Webster's Fine Stationers Web Blog

And Now For Something Completely Different......

2012-01-29T15:48:00.000-08:00

'We're hoping to succeed; we're okay with failure. We just don't want to land in between.'
--David Chang
"He's serious. Lots of people say this, but few are willing to put themselves at risk, which destroys the likelihood of success and dramatically increases the chance of in between." ---- Seth Godin

I don't think anyone could say that we're "inbetween", unless they were speaking about our physical location. Sandwiched inbetween two other stores, WFS has no windows to the outside world. Inside, though, we're a world apart from other shops.

Did you realize that we represent over 50 local artists? We have local representation in all genres - card makers, authors of books, fine art and prints, gourmet food products, body products and jewelry! WFS takes pride in the fact that we invest in our community, because that's what helps make us strong.

We also believe in buying fair trade, or buying merchandise that "gives back". That means the company we buy from donates to a good cause, like LiveStrong or Women At Work. We love this so much, we actually hunt down those companies whose products fit our business model! We've been lucky to find so many recently and it's a great feeling to know that our customers appreciate this about us. Thanks so much for letting us know how important giving back to the community and the world is to you, it helps us shape our future plans.

Some people worry that a business model like ours is risky. Is it? Yes, it is - to be different is always risky. Is it worth the sacrifice? Resoundingly, yes! If we happen to do any good at all, it's worth it. To help call attention to our local artistic community, it's worth it. To help change what we as average shoppers care about and look for in products is worth it. What....did you think we were in this for the money?

If your plan is to tailor your shopping habits to fit your socially conscious sensibilities, we're your store! Come in soon to see what goodies we've gotten in for Valentines Day - our local artists and WFS appreciate you!

Have a great week ahead, my friends!

Lori and Scott

A Prosperous Water Dragon Year!

2012-01-22T22:09:00.000-08:00


Long Nian Da Ji

Tomorrow begins the Chinese New Year, The Year Of The Dragon. The Chinese zodiac is made up of 12 signs, similar to the Western system, but their signs are comprised of animals. The Dragon is the major symbol of good fortune in Chinese Astrology. The Dragon constellation, for example, is accorded the honor of being the guardian of the Eastern sky. According to tradition, the Dragon brings in the Four Blessings of the East: wealth, virtue, harmony and longevity.

This year is also considered a water element year, and so is thought doubly prosperous in matters of financial success, family and romance. While I was researching Chinese astrology, I found it interesting that ever since 1996, the year element has been in a destructive relationship with the fixed element of the animal sign. That is the longest unfavorable period in the 60 year cycle of Chinese Astrology, and that means a scarcity of good luck. The year 2012 is thus blessed not only by the lucky Dragon but also the end of that destructive cycle. All signs are pointing to 2012 being a better and luckier year for everyone, especially for our country's beleaguered small businesses.

I ran across an article by Robert Safian in Fast Company called This Is Generation Flux: Meet The Pioneers Of The New (And Chaotic) Frontier Of Business. It's a fascinating piece that details the emerging young pioneers that have challenged today's economy by recognizing that "the future of business is pure chaos" and how they, and we, can survive and even thrive in these fast changing times. The author asserts that "We are under constant pressure to learn new things. It can be daunting. It can be exhilarating."

Exhilarating, indeed! I have to admit that even as worrisome business has become in the past few years, particularly for independent retailers, it's been quite a wild ride. I'm excited by so many innovations and possibilities this new frontier offers and how they relate to our store. Says Mashable's 26-year old founder, Pete Cashmore, "All these industries are being revolutionized. It's come to technology first, but it will reach every industry. You're going to have businesses rise and fall faster than ever."

Of course, it's the evolution of business as we know it, and it's happening at lightening-speed, or so it seems. Beth Comstock, the chief marketing officer of GE, says, "Business-model innovation is constant in this economy. You start with a vision of a platform. For a while, you think there's a line of sight, and then it's gone. There's suddenly a new angle." I'm painfully aware of those angles, aren't you? The great thing about this type of atmosphere is the opportunity it affords to learn. We learn, we adapt, and we keep ourselves moving forward.

One thing Mr. Safian says resonated with me. It's something I've been saying since we took over our store. He says, "If ambiguity is high and adaptability is required, then you simply can't afford to be sentimental about the past. Future-focus is a signature trait of Generation Flux. It is also an imperative for businesses: trying to replicate what worked yesterday only leaves you vulnerable." GE's Peters says, "Some people question changing our (business) definitions. When they do, I ask: How many of you use the same cell phone from five years ago? The world isn't the same, so we need new parameters." I agree with Ms. Peters. The world isn't the same, our towns aren't the same and we can't sit and mourn the fact. We need to deal with the changing world on its terms, not ours - adapt, realign and move forward!

Wishing you the best this new year has to offer, my friends - may it be good to you and yours!

Lori & Scott

Winter Follies

2012-01-15T23:12:00.000-08:00

The holidays have all been celebrated, the New Year greeted and the Rose Parade has marched off into history. Welcome to January! Although it's winter, the weather has been anything but, and we're enjoying summer-like temperatures. It's been great for us, we can leave the doors open so people can peek in to see our new Valentines Day displays. If this is what's in store for us weather-wise this season, we'll take it!

Yes, Valentines Day is coming and WFS is gearing up for the love fest by stocking some of the best Valentine cards and gifts we can find. You've got to see our cards, by Crane & Co., Tree-Free Greetings, Laughing Elephant, African-American Expressions and Designs For Better Giving, to name a few - they're made in the U.S. or are California-based companies, and we think you'll love them! We've got the most delicious chocolates by John Kelly, another of our local vendors, who make their signature dark chocolate enrobed truffle fudge treats right here in Los Angeles. The beautiful scarves, leather & recycled material bags and gorgeous jewelry by Open Hand Design, a fair trade company, are 35% off, and we have some beautiful vintage Shaeffer pens on special as well!

WFS is planning a very special Valentine wine tasting and reading from one of our Altadena authors - stay tuned for more information on that. You might have noticed that we are taking a tasting hiatus this month. Our intrepid wine bloggers, Anne Bannon and Michael Holland, are extremely busy this month. Anne wears many hats, one of which is writing another blog called Your Family Viewer.com and she's tied up with award shows. Not to worry, all that will be wrapped up by February and they'll be back, funnier and more informative than ever!

Our collaborative event with the other Webster's stores, Fancy Food Truck Friday, will also be on hiatus until April. The temporary use permit we renewed late last year will take us through the end of this year if we take this winter break. Unaware that the weather would be so beautiful, we all thought it would be a good idea if we waited until Spring for more gourmet food truck fun....oh how tricky Mother Nature can be! We'll try to fill this gaping hole in our community with our wine and food pairings, so make sure you save the date for those as soon as you hear about them!

Our friend, Karin Bugge, has written an excellent article in one of our local newsblogs, Altadena Patch.com, that's called "Altadena Is No Sierra Madre". Great stuff and the comments are interesting - if you have a moment, I highly recommend you check it out and leave your comment, too. All of us small business owners in Altadena are very interested in your opinion so let us know how you feel!

On a more personal note, Scott and I lost our beloved pet, Pepe the Wonder Dog, last Thursday. He was very special to us. Intended as a birthday present for our daughter's 18th birthday, we found him at a pet store in Blue Jay village, near Lake Arrowhead, in the San Bernardino Mountains, while we were on our honeymoon. We got married on December 27th, 1997, and brought him home with us on January 4th, so he'd been with us for a little over 14 years. Soon after that, Parisa moved out to an apartment that didn't allow dogs, and he became our empty-nest pup. He was quirky, persnickety at times, didn't like other dogs much but he was a one-family dog that was loyal and true to the end. We miss him dearly and we keep hearing his nails clicking on the hardwood floor....wishful thinking, I'm sure, but comforting nevertheless.

Have a great week to come, friends!

Lori and Scott

Welcoming 2012

2012-01-08T22:24:00.000-08:00

The new year unfailing conjures feelings of anticipation, new opportunities and hope. As David Cameronsaid recently, "It gives us an extraordinary incentive to look outward, look onwards and to look our best: to feel pride in who we are and what - even in these trying times - we can achieve."

Our hope for this new year is just that. It would be an extraordinary gift for all of us to feel that sense of pride and thankfulness in ourselves and our achievements and even more extraordinary if that spilled over onto everyone else.

Here's wishing you and yours a meaningful, achievement-rich 2012 - we're looking forward to sharing it with you!

Enjoy the week ahead of us, my friends!

Lori and Scott

We Are Wealthy In Our Friends

2011-12-18T22:17:00.000-08:00

Like most business owners, Scott and I have met many people. Some met during the course of each day, some while at networking events, classes or through our friends. I love meeting new people - each one offers a new opportunity for a relationship of one sort or another and I relish the anticipation of discovery.

More than what for us is normal, we've met so many that have become wonderful friends. Over these past few years, we've had the pleasure of knowing them and experiencing their kindness. For us, it's a testament to the goodness of humans, which is the basis of our holiday traditions. As wild and crazy as things may get, we can always count on our friends to surround us with warmth and support.

May all of you be surrounded this season with the wealth of your friends and family. May you be at peace and enjoy every moment of whichever holiday you celebrate. We are grateful for you and thank you from the bottom of our hearts.....Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and Happy Kwanzaa, everyone, we wish you happiness!

We'll be taking a holiday hiatus and will be back shortly after the new year. Until then, stop by the store if you can and say hello.

Let There Be Light!

2011-12-11T22:41:00.000-08:00

Have you ever visited a place so beautiful that it literally took your breath away? It's those moments that we humans live for, it's what inspires us and what keeps us looking for that next "fix" of fabulous. Without them, we are bereft and without hope.

Scott and I had one of those moments last night, as Altadena's Christmas Tree Lane Association flipped the switch and Santa Rosa Avenue exploded into a million points of colored light! Seemingly suspended in the dark night as you gaze down the road, it's as if the entire length of it was made to be Santa's runway. Of course, according to the history of Christmas Tree Lane, it wasn't a runway for a sled and its team of flying reindeer. But it was a mile-long driveway for a home that was never built, and I'm sure that Mr. Nash would've let Santa use it for takeoff, should he have needed it.

Christmas Tree Lane is such a wonderful attraction for Altadena to have, and it's a testament to the hard work of the Association members and volunteers who make it happen. We are so proud to be a supporter of CTLA and we were very worried a week or so ago that the lighting ceremony wouldn't take place. A brutal windstorm swept through the San Gabriel Valley with hurricane force - somehow, the atmospheric conditions made that wind possible, and the damage it left behind was considerable. Two trees were lost on Santa Rose Avenue, bad enough, but all up and down this street with the lovely Deodar Cedars, large branches had broken, falling and pulling down the carefully placed light strings that had just been placed. So much debris littered the street and yards of the homeowners there - would there be enough time to get it all repaired and cleaned up before the ceremony on the 10th?

True teamwork is hard to find, but it was found in spades in our community - it was found right at Christmas Tree Lane! Kudos go to all those involved with the restoration of the light strings, the clean up and setting up for what was a fantastic event - an event sorely needed by all of us. For it is without beauty we grow melancholy, and with the events of last few weeks, beauty has been hard to come by.

Photo courtesy of Altadenablog

Here's hoping you all have a wonderful week coming up! Be sure to like us on Facebook and look for the announcement of our special holiday wine pairing next Saturday. Watch for news of a special benefit on Sunday for Altadena Community Church. We're also planning an Ugly Christmas Sweater shopping extravaganza the week before Christmas! Hang onto your hats, friends, the season is upon us!

Lori and Scott

Giving Thanks

2011-11-27T21:41:00.000-08:00

Live your life so that the fear of death can never enter your heart. When you arise in the morning, give thanks for the morning light. Give thanks for your life and strength. Give thanks for your food and for the joy of living. And if perchance you see no reason for giving thanks, rest assured the fault is in yourself.

---- Chief Tecumseh, Shawnee Indian Chief

I know I said I was going to take a break this week, but then I remembered something I hadn't done. Something important. I'd not mentioned that Scott and I are grateful for many, many things, but most of all we're grateful for the support of so many fabulous people!

To our friends from high school, both Scott's and mine - and there are a lot of you out there - thank you for being around after all these years! Thanks for listening to us ramble on about the store, looking at the pictures, and even commenting on our Facebook page - you rock!

To my decorating friends from G.I. who've hung in there with us for all this time and letting me go from a decor-obsessed housewife to an independent store owner with baggage, thank you and I love you all! I really miss our discussions, too, but I'm so glad we can keep in touch via social media.

To the friends we've made in Altadena and to the people we've connected with digitally, thank you for allowing us into your life. Thanks for lending an ear; thank you for your attention and we thank you for allowing us to shape our store into what we believe it can be. We thank you for bearing with us while we do it.

As always, I'm amazed by all of you! You give us inspiration, you give us hope and you all give us a reason to be.....grateful.

Have a great week ahead, friends! For a look at what's happening at the store in December, and for a very important coupon you can use for UPS shipping now through December, see our newsletter here.

Lori and Scott

S-A-T-U-R-D-A-Y!

2011-11-20T15:48:00.000-08:00

"Is it Saturday yet
Cuz I wanna get up
Is it Saturday yet
It just feels like a Saturday
Baby
Is it Saturday yet
I just wanna get up
Is it Saturday yet
Cuz it feels like a Saturday
Baby
Is it Saturday?"
----Nick Carter

Saturday - a mini vacation, a day away from the office, a chance to get caught up on things that have gotten away from you - like shopping! You may have heard about Small Business Saturday recently. If you haven't, it's American Express' nationwide program to promote shopping at independently owned small businesses. Held the day after Black Friday (the day after Thanksgiving), Small Business Saturday hopes to increase the awareness of the value of shopping locally.

American Express isn't the only organization to uphold and promote this idea, nor were they the first. Many others have been there much earlier - B.A.L.L.E. (the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies) was the leader of the pack with their mantra of believing "that local, independent businesses are among our most potent change agents, uniquely prepared to take on the challenges of the twenty-first century with an agility, sense of place, and relationship-based approach others lack. They are more than employers and profit-makers; they are neighbors, community builders and the starting point for social innovation, aligning commerce with the common good and bringing transparency, accountability, and a caring human face to the marketplace."

The Amerian Independent Business Alliance, formed around the same time as B.A.L.L.E., is a national 501c3 non-profit organization helping communities launch and successfully operate an Independent Business Alliance® (IBA), "buy independent, buy local" campaigns, pro-local policies, and other initiatives to support local entrepreneurs and vibrant local economies. Their latest campaign, pictured below, launched yesterday:

Urging the U.S. populace to shop local, independent stores and businesses, AMIBA aims to educate us about the difference between corporate-owned (chain) stores, big boxes (stores like WalMart, KMart, Target) and their smaller, neighborhood counterparts. The purveyor of the best information on this subject I've found, AMIBA is invaluable for their support of many nationwide shop local associations.

Smaller, but certainly as important, is The 3/50 Project and their shop local message. Conceived by Cinda Baxter in 2008, in the early days of this devastating recession, The 3/50 Project gives small stores readily accessible promotional material to educate their customers. It was also our jumping-off point, where I learned exactly what was up with these movements and the logic behind them. Cinda gave me the basics and pointed me to the organizations, like AIMBA and B.A.L.L.E., where I could learn more. The 3/50 Project's latest holiday promotion is "Keep The Cheer Here" aimed at underlining the need for differentiators in our communities - places that are unique to each and give new-comers a taste of the flavor of their town.

A relative newcomer to the mix, Independent We Stand has already made a large impact on localvores of all stripes. Formed to support local businesses and also to educate people about their importance, Independent We Stand's videos and informational materials are a testament to their commitment to small business. They go a step further and ask that you take their pledge to shop local. We have a special place in our heart for Independent We Stand.....check them out and I'm sure you'll see why.

These are just a few of the organizations making a difference in the way we think about local economies. As you all know, independent businesses, retailers in particular, are the drivers of the American economy, as it was in the past and as it will be in the future. As for Small Business Saturday, we'll be participating this year, too. We'll open at 8:30 am and close at 6:00 pm and you can expect some great bargains! Until then, I'll leave you with this video - I hope you'll watch it and take it to heart - see you on Saturday!

Have a great week ahead, my friends!

Lori and Scott

November's Bad Rap

2011-11-13T22:04:00.000-08:00

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

Sharing Our Bounty

2011-11-06T21:30:00.000-08:00

"They began now to gather in the small harvest they had, and to fit up their houses and dwellings against winter, being all well recovered in health and strength and had all things in good plenty. For as some were thus employed in affairs abroad, others were exercising in fishing, about cod and bass and other fish, of which they took good store, of which every family had their portion. All the summer there was no want; and now began to come in store of fowl, as winter approached, of which this place did abound when they came first (but afterward decreased by degrees). And besides waterfowl there was great store of wild turkeys, of which they took many, besides venison, etc. Besides they had about a peck of meal a week to a person, or now since harvest, Indian corn to that proportion. Which made many afterwards write so largely of their plenty here to their friends in England, which were not feigned but true reports.”
- William Bradford, 1621

Ahhh, November, with thoughts of Thanksgiving and the holidays approaching! We, each of us, have a collective memory as a nation of the first inhabitants of this county sharing their bounty with the newcomers to their land. Of course I mean the Indians and the Pilgrims, and without such collaboration, it would have been much harder for them to survive.

This month, we have an opportunity to honor the philosophy of our Native American friends who helped those first Americans. We can give a little (or a lot) of packaged food which is very much needed to feed the hungry at Pasadena's Union Station Homeless Services. We've joined up with Altadena's Fork In The Road Gang to collect your donations until the big collection party at the Fork on November 12th and 13th. Please watch this video, put together by Agent Phil Coombes: Put The Fork In Hunger

We have a large box at the store you can drop the packaged food into and we'll take it down to the Fork for you. Easy-peasy, right? But wait - that's not all. For being such a sharing and caring person, we'll give you 10% off any purchase at the store! This is going to be one of the largest food drives in Pasadena history, folks. We'd like to make sure our friends at Union Station have enough to go around this season, because donations have been down lately. Please help by bringing some cans or packages of rice, beans, dried soup.....whatever you'd use in your own kitchen.....for the many people in our community who need them. We thank you, and so do they!

Next Friday, Nov. 11th is not only Veteran's Day, it's also Webster's Fancy Food Truck Friday. Webster's Fine Stationers will be giving veterans a 20% discount all day (and evening, since we're open until 9:00 pm) - all you need to do is tell a crew member that you saw (or heard about) this and you're an active or former member of our Armed Forces. It's just a little gesture to show our thanks, and we'd like you to know just how much we appreciate your service.

Stay tuned to our Facebook page for more details and updates on the food drive, on Fancy Food Truck Friday, what's new in store and more!

Enjoy your week ahead, my friends!

Lori & Scott

Modus Operandi

2011-10-30T18:00:00.000-07:00

Yesterday morning, as I was sitting in our office at home sipping coffee and going through my email, I ran across this blog post written by the indomitable Seth Godin. In it he asks several questions to a fictional entrepreneur and then expounds on those questions. He asks if they are aware of their cash flow; if they're building profit or equity; he asks if they would rather be a freelancer, an entrepreneur or a business owner (because there is a difference); if they're trying to build a team; he asks what type of risks are they willing to take; and finally, the most important question - why they're making the effort at all.

I put Scott and I in the role of the fictional entrepreneur, and asked these very hard questions. They may not seem like hard questions at first. But, as Seth points out, these questions often go unasked. They certainly weren't asked when we were given the opportunity to buy the stationery department at Webster's. After four years of operating this store, we've had plenty of time to refine what we're doing, and I'm very proud of that. In one of the most harrowing, tumultuous financial eras in history, we've been forced to confront the unthinkable and still power forward, because we know that what we have to offer is valuable.

In his post, Seth points out that an entrepreneur is "an artist of sorts, throwing herself into impossible situations and seeking out problems that require heart and guts to solve." Well, yeah....there's that. We've certainly had to be entrepreneurs in these strange times. We've had to plan, then re-plan, and then re-plan the re-plan, since things change so quickly here. We're not complaining, though. Rethinking your position is a good thing, no matter what type of economic climate you're experiencing. Like he says - it requires heart and guts to solve the equation that is your business.

He asks about team building. Are we worried about the bottom line so much that we forget that the most important aspect of local business is "trying to forge a culture, to train and connect and lead." Train. Connect. Lead. Those are the fundamentals, in our opinion, and ones we had long before this post of Seth Godin's came about. You can read our Mission Statement right here on our blog (or on our Facebook page - see the info page), where it's been for four years now. We believe that our entire business community can benefit from adopting a similar mission.

Seth goes on to ask the two most important questions....what type of risk are you willing to take and why. Why are we doing this at all? This is complicated to answer. It's an answer found deep down inside both of us, one that comes from deep convictions born of familial values. There is no "easy button", no fast way to rebuild trust in an institution that has been compromised, but we believe it's worth rebuilding. We wouldn't be here otherwise.

This week, I felt compelled to answer a query on NBC's Facebook page about how small businesses are faring in this economy and if we were hiring. I posted that we were struggling through the recession and simply trying to hold onto what's left of our crew. I received a direct message from a reporter at NBC, asking if I'd be willing to do a phone interview for possible inclusion in an article she was writing. Of course I was willing, and this is the article that came of it.

I answer Seth's last and most important question of why - why are you doing this at all - with this answer: because we love this community. We love what Webster's has stood for all these years (85 of them, actually), and we believe that we have an opportunity to do good things here in Altadena. We knew there would be sacrifices to make when we took over the ownership of this store. We've made them and we continue to make them because we know that in the end, this will be worth it. Are we trying to build a team? No, we're building a tribe - a tribe that has the interests of their community at heart. Join us, won't you?

An Open Letter To Our Crew Members

2011-10-23T16:59:00.000-07:00

This was originally written by Cinda Baxter, the founder of The 3/50 Project, but she took the words right out of my mouth. I wished I had written this, but nevertheless, it's a beautiful letter and one that I distributed this evening to our crew members during our quarterly meeting. I think it says so much - and since I'm a store owner that believes in transparency, I'm sharing it with you. Perhaps, if you're an employer, you can use it or parts of it to give to your own employees. Perhaps you don't have any employees. In that case, give it a read anyway - I think you'll find that the underlying notes of thankfulness and praise uplifting:

AN OPEN LETTER TO OUR CREW MEMBERS

Dear Crew Members,

Let’s face it – the past three years have been rough (more accurately, they’ve been like a blind-folded ride on an out-of-control roller coaster with questionable brakes and really screechy music). You’ve probably seen my moods careen up and down a bit too, between customers, vendors, reps and inventory concerns (not to mention the nasty in-laws). Sorry about that. Some days, as the owner of a retail store, it’s hard not to blur a few lines.

This stuff is personal to me....which is why I want to share a few thoughts with you here. When the store first opened, things were more predictable. Sales had a natural ebb and flow at precise times of year, certain lines were practically bulletproof for us and customers enjoyed shopping. I slept six hours each night, and paid invoices without holding my breath (most of the time, anyway).

But things changed when the market crashed. Sale figures now ricochet like ping pong balls, vendors compete against us online and customers split hairs over 15 cents price differences. Sleep is a far away dream; I practically turn blue when balancing the checkbook.

So yes, I've also changed with the times, examining every decision like it's the biggest one on earth, watching every penny like it's the last one on earth and relying on you like you're the last employees on earth.

