MAMA FEATURE : SHEILA, LUCIUS + JUNE

THIS MONTH’S MAMA FEATURE IS MODEL & MAMA OF 2 BOYS @SHEILAMARQUEZ_

ORIGINALLY FROM SPAIN, SHE CURRENTLY LIVES IN OJAI WITH HER FAMILY.

SHE HAS THE KINDEST SOUL & A TRUE NATURE ABOUT HER AND I LOVED GETTING TO KNOW HER.

LUCIUS & JUNE’S OUTFITS FROM OUR SHOP @GUSANDWAY.

IS THERE TRULY SUCH A THING AS CAREER & MOTHERHOOD BALANCE?

WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE FOR YOUR FAMILY?

THERE IS! THERE MUST BE! IT’S ALL ABOUT BEING ORGANIZED & HAVING A GOOD SUPPORT SYSTEM. AND OF COURSE BEING OK WITH CHAOS SOMETIMES.

IN MY FAMILY, BOTH MY PARTNER AND I ARE FREELANCERS AND HAVE TO TRAVEL DAYS AT A TIME FOR WORK. WE TRY TO NEVER GO AWAY AT THE SAME TIME SO THERE CAN ALWAYS BE ONE PARENT HOME WITH THE BOYS. WHEN THEY GET SAD ABOUT ONE OF US LEAVING, WE EXPLAIN TO THEM THAT MANY PARENTS HAVE TO GO TO WORK ALMOST EVERYDAY FROM 9 TO 5 AND WE GET TO SPEND EXTENDED TIME TOGETHER.

I HAVE HAD TO TURN DOWN WORK SOMETIMES BECAUSE I DO PRIORITIZE MOTHERHOOD WHEN POSSIBLE. IT’S DEFINITELY NOT EASY TO TRY TO BE REALLY GOOD & SUCCESSFUL AT BOTH….BUT WE ALL TRY, RIGHT?!

HOW HAVE YOUR VIEWS ON SUSTAINABILITY CHANGED SINCE BECOMING A MOTHER?

WELL, IT’S INTERESTING BECAUSE AS A NEW MOTHER TO LUCIUS I WANTED TO BUY ALL NEW CLOTHES FOR MY BRAND NEW BABY AND HAVE SO MANY DIFFERENT OUTFITS AND CHOICES. YOU QUICKLY LEARN THAT THEIR LITTLE BODIES GROW SO FAST AND THEY DON’T GET TO WEAR MUCH OF IT OR WHAT THEY WEAR GETS PRETTY STAINED.

THAT’S WHEN I STARTED TO REALIZE THAT KIDS HAND-ME-DOWNS AND SECONDHAND PIECES ARE A WIN-WIN, SINCE MOST OF THE ITEMS ARE PRACTICALLY NEW AND HARDLY USED. AS WE KNOW, TONS OF CLOTHING ENDS UP IN LANDFILLS, SO BY EXTENDING THE LIFE OF KIDS CLOTHES WE ARE DOING OUR PART TO HELP SUSTAINABILITY.

THOUGHTS ON KIDS VINTAGE OR ANY FAVORITE PIECES YOU LIKE TO FIND FOR YOUR KIDS?

NOWADAWAYS FAST FASHION HAS TAKEN A BIG PLACE IN THE MARKET OF KIDS CLOTHING, BECAUSE THEY OUTGROW IT FAST, PEOPLE SEEM TO GO FOR CHEAPER ITEMS. BUT THE QUALITY IS JUST NOT THE SAME. I HAVE 2 BOYS AND I HAVE ONLY BEEN ABLE TO PASS DOWN PIECES THAT WERE VINTAGE OR FROM A SMALL BOUTIQUE.

THAT’S WHY WHEN YOU’RE BUYING VINTAGE FOR YOUR KIDS, YOU KNOW YOU ARE BUYING SOMETHING QUALITY, MADE WITH MATERIALS AND FABRICS THAT LAST. YOU ARE ALSO ABLE TO FIND MORE UNIQUE PIECES.

MY FAVORITE WAS A THAI HAND-EMBROIDERED JACKET I FOUND FOR LUCIUS WHEN HE WAS 2 IN A SECONDHAND SHOP IN BROOKLYN. COOL VINTAGE DENIM JACKETS & VINTAGE TEES ARE SOME OF MY FAVORITE THINGS TO FIND FOR MY KIDS. AND ALSO HATS!!

