I was lured in to Doris and Jeanie today by the chalk drawn sign on the street outside, it said…read more'Keep it local' and being a fan of all things local I was in there like a rat up a drain pipe. When I got in I was amazed at all the bits and bobs but being a little bit clumsy I kept picturing myself knocking something over with one swing of my man bag and causing a domino effect. With this in mind I kept my distance from all the trinkets. There was a strong smell of varnish or paint coming from the back of the shop and when I had a closer nosey I noticed one of the staff was being all arts and crafty (technical term). I couldn't exactly tell what he was doing and he looked pretty focused so I left him to it. This is definitely the type of shop I would come back to if I was getting one of the females in my life a present. There's some nice home décor items and if you're going for the quirky vintage look in your home I would drop in to see what's on offer.

While I like to think I'm hip, show me a cutesy shop with niknaks and I'm through the door like a…read moreshot. Right in the middle of the buzzing Belmont Road this is one of those places. While it prides itself on chalk paint (they also do classes in how to use it) I don't have the patience to upscycle anything. I do love a look round though, as they have a wonderful selection of gifts for the home and if you are in need of any sort of candle holder or little clock or picture for the mantelpiece, this is the spot for you. They've opened an even bigger shop in town now, but for small, local service you'll find me in here, buried in cushions and trinkets.

Really pleased with our new splashbacks, great quality, designed and fitted to a high standard,…read morevery neat job. Brilliant customer service. Liked the way the colour is customised. Would definitely recommend this company.

From the owner: DIY Splashbacks manufacture and deliver glass splashbacks for kitchens and bathrooms. Using our…read moremobile app you can scan any colour at all and using our computerised colour matching system we can make you a colour matched glass splashback. Our commercial wing of the business has been involved in a number of projects, working alongside architects and building contractors to put fully fitted glass splashbacks in a number of Universities, apartments and offices.

Fiddlesticks is one of those shops which feels quite small but has an amazing amount of things to…read morebuy! Jewellery, pictures, candles, furniture, lighting, table ware - and many of the lovely trinkets are surprisingly affordable. It's perfect for teacher's gifts, birthday presents, and treats for your own self too, because you're worth it of course! I love the big chunky bracelets and necklaces they do with lots of bling hanging off them - hearts and coins and that kind of thing. Bracelets are about £12 and necklaces £30ish so it's affordable and they look much more expensive than that. I also have a lovely chunky Perspex ring which cost me a rather pure friendly £7 and which I wear almost every day. Other good buys are the candles in tins. I bought one for the hostess of a dinner party I was going to and she loved it . Oh yes, must confess I bought one for myself too - cinnamon is a much better smell around the house than my boys' smelly trainers. There are also small pieces of furniture - mostly painted shabby chic style which I love.

Besides being a cosy gift shop where you can find special cards and presents for various age groups…read more- many were directed at the 21 year milestone I noticed - there's also a picture framing service. They also sell ready made fine art prints which are displayed upstairs along with lamps and pine furniture. Upstairs has a completely different character to the ground level, where there are lots of silvery picture frames, bags, jewellery and small gifts including some incense sticks in lovely Chinese packaging which would have been a pretty gift even without the contents. The day I was there a girl was being treated to a cup cake stand, a Cath Kidston one, for her 14th birthday present. She and her mother were being well looked after by the friendly, helpful assistant. It's just the place for spoiling an important person in the nicest way, even with something small like bath stuff, candles, soaps and scented potions.

A clean, tidy well run shop that stocks trade quality Crown paints trade. On the first, and only…read moreoccasion so far when I bought paints here the price was a bit of shock because it's quite a lot more expensive than B&Q diy paint for instance. In practice the spend is worthwhile, indeed in the long run probably more economical because the trade paint goes much further and covers strong colour more successfully than the cheaper kind. The staff are efficient and eager to help you find things. For people who like looking at paint shades there is a new Historic Colours collection ranging from Palladio to the 1950s, Arts and Crafts, Victorian and so on to help you while away the time dreaming up new colour schemes.

Larger diy chains usually only stock a small range of crown and every year they drop some colours…read moreand introduce new ranges, so if you happen to be after a specific crown colour you can get it mixed here, remember though if your trying to match paint from a year or more that paint fades and you might find there a difference in finish. Crown paint in my opinion is the best overall as others can be powdery. There's not much to see inside but the paint mixing facilities have thousands of options and many finishes, matt silk gloss etc

I'm very into improving my home and so am always putting up pictures or touching up paint and I…read moregenerally go to B&Q or Homebase for supplies. But there are times when I just need something really small like a tiny pot of white gloss paint or another little bit of black gloss - thanks to the five year old standing on the wet door saddle, exactly where I told him NOT to stand. Or times when I'm really in a hurry to touch up a skirting board before the school run. Yes, I know it's not normal. On those occasions, a jaunt to the cavernous DIY superstores, where I can get lost for hours, just isn't on the cards. That's when I go to my little local place, Decorator's Touch. This is a small shop which I can park right outside so that's time saved before I even go in. It's one of those mysterious little places that seems to have more stock than its space should allow. Paint, varnish, brushes, wall paper, check, check , check. They also offer a full interior design service - curtains, cushions etc. Quite how they manage to pull all that off is a miracle, but manage it they do. The owner is usually behind the counter and is really helpful if you're not sure which product you need. And best of all, he doesn't patronise me just because I'm a laydeee.

