I raced in here with an emergency situation. No decorations for my mothers 80th birthday and she…read morewould be arriving at the house in 45 minutes. Assistant, Praneeta was AMAZING. She immediately took me through the store, helping me choose a trolley load of really lovely rose gold and silver decorations, as well as napkins, plates and more - all color coordinated and elegantly themed. She told me how everything need to be hung and displayed to best effect. She rang up the charges (very reasonable.) Then she blew up the helium balloons and told me to go to the car and turn on the air conditioning so it wouldn't be too hot (it was a 37 degree day) - she said it was important to keep them cool. She brought them out to the car. I was driving away within 20 mins and was able to get home, set everything up before my mother arrived from her nursing home. The look on her face of surprise and joy at the beautifully decorated room, was just the absolute best! We all had the loveliest party! Thank you 'Unique Party Shop' for a fantastic well stocked store and especially to Praneeta - store assistant and party planner extraordinaire! Highly recommend!!

I saw this place driving out from Jijaws Street at Sumner Park and seeing my son was turning 3 the…read morenext day decided to go in and see if they had stuff for his mini birthday party. I found balloons that were kind of stuck together not sure how old they were, the shop was a bit hot, and there was a whole wall full of costumes. Great for big parties I guess, but not much in the way for young kids parties as most candy packs were mega sized, the costumes were for older kids and adults. There was a lot of stuff here for hens and bucks nights though. I think i've been to better ones.

Wedding Art is a wonderful place, not only for brides-to-be's, but for anyone who loves and…read moreappreciates beautiful paper and stationary. If this is you, then you would adore this little store on Merthyr Road. It's not so much a big store, it's more or less a combination of an office as well as products available for purchase. The staff work from here to create their clients orders. They have an extensive range of paper, so the only problem here would be selecting one. There is great customer support. The staff are happy to assist in creating the perfect invitation to your special day. You can make an appointment with them to discuss the design you would like for them to make or alternatively you can pick what you need and make it yourself. The choice is yours. If you are planning your big day and need a trustworthy place to make your invitations or place cards, Wedding Art is definitely worth a visit. Drop by or make an appointment.

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.

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!)

Kikki.K and I are not friends. Something about the way they compartmentalise life into neat,…read morematching boxes doesn't sit well with me. It could also be that I find their creamy pink, blue and yellow colour scheme insipid. A lot of my friends like this shop and think I'm irrational and crazy. It all comes down to personal taste but I've never been tempted to buy anything useful or pretty from Kikki.K - not even as a gift for someone else. Their diaries, calendars, stamps, clips and photo albums are products I associate with aspiring domestic goddesses, unrealistic, neat homes and housewives and house husbands obsessed with cleanliness. I do appreciate though that a lot of people like their designs and it's definitely worth checking out their store despite the rants of one possibly crazy and irrational person like me.

Not just another office organising shop, this one is Swedish. I judged this place the first time I…read moreentered the store because the first thing I picked up, this organiser it's price tag rang high and true to the tune of $175.00. I pretty much walked straight out of the store right then and there, swearing to myself I would never go back in. Ridiculous. I walked past again a month later and they had pretty pink binders with polka dots, I curiously checked the price tag, and it was $39.95, a far cry from the $1 ring binders you can buy from Big W, but it wasn't over $100 so that was a step in the right direction I guess... there was a sale as well? I didn't end up buying the binder, I'm not too sure how I could justify the cost of a haircut to a cardboard binder with 3 metal rings. But, having said that, the things in this shop are very pretty, pretty enough for me to walk in twice. It's worth a look-into or a look through a window.

For a stationery addict like myself, kikki.K is a dangerous place. Their wares can be a tad on the…read morepricey side, but they often have sale items (I got 3-for-2 lists/planners today, nngh so good) and if you're a "strong of will" sort - or can get someone to hold your wallet - then even window-shopping in kikki.K can be a delight. The stores are always clean and bright and well laid-out, and the new Carindale store is no exception. kikki.K is one of the stores that should have been a part of Westfield Carindale ages ago, so thank goodness for the additional space in the new section. The staff are a delight, very helpful and friendly; I had a great chat with the girl who ended up serving me today. kikki.K's more than just stationery - they're gung-ho about organisation, to the point where you can attend workshops and consultations related to organising your life. Uh, I'm interested, but I'm all out of cash - do they barter?

A gift shop in Camp Hill's Martha Street hub, Kim + Judi provides unique gifts at a price that's…read moreunlikely to break your budget. It's perfect for those last minute gifts, whether it's for a secret santa or a partner you're about to celebrate an anniversary with. The quality of the products is top notch and the interesting way the gifts are wrapped make it seem like you have put in a lot of effort. After my first visit to Kim + Judi led to a well received present for my brother on his thirtieth birthday (a clock in a clear spherical glass which allowed you to see the inner workings) I have made a habit of stopping in when stumped of present ideas. The mother and daughter team who own it (not sure who is Kim and who is Judy) have been nothing but helpful and gave reliable advice to this very confused shopper. It didn't escape my attention, either, that on each separate visit there have been new products which is always a good sign for a gifts store such as this. Being a bit of a novice with stores like this one I am always sure to bring a girl along with me as they tend to love the place and are better at separating the wheat from the chaff than myself.

Plastic bags. Cupcake Cases. Brown Paper Bags. Bamboo boats. If you have a packaging or party need,…read morethis Stafford shop has it. It's an occupational hazard that I often find myself in need of bulk plastic cups, eco cutlery or on this morning's run - brown paper wine bags. You can purchase online via Packaging Direct, however, only being a short drive from home I arrived early to snap up all that I needed. The benefit of shopping in-store is being able to see each item to gain perspective on what their dimensions are, but also, you can purchase in smaller quantities. I didn't need 500 wine bags in brown paper but 20 suits me just fine. The prices scale depending on the quantity you're buying! If you're a party planner, event manager or just inviting the whole tribe over for Christmas, Packaging Direct is for you.