Happy December, friends!! I don’t how how we get here so fast but I’m not complaining! I LOVE the holiday season! I love the joy it brings, the feeling of togetherness and the potential for things to slow down a bit after a busy fall season. November was jam packed! So I’m back again for my monthly review/look ahead. These are so fun to put together all in one spot! I’m going to start with family stuff and move into shoots/business stuff in this post 🙂

November

Our sweet Koa is growing up so fast, asserting his independence and is so smart! He wants to do everything on his own now. I love these two photos below. He must get a kick out of my Dad reading the newspaper because he now sits on my parents couch to read his Toys “R” Us magazine haha! And going grocery shopping is now a challenge because he wants to push the little cart all by himself. It’s super cute but slowssssss me down haha! We just take our time though 🙂

He’s talking in full sentences and it blows my mind. I can have a full conversation with him and we understand each other. It cracks us up how much he absorbs from us when he spits out sentences we didn’t know he could formulate. He loves going to playgroup, the YMCA daycare and our church daycare so we’re looking into putting him in a preschool part-time next year. The socialization will be so good for him! We need to tackle potty training first though and that’s no fun haha. Parents, any tips would be appreciated on this matter! And when did you move your kids into a toddler bed?? I don’t want him crawling out of the bed and leaving his room at 2am! Can he stay in his crib until he’s 18!? Bahaha just kidding 🙂

Tried to get a picture on Thanksgiving and bribing him with an ice cream cone was the only way!

We put our holiday decorations up! I was so excited for him to see the big tree in the living room but he seems to be more interested in the tiny tree I have in my office haha.

On to weddings, sessions and exciting business stuff!

Se’era & Justin’s wedding kicked off the month of November and their day was so amazing! Navy, blush and gold details galore! I love the way these two love each other and couldn’t be more happy for them <3

I loved watching Victoria & Jesse’s vision come to life throughout their Hermitage Museum and Gardens wedding! Leading up to their big day, Vitoria was so excited that the Stickwork exhibit by sculptor Patrick Dougherty would be built right in time so we rocked out some portraits in the heart of it!

In case you missed it, my girls and I (aka the ‘wolfpack’) took headshots in Smithfield with Sharon Elizabeth Photography! SUCH a fun day full of  sushi, hair & makeup, ice cream and a ton of laughter.

Tis the season for vendor parties! We hit up the Behind The Veil vendor party and hit the dance floor HARD. My FitBit was loving that haha!

Photo by Nicholas Woolsey Photography

Enjoyed the fall weather by shooting sweet couples all around Hampton Roads!

Brooke & Travis’s Yorktown engagement session

Kacey & BJ’s Outer Banks engagement session (Sanctuary Vineyards & Avalon Pier!)

Jessica & Tristan Williamsburg holiday session with their sweet pup!

Ashley & Paul’s Portsmouth engagement session

So ya’ll know I shoot primarily couples, weddings & maternity but I had so many families reach out for mini seasons for holiday cards so I dedicated an entire day to it! I photographed 8 couples/families on the Noland Trail on a super cold day but it was SO fun and so great to meet new people!

December

I’m going to Sonoma, California (Wine Country) next week! AH! It’s a very different type of trip for me. I’m staying in a Bed & Breakfast with women I’ve never meet before to dive into business, life and goals for 2017. I’ll share all the juicy details in a blog when I return! I’m sure I’ll be posting away on Instagram and and Instagram stories so you can follow along here!

Other fun things include my nephews birthday party in Maryland this weekend, a baby shower for Kiana & AJ, one more engagement  session and my last wedding of 2017 (Laura & Matt)!

I’m working on my 2016 recaps for maternity, engagements weddings and behind the scenes! These are some of my most fun posts of the year! You can see last year’s behind the scenes post here.

I couldn’t be more excited Christmas and New Years Eve. Since becoming a Mom, it’s been so fun to see the season through Koa’s eyes. I fully intend on recreating his DIY holiday lights photoshoot on our master bed again haha! Here’s a peek from his 2014 Holiday Lights shoot 🙂

And this is one year later in 2015! Let’s hope he can stay still this year!

PHEW, a lot going on over here! I’d love to hear how your November went and what you have planned for this month so please share away in the comments!

xoxo