summer in the city

They were THE sweetest couple.  And so much fun to work with.  Lacy and Ryan met me in downtown Tampa for their maternity portrait session.  Even in the sweltering morning heat and humidity, they were such troopers!  And amazingly sweet to each other.  I can't even begin to imagine how darling their baby boy is going to be.  Very blessed, that's for sure!  Take a look at some of my favorite images from their day!

Doesn't she have the most perfect, round little tummy?  And since they were up for anything, we took full advantage of the city!  From the streets themselves.....

to the Tampa theatre...

and the crumbling brick walls of downtown....

Love her heart!  Remember, I know all too well what it's like to be VERY pregnant in June, in Florida, where the humidity is even more of a nuisance to us expectant Mamas.  So a huge THANK YOU to Lacy, for being so easy to photograph that day!  You were amazing!  I can't wait to reveal your entire image gallery, so in the meantime I hope you and Ryan love your sneak peek!

On a more personal note, I've just said goodbye to the last visiting family member (until next month, that is!).  I'm disappointed... we love company!  And we miss them all terribly already.  (Chris's Mom, my parents, and my middle sister have been in town for the past two-three weeks.)  I've actually had quite a few sessions, even with having company here, so I've got lots of blogging to catch up on this week!  Not to mention Lila Kate's FIRST BIRTHDAY PARTY!  I am just itching to share those with y'all.

More tomorrow!!

short. but sweet!

Oh dear blog, how I've missed you!  I feel like I've been away forever.  I have so much to say, and so many wonderful (and hilarious) things to share with y'all.  But I've had the world's longest day today, I could almost swear to it.  And so for now, I will simply leave you with this darling image of a beautiful mama-to-be.  Lacy was such a trooper during her downtown Tampa maternity session..  And I simply can't wait to meet the sweet baby boy inside this perfect little round tummy:

More from this session tomorrow...  I've got lots of images to share!  :)

tweet tweet

So I've joined Twitter.  A couple of months ago actually, but I didn't want to post about it here until I felt like I could keep up with it on a frequent basis.  lol!  I have to say, I find it refreshing to just give a quick 140-character status update sometimes, rather than blog about something on my mind when I have no photos to go with!  Thus, I've joined the masses.  You can check out my Twitter status box at the very bottom of the blog (yep, keep scrolling down), or you can "follow me" by just signing up (it's free!) at www.twitter.com and clicking on my profile here.  Then click on "follow" under my photo.  And, bam, you're in the know about all things Stacey Woods Photography.  Don't you feel better now?  :)

busy as a little bee

Lately I've been busy-busy, hunkered down behind my desk getting my canvas displays ready, finalizing client albums and prints, having the most fun sessions ever, ordering new marketing pieces with my BRAND NEW LOGO, yay!  Anyhow, I haven't had much time to be online lately but I wanted to pop in here and let you know that I'll be posting fun sessions again soon!  In the meantime, here is the little one who helps me during the day while Bubby is at preschool.  Isn't she precious?  How could I possibly get anything done without her?  (Wait, let me rephrase that.... How could I possibly get anything done without her sitting on my lap?!  lol.)

Or sitting at my feet, standing up beside my legs, reaching up into my lap.  ;)  And no, I didn't do anything special to her eyes, other than focusing on them at a very wide aperture.  They got no special sharpening or dodging or anything like that, I just sharpened the whole image for web.  She's just plain beautiful, isn't she?!  Bedhead, PJs and all.

I can't imagine my workdays without her!

By the way, can y'all believe that I'm scheduling for the fall already?!  August is almost full, and September and October are filling up as well.  June still has about two or three session dates available, and July is looking busy so far as well.  If you'd like to book a session with me this summer, please go ahead and contact me as soon as you can so I can be sure to get you on my schedule.  Typically, my autumn months book up backwards due to Christmas deadlines and such.  I plan on announcing my Holiday Mini-Sessions just as soon as I get the dates and locations firmed up.  So stay tuned for more news on that!  I'll be back soon.  :)

one that makes me smile

Just one for now.  More to come soon from this little session.  :)

this is a test. this is only a test.

