Mom Crush: Margaret Dillard and Jen Burch of Half Past Seven

At Baybala, we find endless inspiration in the stories of entrepreneurial mothers who are making their mark in creative fields. Balancing the demands of a growing business with motherhood is no easy feat, and there’s so much we can learn from the experiences and wisdom of others. In this series, we highlight women we admire, sharing their journeys and insights with you.

Today, we’re thrilled to feature Margaret Dillard and Jen Burch, the dynamic duo behind Half Past Seven. Founded in early 2022, Half Past Seven is a brand built on a shared nostalgia for past traditions and a deep love for handcrafted pieces. Their mantra, ‘more joy, less stress,’ perfectly encapsulates the spirit of their work, which is all about creating beautiful, practical pieces that bring joy to everyday moments. Whether it’s a grand dinner party or a quiet moment of solitude, Half Past Seven pieces are designed to celebrate all of life’s occasions, both dazzling and mundane. With the holiday season approaching, let’s dive into their story and discover the passion and purpose behind their brand.

What inspired you both to start Half Past Seven? How did your shared love for past traditions and handcrafted pieces come together to create this brand?

Jen: Both of us were lucky enough to grow up with mothers and grandmothers who loved to entertain. I watched my mom and grandmother throw memorable parties (you should see my mom’s Christmas spread), but what I value the most was watching how they really served their guests - making them feel as welcome and comfortable as possible. For example, every time my grandmother had friends over for dinner, she made notes on a recipe card - what dishes she served, cocktails she made, who loved what, who asked for seconds, etc. So when those same guests returned, she was able to accommodate their likes and dislikes. So thoughtful and such a great role model for me as a hostess!

Margaret: Yes, exactly. We both have great ‘hostess role models’ in our lives, but on top of that, we wanted our brand to feel approachable and relatable. As moms, we needed pieces that could stand up to regular use but we didn’t want to sacrifice quality and design. Coincidentally, my family has been lucky enough to spend time in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico for the last ~25 years. I have always been inspired by the crafts that have come from this region - particularly mouth-blown glass. Each piece, made by hand, is a juxtaposition of durable recycled glass, layered with fine details, such as hand-etchings or delicate curves, and this combination of sturdy and beautiful spoke to me. 

Jen and I worked together in a past life and have always connected on hosting, home decor - and raising boys - so working together was a natural fit. So the combination of these two things - the incredible crafts coming out of central Mexico and our shared love of hosting - led us to start Half Past Seven. 

The mantra ‘more joy, less stress’ is such a beautiful guiding principle. How did this philosophy develop, and how do you incorporate it into the design and creation of your products?

Margaret: Like all working moms, there are footballs whizzing by our heads, carpools to juggle, meetings to run and hobbies to cultivate. We haven’t figured out how to do it all, but we have decided that Half Past Seven pieces should spark joy AND stand the test of time. By creating products that are durable (read: dishwasher friendly), yet are still beautiful (have you seen our etches?), we hope to de-stress our clients while adding small moments of joy to their days. 

With Thanksgiving and Christmas around the corner, many are preparing to host family and friends. What are your top tips for hosting a holiday gathering without getting overwhelmed? How do you create a warm, inviting atmosphere that feels both festive and stress-free?

Margaret: I want to start by saying that we are still works-in-progress in this area! Definitely no Martha or Ina over here (true story: I’ve had a smoke alarm go off while there were 10 couples over for dinner). I’ll let Jen weigh in on her overnight guest tips, but my favorite way to entertain is to host people for dinner. On top of that my husband and I love entertaining in the fall. From oyster roasts to Christmas Eve family parties to Thanksgiving dinners this is definitely my favorite time of the year. 

There are a couple things I do to make my guests feel welcome and at ease. I love meeting my guests at the door with a drink - either a glass of wine or a special cocktail for that evening. For the cocktail, I will make a batch in one of our pitchers and let my guests help themselves after I’ve served that first drink (Old Fashioneds in the fall and Palomas in the warm weather). On that note, I also make sure my bar is as self-serve as possible. This can be as basic as setting all of the necessary pieces out on your kitchen counter (don’t forget the ice). Finally, I never wear shoes. This is typically due to the fact that I’m more comfortable barefoot, but I do think that subconsciously tells my guests that our house is pretty low-key.

Jen: I think putting yourself in the shoes of your guests is the best advice I can give. We moved to a beach town a few years ago and so hosting overnight guests has become something we do much more. I love that coming to visit us can be a little vacation for them, but I always remember that they had to do a lot of work to pack and travel to us, so I ask myself what can I do to show them we’re grateful they made the trip. Having a formula for what you do everytime makes it so easy for everyone in my family to know how they can help. 

1. I always ask our guests ahead of time what their favorite breakfasts and snacks are so the pantry is stocked and they have the comforts of home before they arrive. 
2. A lot of times my husband will track their travel and so we’ll bring the family to the front porch to greet them when they arrive.
3. The first question is “how was your trip? Can we take your bags?” quickly followed by, “now, what can we get you to drink?!” We try to get our elementary school aged boys to help take their bags (train ‘em young) to their rooms and show any kids around.
4. I love to leave a basket of treats in their room like bottled waters, their favorite snacks, and lavender spray for their pillow. My go-to Half Past Seven piece is our Bedside Water Carafe. With its small water glass, my guests are fully prepared. I also put the Scallop Tray at the end of the bed so they have a place to corral their things and feel organized. You can never have too many emoty trays or baskets in a guest room. Another couple items that I always leave in my guestroom is a framed copy of the wifi and password, a notepad and pen, and a spare iphone charger.
5. Most importantly, I always show my guests where the coffee maker is (and how it works) in case they beat me to the kitchen in the morning. 

