I can't quite remember how I met Majella but once you meet this firecracker of a young woman you're…read moreinstantly intrigued by her positivity and energy. It is infectious. Fast forward about 18 months and I finally came to the conclusion I wanted the expert help of a personal stylist. It had always been on my "to do" list and wanting to graduate my wardrobe and style to something more sophisticated and polished I called upon Majella and her fabulosity (totally just made that up). In our three hour session she not only pulled clothes for me that I would never have normally chosen, but her actions also were a soft therapy session as she chisels away at all the negative self talk we throw at ourselves each day. Not once was I pressured into buying anything we tried on and it definitely helped that I'd given her a bit of an idea of my style (via a Pinterest board) before our session. Believe it or not the three hours goes incredibly quickly so having a definite idea of the pieces you want to walk away with is key. Also, take her advice, do wear a bit more makeup or juzz your hair a little more on the day. You'll spend a good 60% of the session in front of a mirror. It's soul crushing for the best of us, so a little lipstick will go a long way! In the end I purchased a black blazer and black jeans that I've been wearing non-stop. Majella's advice is still in the back of my head each time I go shopping and it's actually been a godsend to make shopping for clothes enjoyable rather than overwhelming. Knowing what works for me means you cut out all the crap and can spend your time in a shop focusing on what you know is going to work for you. Plus, it also lets your hard-earned dollars go a lot further when you look to invest in key pieces rather than frivolous disposable fashion. I would recommended spending time with Majella to anyone looking for something for a special occasion or just wanting a bit of a wardrobe overhaul. Whatever the reason that brings Majella into your day you'll be smiling ear to ear after - it's just her style.

When it comes to shopping, Brisbane is always seen as the poor relative to Sydney. And it usually…read moreis. But the uber chic Level 1 Designer section David Jones is definitely equal to, if not better than its counterpart down south. Let me run through just a taster of the labels you can get your hands on here: Burberry, Paul Smith, Scanlan and Theodore, Easton Pearson, Willow, Romance is Borne, Sass and Bide, Camilla and, my fave, Thurley (note to parents: as the sales will be on by then, I'd love the one shouldered lurex top or the long sequinned necklace for my birthday!) The drawback - the expense makes your eyes water. So my tip to you is, browse now and make a note of what you want, then come back in sale season and rummage, rummage, rummage. It's worked for me many a time. Ladies, be strong, be determined and above all, keep looking until you find it!

When I was a young whipper snapper I remember going into the David Jones store in Sydney. It felt…read moreall fancy, and i'd marvel at the food markets they had in there too. And the cost! Well, DJs still goes for that fancy, up market look, and if their Brisbane store ever had food markets, they're long gone. This is a newish store in Queens Plaza, and it's still quite fancy. Multiple levels, I usually come in for clothes, or sometimes to check out the electrical stuff. They've scaled back on games, and I note that their electronics is just a Dick Smith now. The department stores of the past are long gone. Despite the up market vibe they go for, I've found they are quite often competitive with prices, so it's definitely worth checking out if you're shopping around for the best price.

Whoever created Reverse Garbage is a genius and should be given a medal for helping to solve the…read moreworld's waste problems. Don't get me started on my overconsumption rant! Reverse Garbage is a not-for-profit that accepts donations of industrial scraps or pays a small fee for them, organises them in a way that is consumer-friendly and sells them, saving "rubbish" from going into landfill. As a sewer, I love their fabric scraps. Most of it's off-cuts of pretty odd shapes but there are some small rolls of fabric too. Selling truly random things like bottle caps, brochures, long tubes of mesh-like fabric--things that would otherwise be considered junk--this is a great place for creative souls, kindergarten teachers in search of craft material and anyone who wants to look first for second-hand materials before buying something new and contributing to the cycle of consumption! Uh-oh, I feel that rant coming on again...

Full of bits of wood, mannequins, plastic, rope, fabric and thousands of other bits and bobs that…read morewere going to be thrown out by various industrial places. In this way, they are stopping waste and allowing things to have a second chance at life. They are always getting new things in and the best way to hear about their latest bargain is to keep an eye on their facebook page. They are a not-for-profit organisation that goes to schools to do workshops and have a small shop that sells upcycled handmade goodies from local craftspeople. If you love craft and DIY (or you're renovating your house), this is the place for you. Everything is priced reasonably. I have used some of their things for my own crafting projects. Perhaps the only problem is their location; they can be a bit hard to get to. I catch the bus and jump off at the P.A. Hospital. From there it's about a 15 minute walk.

