Every time I walk past Mischief shoes on Broadway in Newmarket it kills me. The shoes in the window…read moreare literally so beautiful it hurts. Though I've never actually bought anything from the store, I've tried on numerous pairs of shoes there over the years, and have always been really impressed by the quality of the shoes as well as the wide selection. The staff at Mischief are really helpful, and don't mind you trying on half the store (something I've done quite a few times!), as they too are shoe lovers and understand how important it is to find not only the perfect fit but also the perfect style for you. Stocking popular, fashionable and quality brands like Nude, Soles, Clarks, Chaos and Harmony and Paolo Vandini, Mischief caters to both men and women aged about 16 years onward. A little pricey is ol Mischief, but this an example of the whole 'what you get is what you pay for' scenario. Every pair of shoes in this store is made from excellent quality materials and is on trend with the latest European fashions. If you're in Newmarket and feel the need to treat yourself, take a peek in Mischief - it's well named - you never know what you'll be leaving the store with!

Really beautiful quality shoes! Every pair seems to be made of supreme quality and is just dazzling…read moreto look at. If I had a never ending budget I would be able to buy almost every pair. When i last wondered in here, my nephew (4) was really taken with some of the shoes! He would pick out the fanciest, shiniest, most sparkly high heel and bring it over to me and ask if I'd like to try it on. I was starting to worry about his love of shoes but thought he could obviously just appreciate quality as much as I can. I noticed down the back there are a few shoes on sale. This is a pretty important thing for me because most of the prices are well above my price range and so sale items are unfortunately my only option.

Little Stitch opened recently in Newmarket. It's a multi-brand womenswear store that caters to 30+…read morefemales. The best thing about the place, is that it stocks a lot of brands you don't see around the place. Mostly American labels, but others thrown in too. They're going to be getting in Rachel Zoe's range. Other highlights? Their cashmere and bags. My mother bought a dress from there recently, a navy shift. The pricing is on the higher end - this is nice stuff. I can imagine Remuera moms coming here and blowing a tonne of cash. Little Stitch is situated right next to Dry & Tea in that pocket of Newmarket behind Rialto that seems to be upwardly mobile of late. The store is pretty small but very clean and light and they've used their space really well. There are ample mirrors for those who are vain. Kidding. Kind of.

This place may not look like much from the outside, but on the inside are works of art. This…read moremilliner spends every day making the hats (and selling them) and then teaches on the weekends. A favourite hat of mine in the store, I was told, is popular with many people, enough so that it has been requested for use on top of a model and graced the front of a U.K. magazine. It is a burgundy velvet hat with a large front brim and a large ribbon, the pattern on the fabric is what makes it, Carolyn Gibson, the master milliner thinks, I told her it is also in the little details of her craftsmen ship, in my opinion. As you might have already guessed, I am a big fan of hats, not a shoe girl, jackets and hats do it for me! I highly recommend dropping in for a visit, as seeing them in person is much better than on a website.

From the owner: I am a master milliner and I design and create beautiful hats for every occasion. read more

Flying Saucers is such a cool little gift store. In the midst of all the crap you can buy in a mall…read moreit's a place with really high quality novelty gifts and some nice jewelry too. But it does come with a price. It's quite an expensive store and even things that are kind of disposable (like novelty bachelorette/bachelor night stuff etc) are sold at a premium price. But it's actually one of the very few places where you can find different, fun stuff. I really like their greeting cards too, there are quite a few funny novelty ones and they're always a bit of a laugh to look through. If you're trying to find a fun gift for someone who's hard to shop for or one of those people who kind of have everything they need, this is the shop to go to.

My mom offered to make a quilt to celebrate the birth of my son, and we were going to incorporate…read morefamily photos on the quilt, so we needed the correct materials for the whole process. We stopped by at Smart Dress Fabrics, and we hoped to get all our quilting goods, and they appeared to stock everything we needed. In fact they appeared to stock almost everything in New Zealand. What a painful shopping experience, not because the service was bad or the products poor, in fact it was quite the contrary. There was just too much, I couldn't get my mother to leave. Next time, I'll go the the pub, and I'll let my mom shop at her own leisure...

If you want fabric, whatever texture, colour, or size I am pretty sure these guys will have it!…read moreThey have filled every nook and cranny with rolls and rolls of fabric possible in such a little store (although I say 'little' it is actually bigger than it looks from the outside). I have been into a few fabric shops lately and although the famous Newmarket Centrepoint Fabrics boast to be the largest around, I think this one would do sufficiently for anyone living West of Auckland, plus parking would be far less of a hassle and free! Smart Dress Fabrics also have some patterns available that I noticed some nearby women going through (I have only just bought myself a machine, so I haven't quite got to that stage yet, soon!).

Geoff's is no longer the in-the-know Auckland hipster's secret. Go here on Halloween and you will…read moresee what I mean. Luckily, Halloween only happens once a year but year round Geoff's is the place that truly does have everything. I am most often here for random products like baby oil ($6 for a small bottle of branded petroleum by-product at a supermarket? $2 here), fabric dye, art supplies, sewing stuff and what must be Auckland's cheapest fabric. No offence to Spotlight, but go here first if you need anthing crafty. There's ribbon, cotton, buttons, sparkly bits, belt buckles, bra pads, googly eyes, appliques, patches.... on and on and on. The fabric selection is no small part of the shop and the pricing fairly freakin ridiculous. You'll also find toys, costume jewellery, probably Auckland's biggest range of wigs and "ready-costumes" for adults and kids, as well as such essential props as tiaras, plastic swords, feather boas, cowboys hats, gloves, face paint and garters. There are paints, brushes, canvases, dyes, sketch books...... You can even buy paperbacks, hardware, kitchen equipment, candles and it just goes on. What I love most about Geoff's is that it has been around as long as I can remember and as far as I know, Geoff himself is still around too. My kids love coming here with a handful of coins and leaving with treasures and so do I. The staff are awesome and Geoff's is such a wonderful reminder to me that some things don't ever change, they just get better with age.

