dance, baby, dance!

Listen up, Tampa Bay mamas and daddies!  I've got the perfect place for you to take the kids tomorrow....  Baby Loves Disco!!  What is Baby Loves Disco, you ask??  Well, it's just the hippest place for Tampa Bay's parents AND kiddos to hang out, that's what.  Baby Loves Disco is a supercool event that transforms an already-hip grown-up spot into an even more fun -- and kid-friendly -- hangout!  Meet me at the Blue Martini at International Plaza in Tampa, from 11am until 2pm on Sunday, February 15th.   In true "disco style", the Blue Martini will be breaking out a disco ball over the dance floor, with classic 70s dance music so y'all can get your groove on with the little ones!  Yogani will be there with chair massages for the parents, as well as a "Chill Lounge" with a Dress-Up Corner!  There will be healthy snacks served, and even a Juice Box Bar (how cool is that?!) for the kids, and spirits for the non-driving parent!.  Aveda will be on hand with a Glam Make-up Lounge.  The Parent Guide and Baby News Bits are providing balloons and face-painting..... so many things to let YOU relax and your KIDS have a ball. There will be "stroller parking" provided by Stroller Strides as well, so be sure to bring baby's wheels!

Lastly, Stacey Woods Photography will be a sponsor as well, and I'll be there to capture the fun of the day!  I'll also be shooting a few "mini-session style" portraits (with exclusive discounts!) for the fun families who attend Baby Loves Disco.

Don't miss out!  My family and I will see you there....

the most beautiful light. really.

I was ecstatic when I met this sweet family at their home for this session.  The sun was just getting ready to set over the lake behind their home.  And we took full advantage, let me tell you!!  

The sun wasn't the only amazing thing this evening, however....  I have never seen a brother-sister duo be so willing to give out bear-hugs to one another.  How many moms and dads would cut off their right arm to just SEE their kids be so sweet to each other, much less have the photographic evidence?!  :)

More of that delicious sunlight....

I can't even TELL you how much I adore my job.  :)

a fresh start.

Wow.  What a week!  As I sit here thinking about this week's happenings and activities, I can't help but think that this is a fresh start for so many of us.  Of course, the Presidential Inauguration was the spotlight feature.  So many Americans are filled with new hope and are whispering a prayer for change at this moment!  In our personal lives, my husband Chris started a new job this week (yay!), and we are all four in the middle of the awkward ballet that is our new routine.  Hopefully we'll get it all figured out this coming week.  And I, finally, am back on the Blog Train today!!!  Show of hands, did all (um, three) of you faithful blog-readers miss me?!  LOL!  I promise I'll be a better blogger in 2009.  :) Believe it or not, I still have sessions from 08 to catch up on showing y'all.  So without further ado... 

This little guy stole my heart.  I love this age...  curious, joyful, and so in awe of their little (big) world.

And isn't he lucky to have two parents who are so in awe of HIM?  :)  I love that.

Loved his little curled up toes by the pool!  ;)

Now tell me.... who in the world could resist that face?  Wouldn't it be soooo difficult to say "no" to those big melt-you-in-a-minute eyes?!  I'd have him spoiled for sure!

Thanks, guys, for an amazing session.  I had so much fun with your sweet family!!

Now for the boys....

So many families of girls I've photographed recently!  This shoot was 100% boy, however.  Trains (both Thomas and the authentic variety), soccer in the backyard, crazy animal sounds, lots of snuggling with Mama and Daddy, and laughs by the barrel-full.  See for yourself... I think they were pretending to be tigers here.  ;)  LOVE that Mom and Dad joined in, how fun is that?!

Such handsome faces.....  

Hailing Thomas...  ;)

Thanks so much, guys, for an awesome playdate.  I had a blast with you, and all of your boyish-ness!

Caroline and Kate...

This family was super sweet, so very good to me for this shoot.  And I love their girls' names!  (Caroline and Kate were the top two middle names we'd chosen for our own daughter!  You might remember, Parker purposefully called his little sister "Ava Caroline" instead of "Lila Kate" for the first two weeks of her life.  LOL!) 

I just wanted to put them in my pocket and take them home with me.  (Much to Parker's dismay, I'm sure... "Ewww, more girly stuff!"  LOL!)

