Each year I travel to California to document Motherhood Stories, this past February I had the honor to document Brandi as a mama. Her daughter Ruby is a big ball of sweet love, you can just feel how close their bond is in these photographs, it was even stronger in person. Brandi is an amazing photographer in LA, a wife to a handsome teacher and also has the cutest fur baby. Oh and her house? Picture perfect, a photographers dream!
I’m planning my trip back to CA in 2018, I’ll be visiting in April! Already dreaming of that California sunshine, food and design.
Enjoy Brandi’s story with tea, wine, leftover Halloween candy, take-out whatever your jam is. As always, it’s a good one!
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How did you meet the father of your children? Will and I met while working together at Buca Di Beppo, an Italian restaurant chain. He was a bartender and I was a server. We found friendship because of our similar sense of humor. He was easy to get along with and always made me laugh. He was interested in dating my roommate and so I set the two of them up. Not willing to admit to myself at the time that I was interested in him as more than a friend. They didn’t really hit it off after a few dates. They actually had me come along with them on a date because they were both so uncomfortable around each other and wanted me there to buffer. Suffice it to say, that didn’t work out. He then briefly dated another one of my friends but according to him, he was more into me. Our friendship grew and eventually, we went on a date, which started as a joke and turned into what I think was an actual date. Ha! But the real breakthrough was when I kissed him at the bar in front of one of his friends. From that moment on he was smitten and we spent every day together since then. 🙂
What has been the biggest change for you after becoming a mother?: Becoming a mother has completely softened my heart. It’s taken me out of the center of my universe and put another human person there. It sounds cliche but there’s something about having someone to look after that makes you realize how insignificant so many things are. It’s a very humbling experience. All of your fears change as they are no longer focused on YOU. You feel nothing but a fearless protection for that person. I stopped caring so much about what everyone thinks about me and now all I care about is what’s best for my family. Motherhood has made me stronger and more empathetic, but at the same time I sometimes I loose myself in her and forget that my health and livelihood is just as important as hers.
What is it about your child that you want to remember at this very moment?: Seriously everything. I want to remember the way she reaches for me any time she needs comfort, the way she says, “my mama”, the way she giggles as she’s just starting to discover her funny bone, the way her tiny body conforms to mine when we sleep, how her little chubby hands reach out for me when she’s sad or scared or just wants to feel my touch. The way she loves me with so much fierceness and never holds back. But I think my very favorite part about this age though is her voice and the sweet conversations we have that show me what kind sweet, compassionate, loving and feisty of a person she is.
What is love to you?: To me, love is being there. Whether that’s in an emotional capacity or a physical one, just to know that person always has your back and will accept you with all of your flaws.
What are your hopes and dreams for Ruby? I think my biggest hope for my daughter is that she can learn to trust her heart and follow her intuition for guidance. I trust the person she is and I know that she can move mountains if she wanted to. I want everything I do in this life to be a light so that I can reflect that light onto her.
What is your favorite thing about being a Mother?: My favorite thing about being a mother is watching the world through her eyes. Seeing her grow into herself and being able to be there to help direct and support that is such a huge honor and blessing. It makes you feel like you are actually changing the world and expanding the universe. Mothers truly do have the most important job on this earth.
*Currently booking Motherhood Session in LA + San Fran for April 2018*
Email to inquire; victoria@victoriagloria.com
