Utopia is my first port-of-call when I know someone's birthday is coming up, or at Christmas…read moretime...you're pretty much guaranteed to find something in here you know that person will like. The variety is huge - massive wooden chess sets to quirky key rings and everything in between. There's nothing cheap or tacky, just beautiful gifts at incredibly affordable prices. The last time I was (it was only last week, due to their being a friend's birthday on the horizon), I was served by the most friendly lady I've ever had the pleasure of speaking to. She really was genuinely lovely, and that really made the trip for me. There's nothing better than decent customer service, and I definitely experienced some top class service that day. With some of the loveliest ranges in town, and wonderfully helpful staff, Utopia really is a must see...you won't be disappointed.

Yeah I have no complaints about Utopia. I'm glad there is only one of its kind in Belfast as that…read morekeeps the family who run it in trade and the customers flocking back. I love to go in at Christmas time as my mum has a thing for Christmas decorations and this is the best place in town to get a quality piece at a really good price. It houses such a mixture of goodies you could spend hours just browsing. There is a massive selection if ornaments such as statues of dogs, animals and fairies. They also have a large collection of really nice inexpensive costume jewellery. You can pick up anything in here from a rubber chicken to a ceramic panda. It is definitely the place to go for gifts of any sort. I was bought a poker set from here many moons ago and I still treasure it as although it wasn't really expensive it has the feel of a luxury item.

Well, as I often say, you can never have enough room for gifts. Or something like. Well, after a…read moretrip to this perfect little gift emporium, I might just have proven them right...I was entirely tempted to buy the whole shop. Right from the moment I opened the shop door, and that beautiful sweet scent of some astounding fragrance hit me right up the nose, I knew this was going to be a titillating visit. Filled with mental notes to self, such as, 'Oooh, check out those handmade cards over there, complete with little sequins in the shape of hearts and stars!', and 'Ooooh, they have such pretty napkins', and indeed 'Bags. I don't need a bag. Wait, my sister needs a bag for her formal. Oooh baby'...yes, it was a tumultuous experience for me. In an incredibly good way. Not only does Home have the most exquisite gifts and greetings cards, but it also encompasses the luxury (yet affordable) home decor end of things, with the likes of dining tables / chairs, dressers and cushions available to purchase. And if that's not enough, they offer a wedding list service, a flower arranging service and a gift wrapping service. Arriba! Yes, thank you every much to anything and everything. I love it all.

From the owner: Gorgeous gifts for all occasions including new born babies, weddings, birthdays or merely a lovely…read morethank you for that someone special. Our ranges include East of India, Yankee Candles, Maxwell Williams, leather gloves, stunning jewellery & beautiful scarves. We also stock lovely gifts and furniture for the home. We offer a gift wrap service, wedding lists, unique floral arrangements, as well as numerous items that can be personalised.

I la la la laaaave this gorgeous, enchanting little gift shop. It leaves you bedazzled and…read moreenthralled, and wishing you had a slightly bigger limit on your credit card (seriously, £300 is *nothing*...). The Lavender Box combines beautiful jewellery (the likes of Pom, Coeur de Lion, Pilgrim), with stunning gifts (I spotted the cutest wooden Noah's Ark, and the animals all had their own places), and exquisite clothing / shoes. It truly has it all. The front section of the shop is home to the gifts, filled with fancy knick-knacks such as candles, ornaments, figurines, stationery etc., as well as the jewellery. Cabinet after cabinet bursting with the most dazzling jewellery (there was 20% off some items the day we were in, but I managed to behave myself). The back section of the shop is home to a beautiful range of very unique clothes. Not really my style, but very classy and elegant, with a bit of a retro feel to them. Alongside these lie a good range of Irregular Choice shoes, which, as most of you will know, are a gorgeously kitsch, and somewhat pricey shoe label (and to die for). Oooooh shoe lust... The owner / sales assistant was very friendly, though her attention was diverted to a customer who was trying on a pair of Irregular Choice boots, and couldn't make up her mind which colour to choose. Nevertheless, she spoke to us, and was very amiable, and I commended her for dealing with the Irregular Choice boot lady (jealous...), who obviously needed her help much more than I or my sister. La la la laaaave it even more now. Absence makes the heart grow fonder 'n' all that...

