I sincerely hope that all of you are feeling good.  This pandemic has so many stuck inside, worried.  Happy to offer hoop hugs to pass the time in a fun and healthy way.  

Some of you may have noticed a price change on the bigger hoops and bulk hoops.  Free shipping and local delivery are now included.

Big change in my larger hoops!!  I had been stuck with domestically available tube which was lighter, harder to sculpt round and not what it use to be since about 2016.  Most of your OG's started with a heavier gauge tube.  I have found a steady supply of the heavier, rounder, heavenly beginner tube at a slightly higher cost.  Any hoop between 40" - 60" in diameter is made of the new/old tube.  #happyhoopmaker

Prepandemic I was teaching up to 6 classes a week.  Since March I have been taking the #KonMariMethod to my life.  I am currently aiming at my website and rolling into a daily hoop practice again.  This girl got chunky and I am not happy about it.  I know I can do better...

More soon...

Teaching with STAR has brought my hoop love to schools throughout Los Angeles; Mar Vista, Playa Vista, Palisades, Bel Air and Laurel Canyon.  The kids are amazing and have taught me so much.  

My professional journey has called on me to be skilled, efficient, professional, modest, rational and at the ready in a crisis.  All to result in the respect of my piers.  Important stuff for sure.  All a bit lost on a 4 year old.  Hoops are fun.  But me?  Being fun or entertaining has been far from my list of priorities.  I figure if I am having fun everyone else is too.  Not so.  Kids are so honest.  I'm getting better.

Currently booking events for the Spring and Summer.  Talk about fun!!!  Hoping to tie in some classes as well.

Hoops are still available by appointment at the beach or in store at the Fruit Gallery of Culver City and 2121 Venice (Venice Love Shack).  In Heroes We Trust is moving downtown and has closed the 300 Westminster Ave location.  A huge loss for the neighborhood but best for the business.

If anyone knows the crew of the palace on wheels above, please thank them for me. They got me started.  

The third principle of Burning Man is Decommodification:

In order to preserve the spirit of gifting, our community seeks to create social environments that are unmediated by commercial sponsorships, transactions, or advertising. We stand ready to protect our culture from such exploitation. We resist the substitution of consumption for participatory experience.

 Hoops and Burning Man are so entwined that it has put me at odds with the whole commodification aspect of making hoops for a living.  I’ve observed the finest in the industry but continue my flow.  My signs are small, practice hoops plentiful, free social media is almost maxed out and I have yet to send out a Sales/Marketing email.  EclecticHoops has paid for itself since 2010 and has more often than not paid the rent too.  Thank you for spreading the word!

 Fresh bling will be posted shortly.  Build it and they will come...

Thank you!!  Happy Holidays!!

THE BEST SUMMER YET!!!  

I'm trading in some free for all festival/market/party gigs for Jen time.  Chill time at the beach with my FutureHeroPodcast starts today.  Weekly for at least the next 8 weeks are my favorite things ever!  

• Tuesday  Free Beach Yoga with Aaron Reed  (Aaron is great, I bring hoops, dolphins come, sunset swimming optional, rescue dive trained so I've got your back, everyone is awesome)  Bring your Kids!!!
• Wednesday  GLOW FLOW with Bianca and Meredith (donation class + free jam)
• Thursday  Santa Monica Pier Concert Series.  Hello Mayer Hawthorne!!

Odd Nights at The Autry (7/15) and Reggae on the Mountain (7/23+24) are still on but that is it for July.  

Time to smell the roses, hug friends, celebrate health and remember.

Tons of hoop events, jams, classes and assorted mania are happening all over the LA Area!  I've tried to post it all on the Hoop Community Calendar.  Let me know if I missed anything!

A picture says a thousand words.  I've been suffering from a little DBI (Distorted Body Image) lately but it is clearly true, the fat jeans are tight. 

Fixing it.  I'm taking on Hooping.org's 30/30 Challenge starting today.  30 minutes of hooping for 30 days in a row.  Past attempts have initiated unexpected happy changes that have thrown me off course.  Not this time.  All I need to do is surround myself with other hoopers.  I'm going to attend some of those events on the community calendar.  I am hosting two Saturday hoop residencies starting tomorrow; 10am at the Venice Love Shack and 2pm at In Heroes We Trust.  

