While we wait for their stunning heirloom album and matted prints to arrive, I couldn't resist sharing some highlights from the Sink family's lovely session.

I knew their images would be gorgeous (cute family + amazing style + all the love), but I didn't expect our 88-degree, early-September session to look like such an autumn dream. The leaves around us had already crisped and fallen, and the glowy sunset had cast the trees in the background the perfect shade of golden yellow. I love when Mother Nature pulls through for me!

It was such an honor to spend time with this family and witness just how much they adore their sweet, beautiful girl (who, by the way, was SO sweet during our session, even though it was past her bedtime!). 

Rose and Caley, thank you so much for trusting me to document this moment in your lives and create an album worthy to pass down to your daughter one day.

I'm so excited to share this session, because it marks my first one as a Charlottesville photographer!​ Our session took place just a few days after we moved in, and I'll be honest, taking a break from unpacking boxes to photograph an at-home newborn session was just what I needed. Spending time with a newborn makes everything better!

Emily and Jake, thank you SO much for making me feel at home in a new city. You created the perfect baby boy, and I'm so honored I got to document all his newborn sweetness and the love you share for each other. 

Earlier this month, I announced that I'll be teaming up with Chisholm Vineyards at Adventure Farm for a unique Portrait Event on select dates in October. If you've been thinking about booking, here's everything you'll need to know. Can't wait to see you there!

When and where are the sessions being held? Oct. 5 and Oct. 19 from 5-6 p.m. at Chisholm Vineyards in Earlysville (Charlottesville), Virginia. 

How much does it cost? $50 per session (plus admission to the farm).

What will I receive? 2-3 custom-edited digitals, a trick-or-treat bag for the kids, and 1 entry to win a free full session (a $175 value) with a $100 print credit (my biggest giveaway yet!). 

How long will each session last? About 5 minutes. This is plenty of time to capture adorable images of your child — and then you can get back to the pumpkin patch fun!

Does my child need to be a certain age? Not really. Sitters and up will probably do best, but I'm more than happy to photograph younger — they will just need to lie down on the blanket.

How many children can be in one session? 1-2. If you have more than two children and want individual portraits of each, I recommend booking two sessions back-to-back (yes, this means you'll receive 4-6 images total and will earn 2 entries for a free full session).

What will the setup look like? A vintage quilt with gorgeous fall hues and a wooden stool for those old enough. I like to keep things simple and classic! 

What should my child wear? Their fall best or Halloween costume.

Do I need to pay admission to the pumpkin patch? Yes. Chisholm Vineyards has been so kind to include me in their pumpkin patch festivities, and you will need to pay admission to the farm, even if you are only coming to the Portrait Event.

What other activities will there be? Pick-your-own pumpkins, live music, food trucks, hay rides, a corn maze, and of course, amazing wine!

Sign me up! How do I book? Here's the link! Booking and payment are required prior to the event. 

There is such a story to tell during a newborn session. Whether at home or in the hospital, documenting the start of a new life is not a task I take lightly.

I'm completely honored by each newborn session I take, and I'm so grateful for families like the Agee's who trust me and welcome me into this chapter of their lives. 

Baby William was about three weeks old for his session, with alert blue eyes and the sweetest head of blond hair. He was the best little boy our entire session — and the way he looks at his mama will make your heart melt!

I have so many favorites from this session, but wanted to share the best of the best here, plus the Agee's new family heirloom — their Glass Memory Box, a handmade engraved box that holds their most special newborn memories.

​I can't wait for William to be able to look through these with his parents one day and hear all about his first days in the world!

The Agee's gorgeous Glass Memory Box, a handmade heirloom featuring a delicately engraved top with baby's name and birth date. Inside are 10 Master Fine Art Prints. 

Cotton-candy skies, rippling blue water, and the most fun family of four — if I were ever to dream about photographing a session, I know this is what it would look like. 

