February 22 // Recap on Family Baptism in Charlotte (and watering the grass)

We are Memphis transplants — even though our roots run deep in the South (Mississippi mostly), our family is quite spread out, which makes for lots of travel… or as I like to say, watering the grass. We spent the long weekend in Charlotte for a family baptism, and it was so lovely to be together and catch up — especially with my 90-year-old grandmother.

The baptism felt beautifully timed as my team and I have been deep in preparation for our March 1 heirloom baby drop, a capsule that has been years in the making. Because so much of my work centers around thoughtful, heirloom paper and meaningful gifting, this weekend was a gentle reminder of why I love what I love — these traditions are the threads that hold families together, quietly connecting generations.

My grandmother, Josephine — my namesake — had two daughters, who each had daughters, creating a strong, female-rooted family culture. Some of the traditions she passed down continue to shape our family today: naming children after those who came before (Bess, for example, was Josie’s paternal grandmother), and our family’s heirloom gown, first worn by Josie’s grandfather and lovingly preserved through the years.

As we drive back to Memphis, I am battling waves of car sickness while trying to finish our birth announcement designs — not my ideal creative conditions, ha — and thinking about how important it is for our children to feel connected to something bigger than themselves. The world is a very big place, but we all come from something, and that sense of origin gives us a sense of purpose.

It’s these small, living traditions that inspired our March 1 Heirloom Baby capsule — pieces created to be used, loved, and one day handed down.

Jody xx