Join me tonight at 6:30.  Sunset is at 7 and I'll be the shoreline straight out from Brookes Ave with hoops to share!

Website updates start with my community calendar of events first.  Getting my own gigs booked into in the coming months is on the todo list...

The best distractions have kept updates on hold.  Hoopurbia kicked my arse in the best possible way.  Solid days of yoga, modern dance and focused hoop training led and shared by some of the most beautiful people on the planet.  Hoopie Award nominee, Jane Jensen, a.k.a Mom flew in with my ever talented sister, Andrea, for a week to share in the excitement and celebrate my birthday.  A lovely party was hosted by Neely at in heroes we trust to ring in another year, weaving community and the Venice Art Crawl.  We followed that up with a meet & greet with Amma.  Truly blessed.

Design advice was well taken collaborating on hoop and bag combinations with Andrea.  You can see them currently on the home page.  Soon they will be blasting off to points continental.

Business has been booming at the Venice Love Shack.  Best to them as they weather the changing climate on Lincoln Blvd.  Busting a move to keep them well stocked.

My Galleries are fully loaded with fresh bling all around, the site will be as well before tomorrow and I've got to get on to classes and the many events brewing.

KCRW's Fringe Benefits directory gets the Spring push starting 4/1.  I am in it and thrilled to be offering discounts to KCRW members!!

After 5 long years I have finally committed to a web platform. It flows like the language it's written in, liquid. At this stage I am filling in content. The following will be built out on the site as an FAQ, inform my first newsletter and generate revenue necessary to support plans with the family.

I would love some feedback.  Here I am posting questions as a framework for your response to the site. 
My questions to you are:

• Am I leaving anything obvious out? 
• Does anything impede your flow through the site? Distractions, Broken bits, Irrelevance, etc.
• If you came to my site for the first time would you come back? Why?
• 3 things I love about it.
• 3 things that you don't want to see again.

Express yourself freely through PM if your suggestions are lengthy, text if you spot a typo, respond to this post with constructive criticism.  Review a product on its page to share your experience. Review my business as a whole through the blue review tab to the right on the site. Have a happy hooping life and follow, pin, create and share. Spread the #hooplove like wildfire on Yelp!, Google, Angie's List, FourSquare and Facebook.

FAQ - TMI?

*** Why do you do hoop?

Flow in action moves my heart louder than words. The expression of our essence, our connection to source, is life. Flow Expressed in music and movement we become the change we want to see. The arts of live music and hoop dance are better than chocolate.

***What do I need to start?

It helps to know what works for you before you commit to a custom hoop. Remember, bigger is easier. Heaviness does not determine your hoop fit as much ad diameter. Beginners looking for a good work out and all of the basic on body moves should start with a hoop diameter 40" or larger. When sizing kids aim for a diameter hoop equal or greater than the distance between the floor and their belly button.

***I've never been able to do that. It worked with yours! Where can I get a hoop? 

First consult with community members about your preferences, local hoop makers, social media or etsy. Find me at events, classes and jams listed on the Community Calendar. You can try on and buy in person and pick up your hoop at your favorite location; The Plant off Venice Boardwalk, Featured Galleries, Markets and Events. Save on shipping by selecting On Site Pick Up to reserve your hoop on location or to arrange delivery.

***Can you buy them online?

Yes! EclecticHoops.com is open for business. Made it myself and it finally flows like liquid. Sales and discounts are in the Slightly Faded sale items located at the base of the homepage. Collections include fitness Trainers, Superfreaks, Dance Hoops, Kids and Advanced Stagecraft for the committed. Bulk options are available for parties, dance studios and teachers.

We accept all major credit cards, PayPal, Pay by Amazon and BitCoin. Apple Pay is on the way...

Select On Site PickUp option at Checkout to arrange pick up or local delivery.  Flat rate USPS shipping: $10 Domestic/$30 International.

***I see hoops everywhere. What huge hoop company do you work for?

I work for myself with a little help from my family, friends, neighbors and mentors. People mistake me for other hoopers all of the time. Flattered indeed but the hoop making community is huge. I do aspire to be everywhere and feature class, market and event info on my homepage.

You can also find them amongst many happy hoopers in alternative marketplaces like Square, Etsy, Amazon, eBay and Zazzle.

