Kailee Wright AND Megan Papworth

August 13, 2014 by Bob Galmarini

Separately, these two beauties shine their creative light in different ways. Recently, however, they decided to combine their light and man does their beam shine bright. Meet the gorgeous gals behind Stay and Co., a home and children's clothing company setting out to take over the world. No, that's not true. That would be rude. But, they are kicking ass and growing in ways they never thought possible just a few short months ago. And, they are super nice. And, well, nice creative people might be the best kind of people.

Note: Megan (on left) had a baby this week. Congrats to the family and welcome to this world, Neve Louise!

*The italicized comments after Kailee and Megan's responses are from ME and not them. If they were from them that would be a tad creepy.*

NAME: Kailee Wright and Megan Papworth

LINE OF COMPOSITION: A home decor line and a baby/children’s clothing line.

DEETS:
IG account: @stay_and_co
Website: stay-and-co.com
mail: hello@stay-and-co.com

HOW STAY AND CO. BEGAN:
Besides the practical reason of having to help support our families (we have 6 kids between the two of us) while Megan’s husband is in dental school, and my Kailee’s husband is in Anesthesia Residency, we have always had a passion for design -‐ interior design, fashion, etc.

Megan worked with her mom throughout her career as an interior designer and they both saw a need for classy, polished looking pillows at an affordable price. So, Megan went to work downtown, scouted out resources by walking the streets of Los Angeles and started Goods by Grinn, hoping to provide the answer to the pillow crisis.
Kailee started her kids fashion line (Miss J Handmade) with the intent to fulfill a hole in the kids clothing market. After months of phone calls, research and many trips to LA she started bringing her designs to life.

Kailee and I (Megan) met in January and we were both ready to throw in the towel due to work overload, so we decided to combine forces and Stay and Co. was born in May.

totally love the fact that instead of throwing those towels in they joined forces. I don't think this would be most people's first plan but it speaks volumes. It is amazing

BEST PART OF THE JOB:
Watching an idea that started as a thought come to life and realizing that you came up with something that others find useful and inspiring. Not to mention, finding a way to make it happen and being persistent when it seems impossible most times. We are talking major fist pumps and happy dances!

Major fist bumps. Making it happen is everything

WORST PART OF THE JOB:
Trying to manage our kids, be a homemaker and wife and run a business all at the same time to help support our families. This is the ultimate struggle for every mom, right? The guilt of having to say “no” to your kids because it’s your work day and you need to make a phone call or run work errands. We are convinced there is no perfect way to do it, we just continue to find ways to juggle family time and work time by having work days and mom days.

Balance is a myth. A mean illusion that haunts us all

WHERE YOU SEE YOURSELF IN 5 YEARS:
Still creating our dream brand and having a staff of employees to aid in the process. Hopefully Stay and Co. will be in large retailers and allowing us to sit on an exotic tropical beach for a week or two once a year :)

I can see you both in cute suits near crystal clear water

WHERE YOU SEE YOURSELF TONIGHT:
Megan: Having a bonfire at the beach with my family. Couldn’t ask for anything more than a summer beach day with my favorite people!

Kailee: Making dinner with my family and watching a movie with our little people all while snuggled on one tiny couch.

WHAT WOULD YOU BE COMPOSING IF NOT WHAT YOU ARE DOING NOW?:
Megan: Photography -‐ I had my own photography business for 5 years before moving to California. It is still a favorite passion of mine when I can find the time to get out “my real camera.” I want to fine tune my film photography skills (realistically in my next life)!

What an awesome talent!

Kailee: Hair stylist -‐ Many people don’t know that I am a hair stylist. I have done hair for over 12 years now and still love it! I have a salon in my home, but since moving to California where everyone does the “natural look” ;) business has slowed. I would still love to work in a salon 2 days a week when my kids are older.

Is there anything you can't do?

FAVORITE THING TO DO OUTSIDE OF YOUR CREATIVE WORLD:
Megan: Eat good food (that I don’t make) and go on adventures with my family. Since being a mom, I have made big efforts to try new things and provide memories for my kids. Whether is be trying a new aquarium or hiking to a local waterfall -‐ those adventures are my very favorite!

Kailee: Be at the beach or on the lake with my family!! We love to be outside and the water has always been a favorite. We also love food (can you see a trend between Megan and myself?) ;) I love when we are at my parents house and my entire family is in the kitchen cooking together. It always seems to be where the best conversations happen.

