Under a Twinkly Ribboned Canopy

Ribbons and sparkles and twinkle lights and princess crowns, and the sweetest girl ever. This session was an absolute joy to photograph, from beginning to end.

Isn't she just a dream? She read her mommy's childhood books and played with her adorable puppy, and we giggled and talked about life through a four-year-old's eyes. I'm happy to say that I've been able to photograph this darling girl every summer since she was born. I have the coolest job ever to get to meet the sweetest families in Tampa Bay. 

xoxo,
Stacey

I am currently booking for October and November sessions, if you would like your own sparkly, magical, beribboned canopy session in the forest. And with a puppy, of all things. What could be better?! Reach out to me and let's make it happen!

On Turning Four

"I'm faw-uh now! Dat means I can go to pweschool and stay aww by mysewf!" ~Charlotte

Four years old. Oh my word. Friends, it seems like I just brought our last baby home in my arms. Now she's a big girl, so fiercely independent in all of her "lemme do it mysewf" business. She is fearless and sweet and compassionate and kind. She's spunky and friendly and makes us laugh constantly. 

She loves to dress herself. Many times, actually, over the period of a day. Girlfriend creates more laundry than the other two kids combined. She is not afraid to scale the pantry shelves like rungs of a ladder and scare me half to death. She asks politely for "water ice" instead of ice water. She thinks poptarts are miraculous. She is so kind to animals, and Crookie and Ace (mostly) love her because she will fill their food bowls without prompting if she notices that they are empty. (Ace sticks close to her at lunchtime because he knows she will toss him her bread crusts.) She despises naps but loves storytime, and always asks for "two stories at nap, three stories at bedtime". She loves for me to paint her nails, and has ruined at least three pieces of furniture by opening bottles of my nail polish without permission. (Motherhood is sanctifying, amen?) She swears her baby teeth are getting loose because her sister's are.  She can play Minecraft like a boss, if it involves spawning hundreds of animals all over the place and dropping lava on her siblings' houses. She is our butterfly, flitting and skipping as she runs. She is our tiniest girl, at just 26 itty bitty pounds. 

But this "tiny girl" marched right into preschool this morning and hugged her teacher (we are so blessed to have Miss Cloutier again, for the third time!). She hung up her lunchbox inside her cubby, put away her naptime blanket, washed her tiny hands, and went to play with her new friends. She is a big girl, after all, and she is so ready.

As for me, well, I may or may not have cried all the way home. :) 

Maybe you're sad or "just sentimental" today, or maybe you're doing handsprings over having a quiet house for the first time in years! Or maybe you're just looking ahead at future school days while you still hold your little ones in your laps. 

No matter what stage of life we're in these days, we can be so thankful. Here's to being inspired by our kids. Let's all be brave, fearless, excited for what may come, ready to show the big world our gifts. Let us be compassionate and kind, open and willing, and ready with a smile for whatever life holds for us. Let's laugh and walk right in.

"She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future." -Proverbs 31:25

So many gifts

I love this sweet girl and her precious mama and daddy. I met them when this very big preschooler was just a babe in her mama's tummy, and I've been so blessed to be able to watch her grow these past three years.

Earlier this summer, to mark Isa's 3rd birthday, we went back to the Sand Pearl, which holds very special meaning to Isa's parents. We read her favorite books, we twirled in tutus, we giggled, we dressed up, we played Mommy, we played on the white dunes, splashed in the Gulf, jumped a few waves and got a little bit wet :) and snuggled in blankets with her Mama at the end. 

I left the session so full and happy, nostalgic and thankful. Like I'd just opened a gift that meant the world to me. 

Isa's grandparents were in town to visit her (they're from Kentucky too... my favorite kind of people!), and they told me how many of her photos they have up in their home... how they sometimes tear up when they look at them, and how much they appreciate having these photographs to keep Isa close, even though they can't see her every day. 

It was precious of them to share this, and it was encouraging for me to see them so delighted about something that I can give them. A connection to their sweet girl miles away. 

And I will use this gift of mine somehow, someway, until I don't have anything left to give anymore.

Just for old time's sake... the last photo (with her cute fur brother, Spencer) is from 2014. It's unbelievable how much Isa has grown and changed in a year! Time passes quickly, friends. Don't waste a minute of it.

xo,
Stacey

The Good Stuff | Tampa Bay Lifestyle Photography

I just delivered prints to this family, and then I realized that I hadn't shared them here on the blog. :)

I absolutely LOVE this type of session... in a client's home, relaxed, with plenty of time for snacks and snuggles. Cuddled up in bed with blankies for soothing, thumbs for sucking, and goldfish for nibbling. A newborn baby in Mama's arms, and toddler tickles and funny faces with Daddy.  These are the days, aren't they?