All roads lead to eclectichoops.com from Facebook, Google Shopping, Tweets, Shop-able shareable Pinterest Pins and a separate set of Pins of local events, Close5 posts and personal favorites called Local News and Close5.

Like, pin and share the HoopLove where you prefer.

***Where do they come from?

I make them. They are my Art. DIY materials are found online and shared on my site if you want to make them too. My canvases are of responsibly sourced plastics extruded and finished in the US. The big ones are made like this... (hooping.org). Small fast hoops are made like this... (hoop supplies Droo and IsoPop).

Honored to list Specialty items from contributing small businesses I have the pleasure of listing under Collective on the menu bar. Donations of hoops supplies are always graciously accepted.

***Are you here all of the time?

You can no longer find me on the Venice Boardwalk. That is a long story.

I still aspire to be consistent and accessible.

EclecticHoops.com is open 24/7 with a calendar of occasions.
Past Annual and Monthly and future appearances make the list below:

• Jackalope Arts Festival
• Beach Yoga with Aaron
• Abbot Kinney Festival 
• Odd Nights at the Autry & more Odd Market
• KCRW's Pie Contest at the Fowler Museum
• Reggae on the Mountian
• Venice Beach Music Festival
• Topanga Days
• Venice Spring Fling
• Venice Art Crawl's
• DTLA ArtWalk

*** I'll be back...  

You will. I know. Pretty much everyone I meet personally does.  It has taken years for some but they do come back.  Most people are a few pay periods away from shopping for themselves. Parents need to budget for their kidsl If you see something you like, save it in My Cue in the Menubar. Cue lets you combine all of your wishlists into one organized space and get word on markdowns and specials.

Hooping helps me.  I use my hoops in the practice of Flow; a modality through which peak performance is achieved.  Side effects of a sustained Flow practice include increased focus, awareness and stability. Hoop Flow stabilizes the serotonin levels through belly massage.  Norepinephrine, dopamine, endorphins and anandamide levels in your brain also rise resulting in states of ecstacy, radiance and source connection.  This can lead to expressive dance fusing elements of yoga, movement play, rhythmic gymnastics, circus arts, hip hop, burlesque and Pan Indian storytelling.  A.C.E. (American Council on Excercise) clocks the calorie burn of hoop flow at a rate of 100 cal. per 10 minutes rounding out to 500 cal per hour on the waist.  

Nothing improves your mood than time in flow.

New hoopers find beast mode best in private.  That is how we have so many solo hooping videos out there.  Taking it to the next level, around other people, is incredibly empowering.  So blessed to live in a community with plenty of classes and hoop jams.  

Yes!  Be Happy!  Stay Healthy!  Feel your Holidays!  Smile!

One constant are the immediate benefits you get from hooping.  So I've been focused on the immediate this long dry summer by putting them on you.  Festivals and events have included many birthday parties, Beach Yoga with Aaron, Abbot Kinney Festival, Odd Nights at the Autry, KCRW's Pie Contest, Reggae on the Mountian, Venice Beach Music Festival, Topanga Days, Venice Spring Fling, Venice Art Crawl's, DTLA ArtWalk, and more.  All future events including the Jackalope Arts Festival and Artist's & Flea's are set on community calendar.  You are encouraged to preorder and choose on site pickup to save on shipping.

All this hustle while supporting my Galleries and they me.  This has left me a bit rundown. The Venice summer has also taken its toll on Pura Vida O2 and The Venice Love Shack as well. The former gave up their lease and moved downtown. The latter just signed a lease and is undergoing restructuring.  The hustle changes.

Couch locked I have tackled the online game. This site is now loaded with hoops and stuff. My Cue loads your favorites to your universal wish list. Teachers, classes and events are on the community calendar and content includes for flow arts and led's live on various pages. Reviews of the business or specific products are saved as testimonials. So Dig In. Say something nice! Have fun! 

I am prepared for the holiday season.  Having shipped for HoopGirl for 4 years now I've got it as low as I can go. The hoops are shipped round via USPS for a flat rate of $10 domestically and $30 internationally. This applies for orders up to 6 hoops.

Etsy, Amazon, EBay, Google Shopping, Adwords and Yelp are next on deck.

