Sweet When They're Asleep | What I Love About Being a Mama

"God gives us kids so we'd know how He feels about us."  - Bob Goff

Do you ever wonder if God looks down on us throwing our "tantrums" and disobeying Him, and instead of getting angry with us, He just thinks, "but she looks so sweet when she sleeps."  And then He is merciful to us, and forgives us when we ask Him to.  He shows us grace instead of the justice we deserve.

I don't always show grace and mercy to my kids.  Sometimes consequences are necessary.  They do receive their fair share of discipline and guidance, and I am quick to throw out the "no screens for a week!" card when the rules are intentionally broken or one kid is picking on another.  But I yell too loudly, and too often.  I lose my patience more quickly than I'd like to.  Sometimes I forget to return a permission slip, or I have to break a promise.  I don't always have it all together; in fact it's a rare day when I actually CAN say that I have it all together.  I let them play electronics more than I probably should.  I nag them about their chores and I expect far more help around the house than they ever want to give me.  Sometimes we have to say, "sorry, no company today," or skip a class birthday party.  (Speaking of which, I did not send in cupcakes for Parker's birthday last month and we didn't throw him a big party, and I did not feel guilty about either one.)  I'm not always attentive, my iPhone is in my hand far too often, and I do not bathe them every single night.  Poor Lila has been asking for gymnastics classes for over a year now, and I've yet to sign her up.

But.  BUT.  I open my arms to them when they creep into my bed in the middle of the night, scared from a bad dream or that monster under the bed.  I hold her like a baby because she asks me to.  I show him how to stick up for himself and how to be polite and how to respect women and teachers and grandparents and adults.  I know each one of their unique love languages and use them to lavish affection upon them as often as I can.  I pray with them and for them and in front of them.  I read an extra chapter at bedtime just because.  I love their Daddy absolutely to pieces and try to set an example for them for how a strong marriage should be.  I teach them good manners 24/7 it seems (oh little boys, you are so gross).  I tell them about God's love for them and about Jesus' sacrifice and about Heaven waiting for us someday.  I encourage sharing and respectfulness and kindness and asking nicely and thinking of others and not spending your allowance all in one place.  I am real with them and show them that I am human as well, and I try very hard to explain truths to them in ways they can best understand them.  I chaperone field trips and help with homework and shuttle them to school and soccer practice and birthday parties.  I pack Lila's gluten-free school lunch every single day and I bake gluten-free brownies and buy gluten-free cookbooks and make homemade granola bars because they love them and eat them all up within a day.  I nurse fevers and administer Tylenol and hold cold washcloths on their foreheads and pour orange juice and hold their hands and say extra prayers.  I change wet sheets and find missing blankies and dolls and I French-braid hair over and over until it looks like Elsa's.  I "holdju" and help them clean up their messes, and I fix endless meals and snacks and cut off all the crusts.  And I love them, fiercely.  With all my heart and then some.

I'm not the perfect mama, because there is no such thing.  Repeat after me, THERE IS NO SUCH THING.

But I'm the perfect mama for my children.  And that is enough.  Because He says it is.

I'm convinced that Bob Goff had it right when he stated the quote above, and I am trying daily to view my children the way God sees them. I want to parent them the way God parents us.  He's not always gentle (after all, even natural consequences do sting), but He always cares for us and even His discipline comes from a place of love and protection and guidance.

Being a mama is a full-time, exhausting, rewarding job, no doubt.  And if I do all of those things above and more, can you just imagine all the little things that God does for us, day in and day out?  And even after we've been disobedient and rude and disrespectful, He still thinks we are worth saving.  That we still look sweet when we're asleep.

Just like our babies.

xoxo,

Stacey

A little break, and some recognition too. | Mother's Day Photo Sessions

You deserve a break.  You deserve a little recognition too, for all you've accomplished.

Whether you work from home, at home, or away from home, I know that you are busy 24/7, and that you have a BIG JOB no matter what.

Just think about the roles you play on a daily basis...