Because to me, you are. You're the people I entrust my customers to, who are so near and dear to me. And you're the reason we continue to paddle forward in these strange, unpredictable waters. Which is why I appreciate you so much, even though sometimes, my focus on the bottom line masks that.

I appreciate that you don't ask for an extra week of vacation afte rhaving taken two weeks this summer, aware that our customers need you.
I appreciate that you're honest and trustworthy, not putting friends' purchases on your employee discount.
I appreciate that when I occasionally flip out, you step back and give me space, confident that with a little time, the steam will stop billowing from my ears.

And I appreciate the fact that through all the insanity known as "life in retail", you remain upbeat and positive, making our customers feel at home.

Sometimes, the necessary nuts and bolts feel a bit cold - signing off on the employee handbook, remembering to write down your hours - but that's what keeps the train on the tracks. Each time you fulfill one of those boring handbook guidelines, it prevents stress on the business and everyone associated with it.

I know that on occasion, I harp about keeping things tidy, displays dusted, and holes filled....which might not be reflected by the catastrophe on my desk at any given time.

Housekeeping isn't exciting or fun, but customers notice. If they pick up an item dulled by dust, they assume it's bad merchandise that nobody wants. If there's a gaping hole on the shelf, it looks like we don't care, don't notice, or worse - can't afford to fill it. If things get cluttered, we look like a bargain bin, which definitely isn't our goal.

And yes, sometimes, my methods might seem perplexing. Why, for instance, does the list of four bodies scheduled for the Friday of Thanksgiving weekend have to include yours? Why not someone else? Simple. Each of you lovely souls has a unique personality and skill set. When I piece together schedules, those gifts are taken into consideration so the store has the balance it needs. Given all the big box and Internet competition around the holidays, it's more important than ever that we provide the perfect combination of people so customers get the best experience possible.

In the end, my quirks and requests point in the same direction: Keeping us upright, pleasant and profitable. If one of those elements wobbles, everything does....and customers find somewhere else to shop. Heaven knows, we don't want that, since it hurts everyone whose paycheck has our store name at the top.

Thanks for being the wonderful people I recognized during your interviews. Thanks for remembering that I, too, am only human. And thanks for your heartfelt desire to see the store thrive. For that, I am eternally grateful.

Your Employer

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

Lori and Scott

Affinity for Fall

2011-10-16T23:12:00.000-07:00

Living in Southern California, some think, deprives you of the change of seasons so obvious in other, colder, states. Not so, I think. There's always signs of the passing of the months, subtle as they may be. Autumn has always been crowned with colorful leaves falling from our liquid amber tree in the front yard and signals the start of the holiday season for me.

When I was a child, I used to check on the leaves of this tree as I would check a hour glass, waiting for that first yellow leaf to appear on the lawn. Maybe it would happen in late August or early September. Most always, though, it would seem to take forever for the leaves to change. All the other trees up and down the block had pretty red and gold leaves hanging or floating down to their respective lawns - why didn't ours have any yet?

My mom would always say that because it was the biggest tree, and maybe one of the oldest, it took longer to turn. I didn't understand, some of those other trees looked pretty darn close in size to ours, and I was impatient. The sooner the leaves turned, the sooner Halloween would arrive - and I loved Halloween.

Halloween kicks off the beginning of the party season for most, but we started a little early here at WFS. Somehow, our Fancy Food Truck Fridays, which is held every 2nd Friday of the month, just happened to fall the very day before the 3rd Saturday of the month and that's when we have our wine pairing events. Even better, this month we planned to include a poetry reading with the wine tastings. It turned out to be one fantastically busy, fantabulously fun weekend and we enjoyed every minute of it!

The food truck event Friday evening went off with nary a hitch, after having received the needed permit from L.A, County on Monday. They cut it pretty close, but we still had a good sized crowd enjoying the offerings of the different trucks. I ordered from Baby's Badass Burgers this time around and I must say that their food is mighty delicious! It was wonderful to have our new event sponsor, Danny's Farm, back in Altadena, if only for one night a month. The animals were a hit with the younger crowd, but of course the goats have a big following in our town! Next month's Fancy Food Truck Friday will be on November 11th.

On Saturday, Linda Dove and Judith Terzi, local poets both, joined OddBallGrape.com's Anne Bannon and Michael Holland for an evening devoted to wine and poetry.....oh, and food! Wonderfully tasty treats were provided to us by Lauren of Amy's Patio Cafe and I'm kicking myself in the pants for not getting pictures of them! Lovely prosciutto-wrapped asparagus spears, the asparagus perfectly al dente and prosciutto lean and flavorful. Mushroom caps filled with cream cheese and sun-dried tomatoes made savory bites and the fresh mozzarella, grape tomato and basil kebabs were unbelievably good, but it was the decadent brownies and the filo cups filled with a sweet blueberry compote that completely stole the show!

This evening Scott and I are taking it easy. Well, better make that he's taking it easy, I'm writing a blog post. Dinner's waiting, so enjoy your week ahead and we'll talk again next week....

Lori & Scott

Scaring Up Some October Fun!

2011-10-09T15:42:00.000-07:00

Just the other day, when it turned cold and rainy, we were worried we wouldn't have our expected Indian Summer here in Altadena. Loosen those scarves and remove your blazers, friends, because it's supposed to be in the upper 90s this week!

While we enjoy summer in fall, The Shops At Webster's will be (hopefully) hosting our 9th Fancy Food Truck Friday. I say hopefully, because as of this date, we haven't yet received our new permit from L.A. County.....talk about it coming down to the wire! We're all proceeding as if we'll have it in hand prior to the event and are all very excited to bring you this fun evening of community fellowship and good eating! Join us to welcome our new event sponsor, Danny's Farm and don't forget to bring the kids - Danny's Farm is bringing their fabulous new truck and mobile petting zoo! Do check our Facebook page here for up-to-date information first, though, or give us a call at 626-797-1135.

The very next day, WFS is hosting our monthly wine tasting with Anne Bannon and Mike Holland of OddBallGrape.com, this time with a wonderful, new twist. We're combining this tasting with a poetry reading by two of our area's beloved poets, Linda Dove and Judith Terzi! We'd be honored if you'd join us for all this fabulousness - please do make reservations on our event page on Facebook Event Page so we'll know how much wine and food to bring in. Don't have a Facebook account? No worries, simply give us a call or email info@webstersfinestationers.com and let us know you're coming!

These two events are scheduled back-to-back to commemorate two very occasions very special to us here at WFS. Scott's birthday is on October 13th (c'mon, join with me....happy birthday, Scott!) and October is also our store's anniversary! We've been open for four years now - amazing how time flies, isn't it? We decided awhile back to schedule these two community-building events together so we can celebrate with you all, and we certainly hope to see you at one (or both) of them! Fancy Food Truck Friday starts at 5:00 pm - we'll be in a Halloween mood, so come prepared to enjoy some spooky fun and some of Scott's delicious birthday cake. Wines For A Passionate Evening Of Poetry starts at 4:00 pm, and we'll be serving finger foods from Amy's Patio Cafe!

Coinciding with our 4th anniversary, WFS was profiled in Independent We Stand's Merchant Success Stories. The article is here and we'd love you to take a moment and give it a read.

Have a great week ahead, my friends, and we look forward to seeing you this weekend!

Lori & Scott

Hello, 4th Quarter!

2011-10-02T22:01:00.000-07:00

The year certainly has flown by, hasn't it? I can't believe it's already October, but that said, we're looking forward to the hustle and bustle of the next three months! (In the retail world, the 12 months are divided up into 4 quarters, the last three of which are the 4th quarter.)

This month holds the promise of much excitement, with our Fancy Food Truck Friday slated for Oct. 14th and our wine tasting/poetry reading on the 15th! In collaboration with local artist Patrick Gothard, we've hung his Day Of The Dead series of oil paintings in the store. An exuberant explosion of graphic color, these skeleton-inspired paintings are something to see - and we hope you'll come by and do just that! We have plans to be working with several more area artists over the coming months, adding to the number of local artists we already represent.

Remember to "like" our Facebook page, where you can keep up with what's happening with us, join in some interesting conversations and learn about events and specials! As always, have a great week ahead and we hope to see you soon!

Lori & Scott

Community Is Our Business

2011-09-25T23:01:00.000-07:00

If you look at Altadena, CA,on a street view map, you'd see that we're a very spread out community. There are actually four different "main drags" in Altadena - starting from the West, we've got Lincoln and Fair Oaks, Lake Avenue in the center and Allen to the East. This sprawl of neighborhoods and commerce centers make it a challenge for law enforcement, but we're very lucky to have our Los Angeles County Sheriffs, who do such an admirable job of keeping us safe.

Photo Credit: Tim Rutt

I was honored to attend the Grand Opening of the Altadena Sheriffs Station on Saturday, accompanied by Rose West of Curves on Mariposa representing Altadena's Chamber of Commerce. Struck by that fact that violent crime here has taken a notable downturn, I feel very grateful that our Sheriffs now have a new, upgraded station to conduct their business in. The building's design is a nostalgic nod to the era the original Station was built in, and it carries that theme faithfully throughout from the vintage lettering on the glass insets on the interior doors to the old jail, now used for storage. The completion of the Station's renovation gives me hope that this is the start to the much-needed renovation of the North Lake Business District.

Just like the Sheriffs make our community their business, all of us at Webster's FS make Altadena our business as well. We don't just sell products at our store, you see. We give our all to be of service to our fellow residents and guests at all times. Many customers feel comfortable calling in to ask questions about happenings in the community, and we think that's a great thing! I'd like to encourage people to tell their friends to feel free to contact us if they'd like - not everyone has a computer or internet access, and we don't mind helping people find what they're looking for.

Happy fall, everyone - have a great week ahead! Next week we'll talk about the next Fancy Food Truck Friday and our own Wines For A Passionate Evening of Poetry coming up on October 15th.....

Lori & Scott

Distinguishable Difference?

2011-09-18T17:37:00.000-07:00

We're embarking on an adventure this week at WFS. We'll be reading the book entitled "Different" by Youngme Moon. When I saw "we", of course I mean me, but I will be discussing it with Scott and our crew when I finish reading it. I became fascinated by watching this video, found on a Google + post by Mari Smith, and I can't stop thinking about the book. I'm thinking about all the ways that WFS truly is a different sort of retail store, and that many of our ideas, such as what I term "cooperative commerce", are innovative.

I'm excited to read "Different". I'll leave you here with a little taste of the book, and when I finish it, I'll report back to you on how much I liked it. I'll also be pointing out what I learned from it, and how I think our store can benefit from the information. Or maybe, it'll be how our community can benefit.....we'll see.

-----------------------------------------"Different" by Youngme Moon--------------------------------------------------

"There is perhaps no better way to get a glimpse into the mass consumption values of a culture than to visit the place where the inhabitants of that culture purchase the stuff of daily living—soap, food, shoes. If aliens were to visit a grocery store or a drugstore in this country, they would have to conclude that we are a people hooked on the pleasures of picking needles out of haystacks—of selecting a cereal among an ocean of cereal boxes, of selecting a bar of soap among an ocean of soap bars. And in many ways, they would be right. We take for granted how frequently we thrust ourselves into the position of having to make purchase decisions in the face of overflowing product profusion."

"There are truisms in business, just as there are truisms in sport, in play, and in life—self-evident, obvious truths that require little or no persuasion. Buy low, sell high. Know thy competition. Listen to your customers. These are the axioms that have not only achieved the status of conventional wisdom in the world of commerce, they have become part of our modern business reflex. And because these wisdoms have become congenital almost, when they are called into question, we tend to be not just defensive, but dismissive."

"The metaphor should be obvious. The central premise in part 1 of this book is that in so many consumer categories, differentiation has become hard to come by because we have fallen into a pulse of competition that in and of itself has become an impediment to its emergence. In part 1, I also contend that businesses that find themselves locked into this particular pattern of competitive engagement have become masters at producing product categories filled with heterogeneous homogeneity, or dissimilar clones if you will. Which is to say that they have become masters of a particular form of imitation. Not differentiation, but imitation. Yet because this particular form of imitation is cloaked in the vernacular of differentiation, the myth of competitive separation lives on in the minds of the managers running these firms. Meanwhile, the emperor has no clothes and most consumers know it."

"....As a percentage, the number of companies who are truly able to achieve competitive separation in their respective categories—to break through the noisy clutter, to create genuine emotional resonance with consumers—is depressingly small, and yet these outliers have much to teach us about the limitations of some of our most deeply held business assumptions. So while part 1 of this book may read like a critique, part 2 will read very much like a celebration, of these iconoclasts and their ways of doing business."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Oh man....I'm really looking forward to this!

Have a fantastic week, my friends!

Lori & Scott

SB 469 - Good For Your Community?

2011-09-11T23:04:00.000-07:00

Tucked in the back op-ed section of the August 29th edition of the Los Angeles Business Journal, economic development consultant Robert J. Rodino wrote an interesting piece entitled "Gains From Wal-Mart Style Stores Not So Super". In it, he discusses State Measure SB 469, a proposal that would require California cities to conduct economic impact studies before approving large, super-center type stores, and the criticism it's getting.

The argument that this measure would inhibit economic growth here in California's communities stems from a misunderstanding of the dynamics of the retail business. Rodino says, "The impact of Wal-Mart style superstores on the businesses in local communities is often just the opposite of what superstore advocates claim". This is something that the Americal Independent Business Alliance has been talking about for years now. During studies conducted in 2003, and updated in 2010 for the city of San Diego, Mr. Rodino documents the dynamic he coins "retail cannibalization" - the tendency large superstores have for sucking the life out of a community.

"Consumer retail expenditures are dependent on consumer income", Rodino states. "Developing a Wall-Mart style superstore in a mature urban market does not alter consumer incomes and does not alter their expenditures. Superstore gains in sales largely come from the surrounding retailers' losses. While a portion of sales can be made up from consumers coming into a trade area, i.e., into the city of Los Angeles from outside the city, this is rarely sufficient to satisfy superstore annual sales volume. Regionally, there would be little or no net new retail sales growth, since retailers outside the trade area would correspondingly lose sales volumes".

He goes on to cite other instances of the devastation a large superstore could cause. He advises that advocates for business need to be asked what businesses are they advocating for - giant corporations or local small businesses? He says, "Nationally we accept the idea that small businesses are job creators. Why does this change for local retailers in Southern California?"

Why do we see that disparity here in SoCal? I'm no politician, so it's a mystery to me. Local, independent businesses have been proven to be the drivers of job creation, innovation and the lion's share of economic development in cities and towns across the county. I can only imagine the economic stimulus these overreaching corporations get from our local, state and national government, without making good on their promises to stimulate the local economy. But there it is, happening around us every day. Read up on SB 469, and please vote to keep your communities unique and vibrant - choose small business over big box business!

This has been a public service message from Webster's Fine Stationers - thank you for reading!

Have a wonderful week ahead, my friends!

Lori & Scott

Because Communities Matter

2011-08-28T21:43:00.000-07:00

Each one of our communities across our nation face a huge challenge today. That challenge is keeping our neighborhoods - the place we live - unique and vibrant. There are too many places in the United States that could be moved from one area to another and no one would be able to tell the difference. The same brands, the same styles, the same everything all across the county! Thank goodness that not everyone is content with that.

I'm glad that Altadena is one of those rare places that doesn't want to be a cookie-cutter community. I'm glad that we've kept our independent businesses alive (for the most part), and I'm certainly glad for Altadena's independent spirit! I know that there are towns just like Altadena who are proud of their uniqueness as well, so anyone reading from out of town, I'm sure, can identify with one, hopefully their own. That's great! We need to continue to support those businesses who have woven their threads into the fabric your communities.

The Shops At Webster's are such businesses. Webster's has been part of the Altadena landscape since the 1920s and has seen generation after generation of Altadenans come and go. We're honored, all of us, to be a part of that history. We're also thrilled that we can be part of history in the making. With the renovation planned by the pharmacy and the innovation promised by its new owners, you need look for no further signal that the family's old place will continue operation well into its 100 year anniversary! Scott and I are excited about it all and especially by our contribution to the mix.

As summer winds down into a new fall season, all of the Webster stores are planning some tremendous fun for you and yours! Make sure you keep your eyes out for email communications from us and follow our Facebook page or you might miss out on vital information about cool new food trucks at our Fancy Food Truck Friday events; our very popular wine pairing events; book signings and readings and other community-centered happenings.

We hope to see you soon, and wish everyone a great week ahead!

Lori & Scott

On Our Horizon, Weak Knees And All

2011-08-21T17:00:00.000-07:00

This past week saw another of our monthly wine pairing events, and it even generated a story in the Pasadena Weekly! The Weekly interviewed our intrepid wine bloggers, Anne Bannon and Michael Holland, and outlined our wine pairings at the store. Here's the link, if you'd like to check it out: http://pasadenaweekly.com/cms/story/detail/?id=10437. Hat tip to the Weekly for the article! If you're in the area on September 17th, we'll be hosting a special wine event tied into the back to school season - Wine 101, a Wine Primer For Novices. We'll be tasting and discussing the four major groups of wine - Bubblies (brute Champagne), Whites (Chardonnay) Blushes (Rose) and Reds (Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvingon). Come to learn the basics of these four groups of wine, come to enjoy the local foods to be paired with them, most of all come to enjoy a great time with good friends!

Webster's Community Pharmacy, Webster's Stationery and Webster's Liquor are planning our next Fancy Food Truck Friday on September 9th. Not all the details are put together yet, but we've gotten notice from Cathy Gott of Danny's Farm that they'd like to join the festivities. Wouldn't that be fun, with their new trailer and animals! We're not sure as of yet whether the County will allow this or not, so stay tuned to our Facebook page for more information throughout the days leading up to the next food truck event!

Friday afternoon I attended a celebration of our women in the Altadena Town Council at Monica Hubbord's and let me tell you, this was such a wonderful event to have been invited to! Thank you, Monica, for all that you do to support our community, you're truly one in a million!

On a more somber note, we know these days are very challenging, especially for the more vulnerable members of our society. Organizations like Friends In Deed , Union Rescue Mission and Union Station Pasadena are working valiantly to help feed and house these people, while sometimes the adversity seems to overwhelm them. I came across Union Rescue Mission's Rev. Andy Bales' recent blogpost and have to link it here. This has provided me with such inspiration that I really hope it gives you some "strength in your knees" as well. Watch for upcoming fund raisers for these groups in the future!

We'd like to leave you with a bit of scripture found in Rev. Bales' post:

"Hebrews 12:12-13 (ESV)
¹²Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees,
¹³and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed."

Have a wonderful week ahead, friends!

Lori & Scott

Bully, Bully, or, Coercer In The Rye

2011-08-14T17:34:00.000-07:00

Friday night's Fancy Food Truck Friday was just fabulous in every way - the weather cooperated (it wasn't a thousand degrees), Paco the Chihuahua made an appearance and the news crews followed! The Arroyo Food Co-op were had a table there, passing out information to our attendees and so was local resident Tamir Yardenne. Tamir is a multi-talented young man and his latest endeavor centers around the no-bullying movement. His latest short film, Silencio, features Altadena actor and activist, , and is a powerful statement against bullying.

As Scott and I were having coffee this morning, we discussed bullying and the oppression that accompanies it. Scott, dyslexic and ADHD from birth, knows all about that subject. As he tell it, he's been bullied all his life, mostly by his own family members. When I first got to know Scott and spoke with him about his troubles, I took it all with a grain of salt. But having been married to him for 14 years, I can attest to it now - I've seen and experienced it myself. Bullying is never a good thing, but when it comes from within your own family, what can you do?

What you can do is to get help, from friends or professionals. Bring it into the light and don't suffer in silence. There's no reason to be bullied for being thought of as "different". We've been able to rise above it, to deal with the effects of it and so can other people, by taking positive action. There is much more support out in the world now, thanks to people like Tamir, that can help break the bonds of bullying.

I've rewritten this blog post several times since Sunday evening and ended up with this final post. I want to apologize if any of the former content made anyone uncomfortable, as that was not my intention. We'll be back next week with our regularly scheduled posts.

Lori & Scott

Que Sera Sera

2011-08-07T22:34:00.000-07:00

Many times in the past, I've referred to positive changes in Altadena as a "what if". What if we had the many ammenities that are common in other cities we cherish and envy, such as Sierra Madre. What if our North Lake Business District were a real town center, with traffic mitigated, building facades upgraded and foot traffic patterns established? What if our retail shops, groceries and other businesses were more modern and relevant? What if Altadena, once a thriving destination in the San Gabriel Valley, were to reclaim its renown?

I've asked these questions for several years now, with mixed responses from people I've talked to here and while working in the store. Back then, most of you were and continue to be enthusiastic about changes; and some not so much. Over the course of these years, however, I notice people's attitudes changing. More and more, our community is coming together and change is happening - I can hear it, I can see it and and I can feel it!

The feeling isn't just coming from the anticipation of coming attractions, although that certainly has a part in it - it's the palpable heart beating though our community. Our town is rich in gifted individuals who are exerting all their efforts into resuscitating Altadena's soul. Take Altadenablog's Tim Rutt, whose grassroots news blog has partnered with the new Pasadena Sun, giving him the opportunity to reach far more people than ever before and give us coverage we haven't experienced in a long time. Take the awesomeness that is the Altadena Urban Farmer's Market and their truly unique take on the market concept (even the L.A. Weekly thinks so!). They're on hiatus right now, but believe me, they'll be back and better than ever! If that's not enough for you, consider the hugely popular Bulgarini Gelato. Mentioned in the Los Angeles Times Magazine as one of Los Angeles' iconic eateries, this recent article tells you all you need to know - Altadena is drawing people from outside our borders to visit. Add that to the draw of our incredible hiking trails, and you've got a destination area waiting to happen!

Compound all this with the planned renovation in Webster's Community Pharmacy. The new owners, Mike and Meredith Miller will be reinventing the old pharmacy soon and we know it'll be wonderful! Our store is ready for a rebranding as well. As new(ish) owners, we've been constrained for some time by circumstances not under our control, but that's changing and changing soon. We plan to be right there with you through all this, my friends, as we take our family store into the future. The moment is here, and it's undeniable.....the positive changes I told you about all those months ago are imminent. The groundswell has begun and it will sweep all of us up into it - and I for one, welcome it. As the old song says, "que sera, sera, whatever will be, will be"......I say bring it!

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

Lori 'n Scott

Mid-Summer Newsletter & Back To School Special

2011-07-31T14:46:00.000-07:00

Earlier this morning, I tried to copy and paste our newsletter onto Blogger but it didn't work so I tried deleting it. I'm afraid, though, that a link went out anyway, and for that, I'm sorry. Let's try that again and we'll be back next week with our regular blog posts!

WFS' Mid-Summer Newsletter & Back To School Special

Dear Friends,

We find ourselves at that bitter-sweet junction of summer where we look toward sending the kids back for another exciting semester of school. We'll explain how we can help you save time and money in the article below. WFS carries much needed office essentials, too - most of them made out of recycled materials and made right here in the United States - come see us instead of "running down the hill"! With gas prices still on the increase, it only makes sense to shop locally.

Scott and I attended the California Gift show recently what a show it was! So many great things we're finding that are American made or made by local companies. Look for these exciting new products to be delivered from now though the fall season! We're also in the planning stages with several Altadena artists, and we can expect to see their creations in store soon.

