Tidings Of Comfort

Last week, we spoke briefly about the Lighting Ceremony at Christmas Tree Lane and the wonderful holiday feeling of the community coming together for the celebration.  That feeling was also found recently at Altadena's 125th birthday party.  It would have been the thread running through last Friday's holiday edition of Webster's monthly food truck event, too, had not the horrific event in Connecticut (and rainy cold weather) happened.

 Part Of The Crowd At This Years Lighting Ceremony At Christmas Tree Lane. 

 When something devastating occurs, the natural instinct is to huddle down in the safety of your home, surrounded by familiar and loved people and things.  For those who did come, we thank you, and we hope you enjoyed our Christmas carol sing-along.  We hope you had a bit of fun eating at the food trucks and joining us in the store.  We are happy that we could help provide a safe haven and yes, a place of community, to turn to when times are hurtful and confusing.  A place where people know you, that's been there forever - a place that you draw comfort from.

No one can wave a wand and make everything back to normal again.  The families of the victims of this heinous shooting rampage are bearing an unimaginable loss, and we here, across the miles, mourn with them.  Explanations and platitudes aside, there's little comfort in that Connecticut town tonight.  Our cries to God to bless the families there, and ease their pain, reverberate across the states and the world.  In a crisis like this, we are all one and we are all family.  Healing will come slowly, but it will come.

The message of Christmas is particularly poignant this year. From the bottom of our hearts, Scott and I wish you a joyous holiday and may you be enveloped by love, faith and hope for now and for the future.  We'll be taking a blogging break and will be back after New Years Day.  Enjoy, everyone!

Lori and Scott

Christmas 2012 Webster's Fine Stationers - ceramic Santas and Elves by Altadena artist Patrick Gothard

O Little Town Of Altadena

What a fabulous time it was Saturday for the lighting of Christmas Tree Lane! We're running against time here tonight, so we apologize for the brevity of this post. Make sure you look for our December's News You Can Use in your email inbox a bit later this week. Not on our email list?  Not a problem - hop on over to our website and click the "Sign Up For Our Newsletters And Alerts".  Find out more about the Christmas Tree Lane Lighting Ceremony here.

We'll talk again next week, friends, and until then, enjoy your week!

Lori and Scott

WFS Wishes You A Joyous Holiday Season!

Altadena Sparkles!

A cool and rainy welcome to December to you all, as we forge head-on into thick of holiday season 2012!  There are so many festive events happening all over town, that my head is spinning - particularly after our Famous Annual Holiday Open House on Saturday!

With great food (and an appearance by Earl Rothwell of Earl's Gone Wild Barbeque sauce and now a brilliant red pepper jelly that's fabulous with cream cheese and crackers); poetry, spoken word, and some music thrown in for good measure with our friends Aldonia Bailey and Amin El; and a book signing with author Margaret Finnegan, it was certainly a day to remember! 

 

Jazz artist and poet Amin El

We were honored to host three other local artists - Karen Bagnard, whose brand-new drawing "Angel Of Christmas Tree Lane" was debuted at our Open House; Mary and Patrick Gothard of Gothard Art, whose art and textiles hang in our store; and Leslie Aitken of LA General Store Design Studio, who held a trunk show of her oh so soft and trendy scarves, wraps, hats, and wristlets.  Our good friend, graphic artist Jeanine Colini, whose cards we carry at the store, made a valiant effort to attend, and we're so happy that she made it, although she almost missed it!

Leslie Aitken, Seamstress Extraordinaire!

 

 

 

Margaret Finnegan, Author Of The Goddess Lounge

And now we have a week to rest (ha!) until Saturday, December 8th, when Altadena gathers to witness the annual lighting of Christmas Tree Lane.  You'll find Karen's cards at the boutique and art sale prior to the lighting, starting at 2:00 pm, but if you just can't wait to have one (or two!), you can find them at WFS - and remember, 50% of net proceeds of this special card will go directly to The Christmas Tree Lane Association.

Have a lovely week ahead, friends, and we'll talk again next Sunday!

Lori and Scott

Gratitude and Forces Of Nature

Thanksgiving is almost upon us, can you believe it?  Time to take a day off and contemplate all the things you're grateful for, and enjoy a festive meal with your loved ones.  We sincerely wish all of you the best, and thank you for allowing us into your lives for a little while each week!