The world of student housing can be a very bleak one with unhelpful landlords, last weeks baked…read morebeans stuck to the way behind the bin and the kind of temperatures that would make an Eskimo feel at home. The least that can be done to make your place to live is get it decorated a wee bit( with the landlord's permission of course!) to make things less sterile and more conducive to good times! So when I was driving with my friends on their way to their new abode, we went out on a whim and called in here to pick up a few bits and pieces, and I was quite impressed! The staff were helpful and informative, and were ready to guide our bunch of unruly males to the lower cost end of the paint spectrum! There are a wide range of paints we were able to pick from, as well as other wallpapers, paintbrushes and other accessories that would be useful to the more advanced DIY consumer! We were just idiots with brushes, so basic coloured paints were just the ticket for us! I find the likes of Homebase and B&Q almost too large at times, and the customer service is sometimes lacking, so I find places like this most refreshing!

It's such a shame to see small local businesses like this going out of business! I wandered in here…read moreafter ready some great reviews and then seeing the huge 'closing down' stickers on the windows! I think this place is more a victim of it's location rather than anything else - I'm confident that if it had been in the city centre or the Queens Quarter it would have been a real success. The shop itself sell a whole range of vintage items including clothes (I spotted a wedding dress), board games (there's currently a vintage Monopoly Board for sale) and other trinkets. It's a real throw back and a fine example of a well maintained vintage shop. The good news is that it's still open until at least mid June so if I were you I'd get down there and grab yourself a unique bargain.

Love this place…read more Lots of vintage alt clothes. Also crafts etc from local artists that are good for presents. The shop is an enterprise linked to Mersey street church I think. There is a food donation basket usually outside the door for the community larder. There is also a change one room. Upstairs is a book shop called the Book Well also I think linked with Mersey street church. The shop is run by numerous volunteers.

Brilliant Garden centre. Found what I wanted I could'nt get…read moreonline(climbing roses).Golden Showers,Galway Bay),Beautiful grounds to amble around. Staff so helpful,Highly recommend!

Great place to explore and find an array of items to suit all family members.You will surely find…read morewonderful secret Santa pressies too. Other little bonuses and offers to take advantage of too- booklet of vouchers with freebies and special offers to redeem over the next few months. If you have any young children or relatives who are interested in the outdoors there is a mini gardening club to bring them along too which takes place on the first Saturday of each month from 10-11am.

This is a really sweet shop which specialises in children's bedrooms and nursery's. The shop is…read morekinda small inside and a bit cramped so certainly not good for manoeuvring a pram around. In fact when I was in someone had to leave their pram and child at the door. However, looking past that wee glitch, the stuff in here is really great! It's full of beautiful unusual things that you wouldn't find in Mothercare or Mamas and Papas. The decorations are really nice and they cover things like thermometers, coat hangers, boarders, cushions, pictures, linen, and furniture and everything in between! They also stock prams and the more practical things you'd need. The prices are quite high, as seems to be custom with these independent stores. But if you're looking for something different and don't mind paying for it, it's certainly worth a visit!

Now I am going to sound like a muppet who has nothing much to worry about in life, but when I…read moreredecorated my son's bedroom with a cowboy theme, I really struggled to get little bits and pieces to accessorise his room with. Until I found Funky Bedrooms. Funky Bedrooms is located rather awkwardly right on the bend where the Holywood Road meets the Newtownards Road. Luckily you can sneak into the car park behind it which I think is really for the health centre. It's filled with all manner of cute and lovely things for babies and younger children's bedrooms. Think gingham, boats and dinosaurs for boys and butterflies, flowers and hearts for girls. And cowboys for boys too. I scored a fab cowboy storage bag and bean bag which look just perfect. Not the cheapest at £40 ish each but well made and, as the sign says, funky. They also do loads of practical stuff like prams, cots, maternity clothes, changing bags and potties. Eeeww, I'm so glad we're past that stage.

I have nothing but positive things to say about Re:Store. It is ran by East Belfast Mission who I…read morehave had experience with volunteering in the past, so I know firsthand the hard work and the results that the profits of these stores have on people. The store sells a wide range of home furnishing goods. As to be expected from a charity ran organisation, there are a lot of donated goods which may not be new, but they are always in good condition and are immaculately cleaned before sale. They also sell a lot of new stuff that is sold by manufacturers and other retailers for heavily discounted prices. The store also sells clothes, shoes, jewellery, music and white goods and other small electrical items. There are some really good bargains to be had in here, and I would recommend it without hesitation to the swathes of students out there who need to furnish their student homes for reasonable prices. All profits are reinvested into the church and sustaining the cost of the Mission's community projects, so for that reason alone I recommend the store, ignoring the surprisingly good quality of the products on sale in here.

You can get good furniture to upcycle , I got a wood and glass coffee table for £15 that I'm using…read moreas a display case for a model boat, also they have tins of paint for a couple of quid ideal for small jobs . Sometimes worth nipping in to see what they have.