Mother Stories
At Home With Lisa Wong Jackson, Co-Founder Of Morningtide
Written by Erin Feher
Photography by Photography by Jen Siska
Dec 3, 2019
If you’ve happened to wander into Morningtide—the gorgeous, sun-dappled shop in California’s East Bay—and spot its co-owner Lisa Wong Jackson artfully arranging stacks of hand-thrown ceramics or folding naturally dyed wool sweaters, you’d be forgiven for thinking she has been a shop girl for life. Her taste is spot-on, and the brands she sources for her shop (think Ace & Jig, Micaela Greg, Ali Gold, Ilana Kohn, and more) produce ethically and stylistically on-point pieces that last. But just a few years ago, Lisa’s life looked dramatically different. She was deep in the office life, nearing her 20th year as a senior designer for an engineering and architecture firm. But the birth of her kids—Lucas, now 9.5, and Theo, 7—coincided with an urge to be more creative in her daily life. She initially scratched the itch by starting her own graphic design company, Good On Paper, on the side, specializing in kids’ birthday invitations and other fun projects. She eventually got up enough creative courage to quit her corporate job and focus fully on her design work. This extra mental space (and extra actual time) allowed another project to take shape: In 2017, she teamed up with friend Lisa Fontaine to open Morningtide. We just love Lisa’s story of career reinvention, as well as her stunning midcentury home. Lisa talks about all of it and more in our interview below.
Plus, if you’re in San Francisco on December 15, you can meet Lisa in person and shop some of Morningtide’s best offerings when she pops-up at our holiday-themed MOTHER Market, going down at Fort Mason Center on Sunday, December 15th, 2019, 10am-5pm.
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- "It was totally random, but I initially discovered our house on Craigslist when I did a quick search for 'mid-century modern homes for sale in Berkeley.' The house came up but only showed a photo of the outside of the garage. I emailed the person who listed it to get some more info and photos of the inside of the house. She emailed me back a photo of the front steps and the garage again. That seemed a little sketchy, the price was too good to be true, and there was no description, so I assumed it was a scam. About six months later when we were seriously looking for a house, our realtor took us to an open house and I instantly recognized the garage and front steps from those photos-—it was the Craigslist house! Ha! Even though our realtor told us all the negatives about the house, we loved it. We love that it's all one level, the natural light, and that each room has a door that opens to the outside. It was designed by architect Cliff May and is the only one of its kind in Berkeley. We have been living here for 11 years, and though there are plenty of issues with it, we are so grateful to live here."
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- "We didn't do any major renovations. The roof hadn't been replaced in 50 years, so that was the first thing we did—a huge storm came about two months later. The front entrance was literally a dirt path with no steps or hand rails, a.k.a. an accident waiting to happen. We had concrete steps and a hand rail installed. The backyard was a huge mess with rotted wood, overgrown bamboo, and a falling retaining wall. Initially we tried to do everything ourselves—every weekend we would dig and haul dirt from the yard to our pick-up truck to the dump. Oh, and did I mention I was pregnant with my first? Yeah, it got to be too much and we eventually called in the professionals. We did all the landscaping ourselves though. As far as the inside of the house, the previous owners got a divorce in the middle of renovations, so the master bathroom had no door or windows. Eleven years later, we still have no door and it's all good!"
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"I used to be a lot more impulsive when it came to decorating. It's one thing I wished I had taken more slowly when we first moved in. Now, I try to only bring things into my home that I really love. Since owning Morningtide, I have a really deep appreciation for ceramics and the time and effort it takes to create each piece. I love my ceramic collections, whether it's a bowl or a planter or a tiny dish. I also love plants—they bring so much life to a space. In an ideal world, I'm a minimalist who doesn't like clutter. In reality though, I have a hard time letting things go and it can be a constant struggle."
Lisa wears a Babaa cardigan, Jesse Kamm pants, and a See Sun top. Lucas wears a Wheat top and Tea Collection pants. Theo wears a See Sun top and Munsterkids pants.
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"Lucas' room has evolved since it was his nursery, then my office, and now back to his 9-year-old room. Some of the prints and decor from his nursery days are still up. One of my favorite pieces in Lucas' room is the DIY mobile we made together when he was two. We had gone on a walk in Tilden Park and collected leaves, twigs, and acorns and made a mobile together. It's gotten a little roughed up over the years, but I love that Lucas still has it up above his bed. As much as I would have loved for his room to stay super minimal with wooden toys and neatly stacked books, it's his room and I allow him to make it his own. That means a basketball hoop, Pokemon and baseball cards, Legos, tons of stuffies, taped up sports magazine cut outs, and his baseball and soccer trophies."
