TAKE NOTE
By Sammy Harris | Contributor
SPRING 2023 ISSUE
FARM-FRESH EXPERIENCES
Photo courtesy of The Ecology Center in San Juan Capistrano
Want to get your hands dirty? At The Ecology Center in San Juan Capistrano, this is definitely encouraged. All 28 acres are dedicated to the education, connection, and experiences surrounding a more holistic agriculture, making it the ultimate spot to kickstart a healthier lifestyle. People of all ages are welcome on the regenerative organic farm, which offers a daily farm stand and programming that includes tours, sensory garden experiences for children, workshops, and volunteer opportunities. This spring, join renowned chefs from across the country for a Community Table dinner at The Ecology Center. You’ll enjoy a family-style feast featuring beautifully crafted, fresh dishes featuring ingredients straight from the farm. Visit the website for the latest event calendar and list of participating chefs.
BRIGHTEN UP ANY ROOM
We could all use a little refresh of the spaces where we spend the most time — a change of environment is so powerful in boosting productivity and allowing room for imagination. Look to lights to make your aesthetic dreams come true, from playful sconces and table lamps to statement-making chandeliers. You’re encouraged to spark your creativity at Circa Lighting, which has a new Costa Mesa showroom filled with designer-curated collections of high-end products for residential and commercial spaces. If you’re not yet ready to commit to a specific feel, the showroom also offers a variety of inspiration spotlights featuring the company’s real-life clients. As the saying goes: Out with the old, in with the new. We don’t make the rules!
Photo courtesy of Circa Lighting
NOURISHING BODY AND SOUL
Photo courtesy of Giana Bakery + Provisions
Sister restaurant to Maison Café, Giana Bakery + Provisions found its home last year on PCH in Dana Point. Open daily, the coffee shop serves up European-style baked goods; for a sit-down meal, visit Tuesday through Saturday evenings to enjoy dishes such as fresh bucatini with a red wine Bolognese and pan-seared salmon with white bean ragu. A day menu is also available with breakfast and lunch options served until 3 p.m. No matter when you visit, expect a homestyle experience featuring organic and fresh ingredients that are locally sourced. Giana also has ample provisions of confections, Italian meats, cheeses, and wines for guests to purchase and enjoy at home. The dinner experience is enough to make it worth a visit but leaving with fresh bread for the next morning makes it a place you’ll keep coming back to again and again.
LIFE IN FULL BLOOM
Photo courtesy of Hadley & Ren Floral Co.
We’ve all had an event that caused us to lose sleep over florals, right? For your next special occasion, don’t settle for just any garden variety florist. Recently opened at The OC Mix in Costa Mesa, Hadley & Ren Floral Co. has perfected the botanical game, whether you’re looking for fresh, preserved or artificial blooms. In addition to her storefront, founder Cynthia Tran designs cherished memories for weddings and events with bespoke arrangements, bouquets, wreaths and more. Fair warning: Hadley & Ren creates moments that have a history of tears, so bring tissues as Cynthia transforms your memories from momentary to eternal.
A BRILLIANT COLLECTION
Photo courtesy of Mama Bijoux
There’s no better time to start collecting than the present. For some, it’s antiques; others love perfumes. For Kathryn Miller, it’s timeless jewelry — 14-karat and 18-karat gold and diamonds in particular. Under the brand Mama Bijoux, Kathryn has built a family business of crafting fine jewelry that ranges from custom birthstone designs to mom-and-babe sets. Based in Orange County, Mama Bijoux makes a case for investing in heirloom-worthy pieces that can be worn for generations. Each piece is meant to embody your personal style, so you can pop into the Costa Mesa atelier to browse, consider a permanent bracelet, or create your one-of-a-kind design with the help of Mama Bijoux herself.
A TASTE OF DOWN UNDER
Photo courtesy of Merricks Kitchen
No need for the 16-hour flight: Merricks Kitchen brings the Australian experience directly to your table. Named for a seaside town in Melbourne, the company creates a nutrient-packed blend of gluten-free oats, nuts, seeds, and all-natural sweetness known as Brekky. Founder Sarah Tobin pays homage to her childhood with this breakfast blend, which began as a family recipe but has been refined with new ingredients like dried kiwifruit, cranberries, and apricots. Great on yogurt, with a smoothie, or on its own, it’s a great way to start a wholesome morning routine. Find this blend of Aussie-inspired, organic ingredients at boutique retailers throughout Newport Beach and Costa Mesa; a full list can be found on the company’s website.
MODERNISM IN THE MAKING
Photo courtesy of Margaret Bruton
Behind the modern art movement, there are three unsung women who made prolific contributions to the genre. Now, for the first time in 50 years, the Bruton sisters are getting the attention they deserve, finding their rightfully earned spotlight at the UCI Jack and Shanaz Langson Institute and Museum of California Art. Margaret, Helen and Ester Bruton, born in the Golden State at the turn of the century, helped collectively advance California Modernism through their unexpected use of materials, themes and abstract ideas. Between the 1920s through the 1960s, they each experimented and pushed boundaries in their chosen mediums, including mosaics, prints, paintings and terrazzo. The exhibition offering a retrospective of their lives and work is on view through May 6.