Things are heating up in Altadena - not just from the summer heat, but from all the great events going on around town! Never say there's nothing to do here. From the wonderful Concerts In The Park series from the Sheriffs Support Group to individual events put on by local businesses, there's a whole garden of activities available to enjoy. This month will see our next Fancy Food Truck Fridays, a joint venture with Webster's Community Pharmacy and Webster's Liquor, on August 12th. Our wonderfully intimate, humorous and delicious Wine Tastings With OddBallGrape.com's Anne Bannon and Michael Holland continue this month, on August 20th. Scroll down for all the pertinent information on both events!

July was an incredible month, with such an outpouring of caring and love, exhibited through our collection of canned food items for Friends In Deed! It started early on in July and stemmed from this article in the Pasadena Star News. We'd like to thank them for their help passing the message along with this article and thank you all for answering the call. We now have a huge box of food that we'll donate to them this week - well done, Altadena! Just a note to remind you that we take donations of those small toiletries received at hotels or travel-sized, unused toiletries for All Saints Church all year 'round, as well as monetary donations for the Bright Future Scholars via the "Dollars For Scholars" collection jars - look for these collection spots next time you're in the store.

Speaking of good deeds, who hasn't heard about Altadena's canine hero, Brave Paco, the chihuahua that's taking a bite out of crime! He's ten pounds of lean, mean, burglar-chasing muscle and we're glad he's patrolling the streets of the North Lake Business District! Your chance to meet Paco and his owner is coming up at the next Fancy Food Truck Friday event - you don't want to miss this paw-tograph op!

We hope to see you soon!

Lori & Scott Webster

Stay Local & Save! WFS' Back To School Special
It's the time of year for getting your children ready to get back into the swing of the new school season! We know that times are challenging and that you're all pressed for time, so we're offering you a way to shop locally and save. From August 1st through the 31st, when you spend $50.00 on back to school items, you'll save 25% - that's our employee discount plus 5%! That's $37.50 for $50.00 worth of school necessities! Tell your friends and neighbors and forward this email to them, so everyone can take advantage of this historic savings opportunity!

From binders and notebooks, to filler paper, composition books, index cards, pencils, pens, erasers, rulers, scissors, crayons, protractors and everything in between, Back To School shopping has never been easier or more fun. Sip a cup of ice cold lemonade, have a cookie and listen to our classic oldies playing in the background, WFS is THE place for buying your school essentials! We defy you to find better service anywhere else! This year, we even have paper book covers - yes, we finally found someone who makes these, and they're on our shelves now!

Fancy Food Truck Fridays!

Great Eating, Community Style
Every 2nd Friday of the month we have at least six different Fancy Food Trucks in the Webster's parking lot. A community favorite since its inception in February, everyone looks forward to greeting friends at our tables where everyone eats family-style! Brave Paco, Altadena's canine crime fighter will be making an appearance so you won't want to miss this opportunity for a paw-tograph!

Our event this month is on Friday, August 12th, from 5:00 pm until 9:00, and the Shops At Webster's will be open for your enjoyment. Each shop has it's own ambiance, entertainment and/or specials, so please come in and enjoy it all before or after you eat!

This month's Fancy Food Trucks are:

Grill 'em All ( Great Food Truck Race winners!)

India Jones

Greenz On Wheelz, a perennial favorite

Hungry Nomad

Shrimp Pimp

A Rockin Ice

Look for the event announcement on our Facebook page soon to see what's happening that evening inside the store!

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Engagement Exercise

2011-07-24T23:08:00.000-07:00

What do you get when you combine a fabulous international shopping venue with a retailer that loves to decorate? You get the most incredible week, and if you've been keeping up with us on our Facebook page, you'll know that Scott and I've been at the California Gift Show. So many fascinating things to look at, so many places to go and people to see, it truly can be a scramble - but a very exciting scramble it is! It's always a special treat to connect with the leaders in our industry, even more so to listen to their synopsis of the hot topics affecting retailers today.

On Saturday, Scott and I hit the Convention Center for a retailer's roundtable discussion with four such ladies. The group of four was moderated by Marisa Marcantonio, former style editor for House Beautiful and O at Home, an Oprah Magazine, and author of the Stylebeat blog. She gracefully led the three panelists, Gifts and Decorative Accessories Magazine's editor-in-chief Carolyn Kennedy; Jenny Heinzen York, the editor-in-chief of Home Accents Today; and Traditional Home Magazine's Senior Design and Style editor Krissa Rossbund; in a discussion that was informative, inspirational and touching.

The discussion centered around what retailers in today's rough market should and could be doing to not only increase their bottom line, but reach beyond that to touch their customer's lives in a positive fashion. There was talk of target markets and knowing who your customers are. For those of us who are struggling to make it to the next season, their advice was to engage! Engagement takes many forms these days, but we retailers should be using all the new sources, such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to communicate with and grow our customer bases. But that's not the only way to reach people. Have you ever noticed that when you tell your kids, or anyone else, a story they tend to settle back and listen? How many retailers out there are only using the avenues I mentioned to blindly shout "Here we are and this is what we've got!" into the world-wide web without giving your potential followers and customers anything else to identify you with?

Tell them your story, the ladies advised. Let people know who you are, what you stand for and what you can do for your community! What a waste of time if you're not thinking of how to impress your brand - your store and your story - into your customer's mind. I've often told our crew here at WFS that when we're at the store, it's like we're on stage. Every time we interact with a customer, we should be giving them not only service, we should be giving them an experience (and hopefully, a pleasant one). We should be giving them something to talk about, so they can in turn tell their friends about you. In essence, creating a community of people who are willing to come to you, to listen to your story, to recognize your brand and identify it with a positive experience.

In towns and cities across the nation, small stores like WFS are creating communities of people who want to shop with them. They know the story of the store, what they're about and what they do. Don't leave them guessing, my friends. Reach out and touch the people with your story and let them know how you can help them, make their lives easier, and most of all, make them feel they matter! It's a harsh world out there - a savvy retailer will make sure that her customers are experiencing shopping bliss, even if just for a few minutes.

We'll talk more about engagement and important trends you can take advantage of next week. Until then, have a wonderful week. Don't forget, our Fancy Food Truck Fridays is coming up on August 12th, and our monthly Wine Tasting Event (Frosty Whites For Summer!) will be on August 20th!

Lori & Scott

Believe In Change

2011-07-17T21:27:00.000-07:00

As I sit here and type, I'm reflecting on the two days Scott and I took off of work because of Carmegeddon. While it was fun to putter around the house we see so little of, we found ourselves antsy about not being there. It's a funny feeling to be away from the business you're running, especially these days, but I'm glad for a little bit of distance. Perspective is good as is planning, and we did some of both this weekend.

As we were discussing the very real need for increased business in our store, Scott mentioned some of the online reviews he's read about Webster's, and the many comments he's heard over the years from the store's customers. He says that the general consensus of opinion about the store was this statement: "If you can't find it anywhere else, you'll be able to find it at Webster's". No matter what "it" was, people thought that you could find it here. He's also heard people sat repeatedly "I went to ____ and ____ and couldn't find it, but you have it!" Scott asked me this question - "Where would Webster's be today if people would've come here first? Why, if in the majority's mind, we carried everything, didn't they come to us first?"

That's a question that isn't simple to answer and is a moot point anyway, as the pharmacy business is owned by a different family now. The aura of the Webster's of old still affects us all today, however. Change is never comfortable, especially with a store that's been in the community so long. One whose cachet was fading, maybe, and one who was a last resort shopping destination, but was one who was still there - safe and predictable.

Now the game's changed and the store is not the same as it was. Times have changed, as we all know, and shopping habits are in flux. The wholesalers who supply what our old store offered are getting more and more difficult for small, independent retailers like us to work with. The minimum purchase is getting higher and their short terms are not negotiable. Some small office supply and business product manufacturers have gone out of business altogether, which gives the impression that we've chosen not to carry that item anymore. All of this together doesn't exactly smack of confident retailing and our dwindling sales are proving it true - you can't sell it if you don't have it.

All of us here at Webster's need your support, because all of us want to be strong enough to support you, the community. With the anticipated revitalization of the pharmacy, we are placing our hope in your continued goodwill and trust. Trust us that we intend to bring you the very best shopping experience we can. Both Scott and I are working with Michael and Meredith to support their efforts to accomplish this because we believe. We believe in ourselves, our crew and our talents. Let us show you what we can do - be a supporter of positive change and tell a friend about us! Your good word of mouth is more powerful than a thousand dollars worth of advertising, so go tell someone about us or share this post - we deeply appreciate it!

Community In The Works

2011-07-10T22:45:00.000-07:00

Last week we celebrated Independents Week, as we discussed in my last post, and I've never been more proud to be a part of the business landscape in Altadena. Even though times are tough financially, there is an undercurrent running though our community that is so exciting, it's really inspirational!

Scott and I have the honor of knowing so many individuals, most of whom are active with various civic groups in town, that have been working tirelessly to challenge the status quo and improve our daily lives. From the Arroyo Time Bank and the Altadena Urban Farmer's Market to the Altadena Town Council, Altadena Heritage, and the Altadena Historical Society, these folks are devoting their time and effort to make a discernible difference here. They're paving the way for a sustainable future for Altadena and along the way, they're also educating our residents how to achieve and maintain it.

On Friday, during our Fancy Food Truck Friday event, we had two such people in the store, donating their time to making the evening more enjoyable for everyone. Susann Edmonds, owner of A Chair In The Garden and head chef at Jabberwocky Smooth Jerk was there handing out samples of pork roast cooked with the proprietary sauce while local artist HB3 (Hugh Bonar) made magical sounds with his guitar, utterly enchanting everyone who came in. It was quite a night and I'd like to thank both Susann and Hugh for helping make the event even more of a community party!

The groups I mentioned above, and others that I haven't yet mentioned, all need our help. Not just some of our money - what they need is your attention and most of all, they need your participation. You can find out more about them at the websites the links will take you to. I can tell you that they can't do what they need to do without our caring about them. In my ideal world, we would all be working together for the common good, businesses and community members alike. If you live in Altadena, we urge you to take a moment, check out these sites and get invested in the town you live in.....only good could come of it!

Thanks for listening and we hope you all have a fabulous week!

Lori & Scott

Independents For All!

2011-07-03T16:15:00.000-07:00

As America prepares to celebrate Independence Day, communities nationwide are using the occasion to celebrate independent businesses that provide opportunities for personal freedom, local self-reliance and form the backbone of most local economies. Running from 7/1/11 to 7/7/11, WFS salutes all our brothers and sisters in independent businesses!

Public education is at the core of Independents Week. “Where we choose to spend our money plays a vital role in forming the character of our communities,” said Jennifer Rockne, director of the American Independent Business Alliance (AMIBA). By patronizing locally-owned businesses, we not only can get competitive values, but create more opportunity and wealth within our communities. "The events also help inform government officials", Rockne says. “Many elected officials aren’t aware their hometown businesses provide far greater local economic benefit from each sales dollar than chains. Our role is to help them make more informed decisions.” If you ever have questions in regard to this subject, please feel free to contact us, we'd be happy to provide you with information!

Scott and I hope you have a fun-filled Fourth of July! Remember, next Friday evening is our Fancy Food Truck Fridays event, with star truck Ragin Cajun Make sure to check for the event notification in our newsletter going out this week and on Facebook! Our next Wine Pairing event will be held on Saturday, July 16th. Our theme this month is in honor of Bastille Day, so we'll be pairing French wines with some tasty French-inspired cuisine. Stay tuned to our Facebook page for further information!

Until next week, my friends!

Lori and Scott

                                                     My Country 'Tis of Thee
                                                     Written by: Samuel Francis Smith

                                                     My country, 'tis of thee,
                                                     Sweet land of Liberty,
                                                     Of thee I sing;
                                                     Land where my fathers died,
                                                     Land of the pilgrim's pride!
                                                     From ev'ry mountain side,
                                                     Let freedom ring!

                                                    Our fathers' God, to Thee,
                                                    Author of Liberty,
                                                    To Thee we sing.
                                                    Long may our land be bright,
                                                   With freedom's holy light;
                                                   Protect us by Thy might,
                                                   Great God, our King!

Thank You....Thank You Very Much!

2011-06-26T16:52:00.000-07:00

These days, it's very easy to forget the word "thank you". The picture above is a book we sell at the store and it reminded me that I need to be more aware of what I'm grateful for. I'm grateful for my family, for my friends and for everything that the Lord has granted me in life thus far. Both Scott and I are grateful for the chance to bring our dreams to reality, even though the road seems unpaved and perilous. Most of all, we're grateful to you! Every day, we welcome the opportunity to delight you, so here's a big thank you from us to you!

Have a wonderful week, my friends!

Lori & Scott

Song For My Father

2011-06-19T23:28:00.000-07:00

A collection of rooms - four walls
a floor, some furniture - a house
a shell, no soul, empty....waiting

For someone to fill it - waiting
for a family's love, laughter - dreams
A home....a solid foundation.

You gave that to me - my father
You stood inside it and said yes
This is the place - this house.

A collection of rooms - four walls
a floor, some furniture - my home
echoes with the gifts you gave....

love

             ----Lori Elliott Webster

Scott and I hope all of you had an enjoyable weekend and Father's Day! Enjoy the coming week, my friends, we'll be back with normal blogging next week.

Dollars For Scholars!*

2011-06-12T23:13:00.000-07:00


WFS Grand Re-Opening Notice In Pasadena Star News, Sept. 27, 2008

This little blurb made it into the Pasadena Star News back in September of 2008, and was about the only mention of our "new" store ever in print when ownership changed. Although it's hard to make out, the bottom of the paragraph shows that we dedicated a portion of the day's proceeds to The Quality Of Life Center, of which the Bright Future Scholar program is a part of. This was the start of our wonderful relationship with the visionary head of the Center, Dr. Sandra Thomas, and her entire staff.

As I mentioned on our store's Facebook page this morning, Scott and I were honored to attend the graduation ceremony of the Bright Future Scholars, held this afternoon at the Pasadena Convention Center. I say honored, because this is such an incredible program for high achieving school kids who would otherwise be unable to take advantage of such opportunities. In academic achievement, the Bright Futures Scholars Support Program, when compared to others with similar demographics, ranks at the top state-wide. 100% of the seniors enrolled in the program go on to enroll in college. Today's graduating seniors are going to a variety of top colleges, including Harvard, Columbia, USC, UCLA and UC Santa Cruz - and we couldn't be prouder of them!

It costs nothing but high grades to become part of the Bright Future Scholars. It does cost quite a bit, however, to mentor those kids and take them on the yearly retreat to Washington, D.C., or to Sacremento, CA. It costs a lot to make sure there are people from the Center ready to help whomever needs it, whenever they need it. It costs the students themselves, and their families who have little to spare, a tidy sum to attend college and to provide for living and school expenses as well. When the question of who would like to pledge a scholarship for a Bright Future Scholar graduate in 2012, Scott and I had to step up!

We pledged not just one $500.00 scholarship - we pledged two! One scholarship will be from Webster's of Altadena, in honor of the Webster family's long tradition of service to the Altadena community. The other will be in honor of my grandfather, Dr. Robert I. Elliott, who was Superintendent of Schools, State of Nebraska, Broken Bow County and was later president of Chadron State College for 40 years. Chadron State College is celebrating their 100 year anniversary this year.

As you can see by my family's history, education is important to us. It's even more important that those who are doing well in school be able to go on, despite their economical or situational challenges. You know I've been saying that our businesses should all be working together toward a healthy community, and making sure that our non-profits stay viable is a top priority. No longer can we think of ourselves only - I advocate for a more holistic approach. That's why we're putting our money where our mouth is. Now, we've got to get busy and make enough so that we can honor (there's that word again!) our commitment.

In other news, this next Saturday is our monthly wine pairing event with OddBallGrape.com. This time it's "Cabs For Dads And Grads" and we'll highlight different combinations of Cabernet Sauvingon with grilled meat (or grilled vegetable) sliders. Amy's Patio Cafe will be providing the sliders and there will be much merriment as we learn which wine tastes best with what! Mark your calendars now - the fun starts at 4:00 pm and lasts until 7:00 pm - a whole hour later than we normally close. If you haven't been to one of our wine tastings, you're really missing out - Anne Bannon and Mike Holland of OddBallGrape.com are lively, funny and extremely knowledgeable about the vino!

Have a fabulous week ahead, my friends!

*We have collection jars in our store, at each register, for customers to drop their change into, to benefit The Quality Of Life Center. Please make it a point to drop yours in next time you're at the store - we appreciate it!

Community At The Table

2011-06-05T22:28:00.000-07:00

We're celebrating the fifth Fancy Food Truck Fridays this week and in honor of the occasion, I'd like to take you on a little history trip - one that looks at food truck origins, their sudden burgeoning popularity and the way food binds us as humans together.

One of the earliest pioneers of mobile kitchens, entrepreneur Charles Goodnight, was primarily a famous Texas rancher. Deemed the "Father of the Texas Panhandle", Mr. Goodnight was also a banker, silver miner and the founder of a college, among many other things (entrepreneurs back in those days were serious multi-taskers and were themselves most likely the model for today's venture capitalists). In 1866, Mr. Goodnight saw the need for food-on-the-go for his ranch hands as they worked the cattle drives and thus, the "chuckwagon" was born.

Of course, food vendors had been on crowded city streets since time immemorial. From ancient Greece and Rome to Paris' storied Monmartre, purveyors of salty, savory, sweet and spicy deliciousness from carts abounded. The genius of Mr. Goodnight's invention was putting size into the food cart equation and making it a place where food was prepared and cooked. First the patrons of the chuckwagon were the cowboys of the day, then others followed suite and the ubiquitous lunch wagon (more commonly known as the roach coach) was born.

Fast forward to 2008, when Mark Manguera, a Filipino married to a Korean woman, his sister Alice Chin and friend, chef Roy Choi, started Kogi BBQ Taco Truck. Mark's concept of Korean barbeque (or Bool Kogi) in a taco, arrived at while drinking with friends, took off like lightening and today's gourmet food truck was born. And what a platform it's been, and continues to be, for the enterprising entrepreneur, and how exciting it is for us to experiment with these new recipes!

As humans, we are hard-wired to gather around good food. Again, from ancient times to modern, community is found around a dining table. Breaking bread is one of the oldest human tradition and we all hold true to that psychological imprint. This is why all of us here at The Shops at Webster's host Fancy Food Truck Fridays. We hope that by providing this communal experience, Altadena will be enriched. Enriched by more people connecting, laughing......eating......together. From our house to yours, we hope you'll enjoy yourselves this Friday night. Come by, say hello to your friends and neighbors and meet someone new - maybe even browse in the shops and meet us! We'll be waiting for you.....

Enjoy the week ahead, my friends!

Lori and Scott

Surveying The Landscape In Altadena

2011-05-30T20:59:00.000-07:00

As I've hinted about for the past couple of weeks, the results from the Chamber of Commerce's Shopping Survey have been compiled and released to the public. We released a condensed version of the data at the Chamber's last mixer on Thursday, 5/26 at the Community Center. The mixer was open to the public at no charge, but even so, there were only about 20 attendees. You could say that the Chamber didn't announce the date of the mixer loudly enough, but it was on both Altadenablog and AltadenaPatch.com, and I know I gave ample notice of it on the store's Facebook page.

Why so few attendees? We'll look at that in just a minute - first I'd like to talk about why we decided to put this, admittedly rudimentary, survey together in the first place. We knew going in that most people up in our neck of the woods want more choices in 1) grocery shopping, 2) dining out and 3) retail shopping. What we needed was verification of this, so we can continue our dialog with Los Angeles County in an informed manner. They need to not just hear us, but hear you as well. We want to give them not just anecdotal evidence, but hard numbers that encompass a good portion of the town,,,,and this survey of just under 400 people gave us that.

Verification of what we thought going in appeared in the survey. The number one requested shopping venue was for a healthier choice in groceries, a la Trader Joe's or the Arroyo Food Co-op. And yes, the Arroyo Food Co-op was mentioned over and over again in the written section, where we asked the survey takers to elaborate on what type of business they'd like to see in Altadena. Same went for restaurants - the requests for healthy/organic/vegetarian dining options were many. As for retail, I was surprised that only 15 respondents out of 370 answered the question "Why Do You Not Shop Locally", with 7 people giving the answer of "lack of choices". However, continuing on with the survey, I was completely blown away that when asked to elaborate where the respondents did shop in town,...there were 360 answers!

Sooo....our residents do shop in town! I did a little counting of my own, and out of those 360 responses, 201 mentioned they shop Webster's. And out of those 201, a good third of those named Webster's Fine Stationers by name. That made me feel good! Altadena Hardware, under new management this year, put in a great showing, too, with just over a hundred mentions. Our restaurants received mention, too, with Foxes, Amy's Patio Cafe and El Patron being the frontrunners of that category.

But back to the question, why so little attendance at the mixer? Are there really that few people on-line in Altadena? Or are we faced with a situation where people just don't care anymore? In a retail group I'm a member of, the question of how to get people to care about your shop is asked in different forms repeatedly. As shop owners, we not only have to be good businesspeople, we also have to have the ability to read the future as well. We have to forecast the climate for certain products and services, which tend to wax and wane like the moon, and we have to pick up on the tendrils of a trend. The trend of indifference has long been in place, I think, longer than I've been in retail. With the advent of the big box corporate stores, the glut of advertisement you receive in your face every single day wears me out....and I'm a retailer! No wonder there's such apathy - too many choices and we get locked into our same old, same old routine of habit. You have to be truly different to stand apart, a trendsetter.

My tip to other retailers and business people is this: there is a trend out there, one that will leave the big boxes and the internet retailers in possible shambles in the not-too-distant future. The trend towards localization is huge and growing. People, as in the people who took our survey, WANT to shop in their neighborhoods. They don't want to travel 20 minutes or a half an hour to get to some mega mall, they want a place close by where they can come in, get what they need, maybe spend a few moments talking to acquaintances and go home. Or they want a place nearby they can depend on to delight them, whenever they stop in. Our challenge is to serve that up to our residents....with a smile. Can we offer that to you, Altadena? You bet.....just watch us!

On this Memorial Day, we hope you've had a pleasant long weekend! Best wishes to you in the coming week,

Lori & Scott

Trust Issues

2011-05-22T22:43:00.000-07:00

"I've learned to listen to myself, to listen to truth, to not be afraid of it and to not try and hide it"
----Sarah McLachlan

In our talk about sustainability last week, I mentioned a survey about businesses in Altadena that was conducted by the Altadena Chamber of Commerce . News of the survey and links to it appeared in AltadenaPatch.com and Altadenablog several months ago. The survey results have been compiled and will be presented to the public at the Chamber's next mixer, at the Community Center, 5:30 pm on Thursday, May 26th. This is great news, for we finally have some information to use to build our case for some County attention our our neck of the woods, not to mention our own internal need for forward motion. After the mixer and the release of the survey, you'll get a guided tour of the results, a la Lori.

I spoke about my having picked up some inspirational reading material last week, as well. Scott and I both listened to Seth Godin's newest book, Poke The Box, on audio tape and we're so inspired. I love that we can listen to someone who advocates standing up and making a difference - and I love even more that we both agree that's something we can do together! We are also reading Jeanne Bliss' newest book, "I Love You More Than My Dog". While I haven't yet finished Jeanne's book, I can say that these books, in combination, are proving to be invaluable to me. I see clearly that we've been depressed these past several months, letting the pressures of owning this store affect our relationship with not just each other, but the relationship we have with our customers.....you.....in a not-so-positive way.