We'd also like to take a moment and urge you to Shop Small this Saturday, November 24.  It's Small Business Saturday, the day we celebrate our small, locally owned businesses.  Most retailers will have special buys and lots of fun planned, and we're no exception!  The store is dressed for the holidays and we're all feeling especially merry - if you're in our area, we hope to see you on Saturday!

Although the holiday season is like a force of nature, we'd like to let you know about The Los Angeles County Arboretum And Botanic Garden's show Forces Of Nature, starting on November 30.  Our friend, artist Leigh Adams has curated this spectacular show, where wood from the Arboretum's trees damaged in last year's terrible wind storm, is used as an art medium.  There will be all sorts of fascinating art made from these different trees, and many artists contributing to this show are Altadenans!  Leigh was so excited tell me all about it, and we all think that having beautiful art coming from such a devastating storm is cathartic and healing.  Don't miss this chance to see it - it runs through December 2.

Our Holiday Open House is scheduled for Saturday, December 1, and we've got a full roster of fun for you then! From fabulous food to fabulous artists, the day will be chock full of surprises, but you won't want to miss our interactive Eccentric Poets event, featuring our good friend Aldonia Bailey, followed by a book signing and reading by Margaret Finnegan.  Look for our email about the event to come later this week.

Have a wonderful week, a happy Thanksgiving, friends!  We'll be taking a short blogging holiday next week, so we'll talk again in two weeks....

Lori and Scott

Fun For The Season Of Sparkle!

After all the excitement of last week, you'd think that Altadena would slow down and catch its collective breath, but such was not to be!  Everyone in town seems to be planning something - celebrating the end of election season, perhaps?  We think it's more that there's a bite of coolness in the shade now, evening's shadow comes sooner.  Now that Halloween is over, we've realized that the holidays are inescapably upon us - where did that year go?

Speaking of the holiday season, we've been privy to some exciting event information ourselves! The Chamber Of Commerce is planning a celebration in tandem with Altadena's Fancy Food Truck Friday, on December 14, as the food truck event (held in Webster's parking lot) comes to a close for the year. This will be a grand community party, with Santa for the kids, the animals of Danny's Farm, carolers.....and the business owners of North Lake Ave. and Altadena's Chamber Of Commerce might have a funtastic surprise for you in store!  Make sure you check this blog, or our wonderfully local Altadenablog for more news about it in a week or so.

Ghosts Of Christmas Past At Webster's Fine Stationers!

There's more fun in store (get it, that's a pun.....) at WFS in the next few weeks, as well!  You'll meet local author Margaret Finnegan, who wrote the uproarious comedy The Goddess Lounge, at our Holiday Open House on December 1.  We'll be having an Inner Goddess party, with special giveaways for those who come dressed as their favorite female deity, and we'll indulge in some heavenly goodies normally reserved for those who reside in myth and legend!  You'll be entertained and inspired in word and song by Aldonia Bailey and friends and you're welcome to add your voice to theirs.  Many of the artists we represent will be on hand to discuss with you their books; art; jewelry; gourmet foods and body care; and of course, stationery.

We'd also like to remind you that WFS will be collecting canned and packaged foods and unwrapped holiday toys for Union Station Homeless Services again this year.  When we think of the devastation on our nation's East coast, I know that we feel we have to do something to help.  Their need is immediate, and so are the needs of the many homeless families in the northeastern San Gabriel Valley.  Please consider donating a toy or some canned food - our crew members will collect it all and Scott and I will personally take it to Union Station.  We thank you for your kindness!

All in all, it's shaping up to quite a busy Fall and Winter - I think I need a good night's sleep!  Have a great week ahead, friends, and we'll talk again next week,

Lori and Scott

Partytown!

It was a hot time in the old town this weekend for sure, my friends!  We're recovering from unprecedented merriment, of indulging in the most wonderful meals and soothing our throats that are sore from laughing and talking.  You'd think that the holidays had arrived early in normally quiet Altadena and its surrounding neighborhoods, but you'd be wrong.  This was a weekend to celebrate two wonderful, local benchmarks - the first public dinner at John Muir High's Muir Ranch and Altadena's 125th birthday party.  Scott and I attended both, and we're thankful that we were able to be a part of these celebratory events for many, many reasons!