So the hustle changes with the season.  My aim is to direct more energy to my practice and well being.  A juice cleanse is in my future.  So is time with Mom.

Tomorrow Whole Foods is hosting my first class in a very long time.  I can't wait!  I've been cleared by my doctors to do so again and I'm so happy.  Join Us!! https://www.facebook.com/events/1451559451811083/

Tuesdays are lovely.  Elemental Yoga with Aaron Reed with a playtime warm up with plenty of hoops.  7p at the Shore out from Rose Ave by the Venice Ale House.Dolphins, sunsets... all for FREE! https://www.facebook.com/events/1582923555304704/

Saturdays coaching sessions at In Heroes We Trust (noon) and the Venice Love Shack (4 pm) are coming back!!  Drop in and I will be there to get you rolling.  (Suggested Donation $10). 

Opportunities to teach are increasing.  I've got my eye on a hotel rooftop for sunset jams and filling this space below after clearing a few details.  Please call for details!  310 482 8777

See the Community Calendar on the home page for Events near you!  Hoop Teachers!  Send class details!!

If you would like to use this space for classes, please let me know!!!

After getting about 10K views on Facebook I was encouraged to put the video on YouTube.  After a bit of polish from a dear friend, it is up and things are going wild!  Hooping.org featured it on their online hooping Mecca and it topped their Top 10 videos for the week last week.  

This whole thing has lit her up like crazy.  She loves the feedback and assorted hullabaloo.  Keep it coming!!

In late February, just as I was feeling some traction with my web development chops, I was hit by an uninsured motorist.  It knocked me off my game hardcore.  Physically and financially wrecked, I had to turn my sights on to making immediate cash.  Eternal thanks are due to my Galleries, Doctors and Family for the support and getting me back on my feet!

LAPD continues to bust my flow soul deep.  It is currently illegal to sell or use dance hoops on the Venice Boardwalk.  Yes, ridiculous but true, the current L.A.M.C. Ordinance 42.15 governing what can and can't represent on the west side of the walk states that everything must be of nominal utility.  Nothing useful.  Fine Art (paintings, sculpture and photography) Only.  A brief stroll there now shows that this rule is not for everyone.  Why certain jewelers, musicians & myself have been singled out, I do not know.  From 2011 through August 2014, I set up shop anyway.  I was given 3 tickets for violating the ordinance.  A very messy situation indeed.  In response, I have tried to work with my fellow community members in the Ocean Front Walk Free Expression Advisory Group to work with the LAPD and Councilman Bonin's office.  Still trying.  

All that aside, I'm getting my groove back.  Thank you for your patience!!!

I start teaching an after school crew on Monday by the Annenberg Beach House.  Please join us!  Hoops are provided.  Suggested Donation $15 per child.  Adults Free!

So lucky are we to live in Los Angeles where hooping is established as an art form and many are offering classes.  It is always sad to hear that these classes are not filled with students.  I intend to put the word out here for them and myself.  All to the greater good!!

A week back from the Tundra and what have I done?  A litany of work away from the site... dental work, taxes, car repair...

Not to worry, I have called in reinforcements.  My brother is on the hunt for a proper Shopify Theme with the functionality I need to Rock This!  Once the Theme is on then come more words than you would ever want.  They tend to disappear when making theme changes so, again, your patience is appreciated.

Questions are always welcome!!!  310 482 8777  You'll get to talk to me in person.

Meanwhile, my Galleries have been sorted out and photos have been taken.  The Slightly Faded section will be filled with discounted fun and more shine finery will be added to the product database today.  

This is the first blog post in my first fully functional website.  They have been a long time coming...

I can't wait until the launch party!!

Your patience is appreciated through its development.  I look forward to adding the Advanced Stagecraft and Slightly Faded Sale sections today.   If you have suggestions or concerns throughout the process, please let me know! 

Truely thankful for my fellow hoopers and the flow they bring to a challenging process.  I read a lot of Lara Eastburns work to keep me motivated.  Check out her hilarious piece here ::  The Extraordinary About Me Page Challenge 

I have a couple of folks offering opinions on certain aspects of the site.  Yours would be welcome too! Please email jen @ eclectic hoops.com, text 310 482 8777 or Facebook message me at fb/eclectichoops

Peace!