Monthly Archives: July 2020

Paws and Pivot

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805 Living Summer 2020, Paws and Pivot story by Leslie Dinaberg. Photos by Victoria Pearson.

805 Living Summer 2020, Paws and Pivot story by Leslie Dinaberg. Photos by Victoria Pearson.

After its closure during the COVID-19-related stay-at-home order, the Humane Society of Ventura County (hsvc.org) recently re-opened for pet adoptions. “We have room for three appointments per day,” says director of community outreach Greg Cooper. “We have stopped the intake of adoptable animals since the start of the pandemic, so our on-site population is way down,” he says.

Thanks to the power of social media and photographer Victoria Pearson’s Instagram pet portraits (@victoriapearsonphotographer; see a sampling above), Cooper says, “engagement on our feeds has increased by close to double since the pandemic began. People show a great deal of interest if they can see what the dog, cat, horse, or pig looks like before coming up for a visit at our shelter.”

He also credits the contributions of volunteers. “The work they produce is stellar,” he says. “We consider ourselves lucky to have access to such a great resource.”

805 Living Summer 2020, cover art by John Galan.

805 Living Summer 2020, cover art by John Galan.

This story was originally published in the summer 2020 issue of 805 Living. Click here to read it as it appeared in print.

 

Fetching Food for Seniors

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805 Living Summer 2020, Fetching Food for Seniors, story by Leslie Dinaberg.

805 Living Summer 2020, Fetching Food for Seniors, story by Leslie Dinaberg.

Stuck at home for the remainder of his junior year at San Marcos High School in Santa Barbara due to the pandemic, Daniel Goldberg felt the urge to help others in some way. He texted a few friends about it, and within a matter of days, Zoomers to Boomers (zoomerstoboomers.com), a free grocery delivery service for the elderly, was born.

Since early March, the program has grown to encompass 29 cities nationally and an affiliate in India.

“With the pandemic, I think there is this universal feeling of helplessness,” says Goldberg, “where everyone is just trying to stay away from people, and you feel like there’s nothing you can do. Just seeing how many people are reaching out and saying, ‘I want to do something similar [to Zoomers to Boomers],’ has been a very welcome surprise.”

Jackie Kaplan, one of more than 100 local volunteers, recently finalized a partnership with The Foodbank of Santa Barbara to deliver hot meals from Chef’s Kitchen to seniors, further cementing Zoomers to Boomers community collaborations.

805 Living Summer 2020, cover art by John Galan.

805 Living Summer 2020, cover art by John Galan.

This story was originally published in the summer 2020 issue of 805 Living. Click here to read it as it appeared in print.

 

Color Them Lattes

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805 Living Summer 2020, Color Them Lattes, story by Leslie Dinaberg. Photos by Denisse Salinas.

805 Living Summer 2020, Color Them Lattes, story by Leslie Dinaberg. Photos by Denisse Salinas.

The colorful Moon Mylk Lattes at Hook & Press Donuts (hookandpressdonuts. com) in downtown Santa Barbara are more than just a pretty pour.

“We wanted to offer more than just coffee and doughnuts at Hook & Press, and a line of plant-based, adaptogenic [containing ingredients believed to help the body resist stress] drinks that are healthy, delicious, and colorful was the perfect answer,” says owner John Burnett.

Available hot or iced (perfect for summer), the blends are made with almond, coconut, or oat milk, and their colors come straight from the all natural ingredients.

Flavors include Rose Mylk Latte with rose, almond, and subtle beet notes that go perfectly with fruity doughnuts; Yerba Mate Latte, featuring a slightly grassy taste with a hint of cacao that pairs well with chocolate doughnuts; Matcha Latte, infused with green tea and citrus flavors; and Golden Mylk Latte, a mingling of warm spices that marries well with the cinnamon crumb browned-butter doughnut.

805 Living Summer 2020, cover art by John Galan.

805 Living Summer 2020, cover art by John Galan.

This story was originally published in the summer 2020 issue of 805 Living. Click here to read it as it appeared in print.

 

Mindful Millinery

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805 Living Summer 2020, Mindful Millinery, story by Leslie Dinaberg.

805 Living Summer 2020, Mindful Millinery, story by Leslie Dinaberg.

Lovely, handcrafted works of art, the bespoke hats of Ojai-based Ninakuru (ninakuru.com) are also environmentally friendly.

“Felt hats are ethically sourced and hand shaped,” says founder and designer Jennifer Moray (left). “I source beautiful materials from around the world, such as vintage grosgrain and brocade ribbons, leather, turquoise, and other finishes, ensuring each hat is one-of-a-kind.”

Made of sustainable toquilla straw from Ecuadorean rainforests, the company’s authentic Panama hats are handwoven by master artisans in Ecuador before final touches are added in Ojai.

“The art of weaving an authentic Panama hat is such a cherished skill and so worthy of appreciation,” Moray says, “that in 2012 the handweaving of Panama hats was added to the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list.

I’m honored and humbled to be able to create sustainably made products and do my part to preserve a precious cultural tradition.”

805 Living Summer 2020, cover art by John Galan.

805 Living Summer 2020, cover art by John Galan.

This story was originally published in the summer 2020 issue of 805 Living. Click here to read it as it appeared in print.

 

Cheers to Connecting

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805 Living Summer 2020, Cheers to Connecting, story by Leslie Dinaberg.

805 Living Summer 2020, Cheers to Connecting, story by Leslie Dinaberg.

Treat friends to a drink, even if you’re not there to raise a glass with them. It’s easy via the Get Your Drink On (GYDO; gydo.me) app, which works with U.S. wineries and breweries that accept Apple Pay or Google Pay.

“In the 805 area alone, we have almost 200 participating wineries and breweries, [so] friends can buy friends a drink at their favorite spot,” says Ryan Williams, cofounder of the Carpinteria-based company.

The app was conceived, Williams says, to help the beverage companies increase their sales and expand their user base. “However,” he says, “as GYDO began to take shape, the focus became more on the actual experience of the GYDO user and how they felt when buying or receiving a drink.”

805 Living Summer 2020, cover art by John Galan.

805 Living Summer 2020, cover art by John Galan.

This story was originally published in the summer 2020 issue of 805 Living. Click here to read it as it appeared in print.

 

Catch the Short Shorts Wave

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805 Living Summer 2020, Catch the Short Shorts Wave, story by Leslie Dinaberg. Hammies photos, clockwise from top, by Annabelle Sadler, Grant Nestor and Tony Kozusko.

805 Living Summer 2020, Catch the Short Shorts Wave, story by Leslie Dinaberg. Hammies photos, clockwise from top, by Annabelle Sadler, Grant Nestor and Tony Kozusko.

The rad, retro beachy spirit of the 1970s and ’80s lives on in Hammies Shorts (hammiesshorts.com). Named after Hammond’s Beach, a favorite Montecito surf spot of co-owner Grant Nestor during his formative years, the Santa Barbara-based brand is inspired by the era’s classic OP corduroy shorts, which Nestor wore long after they stopped being manufactured in the 1980s.

For years, he says, he thought, “If somebody doesn’t start making these shorts again then I’m going to have to.” He and his wife Sarah Kozusko started Hammies to bring the retro style back, and their timing turned out to be right on trend, with short shorts coming back in a big way.

Hammies are available at Coco Cabana in Montecito and Canyon Supply in Ojai, as well as online.

805 Living Summer 2020, cover art by John Galan.

805 Living Summer 2020, cover art by John Galan.

This story was originally published in the summer 2020 issue of 805 Living. Click here to read it as it appeared in print.