As the mama of a little guy, I don’t normally have the pleasure of shopping for uber cute girl clothing. But, I do have a niece that is ALL girl, so I am always on the lookout for must-have original designs. And there just so happens to be a new designer in the Etsy world – Elizabeth Shanklin of LizzyAnne Clothing Co. Not only does she design adorably feminine clothing for girls, she has you covered with stylish accessories and clothing, too! Here is just a sampling of some of the pieces in her collection ::

On to my favorite part – the story…

iknowamom :: What was your career before motherhood? 

elizabeth :: I actually earned my degree in elementary education….thought for a long time that I wanted to be a teacher but life pulled me in other directions…I was married right after I had graduated from college and then had my first child about a year later. I really didn’t have a whole lot of time before motherhood came a knockin’ on my door :)

iknowamom :: Why did you decide to start your own business?

elizabeth :: For the last 4 years, I have dabbled a little bit in the children’s home decor world and mainly painted furniture and little knick knacky stuff for kid’s rooms. I have known for several years now that my passion is to design and create. While at an art fair last summer, I found an artist who created a fun and whimsical print with the following saying: “The world is full of people who will go their whole lives and not actually live one day. She did not intend on being one of them.” This really solidified in me the idea of not wasting my talents and sharing my creativity with others. Over the course of a few months, the idea came to start creating my own line of children’s clothing

{Incidentally, her painted furniture is adorable, too – are we surprised?} :)

iknowamom :: What is the meaning behind your company name?

elizabeth :: LizzyAnne Clothing Co. was actually created out of my first and middle name- Elizabeth Anne. Picking a name can be really difficult for your business and LizzyAnne just seemed to work for what I was envisioning in a name for little girls clothing.

iknowamom :: How did you get started designing clothes?

elizabeth :: You know, never in a million years would I have thought that I would be designing clothing. My medium has always been painting and creating with lots of colors, etc. I have a good friend here in Ft.Wayne who has a successful women’s clothing company (Hand Jive). She has been a great source of information and support in helping me get started in the designing process.

iknowamom :: Have you had any formal training in design?

elizabeth :: I’ve never had any real formal training in fashion design (too bad this wasn’t my major) My mom is a very talented seamstress and has been quite helpful in giving instruction to me along the way.

iknowamom :: What is your source for inspiration?

elizabeth :: This is a big one for me….especially as I mentioned the quote above about actually living and using my talents. There are a few pieces to the puzzle/equation for me as far as what has inspired me to create LizzyAnne Clothing… my husband’s Grandma (Sweet Patootie as my girls would call her) passed away almost 2 years ago of cancer. She also shared a love for sewing and creating and had started making handbags shortly before becoming ill. The family had asked me if I would be interested in her sewing machines…little did I know that they would be so instrumental in launching my new business.

iknowamom :: What is the biggest challenge working from home?

elizabeth :: My biggest challenge so far has been BALANCE. It’s a lot easier when you work outside the home and can ‘clock in at 8 and clock out at 5′ so to speak. I love the flexibility of my hours especially with the kids…but it’s been tough at times, especially just getting this thing off the ground to maintain the balance of working up in my studio and yet giving my girls the attention they need….let alone the laundry, cooking, etc…. I also have an incredible husband who is uber supportive of me and this business. Having his support has been very important to me in launching LizzyAnne Clothing Co.

iknowamom :: Are you able to involve the kids in your business?

elizabeth :: It’s funny because my 6 year old Gracie is much more interested in what goes on in the studio of our house than my 5 year old. You will see Gracie in most of my pictures modeling for me….Ellie won’t have any part of it, for some reason? I think what is most important at this stage and where my girls are at is modeling for them what it looks like to have a business doing what you love. I hope that as the business grows that we as a family can continue to support and encourage each other and all be a part of it. I’d love to travel a bit and try and sell at some art fairs and having the kids there to help me set up and tear down seems like a great opportunity (i’m sure they might think otherwise?)

iknowamom :: Can you describe your perfect day?

elizabeth :: My ideal day would be getting my husband (who is a teacher) and girls off to school in the morning and coming up to my studio to create. I can spend hours alone in my studio….music cranked…coffee or diet coke on hand….and cutting away fabric and piecing things together make for an ideal day for me!

Thanks Elizabeth. It was great getting to know you more. I really love your work and know our readers will, too!