celebrating b's first
. 2.20.23 . This past year has been full of so much unexpected, but the most unexpected part of all is how fast Brooke’s first year has flown. It’s cliché, but even after I anticipated life flying by after experiencing it with my first, it still caught my by surprise. The scrunchie-nose grin, chill, snuggle bug of a being is the gal pal I never knew I needed. She completes our family and has made the best big brother out of Cash. Time, one day I’ll get you for being such a thief, but for today, I’ll just enjoy this sweet face while it lasts!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY BROOKE
Two fast, two curious
. 09.09.21 . It's been a while since I've had a chance to hop on here and share, but we have had some very exciting things going on. Keeping busy with the start of our school year, juggling more renovation projects, and celebrating our sweet Cash's second birthday!! Cash absolutely LOVES cars. Cars, trucks, dump trucks, Jeeps, vans, BIG trucks (tractor trailers), all of them! One of his favorite pastimes is watching ALL the automobiles from the porch and trying to get all the big trucks to honk their horns... Sorry neighbors! We thought it was only fitting to incorporate cars into his second birthday celebration. It was a joint effort, kudos to my mom and dad for making this sweet cake and picking up the delicious Chick-fil-a we ordered on their way down. A huge thank you to EVERYONE who made our not-so-little man feel celebrated and loved on his special day! Cash Alan, you may be getting older, but celebrating you will never get old!!
xo
~Mom+Dad
to new beginnings
. 7.01.21 . I’ve said it once, I’ll say it again... Senior photo sessions are some of my FAVORITEs and Emily’s session did not disappoint. Emily is a recent grad from Stonewall Jackson High School. She rocks it on the soccer field, is excited about traveling this summer, attending Bridgewater College in the fall and aiming to become a teacher to inspire our future youth! Emily picked a few gorgeous locations for her shoot and was an absolute natural in front of the camera. Wishing Emily all the best!
go big or go home
. 03.31.21 . This guy... This guy lives by the saying "go big or go home". He's been running and gunning for 30+ years and slower gears aren't usually his speed! He's always got his eyes on the future, thinking, planning and thinking some more... The brains of the operation that is our life has been nose to the grindstone for 19.5 months now. He started his MBA the DAY after Cash was born [mhm, you heard me] and I'm not sure how he's done it, but he is on his LAST several weeks of his LAST semester. To say we [yes all of us] are excited that he is almost finished is an understatement but to say I am proud, is the understatement of the year. Here's to the end of a chapter + the start of a new... Go big or go home babes, we are so proud of you!
The fam behind the photo fun
. 03.30.21 . Meet the Boatrights. Eric, his wife, Sharla, their two children, Zach and Halle, and the Grands. Eric + Sharla are the owners of a growing business here in Woodstock, VA, Sons + Daughters Academy. With more than 13 years of experience, Sharla has provided loving care to the children of Shenandoah Valley families over the years. Sharla reached out to L+L Photography and we [Liz + I] were excited to embark on our first community collaboration. We had a great time documenting the families of S+D and are grateful to all who participated!
It's her Half Birthday!!
. 03.09.21 . I am a firm believer that the Lord places people in our lives with intentionality… the right time, the right place, for reasons that even we may not know for some time. I first met Natalie several years ago when she was student teaching at WWRobinson. Fast forward a few years, she is now an established teacher, stunning wife and one rockstar of a mama to this gorgeous little one, Blair. I have had the pleasure of photographing Blair since before she was born and it has been amazing to watch her grow! Our part Filipino babes were due exactly 364 days apart and just happened to be born 368 days apart… only adding to the fun of ALLLL the birthday celebrations! Cheers [a little late] to your true ½ birthday, Blair Roque!!
CASH ME OUTSIDE [IN THE SNOW]
. 02.08.20 . This guy of mine may be little, but he has the BIGGEST personality!! He’s my inspiration, my reason, and I just cannot get enough of him. Mildly obsessed, to put it nicely… For those of you who know me, know that we [the hubs and I] waited quite a while before we welcomed Cash into our lives. I feel like his arrival was perfectly timed, as the Lord had intended it. We have enjoyed watching him grow and learn so much over the past year and a half [which is crazy to think it has been that long] and now it seems he is learning so many new things every day. Cash has always loved the outdoors, but these recent winter storms have brought an entirely new world of exploration for him! One of his newest words this week is “no” /snow/. Just a little bit of an age-appropriate blend reduction for all my fellow SLPs out there! He’s been the best little model for all mama’s photography experiments and I'm so grateful that “no” doesn’t exactly mean “no pictures” yet. I’m sure one day, he will tell me enough with the pictures, but for now, enjoying documenting every second I can with him!
