Texts, tweets and Tinder might be all the rage but I firmly sit in the corner that believes sending…read morea beautiful card for an array of occasions beats the obligatory Facebook message or wall post. That's why I'm thankful that a store like Card & Caboodle, located on the lower floor of Queens Plaza, is still around. Much like hen's teeth, a shop dedicated to the art of correspondence via a carefully deliberated card is hard to find. Much like Suzannah B, I often find selecting a card far more exciting than the gift it may be presented with. Their range is some of the best in Brisbane and extend from classic humour, modern design and quirky.There's a card for almost all occasions and you'll also be able to stock up on wrap, ribbon or a fancy-pants gift bag.

Every year I tell my friends I'm going to write them a personal letter and post it. We all agree…read morewhat a great idea this would be and spend awhile reminiscing about the good ol' days before email. I've never yet written such a letter although Card and Caboodle has certainly tempted me with their range of stationary. Some of their writing sets are so pretty. Plus, anyone would be pleased to receive best wishes from their intricate pop-up card range. Their cute stamps, stickers, hanging ornaments and magnets would make perfect 'filler presents', the sort you would get for your workplace Secret Santa or that cousin you don't know very well but you suspect she's a girly girl. If you're looking for something more original than your stock standard newsagency range, then try Card and Caboodle for all matters stationary related.

You know those nerds who get more excited about designing and making the party invitations than the…read moreactual party? Yeah, they're so weird. And I happen to be one. Even back in the late 90s when my birthday came around, I was to be found on our hulking IBM computer make invitations with coloured, comic sans-style fonts and the ever-classy clip art. They usually said corny things like IT'S PARTY TIME! If only Invitation House had existed in those days, and I could have saved myself some Microsoft Word-related embarrassment. Luckily, Invitation House opened not long before my 18th birthday and so I finally had access to more than Windows 95 to create my masterpiece. When you go in you'll see the the walls are floor to ceiliing stacks of paper and card of varying patterns, colours, and textures. They have sheer overlay sheets, cute pins and embellishments, ribbons, and stamps. You can pick out what you want and dream up your own invitation, or the staff can help you. You can also pay them to assemble them all for you, or take your supplies home and do it yourself. Since my 18th I have also used Invitation House's wares to make 21st invites for me and for friends' parties, and often pop in to buy some nice paper or card if I'm making something special. Such a great idea for a shop, and I bet they do great business because it's such a niche market. Well done, Invitation House!

Stationery really excites me. Like REALLY excites me. I think it's the prospect of being super…read moreorganised while looking cute at the same time. Stickers, pens, writing pads, stamps, you name it I love it! I am unashamedly geeky in that sense. So Invitation House, which funnily enough specialises in invitations, got a little excited squeal from me as I walked through their doors. Floor to ceiling shelves of different sorts of paper. Embossed, bridal, paper with cupcakes on it, floral, dinosaurs, oriental and SO much more. There is literally paper for any occasion here. It's stunning quality and averages around $1.00-$1.50 per piece so depending on the size of the event you're hosting it could become quite expensive. In my opinion though, receiving a paper invitation in this digital age is a little taste of the past, and it sets the tone for whatever the event is that the invitation is for. If you are getting married, having an important birthday celebration or hosting some sort of event which requires an old-school invitation, I definitely suggest popping in to Invitation House for some inspiration.

This shop is like a cornucopia of strange little gifts, knick-knacks, cards, and bits'n'bobs…read more Exactly the kind of store you pop into in search of a birthday card for someone, and end up browsing amongst the eclectic gifts for at least half an hour. There was everything from teddy bears to photo frames; mugs and calendars to christening gifts; musical jewellery boxes to happy birthday banners. I can't lie and say everything was top notch, but I do recommend a potter if you've got time for a browse, or you have some time to kill while waiting for a bus. Like Mary Poppin's handbag, you never know what's going to come out of it...(or what you'll come out with!)

