Some places and times are just made for each other – the town plaza in December, Main Street on a Tuesday afternoon Farmers Market, and The Ripped Bodice on Galentine’s Day.
Despite the rain, a sizable crowd showed up for romance author signings, crafts, cookies and cocktails, all of it in honor of the unofficial ‘best friends and girlfriends’ day that is celebrated on Feb. 13.
Dottie’s House of Sweets had some exceptionally delicious cookies on offer; oatmeal raisin, coconut and lemon. All of them worth a sample (and a second sample, just to be sure.) Lodestar Whiskey served a smoky tea and citrus cocktail that was a California winter in a glass; the lapsang souchong, a black tea smoked over pinewood, was accented by notes of lemon and orange, and centered the sweet but mellow whiskey in a perfect frame.
Romance was, of course, in the air – titles compared, favorites shared and books bought. The crowd was warm and welcoming, and while women’s rights are under attack celebrating the relationships with friends and sisters was both important and fun.
The Ripped Bodice, which has been keeping Culver City readers in love since 2016, now has a sister-store in Brooklyn, New York.
Judith Martin-Straw