While John Muir High School is located in NW Pasadena, many of Altadena's youth attend school there.  About a year and a half ago, the garden was developed by volunteer teachers and students out of approximately 2 acres of fallow land adjacent to the school.  In the intervening time, the garden has flourished, under the watchful eyes of Doss Jones, Mud Baron, and Shirley Barrett - they even offer a CSA (community supported agriculture) program!  You can read here what Slow Food L.A. says about them, and watch Channel 9's coverage of Muir Ranch.  We love what they're doing there, and are honored to be able to be involved in a small way.  Collaborating with Tom Coston and The Light Bringer Project, Scott and I will be mentoring the group of kids that will be marketing Muir Ranch! This program is part of the L.A. Futures Academy and we are quite excited to be working with them!  We hope very much that you will click on the links, learn more about these worthy groups and help spread the word.  We are also in the planning stages of an art exhibit with another Light Bringer project at John Muir, called Room 13.  Room 13 is an international network of student-driven creative studios with a model based on upon four pillars of learning: philosophical inquiry, creative expression, reciprocal learning, and business enterprise.  We look forward to unveiling what comes from this artistic collaboration - be sure to click this link to view part of what is inspiring us!

Muir Ranch held a dinner Friday evening that was just out of this world!  Although we arrived late (started at 5:00 pm, and the store doesn't close until 6:30 pm), they still had a portion of Bison Bolognese, prepared by Chef E, and freshly tossed salad finished off with olive oil & balsamic vinegar.  We sampled fresh fruit and veggies from a vendor at Altadena's Farmers Market and received a pleasant mouth-burn from their sauteed peppers served alongside the bolognese.

The garden itself was cordoned off from trampling feet, and a walkway fenced off, alight with sparkling white lights, led to the muslin-topped dining table.  We very much enjoyed the delicious food, the ambiance and camaraderie of Muir Ranch students, parents, and supporters.  I hear they're planning a Thanksgiving celebration - won't that be a blast!

Saturday evening was, of course, Altaden's 125th birthday party, and wow, what a party it was!  You can find all the coverage at Altadenablog, with pictures and all, but we wanted to show you a partial shot, taken by Tim Rutt of Altadenablog, of the photographic display Scott painstakingly constructed of Webster's history in Altadena (and forgot to get a picture of....thanks, Tim!).

All in all, it was a very busy, fun, and fulfilling weekend, and we won't see its peer anytime soon!  Well, maybe not until this Friday, Nov. 9, when we host local author Patricia Bunin, who'll be here signing her new book PASSWORD: SENIORMOMENT!  In conjunction with Altadena's Fancy Food Truck Friday, Patricia will be here from 6:00 pm until 8:00 - do plan on being here for this great event that kicks off the start of our Season of Sparkle!

Have a fabulous week ahead, my friends, and we'll talk again next week!

Lori and Scott

Happy Birthday, Altadena!

"There are places I remember
All my life, though some have changed
Some forever not for better
Some have gone and some remain
All these places have their moments
With lovers and friends I still can recall
Some are dead and some are living
In my life I've loved them all"
--In My Life,  John Lennon/Paul McCartney


In the craze of every day life, we often pass by people and places that often go unnoticed. Whether we're thinking about our own problems  - where we're going, what we're going to fix for dinner, when that next meeting is - or we've got our head in the clouds, we just don't register a lot that doesn't involve us directly.  That's a strange axiom of life, isn't it?  You may walk by something each and every day for years, but it doesn't ping on your radar.....until it's gone.

While Altadena has had many faces and places like that in its 125 year history, hopefully someone, somewhere, has noted their existence.  Find out on Saturday, November 3rd, from 5:00 pm until 8:00 pm at the Davies Building at Farnsworth Park, when we celebrate the town's birthday!  See some fabulous old pictures, some of which Scott and I will be lending to the occasion, and relive some great memories of times past, and celebrate our future.  We'll be there - hope we see you!

From Altadena Heritage, Postcard Of Davies Building In 1933

Have a great week, my friends, and we'll talk next week!

Lori and Scott

Walk This Way

"Letting your customers set your standards is a dangerous game, because the race to the bottom is pretty easy to win. Setting your own standards–and living up to them–is a better way to profit. Not to mention a better way to make your day worth all the effort you put into it."   

I posted this quote from my favorite business/marketing guru, Seth Godin, on my personal Facebook page a couple of days ago, and it garnered some interesting comments.  One commenter noted that he approved the sentiment because “even as a customer, I know that the customer is not always right”.  It’s his own personal interpretation of this quote, and is right in his own worldview, but not quite why it resonated with me.

