YOLO Spotlight - John and Beverly Littau of Envision It!
John and Beverly Littau have been quite busy since they moved to Woodland! Ministering, fostering, adopting, opening a business, with that kind of schedule we are lucky they were able to take a few moments to speak to us for the YOLO Spotlight.
Envision It! Is a local engraver/signage producer/pretty much anything you need personalized type of place. While John has been doing engraving for decades, they opened the shop in Woodland in October 2019, little realizing a pandemic was right around the corner. With his expertise, John has found himself engraving a variety of items, even pumpkin pies and watermelons, though retirement and wedding gifts are some of his more typical items.
Envision It can be found tucked into a corner (Suite 102) at 825 East Street in Woodland. KLJ Studios actually first encountered John when we went there to purchase face shields to use doing photography sessions in the studio last year. Chatting with John turned out to be so much fun, and we discovered the two of them had a great story to tell, so we knew John and Beverly would make a great Spotlight.
FUN FACT #1
While John grew up in Sunnyvale and Beverly in the San Fernando Valley, they met at Vanguard University in Cost Mesa, California. It was a mutual attraction and they dated for a few years before they became engaged and then decided to get married a mere 10 weeks after getting engaged. They were able to pull off a 250 guest wedding in 10 weeks. (Let that sink in.) The two have been in ministry most of their lives. They lived in Fremont and moved to Woodland when a position opened up at a church here in 1995. He pastored at The Sanctuary for 25 years, but is gradually phasing out his role. The church has merged with an Hispanic church and now offers bilingual services.
FUN FACT #2
John and Beverly have a daughter in Texas, a son in Pennsylvania, and another son in Redding. They also have 11 grandchildren. But the big news is that they recently added to their family by fostering two young sisters, and then adopting them in June 2021. John explained they have always had an interest in fostering kids, their daughter is also a foster parent, but didn’t think they would ever adopt. But after having the two girls for several years, adopting seemed like the natural progression. They want the girls to have a stable, loving home and feel they can offer them the best.
FUN FACT #3
As every parent knows, raising children can be difficult even when things are perfect, but we all know that 2020 was far from perfect. Juggling home life, parenting, and owning a small business during a pandemic became quite the challenge for John and Beverly, as well as most parents worldwide. While they welcomed the time spent with the girls at home, the day care they used shut down and they took turns staying home and babysitting. A few times they were able to take the girls to the store and set up an area for them to play. John and Beverly also found themselves trying to get caught up on work at night after the girls were in bed.
And what’s going on at the store?
1. John also had an engraving business in the Bay area in Fremont for many years and is self taught. He has good artistic instincts and obviously is quite creative (who else can engrave fruit?). He can also create signs and help with wood and glass items. COVID19 certainly changed the business without retirement parties or large weddings requiring personalized gifts.
2. However, when, in May 2020, a customer asked if he worked with acrylic, a new phase of business was born. Envision It made it through the past year by making many of the acrylic shields businesses use to separate employees from customers, helping them to follow COVID guidelines and allowing the businesses to remain open throughout the pandemic. John has been busy making acrylic shields for desks, countertops, whatever was needed for businesses all the way from Orange County to Redding. And, as mentioned before, he was also a source for face shields, useful for those businesses who work more closely with their customers.
3. For a couple who have taken on a small business, two young girls, and still keep up with some ministering, John and Beverly have been able to keep active, stay positive, and get creative to keep their business alive during a rough year.
When asked what they do to wind down, they laughed. “Wind down with kids?” was the response. And, yeah, we’ve all been there.
Interested in a Portrait Session?
YOLO Spotlight - Jia-Min Rosendale of 88 Keys Academy!
If you have noticed changes at Main Street Music at 527 Main Street in downtown Woodland, it’s because it has changed! Jia-Min Rosendale, a licensed Kindermusik educator and long time piano instructor in the Woodland community, took over the space on Main Street last year and has kept it going throughout the pandemic.
Originally from Ceres, California, Jia-Min attended UCDavis, majoring in psychology with a minor in human development. She ended up marrying a local and had five kids pretty quickly. Jia-Min has played the piano since she was eight years old, took a music hiatus during college, then began again by playing for the Davis Musical Theater Company when her oldest started in theater.