• You're a mama.  And maybe a wife, a fiancee, a sister and a daughter.  And maybe you play the role of Daddy most days too, which means that you totally win my award for Parent of the Year.  Hats off to you, my sweet friend.
• You're dependable, and you're always the friend with diaper wipes on hand or a safety pin in an emergency or the number for a fantastic hairstylist / dermatologist / family photographer (ahem) and your friends just adore you for it.
• You're a full-time nurse, and the most fantastic splinter-surgeon with the coolest band-aids ever.
• You're a nutrition expert.  You are a sous chef for picky eaters and kids with three different food allergies and a gluten sensitivity.  You're also a server.  (And the entire clean-up staff, most times, if we're being honest.)
• You're a taxi driver to ballet classes, a baseball coach, a cheerleader for your son's soccer team and an expert time manager to just keep up with it all.
• You're a housekeeper, a lunch-packer, and a laundry specialist. (My most favorite made-up title to date, ha!)
• You're an infant-sleep-expert by now, and a toddler-tantrum-diffuser as well.
• You're a psychologist.  (Even mamas of the youngest babies have to know a little "sly-chology" from time to time.)
• You're still in school, and will be for as long as your kids need help with homework and science fair projects and book reports and learning how to write cursive.
• You're a stylist for your family's wardrobe, your little girl's hair (and your own), and a master at finding tiny lost shoes under beds at the last minute.
• And let's be honest.  (I already know anyway.)  You're a photographer too. :) You've got thousands of photos on your iPhone, your point and shoot, or your dSLR.  Your Facebook timeline is peppered with photos of your children, and who could blame you?  They ARE adorable, we all agree.

However.  YOU are rarely in the photos.  And if you are, it's just a quick snapshot taken by Dad or a passerby at the beach.  (Sorry, Dad, we know you mean well.)

But guess what?  That's not enough.

You deserve more.

You deserve a professional photo shoot with you and your little ones snuggling and singing and holding hands and swinging and laughing and hugging and tickling each other and giving Eskimo kisses.

That would make the perfect Mother's Day gift, wouldn't it?  Either from someone else, or even as a gift you give to yourself (and indirectly, to your children as well).

And my whole reason -- my very heart's desire -- for this special event is that it might just give you a little encouragement to pull that mini-album out of your purse during soccer practice or week's they're away at camp.  It might make you stop and be grateful for these fleeting moments when you look at that sweet framed photograph on the wall, after dropping them off at preschool (or middle school) on the first day.  It may make your celebrations sweeter to be able to flip through photo albums with your children each year, as you reflect on how much they've grown, and they see through your photographs just how much they were loved, even way back then.

Photographs of my children are my most treasured material possession.  They are what we will grab in an emergency, only after each other.  They cannot be replaced or duplicated or substituted.

And you deserve them on this special day... the day that reserved just for hardworking, well-intentioned, sacrificing Mamas like you.  No matter if your children are still babies or if they are teenagers already.

It would be my honor to give you such a gift.

Session availability is extremely limited, and mini-sessions begin tomorrow.

Friday morning, April 11th Friday evening, April 11th Saturday evening, April 12th

Several sessions have already been booked, but there are a few openings left.

They are waiting for you.

Reserve your Mother's Day Mini-Session now by calling 727-698-0344 or by replying to this email. Your Session Fee will be required to book; all major credit cards are accepted.

xo, Stacey

Mother's Day Mini-Sessions

Mother's Day Mini-Sessions are now open for registration!  I'm honored to be photographing sweet, sentimental mamas and their beautiful children in Tampa Bay next weekend, and I hope you'll join us!

I want to be very clear... These Mother's Day Mini-Sessions are meant to be shared and enjoyed and made as meaningful to your family as possible.  If you'd like to, consider inviting your mother to join in!  Ask your mother-in-law.  Your grandmother.  Your children.  Your grandchildren.  Your special aunt, perhaps.  Or your mama-figure, whomever that is in your life.  Think about how precious a multi-generational photograph would be to your family.

We just want to celebrate you!

Sessions will take place in 30 minute increments:

Friday, April 11th morning 8am - 9:30am

Friday, April 11th evening 6pm - 7:30pm

Saturday, April 12th evening 6pm - 7:30pm

These sessions are limited, and some of the above appointments have already been filled by current clients and email newsletter subscribers.  If you'd like to reserve your session, get in touch with me asap at 727-698-0344, by emailing: stacey at staceywoodsphoto dot com, or by using the contact form on this website.

