Completely devastated that Innovation has had to close for at least 12 weeks due to the…read moreCoronavirus, where on earth am I supposed to buy my Willow tree ornaments now?!

This shop is full to the brim with gift items, vases and fake flowers. It's an interesting place to…read morehave a poke around, and stocks many collections of... well, collectibles. Such as those funny mother and daughter statuettes of people with no faces. They have a good range of fake flowers, the kind which you can imagine actually looking pretty nice somewhere rather than stinking of tack. They also have a range of wicker boxes and storage devices, which are lovely and well priced. With cards and everything you need for a last minute gift, this shop won't disappoint. But as far as innovation goes, I'm not sure that this shop really lives up to it name.

The Beehive is probably my favourite gift shop in Cowbridge. It stocks an exquisite array of…read moreincredibly beautiful things from jewellery to things for the house and home. Much of the stock is a lot of fun, and crafty instead of looking mass produced, which it generally isn't! It really is a veritable Aladdin's cave of wonder, and so if you are in the market for gifts, this really is the place to visit! It will not disappoint! In terms of pricing, it is, as you would expect, a little more pricey than less inspiring outlets... and, being in the most affluent town in South Wales, and possibly the country, things here tend to carry a premium wherever you shop. This aside, it is worth spending a little extra to buy something that you, or your friends, will treasure for a good time to come!

This pretty shop is a real find situated off the main street in a cobbled court yard. It stocks…read moresome beautiful jewellery, the glass beads being my favourites, as well as some exquisite pottery and window hangers. They have a fantastic selection of cards for all occasions, as well as a number of brain teaser type presents and educational craft type toys for children. The Bee Hive is a stocklist of Hunter wellies (which are so 'now') and has a good range of colours available, as well as having a good selection of Joules products.

Waterlily is one of those charming shops that combines kitschy merchandise, delightful displays,…read moreand friendly service, giving it quaint and personal feel that makes for a pleasurable shopping experience. Set against the cacophony of one of the world music CDs (taken straight off the shelf), my time in Waterlily was the highlight of my morning, which had been marked by rain, wind and freezing temperatures. The owner had popped out for a few minutes, so her mate was watching the shop, and this chatty lady was talking to me as if she had known me for years. I dug through the gift wrap, and when I failed to find the one I wanted (which was tacked to the wall as a part of a display), she took that one down and rolled it up for me. I'm a sucker for vintage-style goodies, especially when they're on sale. Waterlily is a bit like Polka Dot in Mermaid Quay, but more reasonably priced. I managed to buy two sets of gift wrap (boasting swear words and all!) and five specialty greeting cards for less than £4. I am so coming back here.

This shop sells mostly vintage style goods for indoors and outdoors…read more We got some lovely little signs for the garden there recently and they were dirt cheap. There are also lots of pretty vintage style boxes, paintings, and vases. Lots of gifts here for under £20 and if you like trinkets from the past then you can fill your home with pretty little pieces.

I first became aware of Ushi's when I lived in St Hilary, a couple of miles away from Cowbridge. I…read moreused to shop at Ushi's on the High Street in Cowbridge quite regularly back then, but still had no idea that they had two other outlets in Cardiff! These days I am to be found closer to the city centre, and so have realised that Ushi's is a small homegrown chain. The brand now supports three outlets, with a concession in the ill-fated Morgan Arcade off St Mary's Street in the centre of town, and another in Roath in the pretty shopping area of Wellfield Road. Stocking things for home and garden as well as jewellery and accessories it makes an ideal place to shop for presents, or for yourself if you are feeling frivolous! They carry many products that you won't find anywhere else, as well as some you will. Prices are not the cheapest in town, but the quality of what you are buying is generally superior. We get what we pay for these days!

This boutique-style gift shop is part of a small local chain with shops in Cardiff's Albany Road…read moreand the city centre. This Cowbridge location probably suits it best, being in the midst of a wealthy town with plenty of ladies of leisure looking to treat themselves. Some of the clothes in the window are a bit frilly and frou-frou for my liking, but inside there are plenty of lovely things that catch my eye, including some homeware, jewellery, knick knacks, and items for your garden - all in a similar vein to Vinegar Hill for those who are familiar with that chain. If you're visiting Cowbridge from Cardiff, you're probably in the mood for a treat - and this shop has lots of bright and pretty things to choose from. It's not cheap, but then few gift shops in Cowbridge are, and at least all the stuff's good quality.