While starting a business during the pandemic year has not been easy, a combination of zoom and in person classes has helped at making it a success. Jia-Min says that for some kids, music lessons became the only outside activity they had last year. A strict COVID safety protocol kept everyone safe and it is refreshing that beautiful music was able to be made when we all needed some joy in our lives. Jia-Min has additional instructors that teach other instruments such as percussion, flute, clarinet, guitar, and many others.
FUN FACT #1
Jia-Min’s first gig at DMTC was with director Jason Hammond in a production of Hairspray, and she ended up following him to the Woodland Opera House, becoming a fixture at WOH and eventually also moving to Woodland. She will soon be in charge of the elementary and music band program at Woodland Christian School. She strongly believes that, rather than creating pianists, she is helping create the musicians of the future. It has been shown that reading music can help students with school by using the parts of the brain involved in languages and math skills, and can also teach perseverance and self-discipline. Playing an instrument can be therapeutic for some, aiding in needed therapy for hands and the brain. All of her teachers are highly qualified, musically educated, working professionals.
FUN FACT #2
Jia-Min is a recovering over-commiter and has learned to let go and choose what is best for her family and herself. Her response to being raised by very strict parents was to take control of everything she could. As she learned by trying different things and making mistakes along the way, she also realized that maintaining a balance became more and more important to her. COVID19 helped reset her priorities, as did her children getting older. All of her kids are still at home (ages 11 through 20) and as the management aspect of her business is becoming bigger, the chauffeuring and home management has not decreased.
FUN FACT #3
While Jia-Min says her household is very chill, she still has the need to hide out in the bathroom once in a while to get away from it all. Because she home schooled for a long time, her kids are already pretty good about boundaries and she can be honest with them about her needs and they are great at cooperating. She feels her family is a solid team and the children are pleasantly helpful. She loves taking vacations with the family and finds real joy in all of them just hanging out and doing simple things.
WHAT IS GOING ON AT 88 KEYS ACADEMY?
1. COVID19 has changed how you teach. The student/teacher relationship is even more important now. Your student may not have been seeing many other people this past year and she changed her teaching style to include just chatting for the first few minutes of each lesson to check in and help each of them remember how to interact with others and make sure all are coping well. Jia-Min is excited that 88 Keys Academy will be one year old this July. And, just a news flash, the old piano will be appearing outside the business once again on June 15th!
2. Jia-Min envisions that five years from now she will still have love and heart for the arts and will be bringing the beauty that is music to people’s lives, especially children. Music was always an outlet for her and she believes it is for kids today as well. Her band teacher was almost a second father to her and taught her about teamwork and social skills, concepts that never go out of style. The pandemic has taught her to appreciate the fluidity of life.
3. For the curious, Kindermusik is a method of early childhood education for music and movement and is widely recognized internationally. The classes involve singing, games, movement to music and listening activities from birth through seven years.
In the future? Jia-Min would love to be the music hub of Woodland. She sees inviting local artists to have rehearsals and recitals in her space, host dinners and buskers in front of the school, offer workshops, and so much more. And yes, all of this would be a very cool addition to downtown Main Street, right?
Interested in a Session?
YOLO Spotlight - Tania Garcia Cadena of Woodland Food Closet
Though it is difficult for Tania to have an opportunity to find a few free minutes (let alone an hour or two!), KLJ Studios is happy we were able to get Tania into the studio for some pampering and photos. We knew Tania is involved in so many great causes, and it is exhausting to consider all she accomplishes in a single day, but she also seems to be uber-organized and efficient and handles it all with ease and serenity.
Tania grew up in Woodland and was the kid who was a leader and a giver, even back then. She was student council leader and volunteered so much as a teen that she earned the Soroptomist Service Award in high school. Maybe that was a hint of the future because she has been a member of Soroptomist for over 20 years. Soroptomist is an international volunteer organization that provides women and girls with access to the education and training they need to achieve economic empowerment. The organization was formed in 1921 in Oakland, CA when women were not allowed to join service organizations. Tania has also volunteered at a nursing home and says her main focus has always been on children and women’s issues.
