Cheree Berry is the CEO and creative director of Cheree Berry Paper, the eponymous creative firm delivering a dose of cheer and dashes of color for nearly 15 years by way of brilliant paper products. The CBP team recently put out its ‘Neighborly Notes’ hang-tags as a way to thoughtfully (and safely with distance) check in on neighbors. Leave it to Cheree to turn a generous gesture into something witty, sweet and fun.
What are you doing to keep your kids engaged throughout the day while you’re all at home, and how are you approaching your work? We tackle our homeschooling first thing in the morning when the kids are fresh. If we can’t get the fundamental learning done by lunchtime, it’s probably not going to happen that day. But our specials (art, music, PE) take place in the afternoon as a family, typically with bike rides, Alexa sing-alongs, and made-for-friends craft projects. Overall, we celebrate a lot of small wins at our house, like playing board games as a family, my oldest becoming a tech pro, and organizing our Legos by color (thanks Lego Masters)! Oh, and I’ve been updating my holiday card address list. Looks like it’s going to be a big mailing this year!
As for work, as a CEO, it’s also finding lots of 1% wins. “We’re all in this together” applies across the board! I have new hours, and I’m making the most of Zoom calls and thinking about how to stay relevant while the event world has paused. On a positive note, our Golden TP stationery was born. As well as our Neighborly Notes, which are hang-tags to safely connect with neighbors! As Apple’s coronavirus ad portrays, creativity lives on!
How are you lifting your spirits and keeping sane in the midst of this new normal? Can there be a silver lining in a pandemic? If so, mine would be family mealtime each day, perpetual bike rides in our beloved Forest Park and lots of note writing! And I’m glued to the weather forecast on the hunt for the sun icon. Sunny days are always the better days at our house during this.
How are you staying connected with your loved one during social distancing? All of the acts of kindness happening are just enough to make me well up! My son’s birthday was April 10, so we experienced our first family birthday in quarantine times. One we’ll never forget. He had a Zoom party with his friends. In advance, we dropped off party favors, a collection of fun things to open and share to keep the conversation/party going (7-year-olds!). Later, he had a party from afar by car! The fire department even joined in. And we have been fortunate to receive so many creative ‘hellos’ from friends, family and even strangers.
What is your ultimate stay at home garment that’s giving you confidence and comfort? I love Clare V. She makes everything très chic yet cozy. Her OUI sweatshirt is my fave, as it’s a bright, cheery color, and the message is perfectly positive for today’s climate. I’m also living in Loeffler Randall sneakers and Splits 59 athleisure wear. Jeans? What are those?
How are you reinventing your Mother’s Day this year? Mother’s Day always starts with breakfast in bed at our house! And PJ parties are all the rage for us now! Maybe we’ll do virtual brunch with my mom and send the Schwan’s truck over with some chicken kiev, our frozen family favorite as a kid. Perhaps I’ll swap my stretchy pants for a sundress and capture a family photo. Or maybe not … everyone needs a haircut!
About this interview series: As Mother’s Day approaches I’ve thought a lot about the importance of shining a light on all moms, particularly in the midst of this unprecedented new normal. The world is changing, but honoring and celebrating mom remains intact. Mothers come in many forms, those who gave birth to us or adopted us; our grandmothers and best friends; and those who found us in times of need and invited us into their lives. As part of my CANDID interview series, I had the pleasure of connecting with inspiring women who are mothers, founders and dynamic individuals. They share their stories of navigating the now and how they’ll re-invent Mother’s Day this year amidst this ongoing pandemic. I will add features daily to lauraksawyier.com until May 10, and all will be featured on townandstyle.com here as well. -LKS
Laura Katherine Sawyier is a women’s personal and wardrobe stylist and founder of the SALON X LKS event series. She is based in St. Louis and New York City.
