One of life's biggest myths is that it isn't any fun to dress a boy. I was certainly under that impression in 2012 when I was pregnant with my first boy. And honestly, I think that was part of the reason I wanted a girl so badly! Fast forward five years and I know better! 😉 I love dressing my boys and get almost as much pleasure out of buying their clothes as I do my own. Sadly, Brantley's to the age of forming his own opinions about clothing (and wants all athletic apparel) but lucky for me, I have two more to dress!
I recently had the opportunity to work with Jessica from Isla & Lily on a custom order for Rhett. I'm not exactly sure how I found Jessica and her small shop, but I've been following her on Instagram for some time now and I basically drool over everything she posts! Isla & Lily is known for their adorable bows, but Jessica also makes a number of modern outfits for babies and tots - girls AND BOYS, including this super cute romper of Rhett's!
One of my favorite things about this romper is the fabric. It's incredibly soft and stretchy and the best part - no snaps! You may think that would make diaper changes more difficult, but because the fabric is so stretchy, it just slips right off! Jessica was super accommodating to work with and very prompt in her responses to my {million} inquiries. If only my budget would allow, I would have Jessica make Rhett a romper like this in every fabric and color!
I thought it would be fun to interview Jessica, in addition to showing off some of her creations. And did I mention, there's a giveaway at the end of this post, so stay tuned!
An Interview with Jessica of Isla & Lily
How long have you been in business with your small shop, Isla & Lily?
We are actually celebrating our 4 year anniversary this month! We opened just two weeks after my oldest daughter, Isla, was born. We started off selling very different items than we do now so it's fun to see how we have evolved since then!
How did you learn to sew and what sparked your interest?
Being a stay at home mom I've had to learn to be very thrifty. I had a mild obsession with baby bows and clothing so I knew I just wanted to figure out how to make my daughter headbands. I learned how to hand sew a classic bow just by observing how the ones we liked were made. Then I developed my own process and sizing. As for clothing my mom taught me a basic stitch, then I started reading up how to sew with knit fabric and buying patterns. From there I became enamored with learning how to make new and fun items for them and for my customers!
What do you enjoy most about owning a small shop? Has anything surprised you?
Owning a small shop has been an amazing creative outlet for me and a way for my to contribute, on my own time, to my family. I would say what has surprised me most is how many amazing people I have connected with along the way and how many super loyal customers I have. It just makes me feel so grateful and blessed!
How do most of your customers find you?
Instagram for sure! And a lot of the time through referrals.
What sets you apart from other small shops with similar items?
This is a tough one! I think there's room for everyone in this space and we all bring our own flare to the baby and child apparel and accessory arena. One thing I really try to do is connect with my customers. I've become "Insta friends" with so many and I know if we all lived close we would be real life friends. I don't just want to be a business I want to get to know my people. And it has shown, because when my husband was out of work for 6 months they all went out of their way to express their support and I had the most sales in 2 months than I usually had in 6 months! I was blown away and still get teary eyed about it because without their help we would have really struggled.
Where are you located?
We recently relocated from Olathe, Kansas (KC area) to Chandler, Arizona. I miss home so much so I'm really excited to be doing this collaboration with Sarah who we randomly found out we used to live in the same neighborhood a few years back!
And as promised, if you made it this far, there's a giveaway! Enter via the Rafflecopter widget below! And be sure to check out Isla & Lily on all of her social media outlets!
I recently had the opportunity to work with Jessica from Isla & Lily on a custom order for Rhett. I'm not exactly sure how I found Jessica and her small shop, but I've been following her on Instagram for some time now and I basically drool over everything she posts! Isla & Lily is known for their adorable bows, but Jessica also makes a number of modern outfits for babies and tots - girls AND BOYS, including this super cute romper of Rhett's!
One of my favorite things about this romper is the fabric. It's incredibly soft and stretchy and the best part - no snaps! You may think that would make diaper changes more difficult, but because the fabric is so stretchy, it just slips right off! Jessica was super accommodating to work with and very prompt in her responses to my {million} inquiries. If only my budget would allow, I would have Jessica make Rhett a romper like this in every fabric and color!
I thought it would be fun to interview Jessica, in addition to showing off some of her creations. And did I mention, there's a giveaway at the end of this post, so stay tuned!
An Interview with Jessica of Isla & Lily
How long have you been in business with your small shop, Isla & Lily?
We are actually celebrating our 4 year anniversary this month! We opened just two weeks after my oldest daughter, Isla, was born. We started off selling very different items than we do now so it's fun to see how we have evolved since then!
