that's life.

just wanted to let all of you blog readers/subscribers know that i have moved my blog to this address: www.willettedesigns.com
all new blog posts will be made on the new site. thanks so much for reading!

it's that time of year!!!

the trunk shows and sip and shops are JUST around the corner!  So excited to take care of our holiday shopping early this year (as i'm not quite sure that with a newborn in the house that i'll be able to do any last minute shopping this year).

Here are a couple great local shows and vendors:

Caroline Furr, The Paper Girl, has EVERYTHING you need for your holiday cards.  I love to order my holiday card return address stamps from her (she has awesome designs) and her cards are to die for...be sure to check out her letterpress cards....i've been drooling over those cards for three years now...they are exquisite.

And giving a Junior League Cookbook is ALWAYS a great gift idea or hostess gift:

If shopping on-line is more your speed, check out fellow Maury grad, Michelle Young's Monkey See Boutique.

pocahontas would be proud

these kiddos were total clowns...we had a great time last week at their grandparent's home (which was GOR-GEOUS).  It was a perfect morning all the way around....great, personality-plus kiddos, awesome home in which to photograph, and good times had by all!!!!  Little sister's dress was just amazing....LOVE it, and when i asked what her middle initial stood for in the monogram, this made the session even cooler for me....her middle name is....get ready for it....POCAHONTAS!  These children are like the great (x13) grandchildren of Pocahontas and John Rolfe.  IS THAT NOT THE COOLEST?  SERIOUSLY?????  i can't get over it....LOVE this, and i'm so honored to have photographed them.  Being the American history and literature buff (i used to teach American lit)...this is the coolest thing EVER to me!  It was a blast kiddos...can't wait to photograph you guys again!!!!  Hope you're enjoying the weather....have a great year!

funny girl!

this chick is hilarious!  i think she gets funnier each time i see her....i had the honor of being serenading while clicking my camera as she sang some miley cyrus to me.  and she sang it REALLY well. can't say i've ever had that happen!  not only was she singing, but she was holding a pretend microphone as if up on stage.....she is seriously missing her calling.  ummm.....can you say american idol?  she has some serious stage presence.  hope your first week of school is awesome, miley, oh, i mean miss s!  all i'm sayin' is that i would want to sit next to you every day in school....i'm sure you make school a lot more interesting! 

three beauties....

though i'm on maternity leave at the moment, i have been able to photograph some of my long-time clients while on break (and i'm thankful to be able to spend quality time with some of my fav kiddos in Norfolk).  I had a blast with these beauties last week....always a pleasure to see the girls and how they have grown (this is my third year photographing them....how cool is that???).  AND, their mother is super special to us as we add to our family (she's my amazing doc who tolerates my incredibly lame incessant questions).  I was able to share my vast knowledge of slang with the girls -- i don't think they EVER dreamed that there were so many ways to express that something is "cool" (or, in my favorite slang terms..."off the chain," "off the hook," "da bomb," etc.).  Thanks for the fun morning ladies...have an awesome first week of school!

i wish i had photos OF.....

what do you wish you had photos of from your childhood or from your child's early start?  I have an on-going mental list of stuff of which i wish i had taken photos....the Catholic guilt plagues me daily of events/moments/things i wish i had photographed.  SO, i am now keeping a list of these things ....to help REMIND me to take my camera places and to stop and actually LOOK and take the time to capture the moment visually forever.  I don't journal or do any memory-keeping, so my photos are all i have.  and though we have literally boxes and boxes and albums and baskets FULL of family photos, i still crave more.

{this is my gpa and me...probably 1977}

the bottom line, FOLKS, is to get out your camera.....stop talking about it and DO it!

Here is a sampling of my list....there are thousands of other moments as well....these are just what i am currently obsessing and beating myself up over for not having....(PS: some of these i cannot control as i was little and who thinks of these things when they kids?).