"Theo is less picky about the decor in his room, so much of the same artwork from his nursery is still up. He has a lot of books in his room, all color coordinated because it makes the shelves look less cluttered. Theo has recently gotten interested in piano and it makes us so happy. He had been playing ukulele which is the cutest thing ever, but suddenly decided that he really wanted to take piano lessons. Like so badly. I started to think, maybe he thinks piano lessons mean playing techno beats on his little keyboard, but after his first trial lesson, he's been eager to practice. So Nick brought his keyboard piano up from the garage and it's now in Theo's room."
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- "The living room, dining room, and kitchen are all open and connected, which I just love. We spend most of our time in these rooms and I wanted to keep them open and warm and minimal, yet cozy. The kids head to the dining table first thing in the morning and read a book before breakfast. We have a fireplace but have never used it, so we put plants and a crate of records there. My husband Nick loves to read and listen to music, so there's a bookshelf full of his books and about a quarter of his records. Since we spend the most time in this area, most of the kids' toys are stored in bins and baskets here. We have tons of board games hidden in the credenza that we play all the time. The kids will oftentimes make full-on couch forts or move the coffee table aside to create a wrestling ring. It's insane. As long as no one gets hurt, they find solutions to their problems, and they put everything back as it was, I'm cool with it. That happens about half the time."
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- "I love the ceramics in my home. Many of them are made by the amazing ceramicists we carry at Morningtide, and some are ones I've discovered elsewhere. I love knowing who made them—Colleen Hennessey, Sarah Kersten, Earthen, my friend and work wife Lisa Fontaine, Julie Cloutier, Luvhaus, Sam Lee, Lisa Tsubouchi, Mt. Washington Pottery, and Katherine Moes. Other pieces I love are the plants and succulents, the cozy rug in the living room from Room & Board, the wood knot in our bedroom by Katie Gong, and our super soft linen sheets from Two Dawson."
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- "Most of the kids' stuff is corralled in the living room in baskets or bins or in the kids' rooms, because that's where we all like to hang out together. We got a huge amount of mismatched Legos and storage bins from their cousin. The kids will create all kinds of cool things at the dining table. Sometimes the kids will dump everything out onto the floor and it drives me bonkers, but our rule is that it's okay to have everything out as long as they agree to put it back before they move on to the next thing. We've really stuck to that rule so it works."
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- "I love that my kids are growing up in an ethnically diverse and open community. There's a plethora of cultural events, amazing cheap food, and also fancy food. We are so close to nature with Tilden Park in our backyard. We love the weather in the East Bay, our public school system, and the sense of community—we run into people we know all the time. I also love that my kids are growing up in an area that is very aware of the changing climate and environment. It doesn't phase my kids when we bring our own reusable straws, bags, utensils, and coffee and water tumblers when we go out. It's so Berkeley and I am okay with that."
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- "I'm a Bay Area girl at heart. I was born and raised in San Francisco and am so lucky to be able to live here. I've traveled to other states but I always think how awesome it is to live where I live, so I think I'll be staying here for a long time."
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- "Morningtide—of course—, Flowerland, and Slash for shopping, Albany Bulb for taking our dog Frankie out, Tilden Park for exploring and hiking. I love to eat! Some of my favorites are Bartavelle, Fava, Summer Kitchen, Standard Fare, 900 Grayson, Spoon Korean Bistro, Cholita Linda for lunch, Third Culture Bakery for mochi muffins, Cheeseboard for breakfast goods and pizza, Hal's Office, Souvenir, or Highwire at Flowerland for coffee, Rotha, Tartine, or Fournee for pastries, Lush Gelato and Humphry Slocombe for ice cream, Ramen Shop and Iyasare for dinner, and Cactus Taqueria, Picante, Little Star Pizza, and Zachary's for an easy kid-friendly dinner. I love Base Camp Bakery at the Kensington Farmers Market for the best bread. I'm sure I'm forgetting some!"
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- "Knowing that I will always be their mama."
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- "I'm nervous about losing my special bond with them as they get older. Theo and I still kiss on the lips and I love it so much. I also worry about the changing climate and the future they will be living in. The new normal of extreme weather conditions, wildfires, etc. makes me nervous. Theo is constantly asking if something is making climate change. I try to teach them about reducing waste and plastic and why it's important."
