I first met Tara when she was my downstairs neighbor at the Durant Drive townhouse. We were both designers, but her focus was in the practice of simple fix installments in apartments and really beautiful decorative objects that she curated for her business. At that point she had become very invested in carrying on a gift retail business, and was trying literally everything to keep beautifully wrapped gift giving alive. She and her mother had a wildly successful shop on Brighton Way before we met, and Tara, understanding a wave was coming of online gift buying, has never stopped striving to make things special.
In fact, when she realized my husband and I were marrying with a justice of the peace in my apartment, she raced out to get a cake and champagne to make it more special. She hosted Shabbat dinners in our pretty Hollywood Regency courtyard and always had something inclusive happening, always supporting charities, especially our first beloved Beverly Hills first responders. After our baby came and we moved a few blocks away, I’ve watched from a distance, being wrapped up in my own ambitions and mothering, but occasionally we would come together for different events and referrals. She IS tikkun olam, a word I learned when I studied judaism.
Tara has since recreated Tesoro the Greatest Gift Store Ever in at least these venues, in no particular order: pop ups at Neiman Marcus, brick and mortar on Third, two spaces at Fred Segal; at one point she even did a pop up at Tesoro’s original location! I know there’s more because my baby is now an adult, and Tara is still bringing beautiful thoughtful artfully wrapped gifts for any budget.
I haven’t seen her in person in way too long, as our part time LA status has kept us really busy on the ground. I meant to go by her new place on Canon to catch up before we go full time in Mississippi, ten I saw her story on social media this morning.
Right now I I am praying that this is not a closed door, but another door opening for her. I can’t imagine the grief she must feel, so all y’all who actually pray for people, pray for Tara. I think she’s probably in shock now but if we can give her some tikkun olam, I will find out and post it here and on all my social media.
