Blue Turtle is a small, inexpensive gift store selling everything for pigs in skirts, to dog…read morestatues to tea cups. The prices here are really low ( a piggy bank for 2.99), a ceramic nearly life size dog for 15 pounds and I have often seen sales here. This store does great one of kind presents like ethnic jewelry, and unique vases. If you are looking for a present to reflect a personality and you want an inexpensive truly unique gift, have a look here.

My favourite go to in Highgate ! They have something for everyone! Wonderful customer service, they…read morewill even wrap for you !!

My nephew back in Germany is crazy about the miniature London double decker bus I gave him for this…read morepast Christmas. So when I walked by this store (on my way to Highgate Wood) this past weekend and I spotted a kid's T-shirt with the London bus featured on it, I knew that this would be the perfect gift for said nephew's upcoming birthday! Walking into the shop, the lady behind the counter greeted my with a warm smile and offered her help. I right away liked how she was very passionate about the T-shirts and other garments made my a local designer. As I didn't have any money on me, she put the T-shirt aside for me and when I came back later in the day, I also bought another T-shirt for my other nephew...they are just too cute! Aside from children's clothing, this shop offers plenty of other gifteable things...the perfect location for anyone who's in need of a present ;-)

Map is a cool store on the otherwise dull terrain of Junction Road near Archway…read more I looked around Map and saw nothing extraordinary. Jelly Cat. Check. Cat's Eye purses. Check. Retro 50's memorabilia check. Badge saying "Her Proudest Achievement was staying Blonde". Check. Wait a minute..that's me! That's me all over! I had to get the badge. I am most proud of staying blonde, having enough money to stay blonde. Yay me! I'm a mature adult! The salesman was really nice and looked high and low around for some other merchandise saying the same thing. There wasn't anything else. I did want anything saying "I'm so bloody blonde sometimes" ( I don't play the dumb blonde. Think Portia not Anna Nicole.) and I didn't want to tell the world I was "High Maintenance" or anything. That being said, I paid my 1.75 and left with my badge pinned to the Leopard Coat. I'm still wearing it now in the house.

Archway is pretty dire. It's a matter of opinion so please don't take offence if you're mid love…read moreaffair with it's squalor. Granted there are a few things of merit to be found but sadly, on the whole the surroundings make visits to these places a rather lugubrious experience, and the empty Woolworths on Junction road has proven to add to this. But something keeps pulling me back there for one reason or another and it has been the backdrop for many an event in my life. And so I know of a little place that stands out from the crowds called Map. It opened almost 10 years ago and has been selling gifts ever since. It's the perfect place to dive in when passing and grab a birthday card and something suitable, nice but a fairly impersonal stocking filler type offering.

A unique gift shop a la Magma meets Design Museum. The stock…read moreconsists of the wittiest cards, toys, home accessories, books, games, jewellery... and most importantly of those crazy arty 'things.' (i.e. plastic egg hatching a basil plant)

This place has a unique selection of interesting and kitschy gifts. They even threw in a miniature…read morerubber ducky at my request. Can't wait to see what they have next time I visit.

My favourite Fruit & Veg shop in London. The family that own and run it have done for years and…read moreyears and it feels like it. Cheap huge bottles of great olive oil, seasonal vegetables, good quality, varied.perfect.

Great quality fruit and veg and the prices are not too bad. I prefer to get mine here instead of…read moreacross the road at Budgens or Tesco. This little shop is well worth a visit.

This sweet little shop in Stoke Newington has a great selection of gift idea's, ribbon's and…read morewrapping paper. Almost everything has been designed by the shop owner's themselves so you can expect to find a lot of original and unique item's. Personally my favourite item has to be the mugs printed with 'I LOVE STOKEY' which I think would make a great present for anyone in the who lives in the area. It's important to point out that this shop isn't all about novelty and stocking fillers. Most the cards and wrapping paper are stylishly understated and there is a large selection of posh toiletries and candles too. Though it might be a bit expensive for me to buy my wrapping paper from Early Bird every time there is a birthday on the horizon, I would definitely recommend it for the occasional special gift.

It wasn't until I went on their website that I realised that the people behind Earlybird not only…read moresell their wares, but also design all those wares themselves. (well, not everything, but a lot of the bits in the shop) They sell their own designs- brightly-coloured illustrations and repeated patterns of butterflies, birds, dinosaurs and animals- on occasion cards, blank cards and wrapping paper. There are a number of fun gifts such as 'I love Stokey Mugs' and novelty moustaches as well as more sensible presents such as moleskin notebooks. The two men who work there are lovely and very funny- they spent the half an hour I was in there arguing about Doctor John and who should do the washing up that had been there for three days. Far nicer than Paperchase.

The outside of this shop isn't the most inviting, since it's painted all black. Never mind, inside…read moreit's a treasure trove. Somewhere between a charity shop and a posh gift store, there's masses of unusual stuff. Clothes, ornaments and nick nacks. Everything from a graceful pottery hand to a skull ornament, via lots of glittery stuff. It's the sort of place that the longer you look, the more you'll find. The owner is lovely and friendly, great for a chat. They also do sales on eBay. Pop in for a browse and you are sure to find something you'd like. It's definitely a place for discovering hidden treasure.

GREAT little coffee shop, delicious breakfast menu, good coffee. Also sells lots of interesting…read morehome and gift items.