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- "We wanted to find out as soon as we could. I'm not good with surprises and I had to be mentally prepared. Of course, we just wanted a healthy baby, but we also both wanted a girl pretty badly. I grew up with so many boys around me and just imagined myself having a little girl. When I found out we were having a boy, I cried. For a couple of weeks. I feel bad ever having had gender disappointment because I'm SO happy being a mama to boys. It's amazing and tiring but that mama-son relationship is so special."
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- "I loved the name Lucas for a long time and I always thought if I had a son that would be his name. I also loved the name Wren, which is his middle name. Lucas and I have the same initials, LWJ. Theo Colin May is named after Theo, a rad kid I met once and loved the name, and Colin, Nick's grandfather and brother's name, and May, my mom's name."
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- "Lucas is 9.5—I can't believe I almost have a 10-year old!—and he's into baseball, soccer, and basketball—in that order—, Legos, Pokemon, reading, drawing, video games, board games, and his trumpet that he plays at school. Theo is 7 and he's a funny kid. He's into creating awesome random things with Legos, drawing, crafting all kinds of things with paper, playing piano, kicking my butt at Uno, dressing up in costumes and pretending to be me or Nick, and eating. The other day he asked if we had a cape he could wear but we didn't. He said he would make one out of paper and we just couldn't figure out how that would even work. But he did it and it's pretty awesome!"
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"It took us two years to get pregnant with Lucas, with two miscarriages in between. It was a stressful time, but I am so lucky to have a strong support system. I had a wonderful pregnancy with Lucas—I clearly remember his first kick after I had my fourth chocolate chip cookie lying in a onesie on the couch watching Chopped. The day he was born, I was at home vacuuming when my contractions started. The chaos that ensued was kind of comical looking back. My sweet Nick drew me a bath but our hot water ran out so he went back and forth to the kitchen microwaving mugs of water. I kept hearing, 'Beeeep!' in the kitchen every time the microwave was done—all the while, I'm shivering in the tub and screaming my ass off. He lit a candle that kept spewing black smoke that was staining our wall and I couldn't do anything about it. Everything went smoothly after that!"
"My pregnancy with Theo happened quickly, which we did not expect. It was more uncomfortable with bouts of nausea and I was extra tired. Probably because I had a toddler to chase after. I was sure I was having a girl because my pregnancy felt so different from my first. From the time of my very first contraction to Theo being in my arms, it took one hour and fifteen minutes! They didn't even have time to get me off the gurney or ask for my name."
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- "At the time of both of their births, I was working full time. With Lucas, I took six months off, which was really nice. With Theo I took four months off."
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- "We liked the The Happiest Baby on Block and I read snippets of How to Talk So Your Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk. I recently read The Good News About Bad Behavior, which I found really useful."
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- "I'm so grateful to be surrounded by so many incredible moms. I have different groups of mom friends—ones who go way back to high school and college, and ones who I've met more recently. They each have unique perspectives and I find it so helpful to just talk and vent and be there for one another. I mean, we're all going through the same kinds of things, right?"
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- "I was born and raised in San Francisco. My parents were both immigrants from Canton, China, and worked a lot. Growing up, my dad owned an athletic shoe store in the Inner Sunset neighborhood where I grew up. My brother and I were shop kids—we would walk to school and then walk to my dad's store after school, do our homework in the back of the shop, and eat instant ramen. We never had babysitters, swim lessons, baseball games, piano classes, playdates, or summer camps. My mom worked the graveyard shift at a telephone company so we would see her during odd hours. During the summer, we would stay at home and watch TV, walk to the local playground, and ride bikes around the neighborhood before dinner. My mom always cooked a mix of American food and home-cooked Chinese food throughout the week. We had spaghetti every Sunday. My dad would make us breakfast every morning. We rarely went out to eat. My mom especially is very frugal, and though I hated it as a kid, I have come to appreciate the way she saves money and does not waste a thing. In doing so, my mom was basically one of the first environmentalists I knew—she hung our clothes out to dry, she used gray water from the laundry to water our plants, she turned off every light in the house she wasn't using, and she would reuse and re-purpose so many things."