VICE:
We both feel the same about this...definitely our phones! We have to leave them in another room so we forget about it for a half hour and actually get things done.

Hallelujah. The balance of social media and life is a myth too. HA!

FAVORITE PIZZA:
Megan: Sausage and pineapple. anything with sausage has my whole heart. haha!

Kailee: I swear I’m like a kid....just plain old pepperoni

INSIDE YOUR CLOSET:

This is my favorite part. It seems so invasive, entering a woman's closet. It says a lot about someone... like a tiny peek inside their soul.

Kailee's closet: I'm kinda a freak and love my closet color coordinated and hangers spaced perfectly apart. I have been out of town for week so this is what it looks like after my husband has been at home alone. Haha.

Megan's closet: I am writing this (kris with neve / hawk) because Megan just had a baby and has better things to do but can I just say that her "go to" splash of color must be fuschia. Also- that is a good deal of shoes. Way to go.

Carly Patterson

June 24, 2014 by Bob Galmarini

Let me just tell you all how much I love this lady. Unlike most other relationships that were born via IG, Carly and I met over email. Her journey is nothing short of amazing and her clothing is to die for. This year, she is expanding even more into the kid world with new styles coming out around the corner. Hot damn, that's delightful, no? From sewing in her home in Pennsylvania to moving across the US and sewing in LA, this lass has had a journey we can all learn from. We can also all stare at her picture and think about how adorable she is. She truly IS that adorable. It's true.

*The italicized comments after Carly's responses are from ME and not Carly. If they were from Carly that would be a tad creepy.*

NAME: Hi! I'm Carly.

LINE OF COMPOSITION: Designer of carlymegan, a unique, simple, and modern children's clothing label.

DEETS:
IG account: @carlymeganshop
Website: www.carlymegan.com
Email: carlymeganshop@gmail.com

HOW DID CARLYMEGAN BEGIN:
ha, oh boy. well... carlymegan actually started because I wanted to make clothing for myself. I purchased my first sewing machine and figured my rusty sewing skills could use a little practice. So I started making baby shower gifts for a couple friends who were expecting and.... the rest is history. PS Its been 5 years and I have yet to make more than a couple pieces for myself. Its funny how these things happen.

Get on it, girl.

BEST PART OF THE JOB:
Right now, its working for myself. It was the most terrifying, most exciting decision I have ever made and it was totally worth it.

HARDEST PART OF THE JOB:
Working for myself. haha. But seriously, it is hard. I'm still trying to figure out a schedule and routine that works for me.

Oh my goodness, this is so true. Why is it so hard?!!

YOU, 5 YEARS:
Hopefully, married, with little ones, and of course still totally immersed in designing children's clothing. I'm excited to see where my journey will take me.

YOU, TONIGHT:
Where you see yourself tonight: cooking dinner, spending time with the bf, and watching too many episodes of the wire (its my new current obsession since I finished the latest season of Orange is the New Black in no time flat).

WHAT WOULD YOU BE COMPOSING IF NOT WHAT YOU ARE DOING NOW?:
I would probably still be working as a Professional Engineer in land development. Interesting, but not as fun as what i'm doing now.

For some reason, I feel like the premise of an engineer in land development quitting her job and making children's clothing would be an awesome television show. Preferably with Tina Fey or Mindy Kaling. Ha!

FAVORITE THING TO DO OUTSIDE OF YOUR CREATIVE WORLD?
Favorite thing to do outside of your creative world? probably just watching a movie and ordering take out. super exciting. haha

SOMETHING YOU HAVE CREATED THAT ENDED IN A DISASTER:
Feels like the majority of my first attempts. but, if at first you don't succeed, try, try, tryyyyy again.

SOMETHING YOU HAVE CREATED THAT WAS WAY MORE AWESOME THAN YOU ANTICIPATED:
Probably one of the first pieces I made., 'Hand printed antler baby skinnies'. I thought they were ironic, taking something so traditional and putting it on something that was super modern. The finished piece was totally way more awesome than I would have ever imagined and really launched my label.

We love your antler baby skinnies!!!

WAY YOU WORK:
I am usually holed up in my workroom, door closed, completely isolated from everything else. Depending on my mood, and what i'm sewing that day, I may watch a movie, old TV shows, or listen to Pandora. For example, the more mundane the task, the more I need something super entertaining to get me through it, bribery of sorts. I can never watch anything that's new, otherwise no work will be done. I usually will give myself tasks or goals to achieve before I am "allowed" to take a breather. Like "ok, once you sew all the seams together, you can take a break and do a lap around the apartment"... or in most cases its check whats happening on all social media. Instagram. Facebook. Pinterest. Twitter. Repeat. ha.