At our crew meeting tonight, we talked about these things. We talked about trust - the trust between the public and our store and also the trust between our crew and us. We want our store to shine on every level, most importantly customer service. We've decided that we can't have excellent customer service if we don't trust our crew members to instantly respond to customers' needs. Returns or problems of any kind can be handled by any one of our able crew members at any time and we absolutely trust their judgement.

Our no-cell-phone policy was brought up as we discussed trusting our customers. I think that in our zeal to provide a restful, calm shopping experience, we ticked a few people off when we asked them not to use their phone in the store. We've rethought the message we were sending when we enforced that policy and would like to issue a sincere apology to anyone upset by it. We believe that our customers can be quiet while on the phone in the store and we'll leave it at that.

Our monthly Fancy Food Truck Fridays event on the 13th went very well - 6 food trucks, including the Border Grill Truck, and a record attendance! Beautiful weather helped along with the complimentary Tarot card readings by our lovely gypsy fortune tellers.....everyone wanted their fortune told on Friday the 13th! Yesterday was this month's wine tasting event with the publishers of the blog OddBallGrape.com and we paired several Syrah's with picnic foods (deviled eggs, fried chicken & potato salad) provided by DD's Chick & Cat Shack. This was a fabulous pairing - those attending were very impressed with the lovely wines and the accompanying food! The next wine tasting will be on Saturday, June 19th, and our theme will be "Cabs For Dads and Grads". Make sure to look for our event announcements in your email or on our Facebook Page! We're also working on a follow up to our Social Media 101 event last October - we'll let you know when we will be scheduling that.

Until next week, my friends.....have a wonderful week ahead!

Lori & Scott

It's A Question Of Sustainability

2011-05-15T17:32:00.000-07:00

Sustain: verb 1. to support, hold, or bear up from below; bear the weight of, as a structure
   2. to bear (a burden, charge, etc.)
                       3. to undergo, experience or suffer (injury, loss, etc.), endure without giving way or
                          yielding
From the Middle English suste, derived from the Anglo-French sustenir, Old French < Latin sustinere -
to uphold
Synonyms: carry, support, bear, maintain
Legal Definition: 1. to support as true; legal or just 2. to allow or uphold as valid

Sustainability is a term that has become fashionable to use recently. So many different entities use it blindly, though, telling us their _____(insert name)_____ is sustainable this or sustainable that and I'm a bit tired of hearing it. I don't think a lot of people truly understand the term, however, so I'm starting this post with the dictionary definition of it. We can now see that the true meaning of the word sustain is to "bear" or "endure".

With that definition in mind, I'm happy to report to you that the shopping survey being conducted by the Altadena Chamber of Commerce has been closed and the results have been compiled. While I'm not at liberty to disclose any particular information, I can say I'm glad we did this survey. We received just under 400 responses and it gives me, a business owner here in Altadena, a chance to see and hear what our residents want. It gives me a chance to see how much our residents actually know about what's available where they live, and most of all, it gives us a chance to improve. By us, I mean our store, of course, but I also mean the Chamber of Commerce. As a Director on the board of the Chamber, it's vitally important that we know where we're headed as a town. This survey gives us leverage when we meet with the County, but we'll talk about that later, after the survey results have been made public.

I do want to take a moment, though, and discuss the word sustainability in conjunction with Webster's Fine Stationers. Sustainability is important to us, obviously because we would like our 85-year old family business to still be around when we reach 100 years of age. To reach that venerable age, though, we have to be very careful. Because we took over part of this family business at the beginning of the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression, we experienced an immediate loss of business. However, it wasn't just the recession that affected us, it was the lack of communication from Webster's Pharmacy Corporation about why they decided to break up the stores. But all that is water under the bridge now, and to make a go of this business, we made a pledge to move forward, with or without Webster's. It turns out it's without Webster's, as my father-in-law sold the pharmacy to Michael and Meredith Miller at the beginning of the year.

To allow our store to be more sustainable, we've had to give up a few things. The economic situation as it relates to other businesses also had a hand in shaping how our store will be continuing. Many customers don't realize that the poor economy has forced quite a few wholesalers to go out of business, which reduces what's available for us to order. We've had to reevaluate what we're carrying in the store - those things that moved slowly aren't on our shelves anymore. Changing what our store offers has some confused, as well, but we saw a gap to fill in our community, and we're filling it. Especially now, as the Hallmark store next door to us has gone out of business, we have an opportunity to work with the new owners of Webster's Community Pharmacy to fill that void.

However, we all want our businesses to be sustainable. That means not putting all our bets on one horse, such as office products, greeting cards or tchotchkes. We can't have an almost 5,000 sq. foot store full of Hallmark cards and gifts, because it's proven that the community can't support it. We won't rely on office products to make our store profitable, because we're not attracting the thousands of people necessary to make it so. What I believe we can rely on is a carefully curated selection of cards, gifts, office essentials, books, children's toys & games, and of course stationery to make our store sustainable and profitable now and in years to come. I believe that our local businesses can work together with our Chamber of Commerce and Town Council to help our community become more vibrant and that will also make our businesses more sustainable.

Next week I'll be talking about more specific numbers from this survey and I hope you'll join me. It's fascinating reading and I, for one, am grateful for the opportunity to help shape Altadena into the best it can be! If you're reading this and you don't live in Altadena, keep in mind that we could be Anywhere, USA. I don't think we're that unique across the nation, so just insert the name of your town for my town. I believe we all have many common values, problems and hopefully, solutions!

Until then, my friends.....have an enjoyable week ahead!

Lori & Scott

Adoption Song - A Post For Mother's Day

2011-05-08T14:49:00.000-07:00

I was an adopted child. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, it was a source of fascination to my friends who had “real” moms. My friends would even quiz me on walks home from school. “Doesn’t it feel weird?” they’d ask me, expecting a different answer from the simple “no” that I gave them. “You don’t look much like your mother” was a phrase I heard many times when I was young, or “you and your sister look so different”. We did look different as night and day, with my mom and dad being dark haired and my being blonde. My mom’s olive skin tones didn’t relate to my fairness, and my sister’s obviously Irish heritage confused people next to my Scandinavian features.

I always knew I was adopted, because my mom started telling me as soon as she figured I’d understand. There wasn’t a big family talk about it, there weren’t any feelings of my being abandoned, or angst about missing the birth mother I’d never known, it was just a fact of life, not a big deal to me. Of course, both my parents acted together in this, but I’d like to credit my mom with making sure that I knew, down deep where it counts, that I was wanted. That she and my father waited 10 long years on a list until I, and then my sister, came along, and that they, in fact, prepared for us.

She kept this poem, cut out of a newspaper article, on the old cork message board next to the wall phone in our kitchen, a thumb-tack stuck through the top:

“Not flesh of my flesh
Nor bone of my bone,
But still miraculously
My own.
Never forget
For a single minute:
You didn't grow under my heart
But in it.”

On this Mother’s Day, I give this to other moms, perhaps not birth mothers, but mothers just the same. May you give your child what my mother gave me – unequivocal love and a strong sense of belonging that molded me into the person I am today. On this Mother’s Day, I’ll say a prayer of thanks for my mom, Helen Elliott, who loved another woman’s child as her own.

Back next week with another post....enjoy your week, my friends!

Lori

Opportunity Knocking

2011-05-01T16:55:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, I'm a big fan of Seth Godin. His marketing advice is spot-on, but I enjoy him for so much more, especially his pithy takes on what's happening in the world today and how it relates to having an impact. He's written two such blog posts recently, here and here, that exemplify this, and I highly recommend your reading them before we continue.

In the body of the second blog post, Seth says "the opportunity (to make a difference), though, is the biggest of our generation (or the last one, for that matter). The opportunity is there for anyone (with our without a job) smart enough to take it - to develop a best in class skill, to tell a story, to spread the word, to be in demand, to satisfy 'real needs', to run from the mediocre middle and to change everything". He also says "the old economy offered a guarantee - time plus education plus obedience equals stability. The new one, not so much. The new one offers a chance for you to take a chance and make an impact".

This, my friends, is essentially what we're doing at WFS. Running from the mediocre, not relying on the way things were done "before", we are mapping out a new territory in retail land - one that espouses cooperation over competition. One that demands we take a stand for the things we believe in, such as buying locally to reduce our carbon footprint. One that demands we buy U.S. made products to invest in our own economy and one that demands we buy ethically produced products if they're made overseas. Most of all it demands the utmost integrity; our name denotes longevity but it will now be synonymous with fairness and a willingness to go the extra mile to ensure you a comfortable shopping experience. Trust is not given easily, that we know. Time will prove our mettle, and we ask that you give us a chance.....a chance to show you exactly how we can make an impact on our corner of the world, and maybe change everything.

Thanks for listening and we hope you have a lovely week ahead! Remember, Mother's Day will be quickly upon us and WFS can help you with that. We have American-made cards that are perfect for giving moms of all sorts and we have some wonderful items for gifting - come on in and let us show you!

Lori and Scott

Survivial In The "Post-WalMart" Era?

2011-04-17T17:38:00.000-07:00

The retail pundits have coined a new phrase. We are now living in what they're referring to as the "post-WalMart era". Why are they calling it that, you might wonder, as I did. After conducting a bit of research about the subject, I discovered that WalMart just reported its seventh straight quarter of declining sales in their U.S. stores. Same store sales for 2010 were down .8%. Although .8% isn't a terrible number, it's the cumulative effects of seven consecutive reported losses that gives us clear signal that's all is not well with the retail giant.

Their decline has cleared the field for many other retailers, such as TJ Maxx, Target, Kohl's and Dollar Tree. If you notice, all those names don't include any independent retailers, only corporate-owned big box stores. How will the "decline" of WalMart affect us independents in the immediate and near future? In my humble (or not) opinion, it won't have much of an effect on us at all. Each one of the stores mentioned specializes in discounted merchandise. Independent retailers don't. As I just explained to a customer not 3 minutes ago, when she questioned our $8.99 per ream price for printer paper, we don't get the same buying price as Staples does. We don't get corporate kickbacks or any cooperative benefits for buying products or advertising. We don't have the benefit of large tax loopholes we can rely on to defray our costs. What we do have going for us is the very real and tangible benefits to your community's fiscal health. We do have the ability to help answer your questions when you have one and we have the ability to make the decision to help our local non-profits, should we be asked to. No one at any of those corporate stores mentioned above has that ability at store level. But does that make us a more popular destination than they are? I'm afraid not.

The huge amount of money behind their advertisements practically guarantees them a large market share. Independents generally don't have any way to match that budget, and most can't get anywhere near it. The best that some of us can do in the way of marketing is on the Internet, via vehicles such as Facebook, where very often the only cost is the time & effort put into it. If you work it right, have engaging content and make it a destination by offering something your followers deem valuable, you can gather people that may hear what you have to say. Then, there's always the chance that they won't hear you and there's always the fact that a good percentage of people don't use the internet.

That's what we're faced with here in Altadena. There are many people who either don't have access to a computer or just plain refuse to have anything to do with them. That's when word-of-mouth advertising comes in. We try to rely on positive word-of-mouth to fill the gaps in what our internet-based marketing does, but what do you do when that can't be trusted? Isn't that a scary situation?

Yesterday, I had a phone call from an elderly customer, asking if we were closing. "No", I replied, "we don't close until 6:30 p.m., ma'am". "No, no, I mean are you CLOSING....you know, going out of business?" Oh. That question again. I hadn't heard it for over a year now, so it really threw me. "I'm sorry, ma'am, but where did you hear that?" I asked. "Oh, just around", she replies. "We're not going out of business, ma'am, and I'd really like to know where you heard that bit of information". "Just through the grapevine", was the elusive answer. Sigh. The grapevine has been quiet, like I said, for over a year now.....I thought. Apparently I was wrong.

People don't really think when they repeat information they're not absolutely sure of. I know I've done it in the past, but now I stop and think who I could be hurting by passing along erroneous information. If we all just stopped a minute and thought about it, I'm sure the majority of us would stop as well. Or better yet, if the information you're not sure about is about a place, or person, go see them. Go there and see if it's true before passing it along and spreading rumors that might actually harm them. People might not feel as strongly about my businesses as I do, but we all need to realize, especially in these tough economic times, that there are employees here who depend on their salaries. Bad word-of-mouth and rumors only discourages patronage, and if we don't have enough customers buying things from us, we can't pay them. We're not privately funded. So please, faceless woman on the phone, or anyone else reading this, don't feed the rumor mill. We're open, we're in business.....come in and see us!

Have a wonderful week ahead, my friends.....Passover and Easter blessings to you, and we'll be taking Easter Sunday off. We'll talk again the week following!

Lori & Scott

Letting Go

2011-04-10T16:54:00.000-07:00

Back in October of 2007, when Scott and I bought the former Stationery department of Webster's Pharmacy as a stand alone store, we were excited at the prospect of shaping the store to our vision. We wanted to make a difference in our community and beyond by becoming a true community shop - a place where people know you by name, where you could feel comfortable. But more than that, we wanted to highlight the diversity and the creativity of the Altadena community. To do that, we began carrying books written by area authors. We've now got so many that I've had to cut back on my buying until we find a better way to display them.

Our friends at the Altadena Library on Mariposa St. knows all about local authors, too. They have some of the best readings by our local writers and one of those readings was yesterday. Called Poetry & Cookies, the event had a line up of many local poets, each given approximately 2 minutes to recite a poem or part of one. Our friend Barbara Ackermann brought me the book complied by the Library of the poems by the writers who participated. She had been there, reciting some of the haiku she's written. I've been having an online conversation with another author, Dr. Thelma T. Reyna, about the event and my desire to get back into writing poetry. I've long known that writing can be cathartic, but have been so busy that the urge to write is pretty much fulfilled by this blog and Facebook. However, with reading the book of complied poetry from the Library event, I was inspired to devote some time to writing.

Know that I'm a seat-of-the-pants writer, as witnessed by this blog. I have no time to spend in prolonged planning of what to write each week Somehow, an issue or inspiration usually appears and I use it and knock out my ramblings pretty quickly. Same with poetry, which I've been writing since...well, forever. I remember in 5th grade, I wrote a poem for Halloween and was never more chagrined when my teacher, Mrs. Maurer, made me get up in front of the class and read it. I thought I was going to die then and there, but I survived and so did the poem. In fact, I used most of it in the store's October 2009 Halloween event invitation, here, but in truth, I haven't written much of anything very creative in a long while. Why? Because the past three and a half years have not been good to us. As much as we've wanted to change the store to follow our vision, we've met very strong headwinds, most astonishingly from family members. With so much rage and pain simmering in me, how could I write anything worth merit? I'll let you decide for yourself.....

LETTING GO

Hello, old friend, she says,

Addressing pen to paper,

it’s been too long, she thinks,

Trepidatiously touching tip to surface.

Let it go to move forward

they say, without knowledge of

how closely held the hurt,

oblivious of the pain endured.

She’s afraid to proceed

scared to open the dam

of feelings, afraid of the purge

afraid to lose her battle honed armor.

How to let go, she wonders,

to jettison the betrayals

and move past false promises

into the realm of possibility?

Thoughts swirl like ribbons

Around a bowl of water, swirling

down into courage – the courage she

forgot she had - hello, old friend.

----Lori Webster

Have a great week ahead, my friends!

Lori & Scott

Spring-ing Forward

2011-04-03T17:40:00.000-07:00

This past week was chock-full of things happening (as usual around here). Boxes of new products to check in and put out; people to see and places to go! It's amazing I remember my name when Scott and I finally get home at night. But when we do get home, after I've made dinner and I'm reflecting on the day, I always count my blessings. My blessings include our wonderful customers and readers of this blog (that's you), and they also include heartfelt hopes that all of you are faring well.

We've got a full week ahead of us, as well. Fancy Food Truck Fridays will be at the end of the week on April 8th and it usually takes all week to get this event together. Of course, the Spring holidays are approaching, and we'll be celebrating them a little later in the month. We'll have our yearly Spring Coloring Contest starting on April 11th, so drop by the store to pick up coloring pages for the kids to color. Return the completed drawings to the store and we'll display them for all to admire, then we'll pick 3 winners. Winners will be announced at our annual Spring Celebration Event, and they will each be rewarded with a fabulous prize Easter basket. The Easter Bunny will make an appearance, along with plenty of goodies to munch on....it's a party you won't want to miss!

We've been talking a lot about how an independent small business, such as our retail store, can contribute to the fiscal health of their communities. There are many ways this can be accomplished, but one very popular way is through donations to our local non-profits and schools. We can also help by not just donating directly (which we do) but by facilitating donations from the public (that would be you). This week, there will be a box to collect your "gently used" items of clothing, purses, hats, belts, dishware, audio and visual equipment, small appliances, holiday decorations, giftware, etc. You see, Central Altadena Little Leaguers have partnered with Goodwill of Southern California and are collecting for them. They asked if we could help, and we said sure! So, in turn, we ask that you take a look around your home and see if there's anything you need to get rid of, that your kids have outgrown or that you're no longer using. Drop it off here so we can give it to CALL and they can give it to the Goodwill. Your gifts will help raise funds for their children's sports program, as well as help Goodwill continue their many programs that enhance the quality of life for people with disabilities or other disadvantages by providing education, training and job opportunities. You can make space in your home in addition to helping your community....I'd call that a win/win!

Have a great week, my friends!

Lori & Scott

History Lessons

2011-03-27T23:11:00.000-07:00

As Women's History Month winds down to the last few days, I'm amazed at what an eventful month it's been. The horrible disaster in Japan and the deaths of icons Elizabeth Taylor and Geraldine Ferraro have struck a chord in our hearts this month. Catastrophe and loss surround us on a daily basis and women the world over take it in stride, as we always have. The circle of life, emanating from woman - the struggle, the toil, all the joy and pain - ending, only to begin again.

This is what we do, all of us women. The givers and sustainers of life, most of us deserving of headlines yet moving through our lives unheralded. My friend, Roberta Martinez, posted a question today on Facebook. She asked who were the women who've most influenced your life. I enjoyed reading the various responses posted. It was a great question and I haven't stopped thinking of which women have influenced my life, whether they were historical figures, family or celebrities. This is how I answered Roberta's question:

The women who've influenced my life are Harriet Beecher Stowe, Mother Theresa, Marlo Thomas, Eleanor Roosevelt, Elizabeth Taylor. In my own family, the first women I knew who left their indelible impression on the child I was were:
1. My paternal grandmother, Anne L. Babcock Elliott, who taught college-level Latin
2. My maternal great-grandmother, who raised my mom & her 4 siblings after their parents died and still ran a tea-house in Iowa
3. My mother, who overcame rheumatoid arthritis as a child, had considerable health problems as a young woman and had a complete hysterectomy in the 1930s. She married my dad (7 yrs her junior) in 1947 and waited on a list for 10 years to adopt me in 1957, when she was 47 years old. She fought with my father to go to work in the early 1970s and fought cancer for 16 years until she died at 83 in 1994. She worked until she was 80.
4. My birth mother, whoever she was, who had the good sense to know she couldn't take care of me and put me up for adoption to a couple who could.

I like my answer, but as I continue to think about it, there's one woman that I left out. A woman who I never met, and don't know that much about, but who had a hand in guiding the business that Scott and I are involved in now. That woman was Scott's paternal grandmother. The wife of Harold Webster, the founder of Webster's Pharmacy. You see, Harold died when Scott's dad was only 19. She had the responsibility of running the store after the death of her husband, and also assumed the task of seeing that her children who worked the business were properly trained on how to actually run it.

That she did a good job of that goes without saying. The store was very successful for many, many years. I'd like to give her the recognition here that I can't find any mention of anywhere else. She has inspired both Scott and I to continue the heritage of Webster's and constantly strive to bring you the best. We'd like you to join with us in acknowledging a true Altadena pioneer.....thank you, Mrs. Webster!

One For All And All For One....Sustainablity In Altadena Or Anywhere

2011-03-20T16:19:00.000-07:00

When I mentioned "slow money" last week, I imagine many were scratching their heads, wondering what I was talking about. SlowMoney.org was founded by Woody Tasch, a pioneer in merging investing and philanthropy. Slow Money's mission is to build local and national networks, and develop new financial products and services, dedicated to:

investing in small food enterprises and local food systems;
connecting investors to their local economies; and,
building the nurture capital industry.

: At their recent Healthy Money Summit, the topics they went over included:

Earning and spending habits that liberate your time and passion for your real life’s work
Investment strategies that favor the triple bottom line and sustainable business practices
How to practice the state of being that favors generosity and sharing over hunkering down
New currencies that favor connection and community over hoarding and lack
New economies that favor Main Street over Wall Street, and prioritize community well-being as the new bottom line
Developing a new money spirit of “enough for all,” rather than “winner takes all”

A healthy economy, healthy habits and healthy attitudes toward money are possible, as are healthy retail practices. Here at Webster's Fine Stationers, our own mission statement encompasses these ideas and determines our purpose on a daily basis.

So how can a retail store (or any independent business) affect positive changes in their community? Research shows that if you shift a portion of your spending from national chains and the Internet to independent locally-owned and operated businesses, you can have a dramatic effect on your local economy. That’s because a significantly greater portion of the money you spend with local businesses stays in your community. This means more money for roads, schools, services and jobs. A small change in the way you shop can have a big impact on your community.

In addition, cooperation between our business owners also makes a huge impact on the community. Take, for example, the cooperation between Winsome's Pretty Woman on Marcheta Alley and WFS. We gladly display a few hats from Charmain's store here so other people will see them. We will sell these hats for her and gladly give her full proceeds. We display other business' cards and information at our community table, and we all patronize local businesses here on North Lake. We sell Christmas Tree Lane Association's merchandise and they receive 75% of the proceeds. We eat brunch weekly at Amy's Patio Cafe and have lunch during the week at El Patron and Everest. We take our clothes that need dry cleaning to Merit, use Ms. Dragon and the Manning Press for our printing needs. We have a local accountant and insurance brokers. I personally use our Facebook fan page to highlight other local business, because I believe that we should all be doing this for each other. Imagine the impact on our community if we all did this for each other!

It wasn't all that long ago that business was pretty cut-throat on Main Street, USA. You did for yourself and no one else. Back in the day here in Altadena, the old kingpins of commerce locked themselves in as such and we're experiencing the backlash of it today. The parking regulations that everyone bemoans is a direct result of such dealings. Times have changed and the old ways of doing business are no longer working. These days, we must adopt more sustainable and cooperative practices if we're going to survive. Webster's Fine Stationers is elated to be on the forefront of this movement. We invite you to climb aboard and make a difference here in this community, or in your own community....it can only get better from here.

Enjoy your week, my friends, and a very happy Spring to everyone!

Slow Retail

2011-03-13T16:28:00.000-07:00

The title of this week's blogpost relates to the Slow Money and Slow Food movements afoot in this county. The principles of slow money start by saying:

1.We must bring money back down to earth.
2.. There is such a thing as money that is too fast, companies that are too big, finance that is too complex. Therefore, we must slow our money down -- not all of it, of course, but enough to matter" .

I'm hereby proposing a Slow Retail movement as well. The video I've posted above, of a new(ish) song by Jesse J featuring B.O.B. very aptly illustrates the way I feel about this. Portions of the lyrics go like this:

"Seems like everybody's got a price, I wonder how they sleep at night.
When the sale comes first, and the truth comes second, just stop for a minute and smile.
Why is everybody so serious, acting so damn mysterious?
Got your shades on your eyes and your heels so high that you can't even have a good time.

