Mother Stories
Meet The Mama Behind The Popular Beauty Brand Captain Blankenship
Written by James Kicinski-McCoy
Photography by Photographed by Heather Moore
Jun 13, 2017
Get ready for your latest mom crush! This week, we travel to Gardiner, New York to visit Jana Blankenship, the mompreneur who’s self-made, women-run business Captain Blankenship is taking the organic beauty market by storm. Here, the all-natural mama-of-two (Mila, nearly 4, and Caspian, 1 1/2) takes us on a tour of her stunning, (and we mean s-t-u-n-n-i-n-g!) wood-filled home, while chatting motherhood, the beauty business, and more. So, pull up a seat, grab your morning cup, and dive into our inspiring gallery below!
-
- “We lived in the Bay Area for seven years, but met in upstate New York. We have always been drawn to open spaces that are full of light. Our home feels like a merging of our east and west coast selves. The house was designed by local architect, Matthew Bialecki, in the 1990s and was oriented around the courtyard. The connection with nature is always present. You see green outside of every window. The home has an expansive, wild, and welcoming feel, but also has a very kid-friendly flow. The floors and most of the ceilings are Douglas fir, and there are many windows and lots of light. I was worried about feeling claustrophobic in the winters, and I really feel like I am outside all year long with the incredible views out of our windows.”
-
- “Warm, comfortable, creative, and open.”
-
- “It definitely feels more playful in here, and of course, a bit more cluttered. I try to display Mila’s newest artwork and crafts, and there are often stuffed animals hidden under pillows. I have had to relax a little bit about things being as tidy as I would like.”
-
-
“I am very whimsical with my tastes. I need to fall in love with a painting or piece of furniture, and often they have a personal story. A lot of the pieces in our home came from my house growing up, and most of the artwork is my own, or my friends.”
Jana wears a Gravel & Gold top and Madewell jeans.
-
-
“I love our bedroom. It is the only room on the second floor of our home, and it really feels like a tree house. Personally for me, too, it holds significance as Caspian was born up there.”
Mila wears a Petit Bateau dress and Hanna Andersson pants.
-
- “I have a wicker rocking horse that came from my great grandmother, which has been used by so many children over the years. Our kids love to rock on it together. It is hard to believe it is still intact! I also inherited the Eames Chair that was in my father’s office growing up. I have so many memories sitting and spinning in it as a kid, and it feels special to have my kids do the same.”
-
- “We do have a playroom in our basement, but we also have a small play area in our living room. During the day, I let things spill out onto the floor, but at night we clean up and put toys into baskets with lids.”
-
- “It has completely changed. These two are on my mind all the time, both when we are together and apart. They fill my days with joy, and also have made me need to reprioritize everything. I have really learned to let go of what isn’t important.”
-
- “It has been amazing to see these little people come into existence and see their personalities emerge. I can only imagine what is to come. Each day feels like a real adventure with them, and it is so thrilling to see them experiencing things for the first time. Caspian is at that age where there are new words coming by the day.”
-
- “I worry about their safety all the time, but try to let them be kids and get bruises. I also worry about the world they will be growing up in. It is a dark time for our country right now, and I just hope that their generation will be able to help change it.”
-
- “I guess no one can ever prepare you for the intensity, but also the joy.”
-
-
“We are both intuitive and compassionate when it comes to parenting. We are also pretty relaxed. We have never been particularly strict about schedules or plans, but try to loosely stick to routine. The kids definitely don’t eat dinner or go to sleep at the exact same time every night, but we try to keep it close.”
Caspian wears a Petit Bateau T-Shirt and Hanna Andersson pants.
-
- “Give yourself the time and space to enjoy the experience. I was so grateful with both my children to take months off after their birth to really unplug and be with them. It is rare that we get to slow down these days and really be present.”
-
- “It is a lot harder than one, but your heart also doubles. Also, your second child could be totally different from your first, so be patient. I think I just thought everything I learned with Mila, I could apply to Caspian. Caspian is such a different child. He has me on the run trying to keep him from falling off the table, smearing food on the walls, or running out the door.”