I am going to adopt this goal method. And I love that your prize is a lap around the apartment.

FAVORITE MATERIAL TO WORK WITH:
Anything that I go completely gaga over and can't stop thinking about. Its crazy how you can come across a print, a color, or a texture and it can totally inspire you and pull a design together like it was meant to be.

It's like a drug. You have good taste in drugs, BTW.

MOST SURPRISING ASPECT OF THE JOB:
That i would be fully immersed in children's fashion and completely loving it. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would end up here, but I just can not get enough.

Don't ever go. Ever.

VICE:
my phone. my phone. my phone.

Amen. sigh. cough.

GO TO FOOD THAT MAKES YOU CRY HAPPY TEARS:
oooh this is a hard one... so many to choose from. but most favorite food is sushi. I crave it weekly and would totally get it daily if my bank account wouldn't hate me for it.

INSIDE YOUR CLOSET:
My closet is PACKED, oh and organized by color (mostly). I will never be a girl with more than a inch of separation space on the rack. I don't have the most colorful wardrobe (surprise surprise) but there are a couple uber colorful things thrown in the mix. I love chambrays, black pants, and lots of neutrals. These days I mainly wear super comfy clothing while I work [read pajamas], so a lot of this only gets worn for a hour here or there when i have a lunch/dinner date, errand, or just need to feel like a regular person in society.

Hahaha. You should slip something nice out of this closet when you do your laps around your place :-)

Courtney Gray

April 30, 2014 by Bob Galmarini

I am not sure how we first heard of the amazing teepee company, Tnee's Tpees. We have been following this company for some time, totally impressed with their gorgeous goods- the patterns, color choices and care put into each teepee. I didn't realize how much I loved their teepees until I had a dream one night we dyed a ton of fabric for them to make teepees from. (I am not going to lie, they were freaking awesome.) And, well, that made me reach out to get to know the face behind the brand a little better. So, so happy I did! You can find most of Tnee's Tpees updates on Instagram (link below) where you can follow to get updates regarding new product, happenings and even giveaways-- there is even one now with another person we have featured, Jen Anderson of LWPH SEWS!

*The italicized comments after Courtney's responses are from ME and not Courtney (because that would be odd)*

NAME:
Courtney Gray “Teeny” is what my hubby calls me, hence was born “Tnee’s Tpees”

LINE OF COMPOSITION:
I make stylish kids teepees, mats and wood decor

LOCATION:
Pleasant Grove, Utah

DEETS:
IG account: @tnees_tpees
Website: www.etsy.com/shop/tneestpees and tneestpees.com
Email: tneestpees@gmail.com

BIRTH OF TNEES TPEES: My husband and I really needed to pay off student loans and buy a working computer. I was subbing in elementary schools, but I really wanted to be home with my 2 kids. My aunt made and sold children’s teepees years ago, and recommended that I try it. My husband and I sat down and figured out a teepee pattern (took hours), and I started sewing. I started on bed sheets until we perfected the pattern. I then made a handful of teepees, went on Brickyard Buffalo, and it has snowballed since then. A year later we have finally paid off our student loan debt! And now have a reliable computer. But, I will continue working ;)

* I love stories like this because they are real and relatable-- starting something to pay off student loans and buy a computer. Freaking LOVE!*

BEST PART OF THE JOB: Being able to employ other moms who also get to work from their homes doing something they love (sewing).

HARDEST PART OF OWNING A SMALL BUSINESS: You never stop working!

*Every small business owner, including myself, just let out an exhausted sigh*

ADVICE TO THOSE WANTING TO START A NEW BUSINESS: Keeping accurate track of your business finances is key in being successful. I am lucky to have an accountant for a husband who knows exactly where we spend business money.

*Go hubby!*

PART OF THE JOB THAT WAS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT THAN YOU EXPECTED: I had intended it to be a little side thing, something I did after my kids went to bed. It has become more than that. I have worked hard, and have been blessed greatly.

SOMETHING ABOUT THE JOB THAT SURPRISED YOU: How fulfilling it is to create something that others love and are willing to spend their money purchasing.

YOU, 5 YEARS: If my husband had it his way I would be pregnant with my 5th or 6th baby. I’m good with the 2 I have. But I would love to be able to employ more mamas, and keep doing what I am doing. Life is good.

