guess it's just another stage in the evolution of second hand shopping. I just try to ignore them because their two dimensional greed can definately ruin a good op shop buzz. Tip for insiders - if you want a 15% discount tell the counter ladies you are a friend of Jesus.

There's this bright pink sign catching your attention on Cascades Road, which immediately signals…read morethis is no mechanic shop along a busy industrial district. What a Girl Wants is a second hand store, but packed with top quality bits and pieces. There are bags, clothes, shoes, books, furniture and ornaments, all geared towards the classy women of East Auckland. I thoroughly enjoyed having a browse, and picked up a nice singlet for a whopping $2! It's next to a coffee place and also an antique store, so your vintage tastes can be quenched, along with a nice spot of coffee afterwards. You can just park on the gravel outside, which is really handy. The shop assistant was friendly enough, and the way things are set out is really eye catching. It's awesome to see some creative thought going into the layout of a thrift store, considering most of the time, you have to rummage to find anything particularly useful. Here, it's all on display, in order of size and product. Good stuff.

What a Girl Wants would be a solid four star shop if it weren't for the staff…read more The two times I've been in I've wanted to stay longer, they have some amazing bargains and a very well organised shop, and overall the quality of their stock is excellent. The problem is, the two ladies who work there were very, very loudly talking politics both times I went in. As there's a dance school directly above them, it's fair enough that they need to raise their voices a little to be heard. But maybe don't stand on opposite sides of the shop? Or don't go on loudly about how much you dislike beneficiary bludgers who just sit around all day doing nothing. I mean, you're running a second hand shop, people...perhaps put two and two together and come up with four?

This place is a dreeeeam and I'm even hesitant to review it on here in case it becomes too 'known'…read more But I guess any publicity is good publicity for the business owners, right?! Think gorgeous French antiques, refurbished furniture and oodles of atmosphere. I would buy anything and everything, had I the money to do so. If you follow them on Facebook you can see what new items they have arriving in store. You can often find second-hand authentic Tolix chairs, industrial-style lights and shades and gorgeous, reasonably-priced vintage bottles. They hire out furniture too - perfect if you've got a function coming up or even just want extra seating at home over busy periods like Christmas.

This place defines 'local knowledge'. It's so hidden, I walked past it everyday for a year and…read moredidn't know it was there. When I eventually discovered it, I was so excited. Filled with French antique delights, its like a Parisian treasure trove. There are tables, chairs, huge lights, rustic medicine bottles, and cabinets packed with hundreds of gems. Loads of cafes like 'Foxtrot' have their antiques as their café furniture and if had my own house, I know where I'd be heading to fit it out. When I talked to the shop assistant he said that they also hire out the outdoor tables and chairs for functions. They would be perfect for weddings.

Hatchlings Nz is a home grown company that creates your child's very own soft toy, which is…read moredesigned by your child themselves. I love the fact that you are guaranteed a toy that your child will love as they have drawn a picture of it, and helped start the creation project of a gift to themselves or another child that will be loved for years to come. I have a child with their very own Hatchling toy here at home, and her Leopard is super special and always will be as it's her mind that created this wonder, and Hatchlings NZ brought Leopard to life. If you have a child who loves to draw, give them an amazing surprise with a very personal hatchling toy- they will be over the moon!

I have visited Egg numerous times throughout each of my 3 pregnancies, at both the Auckland and…read moreWellington stores, and highly recommend them! They have a great range of comfy and feminine clothing, including work wear, jeans, nursing tops and dresses, and basics like leggings and singlets etc. They often have special promos so it is worth signing up to the mailing list :) fantastic helpful staff too. Five stars from me, I would not shop anywhere else for my pregnancy clothes.

From the owner: The birth of EGG & pregnancy style down under started in 2000 Charlotte Devereux was pregnant with…read moreher first daughter Jasmin. She simply could not find the style of clothes she wanted to wear, so together with her mother, business woman Colyn Devereux-Kay, they started designing stylish, fashionable and most importantly comfortable maternity clothes that you can also wear after bambino arrives. The majority of EGG clothing and accessories are proudly made in New Zealand with a great team of people who have been with EGG since our infancy. EGG also partner with the Mental Health Association to help raise money for Post Natal Depression awareness. EGG - Nurturing your maternity journey in style

You always hear negatives about the staff at zambesi, but on Saturday I went in and spent a fair…read moreamount of money and part of that was because of how helpful and attentive the staff were. If your looking for something stylish go to zambesi and ask for Bridgette she'll point you in the right direction.

Perfectly located between Northcote Point and Birkenhead is this fantastic liquor store. I am all…read moreabout the convenience of popping in to grab a bottle of wine or some ciders to share with my guests at a dinner party, rather than having to spend precious time travelling to the supermarket. This store has a huge selection of wine, which is fabulous- as you can never have enough wine to choose from really. Large fridges stocked with wine, beer, cider, and ready made beverages also. If you are looking for something a bit more refined to mellow your thoughts with the top shelf is well stocked with everything you can imagine. You don't need to pop to the dairy for juice, water or snacks either they supply chips, peanuts, and the like as well.