Meet Cara Cara
How It All Began…
When Sarah and Alison met, they immediately bonded over a shared love of dogs under 20 pounds, wives named Liz, cauliflower nachos, and doing laps around the Ojai Farmers' Market (dress code: mumu).
As their friendship grew, so did their interest in citrus, flowers, and the idea of creating something beautiful and distinct. But they wanted it to last. In a world of sending flowers that die in a week and nondescript glass vases that clutter your cabinets, they brainstormed a new approach: chic, sustainable, dried flower arrangements in handcrafted vessels you'd keep forever, along with a curated selection of lifestyle goods and bespoke gift sets. They sought out small batch artisans from around the world—from Ojai to Todos Santos to India—to bring their craftsmanship to a larger community.
Behind the Name
Cara Cara is named after the bright, sunshiny orange variety that has an incredibly sweet taste and unique pink color.
Sarah and Alison both have a long-standing affinity for oranges—Alison grew up in Florida from a long line of citrus growers, and her fondest childhood memories are all citrus-scented. Sarah attended college in Florida, and she frequently took meandering drives under the same fragrant orange blossoms that would become her signature when she opened her West Village home goods store, Grove.
Meet Our Founders
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Co-Founder
Sarah Tallman has spent the past 25 years in product development for companies like Estée Lauder, Prada, and Ralph Lauren, and was on the founding team as head product developer at Saie. A lifelong lover of flowers and floral design, Sarah started working at a flower shop at fifteen, and has since created floral design for weddings, large scale events, and private residences. From 2008 - 2013, Sarah owned and ran Grove, a home goods store and interior decorating company in the West Village of New York City. Sarah lives in Beachwood Canyon, Los Angeles with her wife Liz and their three dogs Beep (yorkie), Tiny (jack russel mix) and Lola (pug).
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Co-Founder
Alison Rou is a seasoned entertainment industry communications strategist. She formed Anchor Media Strategy, a communications firm representing award-winning television creators and showrunners, in 2014. Prior to that, Alison oversaw communications at ABC for over a decade. She serves on the board of LIFT LA, a non-profit which invests in parents and provides them the opportunity to give a better life to their children. Alison splits her time between Los Angeles and Ojai, with her wife Liz, son Wilder, and French Bulldogs Winslet and Walnut.
Shop Our Favorites
“The Beachwood bouquet is definitely my vibe—we live in Beachwood Canyon and when I look out the window all I see are earthy green and brown tones. I love a subtle but chic and sophisticated palette that is super textural. It has a quiet strength and is a great example that not everything stunning has to be irreverent or bright.”
— Sarah
“My favorite arrangement is Cove, as it reminds me of our vacation (mobile) home in the funky beach community of Paradise Cove in Malibu, which we share with our best friends and their kids (our godkids). We've seen them grow up alongside our son Wilder, measured by the sizes of the wetsuits hanging outside. Wild pampas grass grows naturally along the coastline in Malibu, and the bleached-out breezy feeling of Cove perfectly captures the vibe there.”
— Alison