theheirloomist

[theheirloomist]

This bandana totally flipped the script a few years back. It was mine from summer camp—or so I thought— and I had been wearing it AS FASHION for most of my adult life. Until one day I noticed my mother’s handwriting in faded sharpie on the corner.

“Andy Novak”

My brother and I went to the same summer camp in the Rocky Mountains each summer and somehow, our bandanas had gotten mixed up in the annual camp shuffle.

But the symbolism has never once changed. Summer camp programmed us both to be accepting, considerate humans and the bandana, no matter who it belongs to, reminds me of that. (LESSON: USE THE HEIRLOOMS)

I got to explore this story at length for my Everyday Heirlooms column in @countrylivingmag’s “Old-School Summer” issue, on stands now.

Each month is a treat, Team Country Living! Thank you for letting me share the big message of this little piece of fabric.

#theheirloomist#countrylivingmagazine#celebrateyourstory#makeitpersonal#custommade#handmade#personalized#modernart#photography

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@hunterpremo knows a thing or two about fashion and like any good mom, she’s making sure her kids grow up to know their roots.

When her son Remy turned one, they threw him a summer camp themed birthday. We worked with Hunter to create a photograph that celebrated one of the occasion’s most stylish moments—Remy’s birthday outfit, accessories and all.

Well as time would have it, the Premo’s have a new kid on the block and he just turned one.

Radnor’s first birthday party was decidedly biker. He went for a tight black jeans and leather vest look. When Hunter emailed to say it was time to make another photograph, we were all-in to honor more tiny human fashion moments.

Using the original image we made for Remy as a guide, we made Radnor’s print similar, but also unique.a celebration of brotherly love and the Premo’s trademark fun and fashionable family way.

Please note the camo Converse and mini Timberland boots, I’m still not recovered.

Thank you, Hunter, for another birthday-cake covered project! Always a pleasure honoring your handsome guys.

#thehierloomist #celebrateyourstory #makeitpersonal #personalizedart #handmade #custommade #modernart #photography

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Scot and @morganmann had been building a life together for 14 years before becoming engaged. Their love was never in question—but the long courtship provided endless opportunity for jokes from friends and family.

One morning in 2022, moments before boarding a flight to Napa, it all changed. Scot proposed. 

With little time to share the exciting news, the newly engaged couple boarded their flight, settled into their seats, and logged on to the airplane’s wifi.  That’s when the engagement announcement texts started flying—and the replies from their loved ones kept the couple laughing for the entire flight.

“Morgan, are you sure you guys aren’t rushing into this?” their friend Steve replied.  “So you aren’t just roommates?” their friend Jeff asked.

The texts and humor were pure love, a reminder of all the people pulling for them. 

At the couple’s wedding, Morgan acknowledged this in style—she put all their texts on the cocktail napkins. 

“It was a conversation starter for all guests,” Morgan said. “And now they will serve as a conversation starter for anyone that walks into our home,” she said. We photographed the napkins for the couple not just to preserve them for time to come, but to celebrate that special day and outpouring of spirited love.

Morgan and Scot, congratulations….FINALLY.

#theheirloomist #celebrateyourstory #makeitpersonal #personalizedart #handmade #custommade #modernsart #photography

[theheirloomist]

Ryan Marshall’s father, Michael, was a veterinarian—the only veterinarian — in their small rural town. Big or small, Ryan said, “If it wasn’t human, he would take care of it. There was never a shortage of work.”

 As a result, Michael’s work attire became his signature look. He could always been found in a pair of Dickie overalls with work gloves tucked into his back pocket and a baseball cap to top it off. 

“Some of my favorite memories as a kid were going on “farm calls” to take care of horses and cows,” Ryan said. But his father’s wisdom extended far beyond the farm.

“He was caring, loving, and most of all the hardest worker that I have ever known,” Ryan said. “He taught me and my siblings the value of doing things the right way and taking on every challenge in life with a smile.”

Michael passed away last year. We got to help Ryan honor him with this photograph of his father’s clothing. The whole family got prints—“to remember the loving, down to earth, hard working man that my Dad was.”

@ryamarsh @nmmarshall525 thank you for always trusting us to honor life’s moments. We salute you, Michael, for all you did for your community. 

#theheirloomist #celebrateyourstory #makeitpersonal #personalizedart #handmade #custommade #modernart #photography #honor #family

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There are a few things you should know about @joanie_eclaire: she’s athletic, she’s competitive, and faith is her fuel. 

In 2021, she discovered a competition she had never faced before— one with herself. 