THE OTHER L&L
. 1.5.21 . This gorgeous strawberry blonde dream is Leah Lloyd! Aside from the most perfectly unplanned alliteration to her married name, she is also a dear friend, a loving wife, the best mama to her son, Garrett, and soon to be mama of two! Leah and I [L&L is what we used to call ourselves "back in the day"] first met back in middle school. We danced together at a local studio, Ashburn Academy of Dance (if you’re in the NOVA area, check them out, they’re spectacular!) where we became the best of friends. We used to joke that we were like step sisters, spending the night at the other’s house every other weekend! Over the years, we have each covered some geographical area in VA from Radford, to Harrisonburg, NOVA, Farmville, and now Shenandoah Valley and West Virginia! I am so fortunate that amidst all of the zip codes, we have been able to stay in touch and remain close. Leah has always wanted to be a mom, and ruling that motherhood life in full force these days. Wishing this mama to be and her sweet family all the best on their new adventure and grateful to be able to document such an exciting time in their lives!
MAZIE
. 12.11.20 . Senior portraits have become one of my favorite types of shoot! The energy and zest for life, regardless of our 2020 circumstances, is so refreshing. Mazie is a senior at Stonewall Jackson High School and still embracing the Generals loud and proud. This gal is not just a pretty face, she works two jobs, is simultaneously studying to be a CNA, all while finding the time to love on her favorite animals. Thank you, Mazie for enduring the frigid air to get these stunning shots for your senior portraits!
A BREATH OF FRESH AIR
. 11.30.20 . One of the things I have really enjoyed with photography is getting to know so many new people during a time when socializing is so restricted. Although I am more of a homebody at heart, a part of me thrives on social interactions. This sweet family was such a breath of fresh air on the most gorgeous fall day! They were so easy going and their daughters, Kate and Korryn were a perfectly balanced blend of introverted and extroverted personalities that were an absolute blast to shoot. I thoroughly enjoyed chatting with Kate [who is quite the vivacious social butterfly] while we ventured around gorgeous grounds of Seven Bends State Park for the perfect lighting for their glowy shoot!
PRETTIEST LITTLE PEACH IN THE PATCH
. 11.24.20 . I did the thing. The thing they always tell us not to do.. I blinked... It seems like just yesterday this sweet girl’s mama and I were waiting in anticipation of our littles’ arrivals. I have to say, being pregnant at the same time as my best friend was incredibly special! [If only we had planned our maternity leave just a little bit better than one of us coming back to work and the other going out a week later]. Flash-forward. This sweet peach turned ONE over the weekend!! Despite being socially distant for so much of this past year, there are so many sweet memories of this girl and her heart-melting smile! It was a pleasure to do a Mama + Me shoot with these gorgeous gals.
Happy First Birthday, Hadley!!!
like it was yesterday
. 11.10.20 . It seems like yesterday this precious family had just welcomed their newest little member [my name twin] to the world!
I remember holding her just a few days old and loving how her older brothers gushed over her. I cannot believe how much they have all grown. With Landon finishing his senior year and getting ready to serve our country, Logan,
loving life and rocking all this sports and little Lauren blossoming with her own vibrant personality, Casey and Brandon’s hearts [and hands] are certainly full. I have so much love for this family and thrilled to be able to photograph them!
MEET THE POFFS
. 11.8.20 . This beautiful family holds a very dear place in my heart. I have had the pleasure of knowing them for several years now and I always walk away thinking, “man, those parents love their kids!” It is apparent that Warren and Emily treasure their family and do everything they can for their [adorable] children. Thank you for allowing Liz + I to photograph y’all this past week!
Sunset smoke show
. 11.6.20 . This gorgeous gal is certainly a one of a kind. We met briefly several years ago but it is remarkable how close you can grow to a person, during a social distancing pandemic. Nicole is phenomenal mother, a sweet friend and fantastic photographer herself! Her venture to full-time photography was inspiring for me to take the leap into this new-found passion as well. We began keeping in touch while we were both expecting our boys (who are only a few weeks apart). Despite this insane reality of pandemic life, we managed to stay in touch and grow a friendship that I truly treasure.