I hope these two darling brothers will always know how much they are adored. 

Miss Macy

My sister pretty much rocks. And so does her family.

Their strength is inspiring, their faith amazing. It was a treat to photograph them during my trip to Kentucky this summer, and my privilege to share their images with you here.

What I Love About Being a Mama: One Hundred Kisses

"Mama, I want to give you one hundred kisses!"  ~my Lila (about twice a week) And I'd happily let her.

One of the things that I love most about being a mama is... getting one hundred kisses in a row.  :)  Truly, I love the affection my children give me, and the affection they allow me to give them.  It's a wondrous thing.  Snuggles are one of our love languages, and we always hug and kiss each other every time one of us leaves the house.  Even if it's just to the grocery store.

Our favorite way to watch a movie is cuddled up on the couch together, pillows thrown all over the place.

Lila kisses the palm of my hand every morning when I drop her off at school, a la "The Kissing Hand."  Just this morning, she held up the car line because she jumped back into the van to kiss Charlotte on the head.  No one minded a bit.  :)

Parker melts into a puddle when I scratch his back or run my fingers through his hair.  It's how I used to get him to sleep when he was a baby, and he still adores it.

Charlotte won't go to sleep at night without running into the living room to "get Daddy's kiss" first.

One of my favorite quotes ever is this one:  "Affection is responsible for nine-tenths of whatever solid and durable happiness there is in our lives."  ~C. S. Lewis

How do you and your kids show that you love each other?  Do you have your own little "love language" or bedtime snuggling rituals?  I'd love to know more about how mamas love their babies, so tell me in the comments below!

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From now until Mother's Day, I'll be doing a blog series on motherhood, entitled What I Love About Being a Mama.  Yesterday, I shared with you a bit about sibling relationships and asked you for tips on fostering friendships between your children.  Today, I'm shared with you how much I adore their sweet cuddles and affection.  Stay tuned for the next few weeks of this series... I'll be featuring interviews, giveaways, and special gifts just for my readers.  I promise, you won't want to miss a single post!  :)

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Also, don't forget about Mother's Day Mini-Sessions happening this weekend!  It's a terrific gift idea, and one that most mamas will appreciate far more than flowers and dinner out.  Photographs last forever, and I hope you'll let us encourage you on your motherhood journey by photographing you with your own little loves (and even your own mama too!).  Click here for more information, and register through the CONTACT button at the top of this website or by calling 727-698-0344.  Sessions are limited, and several have already filled up, so don't wait!  Book your Mother's Day Mini-Session now!

Possibilities

Sometimes the most interesting parts of a photograph are the details and possibilities that are suggested.

I'm not sure what I love more about this photograph: the seen or the unseen.

I love the visible part of this sweet girl's legs and feet, as she's jumping ever so slightly above the edge of the wave... Daddy standing tall nearby to protect her and lift her should she lose her balance.  It's a quiet, gentle image of a father and daughter that I find myself coming back to again and again.

But I'm also drawn to the reflection of her, arms stretched upwards in a ballerina's pose.  That water-filled dip in the sand that suggests that she was just standing in that very spot, just before the tide washed its most recent wave up to the shore.  Just before she leaped over that wave and into the deeper tide.  Bravery and spirit, confident youth.

Daddy -- and his shadow -- planted as firmly as possible in the soft, wet sand, watching over his little girl to make sure she doesn't dance too far from his protection.  He knows that someday she'll dance a little further and further from him as she grows up, as she moves confidently into her life's path, into her own oceans.

So I'm curious... what do you see?  :)

Just one...

Because I love it.  That is all.

The Almost-kiss in the Almost-dark

I'm preparing this sweet family's gallery to go up, but I have to stop and share one of my favorites with you.

We were losing daylight quickly, and maybe that's what grabs me the most about this image... that tender almost-kiss in the almost-dark. Makes me swoon every time.

-Stacey

They Had It All.

The prettiest smiles.

The bluest eyes.

The most fun.

The best giggles.

The sweetest love.

Thank you, Schemery family, for being in front of my lens while you were in town, and for sharing your evening with me.

xo,

-Stacey