Inspired by the passing of her best friend, she entered @29029, a 36 hour challenge held in the mountains of Utah where athletes repeatedly summit a mountain enough times to equal having climbed Mt. Everest. 

“I wanted to prove to myself that I had the inner drive, commitment, and courage in spite of my age,” Joanie said. She was 61. 

Climbing a mountain 13 times in 36 hours began with 7months of training. Even so, she stepped onto the course, overwhelmed. That’s when her faith and spirituality joined her on the trail.

29029 is not just a physical challenge— it’s a head game. And Joanie noticed very quickly that she began to lean on her thoughts as her body wore down.

She thought about her parents a lot, who instilled the importance of perseverance through the unknown. Her father landed on Omaha Beach during WWII at the age of 19, reminding Joanie she had it in her to face down the unknown.

But her best friend Karen was top of mind.  A year earlier, she died of breast cancer.  When Joanie had to hike in the dark for parts of the competition, which was terrifying, she channeled Karen.

“She would probably smile, crack a joke, and start climbing. Karen wasn’t afraid of the dark,” Joanie said.

The other force at play for Joanie was her husband. Each time Joanie summited, he was waiting. And even though she almost didn’t finish due to exhaustion, Jim was waiting on the red carpet finish line when Joanie walked across it.

Shad done it. Through physical depletion and head games, she had climbed her way to the infamous red hat—the competition’s coveted and tangible symbol of a deeply spiritual achievement. 

“The red hat was for me, but it was also for them.”

Joanie sent us her competition gear and we turned it into one big tribute to mountain she climbed 13 times and the people who helped.

Congratulations, Joanie, on this wild accomplishment. 

#theheirloomist #celebrateyourstory #makeitpersonal #perosnalizedart #modernart #photography

[theheirloomist]

@bjohnson2’s husband, Brian, spent most of his days in proximity to his trademark black rimmed glasses. If they weren’t on his face, Betsy said, they were always close. And there were LOTS of them.

“There wasn't a day that they weren't hanging from his shirt or on top of his head,” Betsy said. “He had glasses ALL around the house.”

Brian passed away a year and half ago.

"He was loved by so many and has left many holes in people’shearts,” Betsy said. “But we are finding happiness in all the wonderful memories.” And the glasses are helping— all 30 pairs of them.

For Brian’s celebration of life, Betsy collected his glasses from around the house and gave them away to friends and family to wear in his memory.

“I get pictures from people wearing them and it makes me so happy,” she said.

Last summer, we worked with Betsy’s sister, Elle, to surprise her with some art…the glasses, naturally. The pair we got to work with was well loved and well worn— just the way we like our heirlooms. 

“It has a permanent place on our mantel so we can see his glasses everyday,” Betsy said of her photograph. “When I see it, it symbolizes his style, humor, intelligence and hard work.”

@ellebrunoreal and Betsy, thank you for letting us honor Brian."

#theheirloomist #celebrateyourstory #makeitpersonal #personalizedart #custommade #handmade #modernart #photography

[theheirloomist]

Jilian Oxler’s father, Army Sergeant James R. Oxler, proudly served in Vietnam with the Army’s 101st First Airborne Division. He loved the Army, but perhaps telling of his experience in Vietnam, he was adamant about never going back.

For decades after serving, after marrying the love of his life and starting a family, James kept his field boots from the war tucked away in closets or on a dusty garage shelf. He was busy with three kids back then— teaching them to play chess and cards and to appreciate a well-timed joke was his only mission.

But Jilian remembers the boots emerging from time to time. And that is when her father would dispense short but spirited stories about his time in the Army.

“We all loved listening to him, he was a great storyteller,” Jilian said. Eventually even the grandkids got in on it.

“His eight grandchildren knew “Papa” as a reliable source of hard bear hugs & the absolute best stories that kept them fascinated and giggling. Love just poured from him.”

The Oxler family lost their Sergeant last March after what Jilian describes as a fierce battle of another kind— lung cancer. Simply put, she said, “We all miss him terribly. He made everything better.”

This is when his boots stepped in to offer a connection. We photographed them Heirloomist style—all the wear and tear was highlighted, the vantage point was tall and proud. All was in celebration of a life fully lived. The result? (Kiddo for scale!)

“Every time I look at that photograph, I can almost hear his voice, see his proud smile, and feel his love enveloping me,” Jilian said. “Man, he was special.”

*please pass the tissues because this is the part that gets me right in my Heirloomist heart:

“It’s also a way for us to share his story - a real piece of my dad - with friends and family who visit.” Mission accomplished.