Devaney's Senior Shoot
Meet Devaney
. 11.3.2020 . It’s been a little while since I had done a senior shoot and I was personally very excited. These shoots are some of my favorite and I’ve been so excited to share Devaney’s gorgeous session. Devaney is a senior at Central
High School this year [Go Class of 2021!]. Regardless of how different this year has been for all; it was important to her to document this momentous occasion. She’s the gorgeous daughter of a coworker of mine, and we [Liz + I] were honored to capture such an exciting time in her life! While trying to select images for this post, I had the
hardest time narrowing it down because the camera just loved her radiant smile! Devaney initially had a bunch of ideas for what she wanted her shoot to look like, but we were able to narrow it down to three locations that I feel like really brought out her personality. We had a great time shooting with Devaney across a few
locations; from snapping a few personal shots on campus at her high school, to braving the swinging bridge and stopping traffic (anything to get the shot right??). We loved it all!
Devaney, thank you for choosing Liz and I to be your senior photographers. Wishing you the absolute best as you embark on a new and exciting chapter in your life!!
[so] many minis
. 10.29.20 . Feeling a sense of accomplishment with my first round of (fall) mini sessions completed! Fall has always been one of my favorite seasons. The colors, smells and feels, just feed my soul every year. It was a blast meeting and getting to know each of these sweet families in such a short amount of time. I have such a sense of gratitude, as each of these families trusted Liz (my L+L Photography partner) and I to document their lives. Every individual's personality truly brought the photos to life. Even though we selected one location for 6 shoots, each one was unique and I love that!
MIKE + JENNY
. 10.22.2020 . These two… Are some of the most fun personalities you could ever ask for in friends! They are truly made for eachother. It is always a great feeling leaving a session full of laughs, memories and of course, several great photos. They certainly made it easy! I have had the pleasure to capture a few exciting moments in their lives over the past few years and it was a blast photographing them this fall as prep for our winter minis to come! Stay tuned for updates!
Tiny house. Big adventures
. 10.19.20 . I can’t even remember the last time I truly “unplugged”. I feel like I’ve heard myself say, it was nice to unplug for the weekend, but really what I meant was, we didn’t have any big obligations to attend. It was a strange feeling, picking up my phone (out of habit) only to realize each time that every single application on my phone was completely inoperable. Following the slight level of panic, I encountered the first few times I got that pitiful looking dog image when I opened Amazon, that dull grey bar across the top of my Instagram, practically waving at me, letting me know there was nothing new to see there… quite literally, nothing would load. It made me keenly aware of how much I rely on my phone for email work updates, time checks, texts, etc. By the end of the weekend I got up (early because my body apparently didn’t get the memo that I was “off duty”), didn’t even check to see where my phone was, and enjoyed exploring the peaceful earth of Callaway, VA in the crisp 45 degree, morning air. So grateful for time away with the hubby to slow down, recharge and explore! For those of you wondering if tiny house living is in my future? It certainly is not, but a weekend away to hang with the hubby, cozied up in the couple hundred square foot tiny house, with no schedules, appointments or alarms, was exactly what we needed!
Throwing caution to the wind
. 10.18.20 . For years growing up, teachers told me my writing was “too wordy”. In college I was docked for not being concise on my assignments... I’ve always shied away from being seen; lacking confidence when it came to most things, but especially my writing. In deciding to keep it to myself I found myself looking for other outlets to get the creative juices flowing; I’ve never been a “I can sit down with a good book anywhere-type of gal. I’ve tried my hand in crafts, creating invitations and signage for friends, all of which I’ve loved! But it hasn’t really given me the sense of fulfillment that I’ve craved. It has taken some time, but I’ve since found my way in my career as a Speech Language pathologist and I truly love what I do! While working with other teachers, I have continually been told that I always seem to be able to find “just the right word” or that I have a way with words and should have a blog. Each time I laughed, hearing all those teachers in the back of my head... Anyone who knows me, knows this is far outside of my comfort zone, but I’m throwing caution to the wind and taking a leap! In addition to diving into the deep end with my bestie and embarking on a new photography adventure, I’ve decided to share my work with y’all on another level, each person photographed has such a unique story to share! So here we go, whether I truly “have a way with words” or not! Welcome to my blog, life, captured.