Grace Leigh Photography | Tampa Wedding Photographers, St. Petersburg Wedding Photographers » Personal

My Son: Finley Ellison Smeltz

Brie — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 18:30:30 +0000

I just realized that I haven’t posted a single thing about my son on this blog and he is now almost 4 months old. It must be obvious that I have been busy since this blog has been sorely neglected since October. I am a mother now and everything else will always take a backseat to my husband and son. However, now that we have gotten past the newborn stage and my life has found a new rhythm, I am ready to start devoting some of my time back to the business. I think 2010 was such a pivotal year for us at Grace Leigh. We really got on our feet with wedding photography, thanks to the help of our friends and mentors in the business. Now for 2011, there is so much more that I want to do and see happen. Somehow I must find balance between my full time job as a wife and mom and my part time job as a wedding photographer. I have missed photography these past few months. Not that I haven’t taken several thousand images of my son. Because I have. Ooooh, I have. As you can see below. But I have missed wedding photography in particular. Boy did it feel good to shoot a couple of weddings back in November when I wasn’t pregnant. Although, I was still recovering from a difficult natural child birth three weeks earlier, not something I would recommend. That is, I don’t recommend shooting a wedding 3 weeks after giving birth but I would absolutely, whole-heartedly, 100% recommend natural child birth. All. The. Way. But more on that later. See, my life has been so haphazard lately that I haven’t even been able to write down my birth story. But I plan to. I plan to do so many things this year. Or rather, I am hopeful for many things this year but aware that my plans always pale in comparison with God’s plans for me and my life. Even now, I wish I could write more of what is on my mind but alas, my beautiful son is needing me right now. And what an honor it is to be needed by him.

Here he is, Finley Ellison Smeltz. Born on October 19th, 2010 at 5:59pm. Weighing 8 lbs, 3 oz. and measuring 20 3/4 inches long. We had him at Breath of Life Birth Center in Largo. I cannot say enough wonderful things about that place and the amazing people who serve there.

If you would like to see more of Finn and all that we have been up to you, you can check out our personal blog here: http://www.brielei.com/blog

A Typical Florida Fall

Brie — Sun, 17 Oct 2010 19:36:03 +0000

One thing that always makes me a bit melancholy this time of year is that the Tampa Bay area doesn’t have a true “fall” season. While we may be experiencing a reprieve from the sweltering summer heat, we aren’t seeing any red, orange or yellow leaves falling from our trees and blanketing the ground with their colorful splendor. However, as October continues to tick on by, the rest of the country will see their precious fall colors dry up into the brown, twiggy remains of an all too brief season. And then it will get very, very cold. Uncomfortably so. And it will probably snow, making everyone “up there” wish they were “down here”. And then I will laugh. Muhahaha. Meanwhile we will be enjoying our shorts, and our flip flops, and the luscious green that still remains on our trees. No, we may not have a fall (or a winter for that matter), or any legitimate reason to wear a cozy sweater, but this is what we do have, all year round:

Well hello there…

Brie — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 15:19:13 +0000

I’m sorry for the lack of updates lately! Wedding season is in full swing and while Carissa has been busy second shooting, I have been busy getting ready for our little boy who is due to arrive any day now. You can see what I’ve been up to here. I will be taking a short maternity leave from the photobiz until November but Carissa will still be busy at work and taking your calls and emails in the office. I will be posting copious quantities of newborn baby photos on my personal blog in the coming weeks and I’m sure Carissa will keep you updated with her recent wedding work. There is a lot to look forward to in the coming months, not the least of which includes returning to a beloved habit of mine, as seen below. I hope you are taking advantage of and enjoying the delicious breeze in the air and have at LEAST one window open in your house! Doesn’t it make you feel ALIVE??

Personal Blog

Brie — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 19:11:58 +0000

If you haven’t already, check out my personal blog. I try to post at least a couple of times a week. I will be posting lots of photos over there in the coming month with our little peanut on the way in about 5 weeks or so. Occasionally I might double up my blog photos with GL photos but I will try to keep them different for variety.