How did Isla & Lily get its name?
We started off as Isla Rose Boutique after my daughter but I never really loved the name. Being that I had a career in marketing prior to being a stay-at-home mom turned Etsy shop owner, I wanted something a little more catchy. Our dog who is my first baby is Lily and we just put their names together and it stuck!
We started off as Isla Rose Boutique after my daughter but I never really loved the name. Being that I had a career in marketing prior to being a stay-at-home mom turned Etsy shop owner, I wanted something a little more catchy. Our dog who is my first baby is Lily and we just put their names together and it stuck!
How did you learn to sew and what sparked your interest?
Being a stay at home mom I've had to learn to be very thrifty. I had a mild obsession with baby bows and clothing so I knew I just wanted to figure out how to make my daughter headbands. I learned how to hand sew a classic bow just by observing how the ones we liked were made. Then I developed my own process and sizing. As for clothing my mom taught me a basic stitch, then I started reading up how to sew with knit fabric and buying patterns. From there I became enamored with learning how to make new and fun items for them and for my customers!
What do you enjoy most about owning a small shop? Has anything surprised you?
Owning a small shop has been an amazing creative outlet for me and a way for my to contribute, on my own time, to my family. I would say what has surprised me most is how many amazing people I have connected with along the way and how many super loyal customers I have. It just makes me feel so grateful and blessed!
How do most of your customers find you?
Instagram for sure! And a lot of the time through referrals.
What sets you apart from other small shops with similar items?
This is a tough one! I think there's room for everyone in this space and we all bring our own flare to the baby and child apparel and accessory arena. One thing I really try to do is connect with my customers. I've become "Insta friends" with so many and I know if we all lived close we would be real life friends. I don't just want to be a business I want to get to know my people. And it has shown, because when my husband was out of work for 6 months they all went out of their way to express their support and I had the most sales in 2 months than I usually had in 6 months! I was blown away and still get teary eyed about it because without their help we would have really struggled.
What has been your favorite item to make?
I LOVE making hoodies! We won't be wearing too many now that we live in Arizona but theres so many fun ways to put them together and they're my favorite to photograph or see my customers in!
I LOVE making hoodies! We won't be wearing too many now that we live in Arizona but theres so many fun ways to put them together and they're my favorite to photograph or see my customers in!
Where are you located?
We recently relocated from Olathe, Kansas (KC area) to Chandler, Arizona. I miss home so much so I'm really excited to be doing this collaboration with Sarah who we randomly found out we used to live in the same neighborhood a few years back!
...
I scoured Isla & Lily's Instagram account and picked out fix of my favorite things. How cute are these?!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Giveaway ends Sunday, August 6th at 11:59 PM CST. Winner will be selected by Rafflecopter and be notified by email. Winner will have 48 hours to respond before a new winner is selected. I will contact the sponsor (Isla & Lily) regarding your prize. My opinions are my own and were not influenced by any form of compensation. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Bloglovin' are in no way associated with this giveaway.
Giveaway ends Sunday, August 6th at 11:59 PM CST. Winner will be selected by Rafflecopter and be notified by email. Winner will have 48 hours to respond before a new winner is selected. I will contact the sponsor (Isla & Lily) regarding your prize. My opinions are my own and were not influenced by any form of compensation. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Bloglovin' are in no way associated with this giveaway.
I love Rhett's romper! Having 5 boys I'm always in the lookout for cute boy things!
ReplyDeleteLove that romper so much! Rhett looks adorable!! I've been eyeing her dresses for littles. Emmy loves dresses she can twirl in. :)
ReplyDeleteI absolutely LOVE his romper! I'd love to buy the gray/white striped toddler dress for Jolie. It would be cute for fall, layered with a cardigan, leggings, & boots. <3
ReplyDeleteLOVE his romper!! I would LOVE that gray & white dress pictured in the top left! Holy cow that would be cute for fall, layered with leggings, boots & a cardigan.
ReplyDeleteI love that floral dress in the second last image, bottom right.
ReplyDeleteThat romper is so cute! It's so much fun to (finally) shop for a boy!
ReplyDeleteSo, so cute! I'm OBSESSED with rompers - Baker has so many and he's not even here yet! :)
ReplyDeleteI WILL have some Isla & Lily gear for my girls, I just have to decide what :) Her stuff is just too sweet. Give me all dem bows for my wild haired child(ren).
ReplyDeleteRhett is so adorable. I love rompers and one without snaps sounds A-MAZING!
ReplyDelete