We're paying with love tonight, it's not about the money, money, money
We don't need your money, money, money
We just wanna make the world dance,
Forget about the Price Tag
Ain't about the Cha-Ching Cha-Ching.
Ain't about the Ba-Bling Ba-Bling
Wanna make the world dance,
Forget about the Price Tag.

Why is everybody so obsessed, money can't buy us happiness.
Can we all slow down and enjoy right now, guarantee we'll be feeling alright.

Its like this man - you can't put a price on the life.
We do this for the love, so we fight and sacrifice every night.
So we ain't gon' stumble and fall never,
waiting to see this in the sign of defeat, uh uh,
So we gon' keep everyone moving their feet,
So bring back the beat and then everyone sing!"

I love this! The song, of course, relates to the singer's experience in the music world, but it can relate to retail as well. Especially here, especially now.

Scott and I took over this section of Webster's because we felt it was the right thing to do. Who knew that the bottom of the economy was going to fall out right as we purchased? No matter - it was still the right thing to do. For the love of our community. For the possibilities of how we could make a difference here. And it's starting to come together! In spite of all the sacrifices we've made, it's a great feeling. These past three years have seen a slowly growing tide of change sweeping through our area.....keep it coming, Altadena!

You can keep up with our daily happenings on our Facebook page - we invite you to join us there! Until next week, my friends.....

Lori & Scott

Thoughts On Independence

2011-03-06T16:24:00.000-08:00

Last week we discussed the small town of Thomasville, Georgia, and its thriving Main Street independent businesses. We reported that despite the downturn in our economy, these shops have been able to keep their heads above water with the cooperation of their city government and their residents. I pointed out that even though we are County-governed, if we had their (and your) cooperation, we could see a similar effect here.

I'm proud to say that I heard from a gentleman who now lives in Colorado but used to own a shop in Thomasville. He saw my blogpost and gave me a call. I was surprised but very happy he called to voice his support! He says he'll be watching us and hoping that "those who shop Rodeo Drive will start shopping in our area". Well.....we won't hold our breath for that to happen, since logistics in Southern California can be so misunderstood by those who live out of the area. But I certainly appreciated the thought and we will continue to strive toward educating the public about the benefits of shopping locally at independent businesses. Mr. Arnest, thank you for contacting us, we so appreciate your call! Now, it's time to watch a little video by our friends at JibJab (no, we're not advertising their ecards, although they are funny):

This last Wednesday, lawmakers in Maine heard testimony on a bill, LD 322, to repeal the Informed Growth Act, which Gov. Paul LePage also has listed among his priorities for reforming Maine’s regulatory environment. Enacted in 2007, the Informed Growth Act was championed by supporters as a way to protect Maine’s downtown business districts and local stores from the effects of large-scale retail developments such as Wal-Mart, Target or Home Depot. The law applies to proposed businesses with a gross floor area of 75,000 square feet or more. If this bill is repealed, it would set a precedent for other communities across the county to do the same, if they agree with what Bill sponsor Rep. Tyler Clark, R-Easton, argued that the law is inherently biased against larger retail operations.

Stacy Mitchell, a senior researcher for the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, a nonprofit that promotes “environmentally sound and equitable community development,” said that before the act’s passage, many town planning boards were unable to consider how a big-box store would affect jobs and small businesses in town. Imagine the impact that having a WalMart in Pasadena would have on neighboring independent retailers!

We recommend reviewing organizations like The 3/50 Project, the Institute for Local Self Reliance (link above), Independent We Stand, and the American Independent Business Alliance for information on the importance of shopping locally. Investigate and find out how you can support your community's economic health and improve your shopping experience. Those large corporations aren't all they're cracked up to be, as many of you are aware. One of them even ticked off the venerable Seth Godin and prompted him to write his latest blogpost about broken promises - one thing that we independent businesses have more control over, since we're not so huge and impersonal.

My friends, I leave you with this last little bit of truism from The Localism Index: the minimum amount having a grocery store, bookstore, coffee shop and restaurant within half a mile of a house increases its value: $21,000! Wow!

Have a great week and we look forward to seeing you at the next Fancy Food Truck Fridays on 3/11/11 (that's this Friday)! Thanks to the Altadena Chamber of Commerce for helping us get our permit!

Lori & Scott

And The Award Goes To.....

2011-02-27T17:08:00.000-08:00

Tonight is Hollywood's favorite night. Stars from all over will descend on Hollywood, walk down that red carpet and a few of them will take home that coveted golden statuette. Now, let's take a moment and think about who really deserves an award. While I'm sure there are countless worthy individuals, I think the small business owners who have struggled through these hard times and are still open deserve a shout-out. These businesses owners who contribute to their community's well-being by hiring local employees, use local services, pay local taxes and recirculate their hard-earned dollars in that community.

The video posted above (also posted on our store's Facebook fan page) shows one town in Georgia that has thrived despite the downturn. I recommend watching this video to see what would be possible here if we all worked together to make it happen. I'm speaking about Altadena, of course, but you can make this happen anywhere in the country if you happen to live elsewhere. If I'm being repetitious, forgive me, but it bears repeating that our recovery from the worst financial disaster since the Great Depression won't happen until it happens with small businesses. We are truly the bedrock of the American way of life. If small businesses keep disappearing at the alarming rate they're disappearing now, our lives will be changed forever, and not in a good way.

If you've been following this blog for any length of time, you know how strongly I feel about this. It's particularly important now, in light of the recent fracas with our Fancy Food Truck Fridays event and the County of Los Angeles' Planning Department. For those of you who aren't aware, our gourmet food truck/open house party for the community that we held on Feb. 11th and was very successful. So successful, in fact, that we must've ticked off a few people and complaints were lodged with various County agencies. The County, as far as we can ascertain, has told us we can't do it again because it violates Title 22 of their voluminous Civil Code. As the wrangling with the County goes on towards some kind of resolution, I will also recommend they watch this video as well.

Let's all work together for a better Altadena. Let's do it now.

Have a wonderful week, my friends,

Lori & Scott

A Full Plate

2011-02-20T22:56:00.000-08:00

One of these days I'll report to you that we had a quiet week. This is not that day, however. Another week has whizzed by so fast, with so much happening, I can say with all honesty that I'm tuckered out!

Valentines Day was fabulous and I thank you all for that. The giant red hearts and the accompanying pink, frilly props have been packed away, waiting to make an appearance next year. Next to come are Spring and Easter displays highlighting some of our newest products! I'm very pleased by our renewed commitment to invest in more sustainable merchandise and we're getting in some very exciting things that I think you'll adore. One of these fabulous new lines just arrived and we've enjoyed setting up these sketch pads fashioned out of vintage record album covers. Old Motown and R & B favorites such as The Commodores, Gladys Knight and The Pips, Michael Jackson....you get the idea. What a wonderful use for these old record covers, and the drawing (or journaling) paper is bright white and acid free!

Meredith Miller, one-half of the new owners of Webster's Community Pharmacy, and I had lunch the other day with Altadenan and photographer/videographer Deb Halberstadt at the wonderful Amy's Patio Cafe. We talked about our Fancy Food Truck Fridays and the possibility of filming the event as a live stream, which I think would be awesome! We're still in the early stages of planning, so we'll keep you informed of our progress. This next Fancy Food Truck Friday, on March 11th, will be so much fun, I can hardly wait! More trucks, more tables & chairs, and even music....it all spells one heck of a good time!

There was a great turn-out for the Altadena Urban Farmers Market today. Molly Tierney and I drove over for a stroll-through and I'm sure glad we did. Lots of yummy goodies being sold and I was finally able to connect with Earl, of Earl's Gone Wild Barbeque Sauce fame. We'll now be carrying his tasty sauce and other products that he's soon to come out with. We tasted his Jalapeno Pepper Jelly and loved it....it'll be ready for the market soon, and when it is, you can be sure WFS will be carrying it. Earl's barbeque sauce is being offered at the low price of $7.99....come in and get a bottle before it's gone!

Dinner is past done, my friends, so must run. Have a great week and we hope to see you in the store sometime soon!

Lori & Scott

Life In The Fast (Food Truck) Lane, or, How Webster's Got Their Groove Back

2011-02-13T21:34:00.000-08:00

This past week has been a flurry of getting our very first Fancy Food Truck Fridays event up and running. This event is also the very first collaborative effort between all the Webster's stores and we're very glad it went off so very well!

For those of you who hadn't heard about it, Fancy Food Truck Fridays is being held on the 2nd Friday of every month. At 5:00 pm, the parking lot behind the Shops at Webster's Center transforms into a gourmet food haven, with family-style seating nestled in between the bustling trucks. People came, people mingled and conversed while they waited in the long lines; they sat and ate and seemed to really enjoy themselves!

Our collective hope is that this will become a mainstay in Altadena, something that our community can look forward to. We'll be tweaking and improving as we go along, so hopefully all our residents will be able to enjoy the event, together. Pictures of the festivities can be found at Altadenablog, here: http://www.altadenablog.com and on Altadena Patch, here: http://www.altadenapatch.com

Our thanks go out to both Webster's Community Pharmacy and Webster's Liquor, and also to Sheldon Katz of Rolling Bistros. Working together we were able to put some positive excitement back into our little town, some life back into the store as a whole and had a lot of fun doing it! Working together, we have debuted something that has the potential to draw people from the outlying areas to Altadena and enliven our local economy.

We welcome your suggestions about how to make this event more enjoyable for all. The trucks are now aware of how popular this event will be, so are making plans to be better supplied, and there will be two more trucks. Which ones will come next time? Stay tuned to find out....the next event will be held on Friday, March 11th!

I'd also like to give a shout-out to our friends Michael Holland and Anne L. Bannon of http://wwww.OddBallGrape.com, who hosted our Champagne & Port tasting on Friday. They poured over 100 glasses of Champagne or Port on Friday night....I think that might be a record! They handed out over five pounds of chocolate covered strawberries and about as many chunks of dark chocolate along with the wines and still managed to cheerfully extol the virtues of each to an audience of rapt listeners. I'm always amazed by them and want to thank them for their partnership!

Until next week, my friends....enjoy!

Lori & Scott

Reviewing History For The Future

2011-02-06T21:17:00.000-08:00

Today was one of those rare days for us. Because it's traditionally super slow on Superbowl Sunday, we decided not to open the store and were able to stay home and relax. Scott got to putter around his poor, neglected garden and cut back our old-growth roses. I got to clean up a bit and get to the neighborhood pet store like I've been meaning to do all week. Then we went to the Superbowl halftime festivities and commercials at my daughter's home in Santa Monica.

It was nice to have a day of rest....of not fighting traffic or worrying that the animals won't get fed on time or if we have time to stop at the grocery store because we're out of something. Most of all, it was nice to just relax and have some fun with family. While we haven't, and won't, close on Sundays very often, this day was very much appreciated.

Because of our relatively store-free day, I thought I'd give myself a little blogging break, too. I rethought that, though, because there's some things I wanted to mention. Next Friday's Fancy Food Truck Fridays is one of them. All of us here at Webster's hope you'll be able to stop by to check it out and do a little late-night shopping....we'll be open until 9:00 p.m.! OddBallGrape.com's Anne Bannon and Michael Holland will be here pairing Champagne and various dessert wines with chocolate, perfect for a warm up to Valentines Day!

It'll be great time to meet Mike and Meredith Miller, the new owners of Webster's Pharmacy. Find out what their plans are for the renovation of the pharmacy. Then stroll down to WFS and come meet us! Find out what we're all about and our plans to work with the community. Scott and I are looking forward to meeting you and seeing old friends. I'd like to leave you with this link to a story our friend Petrea Burchard, of the Pasadena Daily Photo blog, wrote about us way back in September of 2008. We'd been the new owners of the former Stationery department at Webster's for almost exactly one year when she wrote this. Maybe you didn't read it back then, so here's your chance to do so. I think it gives some perspective on the changes at Webster's, and would like to extend my thanks to Petrea once again for the post. http://pasadenadailyphoto.blogspot.com/2008/09/change.html

Have a fabulous week, my friends....hope to see you on Friday night!

Citizen Of The Year And More!

2011-01-30T22:40:00.000-08:00

Another week has whizzed by and by the looks of it, this week will be following suite. We've finished with the California Gift Show, and I'm sure glad that I'm back in the store again, getting things prepared for the arrival of new merchandise! You might notice a few empty spaces when you visit our store, but have no fear, they'll be filled in shortly.

The Altadena Chamber of Commerce Installation Dinner was Friday evening at the Altadena Town & Country Club. I thought it was a great turnout and Scott and I enjoyed meeting and greeting our many friends who were there. The Citizen of the Year Award was given to our friend Carolyn Seitz, and I don't think there is anyone who deserves the honor more. In a touching acceptance speech, she downplayed all she's done in the past several years to better our community and instead gave kudos to her family, some who had traveled there to support her. Everyone was visibly moved as she introduced her father, whom she said had instilled in her the value of community service. Congratulations to Carolyn, we very much enjoyed the evening!

Picture of installation of Board members courtesy of Bill Westphal

We're looking forward to some fabulous events here at Webster's, so please stay in touch with us as we unfold our plans! It'll be fresh, fun and something the entire community can enjoy....can you tell I'm excited? We'll be back to tell you all about it, once everything is finalized!

Have a wonderful week, my friends!

Lori & Scott

Steps Foward

2011-01-23T21:56:00.000-08:00

Only 23 days into the new year and already so much has happened here, in the store and in our community! The new owners of Webster's Pharmacy were announced, the Town Council has approved a farmer's market in Loma Alta Park, and another farmer's market appeared at Sacred Heart Church on Lincoln appeared (and folded just as fast). The Altadena Urban Farmers Market had its first rain-free event last Sunday, and Scott and I are really enjoying the tasty Altadena Jacaranda honey we purchased. We joined the Arroyo Food Co-op as well and are anticipating helping them reach their goals. The California Gift Show started this last Tuesday, so life has been a blur of driving, shopping for the store, driving some more, trying to take care of the store's accounting duties and then - guess what? You got it....driving some more! I like being busy, but I have to admit that it's been a challenging couple three weeks.

I'm very excited that Altadena is moving forward, however clumsily, toward a more sustainable alternative to our regular markets. I'm also very excited about what will be happening at Webster's Pharmacy. We both look forward to working with Micahel and Meredith Miller, the new owners, as they point the store in a more positive direction. We sincerely hope that the renovation they're planning will finally break down the barriers that have stood between the store and the community since Bill Webster retired. Much of our energy will be spent in the coming months making sure this comes about.

Have a great week ahead, my friends....we'll talk more next week!

Lori & Scott

Market Watch

2011-01-16T16:40:00.000-08:00

As I noted last post, the California Gift Show starts this Tuesday. We’re anxiously awaiting the start of this year’s market season as the bellwether of what’s to come in subsequent months.

Fashion trends, always a fickle beast, are always best served with a grain of salt. Take too large a serving and it makes your feast unpalatable, too little and it may be too bland. For me, the pleasure of the market is the hunt for fabulous products and, of course, the challenges of putting it all together so it makes sense to the consumer (that would be you).

This year, things are a little different. The game has changed and I’m stalking a more uniquely different product. I’ll be searching out more local goods, more fair trade items and more American made merchandise.

We’ll soon be moving things around in the store as well, so expect to see an even more welcoming atmosphere in the coming year. Comfortable is our catchword and hopefully our store will reflect that along with our values of locality, hospitality and honest, friendly service. Come shop with us for a taste of the best of Altadena!

I’ll be updating you about what’s happening at the show throughout the week on our Facebook friend page, so be sure to check there to see what’s new, what’s cool and what’s so last week…..

Until next week, my friends. Have a wonderful week!

Lori & Scott

Looking Foward In 2011

2011-01-09T21:36:00.000-08:00

Here we are, 8 days into the new year already! I can't say that I'm real sorry to see 2010 expire. I'm glad we have a new year, a whole year, to accomplish many goals.

I have an aversion to the term "new years resolution" because I can never seem to follow through with them. From the start, at 12:01 am on January 1st of every year, these resolutions weigh heavy and reek of finality. I think that "goal" is a much better description for what we attempt to achieve (or give up)on a yearly basis. It gives us a bit of leeway in case events necessitate compromise.

This year I have many goals, personal and for WFS. Personally, I have most of the same goals everyone has, such as losing weight and spending more time with my family. For WFS, I have several, but the most important goal I have is to thank our crew. This store wouldn't run without them, so from Scott and I to the WFS Crew....Leilana De Los Santos, our manager; Shawnte Howard; Sean Fitz-Gerald; Megan Nelson; and Aaron Akers......thank you all from the bottom of our hearts! You are the heart and soul of WFS. Keep up the good work and know we appreciate each one of you equally.

Another goal of ours is to move WFS more in the direction of ecologically and socially responsible products. We'll talk more about those plans later on, but this is something that is going to take a lot of research and work. We're also committed to moving our part of Altadena forward in the coming year. As a board member of the Chamber of Commerce, I'll be part of the second meeting with L.A. County officials regarding the revitalization of our North Lake Business District. I'll report more on that as plans develop, and I'm confident that we'll get some action soon.

Happy New Year to all of you!

Lori & Scott

Hope For Christmas - A Holiday Tale

2010-12-12T22:59:00.000-08:00

Once upon a time, there was a small pharmacy located in a town just outside of a large city. The people it served were happy and, like in many small towns, most everyone knew everyone else.

As time passed, the little pharmacy grew. Operated now by the son of the founder, it matured into several different departments, each one connected to the other. The people could buy greeting cards and gifts; they could peruse the magazines or eat at the lunch counter. They might wander through and decide they needed a pen; there was a place to mail your letters and ship your packages. The townspeople rejoiced, for there were no other stores like it for miles around. The son of the founder rested, thinking no store compared.

As he was resting, nefarious businessmen plotted and schemed and opened a new type of store. This new store, the SuperStore, was a breakthrough in the land! Groceries, home goods and office needs - all in one place and at low, discount prices! Why go anywhere else, when this new store was sort of convenient and the prices so alluring?

The townspeople now rejoiced in the new store. The SuperStore was the place to be, they had all the stuff - but there was something missing. The son of the founder of the little pharmacy, now a big, grown-up store, wondered why the townspeople deserted him. He couldn't quite put his finger on what the problem was. He consulted with many people, but he didn't like the answers. The son of the founder grew weary.

The thing missing from the wonderful SuperStore was caring, knowledgeable employees who give excellent customer service. The nefarious businessmen who thought up the SuperStore didn't give a fig for customer service. "We don't pay 'em enough to care", they thought. That was their mistake and could be their downfall, just as growing weary was the son of the founder's Achilles Heel.

The son of the founder looked around and decided that things needed to change. For the first time, he thought of putting the store back to the way it was in the beginning. A small pharmacy surrounded by other small stores, who could be separate. At his decree, the stores were divided and operated by different people. The townspeople were confused and angry. They didn't want to walk out of one building and into the next. They wanted to walk through the stores like they always had! So many of the townspeople boycotted the stores.

The son of the son of the founder, who bought one of those stores, was very hurt. "Did the townspeople forget that I served them at my father's store for 35 years?", he wondered. "And why doesn't my father tell anyone how proud he is to pass the reins of this store onto me?" The son of the son of the founder wanted to show his father that he indeed had learned while working for him. He wanted to create the best little store he could with what he had purchased. Sadly, the son of the son of the founder was hampered by events that he had no control over. Still, he labored on, convinced his fortunes would soon change.

One day, not long before the Holidays (which are a very important time of year in the town), the son of the founder sold the little pharmacy. He sold it to a pharmacist who had owned a store renowned in its community nearby. The pharmacist and his wife met with the son of the son of the founder and his wife shortly after the sale. They was decided that it was time the two stores work together again, paving the way for bigger and better things in the future. The two couples rejoiced, knowing that although the transition would be hard, the many benefits to the community and to their stores would be truly amazing. --- The End

I've written this mock fairy tale to show that hope comes even in the darkest times. It's especially meaningful at this time of year. Come celebrate a new era for Webster's and Webster's Fine Stationers on December 18th, starting at 11:00 a.m. New owner Meredith Miller will be hosting a sample sale of her jewelry line "Pokerchip Girl" - vintage poker chips beautifully enhanced by hand with genuine crystals and embellishments. Simultaneously, Webster's Fine Stationers will be hosting their annual Holiday Open House, with a Champagne tasting at 2:00 p.m. For you non-drinkers, hot apple cider will be on tap, along with our signature gourmet coffee and cinnamon tea. Festive finger foods will also be served. Keep up with the information about our Holiday Open House on our Facebook page!

My friends, have a wonderful holiday season and we hope to see you on the 18th. Come by, meet Webster's Community Pharmacy's new owners and talk to them about their plans. Drop by our store and join in the cheer, for we have everything to celebrate this season! We'll be taking a blogging hiatus until after the 25th.

Until then,

Lori and Scott

Celebrating Altadena!

2010-12-05T23:01:00.000-08:00

The holidays are upon us and it was happily evident at Saturday night's North Lake Pole Festival! Everything from the sledding hill with real snow to Santa's cheery presence put fair-goers into a festive frame of mind. Altadenablog at http://www.altadenablog.com has some great photos of all that was going on, so if you weren't there yourself, you can hop right over there and check them out!

This weekend saw two art shows running in conjunction with the Festival - the final ArtBender Weekend at The Gallery At The End Of The World and Altadena Junction's photography exhibit "100-Mile Runners At The Finish Line". Both were outstanding - the photos at the Junction were a powerful experience. One of the proprietors, Marisol Martinez, took part in that race. To see her, photographed just after she ran over that finish line, is to experience the exhilaration of such a thing, if only for a moment. Incredible!

Next week is the Christmas Tree Lane lighting ceremony and with it, another opportunity to rejoice in the uniqueness of Altadena. We'll be there to see those magnificent Deodar cedars lit with their thousands of lights and we hope to see you!

Things are getting mighty holiday-ish at the store. We had a small setback with getting the Christmas trees decorated, however it should all come together these next few days. For retailers, we're seriously behind the prescribed program. I just happen to like Christmas at Christmas, not in July. Can I hear an amen?

Hope you all have a wonderful week, my friends! Don't forget that there are coupons available for use through December on Altadenablog and at the Chamber of Commerce website at http://www.abacus-es.com/altadena We'd love to see you use them!

Lori & Scott

Small Business Saturday Love

2010-11-28T20:51:00.000-08:00

It's a given that whenever we have something important to get ready for, some of us or most of us catch whatever ailment is going around at the time. Never fails, and getting ready for the holiday and our first ever Small Business Saturday event and sale was no exception. It started with one, traveled to another, then another, then me. However, we soldiered on and had one heck of a wonderful time! We got part-way decorated (the rest will just have to wait until we all feel better) and Small Business Saturday was a raging success!

It's humbling to know there are people out there who really care. People all around Altadena and even from further away rallied to The 3/50 Project and American Express' joint venture to help independent retailers across the nation. They came with a purpose, they were on a mission, and Scott and I are verklempt! We think every single one of you are fabulous, but to those who came out shopping yesterday - you know who you are - we can't thank you enough. We look forward to celebrating this day each year and we'll plan bigger and better things to do with it in the future.

Speaking of celebrating, the merchants of The North Lake Business District (formerly The Altadena Arts Coalition) will be hosting our North Lake Pole Festival on Saturday, December 4th. Vendors, community information, food, entertainment, petting zoo, Santa and best of all, fresh, real snow! Yes indeed, friends and neighbors, real snow for tubing and sledding, right in Galloway Alley....how much fun is that? I know, it's the same day as the USC vs. UCLA game, but that's ok. The Festival starts at 4:00 pm so there's plenty of time to enjoy both! We'll be open until 6:00 pm and we'll plan something fun to do....watch our Facebook page for updates throughout the week.

