
Meet Molly Leary, A Tuned-In Mama Raising 2 Daughters In the Cali Woods
Written by Erin Feher
Photography by Photography by Michelle Drewes
Molly Leary is the kind of woman who keeps a cool head when her 5-year-old daughter is bit by a rattle snake. Her ability to handle curveballs (even poisonous ones) with grace is just one of the many qualities that make this mama stand out from the crowd. Others include her preference for picnics with her two girls in the back of her vintage Ford Ranger, tailgate agape to the breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains, over birthday parties or playdates. And then there’s her house—when Molly first spotted the vintage redwood abode in the hills of Auburn, California, it had seen better days, but with some fearless planning (and a handful of favors called in) she transformed it and made it her own. She now lives on the rambling property with her two stunning kiddos—Susannah (5) and Louise (4)—both of whom are are on the autism spectrum. They spend their days tending to their fruit and veggie gardens, taking drives, and playing dress up—Molly’s home doubles as the offices and storage facility for her business, Squash Blossom Vintage, a 14-year-old digital storefront that offers vintage and handmade clothing. In our slideshow below, Molly shows us around her incredible home, and talks in her signature shoot-from-the-hip style about everything from co-parenting peacefully to raising strong girls to running a business in the hours in between all the rest. Click through and prepare to be wildly inspired!
- "The story of our home could fill an entire book, so I'll just say I found it completely by accident while looking for rental properties in the area. I immediately knew it was our home, so I trusted my gut and hustled hard and convinced a realtor and a property manager to buy it, restore the redwood rot and everything that was making it un-lendable, got a loan, and bought it from them with some lucky investment money I'd saved from my younger days working for a dot-com startup. It was built in the 1970s by a local architect who was known for his handmade redwood homes, which exist symbiotically with the nature surrounding it. For our house, that means echoing the lines of the American River and nestling in a small grove of oak trees. Every day the architect would gather a crew from a local commune in Nevada City to help him build. They'd meditate and eat lunch and work together. There are some really funny super stoner mistakes, which make me laugh."
- "Yes. I had an old amigo from high school, who is a contractor, come over and put a 5-foot circular window seat in the girl's bedroom to replace a sliding glass door, rip out a telephone closet to create an open-arched pantry, and add an open-wall closet and shelving in my room against the redwood wall. There was an old round redwood hot tub outside that had been destroyed by the elements over the years, and I found the same Gordon and Grant one on Craigslist and replaced it. We ripped out the shag carpets and parquet flooring and replaced them with mahogany wood."
- "I usually describe it as Japanese Bohemian. I don't have a philosophy really. I'm not a fan of clutter and excess, so I tend to sell or donate something when I bring something new in. I love open space, stained glass, and natural wood and lighting above all else."
- "The living space is chill and comfortable. There's a big wood-burning stove at the center and a big island that wraps around to the kitchen, where I spend lots of time cooking with the girls. I designed some large wood shelving for our record player, vinyl collection, and books to live, and the girls love to pick a record and dance around in that space. There's a sweet greenhouse dining area that's all windows, which was originally designed to harness the heat in the winter—the home was one of the first passive-solar homes in Northern California. My big splurge was on a vintage Ligne Roset Togo leather sectional, which the girls are always chilling on or running across. It's super well made and durable and we love it."
- "I have had so many little vintage collections since childhood. My favorite is probably all the carved wood peace signs we have spread throughout the house. I have a massive collection of old handwoven Indian floor pillows that cover the couches and are all over the girl's room."
- "There are some toys and books in the living room, up in the loft, and down in their bedroom. They tend to play with toys in their room and listen to records and help me cook upstairs."
- "Auburn is great—it's a small town with lots of people doing great things on the down low. There's a complete lack of pretension here. I have met some of the greatest artists and musicians here, and you'd never know because they don't lead with that—it's the bonus stuff you find out after you've already gotten to know them. The folks here are kind and sweet and very salt-of-the-earth, feet-on-the-ground."