If you're crafty with your cards you'll love crafty cards (surprising that hey?). This shop though…read moresmall is absolutely beautiful. It has a superb selection of stickers, ribbons, lace, and glitter glue all of which will surely satisfy any artistic persons needs. They stock rather a lot of items specifically designed for wedding place cards, and invitations (weddings are so expensive that it would be nice to save money on at least one thing). They also sell tiny little trinket boxes which you can decorate or leave as you like (I fell absolutely in love with these). This place is definitely worth making a trip down to Whitchurch Road.

The Romance Shop is altogether very sweet little card and gift shop which is nestled in a quiet…read morelittle enclave on Witchurch Road in Cathays. They stock a good selection of greetings cards, a lot of which are tasteful and creative, leaving shops like Clinton standing in a race for excellence. Their limited gift range is a little predictable, but again is of a reasonable quality. Most items are porcelain, but they stock a few frames as well, although I have to say that neither ranges appeal to me personally. What I do love is the Welsh love spoons... call me a sentimental old fool if you will, but I'm a sucker for the charm of these things. I first learned about them at school when I was tasked with making one in my GED classes. So enchanted was I with the idea of these spoons that I developed my skill level to excel at the task. I was awarded an 'A', and consider it to be one of my more important achievements whilst at school! For those of you who are not in the know, Welsh love spoons were hewn from wood by love-struck lads back in the olden days, and were presented to the subject of their affection when asking for their hand in marriage. Some of them were incredibly intricate, with beautiful spheres carved out of the solid structure, leaving four pillars to hold them in place. These acted like runners allowing the spheres to gently roll within their confines, a clever piece of marketry, that would have really wooed the ladies back then! It looks like The Romance Shop may be on the move... I'll keep you posted if this is the case!

Perhaps I've not seen this shop at it's best. The lovely Tiffany seems to have liked the seasonal…read morewindow displays, but I've not been lucky enough to be privy to them yet. As it stands during the rest of the year, La Brouette seems a little, dare I say it, dull? There is an abundance of shops in Penarth catering for an older generation of ladies than myself (I think I put that rather nicely), and La Brouette seems to fit into this category. While they stock some items which may appeal to a wider audience, in general their items are flowery and impractical to tempt a regular buyer. But this place will be good for gifts and such, I'm sure. It's just that it's a little bit old fashioned and needing. But if you're in trouble for your mother-in-law's birthday, this is the place, for sure.

This sort of place really isn't up my alley, but it's cute and kitchy and reminiscent of small-town…read moreBritain (or what I would consider it to be) - best of all, it sells Yankee Candles! Admittedly, they don't smell as nice as the Jo Malone variety, but delicious all the same). For me, shops like these are always worth a browse, because I'm a self-confessed stationery geek and love anything you can't find in Paperchase. Anyway, it's more of a home wares and handbag sort of place, offering the likes of Cath Kidston and other girlie-looking ranges. Most of the time when I visit places like these, I bail before I break something! Like the ladies before me who reviewed it, La Brouette offers a range of chotchkies more suitable for your mother in law than anyone else, but I don't think that means passing it by - go and buy a Yankee Candle - it blows those IKEA ones outta the water!

There's something beautifully decadent about this shop…read more I love the huge statues that stand outside and the cupcake window display, in fact I love it all. This is the kind of place to really let your inner girly girl go absolutely mental. Fans of Cath Kidson should also stop by before I buy the lot.

Butterflies is a quaint gifts and stationery store located on Barry's high street that offers a…read morerange of items including gift wrap, greeting cards, and specialty soaps (and bath bombs!). I also found an alarming amount of Christmas goods, which is a reminder I just don't need at the moment. People who shop for holiday items this far in advance make me feel inadequate and I just don't appreciate it. Sigh. Anyway, the main draw for me was the extensive range of Yankee Candle products that are housed in their own room off the back of the store. The shelves were quite bare, which is because the autumn range is due in soon, if the sign on the wall is to be believed. I wasn't aware that Yankee Candles varied according to the season! The shop assistant was happy to let me wander the shop at my leisure, making it an enjoyable shopping experience.

I liked this shop when it was 'Nice', selling high quality but fairly expensive gifts, greetings…read morecards and other bits and bobs for your home. Since 'Nice' closed, however, the shop has been used as a small gallery space (as its name suggests!) featuring various temporary exhibitions. It's worth glancing in through the window as you wander down the arcade, just to see what's going on in there and whether you fancy a look, because the exhibitions are constantly changing - and I always wonder whether this exhibition space will soon disappear and become a more permanent shop. The space isn't huge, but they make good use of what they've got, and last time I popped in they had a range of colourful pieces by printmakers, with reasonably priced prints on sale, too.