1. a photo of the zips sneakers my gma bought me when i started first grade (that i proceeded to decorate with sparkle stickers)
2. flying sandwich loaf bag kites in gma's yard
3. a photo of us in our canoe with Bear, our now deceased amazing yellow lab...he would ride on the river in the canoe with us (this was just after we were married)
4. photos of my bedrooms i had a child/adult (no matter HOW messy they were/are)
5. a photo of me nursing max (i cannot believe i don't have ONE photo of this)
6. my mom, brother and me at the beach (we did this a lot as children)
7. me with my first car (a 1972 volkswagon beetle)
8. a photo of my husband and me on our first date at O'Sullivan's on Colley Avenue
9. a photo of my gpa golfing
10. playing at the Ghent Square pool as a child with my brother, Patrick......"Marco....Polo...."
11. a photo of my gma smoking a cigarette (bizarre i know, but i wish i had one of her doing this) on her back porch doing a crossword or logic puzzle...she made smoking seem elegant.
12. some of me and my brother from our first days at school...complete with our he-man and cabbage patch kids lunch boxes
13. just photos of our childhood toys...so much fun!
14. a photo of my gma wearing her wedding set (which i wear part of daily)...i wish i had a close up of her hands wearing these rings.
15. a family photo of my mom, dad, brother and me.  i think one exists...somewhere...i have no idea where it is.
16. wedding photos of my parents...once again, i know they exist...
17. my first bike....a kelly green bike with a big banana seat and streamers on the handlebars

start taking photos of the moments as they occur!  I think when you photograph for a living....you easily get "camera burn-out"....photographing is sometimes more of a chore when you do it professionally. Well, i strive to overcome this attitude!  You should as well!

back to school....revisiting an old post....

the following post is a repost from last year's back to school post.  many of our schools start school this week (or next week), and i wanted to share these again.  I will be doing max's first day of school photos this weekend and monday, but i wanted to inspire some of you prior to my sharing those. Enjoy!  the original post can be found here:

It is SO, SO hard to believe that school starts in less than one week.  We are really ready for school to start around here....though we love not having a schedule, our family is the type that really needs a schedule (dictated by someone else or by an institution) in order to accomplish anything.  I think all of us would live in our pjs all day if we could.  SO, the first day of school will be a joyous day around here.  I thought i would share some back to school photo tips/ideas for you as you prepare your muchkins for school.

Here is a photo session i did of Max up in Williamsburg at my alma mater (AND, the Alma Mater of a Nation!).  We dressed him in his school uniform and were able to use the Wren building for some photos that capture him as he begins this new journey at St. Pat's (in his ultra dapper uniform).  If you're on my facebook page, then you've already seen these (i have a ton more on my facebook page).

SOOOO, i thought of a shot list you may want to consider as you take your child's back to school photos this year.

• with his or her teacher
• in front of the school
• with the new backpack
• with school supplies
• in front of classroom
• with classmates
• at the bus stop (if your child rides a bus)
• reading one of his or her new text books
• with the lunch box
• with you!  {don't forget this}
• in front of your home/on the porch
• at his or her locker/cubby

Here are some i staged this morning.

yes...i actually purchased that horrid backpack for him.  He thinks he is the stuff.  I have totally failed as a parent (my cousin, courtney, reminded me earlier this week when i told her how i had absolutely caved by purchasing this backpack, that i already caved three years ago when i purchased a thomas the train blue plastic toddler bed for him to sleep in....she's SO right!).  The things we do for our children!

with his schulteute

i put all of his supplies in this tub and put a school magnet on the tub.  just to stage the photo.

an apple for the teacher

please feel free to post any other ideas/traditions you have for the first day of school (you can share in the comments section).  remember when taking your child's photos....get down on his or her level, talk to them and make it more of a fun conversation rather than a look at the camera and say cheese event, and try to capture the school experience for your child so he or she can remember it.  This backpack is REALLY important to max right now...i made sure to get it an a ton of shots.

Norfolk-area Children's Clothing Trunk Show Schedule

it is no secret that children's clothing is one of my hobbies...i'm obsessed with it to be honest with you!  The trunk show bonanza begins this week!  Yippee for all of us (boo hoo for our check books!!!).  I must apologize for how messy this formatting is on this....sorry...can't seem to fix it in my blog editor.  You know this is driving me CRAZY!!! 

Carrot Top Clothes

September 24th and 25th

at Now Showing Maternity Store at Hilltop, Virginia Beach, VA

October 26th - 27th at the

Lee's Friends Unique Boutique, Church of the Good Sheppherd, Hampton Blvd, Norfolk, VA 23505

Oct. 31-Nov.1st

JL Merrytime MArket at the VB Convention Center

Orient Expressed:

Wednesday, August 26: 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

at the home of Sara Dailey

770 W. 52nd Street, Norfolk, VA 23508

Thursday, August 27: by appointment

at the home of Brook Avery,

6120 Sylvan Street, Norfolk, 23508.  

Contact Brook at 647-4340 or brookavery@me.com.

