Meet Jeff

Jeff and daughters

*What does working at Starlight Stitches mean to you?

Starlight stitches means my wife and I get to be with and raise our children in the way we feel is most natural and beneficial to them and offering this opportunity to like-minded people in the community.



 *What is your creative method or medium of choice?

 My favorite medium(s) are metal, wood, electricity, dirt, vegetable and gunpowder. 




*What is your favorite thing about being a parent?

 My favorite is watching them explore the world and discover everything I take for granted. 



*What is your most embarrassing moment (that you're willing to admit to us)?

 My wife (lacy) will not let me post my most embarrassing thing.

Meet Rebecca and Mandie

Rebecca and daughters

Mandie and daughter

*What does working at Starlight Stitches mean to you?

Rebecca: Working at Starlight Stitches is such an amazing opportunity for our family . It allows me to be able to make some much needed extra income while still being able to stay with my children, which is so important to me. I get to keep my baby close in a sling and my 2 year old gets to socialize and learn new things in the room next to me while I work.

Mandie: It means being able to contribute to my family's income while working a job that I'm genuinely interested in and enjoy, not to mention learning new creative skills.

*What is your creative method or medium of choice?

Rebecca: I love to sew and especially like to hand sew the finishing touches on products. It is relaxing to me . I am also great at packaging items and making them look pretty.

 Mandie: I love all things textile. Sewing is typically my go-to, but I occasionally knit, too.

*What is your favorite thing about being a parent?

Rebecca: My favorite part about parenting is nursing my babies and co-sleeping . Nursing my babies creates such a strong, nurturing bond between us and there is also nothing like snuggling with a sleeping baby or child.

Mandie: Watching my daughter develop and grow so quickly before my eyes has been such a treat! It's amazing to me all of the things she's learned in her short life so far!

*What is your most embarrassing moment (that you're willing to admit to us)?

Rebecca: Well, having Mommy brain like I am right now because I cannot think of a really embarrassing moment. I have lots all the time now a days after having 3 kids!

Mandie: The amount of times that I've explained to someone that I have Mom Brain and have to try to describe the word that I'm thinking of, but can't actually remember the name of. It's so ridiculous.

Meet Melissa and Danielle

Melissa and daughters

Danielle and sons

*What does working at Starlight Stitches mean to you?

Melissa: Working at St St feels amazing everyday I am there. I love having the opportunity to work outside of the home, with moms that share similar parenting styles, and to have my kids right there. I feel so blessed that this has happened to me! To be excited to come to work, learn new things, and bring home some extra income.

Danielle: It means that I am able to do what I have a passion to do, crafting. As well as being able to have my kids near by. The income helps with my fabric addiction.

*What is your creative method or medium of choice?

Melissa: I love to create using fabric. I have not done much at home with three little ones (besides Halloween costumes), so having a place several times a week to get the creative juices flowing has been so inspiring for more home craft projects.

Danielle: I love sewing! Mostly its clothing for my kids, sometimes things for me. I also like knitting, crocheting and my all time favorite is scrapbooking!
 

*What is your favorite thing about being a parent?

Melissa: There are so many favorites about being a parent. Watching my kids interact and play together right now is what comes to mind. I love how they challenge me everyday to be a better person. 

Danielle: I love watching my boys grow and learn new things everyday.

*What is your most embarrassing moment (that you're willing to admit to us)?

Melissa:
Gosh, I really can't think of an embarrassing moment.

Danielle: When I went into labor with my second son. I was laying on the exam table and my water broke. To which I said " I think i just peed, or my water broke". then about 15 minutes later another large gush came and it went all the way to the end on the bed, dripping all over the floor.

Meet Elizabeth and Kayde

Elizabeth and daughter

Kayde and daughters

*What does working at Starlight Stitches mean to you?

 Elizabeth: Working at starlight stitches means I get to sew, socialize, and bring my babies with me! It's the best! 

Kayde: Working at Starlight Stitches not only allows me to bring in some extra income to my family while keeping my babies nearby, it also allows me to have the honor of supporting an incredibly ethical, revolutionary business model with my own abilities. I am so excited to help this business succeed and hopefully be an inspiration for others. Also, the products made by Starlight Stitches are freaking adorable!

