Well after a very emotional and trying last few months, with the flood in the shop and and the unexpected closure of juniper, I have comes to terms with everything. 
If there is anything that this last few months has taught me is that every single thing, good or bad happens for a reason.  Call it fate, call it god's will, call it the roll of cosmic dice, but I was forced onto a different path that I am embracing and loving more everyday. Firstly you will see that I haven't been here much at all but I have been plenty busy and if you don't know already I launched a new website called
Twig & Arrow

You can also find us on our new facebook page for Twig & Arrow
Don't worry I'll be keeping tabs on the Juniper fb in case you don't get around to switching just yet , but eventually as everyone comes over we will be winding it down with juniper. I hope you like what we've created.  I am immensely proud of how its all turned out.  We will be adding little bits every week.  Our "vintage" section is very soon going to explode with a whole heap of old school & retro goodies so watch that space!

I hope you will check us out. We've got some very lovely things planned for our followers...

Like and Share Contest!

Hey kids jump on over to our facebook page to join our like and share promotion! You could win two for tea!

TOMORROW IS MOVING DAY...What a crazy, sad, stressful, life changing two weeks its been. Just a few weeks ago I was looking to the future of juniper with new ideas and new directions then with a flood it all was thrown upside down and turned inside out. So now what to do? Well, as I sit here surrounded in my house with boxes of Juniper all around me I am thinking what to do next. It's a lot to take in. It's a lot to decide all at once. So I'm gonna take sometime. To get clarity and attack this challenge right. So you might not hear from me for a wee bit.  but i am here, plotting and planning :)

Thank you for your support,
Mindy

Hey everybody we'll be at the Newtown veggie market tomorrow with our flowers. Hope to see ya'll there getting your 5 a day;)

Dear Customers,

As you may know juniper sustained serious flood damage last Friday.
The damage to the building is unsafe for me, my staff, my family and my customers to be in.  Luckily we were insured and can move on.  So as sad as it is that I wont be seeing all my lovely Newtown customers, I want to assure you all that this is NOT the end of juniper.
In fact i have decided to turn it into a positive. 
We will be still selling our flowers at Newtown Veggie Market on Saturday and very soon we'll be announcing where you can find us for our gifts and crafts again.
You can also keep up with us on Facebook !
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your patronage over the last 6 years.  I look forward to bringing you the same great service in an exciting new way.

Sincerely,
Mindy and Family

Sadly juniper has serious flood damage due to a broken pipe and will be closed until water damage is seen to accessed by the insurers. We are so sorry for the inconvenience.

Lucky dip craft night-April

This months project was Peter Pan collar necklaces.
Recycled doilies and felt simply sewn into these precious little necklaces. So sweet. Thank you to everyone who came out for the evening. And thank you to my daughter Gretta for helping. X

NEW THIS WEEK

HARNEY & SONS FINE TEAS

We are so proud to announce we now proudly sell what i believe is the best tea I have ever had. My good friend and food guru Kate Hardwick put me onto Harney teas last year and it was like a love affair that has bloomed into a marriage:) (with the tea not with Kate though she is quite a catch) Juniper now has an extensive range of collective tins and samplers in over 20 mater blends so please do pop in. We often brew a pot for tasting so that's even more reason to pop by and see us.

A little bit about Harney & Sons Fine Teas New York...
It was 25 years ago that John Harney made the decision to found Harney & Sons. He had worked for others all of his life and felt (at the age of 53) it was time to run his own show.

Since he had worked with Stanley Mason at Sarum Tea for 13 years, he understood the basics of tea. However "tea" back then was much different. China had opened only recently and there were few teas coming out there in 1983. So Taiwan was the source of the basic "Chinese" teas: Gunpowder, Oolongs, and keemun. These teas did not taste like the real thing, but rather, were a version. The Taiwanese had not yet begun to make the great greenish oolongs that they do today. India's teas were still strongly influenced by the British, so Darjeelings and Assams were dark and monotone, just right for milk and sugar.

The Indians had only just begun to experiment with changing style of teas to make the teas taste more seasonal and more flavorful. Japan kept its Senchas to themselves. So back in 1983, the tea world did not offer many great teas. And that was fine, because few people drank tea. How that has changed, and for the better. The world of tea has expanded considerably in the last 25 years.

John Harney stays committed to offering the finest teas. His love of tea has spread to his family and Harney customers’ worldwide, serving tea in many of the world’s finest names in hospitality, foodservice and retail. Harney & Sons have a tradition of tea that will endure elevating an ordinary cuppa in to a luxurious sensory experience.

In November 2010 Harney & Sons opened the very trendy flagship store in Soho, NYC. This amazing space with floor to ceiling displays of over 250 varieties of fine loose teas gives lucky visitors the world of tea at their fingertips.

