The 411 on Mini-Sessions...

Haven't you just been biting your fingernails in anticipation?  ;)  Here's the scoop on the Holiday Promotion for 2008...  Two days:  Saturday, September 27 (morning slots, then evening slots) at Phillippe Park in Safety Harbor.  Lots of live oaks, a small beach, wide open fields, shady spots to relax.  Then Monday, October 6 (morning and evening) in downtown Clearwater.  Brick walls, bright colors, relaxed urban feel to this spot.  (Rain date Saturday October 11.)  A twenty-minute session gets you 8-10 images from which to choose.  The session package includes 1 8x10, 2 5x7s, and two boxes of holiday cards of your choice.  (And I'll post card samples here on the blog next week!)  I'm also offering a couple of fun, "with purchase" bonus items this year (a little something new!)....  a gorgeous limited edition brag book including all session images, and exclusive session CDs!  Contact me for further details and pricing. 

I anticipate these slots to fill very quickly again this year, and they're on a first-come, first-serve basis (yes, voice mails count, lol!).  So don't wait!  These will be the ONLY mini-sessions I offer all year long.  These are PERFECT if you want to experience a little taste of what a full session is like, or if you are a current client and simply need an updated family photo for holiday cards and *ahem* grandparents' gifts!!  ;)  Call me at 727.698.0344 or shoot me an email at stacey@staceywoodsphoto.com to reserve your spot.

*All holiday orders MUST be placed no later than November 1 to ensure Christmas delivery!  I will still be shooting well into November and December, but I can't guarantee holiday delivery for any of those sessions.  So.... jump on the bandwagon guys!  Talk to you soon.  :)

(Oh, and since I can't have any more posts without images... it's just not right at all, ya know...  here's a recent shot of my little sweetie.  Can you believe Lila is already two months old?  *sniff sniff*)

Yes.... there are more....

I really HAVE been photographing my daughter the past 2-1/2 weeks.  I just haven't had time to process and upload them!!  Ahem, so it's been a little hectic, okay?!  ;)  No really I have to send a huge THANK YOU to my Mom, she and my Dad have been staying with us since right before Lila was born, and I would not have been able to hold my eyes open at this moment if it weren't for her.  She's made breakfast, lunch and dinner, cleaned our house, taken care of Parker, taken care of ME, and let Chris actually get some work done instead of being bombarded with all of the "helping out" on his own.  I secretly think Chris will miss her as much as I will, if not more!  

And... we've had a breakthrough over the past couple of days!  Parker has relented it seems, and has been calling his baby sister by her real name for two days in a row!!  I'm so relieved.  I was just anticipating my little girl being confused about her name all the way until kindergarten.

He's already assumed the role of Protector, and has been keeping a watchful eye on her while she's in her carseat, so her tiny head won't flop over without Mama knowing about it... also putting her pacifier back in her mouth every time she spits it out in complete disapproval.  ;)

Oh how I love that shot.....  she's lying in my dad's hands.  :)

And of course I'm on maternity leave... but I'm still here.  :)  I'm returning all phone calls and emails as soon as I'm able... albeit on a delay.... catch as catch can these days!  Thanks for bearing with me.

I also wanted to send lots of hugs and appreciation to each and every one of you who have sent us such sweet love notes and comments here on the blog... to our friends, family, and clients, my goodness... to all of y'all who have emailed or called to congratulate us!  We are so grateful for this much care and support right now, and we love you all dearly!  Of course, Parker has been highly anticipating the UPS guy's almost-daily visit to our door now too... so thank you to everyone who has been so sweet as to send presents for Lila, and to Parker!  I can't tell you how much it means to us.  :)  xoxoxox

Happy Father's Day BABY!

Yes... she's here! Our little girl has arrived. She's simply captivated us, and has melted all of our hearts! Meet our newest darling.... Lila Kate Woods.

And she was the perfect Father's Day present for Chris... she was born on Sunday morning, June 15. She also shares her birthday with her Papa Donnie. And you can bet he was floating a few inches off the ground that day too. ;) I love this shot of my tiny Lila in his big hands....

