Those Summer Nights: The Peppermint Party Really Brought the House Down!

photos SABINE BANNARD

“Seeing all these issues together like this (minus a couple we didn’t have in storage!) was definitely a moment for me. So much history, so many back stories, so many ups and downs but ultimately so much AWE. Sixty issues has meant thousands of stories told of people doing good things in the world. $30k given to charity. Hundreds of thousands of people reached, inspired and – hopefully – empowered. What an honour to be involved in something so meaningful – something I never take for granted. And while it’s certainly not a bandaid or a blindfold for the atrocities happening around our planet, we still have to hold onto hope and find the good where we can.”

Sixty issues in print is no easy feat and as our Founder and Editor-in-chief Kelley Sheenan also said “It’s not often I get the time or opportunity to stop and smell the roses, but 60 of them is a pretty big bunch of awesomeness and so please indulge me while I inhale these pretty petals just a minute longer”. This massive milestone needed a party worthwhile of this momentous occasion, and so party we certainly did.

Planning the perfect party is an art. You need the right mood, the right food – everything has to be considered. The Peppermint Party on Friday 1 December was no exception as our tiny but mighty team coordinated every detail. Outfits? On point. Wine? Chilled. Playlist? Absolute vibes. At 6pm, the doors opened… and so did the skies. 

That’s right, you can plan all you want but you can’t control the weather, and our celebration launched with a true bang – an iconic Queensland summer storm. 

Lightning cracked like a photographer’s flash and the “wet look” became very on trend for our guests. But even though some had to race for the venue with nothing but a used gym towel as an umbrella – oh, what a night!

The Nest Creative Space absolutely buzzed with happy and colourful people. On entry, guests were greeted with a walk down memory lane – a floor to ceiling installation showing off all 60 issues of Peppermint. There was reminiscing about Issue 1 and favourite covers decided, and the photos started to roll in thick and fast, with guests posing up a storm (pun thoroughly intended) in front of our signature selfie wall. 

The bright gallery space was a popular hangout spot, with everyone eager to get amongst the cold drinks from our friends at Yalumba, Allpress Espresso, DASH water and Helios beers, and to snack on delicious bites from Neighbour Providore and NoDo Donuts. 

The Nest Mini Market saw the artists and makers who call The Nest home opening up their spaces for everyone to shop small and extremely local. At the same time, the team from Echidna Sewing set their embroidery machines whirring and guests crowded around to watch their stitchy magic. With the encouragement of Missy Gilbert, co-founder of The Nest Creative Space and UnitePlayPerform, our community made themselves at home all over the space and spent time chatting, sipping, eating, shopping and relaxing. 

It wouldn’t be a Peppermint event without a good showing of sewing, so we gathered the crowd together for a Me Made Parade to the can’t-help-but-dance beats of Beyonce’s ‘Crazy in Love’. 

The lucky door prize draw was a time of great highs and lows, as everyone eagerly gripped their tickets and hoped for the best. Cheers and groans went up as we announced the ticket numbers, and it was a real delight to see the excited faces of the winners. Thank you to our partners ReMi Beauty, The Somewhere Co, Obus, Allpress Espresso, Thinking of You Gift (a spontaneous last minute prize!) and Echidna Sewing for bringing the joy! 

And, even though we couldn’t give everyone a prize, we never let anyone leave a Peppermint party empty handed. Our beloved goodie bag was filled with some gorgeous products from Honest Gum, Echidna Sewing, The Selvedge Society, Lük Beautifood, Allpress and us! A huge thank you to these incredibly generous brands for these perfect presents for our guests. 

As the night came to a close and the rain eased, we couldn’t help but reflect. You can always try your hardest to create the ideal party but, in the end, some of the best things in life are imperfect. Surrounded by you, our beautiful community – who has seen us through good times and bad, the success and the mess, all 60 issues of Peppermint – this party was absolutely perfect. 

Big love, and we’ll see you at the next one! 

The Peppermint team would like to extend a huge thank you to our Peppermint Party sponsor Echidna Sewing! And thank you to the team and artists at The Nest Creative  Space, and our delicious food and drink partners Yalumba, Allpress Espresso, Helios Brewing, DASH,  No-Do Donuts and Neighbour Providore. We’re also so grateful to our our goodie bag and lucky door prize donors ReMi Beauty, The Somewhere Co, Obus, Allpress, Echidna Sewing, Honest Gum, The Selvedge Society and Lük Beautifood!