WE LIVED IN BERLIN FOR 2 YEARS AND THE SECONDHAND MARKETS ARE HUGE THERE. EVERY WEEKEND THERE ARE FLEA MARKETS ALL OVER THE CITY AND EVEN KIDS SETUP BLANKETS IN THE PARK TO SELL THEIR OWN CLOTHES & TOYS. IT WAS REALLY INSPIRING.

©GUSANDWAY 2024

mama feature : sam + MAKAIO

THIS MONTH’S MAMA FEATURE IS OAHU PHOTOGRAPHER @SAMANTHEEYO, MAMA & FOUNDER OF VINTAGE HOMEWARES SHOP @TWINURCHINSSUPERETTE.

HER SON’S OUTFITS FROM OUR SHOP @GUSANDWAY.

YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY HAS A NOSTALGIA AND TIMELESSNESS THAT I ADORE..

I THINK THE BEST WAY TO DESCRIBE MY “AESTHETIC” IS THAT I WORK WITHOUT ONE IN MIND.

I’VE ALWAYS LIKE TO DESCRIBE MY PHOTOGRAPHY WORK AS HAVING THAT '“FOREVER HONEYMOON” FEELING.

YOU HAVE A GORGEOUS VINTAGE HOMEWARES SHOP, TWIN URCHINS SUPERETTE, CHAT WITH US A BIT ABOUT YOUR LOVE OF VINTAGE & SUSTAINABILITY

I’VE ALWAYS HAD THIS KARMIC SENSE ABOUT EVERYTHING IN LIFE.

I GREW UP BUDDHIST AND ALL I’VE KNOWN IS KARMA AND REINCARNATION. THE THOUGHT THAT THERE ISN’T JUST ONE SINGLE LIFE. THAT’S THE SAME WITH INANIMATE OBJECTS.

WHY IS IT THAT IT SERVES ONLY ONE PURPOSE? WHY NOT HAVE MANY LIVES AFTER? HOW BEAUTIFUL IS THAT?

WHEN I COME ACROSS PIECES DURING MY CURATION I CAN’T HELP BUT THINK ABOUT WHAT ITS PREVIOUS LIFE MUST HAVE BEEN LIKE - HOW THEY WERE ONCE SOMEONE’S FAVORITE THING OR AN HEIRLOOM OF MEMORIES.

AND HERE I AM AS THE BRIDGE FOR IT TO HAVE ANOTHER LIFE.

LIFE AS A MAMA AND SMALL BUSINESS OWNER

GOSH, WHEN I WAS GOING THROUGH POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION, ALL I COULD THINK ABOUT WAS GIVING UP MY CAREER AND MY BUSINESS. I COULDN’T FATHOM A LIFE WHERE I COULD DO IT ALL.

ONCE THAT PPD FOG DISSIPATED, IT BECAME CLEAR TO ME THAT THE ONLY PERSON SAYING I COULDN’T DO IT WAS MYSELF.

I BEGAN TO BRING HIM ON MY PHOTOSHOOTS - HE DID GREAT, WAS ABLE TO BE OUTSIDE AND EXPLORE. I BROUGHT HIM TO THRIFT STORES AND DEEMED HIM MY LUCKY BABY. EVERYWHERE I BROUGHT HIM, I FOUND THE MOST INCREDIBLE VINTAGE!

I BEGAN TO BRING HIM ON MOST OF MY JOBS AND THOUGH NOT ALL OF IT WAS EASY, THEY WERE NOT IMPOSSIBLE AND ALL OF THE GOOD AND BAD MADE ME A BETTER MOM.

YOUR VIEW OF SUSTAINABILITY AS A NEW MAMA

WHEN I FIRST FOUND OUT I WAS PREGNANT, ALMOST IMMEDIATELY I WAS BOMBARDED WITH “OH YOU SHOULD GET THIS” OR “YOU NEED THAT” AND I FELL VICTIM TO THE PRESSURE BECAUSE I WANTED TO BE THE BEST MAMA AND GIVE MY BABY WHATEVER HE NEEDED.

NEW MOM GUILT OF NOT GIVING YOUR BABY THE LATEST AND GREATEST IS VERY REAL!

WHAT I WISH I KNEW WAS THAT I DIDN’T NEED ALL OF THESE NEW THINGS. AT THE END OF THE DAY THEY WERE JUNK. THINGS THAT COULD HAVE EASILY BEEN SECONDHAND.

