Lucca’s furry siblings, Briar & Violet, hang out on a Chesterfield sofa found on EBay.

What are your favorite baby brands for decorating and dressing Lucca?
I adore Etsy, antique stores & flea markets for finding one of a kind, vintage things. We also brought back a million baby dresses & handmade stuffed animals from a trip to Mexico. I love to pick up things in my travels and always have my eyes peeled. Our house and our closets are a revolving door of new finds, ever evolving. Zara has the cutest mini dresses that make me swoon and Baby Gap actually has some great options.

How do you balance being a small business owner and raising a baby?
You give up sleep! I answer a lot of emails at 1am or during naps in major marathon sessions. I try to be as present as possible when I’m with her, and then work when I can. Her being so young is all so fleeting, so I’m trying to savor and enjoy without losing myself, too. Luckily I have the most amazing clients that are so supportive of all of it. And a husband that takes on major dad duty and is also part of this industry. And I just do what I can. You prioritize. The truth is, I’m winging it and don’t have all the answers. And some days I fail. And I’m much slower than I used to be. Things take longer, for sure. But the biggest thing is, I’m so lucky and I know it. I try to remember that every day. I get to raise my daughter myself AND run my dream business. I think as long as you continue to have gratitude and to pinch yourself, then the balance is easier and less stressful. I mean, I’m balancing two dreams and not everyone gets to do that. There are rough days when I feel like I’m moving in slow motion, but my rough days are still some people’s best days. Balance is a state of mind around here I guess.

Tori, Austin & baby Lucca in their 1920′s living room in San Diego.

What is your advice for working moms who want to juggle business with starting a family?
Don’t be too hard on yourself.  Do the best you can and be ok with that. You are only one person and sometimes something has to give and that’s okay. I’m not the most structured person in the world and I’m pretty laid back, so the fact that every day is different works well for me. I take it a week at a time. Find what works for you and your family. For some it’s structure, for me, it’s going with the flow. My mom ran her own business from the time I was young, so I always knew I had to have what she had. I wanted to be present for my child in the same way she was for me and my sister. Having Lucca was extra motivation to really make this business work and to be in this for the long haul. Granted, I still had NO idea how this family/business thing was going to go, but hey, I’m winging it and it’s working and I keep pushing. Have perspective. If you are lucky enough to run your own business and have a family, know that you are the minority and there are a million worse situations to be in. I believe in having it all! And I’m certainly not wonder woman or the only person who can do this.

How does Lucca sparkle?
Besides her sparkly shoe collection and the Ban.do hearts I have her wear (there is even one stuck on her Ergo carrier!), it’s that smile. I’m a smitten kitten for her and that smile reminds me how lucky we are. It’s so fun to watch her interact with our friends or all the random strangers that stop to talk to her on our walks. People slow down and chat, ask questions, try to make her laugh. Old women tell me sweet stories about their grandkids and tickle her toes. That’s awesome. Hopefully she makes someone smile a little bit more often throughout their daily routine. She certainly does that for us. That’s a gift you can’t put a price on.

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