THE PIE WITCH
Amber Wyatt was laid off from her job with the River Cats at the beginning of the pandemic and, after spending a few months bored at home, decided making and selling pies was her next move. Her business, The Pie Witch, started out small—she only sold to friends and family—but grew week by week. The name came from her boyfriend, who jokingly called her a “witch” for making him enjoy pies, which he’d never liked before. How does she do this? She adds flair to each pie by tweaking traditional recipes with unique ingredients. A few of her specialties: lemon meringue, lavender crème brûlée, la leche lemon and “after hours” pecan pie with bourbon. Each season, she drops a new menu, which includes fresh (never frozen) seasonal fruits. This winter, the menu features favorites such as ricotta lemon-thyme and chocolate chess. To order, fill out a request form on thepiewitch.com. Within 24 hours, Wyatt will reach out and confirm your order. Pies, which run $24–$30, will be available for pickup from her Elk Grove location approximately two days later.
SPLATTER ART BY GILL
Gillian Balbierz, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo graduate and St. Francis High School alum, has combined her design talent and passion for sports to establish a unique painting business. She began creating paintings for roommates and friends—and began selling her products as well. Her business has grown in recent months to include splatter and dot paintings and customized cornhole sets and beer die tables. (With the shutdown of public gathering destinations, Balbierz reports that sales of her cornhole sets have spiked, perhaps because people have been hosting functions in their own backyards.) Prices and the time it takes to complete orders vary depending on the items requested and complexity of the logo. A standard customized cornhole set, for example, starts at $275. Each piece is custom-made and painted with detail and care. While Balbierz specializes in sport-related items and themes, she can execute just about any design on any product. To order, message Balbierz on Instagram (instagram.com/splatter_art_by_gill/).
TOTAL BODY RECOVERY
Ramon Black was working construction and remodeling hotels—and getting back into personal training—when he decided to try his hand making specialty bath bombs. He started his company, Total Body Recovery, and makes CBD-and-creatine bath bombs. As an athlete, Black chose to combine two recovery products he regularly used for muscle recovery into one. He ran a short trial of his own product and was pleased with the results. TBR’s bath bombs come in three scents and several colors. Lavender can be made in red, black or blue; citrus comes in yellow and pink; peppermint is green. Customers can also request customized colors. Order through Instagram (@mytotalbodyrecovery) or Etsy. Bath bombs are $10 each ($12 on Etsy) or three for $25.
