TBT | The Bachmann Boys | 2009

After watching the local high school's annual performance of Rock and Roll Revival, and seeing one of my subjects up there on stage, I had to post a "I knew him when…" Meet C.Max.  An amazing performer and athlete and even better than all of that, he is kind AND smart!  The whole package!  And it doesn't stop there…yup, he has a brother.  Adorable, witty, charming Gus. With many of the same qualities and a force to be reckoned with on the soccer fields.  Their sessions are always an adventure and I am happy to say "I knew them when"…here is a glimpse from 2009...  

A Family Photo Session | The Lazzari Family 2014

Meet the Lazzari family.  A gift certificate redeemed.  You see, Aradia received a gift certificate last year for a session from her employer, Dream House Studios, as a holiday gift.  A very generous and thoughtful gift for a new family.

In 2014, the Lazzari's welcomed sweet, sweet Easton.  All 10 months of tender loving goodness.  A boy full of so much love and curiosity with an mission to be best friends with Bella, the beloved family rescue.  Thank you for welcoming me into your home during this very cold winter.  I was filled with all the warmth your beautiful home and family could give.  

xo

Throwback Thursday | The Melendez Family 2005

Over a year ago, I updated my blog from Wordpress to Squarespace.  In the process of transferring all of my work, I somehow ended up losing all of my blog entries since 2007.  Since 2007.  Ugh.  So. Hard. To. Say.  Carefully curated moments in time, both in words and images.   Gone.

Although my posts were far and few between, it was a running record of my personal life as well as my professional work.  I still have hope that the content still lives somewhere out in the ginormous world wide web and someone will be able to find it for me, but in the meantime I am grateful for the theme of #tbt, otherwise known as Throwback Thursday.   You see, with this theme, I can bring back some of my favorite shoots from the past.  They may not be my original blog posts, but at least I still have photographs stored in safe places to retrieve.  Moments in time. Captured.  And now valued even more knowing how easily things can be lost.

To start this series, I chose the Melendez family.  They were one of the first families who hired me after moving to Maryland and I loved their free spirit…four kids, kind, energetic and happy, with awesome parents.  I remember thinking I hoped to be just like their mom.  She was so relaxed, attentive and fun.  

The day of the shoot was the hottest day of the summer and it was back when "people piles" were my favorite pose.  I am sure those kids loved me when I told them to place their sweaty hot bodies on top of each other for a picture, and as polite as ever, they obliged.  Since then, my candid style has remained the same, however people piles are no longer in my bag of tricks.  

The session ended with a hose and kiddie pool.  Fun.  Energetic.  Happy.  Meet the Melendez family, sometime in the summer of 2005.

I hope to continue this series throughout the year…maybe you will see a familiar face here and there…a distant memory brought back to light...I hope you can follow along.  And remember, print and backup your moments. 

xo

a family session | the miles 2014

Meet Kristine Miles.  One of the first times I ever remember meeting Kristine was when she was pregnant with her youngest.  Radiant and carrying so beautifully, she was always smiling and made pregnancy seem effortless.  After a few more times of seeing her, I noticed how she made others around her walk a little taller.  She always had something encouraging to say.  She is genuine.  And kind.  And she surfs.  In crazy places around the globe.  Enjoy getting to know her.  I know I have.

Q.  List a few of your boys favorite things to do….

A.  My boys enjoy time with their friends, playing sports and participating in the fun activities on the Severn River. They also love hanging out at home relaxing and playing many different types of games. We come up with the funniest games and laugh a lot.

Q.  What is your most humbling moment as a mother…

A.  When my children were born.

Q.  Who influences you as a mother?

A.  My mother influences me. She was the most amazing mother and person I have ever met.  I can't even begin to put into words how beautiful she was in ever way.

Q.  If you had more time, you would...  

A.  Spend more time talking with my family.

Q.  Best advice you have been given as a mom...

A.  You gave me the best advice Lee.  You told me to take as many photos of my children as I can, especially of their hands and feet because they grow so quickly. I love that advice. 

Q.  How did you create balance between motherhood and career? 

A.  I try to go with the flow each day and not worry too much. No matter how organized I am something unexpected comes up each day that changes my best laid plan. 

Q.  What is your beauty routine…

A.  Rest, good food, exercise, Obagi.

Q.  What is your exercise routine…

A.  I love many different types of exercise and decide each day what I'm in the mood for, whether it's running, paddle boarding, hiking, or lifting weights, etc. I do not like regular exercise routines.  I like to change things up because I get bored easily. I like my mind to exercise just as much as my body.

Q.  Something you wish you could do better as a mom….

A.  Teach my children many languages and show them more of the world.

Q.  What is your proudest moment as a mom…

A.  My proudest moment was being on the set of Fox 45 Morning New and watching my sons do the weather forecast live with Jonathan Meyers.  It was so much fun and I will never forget it. I loved every minute of it.

Q.  What is your favorite part of the day…

A.  Early morning before the world around me wakes.

Q.  What do you like to do on date nights?

A.  Our very favorite thing to do is to hang out at our house after the kids go to bed. We also enjoy going to dinner or playing sports with each other and with friends.

