A couple weekends ago, I met up with my blogger friend, Gaby, in Downtown Orange. We felt this little town would be perfect for a mini photoshoot because it has so much character and charm! We ended up meeting at a small coffee and tea shop called Contra.
Contra is located on a side street, away from the bustling city circle. It’s super bright and very spacious, giving it a friendly, inviting atmosphere. I would say their design concept is unique compared to other coffee shops I’ve been to. They sell books, feature art from local artists, and brew their coffee and tea on nitro and tap!
Now onto the good stuff – the actual coffee! They offer a large variety of flavors, ranging from dirty horchata to Vietnamese coffee. The barista noticed we were going back and forth on flavors, so she offered us a couple of samples. They were all so tasty and fresh! I ended up with the honey lavender since I like my drinks less sweet (Akshay’s note: honey and lavender aren’t sweet?…). I noticed that all their glasses had their brand etched on it. The coasters they serve their drinks on have a really cool motto: “Renew your Brew.” It’s clear that a lot of thought went into their brand.
With the bright, natural light, it was hard for us to not take a ton photos! I had just received this gorgeous laptop skin from Case App, and thought a small coffee shop like Contra would be the perfect place to shoot it. Lately, I’ve been obsessed with flower crowns and big hair (Akshay’s note: wow, that sounds very intellectually stimulating), so when I saw this laptop skin, I knew it was calling my name. It’s pretty easy to use the sticker; however, I suggest having two people apply it on to the laptop. If you happen to love my sticker, or any on their website, feel free to use my code “TIKABOBIKA20.”
I hope you have been inspired to check out this great coffee shop! In general though, Downtown Orange is filled with so many cool small shops and restaurants that you really can’t go wrong!