@jilianoxler the minute I met you, tears in your eyes, I knew your story was special. Thank you for sharing your Kansas State rocky road Elvis & family loving father with all of us. We salute you, Army Sergeant James R. Oxler.

Also thank you @natmay3 and @oxfam11. We hope you love your art.

#theheirloomist#celebrateyourstory#personalizedart

[theheirloomist]

From their time spent as a young family living in Chicago, The Bertschs have fond memories of adventure and togetherness. And also, pancakes.

Their neighborhood diner, The Golden Apple, provided the backdrop.

“Our family has such special memories at this diner. My son is obsessed with the balloons,” Lucy said. “And my husband is even more obsessed with the pancakes.”

Kid friendly service and a sense of community made the Bertsch family regulars at the 24/7 institution.

When the Bertchs relocated to Washington D.C, they were intent on bringing some Windy City with them.

“When leaving Chicago, we knew we wanted to fill our new home with memories from our time there,” Lucy said. So she secured a few uninflated balloons from the diner and sent them our way.  

The print now hangs in their D.C. kitchen. “The perfect addition to Saturday morning pancakes.”

#theheirloomist #celebrateyourstory #makeitpersonal #personalizedart #personalizeddecor #custommade #handmade #modernart #photography #family 

[theheirloomist]

Proud to find The Heirloomist: 100 Treasures and the Stories They Tell featured in Garden & Gun Magazine along with some of our most beloved book contributors. Thank you editors! #iwroteabook #theheirloomist #CelebrateYourStory

Read now: https://gardenandgun.com/articles/the-heirloomist-captures-the-art-of-the-keepsake

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Many thanks to the Oprah Daily editors and team for this fantastic feature about our first book, The Heirloomist 100 Treasures and the Stories They Tell.

#iwroteabook

#theheirloomist

#CelebrateYourStory

Read now: https://www.oprahdaily.com/entertainment/books/a60503792/how-this-styrofoam-cup-held-together-a-family

[theheirloomist]

It took 100 trusting humans, 2 years, one legendary publishing company, and my entire heart. 

But This. Is. It. 

The Heirloomist: 100 Treasure and the Stories They Tell is now available anywhere books are sold.

Every single page of this book is a snack for your soul. You’re going to cry. You’re going to laugh. And you’ll probably say JUST WOW out loud a few times—because that is how The Heirloomist rolls. We celebrate all of it.

I’m unendingly grateful to our contributors who opened up and shared their stories, to my publisher, editors, designers, marketers, publicists, and friends and family. You made this slice of magic a reality.

Welcome to the world, little lady. We know you’re going to do epic things!

Please let us know you got your book! Share, tag, or reach out. #showusyourheirloom #theheirloomist #iwroteabook #chroniclebooks #makeitpersonal #celebrateyourstory #personalizedart #modernart #photography

[theheirloomist]

The birth of @christyturlington’s first child included life threatening complications. The health care she received ensured a better outcome- and Christy never forgot it.

“I had every resource I needed to get my daughter and me safely through,” Christy says of her health scare. “It mainly got me thinking, ‘What about the women who don’t have access to quality, respectful maternity care?’”

That is when Christy gave birth to another something special, @everymothercounts,  a nonprofit orga-

nization dedicated to making pregnancy and childbirth safe and equitable for every mother, everywhere.

Chapter 19 of our soon-to-launch book, 100 Treasures and the Stories They Tell, is the story of a sculpture Christy saw in a window one day that inspired her to step into her power as a mother. And then the sculpture disappeared. The story ends with a classic Heirloomist twist so we hope you will buy the book and enjoy.

It’s easy to hear Christy’s name and associate it with “supermodel” and you should. Her impact on fashion and photography is nothing less than iconic. But it was really special to get to know the advocate, Christy Turlington. At the time my book was written, EMC had invested more than $30 million in community-led maternal health programs across ten countries.

You read that right. Christy Turlington is far more than a pretty face.

Christy, thank you for taking the time to make Chapter 19 a love note to equality, awareness, and most of all, the importance of supporting others who need it. 

Friends, please visit everymothercounts.org and consider a donation if you can. I am not just endorsing the organization because I adore Christy. I endorse this organization because EVERY MOTHER COUNTS.

[theheirloomist]

@tianasantore was getting ready for school on the morning of September 11, 2001 when her father popped into the bathroom before work.

“See you later,” he said.

John Santore, a New York City firefighter with Engine 24 Ladder 5 Battalion 2, Greenwich Village, was called with his brothers to the World Trade Center later that morning and never returned to their firehouse.