Tania is also the Executive Director of the Woodland Food Closet (not to be confused with the Yolo Food Bank). The Food Closet can provide those in need with three days of food and has been especially crucial this past year during the pandemic. The Food Closet can be used for those in emergency situations or who just have circumstances where they need assistance. When it was hard to find volunteers last year because many of the older volunteers were in the higher risk group for COVID19, volunteers from Yocha Dehe stepped in to fill the gaps. The pandemic created several changes in the Food Closet, including their commitment to making sure everyone who needs food can get it, even if it needs to be delivered.
FUN FACT #1:
Tania has been married for 28 years (they have been together for 34 years) and enjoys her three children, two girls and one boy. She is also the oldest of 32 siblings and cousins, among which are her own brother and sister. One of the things she has always liked to do to relax is to go to her kids’ sporting events when they are active in sports.
FUN FACT #2:
Other activities that Tania loves during any down time is reading, camping, kayaking, visiting local wineries and attending concerts when the band Grooveline performs. Possibly she enjoys the concerts so much because her husband Ray Cardena is a member, but they are a really good band so it’s possible Tania may have ended up being a groupie either way.
FUN FACT #3:
When asked what was the scariest thing she has ever done, she mentioned a zip line in Puerto Vallarta, but said she actually found it exhilarating. A close second place was speaking at the League of Women Voters public forum when she was running for City Council.
WHAT PATHS DID TANIA FOLLOW TO GET WHERE SHE IS TODAY?
1. At age two, Tania decided she wanted to be a preschool teacher. But when she visited a preschool, she thought it was an awful experience and remembers a teacher being mean to the kids. This almost caused her to change her mind, but her mother told her that she needed to become a preschool teacher and change things the way she thought they should be. She followed that advice and went on to work with kids for 30 years, including running her own preschool.
2. Tania has served on several local commissions, including the child care and parks and recreation commissions. She ran for City Council a few years ago because she felt she could also serve the community in that way, but then ended up becoming a Council member by volunteering to fill an opening when another member departed.
3. And how does this dynamo spend her days? Mornings you will find her, now working from home, performing her duties for the Food Closet by answering emails, making phone calls, and all the other expected Executive Director duties. After noon, she switches into City Council mode, then the usual family and home tasks such as chauffering, cleaning, and all that fun stuff. Evenings are dedicated to Soroptomist and City Council meetings. Oh, and she also works part time at Haven, the boutique on 1st Street in downtown Woodland, “just for fun”. Talk about exhausting!
When asked how she envisions her life five years from now, Tania said she still wants to be serving the community of Woodland by helping bring business into town and doing what is needed for the community to thrive. She would like to be known as a person that helps others and becoming a resource for others to reach their goals. We think she has achieved that many times over, but we don’t think she will stop putting everything she has into doing everything she can. That’s just who she is.
Interested in Booking A Session?
Milestone portraits with Carrie and Martinique
Who knew April 14th would turn out to be so much fun! That was the day we welcomed Martinique and her daughter, Carrie, to the studio for a milestone portrait session. Our boutique photography studio is located at 424 1st Street in downtown Woodland, CA. Kelly was the photographer, Beckie was the photography assistant, and the makeup was done by KLJ Beauty artist, Lucy.
We met Martinique before when she came in for portraits for herself and we were impressed with her ability to appear so natural in front of the camera. Then she brought in daughter, Carrie, and we were doubly WOW’ed! Carrie is beautiful, tall, and someone we would love to have back anytime.
We loved every single one of Carrie’s outfits, but then she came out in her steampunk look, and we all said, “Winner!”. Don’t you love days like that when everything falls into place?
And on top of that, we also snuck Martinique into some mother-daughter shots so our day was made.
We would love to see you lovely ladies back any time. Please!
Thank you so much for being part of our KLJ Studios family. It is always a pleasure to see you.
~Kelly
YOLO Spotlight - Lacey Passantino of The Home Improvements Group!