One of the lucky few places that stocks Hello Kitty and all of the above. If you're into your…read moremanga, your anime and your sanrio products, this shop is one of the few that I would consider to be your personal mecca. It's not the biggest store I've seen, but it's one of the only ones that exist (surprise surprise it's in Sunnybank!) and although small in size, is pack stacked and filled to the brim with all the things I find cute. Cuteness galore and I don't mean puppies. To the passer by, you may think, oh it's another weird ass trinket store with asian things in it and funny looking cats. But to really appreciate what is the 'Hello Kitty' phenomenon you need to google it or educate yourself first. Don't go in store and learn about it, it wouldn't work. If manga, anime and sanrio mean anything to you, you will walk in and fully appreciate the clutter, appreciate the hello kitty in the dinosaur suit. Appreciate the hello kitty earrings, and all the accessories related to the cat. She deserves respect. Get a tissue box cover with some kero kero keroppi or some little pichu dolls. It's crazy, and it makes sense. I love this place.

I wonder if the Sanrio crew are still as treasured in Japan (and elsewhere) as they once were. I'm…read morenot sure if Hello Kitty and her friends are quite as popular with the Australian youth of today, but when I was a teenager they underwent a huge surge in popularity, with every girl desperate for her own cute little pencil case starring these characters, or stationary to write useless notes to their friends. As far as I know, this is one of the few places in Brisbane left as a shrine to these adorable cartoon characters. It's a pretty big shop too, with any object you can imagine available with a Hello Kitty's of My Melody's mug stamped on it. Some of the items looked a little cheap to me, but maybe I've just outgrown it and can finally understand why the stuff is not universally popular.

Scenario: You've discovered the calming and relaxation benefits of adult colouring in. You wander…read morepast Books@Stones before they open and see an entire window display dedicated to this new "trend" and you make a mental note to stop back in before you leave. Of course, there's something hush hush about admitting you are an adult who colours in but after recently discovering how relaxing it can be, I'm hooked. Thankfully, this book shop has quite a good collection of these books. But that's not all. While the front portion of the store is dedicated to adult books, the back half of the store is a wonderland for the young readers. There's a great selection of kids books (excellent for the Savvy Aunty who is eager to build her niece a well rounded library) and space for them to sit and read. In fact, as I was browsing the shelves an author was about to do a book reading for kids. Prices are reasonable and honestly no more than some online sites. Plus you get to take it home with you - what's not to love? If you're local this is one worth bookmarking!

This cute little bookstore on Logan Rd at Stones Corner specializes in Australian books & authors…read more Grab a coffee next door at the Green Door Gallery & Cafe and then go in and browse through their extensive range of fiction, non-fiction & kids books.

Is this the last Morning Glory left in Brisbane? Oh dear, I…read morestill remember when I visited my first Morning Glory about fifteen years ago at Pacific Fair on the Gold Coast. Here at last was a place where I could get all my Asian pop culture paraphernalia - it was finally becoming main stream. Fifteen years later, this Morning Glory could be the final resting place for Hello Kitty, Keropi and many other celebrity plushies that have risen to stardom and died in ignominy. I like to think that there's still a viable market in Brisbane for Morning Glory. Surely, there are more little girls in want of a Hello Kitty apron. How about a giant Totoro plushie for your dashboard or a matching Blue Bear/ Pink Bear set to consolidate your relationship? While it's glory days are probably gone forever, I wager there's life in this shop yet. So get shopping! Hello Kitty says so.

When I was about fourteen, Hello Kitty and those other sickeningly cute Japanese animal characters…read morewere all the rage. Morning Glory was known as heaven for every girl in love with the characters and the insane amounts of stationary their button-nosed faces were plastered on. It's been a long time since I've seen a Morning Glory, I thought they'd faded into extinction, but here is proof at least one has survived. It's former, forgive me, glory has lessened somewhat and the store looks a little more tacky, a little less wonderland than it once did, but there's still a lot here. It's the perfect place to get a gift for any young girl, or to stick them for free babysitting while you do the groceries (I kid, of course).

Want the short version of this review? Okay. Here goes: if you want flowers - for an event or just…read morea bouquet delivered to your beloved, Rebecca of Flowers In Hand is the only person you need contact. I've had the pleasure of working with Bec on two occasions now including our recent Yelper Party where she took a concept from brief to installation with creativity and grace. She understood the theme instantly and added a true sophistication to my event. Her ethos of only working with locally available blooms and greens is to be admired as is her desire to teach us all the ways to weave blooms into our everyday life. Best of all her work is affordable and accessible to all. She works to your budget and communicates with you throughout making sure you're across all information and decisions. Her input only makes the end result better.