Admittedly, it's been a while since I've photographed a family with older children. But it was such a refreshing change of pace. Families go through so many stages, and lately it feels like the newborn and baby stages are the only ones that get professionally photographed. 

I'm so happy that Brooke and Adam chose to treasure and document this stage in their lives — I mean, when else will a teenage boy spend a Saturday evening giving hugs and kisses to his momma?! (Just kidding — Kaiden was very sweet about it, and it melted my boy-mom heart.)

My favorite part about my time with the Saul family, though, was actually a few weeks after their session, when I delivered their gorgeous print art — a Glass Memory Box with prints and a Linen Folio displaying three of their favorite photos. They were just finishing up a birthday celebration, and had several guests over. Watching them open each piece and share their photos with their family was an absolute joy and 100 percent the reason why I do what I do. 

Brooke and Adam, thank you so much for trusting me to capture your beautiful family. It was an honor. Most important, though, thank you for being yourselves around me (and for sticking your feet into the water illegally with me). You guys are the best!

When I first approached Lee Robison, owner of the Golden Shoestring in Roanoke, about collaborating, I had lots of ideas running through my head.

But I was most excited about the possibility of a styled shoot. I was eager to feature some pieces from the store's curated selection of high-end consignment clothing, and show off how beautiful they can look in a relaxed photo session. 

I had so much fun shopping the store and picking out the embroidered top (TINY by Anthropologie), embroidered dress (Umgee), and sandals (Talbots). My model JoAnn looked amazing in everything! 

When I met with JoAnn before the session, I told her that in addition to featuring some great clothes, I also wanted the images to really reflect the relationship she has with her daughter. I wanted her to be able to look at the photos years from now and hear her daughter's sweet giggle and feel the warmth of her hugs and kisses.

I'm proud to say we accomplished just that! I absolutely loved getting to watch them laugh and play. JoAnn and Lee — thank you both so much for spending time with me and helping me create some magic!

There are so many things that make me smile about this at-home newborn session. 

First, the family dynamic. I love when older siblings are very involved. It really does provide a complete family picture. When I look through these photos, I see moments that will be so treasured decades and generations from now — by both brothers. 

Second, baby's facial expressions. They're incredible! He has such a deep stare, and his eyes already tell a story. He was such an active part of his session, and I absolutely love it (that may sound weird, but once you look at the highlights, you'll see what I mean!).

Third, I see a lot of personal and artistic growth. Of course, I grow with every session, but for this one, I had recently invested in a wider lens, in the hopes that it would help me better tell my clients' stories. And it has. As I made photos during this session, I finally felt like my images could breathe.

Every mom knows the sound: the gurgling build-up of a diaper blowout. It happens when you least expect it, but usually at the worst times. I recommend dressing and changing your baby just before you're ready to feed him (which should be the very last thing you do, in the hopes eating will put him to sleep). 

(And make sure they're wearing a bib or spit-up cloth.) It's best if baby is asleep for at least some of the session, and feeding him right before usually does the trick. You and your baby are still learning the ropes when it comes to feeding, so give yourself plenty of time. ​

Tucked behind a Jiffy Lube on Franklin Road in Roanoke you'll find one of the Valley's fashion meccas: The Golden Shoestring. 

The high-end consignment store owned by Lee Robison takes designer brands many only dream of owning — Jimmy Choo, Louis Vuitton, Kate Spade, and Chanel to name a few — and makes them accessible to every fashion-loving woman.
​
If you grew up in Roanoke, you may have visited the store with your mom or grandma — it has, after all, been around since the 1970s — but if you stop in today, you will not find the same shop. 

When Lee, a former Macy's Buyer, took over in 2013, the store was old, tired and in desperate need of modernization. ​After much hard work, they are now computerized, actively involved in social media (find them on Facebook and Instagram), and have made eye-catching improvements inside and outside the store. Lee and her team of female employees have also hosted several events, including a fundraiser for rescue greyhounds, Elevate Your Image demonstrations, Royal Wedding festivities and an annual holiday open house. 

