We are so excited to launch our Valentine's Collection for 2021 with Marisa Brown and her adorable girls! We have been following and loving @hellobabybrown for years (if you don't follow yet, you should!)... and we couldn't think of a more perfect fit for this collection. Get to know Marisa below!
1. Please tell us a bit about yourself and your family? Hi, my name is Marisa! I am a work from home mama, living in Portland, Oregon. I married my high school sweetheart, Eric and we have four children, Sloan (7), Phayre (5), Briar (3), and Autry (1). As a family we love playing outside, going to the beach, and having movie nights.
2. How did you start your social platform? I actually started by making handmade bracelets about seven years ago! I loved making them, but couldn’t keep up with the business and being a mom. I started posted personal photos, and it just unfolded from there!
3. You are so creative and crafty - definitely one of our go-to’s for decor inspiration and crafts! How do you do it? And does it come naturally, or learned over the years? That’s so kind of you :) As a kid, I was always finding a project for myself. I love creating things and making things beautiful. It’s even more fun now creating things with my own children, they’re definitely my inspiration!
4. We are so excited to launch our 2021 Valentine’s Collection with you and your littles - your imagery and photography is always picture-perfect yet completely unique. Tell us a bit about your inspiration, particularly for this Valentine’s shoot. When it comes to photography, I take a more natural approach and love following my kids lead. I love capturing my kids just being themselves. Looking back and seeing them in each season and phase is so fun!
For this shoot, I wanted to capture my girls and the bond that they share. They’re so silly together, it really is fun following them around and capturing their twirls and giggles. It didn’t hurt that the Valentine's Collection is SO darling!
5. Do you have any of your own Valentine’s Day traditions with the kids? When I was 17, Eric took me to Panda Express for Valentine’s Day. Very romantic, I know :) It became our tradition, and we have had it for dinner on Valentine’s Day ever since!
6. You were just in the midst of a major move - please tell us about your design inspiration for the new house, and how has it been balancing being a hands-on mom while moving? My biggest concern with a new build was that even though it was new, I still wanted it to feel warm and charming. I spent a lot of time researching old farmhouse styles and included some charming elements like crystal doorknobs, chunky corbels, and arched doorways. It all turned out exactly as I had hoped, it really feels like home!
Moving two weeks before Christmas with four kiddos in the middle of a global pandemic was bananas! I relied heavily on our loved ones who offered to take the kids for a few hours so that I could unpack. I accepted meals so that I didn’t have to spend time meal planning or cooking. Sometimes accepting help can be hard for me, but I fully embraced how much our loved ones wanted to bless us during such a crazy time. I am so thankful for our community!
7. Do you have any tips or thoughts to share on home-schooling/virtual learning? We’re homeschooling this year and the biggest thing I have learned is that my kids need frequent movement breaks, snacks, and are extra motivated when I find ways to include the things that they’re interested in, in our learning. For example, I was having a hard time motivating Sloan to read and then realized how much she’s into baking right now. I bought her a few kids baking books and she can’t stop reading them!