AFTER THE FIRST 6 MONTHS OF HIS LIFE I SAW HOW MUCH WASTE I WAS PRODUCING. HOW MANY CLOTHES THAT WERE GIFTS THAT NEVER EVEN MADE IT ONTO HIS BODY BECAUSE HE WAS GROWING SO FAST. MAN OH MAN THE CLOTHES WE WERE WASTING.

WHY DIDN’T WE JUST DO ALL SECONDHAND? WHY DIDN’T WE JUST DO ALL VINTAGE?

ANY MAMA WISDOM YOU WANNA SHARE?

FORGIVE YOURSELF. YOU ARE DOING YOUR BEST.

YOU ARE THE BEST MAMA IN THE WORLD FOR YOUR BABY.

YOU ARE THE BEST MAMA IN THE WORLD FOR YOUR BABY.

ALL IMAGES BY @SAMANTHEEYO

©GUSANDWAY 2024

mama feature : michelle + CY

I’VE KNOWN MICHELLE VAWER FOR OVER 12 YEARS, FIRST THROUGH MUTUAL CREATIVE WORK AND THEN AS A FRIEND.

A MODEL (@MICHVAW90) AND DESIGNER, IT HAS BEEN SO SPECIAL TO WATCH HER STEP INTO THIS NEW MOMENT OF MOTHERHOOD, WELCOMING HER SON CYPRESS LESS THAN A YEAR AGO.

CY’S OUTFIT FROM OUR SHOP @GUSANDWAY

WHAT DID YOU FIND MOST SURPRISING AS A NEW MAMA?

THE DEPTH OF LOVE. LIKE NOTHING I HAD EVER KNOWN.

THE JOY OF EVERYDAY MOMENTS.

AND ON A PRACTICAL LEVEL, HOW MUCH I WOULD LEARN TO DO WITH ONE HAND.

ALSO JUST HOW MUCH MY EMOTIONAL LANDSCAPE AND MINDSET HAS CHANGED. SO MUCH OF MY BANDWIDTH GOES TOWARDS THINKING ABOUT MY BABY AND FAMILY, SO I’VE HAD TO GET BETTER AT SAYING NO TO OTHER THINGS. IT’S REALLY CLARIFIED AND SOLIDIFIED WHAT’S TRULY IMPORTANT TO ME. AND SIMULTANEOUSLY FORCED ME TO LAY THE GROUNDWORK FOR MY OWN LITTLE RITUALS THAT CALM & GROUND ME. IT GETS SO CHAOTIC FEELING SOMETIMES SO THOSE PRACTICES NOW FEEL VERY NECESSARY.

ON VINTAGE

I DON’T THINK I WILL EVER NOT FREAK OUT OVER FINDING SOMETHING SPECIAL IN A VINTAGE SHOP OR RECEIVING SOMETHING SPECIAL THAT WAS PRE-LOVED.

THESE OVERALLS WE GOT FROM YOU @GUSANDWAY IMMEDIATELY BROUGHT ON A RUSH OF NOSTALGIA FROM THE OVERALLS I WORE AS A KID AND JUST FELT SO SPECIAL WITH HIS NICKNAME ‘CY’ EMBROIDERED ON THE POCKET.

I PLAN TO HOLD ONTO THEM FOREVER.

MEANING BEHIND HIS NAME, CYPRESS OPUA

HIS DAD CHOSE CYPRESS. ARI AND I MET IN CALIFORNIA. WE HAD BEEN ON THE CENTRAL COAST NOT TOO LONG BEFORE CY WAS BORN AND THE MONTEREY CYPRESS THERE ARE SO BEAUTIFUL. NOW WE LIVE IN FLORIDA, CY WAS BORN HERE, AND THERE’S ALL THE FLORIDA CYPRESS TREES HERE.

CY TWOMBLY IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE PAINTERS SO WHEN ARI SUGGESTED THE NAME I IMMEDIATELY LOVED IT!

I CHOSE HIS MIDDLE NAME. I LOVE CLOUDS AND I WANTED HIM TO KNOW HE HAD A BIT OF HAWAII IN HIS HEART. OPUA IS A SHORTENED SLANG VERSION OF BIG FLUFFY CLOUDS IN HAWAIIAN.

PHOTOS @ITISCHAD

ALL IMAGES ©GUS&WAY 2024