The Christmas Attic

I have been blessed to be working in conjunction with the most amazing Christmas boutique store there is. Have you ever walked into a boutique shop and just felt a sense of peace and happiness? Many times my daughter and I had ridden our bike past the Christmas Attic, located in the historic center of Alexandria, and wondered what it would be like to go in. And the first time we did, it was beyond our wildest imagination. It was a fairly warm/hot August day and I walked in only to be enveloped by the Christmas holiday. It was wonderful! From October-December both the top and bottom floors are filled with Christmas decor:

Pyramids

Nutcrackers
Snowmen
From January-September the second floor remains ALL Christmas decor while the bottom floor rotates in various holiday items depending on the time of year:

Valentine's Day
Halloween
Thanksgiving
And other holidays of course. I've only been with them since September so all holidays from March-September are missing. :) But just in case you are looking for something less festive and more as a simple gift for a friend or family member, they have plenty of cute, practical gifts as well!

Candles

Wine

Kitchen Towels

And more! I enjoy myself each and every time I go in to take pictures for the website and blog. Many of the store items can be bought online but if you're in the area and haven't checked out the Christmas Attic yet, do yourself a favor and head on over. You'll be met with such peace and tranquility when you walk in the door. You'll be glad you went.

Happy New Year

I can hardly believe that it is 2011. In the past I have found January and February to be rather depressing. Christmas ends, the decorations get put away and things can tend to seem, well... empty. But this year felt different for some reason. I was excited for January to come, excited for what this new year holds.

My husband is leaving on Saturday for four months and I am in the midst of preparing myself to play the part of a single mom for the time he is gone. With his last semester of law school starting Monday he is trading DC for Nashville. But I am not too worried. I feel blessed to have a webcam that will help us stay in close contact, I have many wonderful friends and family members helping support me and I am excited to find new business clients and challenge myself while he is gone! (Not that I don't challenge myself when he's here, but you get the picture)

When 2010 was drawing to an end I reflected on what I had done with the 12 months I was given in that year. And I am happy with what I accomplished but am determined to challenge myself even more this year, to get out of my comfort zone, to make new friends, to travel. I have a myriad of goals. 2011 is going to be awesome.

To celebrate what has passed I put together a few of my favorite images from last year. Thank you to you, my clients, for trusting me to capture your family moments. Happy New Year to all!

New Year's Eve wedding

Friday the 31st was an awesome day. Not only was it my birthday and I turned the big 3-0 (yikes!) but I got to spend the morning shooting with my dear friend who got married to her best friend. We woke up early to get some great light at Sunday Park in Richmond and then moved on to the VMFA downtown which had some of the most amazing backdrops and lighting.

I tried to keep the selection limited since my husband has teased me about my long posts but I hope you enjoy a few of my favorites from this wonderful day of celebration. Hope you both are enjoying your honeymoon!