You may know Lacey from when she was the owner of the very popular Well Stocked Home on 1st Street in downtown Woodland. After Lacey sold the business, she gravitated down the street to work with Chris Dreith at The Home Improvements Group, currently found on the bottom floor of the Woodland Hotel. The Group will soon be moving to a newly rehabilitated building on the corner of Main and 2nd Streets, right across from the Woodland Opera House. The new location will have a fully equipped kitchen with the ability to demonstrate appliances and equipment.
The Home Improvements Group specializes in award winning bath and kitchen remodels and business has been booming with people turning to sprucing up their homes during the pandemic. (Spending more time at home allows more time to see what needs to be fixed up!) As Chris begins to slightly (maybe) begin to retire, Lacey is slowly taking the reins. Chris and Lacey knew each other before and Chris knew that she had to have Lacey and her impeccable taste come to work with her when Lacey was no longer at Well Stocked Home.
FUN FACT #1
Lacey likes to stay busy and is the leader of her daughter’s Girl Scout Troop as well as being her son’s team mom for his baseball team. She also squeezes in time on the PTA. Work is almost like a second home to all of them and the kids even have a special room set up for them at the business so they have a place to hang out when they are there. Everyone at The Group is like family.
FUN FACT #2
Lacey is originally from British Columbia, Canada and found herself in northern California because her mom’s family lives in Carmichael. She has always enjoyed participating in Woodland events and loves being a member of the community. She has been with The Group since 2017 and, though we still miss her on 1st Street, she loves what she does now.
FUN FACT #3
Lacey feels that all of her life experiences came together and this is the perfect career for her. Combine her natural talent and eye for design with over 15 years experience in retail housewares and you have a winning combination. She particularly loves fixer uppers because they require lots of love and Lacey believes that you must honor the age of home when you make design choices during rehab.
WHAT ABOUT HER WORK AT THE HOME IMPROVEMENTS GROUP?
1. Lacey feels it is an honor to be mentored by Chris and also to be trusted by Chris to eventually take over. Chris is well known nationally in design circles and when they attend trade shows it is impossible to find anyone who doesn’t know Chris. These are big shoes to fill in the future, but remembering the impeccable curating done by Lacey at Well Stocked Home, The Home Improvements Group is going to be in talented and capable hands.
2. Lacey believes they have the best customers. From design to overseeing the remodel, clients are trusting her with their personal decisions and how they will essentially live their life once their home is complete. She firmly feels every choice she makes must reflect the essence of the client, who they are and what they want. After all, you want them to feel at home in their home!
3. Having spent the last few years overseeing and managing projects, Lacey knows the key to a successful remodel is a well thought out process and she knows The Group has a great process in place. Since she enjoys working with the clients, she makes it a point to keep them in the loop to avoid misunderstandings and unhappy homeowners. It is important to Lacey that the clients know they can trust her and she is working hard to make sure they get the dream home they want.
It will be fun to see the new location. (Hope there’s an open house!) And we all know that one day it will be Lacey that gets stopped by people wanting to chat at the trade shows. Just give her a year or two!
Interested in a Session?
Loving a Baby Girl Newborn Session
April 12th we welcomed back Kelly, Chris, and new big brother, Jaxon, to photograph Jaxon’s new baby sister. The session was held at our boutique photography studio, KLJ Studios, at 424 1st Street in downtown Woodland, CA. The photographer was Kelly and Aimee was the photography assistant throughout the session. Veronica Gersalia Makeup Artistry was responsible for the makeup today.
It was an absolute pleasure to see this family again! We first met Kelly four years ago when she came by for head shots and then we met Jaxon for his newborn photos. It is always fun, and sometimes quite emotional, to see how the little ones grow and change in such a short time.
Maybe because the session wasn’t as focused on him, Jaxon was more interested in playing ball with Kelly than in posing with his sibling. (Who can blame him? Playing ball is ever so much more fun!) We used some of our photographer’s tricks to get his cooperation and then he was able to go home early and play while we finished up with baby girl.
The baby wasn’t sure who she was dealing with at first, but Kelly’s expert wrapping skills soon won her over and she settled in nicely for each pose. Kelly is pretty sure she will soon have big bro wrapped around her tiny finger.
Thank you all so much for choosing KLJ Studios for these precious newborn moments. We love having you as part of our family!
~Kelly
YOLO Spotlight - Chris Dreith of Home Improvements Group!
