The Shopkeepers was born from the desire to reconnect us to what matters most: community, life filled with beauty, and objects crafted with sustainability and soul. Since 2017, when founders Patti Pagliei Simpson and husband John first opened its doors, the shop has been a proverbial round-up of makers, featuring an array of Santa Barbara’s best in local brands, fashion, art and gifts, including our own Waxing Poetic line.

It is a rare occurrence when you meet someone who speaks directly to your heart the way you hope to have it seen, heard, spoken to.  This is author Della Hicks-Wilson, who, through her tender and transformational new poetry book, Small Cures - does just that. 

Lisa is a longtime friend of mine and is a foremost expert on the hidden benefits of Lymphatic health. A certified Lymphedema Therapist and lymphatic health activist for over 20 years, she also is about to publish her first book on the subject, The Book of Lymph, Self-care practices to Enhance Immunity, Health and Beauty

Our friend Jen, the no-bullshit communal retreat leader, coach and author of the best-selling, confessional memoir “On Being Human,” recently teamed up with her good friend, inspirational yoga, reiki and meditation joy-beam known as “Ace” (an acronym of her full name, and, well, the highest ranking card in the deck – no accident here!) to start their own podcast.

She’s the one who helped us see our own courage with her ground-breaking book Wild, and the one who delivers the radically empathetic advice we can really hear as Dear Sugar.  Beloved, bestselling author Cheryl Strayed shares her thoughts on partnering with Waxing Poetic on her bravery-bolstering give back collection for Outdoor Afro, and inspires us to examine who we really are, as we keep one foot in front of the other during these tumultuous times.

It is breast cancer awareness month, which is usually is marked by lots of community fundraising efforts, runs, and action to support organizations and find a cure.  This pandemic year is different.

Daron Hope at EarthTonics is a maker after our own hearts. Deeply connected to Mother Nature, healing and the products she creates, each formula of fresh, herbal ingredients is an alchemic conduit for holistic skincare. A return to nature’s definition of true beauty and self-care.

It was early March, when John and I met Patti Smith, when we did not have to distance ourselves, and we could hug one another and stand shoulder-to-shoulder. Given the threat of coronavirus, it feels like a world ago. We gathered in a beautiful black tent and Patti delivered us to ourselves as only she could do, through wildly-tamed, powerful and poetic spoken and sung words.

Dr. Jennifer Freed, the Santa Barbara based master Jungian psychological astrologer, whom I have known for over 10 years, has a profound and poetic new book, “Use Your Planets Wisely.” Jennifer is also the founder of AHA! (Attitude | Harmony | Achievement), a program for underserved and at-risk youth, and a frequent contributor to Goop.

The idea for the “Inner Compass” collection came to me by following my own, and then a meaningful coincidence happened, after I read a post by Liz Gilbert, whom I was about to meet for the first time.

All Elephants deserve our respect, wonder, love, and when necessary, our protection. Historically, humans haven’t done so well in this regard. Elephants worldwide are in trouble because of poaching, habitat fragmentation and other human actions.

We recently held an event at our flagship store, The Shopkeepers in Santa Barbara, welcoming acclaimed authors Bridget Fonger (Superhero of Love) and Jen Pastiloff (On Being Human) into conversation.

I got a chance introduction to Keira Kotler, the founder of Everviolet, through my friend Nicole, who shared her story with me and said “you will LOVE Keira and what she is up to!”