We're always excited to be highlighting the beautiful retailers that we partner with that help make Rylee & Cru what it is. Each one all over the world has it's own look, feel, and story so this is where we get to share that local feeling with all of you and the inspiration behind the store.
For our next installment, we are excited to introduce to you Vanessa from Casp Baby, just in time for our collaboration with our new mini Oranges Capsule Collection, which is exclusive to both of our stores, launching May 22nd. 50% of all proceeds will be donated to Little Birthday Angels. Enjoy!
For our next installment, we are excited to introduce to you Vanessa from Casp Baby, just in time for our collaboration with our new mini Oranges Capsule Collection, which is exclusive to both of our stores, launching May 22nd. 50% of all proceeds will be donated to Little Birthday Angels. Enjoy!
Tell us about Casp Baby! What made you decide to open up your own retail space?
I have always loved fashion and have wanted to work in the industry since I was little. Life’s path took me in a different direction for a while and we lived abroad due to my husband's job. Once we had our three children and settled in our beach town in Florida, I jumped at an opportunity. There was a niche in the market that needed to be filled in our community, a children’s shop. The closest place to buy a good pair of children’s shoes was over an hour away. I LOVED aesthetically matching our children and decided to run with the theme of a mommy and me shop. People adored the idea and I quickly realized that I was not the only one obsessed with matching my babes. And so, with a lot of help from my amazing husband, Casp Baby Mommy + Me Boutique was born in 2015 as a brick and mortar shop. I quickly realized by the amount of social media inquiries that an online shop was necessary; therefore our online shop was created soon after.
A fun little fact about our store is that our unique name was chosen because C-A-S-P are the first initials of my 3 kids and my husband.
We love that you’re a mom-owned store supporting other small shops. What do you look for when deciding to bring a new brand into the shop?
As a mompreneur and small business owner who has built my business from the ground up, I realize how important it is to support small businesses. I feel good about buying brands and from shops that have worked tirelessly and stand behind their products like I do.
My taste in quality and sustainable clothing was established while living in Germany and Switzerland. I was hooked on their well-made apparel and unique wooden toys along with a million other attributes of their style. It is also very important that the products we carry are safe and ethically made.
What is your favorite thing about running your store?
I would have to say my favorite thing about running my shop is hand-choosing each item and putting visual stories together through merchandising. I love seeing what the next new trends are at market and bringing it to my customers. This is so exciting to me! I also love getting to know my customers near and far. I have established some wonderful friendships through Casp Baby.
What does a typical day look like for you?
Right now (during this pandemic) it looks different than usual. I start off the day homeschooling my 6-year-old. Thank goodness my two older children are pretty self-sufficient with homeschooling! I try to get a quick workout in and then head to the shop to see what new products have arrived, work on social media and merchandising. I’m thankful to have two wonderful employees, Jacqueline and Haley, who have been with me for years and are a big part in making sure that Casp Baby runs smoothly. Every day on my way home, I routinely drop off order packages at the post office to make sure they are on their way. Lately, our evenings have been spent at home having dinner together and then taking family bike rides or walks. It’s been nice to slow down from the crazy sports schedule that typically fills our evenings (hockey, swimming, and soccer!) I’m a night owl, so night time is when I squeeze in ordering, emails, and all other business-related boss duties.
If we had one day in your hometown, where should we visit?
Vero Beach is a quaint and elegant beach town on the Treasure Coast of Florida. We have gorgeous, peaceful beaches and turquoise blue water. It truly is paradise! It is a haven for golf, water sports, fishing, parks, and galleries.
You have to first head over to our finger island (yes, our shop is located on a 1/8 mile-wide finger island on the Indian River Lagoon!) Royal Palm Pointe is equipped with water fountains for the kids and great little shops and restaurants. Also on the Indian River side of the island, you can rent a boat or a paddleboard and hopefully catch a view of some of the many dolphins in our area. After that, head over the bridge to the barrier island and walk down Ocean Drive to Humiston Park where there is an amazing playscape for the kids. On your walk, you can stop at one of the many eateries and sweet shops along Ocean Drive. Connected to Humiston Park is the beach entrance and taking a stroll down our white sandy beaches is definitely a must! You can also book a turtle nesting tour and hopefully see turtle hatchlings coming out of their shells. To end the day, take in one of the amazing shows at Riverside Theatre.
Tell us about Little Birthday Angels! We love that you have an on-going charity initiative with them.
Angel Pietsch, the founder of Little Birthday Angels, came to our shop when we first opened over 5 years ago to tell us about the organization she had started. I was immediately touched by their mission which is to provide a birthday celebration and gifts to homeless children on the Treasure Coast. We felt that we were destined to be connected and began having events together. They currently serve hundreds of children in our area and have expanded to provide essential duffle bags to older homeless children not living in a shelter. Their mission is heartfelt and desperately needed as some of these children have never had a birthday gift, celebration of their own or basic essentials to live. Every child deserves to be celebrated.
This past year, we were able to commit to an ongoing effort to provide monthly funds for a portion of their rent. They were working out of a very small donated space and needed more room to store donated items and work efficiently. They have since moved into a much larger space of their own. We feel blessed to be able to help this amazing organization.
Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, they have lost many fund-raising events during our high season here in Vero Beach. This opportunity to help make up for some of the lost funds will be greatly appreciated.
Where can our audience connect with you?
@caspbaby on Instagram
Learn more about Little Birthday Angels here.