You may have noticed the article about Webster's Pharmacy being sold on Altadena Patch.com (http://altadena.patch.com/articles/websters-pharmacy-likely-to-be-sold#comments). It's true, my father-in-law is selling the pharmacy to Michael and Meredith Miller, formerly of Fair Oaks Pharmacy. The deal should close this week, and we'd like to wish both Mike and Meredith the best. Scott and I know that they'll do great things with the Pharmacy. We also know that by our working together toward a common goal - to restore the Webster's complex to its former vibrancy and to help steer the North Lake Business District toward revitalization. With your help and support, I'm certain that we'll achieve it!

Have a wonderful week my friends.....stay warm!

Lori and Scott

Gratitude

2010-11-21T22:17:00.000-08:00

There are two quotes I'd like to share with you this week of Thanksgiving. Two quotes, one from the author of "Codependent No More" and one from the Bible, both different yet similar. Both struck me as profound out of all the quotes I went through in search of these. Settle back a bit while I share them with you.

"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow."
-----Melodie Beattie

"Do not get tired of doing what is good. Don't get discouraged and give up, for we will reap a harvest of blessing at the appropriate time."
-----Galatians 6:9

Scott and I would like to thank each and every one of you for allowing us the opportunity to follow our vision. Without you, our friends - from back in the day to newly made - we would've been lost long ago. We deeply appreciate your kindness, your advice and your goodwill.....thank you!

Everyone have a blessed and beautiful Thanksgiving, may you be surrounded by those you love and may you find peace.

Lori & Scott

Decline or Incline? Can We Recline?

2010-11-14T22:13:00.000-08:00

The above title is facetiously capping on http://daronanderson.blogspot.com/2010/11/decline-of-lake-street.html#comments, Daron Anderson's recent blogpost. I'm posting the link here because it's a good blogpost about how a community member feels about what's happening in our North Lake Business District these days. He's concerned, as are many people.

But I also read Monica Hubbard's Altadena Women's Newsletter this evening and I hope she doesn't mind if I quote her, as she reports on a possible town-hall meeting or meetings for people to talk about their concerns. She says, "I confess that I'm weary of discussing concerns. What I'd like to discuss is what's going well. What are the good things we have going for us up here - and there are plenty! - and how can we build on those. Can we co-create a common vision for
our little town that might form the foundation for some shared "guiding principles" around which all our efforts could be aligned? May not come to pass, but I like daydreaming about it." Bravo, Monica!

I recommend you read Daron's post and I also recommend reading the comments, one of which is mine.

Onto WFS news! It's looking a lot like the holidays at the store and of course, we're working like busy bees getting it all out and set up. We'll have to move quickly because this Friday evening we'll be hosting an book signing and wine pairing event.....look for the invitation on Facebook tomorrow!

Have a great week, my friends!

The Chinese Connection

2010-11-07T22:49:00.000-08:00

When Scott and I took over WFS, we made the decision to try and source our selection of merchandise as locally as we could. We decided to offer more ecologically and socially responsible gifts, cards, and office and home essentials. Offering the community of Altadena and surrounding areas lifestyle choices in the product lines carried here has become the focus of our shop.

We do this because we believe that it's the right thing to do. We also believe that we can make a difference in this world, and in our community, one small sale at a time.

It's interesting to see how the community reacts to our concept. Like everything in life, there are those who applaud us and there are those who really don't care. You either get it or you don't. The one thing that I think most mothers today "get" is the fact that there's a problem with many children's toys that are made overseas, primarily those made in China. All of that is going to be changing very soon.

According to many industry reports, toy manufacturing is moving away from China. Because of the changes in the global economy and changes within the country as it becomes more progressive, manufacturers are looking elsewhere for lower-cost production. Vietnam is where they're looking, but because of its small size, other areas like India and Eastern Europe are also in their sights.

What will change when the majority of toy production moves to these other countries? We don't know. What's fact is that toy manufacturing in the U.S. is too costly for most. It's very difficult to find toys made here, and those that are aren't very interesting. I've seen old-fashioned toys like train whistles, tops, wooden cars and yo-yos, but honestly, when's the last time you saw a child playing with a whistle? Children are more sophisticated these days and of course, want what's popular.

What we have committed to do when buying children's toys is to buy very selectively. We choose small, reputable companies who directly oversee their manufacturing processes and do all the required testing themselves. We then look at their certifications to assure ourselves, and you, that they're in full compliance. There are things we won't buy. We do not buy mass manufactured jewelry for kids because we don't feel comfortable selling it in light of the controversy about toxic materials. We don't buy from those huge manufacturers whose products have been recalled many times in the past.

For those of you who are ambivalent about buying toys manufactured in China, we understand. I was cautious about it when my own daughter was young and I'm cautious about it now. Only time will tell about toys being made in places other than China. When I find out anything new, I'll report to you about it. Until then, I want you to know that we'll continue to be vigilant with our toy buying.

Have a good week ahead, my friends!

Lori & Scott

"If You Want To Do Well, Do Good"

2010-10-31T16:34:00.000-07:00

These are the words proceeding the write-up on page 26 of the November 2010 issue of Traditional Home magazine's Marketplace feature. The rest goes like this:

"These are words to live by for companies we love. It's our privilege to bring you a beguiling array of products that will not only lighten your heart with their beauty and style but also warm you with the knowledge that a portion of the proceeds goes to a host of worthy causes - from a food bank, youth organizations, cancer research, and the arts to wildlife preservation, education, and the welfare of women. Go forth and shop in good conscience!"

The feature highlights companies who make everything from lighting, art, furniture, gift ware, jewelry and accessories. All of them give a portion of their profit to good causes and I love that idea. I love it so much that I've written a similar credo into our mission statement as part of our business plan.

I don't know how many of you out there are aware of this. I actually look for companies to buy from who do good deeds, who donate to or employ those who are in need. From local to global, the causes range from fighting human trafficking to supporting Tibetan orphans. We also carry a range of fair trade fashion accessories like scarves, jewelry, satchels and leather goods. Local artists are a favorite source of products, as well, which range from greeting cards to jewelry and art.

At WFS we believe in supporting our local economy. Scott and I make a point of patronizing our local eateries at lunchtime. Sure, we could bring our lunches, but we do this in a sense of camaraderie with our fellow business owners. Our crew members also eat at local places whenever they can. We use a local CPA and a local insurance agent, and when we clean our carpets, we'll use a local company to do it. I wouldn't dream of asking you to do something we're not willing to do ourselves.

Just in the last two months, WFS has received 16 requests for donations. Yes, really, 16 individual requests from churches, schools, individuals and various non-profits. Most request the minimum of $150.00 - $250.00 and it goes up from there. It's one of my fondest dreams that we'll one day be healthy enough to donate to all of them. This is what I believe a local business should be doing for their community. I'd like to see all our local businesses working for the common good....all of us working together to make Altadena strong. Let's see if we can't achieve that one day soon, shall we? In the interim, please check out these ongoing conversations on our local newsblogs - it's interesting to read the comments. Please feel free to add your own.

http://altadena.patch.com/articles/a-conversation-with-county-planning-director-richard-bruckner
http://altadena.patch.com/articles/altadenas-no-town-center
http://altadena.patch.com/articles/the-struggle-to-get-altadenans-to-shop-local
http://www.altadenablog.com/2010/10/altadenas-future-bedrooms-and-offices-or-more-shops-and-services-.html#comments
http://altadena.patch.com/articles/sidewalk-signs-eyesores-or-good-for-business

Thank you, my friends.....enjoy the coming week!

Lori & Scott

Speak Now Or Forever Hold Your Peace

2010-10-24T21:43:00.000-07:00

Hope all of you are enjoying your Sunday evening and are ready to start a new week. It's certainly been an interesting week over here at WFS! With new merchandise on its way in and coming into the week of Halloween, we're looking forward to getting the fourth quarter shopping season started.

This next week will see Halloween come down and holiday 2010 go up. We're also excited about a few things we've got in the works....there's a book signing with local author Hugh Bonar scheduled for Nov. 13th and a special Thanksgiving wine tasting with our favorite wine experts, Anne L. Bannon and Michael Holland. The date for the wine tasting is yet to be set, but we're thinking November 20th.

I wanted to bring a couple of discussions taking place on other venues that might be of interest to you. Michele Zack, Altadena historian, award-winning author and outstanding citizen, is currently writing a series of articles on Altadenablog, http://wwww.altadenablog.com, dealing with the future of business in Altadena. Simultaneously, in another newsblog, Altadena Patch.com, http://www.altadena.patch.com, has posted an interview with Richard Bruckner, the new planning director for the County of Los Angeles, which details his plans for Altadena. I recommend reading both articles and all the comments....it certainly is an eye-opener! Of course, you'll find my comments there as well, so I'll leave them off the blog. Those of you who've been following me know how I feel about Altadena, know my plans for our business district here and are hopefully aware of the precarious situation for our businesses. I urge you to read both articles and ask that you weigh in with your thoughts. If we don't make our desires known now, then we stand to let others define how our community will develop in the future.

Thank you, my friends.....Scott and I wish you a pleasant week ahead!

Lori & Scott

Loyalty For All

2010-10-17T20:55:00.000-07:00

It's been quieter than I'd like at the store this week. But respites between busy times allows us to accomplish other things that need doing, like cleaning, straightening and writing. Writing? Oh yes, I've been writing....not just this blog, but an actual article in a nationwide retail industry publication!

I joined Giftbeat, Inc., http://www.giftbeat.com, about a year before Scott and I bought WFS. Retail friends reading this, if you aren't a member, you should be. Not only a monthly publication, Giftbeat offers the best retail-specific message boards since....well, ever. Here you can trade ideas, talk about products and performance with store owners from every region of the U.S. and Canada. Over these few years, their editor-in-chief, Joyce Washnik, and I have become friendly. I value her as a source of inspiration, knowledge and am grateful for her friendship.

I mentioned to Joyce that I had an idea for a possible article. When I explained the concept to her, she liked it. Not only liked it, but asked me to write the article! Probably in shock, I agreed to do it. So in the time I had between running a retail store and the seemingly endless drives home, I wrote an article for Giftbeat about loyalty to our manufacturers representatives.

In the past couple of years, gift buyers have been going directly to the manufacturer to order merchandise instead of using the services of their local rep. Many buyers consider going direct less hassle. I'm afraid I'm guilty of it as well....there have been times I've just picked up the phone and spoke to the manufacturer directly to order. Pre-economic melt-down it used to be ok to do that, as long as you told the manufacturer to give credit to your rep. But the majority of manufacturers are not crediting the rep with the direct order anymore. As a result, we're reducing the showroom's, and hence, the rep's, income. No wonder the once-bustling L.A. Mart, where the biannual gift shows are held, looks like a ghost town.

In this time of economic turmoil, when the loyalty of our customers is of prime importance to us retailers, why aren't we extending the same courtesy to our manufacturers reps? They're mostly all small businesses, too.

The lion's share of credit for this article goes to my friend, Laurel Schaeffer, our rep from The Lynn Mitchell Group at the Mart. She and I talked about this problem and she was kind enough to give me her viewpoint. Kudos to her for imparting such wise advice.

The article will be out in December, if I remember correctly. I'll copy it here, if I'm able to. Have a fabulous week, my friends, and stay dry....do come visit us, though, there's always good times at WFS!

Lori & Scott

Local Motion

2010-10-10T21:48:00.000-07:00

Before Scott and I bought Webster's Fine Stationers, I 'm sorry to say I was not an educated shopper. I really never stopped to think how my shopping patterns affected the community I was living in nor did I particularly care. I can't remember ever having a store clerk or store proprietor thank me for shopping locally. No one ever explained to me how important shopping at local, independent businesses was or showed me the impact my dollars had on the local economy. It was the 1970's, the 1980's, the 1990's, the 21st Century! There was plenty for everyone....what you didn't have the cash for, you could charge!

Forward to 2008 and the beginning of the Great Recession. Having bought WFS, Scott, I and our entire staff found ourselves enmeshed in a fight for survival. It's been a pretty tough couple of years for everyone. Soon it will be 2011, and my how times have changed - maybe for the better. Through the the internet and the social media phenomenon, useful information is much more readily available than it was before. People are using this information to guide their own decisions in all manner of things from politics to play.

One of the effects of having this much information available is the huge movement we're seeing toward locality. Locality meaning, in every sense of the phrase, putting your money where your house is. I love seeing that movement in Altadena. We need a place where we can shop for organic, healthy, locally grown foods. We need more local restaurants who promote this idea. We need our business community to come together and act together to benefit our community. We need relevant local shopping and a nice, safe area to do it in - right here in Altadena!

Our local Chamber of Commerce has rolled out their October Shop Local Altadena program with new coupons from participating businesses. I hear that next month more businesses will be offering coupons designed to keep your dollars in Altadena, where they belong. You can find the coupons at the Chamber's website, http://abacus-es.com/altadena/ Print the coupons and use them....our businesses need you and your community needs you!

Have a great week, my friends!

Lori & Scott

A Socially Acceptable Third Anniversary

2010-10-03T22:40:00.000-07:00

Fourth quarter started off with a bang for Webster's Fine Stationers this week! Our first community-oriented Social Media Meet & Greet - The Networking Event was held Friday, October 1st. It brought out upwards of 50 curious locals who were eager to learn exactly what sites like Facebook, Blogger and LinkedIn could offer them and their businesses.

The lucky attendees were given advice by the some of the best social media-savvy speakers around. Hilary Cable of Business.com gave a fascinating overview of Facebook. Her advice and tips were spot on and even helped answer some questions I had about the subject. Petrea Burchard, who authors the Pasadena Daily Photo blog, addressed blogging and how it can help reinforce your brand when used in conjunction with your business. Loved her view of blogging for your business as a type of giving and networking beyond your own doors! Deb Halberstadt, of Half City Productions, gave her insight into using LinkedIn as a professional platform and resume. Providing infinite possibilities, LinkedIn is a site where you can network online with other business professionals and is another tool being used for brand reinforcement.

Tying all these different avenues of social media together was the fabulous Anton Anderson of Productivity Consulting, Inc. Anton's knowledge coupled with his excellent moderation skills made him easy to listen to and learn from. After the learning session was over, our favorite wine experts, Anne L. Bannon and Michael Holland of OddBallGrape.com hosted a wine-tasting with wines provided by Webster's Liquor's well-appointed wine cellar. We love having wine-tastings with Anne and Michael....you actually learn a lot while you're laughing at their witty delivery of wine factoids and fallacies.

Our banquet table was groaning at all the food from our local eateries, as well! Thanks go out to the participating restaurants - Amy's Patio Cafe, El Patron Mexican Food and Pinocchio's Pizza for their delicious Fall Tailgating party-themed foods. We had warm grilled veggie & cheese sandwiches, cesar salad and zucchini bread from Amy's; El Patron provided tasty chicken nachos with guacamole and hot sauces; and the vegetable pizza from Pinocchio's was wonderful!

What made this evening so special, to me, was that this event was held on our third anniversary. Three years from October 1st, 2007, as an entity separate from Webster's Pharmacy, and I believe we have finally secured our place in the Altadena landscape. I've often referred to our shop as a store in transition. No longer undefined, we have staked our claim. Our store and our community - we're working toward keeping both strong and viable!

Have a wonderful week, my friends! I've heard it's supposed to be cooler and maybe rainy....how's that for a nice change?

Lori & Scott

Traditional Trends In The Spotlight

2010-09-26T17:55:00.000-07:00

Scott and I stopped at the L.A. Mart for their Fall mini-show this afternoon, before coming into the store. The larger shows are in January and in July, but the Fall show affords another chance for buyers to complete their holiday shopping and get a jump on Spring. It also offers one a glimpse into the hot trends on the horizon.

The opening day is usually crowded, and normally it’s hard to find parking. Perhaps because of the heat…..it was close to 100 degrees in Los Angeles after all….or perhaps because of the economic situation, this show wasn’t very well attended. One of my favorite showroom reps said that she had eight appointments booked, but only one showed up. We’ll see what it’s like the next two days, but if this is any indicator, I think everyone’s sitting tight and not spending much.

As for new trends, the most prevalent color schemes for this holiday season seem to be relying on past years’ combinations. Pinky reds and lime greens intermixed with traditional metallic colors are back with a vengeance, with a heavy emphasis on the golds. This is actually great news, because you can use older gold and silver decorations and just add in a few pieces of the newer pinky red & green colors. Natural elements are immensely popular, and birds, butterflies, insects of all sorts and dragonflies are important motifs this year. Good news for Altadena and the surrounding areas, since we’re so close to nature anyway! Owls are still popular, possibly owing to the Harry Potter craze (the Harry Potter theme park just opened in Orlando, FL) and the new Legends of the Guardians movie. Otherwise, the traditional elves, Santas and snowmen are the pillars of this year’s holiday decor.

On a different subject, Scott and I hope you’ll be able to visit us on Friday evening for our Social Media Meet & Greet: The Networking Event. Our event is up on Facebook, we’ve sent out our invitations to our mailing list via Constant Contact and have fliers on the counter. We’ve lined up several wonderful speakers who will clue you into what you need to know about social media and how it can help you. We’re getting the restaurants together for our tasting menu and our theme is Fall Tailgating Parties. There’ll be great food, great conversation and great networking opportunities, so again, we hope we’ll see you this Friday night!

Have a great week, my friends!

Lori & Scott

"If You're Not Proud Of It, Don't Sell It"

2010-09-19T21:10:00.000-07:00

Time is a luxury for me these days. When I do have some down time I try to spend it reading articles and blogposts that will help me grow our business. I've found some pretty great information by many wonderful experts but the one who continues to inspire me almost daily is Seth Godin. Seth's Blog is chock full of little nuggets of insightful intel that make me think. His posts are reality checks for me as I try to connect our store with our community. This was his post today and I think it's so important that I'm going to reprint it here for you to read as well (if you haven't already):

"Are you responsible for what you market?

Let's assert that marketing works.

The money and time and effort we put into marketing goods and services actually works. It gets people to change their minds. It cajoles some people into buying and using and voting for things that they otherwise wouldn't have chosen. (If it doesn't work, save your money).

If it works, then, are you responsible for what happens after that?

If you market cigarettes aggressively, are you responsible for people dying of lung cancer?

I think there are two ways to go here:

1. You're not responsible. The marketer is like a lawyer representing the obviously guilty client. Everyone is entitled to a lawyer, and it's up to the jury to decide. The lawyer's job is to do the best she can, not to decide on the outcome. Market the best you can and let buyers take responsibility.

2. You are responsible. Your insight and effort cause people to change, and without you, that change would never happen.

I'm not sure there's a middle ground. Either we should applaud the folks lobbying on behalf of causes we despise, the pornographers selling products that degrade our society and the politicians spinning and lying to get elected (because all these people are doing is giving us a choice for which we're responsible) or we should take responsibility for stuff we sell.

My take: if you're not proud of it, don't sell it."

I love this entire post, but what struck me particularly was point 2 and everything following. As a business in Altadena, we are responsible and Scott and I and our entire crew are responsible. We are responsible for making a positive impact on our community and in our town. Scott and I are responsible for creating the type of sustainable shopping destination that is a true member of our town, giving and receiving equitably while supporting its economic substructure.

Change comes hard in Altadena, we're all aware of that. But change happens whether or not we like it. What we all can do is to nurture that change and shape it into a positive force. This is what we can do....what WFS can do....to make sure that we're proud of what we're selling. Whether it's an idea or product, it matters not. What does matter is that we try to make a difference. I'm proud of that.

Being Social and Shopping Local, A Recipe For Fun In Altadena

2010-09-12T22:22:00.000-07:00

Scott and I hope all of you had a pleasant Labor Day holiday. We decided that we'd close the store Sunday and Monday, and it was lovely having two whole days at home! Our dog, almost 14 year old Pepe, was estatic that we were home, poor pup has gotten used to us being gone every day.

After that nice, warm Labor Day, it sure seems like fall is here. Although the days in Altadena are warm, they're clear with that certain tang in the air that signals autumn is just around the corner. Some claim we were cheated out of summer....I'm glad it wasn't too awfully hot and all of us at the store are getting ready for the change of seasons. All this week we'll be moving things around and redecorating, so please excuse the disarray....I'm sure you'll be pleased with the outcome!

Last post, I mentioned the social media meet and greet/wine pairing event we'd be having, and I mentioned mid-September. We're going to hold the event on Friday, October 1st, after the Jewish New Year celebrations are over. October 1st is also the date The Gallery At The End Of The World is having a one-man show, so it should be a great evening of fun, fellowship, information, food, wine and art! Our wine pairing theme will be Fall Tailgating Parties, so do make plans to join us....meet our area's well-known bloggers, find out what all the buzz is about social media and even ask questions about how sites like Facebook can open a whole new world for you and your business! More information about our function will be forthcoming next week.

Something exciting has happened! The Altadena Chamber of Commerce has launched its long-awaited Shop Local Altadena program. It started last week with very little fanfare and a link to a PDF page of coupons on the front page of the Chamber's website at http://abacus-es.com/altadena/ads.pdf This link will take you directly to the coupon page, which you can print and cut out to use at the participating merchants and businesses. Webster's Fine Stationers is offering a 15% savings on purchases over $20.00, excluding sale items and Crane & Co., from now through the month of October! The other businesses participating are Altadena Golf Course, Curves, Amy's Patio Cafe, Steve's Pets and Kat Scrap Studio. As a Director of the Chamber, I was a bit disappointed in the lack of coverage, save a two-liner in Altadenablog. We need to be a bit more committed to creating interest and making sure the majority of people in the town know when we start a campaign like this. It's the start of a fabulous movement, with coupon savings and everything, so we'd appreciate it if you'd help spread the word.

Have a great week, my friends, and remember....shopping local truly does empower your community!

Lori & Scott

Summertime And The Living Is Easy....

2010-08-29T17:19:00.000-07:00

Living is easy here in Altadena.....unless it's 105 degrees outside! This last week was certainly a test of our stamina, wasn't it? Of course, we've been there before, but every year we forget. We've been coddled by the deceptively low temperatures preceding our little heat wave, so when the mercury passed 102 degrees it seemed to knock the stuffing out of us. We're recuperating from it now but I'm sure those high temps will return before too long, maybe in time for the lovely long Labor Day weekend coming up.

We'll be taking a blogging break for the holiday, but will be back the week following. We'll have lots to talk about, like our upcoming Social Media Meet & Greet. This evening event will be scheduled for either Friday, 9/17 or Saturday, 9/18. This will be the one event you won't want to miss, with our community's most prolific bloggers in attendance! In conjunction, OddBallGrape.com's Anne Bannon and Michael Holland will be leading us in another wine and food pairing just in time for autumnal tail-gating and football parties. It just couldn't get any better than this! Watch for our updates here on the blog and on Facebook!

I do want to mention the incredibly informative talk on MILK: History, Politics & Nutrition I attended yesterday at the Altadena Community Center. Put together by Altadena Heritage, the Arroyo Time Bank and Gloria Putnam, this discussion about the benefits of raw milk and sustainable dairy farming was certainly an eye-opener and I'm so glad I went. I'm recommending that you find out all you can about this subject, which is controversial to say the least. Listen to the owner and CEO of Organic Farms, Mark McAffee, discuss it in relation to the recent recall of tainted eggs on Fox 11 news at this link: http://www.myfoxla.com/dpp/news/consumer/eggs-at-local-organic-farm-are-safe-20100826 I think you'll find this information as compelling as I did.