- "I'll always keep this home—it's my heart and truly a part of me. I want to get a piece of land to build on someday—maybe on the ocean or a river or a canyon ridge—just to be able to look out at infinite space without a visual block and feel free."
- "It was organic. It's funny because I don't really consider Auburn to be rural, though most would. They are both on the autism spectrum and do very well with natural lighting, nature, and open space, so this home and town were an obvious choice."
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"So many. My friend Molly is an amazing chef and makes the best food at the Natural Trading Company. Theres a great nursery called Eisley's where I buy all of my vegetable starts. We are right on the American River Canyon so my girls and I are always riding around in my old Ford Ranger having picnics and cooling off in one of the many rivers we are fortunate to live next to. There is a dirt track at the fairgrounds in town where they do motorcycle races every Friday evening during the summer, so I go there with my friends a lot, too."
Molly, Susannah, and Louise all wear vintage.
- "I have always been so excited and taken with so many things, and sharing my love for life with them is the total best. Not much makes me nervous. I feel like life is short and if you love on these babies and live pure and true you're gonna be O.K."
- "I didn't care either way. But girls are so fun and funny. Louise is super into princesses and pink and glitter, which is polar opposite of me or how I ever was, so it's sweet and funny to twirl her around in her tutu while we listen to her favorite Harry Nilsson records. They love to cook with me and crack eggs and stir batter while standing on this old wooden bench my dad made."
- "My oldest is Susannah Gayle. My mom had a sister named Susie and my grandma was Gayle. My middle name is also Gayle. My youngest is Louise Marguerite. Both myself and their papa have a Margaret/Marguerita in our lineage."
- What are they both most into right now? "Susannah, who is 5, is super into animals, mainly winged. She's never met a chicken or duck she didn't love. Louise, who is 4, loves drawing, playing music, and reading books."
- "It's been really good so far. I am very lucky that I had my babes with the greatest papa. His love for them is endless and he is so hands-on and wonderful with them. They adore him. It's really lovely to not have to worry about them when they are away from me—he has it 100% under control. I have them all week and he has them on the weekends at his cabin, and he sees them every day, which makes me so happy."
- "Not at all. Their papa was much more into having a family. That said, they are my universe and I am so grateful."
- "My pregnancies were totally easy, from beginning to end. I was fortunate. I didn't take a formal maternity leave—I work for myself, so I spent the three months before Susannah was born taking photos and measuring all the vintage clothing to be listed on my website after she was born. I think I was able to upload 300 listings before she arrived, which bought me about two months of chill. I still had to package and mail things, but the hustle before was super worth it."
- "Not at all. Over prepping and research makes me feel anxious. I've always done better figuring things out as I go. I'm fortunate to have had sisters and friends with children that I could ask about things that came up when they were babies."
- "I don't. I know so much of what you see of people you don't know is a facade and smoke and mirrors. Ladies who can show up for their kids while continuing to have passions and goals and and zest are the ones I want to know."
- "A mix of strict, dreamy, conservative, and loving. My folks always showed up for us. We were expected to get good grades and we all played year-round sports. After working hard all week, my dad would spend Saturdays helping us improve our free-throw shots or volleyball serves. There wasn't a game or recital they didn't show up to. We spent a lot of time together on vacations to Lake Tahoe, where they had a cabin. I was raised by the most solid, hardworking people around."
- "Take it as it comes. I don't like planning or overthinking things. That may sound very loose and hippie-dippy, but I'm also quite strict with them. I don't want them being bratty or ungrateful to me or anyone else. They have a lot of freedom when they are not in school or at autism therapy (ABA), because I want them to have space and time on their own to do what they love."