-
- “The parallels are actually a bit uncanny. My mom ran her own business as a fashion designer growing up, and I remember playing in her piles of sweaters at her warehouse. Mila and Caspian really like to hide amongst the pallets of products at my warehouse. My mom was definitely not someone you would peg as a businessperson, and neither am I, but we are both very creative. I really understand now how hard she worked and how you just have to make it work with kids. I remember nursing Mila while filling orders, and it is all just a real labor of love. I wouldn’t have it any other way. I feel very grateful that we are so close, that she is very present in our lives, and that she helps us with the kids as much as she can.”
-
- “Caspian is obsessed with cars, cats, and dogs. He is also a real adventurer and begins each morning by grabbing his rain boots, running to the door, and screaming ‘outside!’ My husband, Levi, works for Tesla Energy, and Radio Flyer made a Tesla kids car that he bought for Mila for her birthday last year. Mila loves riding up and down our driveway in it, and Caspian tears after her screaming ‘Chu Chu’ (car in Caspian speak). Mila is really into nature and princesses. There is a robin that created a nest at her school, and I get daily updates on the mother and her eggs. She also loves coloring and is pretty prolific.”
-
-
“Randomly both Levi and I are Serbian and both of our grandfathers on our maternal side were named Milan. I have always loved the name Mila, which is a term of endearment in Serbo-Croatian meaning ‘grace’, ‘honey’, or ‘sweetie’. Giving her that name felt like a way to honor both our grandfathers who passed before she was born. Levi’s maternal grandmother is Scottish and her name is Violet. She is an incredible woman, and full of wisdom and spirit. We gave Mila the middle name Violet as a celebration of her, and also they are some of my favorite flowers. Right now, they dot the grass in front of our house. I love that they are some of the first signs of life in the spring (and the way they smell).
We had a very easy time naming Mila, but a really hard time thinking of a boy’s name. We moved to our house on Mila’s first birthday, and six months later, I was pregnant with Caspian. The river is such a constant presence in our lives in this home. I immediately felt like he was a water baby. We had a home birth with him and the whole time I was in labor it was pouring buckets outside. Caspian was on our list, and it just felt right after that experience. I like the binary that the Caspian Sea is both the world's largest saltwater lake and inland sea. Vuk means ‘wolf’ in Serbo-Croatian, and is a family name that I have always loved. Heath was Levi’s paternal grandmother’s maiden name.”
-
- “Get up at a civilized hour, like after 7 a.m., make breakfast of oatmeal with fruit or banana pancakes, make coffee for myself and Levi. Then, spend the morning coloring inside or playing outside on their jungle gym. Take a picnic lunch up to the mountains, and take a short hike. Come home and let Caspian try riding his bike, and Mila take her Tesla for a spin. Make an early dinner together from ingredients from the Old Ford Farm at the end of our road, and maybe some ice cream for dessert. Give them a long bath where they like to play mermaids. Get them in matching PJs—my fave! We alternate nights putting them to sleep, so maybe I will read Mila a book and snuggle, while Levi dances Caspian to sleep.”
-
- “They are both gap-toothed, which is insanely cute. Mila is so tender and very strong-willed. She always has a plan. Caspian is very sneaky and full of spirit. He is still very snuggly, which I will take as long as I can.”
-
- “I have to say I don’t really look up to any role models in particular, but really respect how each mother finds her own way of being.”
-
-
“During my pregnancy with Mila, both Levi and I read Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth, which we loved. I often give it as a gift to friends who are expecting. I have to admit, it is hard to get through books these days, as at the end of the day, I tend to read a few pages and pass out. I have been reading Simplicity Parenting and love its message.”
Jana wears a Gravel & Gold dress. Mila wears a Mini Boden dress.
-
-
“It turns out, they are hard to break—just joking. But really, you need to have a sense of humor about it and let yourself be silly.”
Caspian wears Petit Bateau shirt and pants.
-
- “My husband, Levi, and I both work really hard, and time together is something we always wish we had more of. We are aspiring to a weekly date night, but our weekly family hike in the mountains is great. The kids are getting old enough that they can stay with grandparents, and we can spend a night or two away. We are going on a little adventure together for my birthday this weekend, and I am hoping we can keep making plans like that this summer.”