*OMG. I love your husband*

YOU, TONIGHT: I just finished way too much of my Cafe Rio salad, so my plans of going to the gym are shot. I’ll be cutting fabric and cuddling my sweet kids and hot hubby instead.

STYLE CRUSH FOR LITTLES: I love little girls in leggings. That’s basically all my girls wear (after we finally get dressed half way through the day).

FAVORITE USE OF YOUR AWESOME TEEPEES: I have recently had many purchases for my teepees to be used on the beach. We decided to take one to the beach to see how practical it was. My daughter was about to take a nap in one. It was great! A fun way for kids to get some shade but still be able to play with the sand.

AMOUNT OF TIMES YOU HAVE WANTED TO CALL IT QUITS BUT KEPT PUSHING ON: Too many times to count. My sweet husband keeps me positive about being a business owner and is constantly reminding me of the big picture.

*An accountant AND a cheerleader?! Good man.*

WHAT WOULD YOU BE COMPOSING IF NOT WHAT YOU ARE DOING NOW?: Probably more children

FAVORITE THING TO DO OUTSIDE OF YOUR CREATIVE WORLD: I just started taking piano lessons and I am in love. If you need someone to play Jingle Bells or When The Saints Go Marching at your next function, I’m your girl!

*How can anyone not love you*

VICE: online shopping, because I need to support every handmade business owner right? (my husband has heard that way too many times)

IF YOU COULD CHOW ONE THING RIGHT NOW, WHAT WOULD IT BE?: A dole whip. But I have to be in Hawaii or Disney land to eat it.

*what is a dole whip and why do I suddenly need one?*

INSIDE YOUR CLOSET: I keep all my clothes in a teepee. Doesn’t everyone?

jk jk.

I need a bigger closet though. My husbands clothes actually take up half of the closet. So basically I need my OWN closet.

You deserve your own closet, Courtney! (Coming from the girl with NO closet at all!)

Debi Ibanez

April 23, 2014 by Bob Galmarini

When we thought about starting this blog, our goal was to highlight people form every aspect of the kid's world. Meet Debi, the most lovely person behind baby, go green- a children's boutique. Her story is incredible and her store is beyond well curated. (the brands are out of this world). We loved speaking with her about her world, her job and her family and hanging out with Beyonce :-)

*The italicized comments after Debi's responses are from ME and not DEBI. Just so we are clear *

NAME: Debra Ibanez aka Debi

DEETS:
IG account: babygogreen
Website: www.shopbabygogreen.com
Email: debi@shopbabygogreen.com

LINE OF COMPOSITION: I own and operate baby, go green- a children’s lifestyle boutique that specializes in organic cotton clothing, made in the USA products and up-and-coming unique labels.

LOCATION: Houston, TX

THE BIRTH OF baby, go green: Kind of a long story. My online shop launched in November of 2012 and my brick and mortar in May of 2013. But I feel like I have been on this journey for over 20 years that brought me to where I am now.

It’s truly amazing to me how many little things that happen to a person affect actions or decisions you make years and years later.

My passion for organic things started with buying organic food and skin care about 20 years ago. And then that passion grew with our first pregnancy 11 years ago. Like most new moms, I started doing more research on how to have an optimum healthy pregnancy and natural childbirth. That was a big spark that fueled my enthusiasm for learning about a more natural lifestyle for me and my loved ones. In addition, years later, we endured the tragic loss of our (5 month in-utero) baby after I was accidentally exposed to toxic chemicals. Since then we have been even more careful in controlling what is in our home, what is against our skin and what we eat.

LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS DRIVE

On the fashion side, well let’s just say I have always been a little obsessed with clothing and fashion since I was a little girl. (I may or may not have donned the Michael Jackson glitter glove) So much so that buying clothes was a big part of my motivation to start working at 15 yrs of age. I would spend my whole check (minus gas money) on clothing. Also, my mom sewed and my father was a master bookbinder and together they ran a successful business. So that definitely helped me appreciate the time and craftsmanship that goes into handmade things and in some way trained my eye for unique finds. Not to mention kindled in me an intrepid entrepreneurial spirit. Thank you MOM and DAD! =)

The clear vision of the business idea began in my heart and mind 6 years ago. I was pregnant with my 3rd child, Tiziano. So for his baby shower in 2008 my family did a green and natural theme but I ended up having to register online for such things as organic baby wash, organic cotton clothing and wooden baby toys. Everyone loved all the items and they were a big hit at the shower! That’s when I initially had my epiphany. What an amazing baby and kid’s store that would be- chock-full of products that are safe, organic and toxin-free. (Not to mention stylish too) So I emailed a close friend of mine my business idea and got her advice. I still have the email and like to re-read it occasionally to remind myself of why I started.

