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EleStory | Mommy & Me Outfits

@elestory

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• Because childhood is a special occasion 🐘
• Thoughtfully designed in California
• Sharing my story & bits of motherhood #selectivemutism advocate

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This happened two weeks ago during therapy.

When Caris realized her teacher had overheard her speaking to us in a normal voice, she had the most intense meltdown—on the floor, silently screaming, kicking, and crying for 15 minutes. My heart broke 💔 and I tried to console her the best I could.

I wanted to stop the session and take her home right then and there—heck, I was crying with her. I texted her therapist (who was behind the computer screen), asking if we should stop.
But she gently reminded us: this wasn’t the worst thing that could happen.
It was actually a breakthrough.

Caris had done something really scary.
Her worst fear—being overheard—came true.
And yet, we didn’t rush in to rescue her.
We didn’t remove her from the classroom.

Because she was safe.
She was loved.
And she had just done something incredibly brave.

We kept affirming that bravery, even through the tears.
Because sometimes, the most uncomfortable moments are actually the breakthrough moments.

And this week? When her teacher overheard her again, Caris smiled. She had a proud look on her face.

We’re getting closer. And I’m so proud of her. 💛

What do you do when your child has a big emotional moment?

#SelectiveMutism #ChildTherapy #ParentingThroughFear #AnxiousKids #TherapyBreakthrough #selectivemutismawareness #RaisingBraveKids #mentalhealthawareness taken in Irvine, California by @elestory

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a year ago

Just 10 minutes after I told my daughter’s therapist I didn’t think she would ever speak to her, it happened. She spoke.

After months of virtual therapy sessions, I was starting to lose hope that she would ever speak. Caris would whisper to me in her therapist’s presence but always became super aware of the computer screen and would often stop talking as soon as she came home. I felt really discouraged, unsure if the process was working, if virtual therapy was even the right way to go, and wondering if we’d ever see progress…

Our journey with Selective Mutism is far from over, but I’m learning that bravery isn’t always loud or obvious. Sometimes, it’s a quiet voice after months of silence. Sometimes, it’s choosing to show up, even when it feels impossible. This moment was a much needed reminder for me that progress doesn’t always look the way we hope or expect.

For anyone walking this journey, feeling like giving up—I see you. Don’t give up. The smallest steps are still progress. And sometimes, the breakthrough comes when you least expect it.

In case it’s helpful, here are a few things that has helped us:

💙 Finding a therapist that practices PCIT-SM (ours is also bilingual like my daughter, and for me that has been really helpful)
💙 Playing interactive games like Guess Who, Go Fish, and Headbandz (Caris’ favorite!) This encouraged natural talking without pressure.
💙 Trusting the process: Even when progress seemed invisible, we kept showing up.
💙 Letting her set the pace: Giving her the space to speak when she felt ready made all the difference.

Do you have a child with SM? Have you had a breakthrough moment like this with your child? I’d love to hear your story! DM me if there’s anything I can do to help. 🫶🏻

#selectivemutism #selectivemutismawareness #bravegirls #bebrave #parentingtips #anxietysupport taken in Irvine, California by @elestory

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2 years ago

True story. I still remember her vividly, and now feel grateful that her harsh words only made my will to succeed even stronger. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still hard some days to keep positive and to believe in this dream, but struggling through it, and the growth that comes with it, make it worth it. 🫶🏼

We are celebrating 11 years this month 🎂, and my heart is so full. Thank you to all of you who are with me on this journey, whether you joined me early on or recently. Thank you for being here!

Shop my latest collection at elestory.com 🫶🏻

#believe #faithoverfear #dreambig #smallbusinesssupport #anniversary #mommyandme #mommyandmefashion #mompreneur #bossbabe taken in San Francisco, California by @elestory

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2 years ago

Putting my favorite little assistant to work! 😂

Between three weeks of fall break and a busy holiday season at EleStory, it’s been all hands on deck around here!

We’ve been packing and shipping orders every single day, and I’m so grateful for each and every one of you keeping us busy. 💗

And I have to say, having this little helper along for our post office runs makes it that much sweeter. 🥹

#SmallBusinessMom #MompreneurLife #BehindTheScenes #SmallBusinessLove #EleStory taken in Orange County, California by @elestory

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2 days ago

Are you team Ivory 🤍 or Latte? ☕️😌

Do you find these IRL videos of our dresses helpful? Comment below if you’ve got another one you’d like me to show you!
#elestory #irl #tryon #holidaydresses #mommyandme taken in Orange County, California by @elestory

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6 days ago

October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, and I wanted to take a moment to re-share a piece of our story. 💔✨

Not every loss story ends with a rainbow 🌈 baby, but we are forever grateful for our sweet Caris (which comes from the biblical word “Grace”). Her name was given to us during a time when my husband prayed for her life—our 6th pregnancy, after so much heartache.

