When girl and horse say hello over a little hay…
Holgas. On a shoot? Craziness? Oh no. We went out in Westmoor Park here in West Hartford one day this spring and had some fun. You can see these over on Let the Kid’s Dress Themselves as well. My holga and I, we get around.
And one in color…
A holga shot of my own girlie in a ghost outfit. She wavered between this and the princess outfit but decided on “princess” for Halloween itself.
This is my homage to Suzanne Revy, whose ghost picture I adore (and, *hint to the husband for Christmas* would be thrilled to own as a small fiber print for my collection).
One adorable girlie…
And a few quick questions for mom…
Can you describe Soleil in one word?
Sassy
What is your favorite thing to do together?
Go to the beach.
What is the best thing about 3-year-olds?
The stories she tells.
What does she do that just makes you melt?
When she says, ” I love you, Mama,” and looks up at me with those olive eyes!
If you could have one wish for her, what would it be?
To be happy forever and always!
Max and Lily, for whom the fabulous shop Max and Lily’s Closet was named, took a morning to model for me. They were such sweet kids they were a blast to shoot. Max was, I admit, not into it at first but he ended up giving me one of the few images I titled something more creative than “IMG_5674″ or “Girl with Hat 2″.
The Unbearable Lightness of Boyhood
And the beautiful Lily…
And the pair of them…
And some questions…
Tell me about Max and Lily (the people).
Max is a charmer! He is very smart and certainly ahead of his time. His first word was “WOW” and he would say it in response to EVERYTHING! Carrot..WOW, Wind in his face…WOW, kiss on his cheek…WoW! The way he said it was soo sweet, just a long, bright eyed, WOooooOW! That pretty much sums him up even to this day!
Lily is just a complete sweetheart! She’s a little artist through and through…very creative and sensitive. She wears her heart on her sleeve and is always looking for a cuddle! My room is full of little love notes from her! She is just a complete love bug!
What do they say and do that utterly charms you?
Oh gosh! So many things during the course of their lives have charmed me. Right now though, Lily will spend hours making cards for all the special people in her life! All very personalized and heartfelt. If you get a card from Lily there is no way you can have a bad rest of your day! Listening to Max strum an original on his guitar is just heaven to me.
What are your hopes and dreams for them?
Firstly, I hope I don’t “mess” them up! I’m pretty sure that is a pipe dream as we all end up “messing” up our kid’s in our own special way. I just hope that they grow up in touch with their feelings and confident in who they. Mostly, I hope they feel secure in the world and touch it in their own special way!
What is the best part about motherhood for you?
It would be so hard to nail one thing as “the best” down. There are so many great things about motherhood. The creation of a person followed by the molding of that person into the type of people you would like to be surrounded by all the time…that truly is priceless. Watching that all come to be is amazing!
What is the most challenging part of motherhood for you?
100% the most challenging part of motherhood is managing Max and Lily’s relationship! The other day while I was in the shower and I heard them bickering in the other room, it occurred to me that they are like an old married couple stuck with each other and I am their live in marriage counselor!
How did you get the idea for Max & Lily’s (the store)?
I love consignment shopping! To me, the best part has always been the thrill of the hunt. There is nothing better than coming home with a unique toy or a super cute outfit, especially when I found it at a fraction of the retail price. Not having a consignment store in West Hartford was kind of a bummer. One day in December, I was having breakfast at Moe’s and a store in the plaza was available. My first thought was this is perfect for a consignment store. I inquired about the space the next day and found it was already rented. The idea really stuck with me though and a week or so later I found an even better space on Park Road. I believed in it so much that I didn’t waste any time and even though I had no retail experience (degree in Microbiology) I went for it.
When did you open?
We opened March 1st and moved into our bigger space 2 doors down in the middle of June!
What is the most satisfying thing about running a consignment shop?
Soomany things. Many of which I never would’ve expected. Firstly, I love that we are recycling and offering this service in West Hartford. Secondly, I love the thrill I get when something really great comes in and I know there is a person who is going to come in and find it and it’ll make their day! Mostly, I love the people! I am amazed everyday that I remember everyone’s name and where they are vacationing or where their kids are going to camp this summer. I also love when something comes in and I know just who to call that will love it. I feel so connected to the community since opening the store and I love that the most.
Do you have a funny anecdote from the store you can share?
When we had first opened a woman had brought in what she though were her kids outgrown items that she had asked them to round up. She ripped open the bag and dumped it on the ground (we don’t usually accept items from garbage bags but it was like my first day accepting) and out comes an entire garbage bag full of underwear and other under-garments. It was a horrifying moment when she realized she had grabbed the wrong bag and quickly collected her things and returned home for the actual bag. That cracked me up.
Also, we have a dress in the store that has been bought, worn for a special occasion, and re-consigned 3 times. It may be pink but it is also very green.
There have been so many heartwarming stories as well, I feel like after only 4 months in business I could write a book about the warm fuzzy stuff.
Any advice from the trenches of working motherhood?
Being new to working motherhood I consider myself more of an advice taker than giver. One thing though, if you’re going to bring your kids to work with you make sure you bring along snacks….lots and lots of snacks! I won Wolfie over with wheat thins. My kids are not that easy. The other day Max requested Duck and Shrimp for lunch.
Thanks!
Last Saturday I held a series of mini sessions in what I confess is my favorite location, Westmoor Park. All the participants enjoyed (or, at least I hope they enjoyed) a 30-45 minute session with some shots in the barn and some in the fields.
I love barn light. Really really love it.
There were a variety of victims. Errr… subjects. Families, 3-year-old twins, 1-year-old twins, children with more fashion sense than I can ever hope to have, older kids, younger kids and special needs kids. It was a wild ride of photography and, for many people, playing in the park afterward. There are chickens to see, a free roaming rooster to ogle, a very friendly horse (and, no, my hair is NOT a snack despite what he seemed to think) much open space to run in, barn cats that like even young, active children. Westmoor Park is such a hidden treasure, tucked away in West Hartford, and I always like to be able to introduce more people to it.
Each mini-session guaranteed 5-10 images (though I’ve finished proofing one and thanks to my lack of self discipline there are 18 final pictures from which to choose) and the $100 fee is wholly applied to the initial order which, of course, makes the actual session free. I am thinking about doing one more set of this style of mini-sessions for the holidays. But, enough of my prattle. Here are some pictures…
I love this location. There’s a barn, fields, a bridge and animals. It’s also where I’m having my mini sessions this April.
