Side Street stocks all the types of brands and clothes I yearn for. Yes, it's another one of those…read morelovely Paddington shops that tends to sell the same brands over and over, but don't hold that against it, please. This place sells London Rebel shoes - quite nice styles and surprisingly affordable - as well as relevant fashion styles and some really standout jewellery pieces and accessories. They also occasionally sell some Sass & Bide. I was drawn in by the really distinctive skirts and dresses. You pretty much have your pick of styles here; if you need festival fashions, just ask to see their playsuits and shorts; if you want a cute weekend outfit, take your pick of the patterned dresses. Or go more casual and choose a cami with one of their remarkable jewellery pieces. Side Street is another great stop on a Paddington shopping day.

I will always remember this place fondly as the store in which I found my new, most favourite…read moredress. They have a lot of gorgeous clothes in here, ranging from casual to special occasion styles, for men and women. I was stoked to find the dress I eventually bought, and on sale for only $20. As well as stocking super trendy clothes, the shop is really nicely set up with helpful but not pushy service. I will definitely be returning to this place, and I can hardly wait.

On Vulture Street just up from The Cupcake Parlour and before the strangely out of place Asian…read moregrocer sits 'The Happy Cabin'. Walking through the doors you're greeted by a carefully collected emporium of unique, kitsch and Etsy-esque wares. The stores motto says: "A haven for sexy lumberjacks, dorky girls and lovers of worldly design and trinketry." Couldn't have said it better myself. There's the mint green brogues, the gold boots, Field Notes pencils and notebooks and a geometric print onesie that I imagine is only able to be worn by a Ginger bearded man with a fox hat on his head. As I'm distracted by the wonderful eye candy within this absolutely happy cabin I chatter with the owner's partner, Jaime and this is all part of the experience. It is so inviting and homely, as a cabin might be, and I want to pull up a chair, grab a coffee and continue nattering away. Truth be told, the space would be rather fitting for a in-store cafe and maybe even a roasty faux fire to give a true cabin feel. And points to the owners for creating a store where you walk out feeling happy, creative, embracing your dorkiness and plotting how you might acquire a few more things from their range. Joining venues like The End, I think The Happy Cabin will be one of the first in a line of new additions to West End that will only add to the revitalisation of this end of Vulture Street.

The Happy Cabin have been picky and choosy with their stock, not having a ridiculously large range…read morebut being 100% behind every item they've decided to sell. I was pleased to correctly identify the shoes and bags as coming from ex-Etsy store Golden Ponies, where everything is beautifully handmade in Mexico. The gent behind the counter informed me that almost everything in the Happy Cabin comes from Etsy sellers, so that's pretty great. Having such a small and hand-picked collection of wares, I'd love to see a couple of plus-size items on the racks too. There are only so many bags, shoes and notebooks I can pick up while glancing at the stacks of clothes racks I can't buy from. Speaking of notebooks, though... I'm a stationery addict, and I couldn't leave without letting myself buy the limited edition National Crop Edition of Field Notes memo books. It was nice to observe that there isn't a ridiculous retail markup on any of the items in store, either - stay off etsy and just visit the Happy Cabin, Brisbane.

Barcode's a funky, modern little boutique in the Valley selling clothes, homewares, and…read moreaccessories. You can get some pretty awesome sunglasses, hectically cool phone covers, and some great vintage-style clocks. I'm loving how old-school alarm clocks are making a massive resurgence, and Barcode has these and more funky home furnishings to really jazz up any place. There's kind of a bit of everything in this place, so it's hard to pinpoint just one awesome feature. The way it's furnished just reeks of cool with dark floors and a ridiculously appealing chandelier that just casually hangs around the middle of the store. This is a great place for giftware with just the right amount of Valley arrogance, but not so much as to detract from its appeal. The clothes are edgy and fresh, and this store seems like it has a lot of potential. Monday and Tuesday they are only open by appointment. Find them on Facebook for a look into their stock and the Valley store setup. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Barcode-Space-Australia/151544388194557?sk=wall.