-
- “They will share, but for now they are in separate rooms. Caspian sleeps in a crib in our guest room, and Mila has a big room with two twin beds. Often when grandparents visit, one of them will sleep in the extra bed. Above the beds is a dreamcatcher I made for Mila before she was born with crystals that I found. The room is very colorful and has a lot of family heirlooms in it.”
-
- “The two wooden beds in their room are the ones my brother and I had growing up. I also have a huge vintage Calder poster that was my grandparent's. We hung a wall salon style with artwork by friends and family that makes me very happy, and Mila loves it, too.”
-
- “We aren’t planning on any more babies, but we are thinking about getting a second dog!”
-
- “I wish I was better about unplugging and really being present. It is one of my aspirations to just put all devices away on the weekends.”
-
- “Casual and whimsical, though I love to dress up if the occasion strikes.”
-
- “Yes, I literally get dressed in under two minutes. I don’t have time to deliberate, which usually means it is whatever I grab first. I love getting dressed up, so I savor those occasions where I get to search my closet for something special.”
-
- “High-waisted jeans, flannel shirts, organic cotton t-shirts, and No. 6 Boots and Clogs. In the summer, Gravel & Gold dresses.”
-
- “Gravel & Gold, Idunn, Black Crane, Electric Feathers, and Pansy for underwear and bras. My mom was a fashion designer in 80s and 90s, and I love her clothing line—beautiful hand-dyed silk shirts that are great on hot summer days and huge wool sweater coats that are the best antidote to winter.”
-
- “I am so out of the loop on fashion trends. I just wear what I love.”
-
- “Since we live in the country, I really don’t shop very often. My friend, Jill, has any incredible store across the river in Red Hook called the Tivoli Mercantile, and always has great beautiful casual clothes including local designer, Idunn. If I go to the city, I love finding vintage gems at Narnia in Williamsburg. I’ll also buy clothes online from Gravel & Gold or Madewell.”
-
- “I want to get the kids some Native shoes for the summer. We love to go to the waterfalls, and they are so great for playing in the water. I really want all the dresses from the spring Gravel & Gold and No. 6 lines.”
-
- “I am pretty low maintenance when it comes to beauty. In the morning, I’ll wash my face with our Blue Chamomile and Lemon Oil Based Cleanser, and follow with a mix of Josh Rosebrook sunscreen, our Rose and Pomegranate Face Oil, and a few dabs of the RMS 'Un' Coverup. If I am feeling fancy, I’ll use Gressa Minimalist Corrective Serum Foundation, RMS Living Luminizer and mascara, and our Rosy Red Lip Balm. I’ll put a few shakes of our Mermaid Dry Shampoo in my hair, rub it in, and then spray my hair all over with our Mermaid Sea Salt Hair Spray (or Golden Waves, if I am feeling it). And, oh yes, I can’t forget to put on our Lime and Vetiver Cream Deodorant before heading out the door. Throughout the day, I apply our Anchor Balm to my hands and lips. I keep one in every pocket. At night, I use Meow Meow Tweet’s Face Cleanser and follow with our Aloe and Rose Toner. I’ll put on our face oil or a homemade face balm. I tailor them to the seasons. I’ll put a little of our Mermaid Hair Oil on the ends of my hair, and sometimes rub it into my scalp and leave in overnight. I get into bed, grab my jar of our Avocado and Peppermint Cuticle, Hand, and Foot Balm from my nightside table and apply to my hands, feet, and lips.”
-
- “This is always a work in progress. I am trying to get back into my yoga practice after a long break and try to go to classes whenever I can, or do a little practice at home, even if it is just a few minutes. I always need to get our Siberian Husky, Vuka, exercise every day, and I love to run, too. Most days, I’ll take her running on the rail trail near our house, while pushing Caspian in our jogging stroller. Every weekend, we try to take a family hike in the mountains. In the summer, Levi and I and a bunch of friends belong to the Distance Swimmer’s Association at Lake Minnewaska, and we try to go swimming as much as we can.”
-
- “I run an organic beauty company named Captain Blankenship. We make haircare, skincare, bodycare, and scents.”