But, the timing wasn’t great obviously since I was about to have a baby and had two pre-school age children home with me as well.

Things changed dramatically for our family in March of 2012. The week before our 11th year wedding anniversary my husband lost his job. After over 12 years of being a loyal, trusted employee he was forced to resign. It was devastating for us. We had always felt so comfortable and secure. We suddenly had no income and a family of 6 to provide for (I had just given birth to our 4th child a few months prior). Amidst our despair, we still had hopes that he would find another job fairly quickly. But it didn’t happen. Weeks turned into months. About 6 months after he lost his job he had 2 job offers at the same time. He accepted the one that offered him less money but more flexibility and time with his family. But shockingly, that fell through shortly thereafter and left us questioning ourselves and the choices we were making. Why couldn’t we catch a break?

After that happened I felt this nagging desire to revisit my business idea from years ago. And so I covertly started making plans to open my dream boutique. lol Of course I couldn’t go to market/trade shows without blowing my secret operation- so I did everything online. I made my website (with the help of a template) and started adding products that I hadn’t bought yet. lol When my first wholesale account was set up and they emailed me my approval and “line sheets” I literally cried. I guess I was a tad excited. Just a little.

Eventually, I had to tell my husband of these not-so-minor plans since I needed, ahem, dinero. (Insert the winking emoji with the tongue out) haha! So, in the end, he agreed to let me use up practically all our savings, coupled with a small loan, to get started. It was definitely a leap of faith! But we felt that it was wiser to invest the little money we had left rather than let it dwindle down to nothing.

So, now that baby, go green is blossoming, we feel that all of our decisions have been the right ones and we no longer question. And, I am very grateful for his support and belief in me. These days, he plays Mr. Mom (while still looking for work), helps me homeschool our 4 children (yes we homeschool too… but that’s another novel), has the occasional contract job and helps me a LOT with the business. I’m quite sure he feels like he is still working full time…except he isn’t the boss anymore. lol LOVE you babe!!! =D

I seriously cried when I first read this. What an incredible "beginning"!

HIGHLIGHT OF THE JOB: Oh gosh, so many things. Definitely at the top of my list is working with my husband and having a more flexible work schedule. Second would be meeting other moms (and dads) that share my passion for organic things and for fashion whether they be vendors or customers. And how can I NOT mention the buying part! It’s a blast shopping all the time!

Have you SEEN her brands? AMAZING!

MOST BUMMER ASPECT: umm... Basically, the same as the best list. It’s not always easy to work with your spouse… but I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Also, when I make friendships with my customers I want to stop charging them. And, well, that will put you out of business real quick! So, I have to remember that it’s ok to do business with your friends too. ;) And as for the fun buying part, well, it might seem easy- but it’s actually very hard to curate the collections. Easy would be saying “Give me 3 of everything”. But you can’t. You have to spend hours and hours analyzing the collection as well as analyzing buying and fashion trends. It’s definitely a mixture of art and science. Oh and also you have to buy things you wouldn’t necessarily put on your kid. For the most part, I buy only what I love but I’ve learned to appreciate different style genres as well.

I really can't imagine how hard it is to buy for a store, trying to read your customers, etc. Well done, Debi!

ANYTHING ABOUT OWNING A CHILDREN'S CLOTHING BOUTIQUE THAT WASN'T EXPECTED? Pretty much everything. I didn’t really have any retail experience so yeah, there’s that. =D But mostly I just didn’t expect it to be so time consuming. It really requires much more time (definitely more than 40 hours a week) than I ever anticipated. But it’s getting better as I become more experienced. Oh and yeah the profit margin is not what I dreamed it would be. hehe You really have to love this industry since it’s not the most lucrative. And thankfully, I do. =)

We hear ya on profit margins! Oy!!

SURPRISES: hmm Perhaps the most surprising thing to me is that I bond with my customers and their children so much. I didn’t think that would happen to the extent that it has. I mean you’d be surprised how many customers have my personal phone number. But I love it that way!

This means EVERYTHING!