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- "Thankfully, my husband Nick and I are on the same page about parenting. We talk to the kids all the time, but have recently started to step back and let them talk more. It's funny how much more information about their day and their feelings emerge when we're silent. We try hard to say what we mean and mean what we say. It is truly effective. We believe in letting them experience the natural consequences of their actions. Don't want to wear a jacket in the cold? Okay. The next time—or maybe third time—they'll grab a jacket just in case. One thing that has helped tremendously is to have agreed upon consequences. Before we turn on a screen, for example, we have an agreed upon consequence such as no screen time the next day if there's a big fuss when it's time to turn it off. They have to agree to it so there are no surprises if we have to enforce it. When there's a sibling conflict, it used to stress me out so much—it still does sometimes—but now we tell them it's not brother against brother, it's both of you against the problem. My go-to saying is, 'Find a solution that works for both of you or squash it.' The hardest part for me is to ignore them and let them find a solution. It's awesome when it works. Is there yelling in the house sometimes? Yes, of course. Sometimes I cry, too. But there are also deep breaths and hugs and learning. And it feels great. We also give them responsibilities early on—they are more capable than we think and it really boosts their confidence. When I was growing up, my mom did everything for me. As tempting as it is to just do it all for them, I don't want that for my kids."
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"Definitely. I've never been as politically active as I am today—as a woman, as a person of color, as a mother raising boys. I feel responsible for raising good humans who care about other people, about others who are less privileged, about the earth, about history and racism, about prejudice and injustice, and about where things come from. My kids are always asking me tough questions that make me think. I'm grateful to have a very woke husband and family."
Lisa wears vintage Levi's and an Aliya Wanek sweatshirt.
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"Be flexible. Whatever comes your way, just go with the flow and let it be. Also, find a support group of moms with kids the same age. You're all going through similar things and it just feels good to know you're not the only one. Motherhood is the hardest and best thing in the world."
Lucas wears Tea Collection top and pants. Theo wears a Kid and Kind sweatshirt and Zara pants.
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- "No. I'm perfectly happy and grateful for my two kids. And now that we have our dog Frankie—I joke that I finally have my girl—I have my hands full. The only thing I sometimes miss is being pregnant—I loved the feeling of a kicking baby, not to mention the boobs, glowing skin, and full hair."
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- "I'm a graphic designer and have my own freelance business called Good on Paper. I also co-own a lifestyle shop in the East Bay called Morningtide."
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"I was born and raised in San Francisco and have only lived in the Bay Area. I went to U.C. Berkeley and majored in Conservation and Resource Studies and minored in Business Administration. During college I got an internship at a small environmental consulting firm in Oakland in their business development and marketing department. It wasn't exactly what I had in mind but I was young and accepted whatever came my way. I've always been a hard worker and was open and grateful for the opportunity. While I was there, I would constantly work with the graphic designers and eventually fell in love with what they were doing. I knew I had the creativity and the design eye, but not the technical skills. I enrolled myself in night classes at U.C. Berkeley Extension's Graphic Design Certificate Program. I then got a job as a Visual Coordinator for Pottery Barn Kids for about a year, designing training manuals and visual merchandising layouts for all the new stores. I eventually went back to my old company as a senior designer. I was there for nearly 20 years, working through my wedding, buying a house, and both kids. I had some awesome co-workers and a rad boss who let me work part time after I had Lucas. Several years ago though, I decided I needed to let something go. I had a bad case of shingles and it just took me out. I was spreading myself too thin, saying yes to all projects because I was stressed about money, trying to be everything to everyone. Finally, I made the big move to go freelance and leave my job. It was hard, but one of the best moves for my sanity and my family. Within a few months of quitting, the idea for a retail shop in the East Bay popped up when me and my friend and business partner, Lisa, were talking. A few months later, Morningtide was born!"
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- "Motherhood led to designing stationery for kids, my now-defunct blog, and owning a small business."
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"I am so lucky to have my mom and other family in San Francisco and Nick's family in Santa Rosa. When the kids were babies, my mom would come over and spend the night twice a week to help us. She still comes over every so often and the kids love her so much. My in-laws are the best and always help when they can. They come to Lucas' baseball and soccer games and we FaceTime. We have a lot of support locally from friends, through preschool and our current elementary school, as well as from our neighbors."
Lisa wears an Ace and Jig top, Esby Lindsay jeans, and a Babaa cardigan. Lucas wears a California Baseball top and Tea Collection pants. Theo wears a Wynken top and Polarn O. Pyret pants.
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- "Try not to be everything to everyone. Give yourself a break and don't be afraid to ask for help."
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- "Yes, all the time. I say sorry too much. I feel bad about things too often. If I have a work event or something where Nick is home with the kids, sometimes I feel guilty even though I know I shouldn't. And Nick is the best. He never makes me feel bad about anything. A lot of it is self-imposed. I am constantly talking to different moms about all of this stuff. It really makes me feel better to let it out and know that others feel the same. And I'm working on it!"