Aren't they absolutely beautiful??  I loved Baby Kate's sweet expressions.... 

And I LOVED this outtake!!  Caroline was just too cute.  While proofing this session, I giggled every time I would scroll past this shot.  So I just HAD to include it in their gallery!  (I wonder if Mom and Dad see this same face from time to time?)  ;)

And who could resist a sleepy girl with a tiny thumb in her mouth?  Oh, be still my heart....

Huge thanks to this family.... I had a blast with y'all, and I hope you enjoy your gallery!  :)

So this was my weekend...

My parents flew into town on Friday to visit us, and to see how much the kids have grown.  Gosh, what a shock they got when they saw how monstrous Lila's chunky thighs are, lol!  Ahh, she's such a good eater.  :)  Anyhow, we visited, laughed, played, loved, and cried.  For three days.  And Parker sobbed when we dropped them off at the airport today, love his heart.  I thought I'd share a few "snapshots" with you from our short time together....  

Popaw Pat and his "little man" watching Christmas movies together, of all things!  ;)  Told ya we were in the Christmas spirit here at the Woods house!  lol

Love her expression here.... she makes this face a lot!  And it melts me of course.

"Nammie" (one of the grandkids couldn't say "Grammy" so it stuck) and her 5th granddaughter... Can you believe Parker is the only son/grandson on my side of the family?  Just my boy and a bunch of girly-girls, blech!  ;) 

Right before leaving for the airport.... at least he held it together until they were out of sight!  (Ahem, same goes for me, as always....)

And we took Parker into the backyard this afternoon for a little "mini-session"...  it's for a project that my Mom is working on.  I couldn't help but adore these!!

Apparently he was LOVING my knock-knock jokes today.  Thank goodness!  I thought I'd run out of tricks with this one....  ;)  And last one.... "Progression of a Laugh" I call it.  Now, I dare you not to smile.  :)

I'm back in the office as of this morning (Tuesday).  I've got a slew of emails and voice messages to return, so if you need me, no worries..... I'll be glued to my office chair for the entire day!!!!  :) 

"Thanta, can I pleathe have that?"

Hurray, it's toy-catalog and toy-commercial season again!!  Aren't you so glad?  ;)  Is your mailbox threatening to tip over from the added weight of the bulk mail alone?  The catalogs from companies you haven't heard from since last Christmas?  Have your children suddenly become little zombies who point and sputter "I want that!!!" after every TV commercial?  Parker has circled just about every single toy in the Wish Books (everything that isn't, as he says, "too girly" anyways!).  He's trying to make it a little easier on us, I suppose... No guesswork for us this year on what he REALLY REALLLLLY wants under the tree.  Why, thank you, thank you son. So this funny kid of mine, who has a severe case of The Gimmees right now, doesn't get the whole concept of "Santa is not made of money, darlin'.  He (ahem, Mama and Daddy) can't get you everything you ask for."  In Parker's reasoning, Santa doesn't need money to buy toys, he can just MAKE a Wii at his workshop.  His elves can just BUILD a Batman Playset or the Lego Star Wars Death Star.  That's pretty tough logic to argue with, now isn't it?  Especially since he saw the elves, with his very own eyes, make real Etch-A-Sketches in the movie Elf.  ;)

So, imagine the TV on, blaring commercial after commercial for noisy and obnoxious toys and we must "collect them all!" of course.  He has already learned his lesson and will not ask Mama or Daddy for yet another toy on this particular day.  So instead, after seeing a commercial for this or this or this, he whispers in a tiny voice: "Thanta, will you pleathe get me that for Chrithmath?!  Thank you!!"  (Do you know how much I utterly ADORE his sweet little lisp???  *sigh*)  It's as if he's whispering a prayer to dear old St. Nick up in the North Pole.  Santa's always watching, you know!!  ;)  

I even caught him on the potty yesterday, with the Target Toy Catalog lying across his lap.... and he was just browsing away and whispering to Santa Claus as he flipped through the pages.  I just smiled and closed the bathroom door.  Love his heart.

A delight.

