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What to Do at Holden Beach | Favorite Things

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I just photographed two sweet families at Holden Beach (one in this blog post!) and with our first ever Coastal Minis coming up, I wanted to share a few of my favorite things about Holden Beach for those coming to visit. First of all, the colors this Mama chose for her session – love, love, love. The boys coordinated perfectly with their sister. We did end up having some no see em’s (I think that’s what they are called) the night of their session, but these kids still played and laughed in the ocean, no problem. It was a complicated week trying to figure out when to have our session because of the tropical storm. Everytime we thought it was going to rain per the forecast, it was a gorgeous day. It actually rained right before I photographed this family. (I was in middle of a downpour on the beach photographing the other family! Can’t wait to share their images soon! ) A lot going on in one evening!

A few of my favorites at Holden Beach..

1.My favorite place to eat is the Yacht Basin Provision Company. (They also have a location at Southport, so when googling, make sure you pick Holden Beach) It is on the mainland right under the bridge. It’s a super cute dock with great shrimp, crabcakes and burgers. (I usually get “thee special”)

2.If you love coffee, we absolutely love Ocean Boulevard Coffee. It’s right when you turn on the island, and it’s in the same building as Beach Fun Rentals. They also have wi-fi, which is awesome.

3.Speaking of Beach Fun Rentals, we have loved renting bikes from them – especially since we can get a tagalong bike for Owen and baby bike seat for Harrison.

4.For pizza, you can get dominoes delivered, but I’m definitely going to recommend Patronie’s Pizza. 

5.Produce. Since you know I love some produce with my whole30 eating and all, and who can resist having watermelon around in the summer, we have loved Lulum’s Produce which is on the way to Shallotte. They also sell an amazing key lime pie.

6.If you want to go out for breakfast, have a burger or lunch, or especially if you need a birthday cake or dessert, you will want to go to The Purple Onion. They have so many baked goodies, but call ahead and order if you need a birthday cake. They are open until 2pm most days.

7.Ice Cream. Beaches -n- Cream all the way. My favorite of theirs has been the Krispy Kreme, but you just never know when they will have it. (You can check their social media for their daily flavors)

8. Sunset Slush is a fun place to take the kids. It’s right under the bridge and the kids can play cornhole while they eat their slushie.

9.The walkway/pier under the bridge. It’s fun to walk out there and watch the boats. You can also see what the fishermen have caught.

We’ve also eaten at The Seafood Barn (get there right at 5 to beat the rush, Castaways, and Archibalds – great for a sandwich or chess pie!) Inlet view is a little bit of a drive but is also a fun place with cornhole + gorgeous view.

9. If you want to drive a little bit, Calabash isn’t super bar and we love eating at The Boundary House and then perusing through the Christmas shop there.

10. Miss Minnie’s Antiques – a fun shop to stop in if you are in Shallotte.

11. Tide Dye Tuesday under the bridge. So much fun, and this year they had 5.00 Holden Beach 2016 shirts – so much fun and a great memory. Tuesdays 2-3:30 on the island right under the bridge at the Pavillion. (right next to Sunset Slush) We got there early, and there was already a line.

What to Do If It Rains

It is inevitable that it will rain at some point if you stay at the beach long enough, right? Especially if you are staying for a week. Shallotte is not too far and has a few great options

1.Planet Fun is just that – fun. It is such a great place for kids – so many fun things for them to do.

2.Go See a Movie. If there are some fun kids movies out, this is a great spot.

We love Holden Beach. It’s so quiet and such a great family beach..Most of all our favorite part of Holden, the beach.

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Rebecca Keller is a Holden Beach Family Photographer featured in People Magazine and on several blogs including Let the Kids Dress Themselves. Contact Rebecca Keller Photography for more information and family photography and travel sessions.

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Durham Newborn Photographer | The Best Nap

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I know this Mama was a little stressed when I arrived that her little one was not going to sleep, but oh my, he slept like a dream…his session was just the best nap for this little one. He was so content to just be held and rocked by his Mommy and Daddy. And his parents were just so much fun. They are readers, so I loved that they had their books out and could make recommendations. They are also big board game fans, which is super cool, so this little guy will always be surrounded by so many fun memories. This was just a cozy weekend morning at home, and this little man didn’t wake up until the very, very end.

According to Mom…

What was the first thing you thought when you saw your baby for the first time? James was due May 1 but starting from when I was around 6 months pregnant, everybody kept telling me he’d be early based on my size and how I was carrying. I work with nurses and other medical professionals, so I thought they probably knew what they were talking about. My mom was also two weeks early with her first child, so that also made me think James would be an April baby. By the time my due date rolled around, I already felt like James was late–then I thought for SURE I’d be a mom by Mother’s Day–and yet again, that milestone came and went with no baby! It was agonizing waiting those last few weeks. I was finally induced on May 13 and James was born after only 7 hours of labor. My first thought when they put him in my arms was “You’re finally here! Finally!!” I was just so shocked to suddenly have my baby in my arms after waiting so long.