Have a great week and a happy Labor Day weekend, my friends!

Lori & Scott

So Long, Farewell.......

2010-08-22T22:14:00.000-07:00

As much as I love retail and being a shop owner, there are some things I could easily do without. One of those things is saying goodbye to really wonderful employees. Our industry is rife with turnover, naturally, because retail positions are on the lower end of the pay scale. You start in retail and work your way up from there, right? I should get used to it, but each time it's like the very first. Intellectually, I know moving to a job that gives more hours or higher pay is good. Emotionally, I know that I'll really miss that person and their contribution to our team.

Tomorrow, we'll be saying goodbye to Devon. Her bright personality and creativity will be lighting up someone else's workplace and we'll miss her terribly. I'd like to publicly thank her for her work at WFS and wish her the best of luck in the future, wherever it takes her. I have no doubt that Devon will succeed in whatever she does.

Taking Devon's place is Meagan, another local Altadenaean. Meagan came in last February to apply for a job but unfortunately, we didn't have an opening then. Luckily for us, she was willing to come work for us - so welcome aboard, Meagan!

Have a wonderful week, my friends....

Lori & Scott

Are You Ready For The Information Age?

2010-08-15T17:22:00.000-07:00

A retailer friend of mine in Redding, California, sent this video around today called "The Currency Of The Future III". The link to it is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idn4Lb-uCyg and it's just chock full of useful information.

Information....there's that word again. It keeps popping up in almost everything business-related I read anymore. According to the makers of this video, "it is estimated that 40 exabytes (4.0 X 10 19) of unique new information will be generated worldwide this year. That is more than in the previous 5,000 years".

They also predict that "in the next 24 months, it's estimated that U.S. online transactions will surpass store transactions at shopping malls". While that doesn't bode well for brick and mortar businesses, especially independent ones, they do go on to note that "in the information age, one of the most powerful forms of genius will be entrepreneurial genius".

This is exactly why I've been pushing so hard at getting WFS online in all forms - this blog, our website at http://www.webstersfs.com, on Facebook, MySpace, and any other place I can put us. I'm planning like mad to get this store's ecommerce site up and running....it's just a bit difficult in these hard economic times. It needs to be done, though. I don't want to be a dinosaur lumbering about trying to find shelter from the planetary storm, I want us to be comfortably ensconced in the promised land.

You won't find another store in the area as active in social media as we are. You can follow us and our retail life in real time. You can be assured that there are real people here, all of us working as a team to bring you the best service and product we can. But it doesn't stop there. We are forward-thinking young adults with a plan....a plan to be the agents of positive change in our community. We invite you to follow along with us - celebrate with us, think with us, learn with us and play with us. Join in the contests we have for fun merchandise give-aways and enjoy our motivational quotes.

WFS will be hosting a Social Media Networking Event in the very near future. More information about that will be forthcoming soon....make sure to check our Facebook page!

Have a great week, my friends!

Lori & Scott

Home Sweet Home

2010-08-09T00:03:00.000-07:00

There are several people in my group of friends on Facebook sharing articles about the economy and how it's affecting middle America. There's a common theme to all, and that is how people are saving more and spending less than they have in decades. That folks are staying close to home and are enjoying more time with their families.

In that vein, I took this evening to be close to my family. All day at the store, I felt this almost overwhelming homesickness. I started posting pictures on my personal Facebook page....a pretty sunset from the backyard taken over three years ago, a section of my garden that I was very fond of, some flowers in our kitchen and a shot of the living room. If I hadn't made myself stop, I probably would've posted my entire Photobucket album and everyone would've thought I'd lost it!

So I called my daughter and told her to bring the roommate and come over for dinner. Scott and I stopped at Heidar Baba, a Persian place across from PCC, and brought home steaming heaps of Basmati rice topped with luscious chelo kabab - koobideh and bagh (ground meat & filet). Accompanying the kabob were roasted tomatoes & peppers, crunchy tadig with a fenugreek and kidney bean stew, yogurt with cucumbers and mint and pita bread. It was delicious! We sat around the table, ate, talked and laughed. We bathed our dog, Pepe, and washed the car. We did the familiar, every Sunday family thing and it was good.

Wish comforting times like tonight were more common, but I'll take what I can get when I can get it. Hope your Sunday was just as warm and fuzzy as ours was....

Have a wonderful week ahead, my friends!

Lori & Scott

Great Expectations

2010-08-01T23:47:00.000-07:00

"If people believe in themselves, it's amazing what they can accomplish. High expectations are the key to everything." -Sam Walton

I'm using a quote from a guy who built the ultimate big-box chain even though I'm an independent retailer. There's irony there, but Sam Walton started out as an independent way back when. And in this quote is the kernel of any successful venture, whether in business or in life....the ability to set high goals, standards - whatever you want to call 'em - it's what becomes our inner compass and guides us.

Imagine what happens when that compass is broken. When that surety you felt becomes doubt and mistrust. Low self esteem can do that to a person, you only have to look around to see those that have been affected by it. That's why believing in yourself is so important. Knowing that deep down, you are special, that you have meaning and the work you're doing is worthwhile.

I'm sure that another chain retailer, German billionaire Theo Albrecht, had a mantra similar to Walton's. Theo Albrecht and his brother, Karl, built Europe's Aldi markets, which have 4,000 stores in number worldwide and an estimated $66 billion in sales. Theo bought Trader Joe's from its original owner in 1979. Trader Joe's now has approximately $5.5 billion in sales from 340 stores throughout the U.S. Karl Albrecht is 90 years old. Theo passed away on Saturday. I admired Albrect's corporate vision, which was progressive throughout the time he owned Trader Joe's. Not only is their starting pay higher than the norm in the industry, they have a very good company-matched retirement plan and insurace for their employees. He was a man ahead of his time. Rest in peace, Mr. Albrecht.

We also have high expections at WFS. Unlike many contemporary retail stores these days who are searching for direction, we know where we are going. We're excited about it and Scott and I and our entire crew are invested in getting there. Come in soon and see why we're so excited, or if you can't come in, be sure to stop by our Facebook page to catch up on what's new!

Wishing you all a fabulous week!

Scott and Lori

Trending Up

2010-07-25T20:28:00.000-07:00

As promised last week, this will be a short recap of what we saw at the recent California Gift Show. Always exciting, the show is a barometer of what to expect in the home decor and gift arenas for the gift-giving holiday season.

As expected, I saw lots of turquoise color used but surprisingly, orange was very widely used as well. I've always loved the two colors together, so I was a happy shopper. Bright yellow and olive greens were prevalent, especially in stationery items. Natural motifs are still very popular, such as birds and other animals (frogs!), landscapes and botanicals. Modern patterns such as houndstooth and zigzags are prolific; timeless damask, large scale floral, Greek key and stylized toile designs are appearing in brighter, more updated colors. Distressed look case goods and decor seem to be still on trend, although the distress is not as pronounced as in years earlier.

Summarizing the trends as they relate to home decorating, I'm seeing much less fluff in accessories and a streamlining of lines in case goods. We've seen favor move away from any sort of themed look, a la French Country or Shabby Chic. Instead, we see a more collected look, with pieces from varying periods mixing comfortably with more modern ones. Metal is being used more for decor, as in substantial votive candle holders and hurricanes, lanterns and serveware. Candles themselves are back in favor, strong this year with heady scent and depth of color. Mixing tapers in with pillar candles in an arrangement spanning a mantle is one trend I particularly admired.

Decorating take-away tip: Don't feel as if you have to adhere to a certain theme in your home. If you're going to invest in sofas or tables, keep the lines simple and classic, and the upholstry neutral. If you already have French Country style chairs or tables, you needn't feel bound to use blue and yellow for your wall colors and linen, either. Mix it up -repair, refinish or repaint and use these with newer pieces you've purchased. Comfort and familiarity are the buzzwords this year, as more people stay close to home. Scent products play a huge roll in this trend, so watch for different ways this can be introduced. Dual purpose products make a splash this year, from innovative diffuser sets to room-scenting tassels.

Going to the Gift Show is exciting. The most exciting part, though, is getting the new merchandise in, rearranging everything and watching as our customers smile as they walk through our store. Come visit, have a cuppa (whether it's coffee or lemonade) and a cookie - we'll see you soon!

Have a lovely week, my friends, and thank you for shopping locally,

Lori and Scott

Life Well Lived

2010-07-18T23:17:00.000-07:00

Another action-filled week has flown by so quickly, allowing us but a moment to catch our breath before it starts again. Tuesday saw the opening of the California Gift Show and my week was split between attending the show and attending to some events outside the store.

I was very lucky to have been invited to Senator Carol Liu's Women in Business Awards Luncheon at the Pasadena Hilton on Thursday. Two of my friends were honored, Donna Chaney and Rose West. Donna is one of the creators of the Business Builders Boot Camp at the Women's City Club I joined last year; Rose West is the owner of Altadena's Curves. Both ladies deserve the highest congratulations and it was an honor to be in the audience!

Today Scott and I joined several friends to celebrate the life of Steven Patrick. Steve was married for an all too brief four years to my friend, Debbi, and he passed away from an aggressive form of cancer in April. It was an inspiration to see how many people were there, and even more inspiring were the stories told by Steve's friends of his character.

He wasn't the type of guy to see a glass as half full or half empty. He always saw the glass as full, his friends said. This quality, this undeniable optimism, is what attracted so many people to him. There's a lesson for us here, especially in these challenging times. Life is a gift that shouldn't be squandered....live exhuberently and with purpose. After all, as Abraham Lincoln said, "it isn't the years in your life, it's the life in your years".

Have a great week, my friends! Next week we'll take a look at what we saw at the gift show, the new trends and what that you can look forward to seeing at WFS in the coming months.

Lori & Scott

Windows To The Soul....Windows Of Opportunity

2010-07-11T21:47:00.000-07:00

"They say that the eye is the window to the soul. But it is the soul that is the window." - Andrew Hamilton

Those of you who read Altadenablog or our Facebook Fan Page will have already seen our new faux windows. They were painted this past week on the front walls of our store by local Altadena artist Gary Thomas. Maybe you've driven by and seen them or caught a glimpse while coming out of the pharmacy. I'm told that if you look at them from across the street you can't tell they're not real. If you haven't seen them yet, I'm personally inviting you to drop by and have a look. Gary did such a wonderful job and we're awed by his talent!

Fake windows might not seem like such a big deal in the relative scheme of things, but to us here at WFS, it's huge. The windows give just the right whimsical touch we'd been planning on for two years. They give our store what it had been lacking on the outside - a personality that reflects the warmth of the inside! It's different enough from anything else in the area to call attention to us and to the fact that we are an independent Altadena original.

Actually, this is the first step in our long awaited plan of action. We've been under a lot of pressure to get signage on the front (apparently, the $1200.00 light-up at night sign on the top front of our building wasn't sufficient). I resisted putting up any more plastic signs as Lake Avenue is littered with them. Deep down, I'd rather be anonymous than be tacky, but that wasn't the best idea for staying in business. The windows, then, are our answer to the plastic and our using a local artist to paint them was our contribution to stimulating our local economy. Just think if this idea were to be contagious....if instead of a plethora of plastic signage, we had local artists painting local scenes on our community's buildings, what a wonder it would be to drive up and down North Lake Avenue!

Delving even further into that idea (dare we??), why not imagine that all us business owners here working together for the good of the community? Can we imagine an Altadena for Altadena residents, a strong and healthy community where doing business in town is a pleasure? I can imagine it....I can taste it....and I know there are many of you out there who can as well. If we all joined together and contributed to the beautification of North Lake Avenue, if we all joined forces to call attention to the need for redevelopment here, would the County Supervisors listen? I think they would, and I'm praying they will. Never has the time been better or the results more needed. Stay with us while we work our plan.

Enjoy the week ahead, my friends, but stay cool...it's supposed to be a hot one!

Lori & Scott

Hahamongna Heartache

2010-07-07T08:46:00.000-07:00

As the famous Joni Mitchell song goes, "They paved Paradise and put up a parking lot...." and that's pretty much what's slated to happen to Hahamongna Watershed Park.

If you're not familiar with the wide open vistas of sere grass, old growth oaks and little creeks, check out the link in the group below that says "Save Hahamongna" for more information. Then see this link, http://tinyurl.com/264f4hc, that outlines the proposed plan for this fabulous urban playground for animals, birds and man.

Not only a favorite of hikers, equestrians and dog-walkers, Hahamongna also plays a big role in the Pasadena area's flood control plan. It's quite an important place and it's one that should be preserved as is.

Many of us community bloggers have agreed to write about Hamahonga today to alert you, our readers, about the City of Pasadena's plan to turn Hahamongna into a sports mecca. Soccer fields and such are great and I agree that they're needed, just not in Hahamongna.

Here's the thing - natural, open spaces like Hahamongna are rare in Los Angeles County. We keep going at the pace we've been, it'll be just as the song says...."you don't know what you've got 'till it's gone". I know, because I've seen it happen.

Scott and I live on a bluff in Westchester that rises above the eastern end of the Ballona Creek Wetlands. This is the house I was raised in and this is the house we moved into when my parents passed over 14 years ago. The land that Ballona Creek once encompassed has been built into Playa Vista, residential and business planned development that sprawl across this once empty riparian corridor. Despite resident's efforts, only a tiny piece of it was "saved" as a habitat for birds and animals.

What was once a clear view to Toes Beach in Playa del Rey is now cluttered by condos, townhomes and apartment buildings so close together, one neighbor across the way could hold hands with the other. Office buildings have sprung up and we even have the new L.A. Clippers' training facility. To be honest, I prefered the vacant land to the present cadre of buildings - and I'm sure the many bird and animal residents do, too. We lost a great portion of unspoiled, natural wetlands and in turn, now have to deal with more people, traffic, light pollution and noise.

I would hate to see Hahamongna suffer the same fate. The park as it is now is too valuable a place to lose to enterprise. I'm thinking the light pollution factor alone would make the city think twice about this. Not to mention that the park runs just south and parallel, in parts, to JPL. In these days of foreign theats from other countries, would I really want to have such a venue as proposed so close? No, I don't think so. Let's just let it be. Let's not have to kick ouselves in the shin because we paved Paradise and put in a parking lot (and a soccer field).

The following is a list of Pasadena and Altadena bloggers who are writing about Hahamongna today. Please visit them and see what they've got to say:

http://altadenaaboveitall.com/

http://altadenahiker.blogspot.com/

http://athinkingstomach.blogspot.com/

http://eastofallen.blogspot.com/

http://margaretfinnegan.blogspot.com/

http://lacreekfreak.wordpress.com/

http://www.mendolo.com/

http://misterearlmusing.blogspot.com/

http://www.mylifewithtommy.com/

http://pasadenaadjacent.com/

http://pasadenadailyphoto.blogspot.com/

http://pasadenalatina.blogspot.com/

http://www.savehahamongna.org/

http://theskyisbig.blogspot.com/

http://grrl.wordpress.com/

You can contact your city representatives here: http://www.savehahamongna.org/council.htm

Read this morning's article in the Pasadena Star News here:
http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/ci_15451344?IADID=Search-www.pasadenastarnews.com-www.pasadenastarnews.com

Until next week, my friends!

Lori and Scott

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

2010-06-27T22:08:00.000-07:00

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

FATHER'S DAY 2010

2010-06-20T16:15:00.001-07:00

Reading through what my friends have written about their fathers on my Facebook feed, I’m feeling the love they’ve expressed. As I subject you to my tribute, I’ll invite you to leave one about your father here in the comments. Everyone should write about their parents at some point in their adulthood, I think. It’s almost like a cathartic and adds another layer of understanding to your relationship you have or had with them.

Last month, when I wrote about my mom on Mother’s Day, I hadn’t really planned it. I sat down to write my usual Sunday blogpost and that’s what came out and there was nothing I could do to stop it. I said I’d write about my dad on Father’s Day in that blogpost and write I will. But it’s not the same as it was with my mom. My dad was more…..complex.

Bob Elliott was born Robert Irving Elliott, Jr. in 1917 to Dr. Robert Irving Elliott, Sr. and Ann Louise Babcock Elliott. He lived at 511 Main St., in Chadron, Nebraska – a two story Victorian with a deep porch. If I was a house, I’d want to be one like that, loved so much there are sketches of it, a framed painting and years of nostalgic reminiscing.

It’s hard to talk about my dad without first talking about his parents, my paternal grandparents. It was they who formed the man who would become my father, they who molded his character and somewhat enigmatic personality.

In 1917, Woodrow Wilson was president and the world was at war. Life went on largely uninterrupted in Chadron, NE, located just underneath Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. My grandfather’s parents had immigrated to Nebraska from Illinois as my grandmother’s parents had done from the east coast, seeking new territories to settle. The Babcock side of my father’s family had been in the U.S. for years, a distant cousin having fought in the Revolutionary War, while the Elliott’s came over from England (and France, on my paternal great-grandmother’s side).

My grandfather finished graduate school, taught school for a while, was superintendent of schools for two different counties then won the election for Nebraska’s Deputy State Superintendent of Schools. He later became the President of Chadron State College. Chadron State was formerly called Chadron State Teacher’s College and my grandfather was instrumental in transforming it into a fully accredited four-year college. He was President there from 1916 until 1940.

My grandmother taught Latin. She just didn’t teach Latin to school children….she taught advanced Latin to teachers, and later, taught college level Latin. She had a degree, also, and that certainly wasn’t common for women in the mid to late Victorian era. In 1910, she and my grandfather married, rather late in life, as they were both over 30, also not that common for the times. My father was their only child.

I never learned much about my father’s life directly from him, other than his talking about his old home, the college and traveling with his parents. Most of what I’ve learned about his early days, I’ve read from my grandmother’s many (many!) journals and from his best friend, my late Uncle Sandy. I know my grandfather’s position warranted much travel, mainly to Washington, D.C. and New York. I know that while in New York, staying in a hotel while his father attended more graduate studies, he contracted diphtheria. He had to be quarantined and the doctors didn’t know exactly when he’d be allowed to go home. I remember him telling me that his father was none too pleased to be kept waiting because of a sick child.

He also traveled to California with his parents, so his dad could take part in some continuing education at USC. It was there that his father told him that after he completed his prep school at Chadron State, he would be attending USC. He graduated from the USC School of Commerce in 1938. He lived over by The Pantry in Los Angeles, which, along with Phillippe's, became his favorite places to eat. He also loved the old Biltmore Hotel downtown almost as much as he loved his church, The First Congregational Church of Los Angeles. My dad was an usher there for 30 years or more, serving with the likes of Gale Gordon and Rock Hudson. He admired his friend, Dr. James W. Fifield, greatly, and was a member of the church’s Freedom Club. Dr. Fifield married my parents in 1947 and baptized me in 1957, and my dad was a pallbearer at his funeral.

My dad was a staunch right-wing conservative, a member of the Conservative Book Club Of America and once flirted with The John Birch Society. He wasn’t the type of guy you took to a party and trust to be silent on the subject of politics. He quoted Nikita Kruchev’s line, “we will bury you with your own shovel” quite often and his favorite books were “The Naked Communist” and “Kissinger On The Couch”. When I was around the age of 14, he tried to explain to me that the Beatles’ “Hey, Jude” was a song about heroin – poor guy just couldn’t get past the lyrics “let it under your skin”.

This didn’t make him very approachable when I was an adolescent. He was the ultimate task-maker, the rule defender and my mother’s last resort. We were the classic “wait until your father gets home” family, which was also not very conducive to good relations. There was such an age gap between my parents and my sister and I – they both were raised in a different age and they had a hard time understanding what was happening in the 1960s and 70s. Of course, when you’re 16 and wanting to go to a party, you don’t understand how your father’s upbringing could have anything to do with the fact that he won’t let you go.

My father must’ve been raised with a stern hand. Parents had different criteria for children in the early part of the 20^th Century than they do now (seen and not heard comes to mind and is something I was told often when I was young). Back then, kids mostly did what their parents told them to do without question. Thanks to the youthful uprisings in the 60’s, that changed and left many older parents befuddled. Education, naturally, was important to my father’s parents and so was important to him. I ‘m sure I cut him to the quick when I refused my paid-for USC education and got married instead at the age of 18.

Having lived through the Depression also left a permanent mark on my dad. I really never understood why so much, since his parent’s position in life wasn’t affected by it. He had a real fear of the stock market and I can only surmise that others in the town must have suffered losses. He did, however, teach us by example how to be accountable with money, although I didn’t appreciate that until I was older.

There was much that I didn’t appreciate about my father until I was old enough to understand him. I’ve reached a deeper understanding now after raising my own child and maybe I’ve just grown wiser over the years. I can look back and see that he was a generous man, had great family loyalty and a high level of personal integrity. And to his credit, his extreme political views mellowed out over the years, so he was capable of expanding his mind.

He never quite got over his reluctance to communicate on a personal level with his children. I wish I’d known him better. But if he were here today, I would tell him thanks for raising my sister and I with such high standards. I could say to him that I thank him for passing on to us his great love for the U.S. and what it stands for. Most of all, I’d say to him that yes, dad, I get it now…..I understand what you were trying to tell me all those years ago. Rest in peace, dad, I love you.

Ask Not What Your Community Can Do For You.....

2010-06-13T23:51:00.000-07:00

Forgive me for using a variation of President John F. Kennedy's famous inauguration speech. I thought it appropriate that we substitute the word "community" for "country" for they are eventually the same ideal. Broken down to the grassroots level, what you do for your community today strengthens your country tomorrow.

This is also a question that Scott and I asked ourselves before taking over ownership of Webster's stationery department. Weighing the pros and cons of buying a store that wasn't really a store, one that was already in financial trouble, against the potential good we felt we could do in our community. We took this on not because we thought we were going to make a ton of money in the endeavor, but because our family and community needed us to do it. In whatever permeation Webster's is in now, at least we're still here.

If I had a dime for every time I've heard customer's say, "what would we do without Webster's?", I'd be able to buy lunch at Amy's Patio Cafe for 10 of our customers! We're doing our part to ensure that Webster's remains in the community, not only as just a part of our historic scenery but a contributing member of Altadena's community. That's why Scott and I , along with Ben McGinty, Molly Tierney, Steve Salinas, Lance Anderson and Jeff Kline formed the Altadena Arts Coalition. That's why I'm sitting on the board of the Chamber of Commerce and it's also why Webster's Fine Stationers supports our local non-profit organizations.

We've also been very active online and love helping promote our community member's businesses and other worthy causes. We've also enjoyed getting to know more of Altadena's residents as well, through our Facebook page and other venues, as well. We envision a time when all the businesses in our Upper North Lake neighborhood work together for the benefit of all and we're working toward that end. Until then, however, it's my pleasure to let you know (if you don't already) that Amy's Patio Cafe will be open on Saturday and Sunday nights for dinner during the summer. Lauren will also be assembling box dinners for your enjoyment at the Sheriff's Support Group's Summer Concert Series, commencing soon. Find out more information on her Facebook page and become a fan!

Speaking of working together, save the date of Saturday, June 26th, when Webster's Liquor and Webster's Fine Stationers will be holding a collaborative event you won't want to miss! This fun and informative mini-seminar on pairing wines with popular barbeque party foods will feature local wine experts Anne Bannon and Michael Holland, just in time for the spate of 4th of July parties on the horizon. The seminar is free but space is limited....when you receive your invitation be sure to respond quickly! More information will be forthcoming next week.