*What is your creative method or medium of choice?

 Elizabeth: I am 100% a seamstress! Been sewing my whole life, although I love anything crafty:)

 Kayde: I love to crochet, sew, saw, hammer, paint, hot glue, whatever i can use to create with what I've got. I love to upcycle and make use of everything at my disposal. I make a lot of dolls at home and really enjoy giving them to my girls.

*What is your favorite thing about being a parent?

Elizabeth: The morning smiles and good night kisses:)


Kayde: My favorite part if parenthood is the connection I have built with the most amazing two humans I have ever met. I love getting to know them more everyday and helping them explore the world. Everything is more magical through their eyes. They teach me so much every day.

*What is your most embarrassing moment (that you're willing to admit to us)?

Elizabeth:When my first Noah was a newborn, I got my face too close to his bottom while checking my cleaning ability and got pooped on in the face.. Then I screamed bloody murder and terrified my newbie.

Kayde: I am a huge clutz and am constantly falling in some loud and visible way. I am not easily embarrassed, though, and often embarrass others with my overshares on bodily functions. I definitely get embarrassed by compliments, though, and turn into a stammering, red faced mess.
  

Meet Heather and Jessica!

Hi all! Happy Monday! I wanted to share a few more employee introductions with you today-

Heather and son

Jessica and daughter

*What does working at Starlight Stitches mean to you?

Heather: To me, working at Starlight Stitches means that I'm able to help support my family doing something I love to do and have a talent for, without all of my pay going to childcare. It means knowing my son is being looked after by other mamas who share my parenting ideas so I never have to think, "what if?" It means if I'm at work and my son needs me, I'm there for him.

Jessica: Working at Starlight Stitches allows me to do something that I enjoy while my two year old daughter gets valuable interaction with peers in a school like setting.

*What is your creative method or medium of choice?

Heather: My creative medium of choice is yarn. I love to crochet and am teaching myself how to knit. I dearly love to sew also, but I love the (almost) instant gratification of a finished product in just an hour or so.

Jessica: In my free time I enjoy DIY crafts. I like to sew things for my daughter, paint, crochet, knit, use my glue gun, and search pinterest for inspiration.

*What is your favorite thing about being a parent?

Heather: My favorite thing about being a parent is definitely watching the developmental leaps and bounds that happen constantly. Even my older kids change and grow so much. Also, snuggles.

Jessica: I love being a Mom. I always new I wanted to be one and although it took a little longer than I had hoped I eventually became one. I love watching my daughter grow and seeing her personality emerge while seeing traits of her father and I here and there.

*What is your most embarrassing moment (that you're willing to admit to us)?

Heather: My most embarrassing happened when I was 12, so I'm okay admitting it. I was walking to the bus stop and I had on little cowboy "booties." Remember those from the late 80's? Well, the bottoms were slick and I was kind of half dancing, half walking and I slipped and fell into a full split in the middle of the road. I fell HARD. I hurt parts I didn't know you could hurt. The bus stop exploded with laughter and I was mortified. My mom saw it happen so she let me stay home that day.

Jessica: I'm sure there have been many but I must have suppressed those memories because I can't think of one at the moment.

Thanks ladies!!

Meet Erin and Lisette

Happy Friday! I'm back with a few more employee introductions. I'm happy to introduce Erin and Lisette today!

Erin & her kiddos

Lisette & son

*What does working at Starlight Stitches mean to you?

Erin: Starlight stitches allows me to use my creativity, while supporting a business model that I feel is important. It also allows me to bring home some extra money to elevate the strain of being a single income household.

Lisette: Working at StSt is a great opportunity to be part of a supportive community, learn new skills, contribute my own strengths, and help support my family in an environment that shares my parenting values!

What is your creative medium or method of choice?

Erin: My favorite creative method of the moment is quilting or clothes construction.

Lisette: My creative methods/mediums include mosaic/tile, knitting/yarn, and sewing/fabric. I love beautiful, functional art!

  

 *What is your favorite thing about being a parent?

Erin: My favorite part if being a parent is being challenged to change the way I think about and see the world every day.

Lisette: I love watching my son's personality come out in his play and expression... So amazing to be part of the creation of a new person!

