Something that I have been working on behind the scenes is building a Client Wardrobe. Eeek! This is something I am super excited about and I hope you are too!

Client Wardrobe ... what does that mean? Basically, if you have a session with me, you are able to pick through what I have in my client wardrobe and borrow it for your session with me which saves you time, money, and the stress of finding the perfect outfit. And of course each piece that I have in my Client Wardrobe photographs beautifully so you don't have to worry about something not looking right in camera.

What do you have in your Client Wardrobe? I mostly have things for mommas and little girls along with a couple accessories (like suspenders and bow ties) for the little men as well. For mommas, I have both maternity gowns and dresses. Most of the dresses are so versatile they work well with both maternity and non-maternity. Yay!
 
OK, so how does it work? Once you book your session, we will talk quite a bit about how things are going to go down and different ways to make your session unique to you and personalized for your family. One of the things we will discuss is wardrobe for the session. I can share what I have in the SWP Client Wardrobe two different ways: (1) all online through pictures or (2) you can come in to the studio and try on what you like and narrow it down from there. Of course, coming in and trying it on is going to be the best bet because I have purchased dresses from many different brands and we all know that sizing varies so much between them (why can't sizing just be universal?!?). Once we have one outfit chosen, I can help you coordinate different pieces for your other family members and even send you direct links on where to purchase certain pieces that will make the look complete.

So here is Issue I of the SWP Client Wardrobe blogs and I hope this can help show you how gorgeous some of these pieces are!

Both of these dresses I actually discovered through my clients. Can I just say that my clients from my Latch Minis this year had the BEST outfits?!? I was so proud of them! Seriously they all looked fantastic. So fantastic that I bought these two dresses after their sessions! Both of these dresses would look great for family, latch, or maternity photos!

 A few months ago, I was talking with a couple of my friends about our upcoming 30th birthdays. We are exactly one week apart and we have always celebrated our birthdays together .. well since we have known each other which would be about 12 years now! 

I had probably recently done a smash session and I jokingly said , "You know, we should do one for our 30th ... all together!" They both agreed and I didn't really think much of it after that.

But then a couple weeks after that, one of my girlfriends asked me if I was serious about doing the smash session because it sounded like a lot of fun. You should have seen my face, ya'll. I was so pumped.

I shared some from their session last week on their birthday but here are more from the session ... with my girlfriends and also with my littles!

And a special shout out to Kristen (of K DiNenna Photography) and my hubby for helping take pictures and Susan from Creative Cake Designs for the gorgeous cake.

Happy birthday to two of my favorites <3
​...Who says cake smashes are only for 1 year olds???

I had so much fun with these glitter mini sessions! I loved making each one a little different for these girls.
It was so hard to choose my favorites!

Lauren, age 9

Olive, age 1.5

Elijah, 9 months
I love how photography gives me the opportunity to reconnect with people. I went to college with the little man's mom and I loved catching up with her (of course) and meeting this little cutie!

Curren, 9 months old.
I have loved watching this little man grow up in front of my lens. His smile melts my heart every time...and he is such a happy baby <3

Cayla, 8 months old. 
This little ray of sunshine was so much fun to have in the studio for her milestone session. She loved sticking her tongue out and it was so stinkin' cute!!!

This is one of my favorite family sessions to date. The weather was perfect, the beach was empty, the Thomas family was just adorable and the boys were so well behaved! I had the hardest time not posting every.single.image in their gallery but here are my favorites!

Ella, 9 months.
​One of the things I love most is to see my littlest clients grow up in front of my lens. I had the privilege of taking Ella's newborn photos last year and I was honored to capture her sitting milestone as well.

Lily, 7 months
It was so good seeing this sweet girl again for a sitting milestone after not seeing her since her newborn session! I can't believe how much she has grown!

I was asked if I would volunteer my time to photograph some parents baby wearing as part of a fundraiser for Babywearing International of Hampton Roads. I'm so glad I was able to do this because I met some pretty incredible people, and their cute littles! ... Here are some of my favorites! 

Baby Gaines, 3 weeks old

Baby George, 2 years old

Baby Violet, 4 months old

Baby Sullivan, 1.5 years old

I was lucky enough to photograph this little man for his newborn session and seeing this sweet family after a year was just incredible! We had a lot of fun with capturing some updated family photos and celebrating Archer turning one with a cake smash!

World, meet Jude.
I was so honored to photograph this little man... I have known his mom since 3rd grade!! That's one thing that I love about this job, I get to watch people that I grew up with grow their own families and I am lucky enough to be able to freeze these precious moments for them. There were so many favorites from this little guy's newborn session so this is a little long ....buttttt can you blame me??

For this newborn session, I took the hubby and kids with me all the way to Florida!
Meet Harper Quinn
​<3

I was so excited when Aurora told me they were pregnant with Lucas! I have been photographing this family every year for three years now and so they have a special place in my heart. I was so looking forward to meeting Lucas for his newborn session and I think he sensed that because he came into this world a week early! I have so many favorites from Lucas' newborn session, but here are just a few!
xoxo,
​Sarah

Aurora made this rainbow cloud and I was blown away with her crafty-ness!

And when Grandma is there ... this happens!

This was probably one of the most special newborn sessions I have done to date. This sweet little girl is loved so much, not only by her family but also by a tight-knit photography community and others all around Hampton Roads.

... I'm not even sure where to begin with this story, so I guess the very beginning is a good place, huh?