My website and blog might be down for a few hours here and there in the next few days. I'm finishing up some back-end upgrades to my site, blog, gallery slideshows and {brand new} ordering cart. Everything will be up and running again shortly. Thanks so much for your patience! I am excited about all the new changes to my look, my logo, and my soon-to-come ordering cart. My intention is that it will make the ordering process simplified for my clients, and that it can be done solely at your convenience as well! Hope y'all have a great evening. I've got to get back to proofing. :)

on to the big words now

A bit of our after-school conversation from yesterday afternoon: ME:  So tell me, buddy, what letter are you learning this week in preschool?

PARKER: The letter N!

ME:  Oooh that's a good one!  Can you tell me a word that starts with N? (assuming he'd say "nest", or some other smallish word)

PARKER:  (thinking for a minute, then grinning huge) "Negotiations" starts with N!

Oh. My. Stars.  What 5-year-old says words like "negotiations"??

sometimes you just have to shout, apparently.

So I've been pulling some late nights recently.  Skipping a vitamin here and there.  Running?  Who feels like exercising when I'm so tired from staying up late?  Eating healthy?  Nah, let me just grab this quick snack here. Not to mention, my children have both been sick for two-and-a-half weeks, and still are.  Yes, we're a regular germ-fest over here. My body has been warning me for weeks, in a nice, gentle, polite sort of way.  A yawn here and there....  "Stacey, come on, we're all tired in here.  Go to bed."  A migraine that lasts the entire weekend....  "Stace, seriously, you need to slow down, girl, you're pushing it."  Well, I'm pretty good at just flat-out ignoring my body when it quietly nudges me.  So apparently, it got tired of me neglecting its advice, and decided to SCREAM at me.  I woke up this morning thinking I'd been hit by a Mac truck......  "FINE.  I tried to warn you of what would happen.  But no, you wouldn't listen, would ya?  You had to stay up late, you had to do this, you had to do that.  So guess what?  Now you have no choice, because we're all SICK in here.  Your tonsils, your throat, your head, your ears, your entire body needs a stinkin' break.  Hrmph.  So there."  Okay, okay, I hear ya!  Mercy.

After a quick visit to my doctor this morning (who, might I add, was wearing a face-mask, love his heart), I am officially taking the rest of the day off.  And maybe tomorrow too.  I'm sorry my body had to shout to get my attention.  Gosh, it gets so touchy sometimes.  ;)  I'll return all calls and emails in a day or so when I'm feeling human again.  Thanks so much!

_______________

Before I go back to bed (and enjoy the sound of this much-needed rain), I want to share some images that I've been meaning to post forever and just haven't had time.  My dear friend Stephanie Beaty, of Lifeography fame, moved to VA Beach a couple of months ago.  Before she left, we got our kids together for one last playdate (and one last photoshoot - see how that all works together without the kids knowing it?!  lol).  Here are some of my favorite images of the day.  I already miss her so very much, and feel incredibly blessed to have gotten to know her for the time that she lived here.  As Anne of Green Gables used to say, she is a "kindred spirit."  :)  Good luck, sweet Steph, in growing your business as a Virginia Beach child photographer!  You are loved for your amazing work, as well as your amazing heart.  xoxo

I loved how they just seemed to blend into the tree.  Little chameleons, they were.

Notice the wet tushy?  :)

More by my favorite tree, in my favorite park.  In my favorite yummy light.  Loved these.

Stephanie posted some images of us too (and a tear-jerker of a post), if you'd like to take a peek at her blog...  :)

And yes.  We had preschoolers AND babies with us, so we got by with the help of our Beco carriers.  Isn't she cute with Finn on her back?  There's an image on Steph's blog of me photographing Liam, with Lila on my back.  Hey, ya do what ya gotta do to get the shot!  ;)

a new look... coming soon!