What was the best part of having a newborn session at home? It was a relief not to have to pack up James and all of his accessories and take him to a strange place–I’m sure he cooperated so well partly because we did the shoot in a familiar place with all of the usual sights and sounds. I’m also so pleased that our cats Rupert and Delilah got to be in the photos. They are an integral part of our family and the pictures of them with James are priceless!

How did you prepare the baby for our photoshoot? The day before the shoot Jeremiah and I gave James his first sponge bath at home. We’d like to think that that tired him out enough to make him sleep through the whole shoot!

How was your experience having your newborn photographed? Were you worried or nervous beforehand? How did it turn out? I was nervous that James wouldn’t cooperate and that we’d be dealing with a screaming baby the whole time. Luckily he slept like a dream! I loved how Becky came in and did such a quick assessment of our space to find the best places to take pictures. It was a relief for her to take charge and to get her advice on the wardrobe. Everything turned out great!

What would be your advice to someone getting newborn photographs taken? My advice for someone getting newborn photos would be to go with the flow and be yourselves! The pictures of Jeremiah and me with James turned out so well I think because we felt so comfortable and were just being ourselves instead of worrying about trying to pose.

Did you have a sentimental item at our session? All of the blankets and quilts in the photoshoots were made by family members. Nobody told me they were making those blankets for him–they were all surprise gifts. One of my mothers-in-law actually learned how to quilt just to make James that turtle quilt! It was touching for me to see James welcomed with such love by all of his extended family.

I started knitting the white blanket very early on in my pregnancy, before we even knew we were having a boy. It is my very first gift for James and I hope he will treasure it. I made the “It’s a Boy” wreath on his due date while I was impatiently awaiting his arrival.

Do you have any other children? How did they react to the baby? James’s only siblings are his cat brother and sister, Rupert and Delilah! He actually has a couple onesies that say “My Big Brother/Sister is a Cat”. This photoshoot was the first time the cats really came in contact with James; before that they had really been keeping their distance! This was a great ice-breaker for them.

Any advice to other families picking out wardrobe or preparing for a session? My only advice would be to have multiple outfits picked out in advance. The night before I laid out several different combinations of outfits for James, Jeremiah and myself. We saved a ton of time when Becky arrived for the shoot and it made it easy for her advise us on what to wear. I’ll also add that mommas should dress lightly–you can’t see it in the pictures but I was very warm from all of those pregnancy hormones!

What’s your perfect Saturday as a family? Jeremiah and I like to do a big Saturday breakfast–bacon, pancakes, coffee–while listening to Prince or Beatles records from our vinyl collection. (James’s middle name, Harrison, is after George Harrison.) In the afternoon we’ll do something outdoors like a walk on the American Tobacco Trail, a trip to Duke Gardens, or an outing to a UNC football game. To cap off the night, we’ll snuggle on the couch with the cats for a movie or a few episodes of one of our favorite shows. We can’t wait to introduce James to all of our favorite things!

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Rebecca Keller is a Raleigh Maternity and Family Photographer featured in People Magazine and on The Bump. Contact Rebecca Keller Photography for more information about family photography and travel sessions.

 

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Raleigh Newborn Photography At Home | Party of Six

When you have four little ones, there’s a lot of activity going on during your family newborn portraits. But these three were just so sweet and so in love with their new baby sister. (See their hospital portraits here) So many sweet photos of their family – and we did have help this day. They are so blessed to have family that is so helpful with their kiddos, especially during the newborn days. One thing I loved about their home – there were photos everywhere. So much love everywhere in their home.

According to Mom..

What was the first thing you thought when you saw your baby for the first time? We did not know the gender so when I heard she was a girl, I was immediately overcome with tears of joy! It was definitely an “ugly cry”, but one that I will always remember. She was so beautiful and perfect and I was just so thankful God has blessed us with such an amazing gift.

What was your favorite part of our session together? My favorite part about the session was how natural it felt. Becky felt like another family member in the room, making over our baby, but also stepping back and sneakily catching our intimate family moments. When I saw the slideshow of pictures from the hospital, I was so overwhelmed with what she captured! It truly feels like a treasure that I will look back on often as we have planned this sweet baby to be our last one. I feel I will be able to relive those precious hospital moments and moments when she was in her first few weeks of life forever now.

How did you prepare your baby for our photo shoot? When planned it for the morning when we knew she was very calm/slept a lot. She is a very easy baby but typically kids seem to be at their best when they are fed and well rested so the morning time was the perfect time for us. I had layed out several items I wanted included in the shoot and bows and outfits. Everything was pretty much ready to go when Becky came.

How was your experience having your newborn photographed? I wasn’t too worried about her pictures! I was more concerned about how my 2, 4 and 6 year olds would do and if they would smile or scream. And I hoped they would behave, but lucky for me, Becky has two sweet kiddos around the same ages as ours so she was ridiculously patient and understanding as we got them all set to take pictures with their baby sister. I know the pictures I have seen turned out better than I could have imagined so I am thrilled for her patience and guidance for just the right shots/angles/family combinations.