Personal | Maternity Session: 31 Weeks

Brie — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 18:06:16 +0000

When people ask me how many months along I am, I stutter, stammer and blurt out the weeks. “I am ____ weeks along” and then I let them figure it out in months. I just don’t think in months, I think in weeks. I didn’t get it until I became pregnant but there is just something satisfying about counting down the weeks. Does it make it go by faster? I don’t know if it does but I can say that my pregnancy has gone by very fast. I can’t believe that I have only 5 to 10 weeks to go. (Crazy broad timespan I know, but that’s how my midwife has trained us to think.) Hey little buddy in there, how about a compromise of 7 weeks from now because that would be just dandy.

Since I pregnancy doesn’t last forever and since the end is actually in sight, we thought it would be a good idea to get a few photos of us now before I get any puffier. (Side note: Aside from the puffiness, I really can’t complain, this has been the best pregnancy everrrrr. No problems, healthy, feeling fantastic most of the time, etc.)

Thank you to Carissa for taking our photos for us!! We went out yesterday morning early and it was really windy and surprisingly cool outside. (I should bring the disclaimer that certain body parts really don’t look that Gumby-ish in real life, it’s the 24mm lens.)

Summer in Missouri

Carissa — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 01:26:01 +0000

“Ah, summer, what power you have to make us suffer and like it.” – Russel Baker

Are not these the prettiest weeds you’ve seen?

Carissa — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 02:02:56 +0000

“Weeds are flowers too, once you get to know them.” – A.A. Milne

This is my morning cup of coffee.

Carissa — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 15:37:23 +0000

I’ve been drinking my coffee from this small little cup, which I have had since the time my bedroom walls were The 100 Acre Woods. It is the perfect amount for me, and I can usually finish it before it gets cold.

Personal Style: February

Carissa — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 05:35:54 +0000

I like comfortable clothes. Sometimes I like them just a little too much, which can lead me to staying in my pajamas most of the day. My love of soft cardigans and slip-on flats has often earned my style the description of being…well, let’s just say beyond my years. Below are a few pieces of clothing that are easy-going without being sloppy, in my opinion. Gray (or is it “grey”? I never know) always makes me cozy, and I like the “lounge” feel of open-front wraps. The Vans pictured here I recently purchased and they are great – however, my oldest sister tells me she could have found the same shoe at Walmart. Maybe she’s right. In an effort to add a little sparkle to this simple, everyday look, I am trying to accessorize with jewelry more, like the bow ring.

“The finest clothing made is a person’s skin, but, of course, society demands something more than this.” – Mark Twain

Ooo la la.

Carissa — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 15:03:03 +0000

Last month I began taking a French class, and let me tell you, it is hard. After hours of studying the French language, I often get discouraged and would like to throw in the towel. So, yesterday I made a small list of French things that I love, which will hopefully help to re-inspire me with reasons to learn français. It’s worth a try, right?

1. The movie Sabrina. It’s one of my favorites, both the original with Audrey Hepburn, and the remake with Harrison Ford. Very romantic.

Linus: [while slow dancing with his brother's girlfriend] How do you say in French my sister has a yellow pencil?
Sabrina: Ma soeur a un crayon jaune.
Linus: How do you say my brother has a lovely girl?
Sabrina: Mon frère a une gentille petite amie.
Linus: And how do you say I wish I were my brother?

“A woman happy in love, she burns the soufflé; a woman unhappy in love, she forgets to turn on the oven”

2. French Berets. They are really cute and fun to wear, especially paired with a scarf during the winter.

3. The Madeline books. They are stories about a little French orphan girl who often gets herself into trouble. I picked a few of them up at a yard sale about a year ago and I think the illustrations are very sweet. “In an old house in Paris that was covered with vines, lived twelve little girls in two straight lines. In two straight lines they broke their bread and brushed their teeth and went to bed. They smiled at the good and frowned at the bad, and sometimes they were very sad. They left the house at half past nine in two straight lines in rain or shine. The smallest one was Madeline.”

4. French toast, french fries, and french bread. All very tasty reasons to press on and learn how I might order them in a restaurant in France, if I should ever travel there.

5. The music of Feist, Corinne Bailey Rae, and the“Paris” album by Putumayo. All of their albums feature songs with some French lyrics, and I’d like to know what I am saying when I sing along. That would be good.

There, now I already feel more inspired. La vie en rose!