Divine Gifts on Olinda's Main Street is a pretty darn cool shop. It stocks lots of spiritual items…read moreand the music playing is quite mystical. It has a large selection of charms and stones including Amethyst, Moonstone, Amber, Carnelian, and Agate. Some of these come with a little metal loop attached so you can put them onto a necklace or chain. At only $15 they are an absolute steal. The store also had some hippie style clothing with loose pants and colourful tops and jackets. There were a few slogan t-shirts promoting peace and tranquility, which were simple looking but the message was clear. Kids will love to stop by this shop as there is an adult-sized couch set up with a little table complete with drawing pencils and paper. I noticed there were a few sections on the walls that had hand drawn pictures and I assume the owner hangs up the drawings that kids leave behind. Also on the walls were some awesome acrylic paintings and portraits. They were quite original and if you want one similar the owner has the artists card at the counter. Also on offer are Reiki healings in a small peaceful room at the back of the store. It costs $60 for half an hour and clients simply need to ring in advance to book. The shop is open on Mondays and Fridays from 10-4, Tuesdays to Thursdays from 11-4 and on the weekends 10-5.

Upon my travels in this area I was fortunate to discover a shop that charmed me with its warmth…read more When I first entered the owner immediately greeted me and had been very attentive. I was shown the most astounding gem stone and crystal collection, and various jewellery and clothing designed for us men. I found a ring and top I could not live without. I also love my organic products such as soaps and oils and found an abundance on offer that had also been scooped up in my purchases that day. All I can say is that if you visit Olinda you cant go past this divine gift.

Mallalieu is tucked away behind the main strip of shops on Olinda-Monbulk road but it is well worth…read morea visit. It is a little boutique style accessory shop with a small selection of designer clothing, shoes, handbags, antique furniture and home wares. It is quite small but the space is really well utilized with benches and tables. The shop is colour coded into areas and had distinct green, pink and black areas when I went there today. The shop itself is quite beautiful and it is hard to walk away without taking something home with you. The displays of stock were quite artistic and I quite liked a lot of their accessories. In particular there was a set of earrings that were little square white tiles with the shadow of a sparrow printed onto them. They were very sweet and priced at $19. I also fell in love with a round stone bracelet, which was great value at just $25. The lady who was running the shop was lovely and very friendly. She knew a lot about the products and was quite helpful when I had questions. Mallalieu is open 11-5 Monday to Friday and 10.30-5 on weekends.

La Petit Armoire & Quirky Best Bits would perhaps be the classiest of clothing boutiques in the…read morehills. It has two rooms filled elegantly with the latest fashions, designer clothing and cute accessories. The prices cater for everyone - from people like me who think they are rich if they have $20 in their wallet, up to people who can afford the $269 bright orange beach bag that I fell in love with, (and left behind...hint hint). Despite the orange bag being out of my budget I found plenty of other delights to tempt myself with including gorgeous heart outline silver necklaces and a funky pair of red velvet pants that were a steal at just $20. The girl who served me was friendly and welcoming and it was nice to see someone in a fairly up market shop doing work - hanging up clothes, styling the mannequins and generally making sure everything looked good - rather than eyeing me off from behind the counter. It would be right to say I felt very comfortable browsing with no fear that if I touched something alarm bells would go off - quite a pleasant experience. There are two 'rooms' to the shop and in the back one there is a tall gold-framed mirror resting against the wall. I wanted to try something on just to be able to use it - yup, that's how impressive it was. It seems like the place used to be two separate shops - one called La Petite Armoire and the other Quirky Best Bits. I didn't get the feeling that I was leaving one shop and walking into another as I passed under the doorway that links the two, so the owners have done a good job of combining them. The winter trading hours are 10-5 Monday to Friday and 10-5.30 Saturday and Sunday.