Home Improvements Group has occupied the bottom corner of the Woodland Hotel for many years. Specializing in bathrooms and kitchens, the team handles everything from conceptualizing your ideas to handing your keys back when the project is done. They are particular about their subcontractors, ensuring they are completely professional and maintain the highest quality construction work.
The Group has been headed by Chris Dreith since 1994, but Chris is gradually stepping back and handing the reins over to Lacey Passantino. (Hearing Chris talk about her love of what she does, though, it is hard to believe she will step away completely.) Chris knew Lacey and has always loved her taste. She is pleased to have mentored her and excited that the change in leadership is also coming with a change in venue as the physical space of the Group is moving to 702 Main Street soon.
FUN FACT #1
Chris went to art school and gravitated to several different colleges over the years, ending up in Portland at an architecture school. Her brother-in-law lived in Davis and liked it so much she came down to northern California, eventually obtaining a higher degree in architecture at Berkeley. Born in Nebraska, then growing up in Colorado, she went to work for a ski shop, ended up designing more shops for the owners, eventually buying some of the shops. Chris then realized she preferred the building designing over the retail aspect of business ownership.
FUN FACT #2
In high school, Chris dabbled in cartooning. Maybe this is what led to her love of writing mystery stories. She began publishing some of her work last year. (Seems everyone discovered new talents during pandemic shutdown!) She enjoys building the characters and likens it to how she must focus on clients and figure out what they need and want. Chris is a proud member of Sisters in Crime, an organization of authors, publishers, readers, and booksellers that supports women who write mysteries. She recently helped organize a major mystery conference that was made more challenging because it had to turn into a virtual event.
FUN FACT #3
Chris is a dog lover, a travel lover, and has a wicked sense of humor. There are a couple of signs in the shop that proves the humor. One of the signs has an image of a beautiful horse, but as you get to the back end, the horse becomes a crude stick figure. While Chris couldn’t remember the actual wording on the sign, the gist of it was “when your client starts wanting cut corners in the middle of the project”. She loves attending community events in Woodland and sampling the local “products” at local wineries and breweries.
WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE BATH AND KITCHEN REMODEL BUSINESS?
1. The new showroom being built at 702 Main Street in downtown Woodland will have a working kitchen so they will be able to demonstrate appliances and incorporate cooking skills. Outdoor kitchens have been big the past year as people found themselves spending more time at than usual. Though they specialize in bathrooms and kitchens, the Group can also help you remodel the rest of your home if you ask real nice.
2. Chris’s first job in Woodland was organizing the Farmer’s Market. In doing this, she met many people she calls “downtowners”, people who invest in or otherwise commit to helping Woodland’s downtown. Two of those downtowners was Gary Wirth, an architect, and Market board member Carl Fischer, designer. Both encouraged and mentored Chris. Chris eventually worked for Carl for eight years, and when he closed his business, she opened Home Improvements Group.
3. While Chris modestly talked about her involvement with national bath and kitchen remodeling groups, we heard a rumor that she has been very active with them and is highly respected in the field. She is a certified Master Kitchen and Bath Designer and has also judged some of their local and national contests. She is a charter member of the SEN Design Group, the first national buying/marketing group in the kitchen and bath industry, where she acts as an Advisory Council Member and a mentor for many kitchen and bath dealers throughout the country. Chris enjoys how the members of these groups network and support each other.
Chris wants to be known as someone who is changing people’s lives for the better. She strives to help you decide what home would suit you best and allow you to feel your best in the place you spend most of your life. Being in a pandemic has proven her right, as people realize that their home is their safe space and should reflect the colors and style that allows them to be themselves.
If you would like to learn more, you can find it here: https://www.homeimprovementsgroup.com/. After meeting Chris, we immediately began thinking about what we could do in our own home and realized with glee that the possibilities are endless. And fun!
Interested in a Session?
YOLO Spotlight - Sarah Larkin of Sarah Larkin Floral Design and Life Coaching with Sarah Larkin!
This week our spotlight focuses on Sarah Larkin, known in Yolo County for her beautiful, innovative floral designs. But there is much more to know about Sarah and how she has spent the last year during the pandemic.