Words fail me. Yes, I know that doesn't happen often, but my smack has been gobbed, and my gast has…read morebeen flabbered. All thanks to this splendid little shop. Little being the operative word...there really isn't much room for manoeuvre, and I kept having to ensure my sister didn't knock over everything, or guess who'd be paying? But the size adds to the rustic charm of this gorgeous gift store, which is situated right beside the Bay Tree cafe. And all good things, come in small packages, right? The ground floor is filled with country-esque gifts and knick knacks, such as cute measuring tapes, sewing sets, wooden signs, Hunter wellie boots, cute notebooks, funky soaps...even tiny little mice which seem to have no other purpose than looking sweet. I was happy enough with this ground floor alone, but when two other ladies were told that the upstairs was open too, I couldn't resist having a sneak peek. Oooooh, wow. It was like vintage / rustic furniture heaven. The most enchanting little tea set, a tiny rocking chair, beautiful towels, stunning crockery and tableware, and dozens of items of magnificent furniture...all in the most delightful setting. We took a quick look around in complete awe, and decided that the longer we spent there, the more likely that: a) Either of us would knock something over / walk into something. b) I would end up buying something. Both of equal likelihood, I add. Staff were wonderful, chatty and polite, bidding us farewell and thanking us for coming, and we left The Mews speechless at the wonderment we had just encountered. It certainly takes something...

I didn't know this shop existed until yesterday when I decided to hob nob around Holywood…read morepretending I was loaded and posh! I really loved my dander around this little shop - be warned its tiny so don't wear a backpack or you will knock everything over. I can describe this shop as pastel coloured - everything is kitsch and pastel and quaint and cute. I love looking at the bits and pieces in shops like this and on occasion I will purchase something but I like my home to be clutter free so I usually only buy mugs and stationery. I bought a lovely upside down mug for a friend for just under a tenner. The mug is the right way up but the writing is upside down - it's confusing and is bound to lead to spilled tea! The shop also sell old fashioned sweets, I bought a sweetie watch - remember those? Yummy! There is an upstairs section to this shop as well which sells home wares, towels and quaint furniture. I enjoyed looking around this shop and I will be back to get birthday and Christmas presents. The prices are reasonable and the staff were jolly.

Holywood's high standards in selective shopping are maintained in Tesoro where there is an…read moreattractive selection of jewellery, furniture, textiles and gifts from which to choose something pretty for the home. I was in search of a present for a little girl - but not toys - and found some nice bedroom things like cushions and hot waterbottle covers which I hadn't seen anywhere else. The smaller items are on the lower floor as you walk in, and included a good choice of natural baskets. Upstairs is the bedroom furniture and mirrors, all very attractive, a bit luxurious but altogether it is not over the top expensive.

This is a lovely gift shop just off the main street in Holywood…read more I decided to look for a guest book for my wedding and have a noisy at their jewellery. They have a lot of furniture pieces, crockory, stationary and delph - also they have a wedding gift list function which I think is lovely if you know exactly what you want. They have a large wedding stationary section with beautiful unique cards, keep sake boxes and photograph books. I was able to pick up a guest book for all my mates to sign on the big day - I wanted one big enough to include photographs and luckily the books come in two sizes. I was pleased with the price and the service. As I was leaving I noticed a gorgeous little soup dish with a lid and a spoon incorporated into it - at £7.50 I rushed back in to buy it. I love it and used it for lunch a few days ago. This is a lovely shop to pick up something quaint and nice for your home or a gift for a wedding or birthday. I have no complaints at all.

This is a quirky wee treasure trove, full to its original rafters with gifts, cards, homeware,…read morejewellery and accessories. If you're lucky you'll spot its resident cat roaming around and adding to the loveliness of the place. I always pop in for a wee look around when I visit Portpatrick and I tend to bring home some lovely jam and gifts for friends and family. There's a real community feel about Portpatrick and I've heard that Campbell's restaurant across the road gets its ornate and handmade cutlery from the Lighthouse Pottery. Some things are a little on the pricey side, but that's often understandable when you take a look at the care, attention and detail put into many of the hand-crafted gems on offer.

Oh. My. Word. I think I'm in love. No, I KNOW I'm in love....with this extra-fabulous shop. Sigh…read more Trade Winds is quite possibly my favourite ever gift shop. It stocks such a wide range of, well, everything really, that you'd never be tired looking. It was pretty busy when I went in yesterday, with mainly young girls eyeing up all the beautiful gifts / toys / accessories / jewellery, and their mums keeping a careful watch over them. Amongst the wide variety of stock were gift bags, cards, candles, novelty toys and games, funky clocks, wall-hangings, beaded curtains, bags...and so much more. I discovered the cutest little wooden cat light pull for £3 some odds, and immediately knew I had to buy it. Nothing to do with the fact that it was incredibly sweet and lovely, and everything to do with the fact that my mum had smashed the previous one off the bathroom wall, causing it to break into a thousand pieces. Indeed. Staff were exceptionally pleasant, but kept a business like atmosphere about the place. That sounds like a bad thing, but I guarantee is really wasn't...it was an incredibly well run shop. All I need now is an excuse to go back. Mmmm, when is the next birthday I have to buy for...?