As a shopkeeper, or merchant, if you will, I know deep down that not everyone is right all the time. Heck, if scores were kept, my own errors would be off the charts!  Publicly, though, the fact that we must try to please the majority is a paramount and unbreakable axiom, not to be trifled with. What this quote says to me is that we should stick to our principles while not losing our customers’ trust.  Once you’ve lost that, it’s game over.

Let’s use WFS as an example.  When Webster’s, as it used to be, was separated without any prior notification to its customer base, it broke the trust that had been built up in all its years of operation.  People came to expect what the store had delivered in the past, and no one warned them of what was to come.  Once the trust was lost, the two separated stores essentially had to begin as start-up businesses. In our case, we had to build our own customer base all over again, since we were unable to communicate directly with the store’s existing customers. 

During that often confusing time, as we struggled to get a toe-hold established, we were told many things by well-meaning people.  I remember clearly one friend of the store telling me to “just bring in cheap kid’s stuff…..even if you have to bring it in from Oriental Trading!  We want a place where we run in and pick up something cheap for birthdays and holidays.”  However, we also received advice from a different faction that wanted quality toys, gifts and stationery – things made well, made local, and recall free.  What were we to do, and which direction should we follow?

Luckily, we had already written our company’s mission statement and executive summary (in its first iteration), and we didn’t have to agonize over which path the store would take.  You can see that mission statement where it’s always been since the inception of this blog, on the right-hand sidebar.  That statement has guided us and allowed us to build trust, slowly but surely, within our community - the community that had their trust broken but now is assured that there is still a Webster in the house.  We are adhering to our own internal guidelines – guidelines that have been shaped by almost a century of our family’s presence in Altadena!

This trust has been rewarded and we are humbled by our community’s acceptance and approval!  Webster’s Fine Stationers was just this week named as one of two Reader Recommended Stationery Stores in Pasadena Weekly's Best Of Pasadena!  We  want to thank all of you for this honor and promise that we will remain true to our standards of quality, excellent customer service and community involvement! 

Have an excellent week, my friends, and we’ll talk again next Sunday!

Lori and Scott

Hotter Than A Witch's ....ummm....Bosom

We welcomed the Fall season in last week's post, and I mentioned that it seemed no one told the weather of the change. Well, Autumn still  hasn't been able to communicate with Mother Nature and our temps are headed off the charts this week!  Let's hope by next week, the lines of communication will have been opened between the two parties, and we'll get more appropriate weather.  Until then, we're serving cold strawberry lemonade or cold water, on request, to encourage you all to stay hydrated.  It's not only hot out there, it's very dry, too.  This can wreak havoc on your skin - my daughter was just telling me that she was starting to break out with heat rash.  Luckily for her, and for you, we proudly carry a local line of herbal skin care called HomeBody Botanicals.  Their X-Zema Salve is wonderful for skin irritations like heat rash, and their Everyday Body Lotion is great for keeping skin soft and smooth!  In this video you can meet Marcia as she talks about HomeBody Botanicals and explains how she makes salves.  WFS carries a complete line of HMB - for skin and body, hair, and home!

 Homebody Botanicals

Speaking of staying hydrated in this hot weather, we all drink lots of water, right?  Good for you if you are, but water can be soooo boring!  Enter another locally produced product, this time a natural drink mix called Charlotte de Berry Pirate Elixirs.  These mixers are formulated similar to the "elixirs" sailors made in the 1700s, due to lack of potable water, out of available fruits fermented with various vinegars, saps, and herbs.  Eventually the sailors (and pirates) discovered that they could extend their grog on long voyages by adding these elixirs.  Thus was born the first true mixed drink, although you can feel free to add Charlotte de Berry's Pirate Elixirs to whatever liquid you desire!  However you use it, this discovery made by sailors of old helps prevent dehydration, particularly of that caused by too much alcohol.  Made with hyper-local ingredients, these delicious mixers come in several mouth-watering fruit combinations, like Mango, Coconut and Lychee-Pear, and come in a beautiful, large bottle.  Since you use it so sparingly, it's bound to last for a long time, plus, mixed with a bit of olive oil, makes a terrific and out-of-the-ordinary salad dressing!  Charlotte de Berry, once known as a fierce woman pirate, now known as a killer drink mix.....who knew?  Pick some up at WFS today!

The Llama Lounge, Home Of Charlotte de Berry's Pirate Elixirs!