When the pandemic hit, Sarah was worried because much of her floral design clientele centered around weddings and other large events, which were suddenly shut down overnight. She decided to switch gears and began making smaller bouquets that people could to send to their friends as a little reminder that they were in people’s thoughts. With this less hectic schedule, Sarah was also able to personally deliver each bouquet and was able to experience the delight of those who received them. It was a helpful way to cheer individuals up during those early days of COVID19 when the world did not know what we were dealing with yet. Sarah acknowledges it was a “back to basics” move that allowed her to see the joy in a small, but significant, gesture. With a slower pace and less stress, she realized she was finally building the business she wanted. In the future, she would love to automate the process more to have time to teach others.
FUN FACT #1
During the past year, Sarah had time to decide what she wanted to be when she grew up and landed on being a life coach. It was a circular route for her to get there, she was a shy, insecure high-schooler, feeling she had to be “small, quiet, and unattractive”. After growing up in southern California, she came up north to attend UC Davis to obtain a degree in human development (hence the life coaching connection!). The last year has been a year of discovery for her, with thinking about who she wants to be and evaluating everything and deciding to go all in for life. She spent many years surviving and feels she is now starting to thrive. She spent a year earning her life coaching certification and looks forward to helping others find out what makes them shine and celebrating that knowledge with them.
FUN FACT #2
Sarah met her ex-wife at UC Davis and because they both live in Woodland they are able to co-parent their son. With a gay father, Sarah took the initiative to join Colage. Colage is a national organization that provides support to those with an LGBTQ caregiver, introducing them to peers and assisting them to become skilled, self-confident, and leaders in their own communities. Before she joined Colage, she did not know that other kids had parents in the LGBTQ community. She is grateful for the connections made since she met her best friend there.
FUN FACT #3
Sarah is a member of the Unitarian Church in Davis and says they have allowed her the opportunity to grow. She has also found the life coaching community a tight knit group, and even virtually, comes together to help each other. Unable to meet and provide coaching in person during the last year, the support from these groups has helped her enormously.
WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON IN FLORAL DESIGN AND LIFE COACHING?
1. Sarah passion is to work with women. She feels they have a unique set of challenges. Because of her own life journey, she believes she can provide special insight to assist them. Sarah now realizes she has to approach life differently and actively decided to start believing in herself, reaching for her dreams, and never settle for less.
2. Sarah is finding it hard to narrow her life coaching focus. A well-balanced life involves everything about you and your life so how can she narrow it down and leave something out when she works with you? She knows that thoughts you have lead to feelings which then makes you do, or not do, things that determine the results you get. Finding a niche instead of merely covering it all is impossible!
3. In all of her fields of endeavor, Sarah wants to be known as being authentic and having integrity. Her one biggest bit of advice is to always have your own back. (We can vouch that this is one aspect of life people have trouble remembering!) She finds one way to accomplish this personally is to schedule smart so as to not let herself, and others, down because she can’t do it all or ends up forgetting obligations.
Very far in the future, Sarah might like to travel and get a job refurbishing houses all over the world for AirBnB. She refurbished houses with her dad, an architect, when she was younger. And she is not adverse to having a future as an author!
You can check out Sarah’s floral design business (https://sarahlarkindesign.com/) or life coaching expertise (https://coachingwithsarahlarkin.com/) and you can find links to her podcast or sign up for her newsletter.
A multi-tasking small business woman, woo hoo! We hit the trifecta!
Interested in Session?
YOLO Spotlight - Tessa Smith of Yolo County Health and Human Services (HHSA)
Tessa is one busy woman with her job at Yolo County HHSA as an outreach specialist in the mental heath unit, chair of the District Attorney’s Multi-Cultural Community Council, being part of Resilient Yolo, and being an on-going advocate and tireless worker for youth.
The Multi-Cultural Community Council is made up of Yolo County residents that act as an advisory committee to the District Attorney. Their mission is to “seek fair and equal justice, facilitate understanding, ensure open communication, and promote community participation, education and diversity within the criminal justice system”.
