Full Moon, Blue Moon, Retrogrades, And Fairies!

Lots of things swirling about these past few weeks, what with the five planet retrograde going on, and now we've got what we like to call a "situation". Saturday's full moon, in Sagittarius this month, is directly conjunct with Mars. Add the fact that this is a "blue moon" (the third of four full moons in a season, or the time between an equinox and a solstice), and that Mars is going "red", and you've got a big situation!

Luckily, Mercury will station direct on the 22nd, so communication, at least, will free up a bit. That doesn't help a whole lot when you've still got Mars in retrograde until the end of June. The interaction between Mars and Sagittarius this month is troubling, and the key words for this time should be "be watchful, be aware, be cautious". All the bottled up frustration of normally forthright, assertive Sagittarius may manifest inward, since outlet is thwarted by the retrograde motion. This may cause a blowup of uncomfortable proportions - the Full Moon in Sagittarius conjunct Mars Retrograde heightens our awareness of this frustration and provides a channel through which we can express our rightful, righteous anger. Unfortunately, Sagittarius is not a sign known for great tact or diplomacy, so anger here may not serve any healthy purposes and instead just add to the tension. As with our keywords for this full moon, it's a good idea to be circumspect now. Remember that with Mars retrograde, this energy is high but not well aimed and can misfire.

With all this rather unsettled energy in the air, it's time for Hoopla! Emporium's semi-regular Full Moon Celebration. Come by the store at 6:00 pm on Monday, May 23, for a short cleansing and blessing by Shaman Carol Woodliff, and a wine tasting with our friends at OddBallGrape.com! We'll have a discussion on the meaning of the 5 planet retrograde, how retrogrades affect you, and what you can do to protect yourself. Our friend Sonia Chernobieff will be here reading Tarot cards for the occasion. She's also taking appointments for Tarot readings at the store, too, so you can call and make an appointment with her!

 

 

On Saturday, May 21, Hoopla! Emporium is hosting "The Enchanted Forest - Fairy Garden 101", which features local garden designer Stephanie Clements. For only $25.00, you and one child can learn how to build a water-wise fairy garden using succulents from local company, Dominus Plantarum, and fairy garden elements provided by Hoopla. Fairy Lydee will provide entertainment, Maureen Koran is providing fairy cupcakes, and Doreen Virtue certified fairy oracle reader Alyse Korn will be here, too! Be sure to register quickly, as space is limited to 20 paid adults, and it's filling quickly! There will be plants available for purchase from Dominus Plantarum, and a special pop-up appearance by Athene Raphael, who makes the most adorable floral crowns and headwear for babies. The fun starts at 3:00, and goes until 6:00 pm. We hope to see you at any (or all) of these events!

 





 

 

Rain, Wine and Trouble In Altadena

April showers may bring May flowers, but they also brought disappointment last Friday night, as the torrential downpour forecast for that day resulted in the cancellation of Altadena's first Food Truck Friday of the season.  Not to worry, though, as the trucks will be back next month, and we've got our monthly wine pairing event scheduled for this Saturday.  Not just a wine pairing - although Mike Holland and Anne Bannon of OddBallGrape.com sure make them enjoyable - but a reception for local artist Fei Liu, too!  Be sure to mark your calendar so you won't miss this fun evening of great wine, food and art!

Starting at 4:00 pm, we'll be tasting some fine Italian white wines with goodies prepared by local restaurant Amy's Patio Cafe.  Anne and Mike will run down the basics and the not-so-basics on the varietals we'll be trying, while we all indulge in Caprese skewers and stuffed mushrooms caps.  Stay for the reception for Fei and admire her whimsically beautiful creations - we'll even pour some Italian bubbly for the occasion.  The store will be staying open until 7:30 pm Saturday night so this will be an easy starter to your weekend festivities....don't miss it!

In other news, there's been some scary stuff happening in Altadena during the past few days.  Gun shots, robberies and now a burning body found on the sidewalk of Windsor Drive - what are we all to think?  Happening at a time when Altadena is coming together to discuss major quality of life issues, I'm hoping that these incidents bring us closer together as a community.  Know that our hearts go out to all of our friends who live in the neighborhood, whose serenity was so harshly impacted.  Our prayers go out to the unnamed man whose life was so horribly cut short, and to his family, whomever they are.  Things like that shouldn't happen anywhere, let alone in Altadena - it's not what we're about and it's not what we want to be known for.  Let's all work toward making our town safe and prosperous for all by attending the Altadena Visioning Meetings, the next of which is on Wednesday, April 25th at Loma Alta Park's gymnasium.

Enjoy your week, friends, and we'll talk again in two weeks (we're taking an end of tax week no blogging holiday)!

Lori and Scott

Champagne, Chocolate and L O V E Spells Magic!

This last Friday was our Valentine's Day wine pairing and poetry event, Champagne, Chocolate and LOVE.  We think the discovery aspect of our wine pairings combined with the unexpectedness of live readings of prose and poetry can be unparallelled.  Such was our experience Friday evening!

Naturally, our locally made gourmet chocolate was an exciting hit that went perfectly with our Champagne choices, but it was the poetry that thrilled and touched us all.  Aldonia Bailey, Altadena artist and poet, brought poets Heather Hilliard-Bonds and Brian Miles, and magic ensued.  From audience participation in Brian's poems to Aldonia's heartfelt musings and Heather's song-infused offerings, it was truly an enjoyable night!  Listen to this little video clip I recorded of Heather reading and singing - who knew that Whitney Houston would pass away the very next day.  Thus poetry and song celebrates, albeit unintentionally, the life of one of the greatest songstresses of our time.