I first met Brannan at a newborn workshop in the Fall of 2013. We immediately hit it off and I remember during introductions, she mentioned her love for newborns and that "maybe one day" she'll have her own. At the time, I didn't quite know everything behind that statement but as our friendship grew, I got to know more of Brannan's story. A few years later, Brannan and her husband, John, decided to try IVF in order for their dream to come true; they chose to share their story in hopes to help fund the expensive procedure. Immediately, the immense love and support from the community for these two started pouring in.  

John and Brannan waited almost ten years for this. I'm so honored to have been there to help capture some of Cecilia's first moments. 

This was originally going to be one big post at the end of the year. However at week 10 I've realized that it is wayyyy too much for one blog post. I'll have a 52 re-cap at the end but without all the explanations and extra photos. 

It's kind of incredible how this little photography business of mine reconnects me with people from my past. I have known Ashley since elementary school and her mom was even one of my 5th grade teachers! When she contacted me about doing a session to capture a nursing milestone, I was so happy to do so! I absolutely loved catching up with her in Williamsburg for a latch session.

Latch sessions have my heart. I know ... I sound like a broken record saying that but they truly do. I love how dependent these little humans are to us, I love how little they are, and I love the way they look at you and just smile because you look at them too ... I love it all, except for how quickly they grow up and become so independent. That's why I love latch sessions. It's such a fleeting moment. And those moms out there who are able to and choose to breastfeed have a such a unique and incredible bond with their little one. 

Let me preface this post by saying that Fresh48 photography is not something that I am taking on at this time. I made an exception for this precious one (more on that story in her newborn session post) and the stars aligned just right for me to be able to do this session. I just had to share this - the first time I captured this little warrior.
​xoxo

I had so much fun with these three! And Caleb gave the best smiles throughout the session ... especially when his dad told him he had stinky feet ;) Too cute!
Here are some of my favorites,
xoxo
Sarah

Of course, I always start smash sessions with some updated family portraits ;)

I love a good nose scrunch laugh!

Ah! That little leg kick ...

Thank you Susan for another amazing cake!!!

He seriously had the best faces <3

He ate that cake up!!! It's so delicious!
...Okay, maybe dad helped a little ;)

Hands down perfection.

This is the reason why I have fallen in love with capturing these first precious moments. I want you to remember the way he laid his hand on your skin, the way he kicked his feet, the way his hand clenched yours, the way he looked at you.

Doing a lifestyle latch session was on my 2017 bucket list. And as soon as I walked in to Lanie's home, I knew I would fall in love. There is nothing else like nursing your baby in your own home. Where you brought him home. Where he will learn to roll, to crawl, to walk; where he will run up and down the halls. 

​This is where is all began.

Stephanie was such a natural during this session. She makes pregnancy look so peaceful and easy, even with two other littles running around! I'm so glad I got to photograph a snowy maternity session ... my first session to be checked off the 2017 bucket list!
Here are some of my favorites <3
xoxo,
​Sarah

Gorgeous gown from Sew Trendy Accessories

This session was SO FUN! I mean, what a way to kick off 2017 ... 
Jordan and Paul braved the cold and snow for some gorgeous portraits and I couldn't love their session any more. I have SO many favorites ...
xoxo,
​Sarah 

I've seen everywhere people choose a word for 2017. Mine, hands down, is family. My goals this year have so much to do with my families, both work and home. It's been quite a challenge trying to juggle being a stay at home mom as well as running a business, especially with the ever-changing schedule of a newborn. I think I'm finally getting a hang of it though ;)
I want to do more to capture your family and provide you with more opportunities for that. This is my first year offering complementary latch sessions any time of the year, my goal with that is to help capture and preserve this special bond between mother and child for as many as I can. 

// TOP THREE 2017 SWP GOALS //
.one.
To officially open my home studio and be able to offer more milestone sessions, as well as an indoor alternative for Mini Sessions and Smash Sessions.
.two.
Create a work schedule and stick with it!!! With having two kids now, I really need to make and stick to some office hours this year. This will force me to have better time management and allow me to be a better mom and wife :)
.three.
Blog in a timely manner ... I'm so proud to say that I actually blogged every session I had in 2016 but I need to work on a better turn around time for them (instead of blogging a March session in September!)

[No doubt I will do GREAT with accomplishing the last two goals perfectly in the first couple months of 2017 but we will see if I can actually stick with it all year round!! Yeah... I'm one of *those* people! Haha!]



// TOP THREE 2017 PERSONAL GOALS //
.one.
Take more pictures of my own family. I get so caught up juggling motherhood, being a good wife, and keeping house that I tend to forget to pick up the camera and capture daily memories. I want to capture our daily joys so I can remember and enjoy the little things for years to come.
.two.
Travel as a family more. Get out and see the world as well as take advantage of living where we do. We already have trips planned to Nags Head, Florida, England, and Florida again. We would love to squeeze in a trip to Chicago too but we shall see ;)
.three.
Cross things off the "to do" list for our house. We have lived in our home now for a little over a year and it has been a slow and steady process making it our own. We stretched ourselves to get into the perfect neighborhood with the perfect schools and with not having my teaching income anymore, we haven't had a lot of extra money to throw at our home. Next year, I'm hoping to get a couple rooms close to done ;)



// 2017 SWP BUCKET LIST //
.one.
Latch session in Target
.two.
Snow maternity session
.three.
Lifestyle latch session (in-home)
.four.
Newborn session for multiples
.five.
Latch session with older siblings involved


It feels good to write down goals. It makes them more real.
Here's to 2017!
xoxo,
​Sarah