This year, receive a gift that won't fade or wilt, one that won't break or go out of style.  A gift that encourages you, just as much as you encourage your children, every time you walk past it hanging on your wall.

I can't wait to meet you.

xo, Stacey

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?  :)

Where I Belong

You belong among the wildflowers.  You belong in a boat out at sea.  Sail away, kill off the hours.  You belong somewhere you feel free. Run away, find you a lover.  Go away somewhere bright and new.  I have seen no other who compares with you.

You belong among the wildflowers.  You belong in a boat out at sea.  You belong with your love on your arm.  You belong somewhere you feel free.

You belong among the wildflowers.  You belong somewhere close to me.  Far away from your trouble and worry.  You belong somewhere you feel free.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."  --Jeremiah 29:11

//

Unlikely combination, I admit... but Tom Petty, the sound of seagulls and shallow waves spilling onto a warm beach, and the book of Jeremiah make up the soundtrack of my life this week.

Friends, here's hoping you find peace in your heart, when and where you search for it.  For me, it was on a beach on the edge of the Gulf of Mexico.  Right where I belong.

xo,

Stacey

On being kind.

Earlier this week, Lila's kindergarten teacher brought Lila and I home after school, because my car key broke and fell off my ring somewhere between the parking lot and Lila's class line.  Crazy accident, right?  But that sweet woman generously offered to rescue us.  The women in the front office were so kind and helpful, looking up phone numbers and offering their best advice, and a phone and phone book too.  The assistant principal actually found my missing half of a key the next day and returned it to me.

THANK GOD FOR KIND PEOPLE.  Kind people who hurt when you hurt, who offer to help when you are in a jam.

In this world of go-go-go, it's often so easy for us to just look past people who are having trouble in favor of our own busy schedule and to-do list.  But these people didn't.

So on Friday, we brought flowers to the school staff and to Lila's teacher.  Miss Anna in the front office was so surprised and overjoyed.  They were just simple wildflowers from the grocery store, but I wrapped them in kraft paper and washi tape and added a pretty handwritten note.  I didn't spend a lot of money, in fact it took me longer to rewrap them and add my personal touches than it did to purchase them.  But they thanked us over and over.  And my heart swelled.  And Lila grinned and ran off to class to take her bundle of flowers to her teacher too.  She wrote me back a sweet thank you note and she loved all over Lila at school.

You know, I was struck by how good it made me feel to make someone else happy.  Even though they made me happy first.  Isn't kindness a funny thing?  I've read somewhere that kindness is actually a selfish thing to do, because it makes you feel amazing in the process.  I'm not sure that I believe that.  But I have to admit that even when I start out in a grumpy mood, I can feel my spirits lifted after I've done something kind for someone.

Love doesn't just talk about loving on people... love actually does.

This week, I want to challenge you to show kindness to someone.  Do something extra special for someone who doesn't expect it.  Do it "selfishly" if you must, but do it with a genuine smile and a sincere heart. I promise you will be so happy afterwards.

Kindness doesn't have to be big and showy to make a difference.  Pay for someone's coffee in the Starbucks line behind you.  Hold the door open for a mama with a stroller.  Hold the door open for anyone.  Buy flowers for a friend.  Make a pan of Shauna's enchiladas for a new mom and take them to her.  Take your kids to the park or to a movie.  Read one more story at bedtime.  Refrain from nagging your husband and instead ask him if there is anything you can do for him.  Smile at and say hello to the stranger you pass on the sidewalk.  Download a song your kids love and play it in the car.

And don't forget to come back and tell me how awesome you feel.  :)

Merry & Bright Mini-Sessions

It's Mini-Session time again!  Every Fall, I offer Holiday Minis so that you can update your family's photos if you've had them done earlier in the year.  Lots of clients see me every few years for those big milestones (pregnancies, new babies, birthdays, etc.) and then opt for a mini-session in between.  And sometimes, families who aren't quite ready for a full Signature Session opt to try a mini-session and dip their toe in slowly. So which one are you?  :)

I have THREE open spaces left:  Saturday September 28 at 6:30 (the sun sets at 7:20) and Saturday October 5 at 5:15pm and 5:45pm (the sun sets at 7:12pm).