Friday, August 28:  10 am to 1 pm

at the home of Dana Gray,

4324 Blackthorne Ct, Virginia Beach 23455 (Thoroughgood) 

Tuesday, September 1: 10 am - 2 pm,

at the home of Carol Straeten,

1253 Crystal Lake Circle, Virginia Beach, 23451 (Bay Colony)

Shrimp and Grits

Saturday, August 22^nd from 2-5 PM. 

at the home of Katie Fletcher Creech,

1613 Collier Lane, Virginia Beach 

 

 Monday, August 24^th from 4-6 PM

at Kelly Avery’s,

7011 Mallard Drive. Norfolk, VA 23505

 

Other Fall catalogs i'm super excited about this season:

Kelly's Kids

Castles and Crowns (i purchased an adorable owl smocked bishop for baby bridget from here)

Ragsland

Olive Juice Kids

Mini Boden

Just Ducky

and JCrew Cuts (i have gotten most of max's fall stuff from here this year...we hit the outlet while up in Maine.....he's lucky to have uniforms to wear while at school, so my wardrobe "requirements" for him are much less this year.

 

 

stop getting older...okay????

looking at these photos makes me feel REALLY old!!!!  These are the senior photos of my cousin, sydney (who flew in from Florida to visit another cousin and get her senior photos done!).  Charlie Gunter and i tag teamed the effort (and had a great morning following little sydney around)...i'm allowed to call her little since we've watched her grow up!!!  I am just amazed at how confident, sincere and down to earth sydney is....such a beautiful young lady..inside and out.  She is going to love these photos of herself (especially in twenty years!).  Hope you're getting geared up to start your LAST year of school (before college!!!!).   Charlie's photos are also amazing...i hope you blog yours, charlie...hint hint!!!!!

beauty....brains....athletic skills....these kids have it all!

i had the pleasure of hanging out with these accomplished, super nice kiddos in June (yes, i'm still playing catch up), and i was AMAZED at how well-rounded and well-spoken these kids are.  Their mother and father were also super nice...so welcoming and so kind.  I receieved the nicest email from mom after the session...totally made my day!  Thanks again S family!  Hope you've had a great summer full of sports camps and time at the beach!

 

my fav irish kiddos...back again!

 LOVE these little leprechauns!  Their mischievous smiles and eyes just make me happy to look at!  We even got some photos of the pooch - the family's first baby!  Thanks for the fun morning S family!  Looking forward to seeing you all around school again next week.

 

another favorite family...

i have had the pleasure of photographing for this family since big brother was a wee little guy..i LOVE having the continued relationship with clients.  This is what photography is about...following a beautiful family as they grow!  AND, this famiily is so funny....they seriously refer to me as their family photographer (forever).  LOVE that!  These boys come by their silliness naturally....you should have seen us trying to get a photo of them together...it was a huge lovefest meets wrestlemania.  Boys are something else...even at this young age.  Thanks again for the AMAZING Chicken Divan, Miss C!  Max and i LOVED it!

 

 

what can i say....

these beauties are the daughters of norfolk's goddess of all the cute haircuts.  I knew we would have an awesome session since i knew their momma had awesome flair and style, and she did NOT let me down with these cuties.  Maybe it is just me, but don't  you think these kiddos should be modeling?  Seriously....can we get an agent for these gals?  And, just check out the hair bows...you ALL know how obsessed i am with hair bows!  Thanks for the fun morning gals!

we were voted Norfolk's best photographer!!!!

by Nickelodeon Parent's Choice Awards!  WOO HOO!  thank you to my clients, friends and family for your continued support....even while i'm on maternity leave!  Thank you!

kiddos grow up WAY too fast...

it was just two years ago that i was photographing this hilarious little chunk's big brother when he turned nine months....now it is her turn to shine!  So fun to see the family similarities and to see her personality blossom with each time that i see her.  I will say that this chick is a clown....so full of spunk (and the biggest, happiest grin to greet you with).