Q.  Raising boys is....

A.  Fun. They continually make me laugh and they are so gentle and lovable.

Q.  Favorite designers, artists, etc….

A.  I do not lock myself into favorites. My tastes continually change.

Q.  Your style…

A.  I buy what I love. I don't stick with one design or fashion theme. 

Q.  One of the hardest parts of being a mom? 

A.  Knowing my kids will be leaving the nest in a blink of an eye.

Q.  List a few things that keep you sane….

A.  Exercise, healthy eating, and reflection keep me sane, and my husband too. Also, I make it a practice to not over-commit myself or my family with too many activities.

Q.  What do you hope your children will learn about life….

A.  LOVE

a family session | The Bailey Family 2014

……………………………………….

"that mom" is a series of inspirational women who

share their thoughts on motherhood, style and grace.

by lee kriel

……………………………………….

Meet the Bailey family.  A beautiful family both inside and out.  "Mrs. Bailey" used to be my boys teacher in elementary school.  We swore bluebirds flew out of her mouth when she spoke.  Needless to say my boys were like putty in her hands…and still are.  

Emily is a wonderful mother and I asked her if she would be willing to participate in my "That Mom" series which focuses on the mom that you aspire to be…you know the one!  She is truly so dedicated to her family and it was inspiring to spend a little time with them this month.  Enjoy getting to know her...

List a few of your favorite things to do….

Shopping, running, cooking and eating, drinking coffee and wine, decorating our home, chit-chatting, and doing anything, and everything, as a whole family.

What is your most humbling moment as a mother….

At this point, it is the moment that each of my children was born.  Everything else in the world did not matter at all and I knew I would never be the same now that they were with us.

 Who influenced you as a mother?

My own mother’s willingness to always put her four daughters before herself has greatly shaped me as a mother.  However, I am completely surrounded by so many incredible moms. The women who influence me the most, and for whom I have endless admiration, are the mothers who spend their day keeping their family together, safe, healthy, active, happy, fed, excited, prepared, etc.  They don’t care if anyone is giving them credit and they don’t expect anything in return.  They do it because their love is unconditional and they would not have it any other way. 

You are always so generous to the neighborhood children, who inspired you…..

I had a sweet, sweet neighbor across the street growing up who treated my sisters and I like her own grandchildren.  She would keep her cabinets stocked with candy to share, invite us to help in her garden, and make us feel so special.  When my mom became a grandmother, we named her Mimi after this lovely friend. But in our neighborhood, everyone is so kind and caring to one another, especially to the children running around our yards, driveways, and houses that it is definitely contagious.

Best advice you have been given as a mom…

Don’t worry about trying to make everything perfect. It’s so much more important to stop and enjoy what is going at any given moment, because time goes way too fast.

What is your favorite part of the day…

I have lots of favorites.  But right now, sometimes it works out that Vera wakes up, I have my special morning time with her, and she goes back down for her first nap before Henry is even awake.  Then I get him all to myself while Vera is asleep.  I feel so lucky to be able to start our days slowly.

How do you create balance between motherhood and career?

Teaching part-time creates a wonderful balance for me. After Henry was born this was the deal Mike and I came up with, and it works for us!  Summers off are a necessity, and always will be. And although during the school year it is hard for me to leave, even for a few hours of the day, it makes me appreciate my time at home that much more.

A few things that keep you sane….

Running, wine, and friends.

What is your beauty routine…

Hmm, I guess it’s more of a strategy – Do the best you can with the 10 minutes you have to try to look nice before leaving the house.

Something you wish you could do better as a mom…

I wish I could be more spontaneous. I am such a planner, but wish I could more easily put my to-do list aside and not worry about what isn’t getting checked off that day. 

What do you like to do when you have a night out on the town?

This almost never happens, which is pretty much ok with me at this point in my life.  But when we do, I love first heading to a wine bar and then off to try somewhere new and delicious for dinner.  Oh and we love, love live music.

Hardest part of being a mom?

Feeling like I cannot give each of my children every ounce of my attention. Henry does a very good job now that he has to share us with Vera, but whenever he gets upset, it is almost always a result of us needing to give his sister more attention at that moment.  That is hard for me. 

What is your exercise routine…

I love to run.  I would run everyday if I could.  For now, sometimes I only get one good, long run on the weekends, but I’ll take what I can get.  Running feels peaceful and productive at the same time.  Two birds, one stone.

 What do you hope your children will learn about life….

To always be kind and considerate of others.  That a positive attitude goes a long way. To treat each day like a gift that they should enjoy to the fullest.

What is your proudest moment as a mom…

When Henry tells me he loves and that I’m his best friend, when Vera kicks her arms and legs, grinning from ear to ear when she sees me, and when I overhear Mike telling people what a good mom he thinks I am.  Mike and I also feel so happy when we see Henry being playful, silly, and comfortable with other kids and adults.  It makes us feel like we are doing something right.

Share a favorite recipe…  

I live off of my sister’s granola recipe-

Add ½ C Olive oil

T Salt

Cinnamon

½ jar Honey (about 1 ½ C)

Mix

Add 3 C Rolled oats

4 C Mixed nuts and seeds (cashews, almonds, macadamias, walnuts, pecans, pumpkin seeds, flax seeds)

1 C coconut

MixFlatten on medium sized baking sheet lined with parchment paper

Bake @ 350 for 20 minutes

MIX and flatten again

Bake for another 20 minutes

Let cool for 2 hours before breaking apart

p.s.  On my next shoot with the Bailey's, I am spending more time on the interiors of their home…a home so tastefully built (by Mike) and decorated so thoughtfully (by Emily)!  Stay tuned!