The go to people for equipment and event hire. Always knowledgable, helpful in picking out the…read moreright lights and extras. Extra cables and powerboards are free and if there's not a lot of bookings you may even get an extra day for free (handy if you are heading up the sunny coast for a wedding say). Have rented with them many times and even subscribe to their DJ and lighting tips newsletters.

Lightsounds has all your sound and lighting needs for your next party of all parties (if you can…read moreremember it afterwards). They have DJ equipment, speakers, effects machines and all sorts of insane lighting that will probably send your guests into strobe induced seizures. Everything is available to hire as well as buy but unfortunately both options are very pricey. The store assistants are very helpful though and knowledgeable about all the equipment, though they somehow manage to make me feel seriously uncool when I'm in here.

I first met Ben at a wedding last year and we hit it off straight away. It didn't take us both…read morelong to get in sync as professionals and we had the bridal party in stitches while we poked fun at one another. Both he and his wife, Hope, are awesome photographers and are quickly making a name for themselves in the region. If you are looking for a great team to capture your wedding photos look no further. Highly recommend!

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.

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.

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.

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.

Got a party? Need…read moreplastic plates, forks, etc? What about balloons? Signs? Banners? Candles? It's all here. If you need it for a party, you can probably find it here. It's actually a company that sells boxes, etc but they have a party shop and it's pretty darn well stocked. it's also about the only place in Brisbane I found that stocks modelling balloons. This is a bonus!

I am one of those people who have trouble turning the gas oven on,…read morelet alone being able to combine food stuffs to resemble a home cooked meal. ...Needless to say me and cookbooks don't get along. The ones I grew up with were always to damn smarmy for their own good. ("By now your Cherry Fondant should resemble MY photoshopped one on page 3.") Thankfully Scrumptious Reads is here to tempt me out of my food hibernation. This concept store in Southbank has already turned a few heads with its beautiful and unique shop display. The whole store is constructed with brown paper cups, but don't let the fragility fool you these shelves hold almighty tomes of foodie heaven. This is the perfect space to peruse all manner of cookbooks from Heston to Momofuku, the owner Julie is lovely and more than able to recommend the perfect book for any occasion. This concept store will last a while, but be sure to check them out before their move to more permanent Southbank lodgings.

What can I say? If you love to cook, love to browse, and love a good book then be prepared my…read morefriend....your credit card is about to start smoking! Scrumptious reads is a gorgeous little bookshop that specialises in all things food and booze related. I particularly loved their range of classics, well complemented by a range of cookbooks published from all around the world. There are books on food history, ingredients, cooking and cutting techniques, food cultures and spices. Hitting upon newly printed Elizabeth David classic hardbacks had my head spinning in delight.....how could I choose what to buy? Couple this range with foodie journals, books all things mixology & brewing, and food themed diaries, cards & nick nacks and it's easy to see how I almost needed a trolley on departure. Whilst you can surely find the books cheaper online what you don't get on the inter web is the awesome service, the ability to browse to your hearts content or someone prepared to hunt down that obscure book that you've been looking for forever. If you're a foodie in Brisbane you need to treat yourself and head over to scrumptious reads for an hour or too.....and don't forget to bring your wallet!