 *What is your most embarrassing moment (that you're willing to admit to us)?

Erin: I can't think of one at the moment but I am sure there are many. :)

Lisette: My embarrassment is too embarrassing.

Thank you Erin & Lisette! It's good to get to know you!!

Meet Jessica and Alyx

Jessica & daughter

Alyx & son

Hello there! I'm so happy to get to introduce you all to our staff, so you can put a face with the names of our employees. I'll be sharing a few introductions at a time and will hopefully have everyone posted by next week, so be sure to check back often!
First up, we have Jessica & Alyx.

*What does working at Starlight Stitches mean to you?

Jessica: Working at Starlight Stitches gives me the chance to contribute to a cause I believe in with a bunch of cool creative moms. I like that it is an opportunity for my daughter to connect with a group of awesome kids in a healthy environment to play and explore.

Alyx: Working at Starlight Stitches means to me that I can work alongside my son without the worry about leaving my young child at a daycare. I can take a break and feed him when he is hungry. I can wear him when he needs comfort or a nap. Or I can let him play next to me if he wants to play. Working here has allowed me to be both a mom and a worker at the same time. It allows me an easy transition for him into a daycare possibly later on down the road. It allows him to learn to play and socialize with other children while still having mommy close for when he needs me. And it allows me to get back into crafts and sewing while making things for other moms.

 *What is your creative method or medium of choice?

Jessica: This is always evolving! Lately I've been making birthday hats out of paper bags with felt flowers and glitter for my daughter’s 1st birthday.

Alyx: My creativity flows through dance for me. I have been a Lindy Hop swing dancer since about 2009, and it's something I've done religiously for the past several years. I have traveled around the country to dance events and have Lindy Hop friends from around the world. While pregnant, I went out dancing once or twice a week the whole time, and would feel my son dance and kick inside me as Fats Waller, Django Reindhart, Duke Ellington, Artie Shaw, and Cab Calloway played on and on. I love the social and "loose" aspect of Lindy Hop and that you don't have to be a professional dancer to do it.

 *What is your favorite thing about being a parent?

Jessica: Watching her grow as she figures little things out, and her sweet smiles and songs.

 Alyx: My favorite part of being a parent is the way my son looks at me with his eyes full of overwhelming unconditional love. Here is the tiny human who I grew inside me and I mean the world to him!

 *What is your most embarrassing moment (that you're willing to admit to us)?

Jessica: I do things all the time, it’s too hard to choose!

Alyx: My most embarrassing moment would have been worthy of viral video status if it was caught on tape. I was a wedding photographer for 3 years and I was once photographing a wedding at a vineyard here in Albuquerque. It was after the ceremony when I was taking formal shots of the bride with bridesmaids and family, and the rest of the guests were off to the side having hors d'oeuvres watching the fury that happens of trying the quickly put together group shots. I had just helped organize a family group shot as I hurriedly backed up while looking down changing my settings on the camera. But I had forgotten that there was a low-to-the-ground fountain behind me. Yep! I tripped my heel on it backing in and I, along with both my cameras, fell completely into the fountain that was about a foot or more deep in front of all the guests and a horrified bride and groom. Thankfully, no photos were damaged as I was super quick to shut off power and not attempt to use the memory cards until a few days later and they were dried off. But it put a kink in photos for the rest of the day as I used only my drier camera. I don't think I had ever apologized as much as I had that day.


Thanks so much ladies! It's so good to get to know you!

The School

The school is one of the most interesting parts of Starlight Stitches. Employees are able to bring their children to work with them and take turns covering the area, eliminating the need to pay for childcare while at work. The children are then able to interact with others and learn in a preschool setting, without the high cost of tuition. 

It's what we call win-win.

*photos by Goat Rodeo Photography

Hard at Work

Hey all! Lacy shared a little ways back about what we're doing- I thought I'd show you around our studio so you can see where the magic happens!

Lacy

Lacy hard at work with a tiny helper.

Catch me if you can!

Most of the time, you'll find at least one little one in the studio!

Best spot in the studio- right on mom.

The lovely finished product.

I'll be sharing the school room later this week. Be sure to come back & learn more about where the kiddos play while the mommas are hard at work!

*photos by Goat Rodeo Photography