I walked into The Trading Circle with trepidation. It's immediately evident from the store signage…read morethat this shop, established by a non-profit company to support women in poverty, has the potential to be quite expensive. I can't think of a better reason than charity for supporting Paddington's higher prices when it comes to non-essential shopping, but I was surprised to note that merchandise here was far from overpriced. Not only were the prices reasonable, the merchandise spans a large range of trinkets, gifts, toys, clothing and jewellery - the perfect place to pick up a gift or a treat for yourself. I bought a beautiful blue beaded bracelet for $4.50 - the packaging contained a picture of the child who made this particular bracelet, her name and other personal information. Such jewellery is made by children suffering from AIDS or are exposed to conditions of poverty where AIDS flourishes. All of the hand-made goods here are ridiculously gorgeous and well-crafted. One section of the store reminded me of a hippy store, with colourful knapsack-style bags, purses and pillow cases lining the aisles. (However, the quality was clearly much, much better than your standard hippy store.) Another section, featuring hand-made soft toys such as clowns, clocks and other critters reminded me of a toy shop. Yet another part had me drawn in for a good ten minutes - the jewellery selection. Here are some absolutely gorgeous earrings, totally unique and respectable in price (around $25 a pair and sturdily made). The store also sells cards, home ware and coffee, tea and chocolates. The staff are friendly but not pushy - the perfect combination. There is also a free gift-wrapping service as an Xmas bonus. This is one of the best places to shop in Paddington. I have to admit I was very surprised by how much there was to see here, how unique the merchandise was and how perfectly the Good Shepherd Sisters have pulled together this store. I'll be coming back again soon for some last-minute Xmas shopping, for sure. And it certainly won't be the last time I'll be coming here.

The Trading Circle is a fantastic initiative set up by the Good Shepherd Sisters. Their mandate is…read morehelping women trade out of poverty and they do this by focussing on helping women in poverty stricken areas set up micro enterprises, usually with a community focus. So what does this mean for you? In this one spot you can find a wealth of unique, quirky items that not only feel good to own, but feel good to buy. This store is particularly good for anyone buying for kids (think beautifully crafted toys and clothes), however it's also a great shop for homewares and gifts. The items you buy at this store are not only beautifully crafted, they are also helping women across the world AND have the added benefit of novelty. Your gift will not be the same as anyone else's and you can feel a wee bit smug that your money went to a good cause instead of feeding big corporations. They also have a great range of Christmas decorations, and during December are open from 10am - 2pm on Sundays to help with the demand.

Im not entirely sure that i would have ever gone to spotlight on my own accord because as far as i…read morewas concerned it was a shop that sold cloth and sewing gear and that is something i have no interest in. I was however dragged their to buy bedding and pillows and was actually surprised at the size of the place. If you are looking for bedding towels and like me are impartial to designs and thread count then you cant go wrong with Spotlight. As well as all this they do have a party section which is something I am definitely taking advantage of for those fun but some times annoying dress up parties. All you need is a bit of creativity and with the huge amount of party supplies that they have. Its also fairly inexpensive and will be allot cheaper than buying or hiring a costume. I would just advise that when you go with your spouse you know what you are looking for because through personal experience you can end up staying there allot longer and buying allot of things you don't really need for the house.