YOU, 5 YEARS: Still doing what I love- operating baby, go green and perhaps having my own private label. And seeing my 2 older daughters join in the business with us too. Our eldest just learned how to wrap packages. It’s a start! hehe

We totally advocate child labor

YOU, TONIGHT: Totally hanging out with Shakira and Beyonce planning their kid’s wardrobes for Fall. Ok, ok not really… but that would be pretty awesome. Nothing fancy, just cooking and relaxing at home with my family.

Some day, Debi. Some day.

PERSONAL FAVORITE STYLE FOR LITTLES: I love rompers and dresses for my youngest since they keep her looking little. So sweet and SO easy! For my son I love him in all over pattern sweatpants or harems with a solid or one print tee. For my older girls I tried to force the rompers but they weren’t having it. =) I love them in tunics and leggings. An instant chic outfit! But the shirt has to cover the bum. Just say no to leggings as pants! Lol.

WHAT WOULD YOU BE COMPOSING IF NOT baby, go green? There is nothing I’d rather do than just be a stay at home mom and not work at all. But if I had to do something for income I would start some other type of online business and work from home in my pjs.

Staying at home with 4 kids is a job in itself. You are awesome!

FAVORITE THING OUTSIDE OF THIS WORLD: I LOVE to be outside. I especially love the beach and so do our children! Only an hour and a half drive to the Gulf coast for us- so we take advantage. =D

VICE: gahhh Ice cream and movies at midnight when the kids are sleeping.

FAVORITE PIZZA: Fav kind is a Margherita (when I’m being good) and a classic pepperoni as well (when I fail at being a vegetarian-ahem -which may or may not happen often). My aunt and uncle own the famous Mario’s Italian Ristorante in Galveston and frankly, no one comes close to theirs. I’m obsessed.

Say hello to Mario's Italian Ristorante when in Galveston y'all!

TELL US ABOUT YOUR SOUL, I MEAN YOUR CLOSET: Oh my gosh- this is nuts! I love it! Haha My closet is organized chaos! I hang my clothes by the styles and then by colors. And I’m trying to slowly convert to wood hangers since they are expensive. NO WIRE HANGERS ALLOWED! lol Kidding… mostly. =D I love wooden hangers though, don’t you?

A good portion of my clothes are from J Crew and are grey and black. I’ve always loved J Crew since the catalog days. Telling my age! And I have WAY to many Fall/Winter clothes for living in Texas. What’s up with that?

Fall/Winter clothes are so much better because of layering! Makes total sense don't worry :-)

But yeah, no matter how I try, it’s always a mess because I share it with my 2 youngest children (2.5 yrs and almost 5yrs) who LOVE to play hide and seek in there and swing upside down like monkeys from the rods- causing a lot of collateral damage. God I hope those rods hold because they just won’t stop doing their stunts. lol

Debi, I want to swing in your closet AND play in your life. You are an inspiration!

Do you want to shop baby, go green?! Debi is offering 15% off your order with code: COMPOSE

Jen Anderson

April 04, 2014 by Bob Galmarini

I can't begin to tell you how much I enjoyed getting to know this chick. I have watched LWPH SEWS from afar for some time, seeing her GORGEOUS quilts and drooling over them. Quilting is mystical and magical to me, so intricate and lovely, a wonderful talent to bring to the children's world. And, well, Jen makes the best quilts out there... quilts that can stay in families for generations, quilts you want to hang on the wall AND snuggle up next to. I was ecstatic that she wanted to be a part of this blog and getting to know HER has been a delight. She is a rocker and roller, people. I mean straight up cool. And, you know what? She is almost to 10k fans on IG [Holla] and is prepping for a bomb.com sale on her beautiful creations once she hits that incredible #. (Her IG is below.. go and follow.. and drool.. and want.. and buy)

Dear God, I want to buy ALL.. and then hoard them from my kids because I am selfish.

*The italicized comments after Jen's responses are from ME and not JEN. Jen does not want to hoard anything from anyone*

NAME: Jen Anderson [or Little Wife Power House as my husband calls me! And now you know where the LWPH comes from!]

Stop. It. Amazing. And, can we talk about her cute braid and specs?

