Meet Stephanie Nestorak | Mom, Designer & Memory-Keeper

We had the good fortune of connecting with Stephanie Nestorak and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Stephanie, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Starting Lasting Littles came from a very personal place. I saw how quickly life—especially childhood—moves, and I felt a strong pull to create something meaningful that could preserve moments that are otherwise fleeting. I wanted work that aligned with my values, allowed me to be creative, and gave me the flexibility to be present with my family. What started as a small idea rooted in love and memory slowly grew into a business because I realized others felt the same way. It was never about chasing growth at first—it was about creating something that mattered.

I’ve been a professional animator and designer for over a decade, creating work for large brands. But when I became a mom, everything shifted—my priorities, my perspective, and how I wanted to spend my time. I became deeply aware of just how fast my children were growing, and how quickly those tiny moments were slipping by.

I began creating handprint and footprint keepsakes with my kids as a simple, creative activity we could do together. They became cherished memories for our home and heartfelt gifts for family. I even started hosting keepsake craft get-togethers with friends. That’s when I realized there wasn’t a truly great option out there—most templates were downloadable prints that required a good printer and flimsy paper that didn’t feel worthy of such meaningful moments.

That gap sparked the idea for Lasting Littles: high-quality, easy-to-tear keepsake books designed to make crafting simple, joyful, and beautiful. Premium paper, thoughtful designs, and rich colors—made to be cherished, displayed, and gifted. After years of designing for other brands, it has been incredibly fulfilling to finally pour that creativity into my own.

At its core, Lasting Littles is about helping families slow down and hold onto the season they’re in. My goal is to make it easy for parents to create meaningful keepsakes—capturing tiny hands and feet while they still can—and to turn those moments into gifts for grandparents and loved ones that often bring happy tears. These are the kinds of memories that live on for years, and I’m honored to help families preserve them.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My art is rooted in storytelling, emotion, and craftsmanship. What sets it apart is that it blends professional design and animation experience with deeply personal, real-life moments of motherhood. Every piece I create is intentional—not just visually, but emotionally.

I studied animation and design at the School of Art & Design at the University of Michigan, where I built a strong technical foundation and mastered tools like the Adobe Suite, Cinema 4D, and other animation programs. After graduating, I moved to New York City and launched my career as a professional animator with Major League Baseball, creating stadium graphics, on-air commercials, social media campaigns, and sponsor content for all 30 MLB teams and their affiliates. From there, I worked at Discovery Networks, producing on-air promos and social campaigns for networks like Travel Channel, Food Network, and HGTV.

Later, my husband and I moved to Colorado, where I transitioned into freelancing. That chapter opened the door to working with a wide range of major brands including Domino’s, Nike, Marriott Resorts, Audible, and the History Channel. Each step of my career sharpened my eye for design, storytelling, and high-quality production—but it wasn’t always easy. Freelancing required resilience, adaptability, and learning how to build something from the ground up without the structure of a traditional job.

Motherhood changed everything. It shifted my focus from creating for brands to creating with my children. Crafting handprint and footprint keepsakes with them became a way to slow down, be present, and capture moments I knew would pass too quickly. That experience ultimately inspired Lasting Littles.

With Lasting Littles, I get to merge my two worlds: professional design and animation with my love for children and memory-making. I’m most proud of creating products that are not only beautiful and high quality, but meaningful—keepsakes that families can cherish, display, and gift for years to come. The biggest lesson I’ve learned is that the most powerful work often comes from personal experience. I want people to know that my brand is built from love, intention, and the belief that little moments deserve to be preserved while we still can.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I’d take them straight to our adorable mountain town of Evergreen, because it truly offers the best of everything—nature, community, and that laid-back mountain charm. We’d start by walking around Evergreen Lake, soaking in the views, and spending time by the beautiful rivers—fishing, relaxing, and just enjoying the fresh air.

We’d definitely get outside as much as possible: hiking at Elk Meadow, catching one of the many free summer concerts, or skiing nearby if it’s winter. No matter the season, there’s always something to do outdoors.

For food and coffee, I’d take them to Muddy Buck for coffee right in downtown, grab lunch at Evergreen Bread Lounge, and enjoy drinks and dinner at Revival—with our kids running around. That’s one of my favorite things about Evergreen: it’s incredibly family-friendly while still feeling fun and vibrant.

It’s truly a kid’s paradise and such a special place to raise a family, surrounded by loving people and a strong sense of community. The sunshine, the gorgeous mountain scenery, and the kindness of the people here are what make Evergreen so special—and why I’m so grateful to call it home.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would love to dedicate my shoutout to my mom group and the incredible community of mothers here in Evergreen, Colorado. They have supported me in ways that go far beyond business—through encouragement, inspiration, and simply showing up for one another during this intense and beautiful chapter of life.

Motherhood is an experience like no other, and having a strong community of moms and friends makes all the difference. We’ve leaned on each other through the highs and the hard moments, shared ideas, created together, and watched each other grow alongside our children. Their support and creativity directly inspired the foundation of Lasting Littles.

There is something incredibly special about seeing our kids grow up together—playing, creating, and forming memories side by side. It’s a constant reminder of how fleeting this stage of life is and how important it is to cherish and preserve these moments while they’re still little. This community has shaped not only my business, but the way I move through motherhood, and I’m deeply grateful for it.

Website: https://www.lastinglittles.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lasting_littles

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LastingLittles/

Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@lastinglittles