Lila and I are both doing wonderfully, thanks to my amazing doctor, the angelic team of nurses who cared for us while we were at the hospital, and all our friends and family who drove 12-15 hours to be with us for her birth, and who are so generously giving of their time and talents to help us settle in. You'll never know how much you all mean to us!

Thanks again to my sweet friends Amy and Stacy, for coming over to "play" today. I had sooooo much fun! And I can't wait to see the gorgeous images you created for us! We love you both! xoxo

I promise to post more photos of our sweet girl later on... oh I've got tons to show you!!! :)

I'm officially too pregnant for this gig....

Yep. I scared Grandma half to death when I climbed to the second floor of the kids' fort, trying to "get the shot". Now photographers, tell me, was this sibling image not worth it?! YOU would have climbed the fort too, right?? ;)

I admit, I'm a very "physical" shooter, as my clients have witnessed.... they've seen me climbing walls, perching tiptoe on chairs and ladders, lying on my tummy in the middle of the street (well, not in the last nine months or so!) sitting down in fire-ant infested grassy fields, straddling a bathtub or two (or three), the list goes on and on. Given my history, I didn't even question climbing the stairs to sit in the fort with these three kiddos. (And oh my goodness, they certainly kept me laughing!!) The only downer was when the girls ran off to change clothes, and little Jack here ran off behind them.... I'm standing at the top of the fort yelling, "Um, Jack! Hey buddy, can you come help me down from here???" LOL! So, yeah, I've officially reached my limitations while shooting client sessions. Not bad though, for 8-1/2 months pregnant, eh? ;)

Even the dogs were fun, jumping into the pond and everything. As soon as I opened the door and walked into the Kennedys' home, this sweet St. Bernard lay right down on my feet. What a lover.

I can't even TELL YOU how much I ADORE this next shot of all the kids together.... The girls' sweet giggle and their brother's "bleh, GIRLS!"-face just melt my heart!! (Yeah, this shot was taken in the fort too!)

And one with Mom. Can you see where these gorgeous kids get their looks? They also inherited her totally relaxed attitude. (Which I definitely appreciated, lol!) It was so refreshing!

Loved this swing shot for some reason....

And possibly my favorite...... a perfect way to end a photo session, right? :)

Did I mention how RELAXED this family was?? :) I LOVED that Mom let the kids jump into the pool, clothes and all! Look what sweet faces I got after the girls jumped out..... priceless, I tell ya.

Thanks, Wendy and Company, for the super-fun, awesome evening!!! I feel like I went out with a bang!!

I'll be taking off the rest of June and most or all of July (except for some last-minute editing, placing a few orders, and delivering clients' prints, etc.).

Keep your eyes on the blog for announcements of when my little girl makes her grand entrance, and when I'll be back to shooting! It won't be long, I promise!! :) By the way, I'm already booking for August, September, and Christmas sessions for October! Shoot me an email (stacey@staceywoodsphoto.com), or drop me a line (727.698.0344), and I'll put you down in my schedule!

Going once... going twice...

I am both excited and proud to let you know that my work will be part of the All Childrens Hospital VIP Charity Auction this Saturday evening, May 31! This annual event is part of the 25th Annual All Childrens Hospital Telethon, and all proceeds will go DIRECTLY to All Childrens Hospital and its west-central FL outreach locations. News Channel 8 will be covering the Telethon itself, on Friday night and Saturday... please, if you're able to pledge $20, $50, $100, or even $1,000 to this amazing cause, your gift would be much appreciated, and very wisely spent! The Telethon is also a part of the Childrens Miracle Network!

One lucky bidder will be able to take home a Custom Photo Session with Stacey Woods Photography, AND a complete Keepsake Session Album including ALL the images from their session with me (package valued at $1,025)! Other fantastic items to be auctioned include: Trace Adkins concert tickets (yes, the country singer who made me wax nostalgic on Mother's Day)... trips to Costa Rica... the Bahamas... Beaver Creek Falls, Colorado... backstage passes to see Jay Leno and Rachael Ray.... one-of-a-kind Chihuly glass.... and YES, even SUPER BOWL TICKETS!!

