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.
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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.

I love that phrase — "The Luckett Family" — because it means their little boy is finally here and my best friend is now a mom! 

I drove down to Megan and Brian's home in North Carolina when Carson was just 8 days old. He was the best baby and slept the whole time I was photographing (actually, the whole time I was there). 

Carson's session is filled with so many special details, like a quilt made by his great-grandma and a cradle made by his great-grandfather (that Megan slept in when she was a baby!). I always love incorporating storytelling details like this in any session. They'll make his newborn photos extra-special one day. 

​Megan and Brian — thank you guys for having the sweetest baby boy and for letting me get in some extra cuddles with him before I left. Can't wait to see him soon!

Missed Megan and Brian's gorgeous fall maternity session? Find all the highlights here!

I always worry a little that outdoor winter sessions will look kind of bland or that my clients will look cold in their photos. 

This was not one of those winter sessions. 

We lucked out on a gorgeous winter evening, with warmer temperatures and the most magical sunset glow. Our little spot just off the Roanoke Greenway was the perfect backdrop for laughing, spinning around, jumping and playing. 

I have so many favorites from this family maternity session — like momma's stunning maternity portraits — but I think I'm most drawn to the images of their sweet little boy, who's soon to be a great big brother. These images radiate everything that is good and simple about childhood, like the joy of a favorite stuffed animal, stomping in the mud, and playing with your mom and dad.

I'm so excited to share these highlights — but I'm even more excited about documenting their new baby soon!

I met Meredith at my favorite local toy shop back in October, where her son was test-driving an awesome train set that would soon become his Christmas present. We chatted about her upcoming due date and the excitement of having her first little girl. 

Fast forward three months and one coffee date, and I'm walking into Elowen's gorgeous pink nursery for her at-home newborn session.

​I loved watching each person love on their new girl — and one of my favorite moments was when she got a train lesson from her big brother!

It was such an honor to get to know the Moore family and to transform such a long-awaited chapter in their lives into beautiful memories and heirloom art. Thank you, Meredith and Landon!

I first heard from Hillary back in October, when she and her husband were still two months away from meeting their baby boy. 

In that time, I got to know them first as a couple during their gorgeous fall maternity session, then as new parents and a family of three. This is such an amazing transformation to witness and document — and one of the most rewarding parts about being a photographer and artist.

I have so many new all-time favorites from their cozy at-home newborn session. The light that morning was perfect, and their green bedroom wall gave such a deep pop to their images! 

Their son's nursery is decorated so carefully with special mementos — like books from their many adventures and Hillary's dad's bronzed baby shoes — and antique, travel-themed toys. I love capturing these details, because one day his room will look completely different and reflect his own interests.

Together, these photos tell such a beautiful and rich story. Hillary and Adam — I feel so honored that I was able to help you preserve one of the most important chapters in your lives! 

It's been a year since we found out our son has a peanut allergy. In that time, my husband and I have learned (sometimes the hard way) what to do and what not to do. Everything from eating out, grocery shopping, trick-or-treating and attending birthday parties has changed because of his allergy.

On one hand, dealing with it now — while Tucker is still so young — is easy, since we're the only ones who give him food. On the other hand, he has no idea he has a peanut allergy and can't speak up for himself. He would eat anything that was given to him. 

I hope sharing what we've learned this year will help educate and spread awareness. Peanuts are responsible for the most food-allergy-related deaths in the United States, so staying knowledgeable is important!

1. Peanuts are different from tree nuts. Peanuts are actually a legume, which puts them in a different category than tree nuts. But while Tucker can safely eat cashews, pecans and others, many tree nuts are processed in the same facility as peanuts — making them unsafe. 

2. You can eat at Chick-fil-A. They use refined peanut oil, which does not contain peanut proteins. 
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3. You can ask to be the first to board an airplane, in order to clean your seat and tray. Most airlines have stopped serving peanuts, but they can't control what food passengers bring aboard, nor is there time to clean between flights. (On our flight to Colorado, the woman beside Tucker and me had JUST eaten a peanut butter sandwich before she boarded, so you never know.)

4. You should always wipe down the high chair and table at restaurants. It's always possible that the person who sat there before you had a cross-contaminated dish or a peanut butter sandwich (which is on tons of kids' menus).

5. It's possible to safely eat at an ice cream parlor by always asking the employee to wash the scoops before serving. Our favorite shop, Blue Cow, is SO nice about doing this!

6. Bakery items are a no-go. We've found that because most coffee shops, grocery stores and restaurants get their bakery items from off-site facilities, it's impossible to guarantee if items are safe. There is one exception locally, and that's Corbin's Confections in Salem. They run a completely peanut-free, tree-nut-free and gluten-free bakery. 

7. This leads me into the challenge of birthday parties. Most store-bought cakes have peanut contamination. As Tucker gets older, we will always need to bring our own safe dessert to parties, including those at school. 

8. Halloween will be a challenge, but not completely impossible. Of course, we will always have to monitor what candy he keeps (the list of peanut-free options is short). This year, I learned that when homes are passing out non-food treats, they can place a teal pumpkin outside. Great candy alternatives include balloons, stickers, pencils, silly putty, and glow sticks. 

9. Never offer other children food without asking their parents. This can easily happen at a park, school, a play date, birthday party or family gathering. A child, especially Tucker's age, is completely innocent to what someone is giving them. 

10. You have to check every label. Products you wouldn't expect to have peanut contamination sometimes do. One I found surprising was Whales Cheese Crackers, which are made at a facility that processes peanuts and tree nuts. Another one is Neapolitan ice cream, which we bought for Tucker's first birthday. Not all brands do, but the one we purchased actually listed peanuts as an ingredient.