This place is AWESOME. Recommended to me by a fellow sewing friend, I decided to check it out…read moretoday. Walked in the door and thought wow, this place is a bit...crappy. But then I walked in further, through the narrow door and into a huge space, filled with all manner of crafty supplies! I was there to buy interfacing, and buy it I did - 5m for $5! Incredible prices. I also got a zip for $1.05 and a belt buckle kit for $1. The prices are insane, even cheaper than what I paid living in the US. I saw some gorgeous fabrics in there, too, but I'm trying to watch my fabric budget right now so I sadly left it behind...for now. The woman who served me was really friendly, carefully rolled up my interfacing and asked about my projects. I can't wait to go back and browse their fabrics some more, and they will definitely be my go-to place for notions, too! I didn't explore the rest of the shop too closely, as I had a sick husband in tow, but they have a huge range of paint/art supplies, party supplies, incense and other trinkets, and heaps of other stuff too.

I think I've got a new favourite shop. I'm such a sucker for anything cute, kitsch and quirky and…read morethat's exactly what this shop is. Brand new to K Road, this store embodies everything I love about the area. I think their selection of necklaces is actually even nicer than the similar ones in Monster Threads just down the road, and I looove those! It's clear the owners of this store really think about what they're selling and who they're trying to sell it to. This is only a tiny little store but everything in here is covetable, from the tea sets to books to the array of vintage-inspired sunnies and dresses. It's out of the ordinary, beautiful clothing, jewellery and homewares. I've got my eye on a necklace and the super-cute stick-on animal wall decorations.

Everything in this store is scrumptious. You know the kind of stuff that you could just eat up…read more These girls know what's good out there and now they've got it for us to buy. There's everything from clothes, to candles, to sunnies, and little knick-knacks that you probably don't need, but must have. It's the perfect place to go if you're trying to buy a present for someone who has everything. My favourite product they stock is the ceramic crinkle cups. They're so cute and everyone who sees them thinks they're so awesome. Having just moved from their old store the Bread and Butter Letter is looking seriously suave. I love the new branding and the light boxes out the outside of the store. Best thing about the new place is that you can now buy a cup tea there too. Love it.

Lovisa is the reason I had to buy a stand for my accessories. Like a wardrobe for all my earrings,…read morechains and rings. I came in contact with Lovisa when I was shopping around at St Lukes. The store is hard to miss if you aren't looking for it as it is on the small and cosy side. What I l love about Lovisa is the unique pieces they sell. I am in love with my ethnic accessories and I am a huge fan of chunky bracelets. I try to wear at least four bracelets at a time. The price for the bracelets in affordable and if you don't want to pay too much wait for the 3 for $10 sales. Get in there fill up your bag with unique goodies that will add an oomph to anything you wear.

Went to buy some jewellery a couple of weeks ago and found their EFTPOS machine was broken so I had…read moreto put the items back. Went in today and their EFTPOs was still broken but they zip zapped the old way. This time they didn't have any bags or tissue paper. I didn't even have a handbag with me so had a carry the items in my hands around St Lukes Mall, not a good look. Makes me think they are going out of business?

This place has recently opened, and it's part of a secret little alley of gorgeous little shops…read morethat are so friggin' cute I think I am going to die. Colourful triangular necklaces, tea cups and teapots with crossbones all over them, sugar skull necklaces, plates with pictures etched into the porcelain, nautical things for miles - it's this little corner of things that I would fill my house with if I had the money. I recommend you visit Ahoy Cutie and its two shopfriends Hunter Gatherer and Frost + Dinkie - these places are so tucked away inside the Cross Street walkway overpass that I'm scared they'll close up before anyone gets to experience their cuteness.

Vintage doesn't get any better than Tango…read more The best thing about Tango is that there quite literally isn't a single thing in the shop that hasn't been hand picked because it's beautiful and high quality. There's a definite aesthetic to the stock - a sort of campy, tongue-in-cheek take on glamour - that you'll most likely love if you're into vintage. Tango is hands down the best place in town to get your hands on designer and name-brand vintage that's in top condition, but there are also less expensive items, like costume jewellery and handbags. Not to be overlooked, the service at Tango is perfect - it's always a comfortable browsing experience, but the guy who works there is really knowledgeable about clothes and is very helpful if you're looking for something in particular. In short: Tango should be your first destination for impressive vintage dresses and accessories.

Do you like old and kind of misc. stuff? Do you like dresses…read moreand pants and all that kind of crap? Do you like archaic suitcases? Do you like to pretend you're way way cooler than you actually are? Do you think you should have lived during the roaring twenties or something dumb like that? Do you have heaps of disposable income? Do you like to impress people by showing them how your suit has some discernable amount of horse hair in it? Do you like dumb hats which cost a lot of money? Do you enjoy wearing fur which has been pulled from the carcasses of murdered animals? Go to this place if you say "Yes" to any of that stuff.