Laura: What kind of experience can customers expect at Golden Shoestring?
Lee: We get to know our customers and consigners on a personal level. For some people, we provide retail therapy in a unique boutique environment, and we want the experience to be memorable, fun and something they always look forward to. Our staff loves fashion, recycling, and helping others save money on designer brands. Each of us are from families that shared clothes with siblings and friends, so we love going green.

Laura: What does a typical day in the store look like?  
Lee: There is no real typical day, because we never know what items will come through the door. It can be a little hectic when three or four consignors show up with merchandise for us to evaluate. Some days we get brand-new items with $1,000 tickets on them. We love the stories behind the merchandise, which we pass onto our customers. We are busy bees helping our customers and consignors, posting Instagram and Facebook stories, freshening new arrivals, and moving items to our Last Chance area before donating locally.

The questions you’re asking as a new mom – I know them all. I tense up just thinking of them.

When will I be able to get real sleep?

How do I get back into my regular routine?

When will I have time for my husband again?

What do I have to do to lose the baby weight?

Everything seems so new that there are times when you just feel desperate and scared. Everything seems new and confusing. Anxiously, you reach out to friends, family, even Facebook for answers.

I’m in a lot of groups for moms on Facebook, and I see posts with those questions constantly. And I remember those days.

The days of burp cloths and nipple guards and mesh underwear. Nights when your tears rival your child’s as you beg them to fall back asleep so you can sleep too. A blur of feeding and burping and changing and rocking.

There’s so much good. You can see it. Snuggling, introducing your little one to the world, learning every bit about them that you can.

But then there’s the piles of laundry. The dirty dishes. Finding the time for food, both preparing it and eating it. The anxiety of getting it all done and not understanding how to fit the puzzle pieces together to make it happen.

There’s this pressure to have it all figured out, and still be the ever-doting, living-in-the-moment mom.

Oh, mama. You’re craving normal, as everything changes around you.

If only I could get my home back in order. If only my husband and I were close again. And if only I understood what was going on in my body.

My heart goes out to you. And I have good news and bad news.

The bad news is, that normal you’re looking for? It’s out the window. For good.

But hang in there with me, and don’t be afraid! There’s so much good news.

First, you are not alone. I know this time is leaving you reeling, and feeling like, who else in the world can know this madness? I promise you’re not the only one.

Every single mother who has ever mothered has gone through this time of life. If there’s no one else around who is telling you that, let me be the one. We’re starting from the same messy place in those first few weeks, no matter if it’s our first or fifth child. We’re all making it work the best we can.

Second, you deserve so much grace.

Your body just did something incredible, and went through a huge amount of change in a short amount of time. (Including the nine months prior.) You are adjusting to a completely new way of life, one where a little person (or people) depend on you for everything.

Not to mention, you are surviving on a couple hours of sleep at a time. That’s enough on its own to make anyone crazy.

Take yourself out of your shoes for a moment and take a look at the mom in the room with fresh eyes. Would you tell her to get her act together? To do better? To fold some dang laundry, for crying out loud?

I don’t think so. You’d tell her to take her time, take care of herself, breathe deep, and know it is all going to be okay. Talk to yourself the way you’d talk to another mom in your shoes.

Third, I can tell you this with absolute certainty – this season will pass.

I can’t tell you when or how. But one day your child will sleep through the night (and so will you). One day you’ll figure out when to wash dishes and still fit your feeding schedule. At some point, you will go on a date with your husband again.

And finally, yes, the normal you’re used to is gone, and it isn’t coming back.

And surprisingly, THAT’S OKAY. Because you and your family are building a new normal. It’s one that takes trial and error and lots of grace.

But it also comes with a precious little one that looks at you like you hang the moon in the sky. It comes with cheering that baby to victory as they smile for the first time, take their first bite of food, and go from rocking back and forth to actually crawling.

You won’t forget this time. But it will astonish you, how much you are capable of, and the new normal you create. Take your time. You don’t have to rush.