Notonthehighstreet.com brings together over 2,500 independent small UK businesses that sell over 45,000 products. it's like etsy but a little more uniform in postage prices and return policy because you buy through one checkout rather than from the individual seller. Each business has been chosen by notonthehighstreet.com based on style, quality and originality.

I was given a budget of £50 to spend on the site and I was excited to get a nice print for my bedroom as I knew that notonthehighstreet.com sold some lovely and unique homeware. When I took a good look at the website I was suprised to find out that they also sell clothes.

Here is what I chose:

The dress is by a brand called Rise who I had not heard of before but I've now got my eyes on a few of their pretty last and embellished dresses. The dress fits wonderfully and the lace is soft and not scratchy at all. It's a lovely light dress even with a jersey slip underneath. It was delivered very quickly and arrived wrapped in lovely pink tissue paper. There are some great dresses on the site with a vintage feel, plenty of tea dresses and 50s shapes, all perfect for a special occasion.

My final pick was a print which I hope to get framed for my bedroom. I'm a huge Ben Whishaw fan and I adored the film he starred in called Bright Star about the poet John Keats. The film prompted me to read his poetry and I'm now more than a little in love. There are so many gorgeous prints to chose from on the site and lots of them can be customised to make great gifts or remind you of a special day.

I think notonthehigstreet.com cuts out a lot of the hard work for you as it searches for the best sellers to include on their site and they have so many products available. Do you try and buy from independent retailers?