To find out more about the and how to attend the VIP Auction, please visit www.allkids.org, www.allkidsfoundation.org, or call Jessica Petot at the Hospital Foundation, at 727-767-8422. Here's to a record-breaking Telethon this weekend!!

Yep, another sweet newborn!

I can't get enough of 'em! This little guy was as good as gold for me. Made the funniest faces and kept me laughing the entire session.... when I wasn't smiling and sighing at him, anyhow. ;) Makes me so anxious to meet my soon-to-be-here little one!

So here's little Benjamin.

And his teeny toes.

I can't stop giggling at this one. I'm sure he was thinking.... "Why did this lady put me on a chair?!" LOL!

Really, I can't stop staring at this next image.... I always fall for the shots with Mommy. Why? Because usually Mamas are the ones behind the camera, getting all the shots of their own little ones and those treasured moments they want to remember. But for me, it's a true thrill to give a Mother an image of her child that she's actually IN! So that her child can look back on it some day, and see just how much his Mama loved him at that very moment. The look on her face and the love in her hands. Ahh, gives me chills.

(Oh, and by the way.... can y'all tell that this pregnancy is making me even gushier and more sentimenal than usual?! ;) And I was bad already, lol!)

I know they're going to be wonderful parents. Just look. How can you not smile seeing this one?? :)

Mom and Dad, I had so much fun with you and your sweet little guy. And I hope you love your images!

Waiting for Benjamin...

What a beautiful couple. I felt so comfortable in their home. We shared laughs, pregnancy stories, and had a lot of fun shooting their maternity session. But I must say, it's completely UNFAIR that a woman would look this fabulous just days (did I say DAYS?! yes.) before giving birth. (Please Lord, grant me the same blessing, lol!) Anyhow, please meet Jackie and Ben.... while they were Two. :)

And my faaaaavorite. :) I loved the dramatic lighting in their bedroom!

I have a ton more to share..... stay tuned! :)

Cookie monster.

A bit of business before I post these next shots...

If you would like a photo session with me before I give birth (!) and go on maternity leave, PLEASE, schedule it NOW! :) I'm currently booking for mid-May with a few early June dates still open. To book your photo session, you can contact me via my website which is www.staceywoodsphoto.com, or by emailing me at stacey@staceywoodsphoto.com, or simply by calling me at 727.698.0344. I can't wait to hear from ya!

Now.... on to the photos!! :)

This is Hailey. Her mama owns a local coffee shop in Dunedin, with whom I'm working on a project at the moment. We went out and had a little session a few Saturdays ago, and brought some yummy snacks along with us! And YES, can you believe MORE COLOR from me?! But these photos just *screamed* COLOR to me.... and, like I tell my clients, I don't have the heart to convert to black-and-white in some instances! I hope you'll understand once you see these. ;)

last one.... i love it.

And there you have it. The explanation for zero black-and-white images in a post. :) Can ya blame me?

Jersey Girls

I must tell you. I had a BLAST with these two gals!!! We hit lots of local spots on Clearwater Beach for this session... including splashing under the pier! I know Nancy has been waiting ever-so-patiently on this preview, so just for her I'm showcasing a bunch of images here. (Your gallery will be up before you know it!) :)

Take a look at these beauties.... like mother, like daughter!

I loooved this graffitti under the pier. :)

Loved all the signage too!

And perhaps my favorite....

Ohh I have so many more super-fun shots! I wish I could blog the whole darn session! And can you really believe I had this much fun with COLOR?! You just never know about me, do ya? ;)

Bits and pieces.

Most of you know that when I'm photographing newborns, some of my favorite images to capture are the *tiny* ones. And by that, I mean itty bitty baby parts. Slender fingers, wrinkly toes, ears, the folds of her neck, the fuzz on his shoulder. So, in celebration of all these sweet newborns I've seen recently, take a peek at some of my favorite "detail shots"........

Hope those little pieces made you smile. :)