The location we've chosen offers the best of both worlds: a lush green setting.... rows of pine trees, clusters of sea grapes, and a pond surrounded by reeds and rushes.  And it just happens to be on the beach as well... a picturesque boardwalk leading to the Gulf of Mexico, soft waves lapping over the sand, a huge stretch of white sand beach, dunes covered in sea oats and wildflowers, and even a tiki hut.  (How cool would a tiki hut be on your Christmas card this year, right?!)

To reserve your family's reservation, just send me an email using the contact button up there on the right sidebar.... ----> or give me a call at 727-698-0344.  All sessions must be paid in full to reserve your spot; all mini-sessions are filled on a first-come, first-serve basis.

I can't wait to see you!

If you have to take cover from the rain under a tiki hut....

...then make sure you do so with a super cute and fun family with a great sense of humor!

What an amazing family!  They were such good sports about our infamous Gulf of Mexico / Tampa Bay evening thunderstorms, even despite dodging buckets of rain and having to take cover inside a tiki hut on the beach.  Not quite what we had in mind for our session, of course, but I think we got some pretty awesome images from our time together.

Best of luck to Drew and Morgan on your senior year!!  I hope it's your best one yet.

Chic Critique | Celebrity Secrets Revealed Live Web Event

Today is the LAST DAY to sign up for my 4-week Chic Critique, which runs from now until March 2.  If you'd like a portfolio review, or just a few tips on post-processing, lighting, getting more emotion into your images, or anything else that's "bothering" you about your work... then I'd encourage you to sign up right now!  You'll be able to submit your images to me each week for my detailed video critique on each one, and find out specific actions that you can take to improve your photography.  Improve your confidence, and your images!  How I wish I'd had something like this available to me when I began my photography journey!! While you're there, be sure to sign up for the exclusive Celebrity Secrets REVEALED Live Web Event!  It's only available to Chic Critique Forum Members, and the Intro Price this week is just $89! 

Read on to find out more... I hope to see you there!

Have you seen the new look of Chic Critique Forum founded by Kelli France? Even Chic Critique's Facebook page looks fabulous!

Chic Critique offers Celebrity Critiques from some of the best photographers in the industry so that you can transform your images from weak to CHIC. To celebrate their gorgeous makeover, they are having "Red Carpet Week" this week with giveaways, freebies, and more!

They will be launching a CHIC magazine soon and you can enter their Cover Contest to win a Kelly Moore Bag!

Chic Critique also just announced this Exclusive Live Web Event:

BUY YOUR TICKETS HERE

The Only Little Girl in the Park | Tampa Kids Photographer

I got a phone call when I was just two or three minutes from the park.  I could hear the disappointment in Brittany's voice.  My clients had already arrived at our location, and they were calling me in dismay.  It seems that there was an outdoor concert getting ready to start at the park that they had chosen to hold their family photo session... and there were crowds of people forming already.  I said a quick prayer and then headed on over, hoping that we could beat the crowds.  My clients had a brick engraved with their family's names on it, placed down by the riverwalk.  They took their little girl to this park often, and it was very special to them.  And if you know me, I love to incorporate familiar and meaningful places into my family photo sessions, and I certainly didn't want to disappoint them by having to move to another park instead.  I was hopeful. So I pulled out my trusty 85mm lens, and we stayed toward the edges of the crowds.  Thankfully, the concert-goers were all gathering in the sunniest spots on the lawn, which I wanted to avoid anyway.  I assured Jack and Brittany that all would be well, that we could stay after all, and we began shooting.

I am excited to share these images with you, not only because I adore this family (this is my fourth session with them), but because I'm excited to show them the results of our session amidst a crowd of a hundred plus people, in the middle of downtown Tampa.

Doesn't she look like she's the only little girl in the entire park?  There was a line of concert-goers walking behind her, camera left, just outside the frame.

And there were three other people frolicking in the fountain nearby.  ;)

Sunlight + water = a happy child!  (And backlight + a gorgeous little girl playing in a fountain = a very happy photographer!)

What hundred extra people, you say?!  Right.  It's all about working with what you have, and I'd say we got dealt a beautiful hand, packed concert and all!  Thanks so much, Jack, Brittany and Lena, for a lovely night at the park!  I truly enjoyed every minute of it (well, except the lovebugs!), and I hope you did too.  xo