The holiday table is often the centerpiece of celebrations. Can you share some of your favorite ideas for creating a beautiful, festive tablescape that brings joy to the occasion without adding stress to the preparation? 

Margaret: We love this question! The perfect tablescape includes two elements: something that is alive (like plants, greenery, produce) and candlelight (votives, hurricanes, candlesticks). When it comes to vases, we are partial to our best-seller, our Lettuce Leaf Vase (the name comes from the design - the curves are similar to a head of lettuce). Handcrafted in recycled glass, this vase is the perfect shape, allowing blooms or branches to fall into the curves and they basically arrange themselves. Grab three bunches of the same bloom (or several blooms in the same color family) from Trader Joe’s and you’ve got yourself an arrangement. Then, add your candlelight. With two of our Starry Night Hurricanes and a handful of votives, you’ve got candlelight and special pieces (of varying heights, which is key) all up and down your table. 

As co-founders, how do you collaborate on the creative process? What roles do each of you play, and how do you ensure that your shared vision is reflected in every piece you create?

Margaret: Luckily our taste is very similar, so from an aesthetic perspective, we’re typically on the same page. We both love color, classic designs and are continuously inspired by antiques, so we work hard to make sure our pieces have an heirloom quality to them. It is also important to us that we are partnering with organizations who share our same values. We’re proud to work with artisans who create beautiful pieces, but we’re even more proud to say that they provide safe and inclusive working conditions, above average pay, and one even provides safe haven to abuse victims as well. It is important to us that we are equally impressed with the pieces and the people who make them. 

Jen: I agree with everything Margaret said and to build off of that, we have established what we call our ‘litmus test’ for bringing a product to market. So to elaborate on that, when we are designing new pieces, we make sure each meets certain requirements - it has to have a timeless design that you’d never tire of (often our inspo comes from researching pieces from the past), very well-made and durable for everyday use, and it has to meet our ethical standards for its production. Also bonus points if it’s versatile!

In today’s digital world, social media plays a huge role in connecting with your audience. How do you approach platforms like Instagram to share your brand’s story, particularly during the holidays? What strategies have you found most effective in reaching and engaging with your community?

Margaret: Social media (which for us is primarily instagram) is such an incredible tool for small businesses - essentially free, a way to connect with other brands, and a way to partner with influencers. We put a lot of thought into what we post and share. We want our content to be beautiful and inspiring, but to also have an instructional element as well. We field a lot of questions about flower arranging, styling, etc and so we are always trying to be a resource for our audience. We think this is particularly helpful around the holidays when our community might be more attuned to elements of hosting and looking for recipes, ideas, etc. 

Jen: So between Instagram stories and posts, as well as our newsletter, we share a lot of content with the intention of building community, sharing ideas and suggestions, while still being a source of inspiration. We also work hard to create seasonal entertaining guides. These are found on our site and feature ~3 seasonal gatherings. Within each gathering we provide recipes, outfit inspiration, a prep list and more. We really hope these help the everyday hostess feel fully equipped to entertain in her home. 

The holiday season can be especially hectic for moms who are also running a business. How do you manage the balance between work, family, and the added demands of the holidays? Any advice for staying joyful and avoiding burnout?

Jen: After two holiday seasons in this crazy startup world, what I’m hoping to prioritize this Q4 is downtime. Instead of setting strict expectations of daily downtime, I’m going to try to carve out a couple windows each week. These might range from 20 minutes of quiet time one morning to reading (alone!) on a weekend afternoon to going to bed early a couple nights in a row. I’m hoping this will slow our pace a bit and help me feel more grounded.

Margaret: I always enter the holidays telling myself that I will sleep 8 hours a night, exercise everyday, eat healthily, etc., but then reality sets in and it’s a total sprint to 12/24. What has worked for me in the past is to plan ahead or to ‘future proof’ as much as possible. From printing our Christmas cards to purchasing teacher presents to picking out what my kids will wear to church on Christmas Eve, I’m trying to pre-plan and make as many decisions before mid-November as possible. While this is definitely a “do as I say, not as I do” situation, I’m hoping it will help me feel more present come Thanksgiving and through Christmas (but let's be honest, it's inevitable that I forget something -or someone- and will be scrambling). 

What’s next for Half Past Seven? Are there any upcoming projects, collaborations, or product lines that you’re particularly excited about, especially as we head into the holiday season?

Jen: We have just launched the most exquisite collection with Maison Venu, a luxury textile brand that works with artisans in India. This collaboration includes table linens and glassware and has been a true labor of love. While the colors we chose are year-round “neutrals”, we are particularly excited to style them for a knock-out Thanksgiving or Christmas table. 

Margaret: Yes! And in addition to that, we are always working on new etches and new vase designs. We have a lot of fun ‘summer-y’ things up our sleeves that we can’t wait to show you!

Could you share why you love the Baybala styles you’ve chosen? How do they fit into your family life or special occasions, particularly during the holiday season?

Jen: I love my new Baybala dress! Living in Florida, it is the perfect fall piece. The colors lend themselves so well to this time of year, but the shorter length is perfect for my still-warm-in-Florida weather. The ruching is so flattering! I can’t wait to wear it more throughout the fall and holiday season.

Margaret: This dress is such a beautiful soft yellow color - and one that was missing from my wardrobe. It’s such a lovely shade for this time of year, and as a lover of color, I’m thrilled to have a change from black. The stitching on the sleeves, the collar and along the buttons are so impressively detailed - truly works of art - and I love the wide belt on this dress. This is definitely going to be my Thanksgiving dress!