Through all the grief and loss of baby after baby, one thing that carried us through was our daughter June’s unwavering hope. Even when it seemed impossible, she never stopped praying for her baby sister.

To those who’ve experienced loss, I see you. Your journey may not look like ours, but you are not alone in this. 🌸 If you’d like to read more about our story, I’ve shared my journey in this blog post:

https://www.elestory.com/blogs/news/life-after-loss?_pos=1&_sid=0d685c481&_ss=r

Sending so much love and grace to those navigating their own stories. 💖

#pregnancyandinfantlossawareness #rainbowbaby #miscarriageawareness #loss #griefjourney motherhoodafterloss bigsis faithoverfear sisters taken in Orange County, California by @elestory

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8 days ago

I used to spend way too much time looking at businesses similar to mine on social media and thinking, “They’re killing it. I’m totally failing.” 😩

It was really depressing.

Eventually I came to a realization: I knew almost nothing about those businesses beyond what they chose to show me.

And someone could probably look at EleStory and think the same thing.

We ARE doing well this season, for which I’m incredibly grateful. But behind the orders and boxes are plenty of mistakes, worries, second-guessing, and decisions that don’t always turn out the way I expected.

That’s small business for ya. 😅

And I stopped comparing.

These days, I’m much more interested in whether EleStory is better than it was last season. Are we making better decisions? Creating better products? Serving our customers better?

And honestly, it’s been so incredibly freeing. 🙌🏼

You never really know what’s behind someone else’s social media posts. What’s something social media doesn’t show about YOUR business?

#SmallBusinessOwner #SmallBusinessLife #EntrepreneurLife #businessmentor taken in Orange County, California by @elestory

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14 days ago

When my daughter was first diagnosed with selective mutism, I felt helpless and alone. I didn’t know how to navigate it, where to turn for help, or how to help the people around her understand what she was going through.

Honestly, sometimes I still feel that way.

Selective mutism is so often misunderstood — and there is still not nearly enough understanding or support, even within the medical community.

We experienced that firsthand recently with my daughter’s child psychiatrist. After a year of “treating” her, she took it personally that my daughter still wouldn’t speak to her.

But that’s one of the nuances of selective mutism that can be so difficult for people to understand.

My daughter knows her as the doctor who gives her “brave medicine.” She knows that her doctor knows she doesn’t talk. And for a child with SM, that awareness can make speaking nearly impossible.

That experience reminded me exactly why I share this part of our lives.

I don’t have all the answers. I’m still learning and navigating this alongside my daughter. But as her mom, I feel a responsibility to help spread awareness so that more people can understand kids like her — and hopefully, more awareness can lead to better support for our kiddos, and help other families like ours feel less alone.

If sharing our experiences helps even one parent feel understood, or helps one adult respond to a child with SM with more patience and empathy, then it’s worth talking about. 🦋💙

Had you heard about Selective Mutism before?

#SelectiveMutism #SelectiveMutismAwareness #SMParent #AnxietyInChildren taken in Orange County, California by @elestory

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16 days ago

You’ve been asking…so here’s a simple video showing you the color differences between the “Red Velvet” Velour Ballerina dresses, the “Crimson” Glimmer dresses, and the newest “Currant” Velour Ballerina dresses. 👗 Did this help?

Please let me know in comments below if you want to see any other products in real life!

#irl #elestory #holidaydresses #shopsmall #behindthescenes taken in Orange County, California by @elestory

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16 days ago

When production gives you lemons…you make lemonade. 🍋✨

Sometimes things don’t go quite as planned. We received an entire production run of our Velour Ballerina Dresses where the bodice and skirt came out in two different tones — definitely not what we ordered. 😅

But the dresses themselves are still beautifully made, perfectly wearable, and honestly, the unexpected color combinations are kind of whimsical and charming 🥰.

So, rather than let perfectly good dresses go to waste, we decided to turn our production mishap into something sweet for you.

Our Mulberry + Latte production colorways are now available at special pricing, while quantities last. ✨

Shop link in bio 🛒

#EleStory #MommyAndMeStyle #MatchingDresses #SampleSale

Our Mulberry + Latte production colorways are now available at special pricing, while quantities last. 🤍

Shop link in bio 🛒! taken in Orange County, California by @elestory

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21 days ago

Not too early for a little Holiday magic…✨🎄
The sweetest family matching season is here. We’ve been loving seeing your choices for matching this season -thank you for shopping small and for choosing #elestory. 🥹🫶🏻

#familymatching #elestory #holidaydresses #familystyle by @elestory

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22 days ago

Thank you…

…for every order, every message, every share, and every time you choose to support EleStory and our family 🙏💛🥹

We don’t take it for granted.

#EleStory #SmallBusiness #ShopSmall #Mompreneur #ThankYou taken in Orange County, California by @elestory

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a month ago