Well what a wonderful wee shop, highly attractive both outside and in. I could have spent hours in…read morethis delightful wonderland looking at all their pretty pieces of pleasantry. What captivated me most were the gorgeous jewellery boxes, sweet note pads / writing books (teeny tiny small ones to super big ones) and amazing mirrors (even one whose frame was made from vines of trees.) All the items were being sold for very reasonable prices. I was actually pleasantly surprised by how cheap most of it was. Maybe that's what a day shopping on the Lisburn road does to you though! I'll definitely be back in here when I've (a) more time and (b) more money. The staff were pleasantly talkative and left us to our own devices after greeting us, not in your face nosy or shyly secretive, just a nice in between. A superb shop selling some splendid stock!

The Wicker Man is a lovely traditional gift shop on Belfast's busy High Street. The company was…read moreestablished in 1994 in the hope of promoting local businesses and selling local art work. Nowadays the store sells work from artists in Ireland both North and South. They sell some intriguing items including beautiful Beleek pottery, some gorgeous Celtic jewellery, as well as work by some enterprising local artists. You can find work by Carrick artist Thomas Joseph, Belfast artist Gary Anderson as well as the exceptionally popular Anna Nielsen prints. The jewellery sold here is really gorgeous, it's very well made and you should try here if you're interested in buying the likes of a claddagh ring or a Celtic knot brooch. The stock is in no way limited to the usual array of touristy nick nacks, even I shop here if I'm after a particular work of art. But for those visiting the Emerald Isle you can choose from a huge range of typical Irish souveneirs. For something different they also have some beautiful picture frames and clocks. If you've never been here before and are a fan of our great wee country then you should definitely not miss it. The staff will greet you with a warm welcome and make you feel more than comfortable. Great shop, great stock, great prices, great people!

We finally found yarn in Belfast! In the heart of the city we were lucky enough to pop in out of…read morethe rain and get dessert and coffee at College Street Cafe! Don't miss it! The walk on over to Wicker Man for some beautiful boucle yarn!! We all grabbed a few balls!!

It's happened to all of us- you realise it is Auntie Joan's birthday, or a mate has a baby or the…read morekids announce there is an unexpected party to go to and the thought of trailing into town fills you with dread. Well fear no more, problems always solved here. They have a great selection of cards and gifts for all occasions and little nic naks like picture frames and mugs, bags and books to cover most emergency gift situations. You can park outside and it won't break the bank, bingo! They also have additional space upstairs with seasonal stuff and party requirements, as you probably think you have birthday candles somewhere, but you don't. ;-)

Just For You has been on the Belmont Road for absolute donkeys (since 1985 apparently), and is…read morestill going strong. It's wide variety of cards, gifts and stationery make it an invaluable outlet for birthdays / Christmas / other occasions. I have fond memories of coming in when I was a kid, and my mum searching through the masses of cards 'til she found the perfect one. Now I've started doing the same thing (yikes), and find Just For You a wonderfully tranquil setting for doing so. The staff are friendly and laid-back, and you can really take your time gazing at the vast array of beautiful gifts. Among my favourites are the cute mini novel clocks which come in the form of pianos, golf bags, animals and the like, as well as the Bridgewater Candles which smell simply delicious. The best bit, however, is the hidden section upstairs, containing Fiorelli handbags, Disney figurines, gorgeous furniture, tapestries and luxurious scarves. At Christmas time, this area is buzzing with Christmas gifts, ornaments and decorations...it really is like Santa's grotto, exuding such a lovely cosy atmosphere. In fact, the whole shop really is very comfortable and intimate all year round, making for a truly lovely shopping experience. Just For You of course...

Calling all Vintage, Retro and Antique fans! This is the place to get your collectables in Belfast…read more You've probably seen all their larger items outside the shop on your way out of Belfast and said to yourself, 'I've got to go in there' but never got round to it. Set aside an afternoon and walk across Custom House Square to On The Square Emporium. This vintage shore/auction house has some of the most quirky stock you're likely to find anywhere. They have everything form a human skull to retro cameras! I spent around 40 minutes riffling through their various antiques and furniture items. The only ting I would say is that each item seemed quite expensive although you wouldn't expect anything different for collectables. Also make sure you ask the 'all in' cost of items as some have an added buyers premium - this will keep you right. I absolutely love this shop - more of a museum really without an entrance fee, if you're looking for a signature item of furniture for your home then pay The Emporium a visit.

From the owner: The largest vintage, antique, salvage store in Northern Ireland! A 12,000sq foot treasure trove…read more We are sure to have whatever old item you are looking for! If not, we will find it.