What would be your advice to someone getting newborn photographs taken? Take your time, enjoy loving on your sweet bundle and know you will have an invaluable result.

Did you have a sentimental item at our session? My husband is a worship pastor and very musical, so with every child we have taken a picture with a musical instrument. Guitar, piano, microphone and now with Sadie, inside a drum. He puts this pictures on canvases and hangs them in his office. We love playing to those interests.

Was there a sentimental item in your nursery or parts of your nursery that we photographed that was special to you? Her in the crib is special to me because each of my children have slept in that same crib.

Do you have any other children? How did they react to the baby? Do you have any cute stories about their relationship? We have three other children, Durham who is 6, Ezra who is 4 and Lily who is 2. The boys were taken by Sadie from the start and still can’t get enough of her as they try to find ways to help me. Durham will bring me anything I need. He also loves to hold her when given the opportunity and will just stare at her. Ezra loves to sing to her. I have already videoed him probably 10 times singing super sweet lullabies as he rubs her cheek. Lily was skeptical at first at the hospital as Sadie was taking over her spot as the baby. Since we’ve been home, she has loudly proclaimed to anyone who may hold her “Baby Sadie is MY sister! She goes to my mommy’s house!” and cries if she thinks someone else may be taking her. She is the first to jump and give her a paci if she is crying. My older three love doing anything in the outdoors, so I look forward to many bike rides, hikes, soccer games, and playing in the yard with all four of these sweeties.

Any advice to other families picking our wardrobe or preparing for a session? We tried to keep it pretty simple and do a lot of coordinating colors… like mostly whites since there is so much green outside and we have no white walls in our house. We also had on jeans/some type of denim to add another color. It’s probably best to plan a back up outfit for baby in case of accidents but also plan one for mom (had a feeding catastrophe and luckily had a cute shirt in my drawers that worked). My other piece of advice is to just relax and enjoy it, this is such a special time!

How would you describe your perfect Saturday as a family? On a perfect Saturday, we would all sleep in (yea right!) and then go to a couple soccer games. We would find some kind of outdoor activity to do. As of lately, we love going to Jubala and getting a coffee for mom and dad and letting the kids run around outside while we hold Sadie and chat with each other. We would come home and eat a nice dinner together and then take a walk on the trail or walk up to the ice cream shop and enjoys some cones. We love anything that we can do together and outside in such beautiful weather.

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Rebecca Keller is a family and newborn photographer featured in People Magazine and on The Bump. Contact Rebecca Keller Photography for more information about maternity photos and travel sessions.

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What a pretty evening this was and wow, we had just had so much rain. So glad that the park wasn’t flooded, but it was close.I was so glad we were able to have their session and no rain! I feel like Olaf this summer, except instead of snow, a little rain cloud is following me around. These two were so much fun to photograph from the minute we started the session – just so relaxed and happy together, and of course, so excited about this sweet baby! And this Mama and I definitely chatted about our love for Anthropologie. Oh, their sweet baby was just a dream. So many sweet images of these two together and their sweet puppy together – can’t wait to meet their baby so soon! I love maternity sessions so much – waiting to meet your little one is just so exciting! (And who isn’t so excited for pregnancy to be over at the end!) I am meeting so many sweet babies this week and at the end of July – August. Fall is almost completely booked. If you aren’t on the calendar and were thinking of booking a session, please let me know as soon as possible. And if you aren’t on the email list, to find out about our free holiday minis this year, sign up here.

Styled by Little Apple Styles 

Maternity Photography Raleigh North Carolina | Rebecca Keller Photography

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Rebecca Keller is a Raleigh Maternity and Newborn Photographer featured in People Magazine and on the Bump. Contact Rebecca Keller Photography for more information about family. Interested in learning more about styling for your family session? Contact Ericka at littleapplestyles@gmail.com. She is an awesome stylist and we have been thrilled using her for our sessions.

 

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This was one of those sessions that was just magical. I can’t control the weather or light during sessions, but this day everything just came together + was purely magical. This was the first time I met this sweet family, and they were just so laid back and fun to photograph. And this big brother’s personality – oh my goodness, he’s just so much fun. I love that he and his daddy also brought fishing poles and their cowboy hats so that they could hang out during the time that I just photographed this sweet mama by herself. She was just stunning, and I’ve already met their sweet baby girl (so precious!) More of their newborn portraits soon- Trying to catch up on blogging!

It’s a busy summer with so many sweet babies being born! Looking forward to the next few months. We have one spot left for August and the fall is almost completely booked. If you are thinking of booking a newborn or need to put a family session on the calendar (And we’ll have the free holiday minis again!) Contact me asap!

Raleigh Outdoor Water Maternity Photographer | Rebecca Keller Photography

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Rebecca Keller is a Raleigh Outdoor Water Maternity Photographer featured in People Magazine and on The Bump. Contact Rebecca Keller Photography for more information about newborn and family photography in Raleigh, North Carolina and travel sessions.

 

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