Juniper Outpost Celebrates 1st Anniversary

By BOBBIE GREEN

The Progress

Mesquite Plaza shopping center was a busy place last week-end as the unique gift shop, Juniper Outpost, celebrated its first-year anniversary of opening in Mesquite.

Friday, March 17 was designated as Food Truck Day. Customers of Juniper Outpost received a discount on their food and a fried Oreo cookie.

“The community has been so good to us we have deep deep gratitude for them,” said Charlotte Shirianni, owner and creator of the unique shop. “ The store and the Food Trucks have been busy.”

On Saturday, the artists and crafters that created the items in the shop were invited to come and meet and greet the patrons. Shoppers loved chatting one-on-one with these artisans and makers.
“I have been creating leather products like, handbags, bracelets, even boots since 1962,” said leather craftsman Rick Bradshaw who hails from New Mexico.

Wood artist Rick Brooks was also in attendance. He creates beautiful Charcuterie trays, and cutting boards, all made from different kinds of wood and patterns. “I have most woods shipped to me from different sources to get a variety,” Woods said. He has been making these boards for ten years now.
Patron Liz Randall is a snowbird to Mesquite getting ready to return home. She was looking for gifts to take home with her. “Juniper Outpost is one of the most unique shops I have been in,” she said. “They have such a nice variety.”

Lynn Brooks, an employee of the shop, is in charge of coordinating all the artists contributing merchandise to the shop. “My job is to make sure all our items are unique,” she said. “We have no competing artists making the same items. Everything has to have a unique twist from the norm.”

Woodcarver Phil Pitt was sitting on a bench outside the store carving a piece of wood. Pitt said he has been doing woodcarving as a hobby for seventy years. “My daddy gave me a stick and a knife when I was five years old and told me to carve a worm,” he recalled.

Pitt’s many years of experience show in his work. On display was a large fish on a pedestal. Not only is it a beautiful piece. But its tail and fins are moveable.
“I was amazed at how many creative people we have in our town,” Shirianni said. “We have over fifty artists contributing to our shop.”

The Juniper Outpost is located at 312 Mesquite Blvd. Suite 114.