Resilient Yolo is a cooperative venture of many local non-profits and county organizations such as HHSA, Yolo Conflict Resolution Center, Empower Yolo, and CASA as well as local youth and families. Their mission is to work together to create a community which is resilient enough to allow everyone to thrive. They also put on the Youth Empowerment Summit every year.
And this is on top of her career with Yolo County and being a suicide prevention trainer and her work in racial equity.
Whew!! As we said, Tessa is quite busy.
FUN FACT #1
Tessa is actually Terresa, but there was another Theresa Smith working for the county so she opted to become Tessa to avoid confusion. She was a military “brat” growing up so she says she is from all over, but at the age of 16 Tessa’s family settled down in Shreveport, Louisiana. Twenty years ago she moved to Sacramento, then ended up in Woodland ten years later. The biggest driving force for her move to Sacramento was access to Alta Regional Center for her son who is on the autism spectrum. Tessa is proud of her son and how well he is doing, receiving AA degrees from Woodland Community College and Sac City College. He is currently working for Amazon.
FUN FACT #2
Tessa is also raising her two granddaughters and says that seeing how the schools work with our young people has been an evolution for her. The more she advocated for her grandkids, the more other people began asking her for help to do the same, cementing her interest is assisting youth and allowing her to focus her efforts. In fact, Tessa loves what she does so much she thinks that even if she had a “bunch of money” she would still do what she’s doing. She believes she received a message that everything she has been through and accomplished in her life was so that she can do what she does now to help people.
FUN FACT #3
Tessa believes that one of the reasons she is so successful at what she does is that she is the same with everyone. She regularly engages with the County Board of Supervisors, the District Attorney, city mayors, citizens, migrant camp habitants- a whole range of people from all walks of life. Knowing the lingo of the mental health and criminal justice systems allows her to get to the point and learn the truth about whatever issue she is digging deep on.
WHAT’S GOING ON IN YOLO COUNTY?
1. Of course, pre-COVID, Tessa found her work, though never easy, was easier to do. Post-COVID, she finds everything is trickier and there is a need to be more creative. As she says, “It is hard to outreach if you can’t reach out”. She has learned the ins and outs of Zoom so she can still hold her suicide prevention trainings online. Before, her work helped inform her how to parent her own kids and when to give herself grace. It is more of a struggle to share coping strategies with parents, but that work is even more important now with the isolation and various struggles for parents and youth brought on by the pandemic.
2. Tessa is optimistic about the changes she sees in Yolo County for child welfare and racial equity, though much more still needs to be done. Many children are being placed outside of the county, making it harder for chances for parent-child reunification. More than half of the children in the foster care system are children of color and more resources are needed. Foster families are always sorely needed.
3. Tessa would eventually appreciate the opportunity to provide input to these issues on a national level and the trend is in that direction. The travel when she was young, personal experience raising children with unique challenges, and her efforts locally working for youth who need that little extra support would make Tessa a powerful advocate for youth nationwide.
And yet with all the important work she has done, and will do in the future, when asked what she wants to be when she grows up, Tessa let us know that she wants to enter (and win!) the famous Best of the West Rib Cookoff in Sparks, Nevada some day. We offered our rib taste testing skills, but we never actually heard Tessa say she would take us up on the offer. That’s okay, we leave the offer on the table just in case!
YOLO Spotlight - Lori Ross, CASA Volunteer!
Our theme for April is foster kids and foster families and those who help them. This meshes with our annual Fantasy Fairies event held every spring at KLJ Studios that helps raise money for a great nonprofit that assists the foster care community.
Lori Ross is a Court Appointed Special Advocate, or CASA. CASA’s take an intensive training course, participate in court observations, and undergo other training and supervision before obtaining the important job of getting to know and advocate for a foster child.
Lori has been the CASA for one special girl for 11 years. She says the girl has been through so much in her short life and Lori won’t “quit” her, ever. Lori refers to the (now) young lady as her god-daughter. Lori believes she is extremely lucky that this young lady came into her life and stayed; we feel the young lady is also lucky to have such a fierce advocate as Lori in her corner.
FUN FACT #1
Lori grew up in Woodland and went to Sac State to obtain a degree in liberal studies, emphasizing teaching early childhood education. She spent a year in France as an au pair, eventually having a son with special needs and returning to the U.S. She was very competitive in school with talents in cheerleading and gymnastics, being in competitions and then coaching.