Tiana was thirteen.

Five years after her father’s death, Tiana found a chest full of old toys in the family’s basement. At the bottom, untouched for years, was a Magna Doodle still displaying a note from her father.

“Dear Tiana, I love you. -Daddy”

Tiana’s full story is Chapter 4 of our soon-to-launch book, 100 Treasures and the Stories They Tell. This father-daughter bond now exists on a plane higher than I could ever write about. But she let me. And when the book was finally written and ready for her, Tianna straight up dialed the light brighter and invited me to her father’s firehouse.

What I found at Engine 24 Ladder 5 Battalion 2 was a family—one that considers Tianna one of their own. We stood around with the trucks and the book, telling stories about John and enjoying a sunny quiet New York morning. Everyone was wearing untied shoes…a reminder they were prepared for things to change at any moment.

John Santore’s name, picture, and heirloom-worthy belongings hang everywhere on the walls of the firehouse he served for 20 years. #neverforget

There is a place in my heart that will always stay broken for what we all endured on 9/11 but getting to know Tiana’s resilience told my heart it was ok to heal a little bit.

How beautiful that the one who was hurt the most was the one to wield the light.

Tiana, thank you for finding me at just the right moment. It has been the most humbling opportunity to tell your story.

[theheirloomist]

I completely lost my mind a few months ago when New York Times Bestselling author and beloved food writer Jenny Rosenstrach made an Instagram post about her matchbook collection.

The collection was extensive, and a love note to a time and place in New York City that only exists in our hearts now. I nothing less than fan-girled my way into getting her to let me photograph them.

Not only did Jenny graciously oblige, she showed up. She was awe.some. And she had stories! This brought a special spirit to the piece.

I made a point to bring out the textures and evidence of time on each matchbook— to show them in all their glory, dimensional, with big restaurant energy.

The result is a tribute to shared meals, culinary adventures, young love, and the early sprouts of what is now @dinnerandalovestory.

Jenny writes about our collaboration and my book in her newsletter, Dinner and a Love Story,  this week over on Substack and I am so proud to be included. (There’s an epic meatball recipe waiting for you too.)

 https://dinneralovestory.substack.com/subscribe

“My photographed collection is doing exactly what art should be doing,” Jenny wrote. “It’s transformed something everyday into something beautiful and most important, it’s made me unspeakably happy.”

Mission accomplished. Jenny, you entertained a total stranger obsessing over your matchbooks with grace, presence, and epic red nails. Thank you.

#theheirloomist #celebrateyourstory #makeitpersonal #dinnerandalovestory #personalizedart #custommade #handmade #modernart #photography

[theheirloomist]

This picture gets me right in my DNA.

@nikirussfederman is the granddaughter…of one of the daughters…of @russanddaughters.

She is also a fourth generation owner of the family’s iconic business.

In our soon to launch book, 100 Treasures and The Stories They Tell, we got to work with Niki to explore how it all started and how it’s going—as told through the lens of her grandmother Anne’s coffee mug.

You read that right. And we can’t wait for you to read the book. Because Niki’s chapter is full of generational reverence and wisdom, and also a few heartwarming plot twists.

Pictured here is Niki at Russ & Daughters Cafe, the modern day outpost of the family’s brand, reading her chapter of The Heirloomist’s book while her grandmother floats above— that’s Anne behind the counter in the black and white photograph.

Anne passed away in 2018 but her spirit is very much present in everything Niki does. Grandma’s have a way of sticking around like that. We couldn’t be more proud to share this story with you all very soon!

Niki, it was an honor.

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One particular memory Dawnda Daniel has of her father in his Stetson hat is sipping coffee with him as the Texas sun rose, then saddling up to drive cattle. She was nine.

We photographed this hat years ago after he passed away and though it emanated with love back then, how could we ever know the many layers of memories it told.

And that is the pure joy of getting to work with @countrylivingmagazine and my monthly Colum, Everyday Heirlooms. There’s always more to the story.

We got to revisit the story of the Stetson hat for this month issue and I highly suggest you mosey out to get a copy for yourself. There’s a toothpick still stuck in the band, and this is just the start of the many stories the hat tells and lessons it holds.

Thank you, editors and Team Country Living for getting this incredible story out into the universe. 

@bekind2everyone, we knew this hat was special the minute we saw it and continues to share it’s magic. Thank you for trusting us with your father’s memories all these years.

#theheirloomist #celebrateyourstory #artwithheart #personalizedart #makeitpersonal #custommade #modernart #photography