Lawyer Mama

Operation: Love Reunited - The USS Winston Churchill Comes Home

Homecomings. 

They mean something different to each of us.  You may think of football and tiaras or traveling to see relatives for the holidays, but for military families a homecoming is so much more.  Yesterday, the USS Winston Churchill, a destroyer that is part of the Truman Carrier Strike Group, came home to Norfolk after a 7 month deployment.  The weather was bitterly cold.  (Well, it was bitterly cold for Norfolk!)  But the piers and heated tents were still crowded with families carrying signs, flags and a lot of nervous anticipation.

Asthe owner of my own business, military homecomings can be a pit of a pain.  The schedules are always changing; I basically have to block out an entire day for one homecoming photoshoot because I can't risk the time changing to interfere with another appointment. I have to drive 30 to 45 minutes to Norfolk or Virginia Beach, fight the crowds, find parking and wait in the cold or heat. (For the record, I think the heat in July is worse!) And, because I do these sessions for free for military families through Operation: Love Reunited, I don't make any money.

But I take every homecoming session I can.

Read the rest of this post and see the photos on LightHearted Photography, the Blog.

I Have a Namesake! Monticello Shoes Rocks.

You all know about my obsession with shoes.  Do I really need to say more about that?

A few years ago I wrote about an adorable shoe store I stumbled upon in downtown Norfolk called Monticello Shoes.  They have their own designs, custom made in Italy and the shoes are absolutely gorgeous.  And for designer shoes, the prices are completely reasonable.

So, two years ago I bought these lovely shoes (see left) and I wrote about them.  When I went back into the store, Michael at Monticello Shoes knew who I was, knew about my blog post and gave me a hefty discount on another pair of shoes.  I bought two.  He also told me they were going to name my first gorgeous shoe purchase over there after me.

I thought, "Oh, isn't that sweet" and forgot about it.

Over the last two years my shoe purchasing has slowed down.  Now that I work from home, heels aren't a daily necessity.  And I have to admit that I wear flip flops more often than my beautiful work shoes.  But I still love my shoes.  And I still send everyone who will listen to Monticello Shoes.  If I need a pair of shoes for something special, like say an inaugural ball, I always go there first.  You see, they will also custom make shoes for you so you have just the right color, heel size, whatever.  Just for you.  Isn't that awesome?

Monticello Shoes has recently started this wonderful Deal of the Day on their website where you can get up to 60% off the featured shoe of the day.  This weekend, they're having a Fourth of July blowout sale so I meandered over to their website to check it out.  While browsing, I saw my pretty shoe.  You know, the one in the photo up there?

It's called the Stephanie.

They did name it after me. And I don't think I could be more excited if someone had dedicated a park or a library in my honor.

Thank you.

* Just to be clear and to stay square with the FTC, Monticello shoes did not solicit this review or give me anything for writing it.

H&H Hit the Botanical Gardens

T and I took the boys to the botanical gardens this weekend so I could attempt some photos of the boys.  I say "attempt" because, while the boys are older and a bit more cooperative these days, whether or not they'll pose for more than a photo or two is really hit or miss.

I had an ulterior motive for this trip.  I wanted to try out a new photo video technique.  I gave T my iPhone and had him take video of the boys while I was setting up their shots.  This is interspersed throughout the slideshow.  When you see a film clip, the shot immediately following it was the ultimate result.

I think it makes the video have much more impact and it gives you a small glimpse into the world of my boys.  I can't wait to start trying this out with my LightHearted Photography clients!  Enjoy!

USS George H. W. Bush on LightHearted Photography

I have a new post up on LightHearted Photography, the Blog.   I've shared some photos of the commissioning of the aircraft carrier, the USS George H. W. Bush, from January of 2009.

Colorful Family Sneak Peak: Hampton Roads Portrait Photography

I recently had the chance to photograph an adorable young family with two little girls.  As longtime readers know, I have two boys so I always jump at the chance to take pictures of little girls!