Very rarely i get to make something for me. For my house. This was a project I was making for the shop but the kids and I fell in love the minute we put it up. And so its ours now. Ethan Loves the shadows it casts upwards and reminds him of "the woods". I will endevour to make them for the shop but till then this ones staying home:)
Its all made from twigs from around our property. wired and glued for extra support. Then a final touch
with white sraypaint for a frosty birchwood look. viola!

Here is your Free Project for the weekend! My cupcake paper birds. fun to do with the kids.
on another note...

There's some exciting things happening around juniper. And for the next few weeks you'll probably see the shop evolving. Slow and steady wins the race though. And nooooooo i can't tell you what's happening. you just have to be patient;) Nothing will change with juniper but we are carving out a little space for something very special for all of you juniper lovers. It will be worth the wait. Whilst making room, I've been uncovering a few things in the process. In the stockroom is a late 70's early 80's Elna over locker with manual that i forgot i had. It's for sale $100. It was serviced two years ago and never used after that. Just pop in the shop to have a look. Well that's all from me today Kiddies. Have a great weekend. xox

SANDY CONNON photographer

I first heard of Sandy Connon 8 years ago. I was pregnant with my second child and one day while eating my lunch in a cafe in Wellington i spied her works on the wall. Now I am a lover of black and white photography but more than anything I love a subtle dramatic moment or thought captured with a keen eye. Instantly i knew I wanted Sandy to photograph my girl, Gretta. Then age 3 and breathtakingly beautiful with her wild blue eyes and untamed hair. After the session with Sandy (which was so effortless and quietly active) She called me again to view the work. And i do believe i cried. When i saw the slides of little Gretta it was one of my top intimate moments as a mother. Here was this child that everyday i cared for now in film all i saw was this beautiful spiritual thing I'd brought into the world. One set of pictures were purchased for my husbands birthday, a series of her playing a game she and him played often. But, there was one shot i wanted. I couldn't get it too. We were just starting out. But yesterday, i surprised Gretta with a visit to Sandy's studio where there in her archives was that shot i so loved. Gretta was really touched and I just felt like i could reach in and touch that 3 year old. the clarity was amazing. I talked for a long time with Sandy about the importance of artistic portraiture and what it means for a family to have archival heirlooms of their family history. I tell you now, there is not a day that goes by that i don't look at those shots of Gretta and smile. Now, I can't wait to have my new Old shot of Gretta. The one i always wanted.

Thank you Sandy for your time and great care you have taken with all our Wellington children and families. You are a true Newtown gem.

Note: If you would like to contact Sandy to book a session you can contact her here.

or phone 04 389 5196 Definitely tell her Mindy sent ya ;)

I had the pleasure of spending the afternoon with my friend and resident Newtown textile artist Lyn Wards. Her works are so intricate and the colours so beautiful that even the jars of offcuts are a work all themselves. She says she does not know what she keeps them for but i know she'll have that "AH HA!" moment and run into the shop and present me with something amazing because that is what she does. Everywhere I look in her humble little space there are treasures and trinkets from long ago. She's like a magpie but she brings home nothing that she does not love. I sat with her for a wee while this afternoon and chatted while she very calmly worked away on her newest pieces. They are my favourite so far. She's so chilled out but her hands work with the wool so incredibly fast. Thanks Lyn for sharing with me your space and stories. If you'd like to see Lyn's work pop in anytime. She might even be there hanging out:)

Great day today. We were fortunate to have a break in the weather for the Newtown festival. The turnout was amazing and so inspiring to see all the people even in the rain out supporting the festival. The food was amazing as always the stalls awesome and there were a few jaw dropping ones. Jules Vine was one such stall. From Nelson this artist is simply mind blowing. teeny tiny mechanically perfect works that i still cant believe are possible. I have loved Vines work for years but never seen a piece in real life. To see it all was almost to much. i was like a child again. most pieces no bigger than a thumb nail. Now sadly there is no chance of us getting any of this amazing work in as another jewelery store has exclusivity. But i believe in Vines work so much i reckon you all needed to know about it. Hope you all have a great week ahead. I am inspired and fired up!

Now available made to order Decor Poms. These beautiful fluffy delights are available in White, black, teal, aqua, baby blue, green, yellow,orange,red, hot pink, soft pink, lavender, purple, gold & silver. In sizes 4in 6in 16in 24in and we ask that you allow 2 days to fill all orders. They make lovely wedding or party decorations and even look beautiful clustered over a cot.

It's definitely wedding season. Loving all my brides. Cant wait to see the pics of their amazing day.

Juniper Gallery is looking for Creative Director and events coordinater. If you or someone you know would like to apply the position requirements are...

-4 years hospitality epierience

-2 years Floral design

-Recomendation from your last employer

-Travel or have lived in the US or Canada with in the last 2 years.

-Must be well presented.

Applications close Feb 28, 2012

please call 04 389 4057