It's getting late, and dinner's almost ready, so we'll talk again next week - stay cool, my friends!

Lori and Scott

Fall-ing For You

The Autumnal Equinox happened yesterday, September 22nd, 2012, at 10:49 A.M. EDT. That would make it 1:49 pm here in California.  What ever time it happened is irrelevant, it's the feeling that Fall is here that matters!  Even though someone must've forgotten to clue the weather into the change of seasons, WFS is celebrating the thought of cooler weather in the imminent future.

Scott and I have been seeing a few colorful leaves falling from our liquid amber tree in our front yard.  Our tree, aging gracefully at 62 years of age, is huge.  It's branches shade our lawn and office in the front of the house, and I love the way the leaves change color in the fall.  Rich shades of red and copper; bright green and faded yellow mingle together and dance in the breezes that blow up our street.  The neighbor across the street complains every year when those breezes blow all the other neighbors' leaves into his yard, but you can't help but smile when you see the vibrant colors of them all.

Speaking of vibrant colors, we've set up our Halloween displays up, and I have to say, even though I'm partial, that they look particularly fetching this year!  See what you think:

We're hoping that you've enjoyed our pictures!  Have a great week, and we'll talk again next week!

Lori and Scott

Community Minded

It's become clear that it's never been more important to shop local.  With the threat of not just one, but two Walmart Neighborhood Markets making their way seemingly unobstructed into Altadena, it's time to step up education on why we need our local shops.  This poster, provided by the lovely folks at The American Independent Business Alliance, give you the facts.  Walmart gives you fantasy.  As our friends at Main And Me portray in this poster, this could be your shopping experience in our lovely town someday soon:

However you view the situation, we always advise shopping with your local merchants.  After all, is Walmart going to buy your kids' school fundraisers?  Will they support the local Little League team?  Sure, they'll throw some money at local non-profits, but what about our Library?  Will they support them in a sustainable way?  I think not.  Let us end with this poster, also from Main and Me, and remember - we have Friends Of The Altadena Library canvas tote-bags and Altadena Library District tee-shirts for sale at the store and the Library gets 100% of sales!*

Thanks for listening, my friends, we'll talk again next week!

Lori and Scott


*We also have items from Christmas Tree Lane available and they get 75% of net sales!

The Season Of Sparkle

Don't look now, my friends, but September has crept up on us almost like a ghost, and even though you wouldn't know it from the weather, I overheard someone say yesterday they could smell fall in the air.  Back to school fever has passed and every kid's favorite event, Halloween, is looming on our horizon.  The store is receiving it's autumn decor redo, with oodles of fun accessories and things that take you from "boo" to "oooooo" in less time than it takes an owl to say "whoooo"!  You'll have to come in and see, and also take advantage of our "Goodbuy Summer Sale", where you can find deep discounts on fabulous summer products like marble serveware, seashell motif platters, 1000 and 500 piece puzzles, scarves, and more. We're saying "goodbuy" to summer, but not to making sure that your gift and stationery needs are met throughout the coming season of sparkle!

In fact, you can drop by on Friday, September 14th, for Altadena's Fancy Food Truck Friday!  The roster of gourmet food trucks this month is:

The Wake 'N Bake Wagon, breakfast - it's what's for dinner!
The Greasy Wiener, where heaven is a hot dog!
The Cairo Cowboy, formerly Kabob 'N Roll, where Mediterranean food never tasted so good!
Greenz On Wheelz, where you can actually use the words "healthy" and "delicious' in the same sentence, and
Sweet Arlene's, where they take sweet comfort food to a whole new level!

In addition to the lure of tasty bites, be sure to check in at WFS for our monthly Eccentric Poets Spoken Word event featuring Aldonia Bailey and friends:

You'll also want to drop by for a taste of.....wait for it.....the newest addition to our growing section of gourmet food products!  Contrary to recent rumors, WFS loves tea, so we'll be having our own tea party!  Crazy Bitch Tea, an herbal infusion, tastes great and has a calming effect on not just women, but men, too.  As one young Altadena mother told me, "I couldn't get through the day without it - it's phenomenal!"  Nothing artificial, nothing pharmaceutical involved in its making, Crazy Bitch Tea is made from all natural, herbal ingredients that will pick your mood up and relax you. Come by for a complimentary cup - come stressed, leave relaxed!

Have a wonderful week, everyone, we'll talk again next week!

Lori and Scott Webster