Meet the fabulous Jill Somers, owner of the equally fabulous Somers Salon and Spa in Clearwater, and her sweet, adorable family.  (You MUST pay her spa a visit, by the way.  Her Stylists and Spa Staff are all incredibly amazing, and you will leave her spa rejuvenated, refreshed, and relaxed, I PROMISE!  I always do!  ;)  Her mantra at the Spa is to bring "Beauty, Style, and Relaxation to the World, One Person at a Time".  And wow, does she ever!  Check out Jill's blog as well, to get salon updates and promotion details, spa information, as well as "hot tips"!) Anyhow, Jill and her family (including their ever-charming terrier Rex!!) are always such a delight to photograph.  (Check out how much little Ella has grown since our session last year!)  A few weeks back, we headed to Phillippe Park again and played in the sand, hiked up the stairs of the Indian Mound (and back down... and back up... and back down), relaxed under the shady trees, and even made friends with a spider.....

Loved the way she was telling Rex to "stop!"  :)  That chubby little hand, oh my goodness.

I just love-love-love the image above.  :)  Totally makes me smile!  

What a gorgeous little girl she is.  Just absolutely precious in every way.  And wouldn't you know it, she has the best hair.  :)  (Thanks, Mom!)   

Shhh, don't tell Daddy....

TOP SECRET STUFF HERE.  :)  If you know Captain Daniel Long of Otherside Charters, then shhhh, don't tell him you saw this post!!!  This session is a sweet surprise for his birthday, from his beautiful wife and two adorable daughters.  I thought it was a fantastic idea!  His wife, Janet, is the owner of Kookie Krums, a yummy coffee shop/boutique in downtown Dunedin.  (Make sure you pop in soon, because I did some commercial work for her this year, and she's ordered a whole slew of my canvases to decorate her boutique!)  Anyhow, back to the surprise.... The gals and I headed up to Honeymoon Island to play.  (All of you with young kids know... that I sometimes call our sessions "playdates" and that I always make a point to play with the kids, make it fun, and let them loose to just RUN at some point in the session (well, some sessions have lots more running than others, I must admit!  Especially with the toddler crowd.  ;))  Well, there was so much to do on this particular playdate.  Like hiding in the sea grapes.... um, do y'all see a little blond-haired girl anywhere?!  Where did she go???  ;)

I must add that I love her nail polish.  LOL!  And after hide-and-seek was over, we made sea-shell castles.  (If any of you have ever been to Honeymoon Island, you'll understand why.  There are more shells on that beach than there are grains of sand!)

Then, there were strolls to take and waves to "kick" of course....

How I *adore* my wide-angle lens at the beach.  :)  This next shot is one of my favorites!!

And of course, there is always time for cuddling and snuggling with Mama.  It just wouldn't be a playdate without a little bit of snuggle-time!

I'm in love with this next shot.  Such adoration from Mama, and that sweet soft backlight gets me every time.  So summery and relaxed.

I loved the graininess, and the soft movement of Janet's hair in this one....  and don't tell me that you CAN'T hear the littlest one laughing!  :)  Love that.

Do you think Daddy will be pleased?  :)  Remember, no spoiling the surprise!  

By the way, I refuse to apologize for showing so many images at a time nowadays!  I'm thrilled that my blog finally shows my photographs nice and HUGE, so I get on a roll sometimes and can't stop adding.  LOL!  Have a great night, everyone!!

Simple fun.

I have met so many wonderful families this season.  I always love to photograph sisters, since I have two of my own (with whom I chat on the phone at least every other day!), and it brings back so many sweet memories for me.  These two were darling as can be, and were so fun to play with that evening.....

Talk about a heart-melter, huh?!

The sunset over their lake was so beautiful that evening.  I loved the reflection of it in the water!

This next one completely reminds me of my sisters and I.... holding hands and running through the garden, from our house to our grandparents' house.  We lived next door to them when we were little.  The three of us would sit on the back of our gold velvet couch and watch our grandparents' house from the window -- and as soon as we saw Momaw & Popaw step outside to hang up laundry on the line, or mow the grass, we'd wave madly and shout to them and ask to come over and visit.  I don't think I can ever remember a time when they didn't say, "Why, sure!  If your Mommy and Daddy say it's okay."  :)  Some of my best memories growing up....

I've got lots more sessions to share.  More tomorrow, stay tuned!