Day time designers, night time crafters, do-it-yourself renovators and home decorators. If you're…read moreafter inspiration and ideas, give yourself about an hour to browse through Spotlight. While I love home decorations, I admit I'm a terrible DIY renovator. I hate sandpapering surfaces, painting walls, sewing curtains, in short anything that may cause perspiration. What I do like to do is buy cushions, candles and any sort of furnishings that may transform the room without any effort on my part. This is where Spotlight comes in. They have the A-Z of home decorations from already made curtains to cute toothbrush holders. For crafters, the Mt Gravatt Spotlight has a huge selection of supplies for quilting, embroidery, jewellery making, knitting and scrapbooking. It's bigger than Lincraft and Riots Art Supplies put together. Unfortunately, this has been at the expense of their sewing section which has been dramatically downsized in the past few years. They still stock a decent range of fabrics but only the most popular silks and satins are making the cut. If you can't nip down to Spotlight without the kids and hubby, never fear. There is an awesome helium balloon counter at the back of Spotlight. Just pick their favourite balloon design, the lovely staff on duty will fill it up with helium and you can shop in peace while your kids are entertained by shiny, nylon sharks, tigers and seahorses. The bonus is that these bobbing creatures act as beacons so that you don't have to worry about losing your kid in the maze which is Spotlight.

When I was young, my seamstress mother took me to Lincraft all the time. While she would pick up…read morebits and pieces, I would unravel beautiful lengths of cloth and artistically drape them over my lanky body into a sophisticated toga. Chiffon, Georgette, Satin, Silks. Back in those days, Lincraft had the best and most beautiful range of fabrics. Sadly, those days are gone. These days they resemble Riot Art and Craft with a fabric section. While the adult crafts such as quilting, knitting and embroidery are still catered for, there's been a definite push for kids craft lines. There are beads, stickers, paint-by-number kits, you name it. Sadly, it seems to be just a case of meeting the changing market which isn't necessarily a bad thing. It seems aspiring seamstresses will just have to broaden their repertoire to include bead jewellery and painting.

Lincraft for me has always been one of those art and craft shops that you know you can get a good…read morerange of products of a good quality. At the moment my creativeness is leaning to knitting which means I'm loving the bargin bins of balls of wool and the wide range of textures, materials and price levels. They also have a great range of patterns. When my creativity takes me in different directions I can explore this two story store and choose from fabrics, embroidary, quilting, clothes patterns, curtains, art materials... the list is endless. I don't find Lincraft to be the cheapest option out there but they are reasonably priced and stock a great range of brands. My only other criticism is that I find the service to be patchy and often wait up to 10 minutes for service just to pay for something. It doesn't bother me too much as I'm not a regular visitor and I know that its lunch in the city, but for speedy service I would recommend going outside the the middle of the day.

What do you get for people who have everything? If you're not sure and you have some coffers to…read moresling hit up Renaissance Luxury Collections at Chermside Shopping Centre. The have all types of classic European designs from lamps to doll, from frames to pen sets. It's a store that has a class about it without being too demanding on the hip pocket. My parents who love this place and recommended me to go there when I was unsure of what for family friend's birthday. Looking around I had no idea of what to get but the sales manager Hao was a great help. She asked me about the person I was buying for and the money I had, tried to get me thinking on what my friend liked as collectables. Then finally we found a beautiful ink pen set with quill and pot. When he opened his present we was amazed and thankful and told me it was one of the most original gifts he had ever received.

This is a pretty crazy, quirky gift store that has a pretty even mix of stuff I love and stuff I…read morehate. I do love the stationary, the pens and some of the lamps. I hate the statues and find the dolls pretty freaky. A little hit and miss but the staff are lovely and they often have good sales, so definitely worth a look.

It had been quite a while between visits to Jamieson's and it showed. They've extended the showroom…read moreand now have an extra space to show not only their mad styling skills but their range of beautiful linen bed covers, furniture and prints. The effort put in to style and carefully select the products sold in Jamieson's is evident. It's a place to invest in a lifestyle - from the clothes you wear, the bag you carry and the linen you lay your head on each night. Every piece compliments it's shelf mate and their collections would suit anyone from the Bohemian Chic lover in your life to the Hampton's fan wanting a pop of colour in their cushion collection. Similarly, whether you're looking to spend a little or a lot - there's pieces to match most budgets. That said, this isn't a $20 for a throw rug kind of store. Purchases made here are less of the impulse kind and more of the deliberate and considered for a while kind. Still - it's worth the stroll through for inspiration and to find something worth saving your pennies for!

