Our Story

Ethel & Ivy are based on real women

My grandmother and my great aunt, sisters born in the 1920's. They were the kind of people who made every room warmer just by being in it. Generous, fun, and deeply loving, they understood that the people in front of them mattered. My grandmother, the inspiration for Ethel, was one of the most important people in my love. What she gave me was the feeling of being completely seen safe, and free to be whoever I was becoming.

Why this boutique exists

I have a BFA in Acting, and for ten years I ran a children's theater. Writing plays, directing young performers, and watching them discover new things about themselves as they stepped into a different character. What I saw repeatedly, was this: when a child puts on a costume and steps into character, something opens up. They transform, learn and grow. They develop empathy by seeing perspectives different from their own. They learn to collaborate, to listen, to take up space, and to yield it. They create experiences for themselves and others.

This is what theater participation gives children. It turns out, it's also what imaginative, open-ended play gives them. That understanding is the lens I use to choose every single product at Ethel & Ivy.

What I want for every child who gets a gift from Ethel & Ivy

I want them to feel the thing that my grandmother made me feel. Seen. Encouraged. Free. I want them to have experiences that build confidence quietly, in moments that are entirely theirs. Stories they create themselves, with plots and outcomes only they decide. 

Childhood is precious. It moves faster than anyone warns you it will. This boutique is built around giving children as much space, encouragement and support as possible to simply be, during the one time in their lives when being is the whole job.

How I work

Every product at Ethel & Ivy is selected by me. I wrok directly with brands, attend industry events, and get my hands on products before they ever appear on the site. After nearly twenty years as a marketing executive and Chief Marketing Officer, I know how to evaluate what's real and what's just well packaged. I choose carefully. I'd rather carry fewer things that mean something than more things that don't.

If you have questions, want to suggest a product or brand, I would love to hear from you. Write to ask@ethelandivy.com

Thank you for supporting our business, and we hope to serve you soon.

-Christina Deidesheimer, Owner