This wraps up quite a week of excitement! Last week we had a surprise visit from Tom Hanks, and our friend, Karen Klein, author of the blog Financially inKleined and reporter for various newspaper & magazines, wrote this article that appeared in BusinessWeek. We love that the shop local message is being carried out here in the San Gabriel Valley! Just remember, my friends, when you spend a dollar at an independent retailer, 70 to 80 cents remain to work within your community. That's opposed to only 20 to 40 cents on the dollar if the same purchase was made at a corporate-owned big box or chain store. Shop local and you'll find that stimulating the local economy has never been so rewarding!

Until next week,

Lori & Scott

COMMUNITY ARTS

2010-06-06T22:34:00.000-07:00

Altadena’s such a great place, don’t you think? This past weekend was so jam packed with fun things to do, I’m sure lots of folks had trouble deciding which events to attend!

Friday evening before driving home, Scott and I stopped at McGinty’s Gallery At The End Of The World to check out their quarterly Art Bender Weekend kickoff. Visiting the Gallery is always a treat for us and we love the easy feeling of its laid-back, eclectic interior. Even more than that, we truly enjoy the sense of camaraderie that Ben and his artists create for Art Bender….each one unique, but each one distinctly Altadena. Many of our favorite local artists were showing this weekend – Molly Tierney, Dave Lovejoy (who gets around a lot, as you’ll discover next paragraph), Heather Campbell Morrow and so many others!

Saturday brought Art on Millionaire’s Row, an exhibit of local art and local eateries presented by our own Altadena Library. It was hot….not brutally so, but a harbinger of temps to come as summer progresses. We caught the Jitney, Pierre DuPuy’s antique trolley type car, on the corner of Mariposa and Lake and rode in style to the Library down the street. It was nice to see a good sized crowd attending. We met Dave Lovejoy at the suspension bridge at the front entrance to the Library where he was working on an interactive art display. His son was helping by manning Dave’s booth, filled with his exquisite pottery.

Our favorite painter of mermaids, angels and fairies, Karen Bagnard, had her booth set up near the center. With her mister in hand, she was keeping cool as her beautiful cards and other offerings were flying off with satisfied customers. She was also selling older drawings…originals penned and not used, perhaps….for $5.00 per piece to benefit the Library. We thought that was pretty great so we invested in some fabulous Halloween themed drawings that you’ll be able to see exhibited closer to the holiday this year!

Inside the Library itself, in one of their meeting rooms, was an exhibit of paintings and photography by locals, including the Library’s own Camille Dudley, Edward Beckett and John Balian. The artwork was fantastic and I’m still blown away by them all! We enjoyed speaking with Mr. Beckett and Mr. Balian and John will be bringing us a couple of his paintings to hang in the store. I’m so excited about that! All in all, we met so many truly gifted and talented artists and I’m hoping we’ll be seeing more of their art in the future.

It’s so gratifying to see our community come together like it does for these events. Today, Scott and I attended the Bright Future Scholars graduation celebration at the Pasadena Civic Center….wow, what an excellent way to spend an afternoon. If you’re not familiar with the Bright Future Scholars, please click here. If you’ve been following our blog then you’ll know that we have been supporting the Scholars since we took over the store. Now that we’re a bit more together than we were back in 2007 & 2008, we’ll be planning more fund-raisers for this very special Altadena non-profit.

We’ll talk more in depth of our plans and what it means to the Altadena community next week. Until then, here’s wishing you a wonderful and productive week….

Scott and Lori

Memorial Day Haitus

2010-05-30T22:19:00.000-07:00

As we pause to remember those who have died defending this country, we'd like to remind you to keep our disabled veterans in your thoughts as well. There are so many that need our help. You can find out more about them at their website.

Scott and I hope you have an enjoyable day off and a wonderful week ahead! Don't forget that Art on Millionaire's Row is next Saturday! Sounds like it's shaping up to be quite an event.....find out more at
Altadenablog

Until next week,

Lori & Scott

Independents For All!

2010-05-23T21:42:00.000-07:00

July 1st through July 7th is Independent’s Week and I’d like to take a few moments of your time to talk to you about why that’s important. I think the American Independent Business Alliance sums it up pretty well on their site’s home page:

“Think of your favorite shop, restaurant or service provider. We'll bet it's a hometown business. Independent locally owned businesses are essential to a vital local economy and community character. They use the goods and services of other local businesses, serve as community hubs, and are vital components of healthy neighborhoods and strong city centers. They're where the locals go. They're owned by our friends and neighbors, or maybe even by you.

The threat to our communities is real. Dependence on absentee-owned businesses and corporate chains carries many unhealthy consequences. It's not just local businesses that suffer -- our communities are losing social, cultural and economic strength, a place for entrepreneurship, and the ability to determine our own futures. But we have a choice.”

Yes, indeed, we have a choice, and I’m asking that you consider making it. There have been so many studies done on the benefits and effects of shopping at locally owned business and all have hard data to back them up. You may investigate yourself, starting at AMIBA’s link, above, because, as their home page states, “community matters”.

All of us at Webster’s Fine Stationers think community matters, too. For almost three years now, we’ve been engaging you via this blog, our newsletters, our Facebook Friend Page and Twitter. We’re reaching out to you in real time, hoping we snag your attention long enough for you to hear our message. Help us keep our town economically healthy by investing in it. Patronize your local businesses, reduce your carbon footprint and let’s keep Altadena moving forward! Those of you who’re reading this that aren’t from this part of town, county, or even this state; this applies to you, too. No place in the U.S. is safe from the encroachment of huge, corporate businesses and nothing is sacred to them. You might think that what you do doesn't matter, but it matters a great deal. A movement is born one person at a time.

To jump-start the celebration of Independent’s Week, we’re hosting a Very Special Afternoon With Altadena’s Own Andre Coleman! Author of A Liar’s Tale and Blackbirds, Vol. 1 and ace reporter at The Star News and Pasadena Weekly, Mr. Coleman will be here Saturday, May 29th to discuss his books and sign any that you purchase here at the store. We’re staying open late for this event, which starts at 4:00 p.m. and end at 7:30 p.m. We’d love you to join us, meet Mr. Coleman and enjoy a lovely afternoon with complimentary libations, hearty appetizers and stimulating conversation!

We have many more informative and fun in-store events like this planned throughout the summer months, so keep an eye on your inbox or Facebook page for further information. There’s never a dull moment at Webster’s Fine Stationers!

Here’s to an excellent week ahead!

Scott & Lori Webster

CATCHING THE BUZZ

2010-05-16T21:46:00.000-07:00

So many things happening in beautiful Altadena lately! The spring weather has been gorgeous and everyone’s gardens are looking lovely. I’m really missing getting out in our garden at home, but hope to have some time off to get in the dirt later on. At least my roses are still blooming nicely with all the rain we’ve had. My special baby….my beautifully scented old Bourbon climbing rose, a Zephrene Drouhin, is finally doing well. But, until I can satisfy my gardening cravings, I’ll just have to settle for helping you satisfy yours!

Now in store are adorable, 100% organic and compostable grow kits for lettuce, heirloom tomatoes, edible flowers and basil. These kits are all-inclusive, contained in their own planter made out of rice hulls. Once the plants are started in your home you have the option of planting them in your garden, pot and all! They’re already to go, including a pretty ribbon and to-from tag, just perfect for gifting. Other kits are available without the planter, but still containing all you need for starting organic sunflowers, zucchini, cucumbers, tomatoes, strawberries and pet grass inside for transplanting later. Raising your own vegetables is becoming more and more prevalent these days – who wouldn’t want fresh, organic produce available from their own garden or container garden? Compostable container kits are $24.99, recyclable grow kits are $19.99 and pet grass (dog and cat) are $9.99.

We’ve also gotten in many new summer entertaining items and have changed the store décor to an elegant beach theme. Come in and see our fabulous marble servers, summer themed napkins and shell motif serving platters! Sparkling glass apothecary jars full of shells, summer-scented candles, stunning blue swirl art glass vases and absolutely beautiful punched tin lanterns from Mexico will transport you directly to Margaritaville….no ticket required! Be sure to take a look at the lightweight, fair-trade scarves from Open Hand Designs, as well. They’re the perfect accent for your summer wardrobe and what could be better than purchasing something that helps someone else? We’ve got beautiful fair-trade jewelry, also, and just arrived are wonderfully fabulous, real stone necklaces, pendants and bracelets from Tobias & Alysha, a local Los Angeles company. These stones are selected carefully for their healing, magical qualities and are made by family-owned, fair trade exporters in India.

Have you caught the buzz yet about the new restaurant opening on upper North Lake Avenue? The vacant building that housed the defunct CJ’s Wings is now a Mexican eatery called El Patron and we hear they are really, really good! Scott, Leilana and I were lucky to meet the owner a few months ago while she was shopping at WFS. She was asking us about the vacant building up the street, and then told us of her plans to open a Mexican place there. We are so thrilled she was able to arrange it and we welcome them to our Upper North Lake family! Wow, all the buzzing about this new place is great….kind of makes me wish that when Scott and I opened WFS, there could’ve been that much excitement. Unfortunately, I guess everyone was too shocked, or mad, at the changes to Webster’s to celebrate our new ownership and the promise it represented.
We’re still dealing with those issues today, almost three years after having taken over the old stationery department at Webster’s. Almost three years of Webster’s Pharmacy Corporation not saying a word to the public about why they decided to break up the stores. The parties responsible for the changes decline to comment, let alone mention our store. It’s just Scott and I, and our crew, feeling like voices in the wilderness, explaining it to customers time after time. It makes you wonder why they don’t work with us to promote the entire complex, even though we’re separate stores….you’d think that would be a no brainer. We like what Seth Godin says in his latest blogpost and believe it to be apropos to what’s happening here.

Every holiday or occasion, we talk to hundreds of people who visit our store and ask us about what happened to Webster’s. This past Mother’s Day we actually kept track and it was roughly every other person who came in who asked. That’s actually staggering, my friends….every other person shopping at Webster’s last weekend hadn’t been there for nearly three years! For a store to survive it needs loyal customers and shopping with any store only once every couple of years won't help much. We would love you to be a loyal customer and have been hard at work to regain your trust.

We’ve also been working hard to bring you information on the importance of shopping locally, supporting your local businesses and thereby, your community. I know that there are many of you out there who do, and we thank you, but the number of people who don’t are greater. We need to get the word out, to let people know we’re trying very hard to be more relevant to the residents of Altadena and nearby areas by the products we carry, the knowledge and services we offer and by our involvement in the community. Please help by spreading the word. Do what Webster’s won’t and tell your friends and neighbors about Webster's Fine Stationers! That would help very much and we’ll keep doing what we do best - serving you and our community with with genuine pleasure.

Have a wonderful week!

Lori and Scott

My Mother, Helen V. Elliott - A Tribute For Mother's Day

2010-05-10T09:42:00.000-07:00

My mom was born in Grinnell, Iowa, on a farm, in 1911. Second to the oldest of five children, her parents both died when she was 11 yrs old. Not long after they passed, she lost her youngest brother, and then the farmhouse and everything in it to fire. She and her sister went to live with their grandma in town and her younger brother stayed with family friends closer to school. They helped out their grandma, Hattie Eichhorn, at the tea room she owned, and learned the fine art of cooking and baking. All the siblings could cook like champions, except for the oldest boy, Shirley (old family name), who took off on his own after his parents' death.

My mom married her high school sweetheart right after her college graduation and lost him two weeks later in a motorcycle accident in the mid 1930s. She later married again to a scoundrel who drank and cheated on her. In the early 1940s, an era where women didn't do that type of thing, she was strong enough to divorce him and escape with her friend to California. There she met and married my father (we'll talk about him on Father's Day).

Her health was never that great. As a child, she suffered from rheumatoid arthritis so badly that her legs had to be wrapped up and she was bed-ridden in the winter. Possibly because of the rheumatic fever, she was never able to bear children and had to have a hysterectomy shortly after her first husband was killed. She and my father adopted me in 1957 after having waited on a list for almost 10 years....she was 46 years old. They adopted my sister 17 months later.

In the very early 1970s, my mom decided she wanted to go back to work. This was not the norm for wives and mothers in our neighborhood and my father was dead set against it. This was the only argument I ever saw my parents have and she won. She worked for Fashion Fabrics in Westchester and eventually became their West Coast Regional Manager. By this time, my dad had semi-retired and worked out of the den at home. My mom loved what she did, but truth be told, she was very glad to be out of his way as he watched all his sports on every TV in the house!

She was diagnosed with colon cancer in March of 1981, two months after her granddaughter, my daughter, was born. They found cancer in her liver simultaneously. She had a partial colostomy and steadfastly refused chemo treatments. She did a round of radiation, called it good and went back to work as soon as she could. She loved being surrounded with fabrics and made most of the clothes my sister and I wore when we were young. She tried to teach me to sew, but I was much too worldly for that....now I could kick myself in the butt for not learning.

The cancer eventually made its way into her bladder and she had it removed when she was 79. After recovering, she went back to the fabric store - a different one in the local mall, because Fashion Fabrics had closed all their California stores. She finally stopped working at 81 and she passed away in 1994 at age 83.

My mother was an incredibly strong woman, despite her health issues....or maybe in spite of them. From Scandinavian stock, her resilience to adversity was legend in our family. She was the epitome of perseverance, grace and hospitality. She and my dad were open minded enough to want to adopt children back in a time when it wasn't that common. She never lied to my sister and I about our adoption, either. I don't remember a time when I wasn't aware of it but she made sure that we knew that she loved us more than life. And to start raising children at the age of 46 showcases her strength of character....she was 48 when my sister was born.

This is my mother's story. I'm sure there's a lot more, but she wasn't a woman to talk of herself much. I can only hope that I mirror her outstanding qualities. What a compliment it would be for someone to say that I remind them of my mother! Happy Mother's Day, Mom....I miss you!

I hope you and your family enjoyed Mother's Day. Have a wonderful week!

Lori Elliott Webster

If You Want To Get To Heaven, You Got To Raise A Little Hell

2010-05-03T08:43:00.000-07:00

I never read it in a book,
I never saw it on a show,
but I heard it in the alley
on a weird radio.
If you want a drink of water,
you got to get it from a well,
if you want to get to heaven
you got to raise a little hell......

----Steve Cash and John Dillon
      Ozark Mountain Daredevils, 1973

To me, this song has always been about wanting something enough to fight for it. It urges us to be vocal about things we care about, maybe make a stir about what you think is important. Thirty-seven years ago, in 1973, kids all over the world learned to be vocal about things they cared about and people started taking notice. Things changed because so many young people demanded it. Opinions were challenged and mind-
sets were changed forever.

As I've said before, time is a circle and what goes around, comes around . People are again starting to stand up for their core values, especially when it comes to issues like affordable medical insurance and state policies on immigration. People are also becoming more aware about their neighborhoods and local communities, keeping tabs on and working towards their area's fiscal health. Of course, in this time of financial uncertainty, it's more important than ever to know where your community is headed.

There were a few things that spurred me to write this blog post. First was the fact that sales have been down this past month at the store pretty dramatically. April is traditionally a slow month because of tax time, but I attribute it to more than that. Economic issues, certainly, but intertwined with that, I've heard, is a general uncertainty about what's going on at Webster's. If the store were more communicative about all the changes, i.e., if someone other than I talked about it, perhaps the situation would be better understood.. Until that happens, it leaves Scott, myself and the rest of our crew as the de facto mouthpiece of not just our store, but Webster's in its entirety. I wish I could give you the answers you want to hear, but I can only tell you that we're all committed to making WFS the best it can be.

Another thing was Altadenablog's posting of this article about Don Thomas' return to Altadena Hardware. Reading the comments, I noticed a common theme - uncertainty about what was happening there. Also stated more than once in the comments was a thing I've heard repeatedly since we took over the old stationery department - that the inventory is not as complete as it once was. I had to leave a comment about that, which you can read at the link above, but I'll paraphrase it simply here. If patronage drops off, when people stop coming to the store (our store, or any store) because of an ownership change or a change in the economy, that means that the store is not making the money it once did. Yet the store is still responsible for paying its employees, the taxes and if it can, the rent. If there's enough left over, it's invested in inventory. If you don't buy, we can't buy, it's as simple as that....we independent retailers don't have a huge corporation backing us, the way the big-box stores do. Speaking of big box stores, Greg Sweet, one of the commenters on the thread on Altadenablog I've linked above, posted this fabulous cartoon video from JibJab. Thanks, Greg, for sharing this funny yet truly sad commentary on this fact of American life.....one I think we can change with some education.

That leads almost perfectly into the third thing that inspired this post. We had a customer in today, a young man looking at a Moleskine notebook. The price of the notebook is $21.99. He asks crewmember Sean Fitz Gerald if we "match prices", which left Sean a bit nonplussed. I walked over and asked if I could help, and the young gentleman tells me that he could buy this particular specialty notebook off the Internet for $9.00, and could I match that price. He wants to support local businesses, he said, but it's hard when things are priced higher than big-box stores or the Internet. Where does that extra $10.00 go, he asked....in my pocket? No, I had to tell him, it certainly doesn't go in my pocket. Right now, all money received for purchases is going toward paying our employees, keeping our taxes paid and refreshing our core inventory of home office products. Well, he says, I thought I'd give you the opportunity to earn my business, but I see that you won't work with me. This young man has now put me in the position where I feel like a highway robber and that I need to justify my prices....even though I know that our margins are deliberately kept to a moderate level.

It's like there's some sort of unwritten law against having your customers familiar with the way retail sales operate. I say, the more informed you are, the better! If we in the retail industry were more forthcoming about how we price things, how we buy and what the requirements for retail buying are, we'd have more savvy customers who choose where they shop and recognize what value truly means.  That Moleskine notebook the gentleman asked about cost me about $9.00 to buy....it's also what he wanted me to sell it to him for. We don't have the customer volume to make it worthwhile to sell things below margin, let alone make no money on it at all. We do run specials, I told him.....heck, I just spent the evening before handing out 20% off coupons! Join us on our Facebook Fan page and take adavantage of the promotions there. Become a regular customer and I might be more amenable to working something out But whatever you do, please realize the value of shopping locally! Spending your dollars at independent businesses is what keeps the wheels of your town turning! My employees go out and buy things from other local businesses. The store buys goods and services from other local businesses, we contribute to our local charities and so on and so on and so on....do you see what I mean? Now multiply that by the number of independent businesses in your area and you'll see that the amount is substantial. What if the majority of people in the community shopped locally? The results would be staggering! You can actually see how it works at The 3/50 Project and The American Independent Business Alliance. I urge you to take the time to educate yourself....your community will thank you.

Economic recovery won't really kick in until we jump-start it from the bottom up. Meaning, help won't come from the top and trickle down, it needs to happen at the lowest rung of the demographic totem pole.... in your local community....and spread upward! Until people realize that spending a few dollars more in locally owned businesses, where the money actually works for the town and isn't sent out of state or even out of the country, we'll continue to face hardship. I know that some folks out there truly don't care about things like this. Like the young man I spoke with, they don't want to be educated, they just want what they want. He wanted that notebook at $9.00 and was frustrated that I wouldn't "deal" with him.  When I explained that buying off the Internet gives nothing back to his community, he just shrugged. I'm not going to reach everyone, but that's okay. I'm not trying to reach out to those who don't want to learn, I'm trying to reach out to people who do. I'm trying to reach out to you! It's time to raise a little hell, don't you think?

Have a great week, my friends!

Lori & Scott

Coming Attractions

2010-04-25T22:20:00.000-07:00

Sometimes life gets so full that thoughts are shooting everywhere and you're at a loss to know what to write about. This, my friends, is one of those times. So many things to discuss, so little time, but I do want to mention a couple of things that are coming up here in Upper North Lake, Altadena. Good times ahead:

Wednesday, April 28th at 5:30, Photography By Walt is hosting this month's Chamber of Commerce Mixer. This is an extra-special event because they're having their Grand Re-Opening ribbon cutting.....come by and wish Walt and Molly good luck (and check out their cool new digs - it's looking pretty hip in there)! Their new address is 875 E. Mariposa.

Saturday, May 1st is our May Day Festival! Here's what Altadenablog says: "The Altadena Arts Coalition will be hosting another great community gathering with the May Day Festival coming up next Sat., May 1!
Featured event is the debut of "Abstract: Altadena," a collection of images by local photographers that will be on display in Galloway Alley behind Steve's Bike Shop at Lake and Mariposa. There will also be food available from local eateries, and many North Lake businesses will be open during the event. "Those Manning Boys" will present live music in the alley. Come and enjoy the night in our wonderful community, 5-10 PM!" Should be a par-tay!

Saturday, May 1st will also be the Grand Opening at our area's newest retailer, Kat Scrap Studio. They'll be having festivities all through the day, so make sure to drop by and say "welcome". They're located on the northwest corner of Mariposa and Lake, where Walt's used to be.

Here's something I thought was pretty darn cool. Blogger Cafe Pasadena honored another of our local community bloggers, Petrea Burchard of Pasadena Daily Photo, in a recent article. Petrea recently spoke at the Women's City Club about blogging for business and Cafe Pasadena dishes on it here

Another party on the horizon, again courtesy of Cafe Pasadena. If you're a blogger living in the local vicinity you'll be interested in this, but there's a question that needs to be answered first....what time of day on a Saturday would be better, noontime or after 5:00 p.m.? You can read about it and answer the question here

Some sad news to relay now. Fellow blogger (Altadena Above It All and Altadena Daily Photo) and friend, Debbi Swanson's husband, Steve Patrick, passed away Friday afternoon. Scott and I send our prayers and sympathies to her. Please keep her in your thoughts.

As always, Scott and I wish you a fabulous week (it's my birthday on Wednesday....check our Facebook Fan Page to see what we'll be cooking up)!

Lori

Tax Season, Bootcamp and Earth Day

2010-04-18T22:26:00.000-07:00

We're back after taking a short hiatus to finish up my presentation for the Business Builders Bootcamp and get our tax return finalized. Once again I vow to be better organized about it all next year!

My presentation for the Bootcamp class wasn't just the culmination of weeks of Friday classes, it's actually the beginning of our endeavors to improve the North Lake Business District. The august panel of business leaders in our community who listened to me gave Scott and I some wonderful advice and much to do. What was encouraging was their collective enthusiasm for our plan. It's nice to know that I'm not completely out of my tree as I push towards a stronger, more unified center of business here. When we have all our ducks lined up, I'll publish my oral presentation as a blogpost.

During the past two or so weeks, there's been quite a bit happening at the store. New items have come in, such as jewelry from local resident (and crew member) Devon Pettengill, adorable plush animals for the kids, books for young and old and some very clever wood sign & bud vase combos that are perfect for Mother's Day! The most exciting Earth Day celebration has been planned for Thursday, April 22nd, here at the store. Beginning at 2:30 p.m., noted author, radio personality and local resident Revvell Revati will be here to sign and discuss her new book, Smoothies & Smoozies for Life. Representatives from the Arroyo Food Co-op will also be here to answer any of your questions, and together, they and Revvell will impart tips and advice on Being Green From The Inside Out. They'll be here until 6:00 p.m., so make plans to join us for this informative and fun event!

Looking foward to seeing you Thursday and Scott and I wish you all a great week ahead!