DEETS:
IG: @lwphsews
Website: www.lwphsews.com
Email: lwphsews@gmail.com

LINE OF COMPOSITION: modern bedding for the modern babe

LOCATION: Campbell, CA

HOW LWPH SEWS BEGAN: I hate this word since watching Sharleen on The Bachelor but here it goes anyways — my business began very organically. I didn’t start quilting so I could start a business. The first major sewing project I ever did was a tiny crib quilt and I just fell in love with the whole process of creating a quilt. I’ve always been drawn to modern patterns, fabrics, etc so it was only natural for me to bring that into my business. With lots of little pushes from family/friends/acquaintances I decided to take the leap and it’s been really great.

Oh, Sharleen

“Nobody in life gets exactly what they thought they were going to get. But if you work really hard and you’re kind, amazing things will happen.”

— Conan

HAS LWPH SEWS GROWN AND DEVELOPED IN THE WAY YOU ENVISIONED OR HAS IT TURNED INTO SOMETHING YOU NEVER IMAGINED? I think the core of it has stayed the same — I always wanted to offer high quality, modern quilts that can be kept forever, passed down from your kids to their kids. It’s changed a little in the sense that I’ve added a few other items to round things out — crib sheets, baby blankets, dolls — but the core is still the same.

BEST PART OF THE JOB: Pulling a quilt out of the dryer. It’s warm and crinkly and wonderful. Or maybe when my customers send me pictures of their babes using my products —that’s pretty awesome too.

Warm GORGEOUS quilt. YES!

WORST PART OF THE JOB: When I mess up and have to use my dreaded seam ripper. I love and hate that thing.

The freaking seam ripper. Ugh. So little, so powerful.

ASPECT OF THE JOB YOU THOUGHT WOULD BE DIFFERENT THAN IT IS: I was surprised at how much work there is to do besides the actual work. Researching fabrics, answering so many e-mails, SHIPPING, responding to comments on IG, etc. Just a lot of extra stuff that I hadn’t anticipated.

Amen. Amen. Amen.

YOU, 5 YEARS: Well, that’s a good question isn’t it? :)

YOU, TONIGHT: I’ll be hand binding a quilt or two while I binge watch TV from my DVR [Vampire Diaries, DWTS, Scandal, etc].

SCANDAL!!! Olivia Pope for President!

Check out this awesome mermaid quilt Jen is working on in collaboration with the amazing Casey Wiegand. — **Check out this awesome mermaid quilt Jen is working on in collaboration with the amazing Casey Wiegand.**

WHAT WOULD YOU BE COMPOSING IF NOT LWPH SEWS? If you asked me this in person I’d be like ummm and be desperately trying to think of something magical to say but I think I’d just be a mom. I don’t want to take time away from my family [and sleep] if it’s not something I REALLY love doing. I like sewing but I love quilting. I’d make stuff for my kids and friends, sure, but I don’t think I’d professionally be pursuing other avenues.

Love the honesty of this.

ADVICE FOR ANYONE READING (HELLO!) WHO WANT AND LONG TO TAKE THE DIVE INTO A CREATIVE FIELD: A quote from a pretty great redhead [Conan!], “Nobody in life gets exactly what they thought they were going to get. But if you work really hard and you’re kind, amazing things will happen.” Be passionate about your work and people will gravitate to it + don’t forget to be good to people while you’re at it.

This quote proves that both Jen and Conan are beyond spectacular.

FAVORITE THING TO DO OUTSIDE OF WORK: We moved to Northern California almost exactly a year ago and there is so.much.to.do. We love exploring San Francisco, Berkeley, Santa Cruz, Big Basin, anywhere and everywhere. We’ve been to San Francisco countless times and there is still so much we haven’t done! New experiences + memories with my family in tow is just the best thing ever.

VICE: coke [not diet]

Classic.

IF YOU COULD SHOVE YOUR FACE WITH PIZZA IT WOULD BE: Papa John’s with just pineapple + cheese.

SHOW US THE INSIDE OF YOUR CLOSET: I never realized just how many blue button ups I own until we had to pack for a 30 day stay when we first moved to CA. I took about ten shirts and 8 were blue button ups or blue stripes. I mean do you see that section?! I’m totally weird — my shirts have to be separated into long + short sleeved shirts then separated by color. Everyone does that, right? [insert cringe smile emoji]

Everyone. Every single person. :-)

Thank you, Jen, for sharing yourself, your path and your closet!

Kiley Draper

March 27, 2014 by Bob Galmarini

It is amazing, really, the amount of really awesome creative individuals out there. This is one of the many reasons (see our about page for the whole story) why we wanted to start this blog- to learn more about these awesome people that make up the kids fashion industry. Kiley is one of these super duper people and the designer/seamstress behind the brand Wren & James. (Pssst- she just debuted her SS14 collection and it is just lovely).