It really is quite a random store, this Barcode Space. At first I thought it was a cool place to…read moreget rare imported toy figurines... But upon entering the store, I find that is has clothes, shoes as well as accessories for men and home. Now, that I think of it, it's an eclectic mixture of mans cool items. Home decor suitable for man. Clothes, shoes and accessories suited for man and everything in between suited for... Man oh man. I felt jipped. It looks like a really hip place inside and out. What I don't get, is why they only allow appointments for Monday and Tuesday? Perhaps they hardly get customers on that day, therefore it works out cheaper to not have staff working a full day unless needed? How boutique of them. If you're looking for a gift for a brother, male cousin, male friend or boyfriend/hubby, then check this place out. If they're not into the clothes, I'm sure they'll like the cool accessories or funky home decor.

Women and Men clothing. Jewellery. Knick Knacks. A fun little place to spend your hard earned…read moredollars on cute, trendy and cool stuff. Expect laser cut perspex/metal earrings and pins, moustache covered objects, eggcups and mugs that are animal heads, interesting stationery. My favourite I've seen is the giant crumpled 'disposable cup' vase in green glass. Pigeonhole has another store over at Macarthur Central, across the road. Parking in the Wintergarden carpark.

The Terra Cottage is one of those places that I always wanted to visit but never really had the…read moreneed, due to the fact that I don't have a garden. I made the effort recently to stop in on the way past just to have a look. It was a fun and strangely relaxing window shopping experience. I think it was because of the many Buddha statues and water features on display. Many of the statues you would buy for the purpose of adding some peace and serenity to your garden. They also have some interesting canvas art and lovely metal wall hangings.

We first went to TTC to check it out and compare prices. We went back to our car and realised that…read morewhat we wanted was there and that the price was good - no need to shop around. Best decision ever. We have been back several times in as many weeks and found what we wanted, competitive prices but the best and most important factor, for us anyway, is the personalised service by Janine, Michael and staff. The big find for us was the Dewi Sri water feature which has pride of place in our back yard. We fell in love with her the minute we saw her and had to have her. And now we do :) We will be back.

This menswear shop manages to pull off a bit of 'discount outlet' vibe while still managing to feel…read morehigh end (well, at least to me). They stock all the conventional standbys in business wear as well as some cool variations on the traditional which will appeal to the fashion forward corporate types. I went there to buy a couple of new shirts before a job interview a few years ago and came away with two shiny new additions to my wardrobe and surprisingly, change from $100. One of the finds, a fine white cotton number with a small collar and buttons down to the navel, has become one of my favourites for its casual yet stylish look and comfortable feel. Oh and yes, I got the job.

We walked in not needing a Thing. But what we Found was the…read moremost beautiful, quality menswear. My son fell in love with suit pants and the were tailored to him on the spot. The women (yes, three women) who waited on us, were so warm and lovely! We will definitely be back! Thank you for a terrific shopping experience!

Oh, Cue, how I love thee. Made in Australia, Fabric from Europe. You pay for that kind of quality…read morebut it's not out of this world expensive, which I appreciate. Their "Cue in the City" branch I am not as much a big fan of (it's cheaper but also cheaper quality) so I prefer Cue itself. They do go through seasons of being awesome and then seasons of being crappy, but when they are on, they are on fire. And they do have sales pretty frequently, so keep your eyes open. I have purchased some truly beautiful items from here which have lasted for years so I definitely recommend. I have been in this particular store several times and the staff have always been great. Not too pushy but happy to give advice/options if asked. And willing to see if another store has the right size.

I really am a fan of Portside at Hamilton. You can get a nice meal with fantastic water views,…read morecatch a movie and do some shopping, all in the one spot. One of my favourite shops is ily. Ily is the sister store of Leaf, next door. They have a similar vibe. Leaf specializes in smart casual wear (picture the people getting off the cruise ship), ily have clothing more targeted for younger women. They style is fun, a little quirky and colourful. Think patterns, colours and fabrics. I really like their range of accessories too. You can pick up a whole outfit, complete with bag, jewellery and heels. They stock some fantastic brands like Blessed are the Meek, Living Doll and August st. I really like the layout of the shop itself too and the staff are really nice.