Spinifex Collections

The Western Queensland Drought Appeal has done a fantastic job in distributing donations - most affectively in the way of Gift cards. Most recipients feel there is always someone more deserving than themselves but recognise that it helps everyone by spending them locally. We've been lucky enough to have been a place of choice in which to spend them & for this are very appreciative. Thank you to the many donors & all volunteers who have contributed so generously. This generosity has lifted morale & helped our little town keep ticking over during the worst of it all.

In the belief that things would turn around eventually, we have been restocking the shelves at Spinifex Collections & attended various trade events to find more unusual & interesting product, which is what we are so well known for now! We've always had trouble getting product to the website before it sells, but we have recently put it there & not on the shelves, so website shoppers get first crack. One of my favourite new products is right here and here and here!

So let's keep up our support for our district, shop locally & here's to a fabulous last quarter for 2016! Let's hope the blowfly, grubs & hoppers don't do us in in the meantime! 

It's been ages since my last newsletter, and this one is just to tell you about all our new stock that we ordered especially for Mothers Day! After Jennys' and my trip to Sydney and a whole lot of fun (and a whole lot of dollars!) nearly everything we ordered is here, including new candles and those divine Ayalabar earrings we all love!

Gorgeous new organic lip balms that taste & feel divine, perfumes (I sample them most days just to make sure they still smell as fresh and gorgeous as I thought!) and soaps and creams that I use at home because they're the best I've found (the goats milk soap especially) The chocolate rocks have been replenished (I probably eat more from the sample jar than I give away but not as many as my dear husband!) and we also have some salted caramel gems during these months that I'm sure will get cooler soon!

Every on-line order - even if it's picked up in the shop - will receive a beautiful creamy soap and will go in the draw for a fifty dollar gift voucher! So, use this link and find something you'd love to buy, give or get and you could receive a call on Sunday 8th May (Mothers Day) to say you've WON!! Cheers 'til then, Sue

Well Spinifex Collections has started its re-stocking routine! Four days of fossicking in Melbourne & its markets & a couple around Brisbane have resulted in a few amazing pieces arriving at 118 Eagle St! (with more to come!) Silk scarves are here in time for Valentines Day & the gorgeous silk Slip pillowcases that won't let your face crumple up at night! Next week, Paula is shop keeping while Jenny & I (Sue) head off to Sydney. The Sound of Music will be a feature of our visit, but Life In Style is the major drawcard! This is where we meet a lot of our suppliers who listen to exactly what we want & make to order for Spinifex Collections - there's a very refreshing & vibrant European flavour here - I love it. We'll post a Blog as soon as we're back & let you know about some of our latest finds & there'll probably be some photos to show a couple of 'in-between being busy times'! (as below!) Don't forget Valentines Day (14th February) is this Sunday & there are some gorgeous things here & waiting to surprise! (jewels, chocolates, silks & lotions if you want to drop some hints to your man!) Cheers for now, Sue

What's a tourist to do in Longreach on a Sunday morning from nine to noon? Well on the 2nd August (& every 1st & 3rd Sunday of the month) they can wander down to the Merino Arcade & enjoy the new Merino Markets! Hawkes is going to be there 'serenading' us with his own brand of music. Amber's going to be facepainting. Every business in the arcade will be open, including Gaby's Hair Design (who is taking appointments for the morning 46581451) Sammi Sheehan's Remedial Massage (Ph 0409633082 for appointment) The Tack Room for fashion, Nature's Tonic will be doing healthy breakfasts, juices & smoothies & Spinifex Collections for anything unusual! At the side door of Spinifex Collections you'll also find chillies, cheese & chocolate & hopefully the arcade will be choccas with everything else from art to jewellery & photography & candles to soap & woodwork. The Merino Bakery is open too & Myers & Barkers Newsagencies, so come & have a look & add to our Eagle Street vibe!

I'm very excited about tomorrow night in the Merino Arcade! The Tack Room (fashion) Natures Tonic (health) & Spinifex Collections (gifts from around the world) are hosting an evening of shopping (with fantastic deals & discounts!) champagne & nibbles with gift bags, prizes & surprises! $10 tickets are refundable with any purchase & the more people we have, the more prizes there'll be, so grab yourself a ticket today (you'll be really pleased you did - there'll be vouchers in the bag valid for the rest of the month) Joy McClymont from Off The Track Training is going to be a special guest & I don't know what she's presenting us with but I know she'll have your personal prescription for fitness written out & it will be FUN if nothing else!! Brodie Jackson from Valeries Flowers will have some of her gorgeous flowers on display & for sale too, so come & have fun! See you then.

       Valeries Flowers         Natures Tonic (new juice bar)          The Tack Room                 Spinifex Collections

When I visited Annie Brown's "Rosettas bookshop" in Maleny last month, I found the most delightful Little Buildings! They come in miniature kit form & are authentic replicas of our unique Australian homes. I especially loved the Queenslanders & just had to have some to show off in Spinifex Collections! So, I contacted Marcus who designs & makes them in his shed in Brisbane & a week later I'm proudly selling these gorgeous little buildings. I've constructed one to keep, so I know now that anyone can! (Marcus obviously knows I'm going to keep stocking these as he's supplied a very handsome display stand!)

Trevor (my husband) & I own a Queenslander (pictured above) which was moved into town from Polotic in the Aramac area about 15 - 20 years ago. It is featured in the Australian Country Historic Houses book which I also stock  alongside the little buildings, so I feel like I'm sharing our own home in this little shop! I love it too that I stock many things that we have at home, so come in & share the style with us!

While we were sampling the fare of the Yarra Valley (about an hour out of Melbourne) I came across the most amazing chocolate! It's been made for wine! I was first attracted by the idea, then the taste & then the packaging. Consequently, I was forced to track down the importers (from the U.S.) & order some for the shop! There are 4 blocks - milk, smooth dark, medium & extra dark & each has a recommendation of wine, port or champagne it will compliment perfectly (but it's great all by itself too) It comes in a gorgeous box that looks like a book & is sealed with a ribbon under wax & is the perfect gift for the wine /chocolate lover if you can bring yourself to give it away! Buy some here The other thing I loved was the party gift pack which makes me want to hold a wine tasting evening just so I can cut & serve the chocolate so beautifully! It's the four chocolates presented with a knife & cutting board & you can get it too!

This is actually a pre-marital photo of my eldest nephew & now neice who have many happy anniversaries ahead of them! Christopher is a bit of a traditionalist so he'd probably choose from the first column for their anniversaries & I think Sian from the modern, but either way, they'll have some lovely presents from each other.