*The italicized comments below the responses are from ME and not KILEY. Kiley does not love her name in a weird way. At least I don't think so.*

NAME: Kiley Draper
That is a fine fine name, thanks to Don.

DEETS:
Instagram: @wrenandjames
Website: wrenandjames.com
Email: wrenandjames@gmail.com

LINE OF COMPOSITION: Founder, designer and seamstress of Wren and James children's apparel. Soon expanding, (this year) into women's wear with a couple tops.
Hell yes!!

“ I rediscovered myself through design. There’s nothing quite like being your most authentic self - and you can only discover this by doing what you are truly passionate about.”

— Kiley Draper

HOW WREN & JAMES BEGAN: I've always had an interest in fashion design (anything to do with fabrics or different textiles) ever since I was a little girl. I even moved to New York City at 19 to study fashion design. I ultimately made the decision to come home and change my major to nursing (something more "practical" by my mom's standards ). But it never felt quite right to me and I could never really get excited about nursing. After years of second guessing myself, I decided to give fashion design another try -- this time, as a new mom. More importantly, this time, I was designing and sewing for me (and Mazie). I rediscovered myself through design. There's nothing quite like being your most authentic self - and you can only discover this by doing what you are truly passionate about.

BEST PART OF THE JOB: Designing (the whole process, from choosing textiles and envisioning how everything will come together). A close second, to my surprise, has been the marketing side of the business. I've loved the collaborations and associations with other like-minded business owners and designers that I've gained along the way.

WORST PART OF THE JOB: That there is only 24 hours in a day....
Why? WHHHYYY?

YOU, IN 5 YEARS: Still designing and creating. I hope to streamline the production side of the business to allow me to focus more time and energy on designing and marketing to reach more people.

YOU, TONIGHT: After a successful debut of my Spring Line today.......honestly, I see myself sleeping (with any luck).

WHAT WOULD YOU BE COMPOSING IF NOT WREN & JAMES?:

I consider myself a designer, first and foremost. I'm interested in expanding my repertoire beyond clothing and into interior design and beyond. My husband is also a designer (he and I collaborated on our bed frame as the first project of more to come....). We both look up to Ray and Charles Eames as designers and collaborators for inspiration among many others. We're planning an Art and Design blog about all things design under the name, Wren&James Studios (more on that to come....).

Holy Smokes that will be awesome!

FAVORITE THING TO DO OUTSIDE OF WREN & JAMES: That's an easy one. Spending time with my husband and my daughter (Toby and Mazie).

VICE: 3 words--Obsessive. Compulsive. Disorder.

(OK, this is a bit of a self-diagnosis and if I'm trying to sound impressive, I'd say I'm a "perfectionist".) Not to make light of something that can be so debilitating, but at my worst, you could say that I sweat the small stuff. I really can obsess over the details to such a degree that I lose sight of the whole picture. (Also my husband has to strategically place multiple sticks of chap-stick around the house "in case of emergency dry lips".)

Why does this make me love her more?

FAVORITE PIZZA: "The Viola" at Pizzeria Limone (a local Italian flat bread-style pizza joint). The combination of Prosciutto and warm candied-blackberries is delectable. :)

A person's pizza flavor says a ton about them. So, this question is valid..

AND, PERHAPS THE DEEPEST QUESTION OF ALL:

SHOW US THE INSIDE OF YOUR CLOSET: Alright well, here you go. I feel like I'm letting you into my soul or something, I feel so vulnerable right now. Only Kris could get me to take a photo of my semi-clean, very pitiful closet. Lots of shoes on the ground that I have yet to organize. My shelves are full of what I call my work week clothes when I know I'm not going anywhere, such as scrubs (nurse scrubs) from my days from working in a hospital, and old worn out, yet very comfortable t-shirts and sweatshirts. Everything hung up consists of mostly (80%) stuff I do not wear anymore. I know, I know, I should clean out my closet, but I can't get myself to do it, at least right now. (That's a whole other story.) In here you'll see J.crew, Madewell, The Loft, and vintage pieces. I was just telling my husband the other day I would like to collect more vintage pieces, and I think I will. Then replace the 80% of what I don't wear with some vintage. Well, there you have it, my closet in a nutshell.

Pizza flavors and closet exposure are definitely gateways into one's soul. And, your soul, Kiley, is pretty rad.