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"Yes. I realized Susannah was autistic what she was 17 months old. It's all about trusting your gut as a parent, and if something seems off, you have to listen to that feeling. I had many many people tell me I was nuts and she was too young to diagnose and I didn't listen to them for a second. I got her into speech therapy right away, and she received her official diagnosis when she was 2 when we got to California. Louise would be considered less severe on the autism spectrum, and most parents would never have realized there was an issue—we, of course, did, knowing what we did from Susannah. Louise was diagnosed at 2 1/2."
Molly wears vintage Levi's jeans and vest. Louise wears a Zara dress. Susannah wears vintage.
- "When I first realized Susannah was autistic it felt like life now had a black cloud over it. Like everything I thought my life and my babies lives would be would forever be 'less-than,' and I can't tell you how untrue that is. It's not bad or sad or scary anymore. It's different. As far as fears go, I guess I'd say there's a fear that they won't be able to be independent and live alone and take care of themselves. That I will leave this world not knowing what will become of them or who will care for them, but that's all projecting and I don't let myself go there. I feel they are both just as smart and dynamic as any other child their age, they just have challenges in the social realm, which makes navigating things a bit harder. Susannah doesn't register risks and fear. She would jump into a powerful waterfall because she wants to feel the rush of the water, so you have to stay on top of her when she's out in the world. She would run into oncoming traffic if she saw a bird she wanted to get close to. You have to be one step ahead of her at all times, and I know what she's plotting and thinking before she moves."
- "The notion that these babes aren't affectionate and don't want to be around people is simply untrue. They are very loving and oftentimes have difficulty showing and explaining their needs. My girls very much want to be included in play with other children, even if they have a hard time showing that. They climb into bed with me every morning to cuddle before we make breakfast."
- "It's taught me patience for sure. I have so much gratitude now—you have to totally drop your ego and all the BS that pits mom against mom and all that competitive 'My baby crawled at this age,' 'Mine wrote his dissertation at 2' crap, and you become so grateful that your child is alive and progressing. That's all that matters to me. It's a blind diagnosis, meaning when you look at them they look like a typical child, so when they have any sort of issue in public you get stares and hear whispers, and your reaction is to apologize and blurt out how sorry you are, and how they are autistic and that's why they are misbehaving—but you learn to say screw it, and not give a crap who's looking and talking. I'm lucky to have never followed people or cared what anyone thinks of me, and that's served me quite well having two autistic children. They are both healthy and happy, and really what else could a parent hope for beyond those basic things?"
- "No. I have always been the same. I've been strong willed since I was a babe and have taken care of myself and my needs all my life, and that's how I'm raising my girls, regardless of the chaos around us."
- "Write to me and I can help you with the first steps, which are the scariest. Talk to other parents who have been through it. It's terrifying to admit and own that it's happening, but try to be brave and do it. Every step forward is a step towards freedom from the fear of it all. I promise you'll be free faster than you think, and will see that life is way more beautiful than you ever could have dreamed."
- "I have owned my vintage clothing company, Squashblossom Vintage, for 14 years now. A few years back, I expanded to include a line of handmade clothing, which I release once or twice a year as it works with my schedule. I run the business alone, and take care of every facet from sourcing and shopping to marketing and shipping. I have a lot of private clients I work with, as well, and am grateful to do what I love for a living."
- "Their room was previously divided up bizarrely with accordion doors and useless pillars, so I ripped them out and now it's nice and open for them. There's a wood slide and a giant window seat that they love reading and playing in, which looks out at the garden. I made the closet open so you can see all their vintage clothing, old cowboy boots, and vintage books."
- "I grew up down the hill from here, near Sacramento. I went to college at Saint Mary's in the East Bay and double majored in communications and women's studies. I also have a minor in dance, and performed in modern and flamenco dance companies in the Bay Area. I studied abroad in Ireland my junior year. After college I worked for Zappos when they started on Van Ness Avenue in San Francisco, and then worked for LVMH group. I lived in San Francisco for 5 years, Austin for 13, and now I'm back in Northern California."