This is one of the most beautiful homeware stores I've ever stepped foot in. It is huge and packed…read morefrom floor to ceiling with products. There's clothing, jewellery, elegant stuff for the bathroom, pretty cushions, bags, candles, clocks, vases - the range is immense. The layout of the store is great, with one large room on the ground floor. Up some stairs and you reach a balcony housing a thousand different temptations for your nose, as candles and the many other modern inventions for making you want to eat air huddle along shelves. Once you drag your nostrils away from this section you find yourself facing a long corridor lined with towering shelves holding soap dispensers, towels and much more. Along here a way and you'll come to a tiny room full of cushions in every colour of the soft, cuddly rainbow. It was a lovely place to explore - if you have Houdini-like children I probably wouldn't bring them here.

This is kinda like a "general store" of fabulousness…read more Want a cute Xmas card with a cute tin star on the front? Or perhaps a sweet dress from Fleur Wood? How about a bathrobe so soft you feel like you're enveloped in a cloud when you try it on? Or Xmas decorations, homewares, handbags, toys? I could have pottered around Olive for hours - it's quite literally crammed to the rafters with bits'n'bobs. Not all of them cheap, but if you're a fan of poking around, so to speak, you'll love it here. As is so often the case with me, I spied with my little eye, something beginning with S (for sparkly) so I spent an age at the jewellery counter, trying on all sorts of bling. I was particularly liking the Kardashian range of jewellery which is actually super cool (who knew?) and the shop assistant told me that I probably like it because it's apparently designed by the same people who do Nicole Richie's jewellery line, House of Harlow 1960 (which, in fact, Olive sells too). I reckon there's a little bit of everything to keep most people happy in here.

Great selection of high quality Korean skincare at reasonable prices. I bought a lot of face masks…read moreand some lip tints that I really love. They also carry some products you can find at Sephora like Olaplex shampoo. I will be visiting again!

I went to the Garden City shop, just for curious for the first time. But I had very bad…read moreexperiences, it is shocking!! the shop assistant was very rude. When I inquired a product, her response was "this product is for young people." Ok, I am not young or I looked horrible? I am in my late 20s. But by hearing that, I really wanted to give her a "F**k you". When I compared the price from e-bay, buying on line is way better and have more to choose from, and you will not be abused by the shop assistant, you just need to wait for a couple of weeks for the shipping from South Korean. I will never buy anything from W Cosmetics. They need proper training staffs.

Great service! fast and responsive. Fixed the issue very quickly…read more GOOD JOB. Fixed Oppo which is not very common in Australia, and they ordered the part & kept us informed

Steer clear... after $160 for new glass and an hour I got back an iPhone 6s+ with the audio on the…read morehandset not working, the front camera blurred and after getting home finding out they didn't put the SIM card back in! They did respond to a message, but nothing forthcoming.

I used to hate Lego, I viewed it with utmost suspicion from…read morethe ages of 6+ (Why is it so small? why doesn't the yellow man have any eyebrows? more importantly why is it so painful when trod on?) But with the arrival of a baby brother I fell head over heels for those rascally odd shaped bricks. So you can imagine my delight when I found a fo-real Lego store in Southbank. It's such a shame it's not so well known because they have such a unique and fun store. LegoLand (as I like to call it) is run by Moore Educational and is a great place to take the kiddies, They provide reasonably priced Lego workshops and have a wide array of products for sale. so head on down and be sure to check out the novelty sized Lego ...If you need me I'll be in the brick pit.

I was so excited when the Lego Education Centre opened on Merivale Street four years ago. I was…read morestudying at Queensland College of Art at the time and imagined ducking down in my lunchbreaks to build my dream home. My hopes were dashed when it turned out this really is a legitimate education centre for children and not just a gimmicky retail shop to sell Lego. I distinctly remember the cold look the shop assistant gave me when I asked if I could play with the blocks. Fortunately, I now have a nephew who is almost old enough to take to their first programme. Over the summer holidays, Lego Education centre run workshops for a variety of ages. For four to seven year olds, there's the 'Little Robot' class. Children use Duplo blocks to create their own robot which they can control via remote control. For the older kids, there's 'Go Solar' which teaches kids how to build a Lego house exploring the use of solar power. Book your child for a morning or an afternoon session for $12. It includes morning or afternoon tea and three workshops. It saddens me that I'm deemed too old for this Lego Education Centre. Nevertheless, I'll be the one pressed up against the window, cheering 'Go Lego Go!'