After two false starts and one speeding ticket, we finally got these pictures taken.  L'Erin and Jeffrey, I hope it was worth the wait!

See the rest on LightHearted Photography, The Blog.

Imelda Marcos, Eat Your Heart Out (or Monticello Shoes, Will You Marry Me?)

Can I marry a shoe store?

By now you all know about my deep and abiding love of all things shoe and shoe related. If you're new here, or you've managed to block it from your mind, here's a little reminder.

And here:

Brown suede pumps, Ann Taylor

And here:

Gold, stacked heel flip flops, Old Navy

And here:

Green patent leather wedge with gold trim and buckle, Anne Klein

And, of course, here:

Black satin peep toe pumps with toe ruching, Nina

Pink and black toeless knee high tights by Tarjaaaaah (aka Target)

And, um, here:


Red, Chloe double cross strap Mary Janes by Fitzwell.

But now? Now, I would forsake all my lovely, lovely shoes for these:


I found a beautiful new shoe store, Monticello Shoes, in downtown Norfolk. I was walking back from lunch through the Monticello Arcade in downtown Norfolk, and there it was, like a bright, shining shoe beacon of leathery, sparkly loveliness. I loved every. single. pair. of. shoes. in the whole damn store.

They are designed by a woman and super, super comfortable with extra support in the heel and ball of the foot. They are designed to be worn for a full work day in comfort. Every shoe is unique, designed just for Monticello shoes and handmade in Brazil. You haven't seen these shoes anywhere else and they are exquisite. They are really more than designer shoes; some of them are works of art.

My absolute favorite in the store was a gorgeous pair of gray suede mules with purple leather trim and an adorable Swarovski crystal flower adorning the side. Unfortunately, they had sold my size already. You see, they only make 1 shoe in each size. That's it. In the entire world.

Monticello Shoes also has matching belts and handbags, although the entire collection of bags was not yet in. The samples they did have were lovely. Each features the MS crest, has a light inside for locating lost items, and a battery charger. That's right. A friggin' battery charger. Brilliant!

Monticello will also custom design shoes for you, stamping your name in the leather insert. How many times have you seen a lovely pair of shoes and thought, "those would be perfect in red?" Or, "If only the heel weren't so high?" Monticello can make that happen with their shoes. Or you can bring a special dress in and have them design a pair of shoes just for you.

Every pair of shoes has a matching belt and bag. While I prefer not to match my bag to my shoes, I'd love to have some of those bags in different patterns. They will also custom design purses. If they custom design a purse, Monticello can also replace the MS design on the front of the bag with your initials. How cool is that?!

The woman who designed these things is a genius. I want to meet her and give her a big kiss. And then beg her to get back to work designing more lovely shoes made of air and light and pretty shiny crystals.

The salesman in the store also gave me a sneek peak at their Fall collection of boots that will be out in August. Dear lord, they were magnificent! My favorite pair: knee high black suede boots with a 3 inch heel. From about 3 inches from the top to just above the ankle, they feature a rich, red plaid fabric. Cutest. boots. ever.

The best thing about all of these fabulous designer shoes is that they are reasonably priced. Seriously. They range from about $150-$230 for the nicer party shoes. If you've ever purchased a pair of Dolce & Gabana heels or Jimmy Choo boots, you know that's a steal!

I know that I've been overly effusive in this post. My fingers are tripping over the keys in an attempt to get the words out. But let me say it one more time:

I. Love. Monticello. Shoes.

Monticello Shoes, will you marry me?

If you live in the Hampton Roads area, you can find these lovely shoes* here:

Monticello Shoes
209 E. City Hall Ave.
Norfolk, VA 23510
(757) 624-8450

But if you see a size 6, you'd better step off. Those are mine!

* They also have men's shoes. They all looked lovely and rich at a glance, but I didn't even bother looking very closely at them. T wears shoes until they have holes in them and then buys another pair at Payless for no more than $40. Then he's good for another 2 years. Sigh.... It's a damn good thing he's cute!