- "It took awhile to find the sweet spot for me as a mama running a business. At first I worked way too much out of necessity, and felt like I was spread thin across the board. Over time I've found the best ways to juggle it all, and part of that involved letting go of trying to do it all myself. I finally got that if I paid someone else to do my sewing and alterations it would save me tons of time and make me more money in the long run. So, outsourcing and finding great tailors and crochet artists and leather workers who can execute and make sense of my designs has been key, and frees me up to keep moving to the next idea."
- "The best. I am so lucky to live close by my mom and sisters, who can always help me in a pinch. It also took years to find the right therapists and teachers for my girls, but once they appeared, life chilled out considerably and everything moves more smoothly now."
- "For me I have to take breaks. I work super hard, and if I have something coming up on the weekend or a trip, I have to work double time beforehand. Because taking time off without prepping isn't an option when you don't have money coming in elsewhere and there are little people relying on you for safety and stability. I work a ton on the weekends and evenings at home, so I'm not cutting into my time with the girls. Relationship-wise, I talk to my best lady pals often, while I'm driving or while I'm making lunch, and we meet up for concerts and weekends away when we can."
- "Not at all. My whole wardrobe is pretty much vintage from the late 1960s/early 1970s that I've collected since childhood. Old Levi's and cowboy boots, lots of denim on denim, silk sheer floral dresses, and old handmade leather tops."
- "'Seventies Levis 684 denim bellbottoms, leather belts, fitted vests, my old leather fringe jacket, cowboy boots, my '30s Stetson hat. I don't buy many new pieces, but I always love silk dresses from the gals at Doen Collective and leather boots from Cobra Rock in Marfa."
- "Really simple. In the morning I use Davines shampoo and conditioner, and Incausa soap on my body and face. Everyday Oil on my body once I'm out of the shower, and then I use one of my face oils by Oshadhi or Jurlique. I love the sage-and-zinc face sunscreen by Aesop. If I'm going out, I may use Dr. Haushcka mascara, which I love because it's natural and super lightweight, but most days I just put on some lip gloss and go. I love doing the Farmacy Honey Potion mask about once a week. Nighttime is just washing with an oil cleanser and moisturizing with more face oil. For perfume I like amber oil, and I've been liking NOTO rooted oil with palo Santo in my hair. As for wellness, I run four miles most days, and do some strength training afterwards. Exercise has always been the best way for me to think clearly, clear my head, and keep anxiety at bay. I drink a green smoothie every morning and try to eat pretty clean throughout the day."
- "Now that my girls are a little older, finding me time is much easier than when they were little. I have weekends free now—I play a lot of music, travel to see friends, go see live music, swim in the river, go to the ocean, hit the farmers' market for the week's groceries, and work in the garden. I am able to get a lot of my work done on weekends now, too, which is huge, since I used to run my business while having them both with me 24/7."
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"Yes, but probably not in the same way as most would think of it. I had a really hard time at first feeling like I was so different from other moms. I didn't want to do play groups and talk about birthing and nursing and what milestones they are hitting and going to birthday parties. It's just not me. I would strap them in my old truck and drive to the river and we would sit on the tailgate and I'd play them guitar and I felt like 'Oh god, am I doing this wrong? Are we too isolated?' It's not like me to doubt myself at all, so that was so hard. But I finally shook that off and realized that who I am is what they need, and I no longer hear the doubts in my head."
Molly and Louise wear vintage. Susannah wears a Nico Nico dress.
- "I honestly don't think about it. I've been the same since I was little—very driven and independent and hard-working. I try to listen when people need me and show up for those who deserve my time. I don't ever want them to be push-overs or doubt their abilities to do anything they see in their minds."
- "Not anything major. I keep moving all the time and things sort of organically happen and progress as they are supposed to."
- For more on Molly, her sweet daughters, and their life in the woods, be sure to follow her on Instagram.
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Thank you for sharing! What a stunning and authentic home – and a very inspiring, practical parenting attitude.
This was very refreshing. Thank you!