-
- “I actually used to be a curator at the Wattis Institute in San Francisco, which I loved. I had studied Art History and Fine Art at Cornell, and then got an MA in Curatorial Practice from the California College of the Arts. As a child, I developed a sensitivity to synthetic fragrances from mixing together all my mother’s toxic 80s perfumes. I always loved the scents of the natural world, but it wasn’t until I moved to the Bay Area that I discovered natural perfumery. While I was in grad school, I started making natural perfumes, skincare, haircare, and bodycare products for myself, my family, and friends for fun. I studied natural perfumery with the amazing Mandy Aftel and took classes in herbalism and soap-making. I just kept diving deeper and deeper, and then realized that this was the path that I wanted to be on.”
-
- “I love the creativity, the content, and getting to work with such an incredible team of women. I get to craft products from such a rich palette of natural materials, and am always working on something new. I also love that I am creating things with the best organic and wild-harvested ingredients possible that become part of people’s daily rituals.”
-
- “It definitely has. Mila is in school and I have help with Caspian between 9:30-3:00. That is the time I have to work, so I try to make it as productive as possible. I often have to keep working after they go to sleep.”
-
- “It isn’t easy at all. I feel like I am on the run all day long. At night after the kids go to bed, I try to relax, but often I have to keep working. I try to take it easy on myself when I can and take a bath, or enjoy a glass of wine.”
-
- “We are in a rapid period of growth here at Captain Blankenship. So, we are scaling up, but with integrity. We are in the process of expanding our haircare and bodycare line (look for shampoo, conditioner, and liquid hand and body soap this fall!) We also have a kids line in the works!”
-
-
“We do. Gardiner is a small town and a great community. It is under two hours to New York City, but we actually haven’t been leaving town much lately.”
Jana wears an Alternative Apparel T-Shirt, Madewell jeans, and Hunter Rain Boots. Mila wears a Hanna Andersson dress and pants, and Kamik boots. Caspian wears a Mini Boden shirt, Hanna Andersson sweater and pants, and Kamik boots.
-
- “Yes, I work with five women who are so wonderful. We are so supportive of each other and the work environment is so open and comfortable. Going to work can feel like therapy. Four of us have children, and we are all very understanding of things that come up, and help each other out.”
-
- “Mila’s school is a mile from our home. My office is two miles from there. We have an honor system farm at the end of our road with raw milk. I love hiking in the mountains behind our home and swimming in the lakes and waterfalls in the summer. I love living in the country and with the rhythm of the seasons.”
-
- “Certainly. We don’t know what the future will bring. I love living here now and am excited to raise the kids here, but could definitely imagine being in California again someday.”
-
-
“We have a great wooden playground in nearby New Paltz, and on a time day, it is filled with kids of all ages. On a rainy day, the libraries in both New Paltz and Gardiner have wonderful children’s areas and programming. Often, we will head up to Minnewaska State Park to walk our favorite short trail, The Peter’s Kill, with our husky, Vuka. I’ll carry Caspian on my back, and Mila will hike. In the summer, we swim in the waterfall there.”
Jana wears a Westwind Orchard sweater.
-
- “I have become a master of quick meals. I often put together a quick plate of rice, beans, local sauerkraut, avocado, and greens. I try to cook a big pot of beans or soup on Sunday, so we have it for the week.”
-
- “In the summer, we love to go apple picking. We have several great orchards in Gardiner, but my favorite place to go is Westwind Orchard over the mountain in Accord. They have delicious organic apples and raspberries to pick, and the best wood fired pizza and treats. In the summer, they have music and outdoor movies.”
-
- “We love to go out on a long hike in the Shawangunk Mountains at Minnewaska State Park or Mohonk Preserve. I love hiking, and with kids in tow, we tend to need to take shorter hikes. Afterwards, we would go to dinner at one of our favorite local restaurants, The Mountain Brauhaus, which is at the base of the mountains. The Moutain Brauhaus is a traditional German restaurant that uses locally-sourced ingredients. The atmosphere is kitschy and warm, and the food and drinks are delicious.”
-
- For more on Jana and her children, follow her on Instagram.
Share this story