I love all of the pieces in this adorable little shop however, after just experiencing the owner I…read moream not so pleased any longer (the other staff are fantastic though). I went to return a necklace that I was not happy with and she gave me attitude and said 'I am not happy to give you a refund for the necklace because I don't see anything wrong with it so I will give you a store credit'. Don't get me wrong, that is absolutely fine, I would have preferred a refund but it's ok, BUT I definitely did not need the attitude. I approached her with a smile and a friendly 'hi I just want to return this necklace the clasp keeps opening'. Conveniently when the owner tried opening it herself she really struggled, but the bottom line is, hey your customer isn't happy, so lets keep the peace and keep her coming back by just giving her a friendly transaction of a store credit. I feel as though because I was a lot younger than her she just walked all over me. There was just no need for it. I am so disappointed, I understand her frustration because she obviously thought I was making it up that the clasp was faulty but there is not need to make a fuss. So, from a younger person who has spent years in retail and customer service, to an older more mature woman. Be kind to your customers, because bad feedback travels a lot further than positive :-)

Shops with amusing names often get lodged in my head a lot…read morelonger than their blander cousins. (e.g. Plumb Repair Nundah IS NOT AN EXCITING NAME FOR A SMALL BUSINESS I WILL NOT REMEMBER YOUR SERVICES NEXT TIME I HAVE A LEAK.) ...So when I did see the Lumen 8 store I knew it was the beginning of a sweet friendship. Lumen 8 (as the name suggests) is a shop dedicated to beautiful architectural lighting. Their extensive range is current, unique and is sourced from both leading european brands and great local Australian and NZ designers. The showroom is stuffed full of true works of lighting art, unfortunately I wasn't allowed to take pictures but a glance at their online catalogue will leave guarantee to leave you lusting after everything. The staff were friendly and knowledgable and the space itself is modern, clean and really lets the products speak for themselves. Perfect for renovators (or poor students with a dream), Lumen 8 is well worth a visit when Valleyside.

When I need some small implement for the kitchen like a spatula or vegetable peeler, I always look…read morein Homes Mart before going into Coles as it's bound to be far cheaper. Of course, if I'm looking for something that I want to be good quality, I avoid both and go to a proper kitchen shop. But Homes Mart does the trick when it's just something small you need. It's also a good place to look for fancy dress and craft items like crepe paper, pipe cleaners, glitter, sequins etc. It's a discount store, not a place to shop for good quality long-lasting things, but it's handy to have in this shopping centre with Coles. It's always kept pretty tidy and staff are eager to help you find what you're looking for.

I know this place may look a bit dubious to some, but coming…read morehere so often has given it an endearing quality in my eyes. This place is like the miscellaneous drawer in your kitchen, if you need it it will most likely be lurking in here. Growing up with a great love of discount stores and $2 shops means I also find it very hard to part with my cash if I know I can get a good bargain elsewhere. So! whenever party times are looming or I need a Halloween mask in February, I boycott the evil clutches of Coles and come to Homesmart. These guys seriously have it all novelty cigarette lighters, streamers, pipe cleaners, rain ponchos laundry baskets, gift boxes, spatulas, greeting cards and a buttload more. Next time you are in need of a vegetable peeler or an inflatable party hammer, I recommend giving these guys a go.

Outstanding customer service from the lady working here. Unlike a lot of other discount stores,…read morethings were kept in a very orderly way, even though they were short on space. There were a tonne of options for travellers.

Another gem for craft enthusiasts, and anyone happy to poke around. A great number of good stock at…read morediscounted prices. The staff are helpful, and pleasant. I have been coming here for a long time. Their home decor and thoughtful gift lines are wonderful, if you are content to take your time. Storage, stationary and seasonal lines do change occasionally, basically their is good. Good place to explore, and discover more, of what you suddenly, think you must have? Enter at your own risk, and enjoy!