Bellaire - Meyerland - West University | April 2023

BUSINESS FEATURE

BY MELISSA ENAJE

Isidora Flower & Gift Shop Owner uses art, design to curate seasonal blooms W hen walking toward Isidora Flower & Gift Shop in the Rice Village Shopping business traits, such as the importance of connecting with others.

But it is the time she spent as a child in Peru tagging along with her mom to buy plants that left an impression on her. “When I was 3 years old, I would walk around the nursery, and it was like heaven for me,” Jaguande said. Isidora oers a variety of options for those interested in purchasing owers, whether in person, online or by deliv- ery. Consultations on custom-made orders or recommendations can be provided by Jaguande or her sta in person, over the phone or through email. Grab-and-go fresh bouquets are made daily when the

Center, a sticker decal with the words “Today Is a Present” is plastered on the store’s front window as a greeting to visitors and passersby alike. That message is the vision behind store owner Thalia Jaguande, as a motto to treat every day as a gift. It is a powerful reminder Jaguande said she hopes anyone who steps into her store feels, even if they are just browsing in the area or curious about the shop’s ower arrangements. After receiving medical treatment 10 years

Isidora Flower & Gift Shop owner Thalia Jaguande said she considers color, tone and favorite ower when creating a gift or bouquet for a specic person. PHOTOS BY MELISSA ENAJECOMMUNITY IMPACT

Gifts in the store come from an array of local and international

ago at Houston’s MD Anderson Cancer Cen- ter, Jaguande knows the importance of nding beauty in the small things life has to oer, whether it is the moment a ower starts to bloom or just being surrounded by those you love. “I moved from my native country Peru to receive cancer treatment. Those six months taught me that I could get through anything as long as I was surrounded by warm

artisans. A pair of stued llamas were crafted in Peru, native country of owner Thalia Jaguande.

“I FEEL THAT WORKING WITH FLOWERS HAS A LOT OF ENERGY TO IT AND, IF YOU DON’T ALSO SHARE THAT ENERGY WITH YOUR CLIENTS AND SHARE THAT POSITIVITY, REALLY YOU’RE NOT DOING A FULL CIRCLE OF WHAT A FLOWER SHOP SHOULD BE,” THALIA JAGUANDE, OWNER, ISIDORA FLOWER & GIFT SHOP

shop opens and are intended for custom- ers who just want to pick something that day. Those bouquets range from $35-$130 and vary by color palette and what ow- ers are in season. Customers can also bring in their own vase or pick from one of the store’s options. Once the owers

ROSES ARE RED, VIOLETS ARE BLUE Customers can pick from a variety of bouquets that vary by week, are made fresh daily and are inspired by color palettes. Hand-wrapped bouquets are available in the grab-and-go section, and options range from $35-$130.

Happy Vibes

Eucalyptus Carnation Peruvian lily alstroemerias Spray rose Rose Wax owers

Mum Snap dragon Daisy pom pom

are no longer in use, the Isidora vases are meant to be used as potting vases for plants at home. Isidora also oers ower subscrip- tions that can be picked up or deliv- ered, Jaguande said. As a customer entered the store with a vase brought in from home, Jaguande’s instincts immediately went into action, and she directed her team on how to curate the owers placed inside. Isidora becomes an extension of the places she calls home, like Peru and Houston; they are lled with inspiration, joy, colorful aesthetics and, most importantly, good vibes, Jaguande said. “I feel that working with owers has a lot of energy to it and, if you don’t also share that energy with your clients and share that positivity, really you’re not doing a full circle of what a ower shop should be,” she said. “It’s a happy place.”

and loving people. Houston has since become my home, where I’ve met my second family,” Jaguande said. That life-changing moment was in 2013. Jaguande’s journey with Houston blossomed since then. In 2019, she graduated with her master’s, built the foundation for her business plan and eventually opened Isidora in September 2021. Exploring the ower shop stim- ulates multiple senses: seeing the arrangements, smelling the daily ower bouquets, and touching the gifts that come from an array of local and international artisans. What Jaguande said she brings to the Houston oral industry is a combi- nation of her Peruvian culture, family inuence and a passion for design. She comes from a family of artists on her mother’s side. On her father’s side, she said she witnessed qualities of good

Enchanted Pastels

Carnation Daisy pom pom

Hypericum Spray rose Rose

Isidora Flower & Gift Shop 2509 Rice Blvd., Houston 713-393-7108 www.isidoraowers.com

RICEBLVD.

Hours: Mon.-Fri. 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Sat. 9 a.m.-1 p.m., closed Sun.

TIMES BLVD.

BELLAIRE MEYERLAND WEST UNIVERSITY EDITION • APRIL 2023