Take Note

By Elisabeth Abrahamson

Beautiful Blossoms

Orange County native Sydney Sievers accidentally fell into her passion. "I started working at a beautiful flower shop in Seal Beach my junior year of high school for absolutely no reason,” Sievers said. "I had no immediate interest in flowers, but a friend suggested I'd be a good fit.” Sievers ended up working at that shop for seven years before officially launching her own storefront, Peaches Floral Co., in Costa Mesa. She specializes in dried flower arrangements because they last much longer than fresh and are equally as gorgeous. "When I got started in this business, I wanted to do something different than what other florists at the time were doing. That's what led me to dried florals," Sievers said. Her perfectly curated shop stocks dried arrangements, single dried stems (to create your own arrangement), hand-poured candles, summer straw hats, goodies for brides-to-be and much more. | peachesfloral.co.com. IG: @peachesfloral.co

Seen from Above

Originally from Mexico, Aline Espino moved to Orange County in 2012 to study Industrial Design. "I've always had a passion for photography," Espino said. Her passion for photography soared to new heights when she discovered drones. "I wanted those beach shots that are impossible to reach (with a hand-held camera),” she said. "It was intimidating at first, but I’ve been flying for a year and a half now and I've never looked back." Espino is inspired by nature, California's coastline and a good cup of coffee shared with friends. You can find one of her pieces titled "Birthday Sprinkled" on the cover of this issue—perfectly, titled because Espino shot the image on her birthday (she's also in the photo!). Fans can be on the lookout come August when Espino releases a new line of resin products to complement her photographs. | alineespino.com IG: @ae.spino

Sobier Snapshots

Newport Beach photographer Ed Olen spent the last ten years photographing food and fashion in Orange County. Little did he know his passion for both photography and fashion would collide in such a meaningful way. "I came up with the Sobier Photo Project right before my church's annual trip to Haiti," Olen said. "Sobier is a remote village with no running water, electricity, sewage systems, or stores. The residents had no idea of the cultural references so many of us in the U.S. grew up with (Mickey Mouse, malls, etc.), so I wondered what it might be like to photograph someone with material items we put so much value in that have no meaning in Sobier," he said. "The contrast between the objects of wealth and the people of Sobier is striking." You can see another of Olen's photographs from this series on the back cover of this issue. | IG: @sobierphotoproject

Saving Birthday Wishes

It's safe to say that Newport Beach residents Brian Garbutt, Luis Morales and Roberto Wright saved birthdays. “Last year, my family gave me a birthday cake with candles on it, but I had to wave a paper plate over the candles (hello Covid-19), and I thought it was such a shame that the time-honored tradition of making a wish was gone," Garbutt said. Enter Wishaver, a clear disposable candle ring that fits on top of any cake and holds up to 21 candles. It's simple: Wishsaver keeps germs away from cakes and keeps the party going. Now you can truly have your cake and eat it too. | wish-saver.com IG: @wish.saver

NB’s New Art HQ

Newport Beach native Victoria Kennedy has a lot to celebrate this year. She opened Kennedy Contemporary, an art gallery located in her hometown of Newport Beach. "After college, I started working at an art gallery in Park City, Utah, and I knew little about contemporary art but I quickly fell in love with the artists we represented and enjoyed sharing their stories with our clients," Kennedy says. This experience led her to pursue a Masters in Art Business, and ultimately led her to opening her own gallery right here in SoCal. “I'm inspired daily by our artists," she said. "Creating art is hard, and I'm continually impressed by the works that emerge from our artists' studios and their commitment to their careers and art practice." What do we love about Kennedy Contemporary? The gallery offers a range of artists with a variety of price points, ranging from $200-$20,000. Kennedy believes good art can be accessible, and we couldn't agree more. | kennedycontemporary.com IG: @kennedycontemporary

Natural Summer Skincare

Amy Zunzunegui worked at Urban Decay for almost 20 years before deciding to venture out and create her own line of vegan, cruelty-free and sustainable skincare. Enter Wldkat, Zunzunegui’s skincare line with products that are good for you and the earth. And did we mention they actually work? Wldkat products are stripped of irritating and unnecessary additives and replaced with the earth's wild ingredients, combined with modern skincare technologies. Favorites include Mushroom and Moss gel moisturizer, Saffron and Oat Milk glow serum, and Ginger and Kombucha skin tonic. Shop Wldkat on their website and at Asos.com and Urban Outfitters. | widkat.com. IG: @widkat_skin

Mulch, Music, and Mortar

Married duo DJ and Jessica Aleman created an Instagram account, @mellowist, in order to share their passion for plants with their local community. After successfully developing and selling plantthemed apparel online, the couple decided to move forward with a brick-and-mortar in Costa Mesa— Mellowist began to bloom. “There weren’t any local plant shops and we felt the niche of rare cacti, local handmade pottery and Japanese imports would be a good fit,” Jessica said. “Our task was to bring our Instagram account alive.” What can customers expect to see at Mellowist? Plants, potting services, local art and chill music. “Our shop is a ‘check your problems at the door’ kind of place,” she said. Taking part in “Mellowist Sundays” means enjoying food and coffee from local purveyors and checking out living art from other featured artists. | mellowist.com. IG: @mellowist

Marian Paquette: Edgy Environmentalism

In 2018, Laguna Beach resident Marian Barker opened her first retail location, Marian Paquette, in Laguna Beach. Over the past few years, she has successfully sold impeccably designed handbags, ottomans and other home décor, each made by hand in California. Her one-of-a-kind bags are made of reclaimed fabrics and are often accessorized with carefully selected chains or vintage embellishments sourced on her travels. “I’ve always had a passion for design,” Barker said. “I was an interior designer and was always collecting fabrics. I created my line of handbags based on reclaimed textiles and have grown from there.” It’s apparent that Barker values sustainability as much as design in her work. “I realized how much fabric is discarded,” she said. “I started with reclaimed fabrics and now implement a cut-to-order philosophy, maximizing the fabrics and minimizing waste.” Barker’s must-have bag for this summer? “Anything from my embroidered handbag collection. They are truly unique.” marianpaquette.com. IG: @marianpaquette