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Every mother cooperates in writing an important story; in weaving a tapestry. The way she does this matters because it relates critically to the family: the bedrock of society. At Deck & Oar, we are passionate about your story; your vocation as mother.

We’re on the last day of #thedeckandoarstory, but here are a few facts you may find fun! 🌻 My grandfather is an award-winning watercolor artist who didn’t learn he could paint until a car accident left him bedridden for months. 🌻 I am one class short of graduating with a Bachelors in Fine Art because finals were the week my first daughter was born! 🌻 I have been out of the country twice: to Germany and the Bahamas. Both were an amazing experience. 🌻 I recently discovered that my drink of choice is Gin, and the more earthy the better. 💟 For our weekly date, my husband and I go out for Middle Eastern food. Our favorite home-cooked meal is Iraqi rice with lamb. You’re probably wondering why, and I’m not sure I have an answer! We just really like it! ➡️ Share something about you in the comments below! ➡️ I’m tagging @senanelson, @xomrsmeasom, and @govictoria to share something random "about you" on their stories!
Thank you for being here, whether from the start, or just yesterday. Your involvement in our mission- “to uphold the dignity of motherhood one tee at a time”- matters deeply to me! Why? 💟 Because our world desperately needs the nurturing guidance of mothers; not just stay at home mothers, but in all settings. 💟 You have witnessed life from conception to the long- but joyous- days of self-giving sacrifice. 💟 Only your mother heart can bring that perspective to the world. Since the beginning of our story, we have shifted as a brand, and as a family. 💟 Each night, my husband and I sit in our basement striving to keep this mission alive. Our two girls, now ages one and three, sleep soundly upstairs, and our hearts are so grateful. 💟 We are choosing to seek the holy in the ordinary, so that we can show you- perhaps even prove to you – that your vocation as “mother” is not only needed, but beautiful. 💟 Do not be afraid that you are not accomplishing enough. You are raising the next generation, and we are here to support you in that. A tee couldn’t be more ordinary; we need clothing each day. 💟 However, the fact that something ordinary can be beautiful is exactly your mission and mine, dear mother. #thedeckandoarstory
Hi there! I’m @nyssaisabel, founder of @deckandoar, and am so happy that you are here. During the last four days, I have shared our brand story through the hashtag #thedeckandoarstory and have watched as many of you have responded. I’d like to share with you where I am now. Over the last three years, our family has moved from Texas, to California, and now, Illinois. We lived in a one bedroom apartment, a rustic MIL suite that we could walk to the beach from, a character-filled PNW beauty with seagull nests, and finally a sprawling Midwest split-level. Each of them has housed this business, and our growing family. While we were in California, I met a dear friend, @blendingbeautiful through Instagram. She loved me through the natural VBAC delivery of our second daughter. It shed light on how genuine this motherhood community actually is. She even wore one of the tees I had printed! That second birth experience was healing and beautiful, but came with another complicated recovery. Two serious hemorrhages, and circumstances that did not allow John to take any time off work, expanded my heart to trust God like I never had before. Through that twelve week healing process, I learned what it’s like to be broken, and literally bleeding, but loved deeply. 💟 While the infancy of motherhood is what birthed this brand, the fragility of this second daughter’s birth is what solidified it. 💟 At night, John and I packaged orders. During the day, I sang hymns of trust. This past spring, John drove this business from California to Illinois. Corn fields dot the horizon instead of waves, but my creativity is starting to bloom again. Each day my girls learn something new, and my heart says, “be present”. We still pour hours into this brand each week, but we have brought on three other mothers to help. It’s a miracle to be here today, both as a brand, and as a woman.
Over the last three nights, I have been sharing the story behind this brand. These posts can be found at #thedeckandoarstory hashtag. It’s been a weight off my chest; sharing this story with you, and I’m so grateful you’ve been here listening! To continue where the last post left off… When our daughter turned nine months old, John’s employment moved us from Texas to Monterey, California. I was so grateful for the move- it would be our third move in three years, but being near the beach felt like home! We moved into another one-bedroom apartment, and I struggled through nine more months of breastfeeding. In reality, I was dealing with breastfeeding aversion, which didn’t come to light until I was pregnant with our second daughter (please DM me if you would like more info on this!). It felt like just treading water in a gorgeous place. When I turned to Instagram during the sleepless nights, I found it inundated with negativity: mothers bragging about how may cups of coffee they had needed that day, what type of poop had hit the fan, mom bun life etc. It permeated these squares, and I wondered, “is there more?” So I wrote a note to every mother, “Dear tired, worn out momma, you’re doing a great job.” and posted it to the Deck & Oar page. In less than 24 hours it had received the most likes, reposts, and comments that our page had ever had! A hope blossomed: that I had something to give, even when I felt spent. If the past three years taught me anything, it’s that: women, but especially mothers, see the world in a different light. We know the sacrifice and love that goes into giving life. We know what it’s like to suffer, and to rejoice despite the pain. We know how to seek joy in our dismal world, because we need to hope against hope that there is something good for our children. So yes, the brand has changed. The original notion has solidified itself in my heart over the last year: that there is beauty here that every mother can be a part of. Recently, we phased out the designs that excluded certain mothers from others… we said goodbye to the Barefoot Breastfeeding Momma that made thousands, among others. Why? Because it’s time that every mother was appreciated.