I'm so lucky to be working with the amazing girls from Luxecetera on a new logo, new branding, and some much-wanted updates to my website and blog.  Eva Talley, Lisa Reichman, and Ashley Jankowski are three of the most talented designers around, and they've pooled their talents and resources to form a FABULOUS new company together.  They offer photographer's tools, such as announcement and card templates, book layouts, stationery, custom blog and branding designs (either from the ground up or a la carte), and so much more.  Like I said, I am lucky to be working with all three of these amazingly talented women, and I'm so excited to unveil my new look to y'all... very soon!   To my regular readers, if you see anything strange happening with the colors, logos, backgrounds, etc. in the next couple of weeks, please pardon the dust.  ;)  We're fiddling and tweaking and making my site into what it should be!  I can't wait to show it all off.

And in that vein, I'd love to show you some new folded birth announcements that I'm offering. (Two boxes of 25 announcements are complimentary with the purchase of my Luxe Baby Plan... inquire for details!  You can email me at stacey@staceywoodsphoto.com or call 727.698.0344.)  This line of gorgeous announcements is called "Sugar and Spice", and, professional photographers, they can be purchased from Luxecetera, here!

Aren't they divine?  The black-and-white lover in me is doing backflips over these.  They are beautiful printed on linen cardstock, or on my pearlescent stock as well.  I'm seriously thinking of sending one of these out to commemorate Lila's upcoming 1st birthday.  lol!

My favorite day. :)

Just wanted to stick my head in here and wish all my Mom clients, readers, family and friends a HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!  Especially to those Mamas who weren't Mamas this time last year, and are celebrating their very first Mother's Day tomorrow.  :)  A huge congrats to y'all!!  Myself, I still find it hard to believe that my sweet Lila wasn't around this time last year either.  Wow.  How much difference a year can make!!  I still remember being pregnant, HOT, uncomfortable, yet blissfully rocking my big tall boy to sleep in the chair outside.  I remember that song, the smell of jasmine (which thankfully is in full bloom again in the backyard), and the little plastic sharks.  :)  I had to laugh when I went back to that post to grab the link... Chris told me this evening that he bought steaks, shrimp, and corn on the cob to grill out tomorrow evening.  Looks like we're unconsciously starting a Mother's Day tradition around here!   Anyhow, I'll be away from the computer all day tomorrow.  I anticipate being knee-deep in bear hugs and "sugars".  And who knows, maybe I'll pull out the Trace Adkins again.  ;)

I'm wishing for... another beautifully-messy homemade card from Parker.   sweet baby kisses from Lila. a nice relaxing lunch with my little family. phone calls to/from both our Moms. warm little arms around my neck. watching a Spiderman episode on tv with my little web-crawler. hearing my littlest one calling, "Mah-MUH!" from the crib when it's wake-up time (and even when it's not!). a quiet dinner with my sweet husband, to whom I'm so grateful today for MAKING ME A MAMA.  :) and most of all?  A NAP.  Seriously... I've got a major sleep deficit creeping up on me!

I hope YOU get all the love you can squeeze out of the day. 

And hey, Mom?  Nancy?  HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY.  We all love you to bits and pieces, and wish we could be with you both today!  xoxoxoxox

Lila was two days old in the above photos.  :)  

Parker saying goodbye to my mom ("Nammie") after one of their trips here from KY.  And below laughing with Grandma (Chris's mom) in the backyard.  He always gets so sad when his grandparents leave to go back home.  Especially those snuggly Grandmas and Nammies.  :)

This last image is special to me.  Now, looking through my Photographer's Eyes, it's full of technical flaws.  It was very late at night, and the only lighting was the lamp on the nightstand in our room.  Lots of grain, it was underexposed using a high ISO... it's a technical mess, really.  But my Mommy Eyes see nothing but Heaven here.  My babies.  Snuggled up to me in bed.  Lila was 10 days old here, and Parker was just amazed by her.  So proud.  So sweet.  I remember this moment like it was yesterday... cuddled up with MY TWO CHILDREN this time.  Chris stopped in the doorway and smiled at us, and I whispered, "Pleaaaaase go get my camera!!!"  He obliged, and grabbed this shot for me at whatever settings the camera happened to be on last.  AND I LOVE HIM DEARLY FOR THIS!  

I hope y'all have a blessed Mother's Day.  Go hug your kids!!  I'm going to check on mine one last time before turning in.  And steal a kiss or two.  ;)

xoxo, Stacey