It’s not you, it’s me!

In case you didn’t know, I’m Tamara, the woman behind c’est joli.  A feisty redhead who exists solely on coffee and silent prayer some days, I love musicals, museums, beach vacations, a good wine and cheese night, board games, spending time with my family, and I’m learning to be better at self care now that I hit the big 4-0.  I am a night owl; seriously, I am NOT a morning person and every one of my kids understood this except for number four, another feisty redhead who marches to her own beat.  Someday she’ll make me proud and be like a CEO or President or something, but right now I am exhausted, so when you see me, just ignore my giant undereye bags, lol.  

I grew up here in Virginia, and I think that helped fuel my love for history; surrounded by places like Colonial Williamsburg, Jamestown, Yorktown, and being close to DC.  Then I went and married a man from Massachusetts, so I get to visit all of that cool stuff too!  If it’s old, I want to know about it.  Where it came from, who it belonged to, what it did.  I need all the answers.  (The History Channel gets a lot of my time.)  Favorite era?  Victorian is the best to me, give me that floral wallpaper and 18 layers of curtains any day!  

My second love after photography is the beach.  Not Virginia beaches though, ick.  Give me palm trees and crystal clear water!!  I don’t even swim, I just want to relax in the sun and gentle breeze and listen to the waves…with lots of sunscreen, because redhead.  I love to watch my daughter play and take it all in, maybe catch up on some reading if hubs is there too.  I love to read but rarely get the time these days; biographies, history books, and self help are my go tos, along with the classics (I can’t tell you how many times I have read Pride and Prejudice).  

My own motherhood journey started many years ago.  I have three sons ages 20, 19, and 17 1/2 that I had back to back in my younger years, and then my 2 year old daughter who took five years of prayers, tears, fertility treatments, and heartache to make her appearance in this world.  If you have ever ugly cried in the shower, ignoring the world and trying to figure out what you could have done differently, then this hug is for you mama and I’m so very sorry.  I tell this to say, I get it.  We all have a story, and when you hand those precious babies to me and trust me, I take it very seriously.  It is always an honor. 

I quickly found my passion for motherhood photography and never went back.  The love, the joy, the tears, the special moments; you will never convince me there is a better career.   What I want moms to know is that you can’t go back.  I know, that is freaking sad, but it is true.  I stayed out of pictures when my boys were little, and regret it deeply.  Now I try to be an ambassador of sorts to moms everywhere to tell them to GET IN THE PICTURE.  Your children don’t care what you look like, they don’t think your hair is a mess, or you’re overweight, or your clothes don’t match.  They just love you, unconditionally.  You’re their mama!

My children are the loves of my life. Not that my husband is chopped liver, but well, you know what I am saying.  Being a mother has enriched my life in so many ways, and I try to take in each and every second, especially since I’ve been blessed with a second time around.   Sure, they also STRESS me out, haha, but I wouldn’t trade being a mom for the whole wide world.  Not a single moment.