When Catie Beam became a mother in January 2024, some of the most meaningful moments of her maternity leave were also the simplest. She spent hours nursing her newborn son, holding him as he slept and studying the tiny details of the baby in her arms. Like many new mothers, Catie found herself moving through a season filled with wonder, exhaustion and an endless stream of thoughts about the kind of parent she hoped to become. She also spent a lot of time looking at pajamas. Her son lived in soft onesies, and during those long stretches of rocking and feeding, Catie began thinking about how something as ordinary as sleepwear could carry a deeper message.
“I feel like postpartum your brain’s kind of going through so many thoughts,” Catie said. “I was like, how could, in this moment, instead of me scrolling, what could I do to be feeding myself too?”
That question became the foundation for Little Beam Co., Catie’s St. Augustine-based mommy-and-me pajama brand featuring playful prints with subtle messages of Christian faith woven into the designs. Catie’s first idea centered on Philippians 4:13: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” She imagined a print that would be fun enough for children to enjoy but meaningful enough to encourage the parent dressing them, holding them or walking into their room in the middle of the night. The concept felt especially personal because Catie does not describe herself as someone who can easily recite long passages of Scripture. She attends church and values her faith, but becoming a mother made her think more intentionally about how she would pass that faith on to her child.
“I was like, I have no idea how to teach someone how to be faithful or how to follow Christ, aside from just living,” she said.
The pajamas offered one small, tangible way to begin. A parent might see the words while changing a diaper or folding laundry. A child might grow up recognizing the message long before fully understanding the verse behind it. The Scripture references are intentionally understated. In the “I Can Do All Things” collection, for example, the designs include tennis rackets, skateboards, surfboards and imagery inspired by national parks. Within the pattern, a park-style sign carries the phrase “I can do all things.” Catie wanted the message to be present without making the clothing feel overly formal or limiting its appeal.
“Kids aren’t always wanting to wear their faith on their sleeves,” she said. “But it’s that subliminal message.”
The brand’s name also carries a double meaning. Beam is the family’s last name, but “Little Beam” also reflects the idea of being a light to others. For Catie, the company grew out of motherhood, but it also brought together creative interests she had developed throughout her life. A longtime dancer, teacher and self-described doodler, she had always been connected to the arts. She created the designs for Little Beam Co.’s first collection herself. The holiday collection, launched in October 2024, included Christmas lights paired with the phrase “Be the light” and a present-themed print celebrating the birth of Jesus. As her ideas became more detailed, Catie realized she needed help translating what she envisioned into finished artwork. She began searching Instagram for independent illustrators and now commissions small artists to create the brand’s hand-drawn designs.
“I see what I want, but I don’t have the artistic skill to draw it myself,” she said.
That collaborative process has become an important part of the brand. Rather than relying on generic patterns or digitally generated art, Catie works with individual artists to create prints that feel original and personal. She has also been intentional about the quality and comfort of the finished product. Little Beam Co. pajamas are made from a blend of 95 percent bamboo and 5 percent spandex. Catie chose bamboo because of its softness and temperature-regulating qualities—features she had already come to appreciate as a parent.
“Every pair of pajamas that me or my husband put on my child, it had to be bamboo,” she said.
The infant zip-up styles include double zippers to make diaper changes easier. Sizes range from newborn through children’s size 10, with women’s sizes available for matching mommy-and-me collections. One collection has also included men’s sizing. Building the company has required Catie to balance several roles at once. She teaches full time at Murray Middle School, works part time at The Dance Company and is raising her young son while continuing to design, market and fulfill orders for Little Beam Co.
Little Beam Co. has gradually expanded beyond direct online sales. Catie offers the pajamas wholesale through Faire, an online marketplace connecting independent brands with retailers. That has allowed small boutiques around the country to carry the collections without requiring her to move immediately into large-scale production. Some of her favorite orders come from small, independently owned stores in places she might never otherwise reach. Through those relationships, the company has developed a growing network of retailers in communities across the country.
For Catie, however, growth is not only about sales. She began the company with the hope that it could eventually become a way to give back. She has already donated clothing to charities and Christmas drives and hopes to expand that effort as the business grows.
“That’s the true purpose of it,” she said. “If I could have it grow and be where it can be something that I can help the local community and people all over, that’s my ultimate goal.”
For St. Augustine shoppers, Little Beam Co. pajamas are available during the holiday season at Two Sparrows boutique. Customers can also shop the collections year-round through the Little Beam Co. website, where local residents receive free shipping.
What began during quiet moments with a sleeping baby has grown into a brand built around comfort, creativity and encouragement. With each design, Catie hopes families will receive more than a soft pair of pajamas. She hopes they will find a small reminder of faith, tucked into the everyday rituals of childhood.
