LOOK MA we got a mention!

What a lovely little gem of a day! The sun is shinning, The birds are a singin' and we got a mention on the blog Design Sponge for "Wellington shops to visit" on the Thank you *DS for just the mention. It means so much.

Hey Look what we made! In celebration of our newest Art prints tea towels and postcards By Dusty and Lulu our window has been adorned with lollies sculptures and clouds. This was so much fun to do and delicious! Sam and I ate ourselves sick while threading 2 kgs of lollies. uuuuuuh.

some pics of the Thursday nights Lucky Dip! what a blast!

This Month Lucky Dip Project was
Paper party decorations.
I love newspaper it is cheep/ sometimes free next day :) and endless in supply. You can try all these ideas even using recycled gift wrap, Japanese paper, silk or scrap booking paper. Trick is to just have fun and embrace the randomness of how it all works. We had some great laughs and a few of the ladies though challenged with the roses stuck to it and produced some real beauties. Then there were a good amount that just blew my mind with how they transformed such a humble media into a lovely work of art.
It was a blast and as always it was a pleasure to be around a great group of smart funny women. Love it!

Have a great weekend!
-Mindy

Just had to share. this barbie craft for a rainy day care of zaka life.

take a bottle cap ring and cut it to fit Barbies heas and glue diamantes on it. SO fricken cool. If your daughter is anything like mine she'll flip when I show her.

Shes got a bit of a goth side so I am sure it will all be black sequins. he he

So I'm working an average Saturday when and average guy and his young daughter come in and are just have an average look around the shop. I tell them to let me know if they have any questions or need any help. "Where are you from?" says the young woman. "I'm from California. Central coast actually" She smiles and looks at her Dad who's picked out a card and is rummaging for change to pay for the card. he says matter of factly "That's where we're from and that's where this cards headed." I'm like "What, no way?" He's like ya my son lives in

San Luis Obispo (the county my home town is in) and we're from San Fransisco originally. But we have lived here 18 years." I'm like "That is so incredible!" he then tells me they just spent the 4th of July in Cayucos (part of the county I'm from) Beach. Then I got a bit emotional. I didn't try to show it but they left I thanked them for coming in and said it was so nice to meet them. I must say I try not to think of home too much so I can't feel the pain. But now I have this lump in my throat and as I post this it's made me long for the salty sea air of Morro Bay and the sunsets, The sunsets i took for granted. there no where in the world with sunsets quite like Morro Bay. Don't get me wrong I get this way when I think of Wellington even after two days. that's how much I love where I live. But it's the first time in a long time I have felt this about home and I don't know why it's effected me so. Maybe its the way the old guy with his steely blue eyes and fishing hat reminded me of my sweet grandpa or the way he rummaged for change like every old man does pointing at the change as he counted it (that too reminded me of my grandpa) or the way he talked of it as though I could hop in the car and go see my friends right now. mmmm....the lump in throat gets bigger.

I am pleased to introduce to you Judith Keylock of Nelson. Her beautiful textile mixed media bird house sculptures are now on exhibit in store.

Her work is to be seen to be admired fully. But not only does Judith make these quirky endeering sculptures she also makes wearable silk and woolen scarves that are jaw droppingly gorgeous. All are hand made, and eco died. Judy was the winner of the 2009 "Changing Threads" national exhibition. Her humbleness is very moving and her passion is evendent in her work. Do pop in to see these lovely works while they are here.

Lovely flasks/thermos back in stock. Hot cuppa anywhere anytime. 5 styles to choose from $35 each. Perfect for anyone, young and old. mmmmmm hot cocoa. my tip, add a little pinch of cinnamon to you hot cocoa. ahhhhh! so good.

ONE FOR TEA...

For my birthday last month my lovely and very talented friend Emma Spicer gave me what has to be one of the coolest ideas for giving a really unique gift. You take vintage cake tin, fill it with tissue then a lovingly lay a teacup and saucer nested in it and then lots of Lindor chocolates all around. This was such a lovely gift because it was collected up and colour matched. All of these things were recycled items (not the chocs) I use the tin and the cup all the time. They are my special things that only Mum gets to use in the house. I love my special cup it make me feel so pretty. It was made all the more special when my other very talented friend Paula bestowed upon me the most Delicious apple chamomile whole leaf with tea strainer. Try this next time you have a prezzie to buy for a person who has everything. I think its a really special sentiment.

Hello MONDAY! Nice to see you again.

psst...If you love colour and feel like a lift in your day you could pop into see us. It might be just the thing you need because we promise to smile at you. It's kind of our thing. I'm thinking of taking out a patent on it. It seems it can't be found in many shops anymore. Doesn't matter what you spend if you dont spend at all we are happy to have visitors that just like to take it all in. That's what makes juniper sooooooo different from all the others. A recent shopping trip showed me that big time. So I feel I should toot our horn a bit. toot toot!

OK so I get to work this morning coffee in hand I am poised at the crossing. Light goes green but I stop dead in my tracks. My stomach sinks and I realize someone has tagged my windows. I can't say i used words my mother would be proud of and I cant say I was very zen about it. I'm human and I work really hard (as do most of you) and to see tagging there for no good reason or merit was just messed up. So with some Eco spray and steel wool pad I went to work. It took some elbow grease for sure. Over the next few hours of my workday I weighed up the tagging debate. Is it ART? Is it Self expression? Is it destruction of property? I think clearly the latter. No one needs to see some punks initials no matter how cleverly configured on a shop window. That's the space I rent to show the world what I want to show.

That MY canvas. Don't get me wrong, I do actually love urban ART and I own pieces from artists who respect that to share your art you display it removably not force it down peoples throat permanently damaging surfaces. I'd be interested to know how any of you feel.

New lovely stock of jewelery arrived on Friday. Loads and loads to choose from. If you have to buy a gift or make yourself feel good come in and have a try on.