We love David Howell from Museums and Galleries. He passes on a constant supply of funny and/or cute clips from the internet. Today's cute clip features some interesting visitors to a North American garden.See it at http://www.wimp.com/babymoose. Thanks, David!

Life is such a strange mix of joys and sorrows. We began this blog full of good cheer, but will take some time today to think about sadder times.A sympathy card can be very difficult to choose, but we have probably all experienced receiving a card that was truly comforting in the worst of times. Many people prefer to write their own expressions of ... read more

 It's the turn of francophiles everywhere today to celebrate Bastille Day. Despite some stormy political events in our recent past, New Zealanders adore French food, French fashion, France itself and, of course, French style.Here at Live Wires, French-inspired products are always hot sellers. Whether it's the beautiful Paris Travel or Paris Ne... read more

 It's just as well there is no shortage of greeting cards at Live Wires as we celebrate the fourth staff birthday in a week. Today is the turn of Lucy, our logistics whizz and expert on all things Chinese.It is fun to try using other languages, but beware the perils of Google translations! One staff member thought she had written 'Happy Birthd... read more

 Today, as wind and rain pound on the warehouse windows, the interior has been transformed into an aquatic paradise in honour of today's birthday girl, Jenny N, who is celebrating the Big 50. Jenny keeps tropical fish - hence the theme - and we were like stunned and thrilled mullets when she arrived dressed in a sequinned dress reminiscent of ... read more

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The response of fans to the All Whites' success at the World Cup is proving that Kiwis can be just as excited about the 'beautiful game' as the one played with an oval ball. Combine this trend with the current nostalgia for memorabilia from the twentieth century, and the fabulous Charles Buchan products from Wild and Wolf a... read more

Live Wires’ Newsletter for JuneWinter has arrived with a vengeance all over the country. We all know that cold, wet weather can make it difficult to coax customers out to enjoy the therapeutic benefits of retail therapy. However, the good news is that Live Wires has plenty of wonderful products to keep winter sales healthy. ImaginoteOne of our most... read more

Live Wires’ Newsletter for MayChristmas in May                                                                           With a quarter of 2010 now behind us, w... read more

Live Wires’ Newsletter for April 2010What a great event the Autumn Gift Fair in Auckland turned out to be! The Live Wires stand was master-minded in Wellington by our designer, Paula Garratt. It was assembled in Auckland by a team of reps, (including our wunderkind of displays, Heidi Geldard), and workers from HQ. The red carpet clearly indica... read more

Live Wires’ Newsletter for MarchOur big news this month is the fabulous array of new products we have put together for the Gift Fair in Auckland. If you are reading this before going to the fair, or if you are unable to attend, here is a sneaky peek at some of the very desirable goodies on offer.From Blueprint comes a range of practical and stylish... read more

Live Wires’ Newsletter for FebruaryWhat’s New?January has been a very busy month at Live Wires. With large shipments having arrived from the UK and the USA, there is plenty of stock on hand to fill shelves emptied by the Christmas rush. Valentine cards have flown out and it is now time to think ahead to Easter, (Easter Sunday is 4 April this year),... read more

What's New for 2010?We have been planning ahead for the New Year, so there are plenty of new products on hand with which you will be able to tempt your customers over the summer months. We know that Valentine and wedding cards figure prominently in sales at this time. Here’s a taste of what’s in store.Cartolina is our new Canadian supplier, dedicat... read more

Here it is – our final installment for 2009! We bring you news of another great new product and information about arrangements for the end of the year which may affect you.Firstly, we want to share our excitement about Ecojot, a beautiful range of 100% recycled paper products designed in Canada for the ecology-conscious consumer. What makes Ecojot ... read more

Live Wires’ Newsletter for NovemberIt’s Time for Some Good News!If you have been a little cautious with your ordering for Christmas, you may be finding a few gaps on your shelves as the economic recovery gains momentum. The good news is that Live Wires can still provide you with a comprehensive range of gift ideas, from small but worthwhile stockin... read more

The Forecast for Christmas is Fine!September has ended with the brightest economic forecast we have had in some time, which bodes well for us all as Christmas approaches. Here at Live Wires HQ, we have been working hard to ensure that calendars and Christmas orders go out quickly and efficiently. We also have on hand a huge range of stationery item... read more

Spring Fair If you have not already made plans to attend the Spring Fair in Auckland, (Sunday, 30 August – Monday 1 September), do give it some serious thought! It’s your chance to see new products displayed in a readily accessible way, which makes selection so easy. Live Wires promises plenty of new lines to make your trip worthwhile. We appr... read more

Newsletter for June What inspires someone to start up a company such as Live Wires? Some twenty years ago, Helen Harvey, a Geography graduate, was teaching at Wellington High School with colleague Jane Webster, when Jane received a communication from her London–based daughter. It was an intriguing card produced by a company called Roger la Borde. A... read more

Hello Again from Live Wires As always, the purpose of our monthly newsletter is to keep you, the retailer, informed about products and services we can provide for you. So with customer relations in mind, this month we begin a series of profiles of Live Wires’ staff, starting with the person you are most likely to have spoken to other than your rep... read more

Live Wires News – July 2009    Spring Fair As the year passes the halfway mark, our thoughts are already turning to spring, which of course is time for the Spring Gift Fair in Auckland. This year it is earlier than usual, running from Sunday, 30 August through to Tuesday 1 September. As always,it will be a chance for our trade custo... read more

Our big news this month is that most of our reps are now using PDA’s to record orders. Though the change-over has taken a great deal of planning and caused some minor teething problems, it is already proving to be a huge advance. We strive constantly to maintain high standards of service to our customers and PDA’s provide some real advantages in te... read more

March is always an exciting month here at Live Wires, bringing as it does the opportunity to show off the cream of our products for the year at the Autumn Gift Fair in Auckland. Helen and Jenny have recently returned from the Birmingham Fair, where they found an inspiring abundance of new cards, stationery and gifts. (This was despite dismal foreca... read more