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- "It definitely is. I want my kids to see all of me, whether I'm at my best or worst. I want to be able to guide them to make good choices, so I try and make good choices for myself. One thing I really want to instill in them is to work hard. My parents worked hard and I do, too. I want to show them that I can be a mother, a partner, and own two businesses. But I also need them to see the ups and downs that come with it, because that's real life."
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- "Tomboy. Casual, functional, and seemingly effortless. California. Fuss-free. Cotton, denim, and wool. Layers all the time. And cardigans. Lots of cardigans. Sometimes I look like I'm 17 and sometimes like I'm 65. I just want to be comfortable, but not frumpy. Since co-owning Morningtide, I try to buy only from our shop, either new or secondhand through our Morningtide Loop—our curated section of gently used slow fashion in the the shop. Most of my pieces are from smaller, ethically produced brands in natural fabrics."
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- "Yes and no. I've always dressed on the casual side, but I am more mindful about the choices I make now. The smaller brands are more expensive, but they are made ethically and the quality is better. My wardrobe is half the size it was before. I still love dresses but rarely wear them. I still can't wear heels. I wear the same few things all the time and I'm okay with that."
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- Stuffies for days.
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- "Vintage Levi's jeans, t-shirts, sweatshirts, a cozy cardigan, my checkerboard Vans, clogs, or Blundstone boots. There are so many amazing small designers. Some favorites include Aliya Wanek, Babaa, Ace and Jig, Micaela Greg, Jungmaven, Esby, and Me & Arrow. I love that these brands are small and well made. I try to buy secondhand if possible. We also carry many of these lines at Morningtide, and sometimes I score something rad through our Morningtide Loop."
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- "I have eczema and really dry skin so I use a lot of balms, oils, and thick creams throughout the day. In the morning I wash my face with Beautycounter Nourishing Cream Cleanser, put two squirts of Everyday Oil on my face and neck, then moisturize with Jao Face Creme, followed by Juice Beauty SPF 30 Sheer Mineral Moisturizer. At night, I wash my face with water, then use either Laurel Recovery Balm if my skin is inflamed, or Marie Veronique Barrier Lipid Complex, which I recently started using and it's been so good for my dry skin. I'll also use Pai Echium and Argan Gentle Eye Cream if I remember. I also love Beautycounter's Calendula Lip Conditioner for my lips and any dry patches around my face. My hair is naturally coarse and straight with a slight wave. I use a 1.25" barrel curling iron to create loose waves. I wash my hair every two sometimes three days and use Klorane Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk in between. I use it at night so it has time to absorb—in the morning I'll have that lived-in slept-in look. I also use Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray. I use Sisters body wash, shampoo, and conditioner."
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- "I take walks with my dog Frankie. I also go to BodyRok in Berkeley, which is a Pilates-inspired, full-body strength training class on a reformer, about twice a week. It totally kicks my ass. I love it and hate it but always feel great afterwards. I also drink warm water with lemon and apple cider vinegar first thing in the morning. I also try and drink either a green smoothie or water mixed with Mija Naturals Superstar supplement. I mostly try and eat healthy-ish, but I do love to bake and do it fairly often. I figure that's part of my self-care routine because it makes me happy. When I'm feeling a little extra stressed, I take a drop or two of the Mind and Body CBD drops from Plant People or their Sleep Drops."
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- "On a normal week, my 'me time' basically consists of my BodyRok classes, grocery shopping, taking Frankie out, and getting some freelance work done on my computer before picking up the kids from school. I kind of count working at Morningtide as part of my me time, because I'm not with my kids and playing mom. Once in a while I will go out to dinner with friends. I don't know the last time Nick and I had a date night—that really needs to change. We are both so tired at the end of the day and cannot wait to watch a show in bed."
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- "A big goal of ours is opening a second Morningtide location in the near future. Stay tuned!"
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- For more on Lisa and her family, be sure to follow her on Instagram. As well as Morningtide!
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Hello! Would you mind sharing where your son Theo’s wallpaper is from? Thanks!
Hi Alexis,
The wallpaper in both my sons’ rooms are from Allan the Gallant from years ago (like 2009?) I’m not sure where to find it now, but I had originally found it on Design*Sponge. Here’s the link.
https://www.designsponge.com/2008/09/new-allan-the-gallant.html
Thanks!
Hi Lisa,
Thanks so much!
Dear team, I have noticed that quite a lot of the mamas featured in your home stories are wearing garments by babaà?
Is this just a coincidence or product placement?
Hi Maria,
For me personally, I love Babaa and wear my multiple sweaters all the time so these photos are definitely real life for me and not product placement in any way. :) Thanks!