Have a great week ahead, my friends - it's Valentine's Day on Tuesday!  Drop by the store and see how we can help you find something for your sweetheart!

Lori & Scott

November's Bad Rap

Poor November....that lonely month, or so it seems, akin to maybe only February in the words of poets.  Witness Thomas Hood, from "No!":

"No warmth, no cheerfulness, no healthful ease,
No comfortable feel in any member -
No shade, no shine, no butterflies, no bees,
No fruits, no flowers, no leaves, no birds -
November!"

Or Sir Walter Scott's quip:


"November's sky is chill and drear,
November's leaf is red and sear."

But I tend to lean toward Edgar A. Guest's view of the month:

"Give me the end of the year an' its fun
When most of the plannin' an' toilin' is done;
Bring all the wanderers home to the nest,
Let me sit down with the ones I love best,
Hear the old voices still ringin' with song,
See the old faces unblemished by wrong,
See the old table with all of its chairs
An' I'll put soul in my Thanksgivin' prayers." 

In my experience, November has always been a month of action.  First of all, we've got the changing foliage around us, daylight savings ends and there's Thanksgiving towards the end of it.  This year we've got a lot more going on.  This Saturday, November 19th, it's the Elves Fair at Waldorf School, The Market At St. Elizabeth Of Hungary Church, and Webster's Community Pharmacy's Holiday Open House.  It's also our monthly Wine Pairing event and this month's starring vintage is the new Beaujolais Nouveau release!  Anne Bannon of OddBallGrape.com will entertain us with the history and pageant of this particular wine, which is mandated by the government of France to be released on a yearly basis on the 3rd Thursday in the month of....you guessed it....November!  Singled out as one of the very few red wines that are best served chilled, it's also a natural as a companion to a Thanksgiving table.  That means we'll be tasting the new Beaujolais release against tasty favorites like turkey and stuffing, sweet potatoes and of course, pie.  The fun starts at 4:00 p.m., but that's not all - our good friend Marcia Copess of  Home Body Botanicals  will be in store to answer questions about her completely natural, locally-made, homeopathic skin, body and home care line now available at WFS.  We're excited to have her and her good-for-you products in store, and we know you'll want to know all about them!  We hope you'll find time in your day to drop by - we'll be waiting for you.

All in all, November has turned out to be not as dreary as lore would have it.  We've signed on several more local artists including two natural soap makers and one who makes the most darling fascinators - those British-inspired head fashions that have taken the U.S. by storm - you'll just have to come in and see these quirky beauties, and take a whiff of the new soap products, as well. We have three local artists' work hung on our walls - Patrick Gothard, Aldonia Bailey and Rose Sinatra.  Most of all, though, we're enthused and honored to be part of a market test for new product made by our friend Ellen Zimmerman called Jewish Holidays In A Box.  Geared toward busy or mixed-faith families, this is a one-stop shop for celebrating holidays, including Hanukkah - it has everything you need, such as a CD that goes through the different rituals, prayers and pronunciation.  We thought it was such a great idea that Ellen is letting us test out some of the Hanukkah kits - look for them on our shelves soon! 

Gotta run now, dinner's almost done.  Have a wonderful week ahead, friends, and remember: "Even if something is left undone, everyone must take time to sit still and watch the leaves turn." -  Elizabeth Lawrence

Lori and Scott

Roll Out Those Lazy, Hazy, Crazy Days of Summer....

Those days of pretzels and, er, wine? You betcha! WFS officially rolled out summer in Altadena on Saturday evening with an awesome, interactive wine pairing seminar!

Presided over by OddBallGrape.com bloggers Anne Louise Bannon and her husband, Michael Holland, the happy attendees learned which type of wines to serve with traditional 4th of July barbecue and party foods. We tasted eight flights of wine with wonderful dishes prepared by local eateries Bonnie B.'s Smokin' BBQ Heaven and Amy's Patio Cafe and boy, let me tell you, the food and the wine were spectacular!

Barbecue foods are infamously hard to partner with wine. Beer or mixed drinks are the usual choice at barbecue parties, but what if you don't like beer? It's a nice gesture for the host(ess) of a party to offer more than one choice of libation, and wine, when chosen correctly can compliment your menu perfectly and please the most discriminating guest.

We all had a great time listening to Anne and Michael and it was nice to see so many people taking notes, asking questions and sharing their experiences with different wines and foods. Lots of laughter flowed, new friendships struck and it didn't feel like any type of seminar I'd ever been to! This was really so much fun that we'll have to do it again for all the seasons and make it a tradition. Huge thanks must be given to Sarah, manager of Webster's Liquor, who worked with Anne and Michael to get the wines just right and without her this evening wouldn'tve happened.

That's the other beautiful thing that happened last night. This first collaboration between Webster's Pharmacy Corporation and Webster's Fine Stationers went off without a hitch and I am so thankful for that. This shows that working together we can create a memorable evening of knowledge, fun and community in our neighborhood, which is so important for independently owned businesses like ours. We love giving back to our town and all our customers who've been there for us all these years! It's you all that made this evening so special. Thanks for taking a chance and for having faith that it wouldn't be a flop. I look forward to working with Webster's Liquor and planning the next fete!

Have a wonderful week!

Lori & Scott