Stopping To Smell The Flowers with Alice & Ames
With the final weeks of summer flying by, we thought it would be a good time to stop and smell the flowers. Thanks to our friends at Alice & Ames, we’re doing exactly that, with a special edition, floral print collaboration Nugget (and Cover Set, and Pillow Pack!) that we’re so excited to finally share with you!
Alice & Ames was established in 2015 by Stacie Lang, a mother of three daughters who dreamed of designing clothing that both she and her little girls would love. That dream became a reality as she considered comfort, focused on playful and classic details, and embraced a beautiful color palette in creating her clothing line. Stacie’s husband, Geoff, joined her as her small business boomed and developed a massive following.
Nugget first met A&A in 2017 — we were learning the ins and outs of photoshoots and Stacie generously agreed to collaborate with us on a photoshoot project. If you look back at some of our older content, you’ll see our mini models dressed in A&A’s signature play clothing. Shy littles immediately felt more confident and proud in front of the camera when wearing her designs - and we loved how Stacie’s color choices looked with our Nugget palette.
Since then, Stacie and Geoff have been a force of support for Nugget. Their involvement and collaboration makes this project special to begin with, but what has made it extra special is that they welcomed their fourth, a little girl named Mabel, during this product’s development. We of course had to name this delicate party of flowers the “Mabel” Nugget after her!
We look up to Stacie and Geoff as small business owners, parents, and partners. To celebrate the announcement of A&A Mabel, we asked Stacie to share some insights about this floral print, her philosophy on play, and balancing a business with parenthood in 2020.
I would say navigating through all of the unknown. As if it’s not already challenging enough running a small business, 2020 has certainly added an extra element of unpredictability! Doing our best to keep up with production while our vendors and factories were shut down, while also trying to forecast demand in a potentially strained economy, while ALSO making sure that we’re being sensitive and marketing appropriately during a pandemic, and you can say that it’s been interesting to say the least! While 2020 has been quite the year, it’s also given me that much more appreciation for the incredible community surrounding our brand. We absolutely could not do it without their support, patience, and love!
I’d have to repeat my answer from above—the unknown! As a “serial planner”, a pandemic year with four kids has required a lot of flexibility and waiting-and-seeing. Travel plans, the school year, birthday celebrations, enrolling in extra curricular’s, etc. all turned into question marks early this year, and to be honest, I think it was harder on me than my kids! Our year ended up looking a bit differently than what I had imagined (I mean, if you would’ve told me in January that we’d be an official homeschool family by fall I would’ve laughed!) but I’m trying to take a page out of my girls books and learn to go with the flow more. Wish me luck!
Flowers make everything better, right?! I loved the contrast between the bright, cheerful flowers and the white background. When I first put the Mabel Floral Nugget in our toy room, it immediately made it a happier space.
I like to encourage play in our home by keeping it totally kid friendly. Having a rolling “art cart” out in our kitchen at all times, or shelves dedicated to children’s books stored at their level, or the dress-up bin easily accessible, gets them playing independently with little to no effort on my part. While it’s crucial for my kids to have a creative space, I also make sure we’re thoughtful about which toys and products we choose for our home. Much like our brands mission statement, finding that balance in aesthetic and use is so important. So, you can imagine my excitement when I first discovered Nugget—one more fun (and functional!) thing that I don’t have to put away each night.
Give yourself some grace, you’re doing a great job! This year has looked different for everyone, but the common thread is that it’s been a difficult one for everyone in one way or another. Go easy on yourself!
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We're so grateful to Stacie, Geoff, and the whole A&A team for being a part of this collaboration with us, and we can't wait to start shipping them out! They go on sale tomorrow at 12 Noon Eastern in Nuggets, Cover Sets, and Pillow Packs, as a special, one-time release.