Sylvia's Fashions is the kind of shop my Mum would love. It is for older women and has a large…read morevariety of styles. There are clothing sizes ranging from size 8- 24 so literally anyone can fit into something from here. As well as the variety of size they also have clothing to suit every occasion with dress, casual and formal options. The staff here are very helpful although they tend to focus their attention on one customer and anyone else will have to wait for quite a while. This can be a little annoying, particularly if you only have a quick question or if you are waiting to pay. If you're the one who is being helped though, it is pretty fantastic. The shop itself is clean and well set out. There is enough lighting and it had a fresh feel. Why only three stars? Well it isn't my kind of shop, but it would be great for people like my Mum who dress differently to me. Also I didn't get served for about ten minutes and there was another lady waiting with me who was getting quite irritated. Otherwise the store is fantastic.

Essentially Woman is a great shop that I have only just discovered even though it has been in…read moreCroydon for eight years. I love it for the quirky accessories although the clothing is targeted at older women around their thirties to fifties. The store is packed quite tight full of clothing racks but the owner Yvonne knows where everything is and is a fabulous help. The first time I went there I got a fabulous bright orange bag. It is small and great for carrying a phone and a few coins when I go out. The best part was that it was just $20! A massive bargain considering the quality of the bag itself. Yvonne is also really great when it comes to styling and you will be amazed at how easy it is to spend an hour in here just having a chat. The atmosphere is really warm and friendly, definitely a nice place to visit.

Santai is a little store tucked away behind Pie in the Sky on Mount Dandenong Tourist Road in…read moreOlinda. It is rustically decorated with wooden floors, tables, wall and roof. They sell mainly clothes although they have a decent amount of little accessories like bags, jewellery and gloves. My favourite items were the knitted mittens and some colourful hippie-style pants they had hanging on a rack in the corner. The store is well laid out with a round table in the middle and shelves and tables lining the walls of the square building. When I went in, the only staff member was busy with a whole family who had wondered in and was showing them some products they appeared interested in. The staff member didn't acknowledge me, I assume out of her respect for the customers she was currently serving. This wasn't a problem as the store was quite small and it was easy to see if something you were looking for might have been there. The store is open from Friday to Sunday. On Fridays it is open 11-5 and on the weekend it is open from 10-5.

Jolee Boutique stock clothes for women who like a little flair in their closet…read more In fact, the 2 ladies I know with the quirkiest wardrobes (one being my mum) both shop here regularly. Now, I'm not saying they sell gear that would be at home on Lady Gaga, but the stuff isn't your run of the mill "Mother Wear". You wont find beige. If you think your own mum could do with a wardrobe update, cleverly hint at Jolee and who knows, maybe she'll get it.

Gepettos Workshop Olinda is a toyshop full of colour and plenty of excited customers. There are…read moreincredible puppets hanging from the ceiling, great looking dolls and all manner of exciting games and trinkets decorating every bit of space. It is great for children and parents will be hard spent to get their kids out without being convinced to buy something. The stores specialize in toys that don't use batteries as they would rather kids make the sounds and use their imaginations. I reckon this is a really cool philosophy for a toyshop to have and I wish I were young enough to put their toys to good use. Perhaps my favourite items they sell are the Doll Houses. They are so elaborate and detailed with everything from carpeted staircases to windowsills and architraves. They are absolutely gorgeous. They are open every single day of the year from 10am to 5pm with the exception of Christmas day and the staff are really nice. They accept cash, eftpos and visa and have the option of lay-by. Make sure you check this store out, it is truly brilliant.

Geppetto's is a toy store that harks back to the days when kids still played with physical toys,…read morerather than video games. With their main attraction being the scores of puppets hanging from the roof, all for sale, it's a familiar sight to see this place packed full of tourists to the area on weekends, all taking in the colours and styles of these fantastic handmade puppets. With a heap of toys for sale, mostly of the wood variety, Geppetto's is a good old fashioned toy store, and given my wild imagination and penchant for scary movies, one that I'd personally not like to be locked in at night.