FUN FACT #2
Lori has a casual style in dress and personality and that explains why her favorite place to be is at the beach. In fact, every year for the last 40 years, her large extended family has gathered at Dillon Beach, having a huge family blow-out. She loves rap music from the ‘80’s, thrift store shopping, and was the kid in high school that was friends with everyone.
FUN FACT #3
Lori has three dogs, two boxers and an adorable mutt. She bought a camper trailer to go camping with the dogs. She can see herself eventually retiring to travel around in the camper, with the pups, of course. Her family and religion are most important to her in life and the solid upbringing she had with her family and church gave her the desire and ability to give back to the community.
WHAT’S SOMETHING YOU MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT LORI?
1. Lori is also the Community Engagement Director at the United Way in Yolo County with the office located in Woodland. She says it is her dream job and she enjoys the opportunity of building relationships in the community as well as the social aspect and diversity of what she does.
2. After college, she worked at the YMCA and absolutely loved that job. It was so fulfilling that she still loves the YMCA to this day.
3. In her spare time (Say what? When does she have spare time?), Lori is involved with Rotary and coaches for the Special Olympics. But when she was young her goal was to be Julie McCoy on the Love Boat. And considering her social skills and organizational instincts, we think she would have made a great Julie McCoy, Cruise Director.
When Lori finally decides to retire she would love to get a United States map and fill it in every time she visits a new state. She has ten states under her belt already, so she is off to a good start.
Folks like Lori that can dedicate so much of their time and emotions to help the quality of life of even one foster child are tremendous assets to our community. We are pleased to have spent some time with her and wish her well in the future when she takes on her dream of travelling the country and filling in her map.
Interested in a Session?
YOLO Spotlight – Tracy Fauver of CASA!
Welcome back to YOLO Spotlight! For April, KLJ Studios will be spotlighting those working with foster
kids or foster families. One, we think they deserve to be recognized for the important work they do and
two, our Fairy Fantasy event which happens this time every year, raises funds for a foster family
nonprofit. Win-win!
We begin our journey with Tracy Fauver. Tracy is the Executive Director of the Court Appointed Special
Advocate (CASA) program for Yolo County. CASA’s are specially trained volunteers that provide a
consistent and stable relationship for foster children. The volunteers build relationships with their
“CASA” kids, spending time with them and gathering facts about their situation so they can best
advocate for them. Many times, volunteers will stay in the child’s life for many years and are there for
milestone events and even simple trips to the zoo.
Tracy grew up in Ohio and spent time in high school and college studying in Europe. She came to
California in 2000 and landed in Yolo County in 2003. She received a masters degree in social work and
worked at a shelter and in schools. She found it was difficult at times to help at risk kids and it
sometimes haunted her. She loved her work at Davis Community Meals as a case manager and also
volunteered as a CASA for three years before being appointed to lead the local CASA organization.
FUN FACT #1
Her mother recently sent photos of Tracy taken throughout her life and this small act has sent Tracy on a
journey to embrace her own self-worth and incorporate more of herself into her house and her life.
Between the photos coming into her life again and the pandemic, she began making more of an effort
this past year reaching out to people and spending time with friends and others she cares about.
FUN FACT #2
She appreciates meeting challenges to always do better, but admits at times it can be overwhelming.
Volunteers must be recruited, trained and supervised, not to mention the administrative duties and
fundraising efforts Tracy oversees. She began at CASA ten years ago and for a time was the only
employee and CASA now thrives with over a hundred volunteers and a staff of eight, up to 200 youth per
year. Yet the need for CASAs is as desperate as ever with so many children in the foster care system.
FUN FACT #3
She learned about self-care from her social work days and knows how to leave the stress at the door
when she goes home. The compassion and connections needed for this job is actually who Tracy is as a
person, she doesn’t need to “change hats” when she walks into work every day. Tracy has a motorcycle
(an Indian Scout) that she loves to ride for the freedom, fun, and independence it brings to her. “Riding
feels like flying”, she says. (Of course, she didn’t bring the Indian Scout to the shoot so others could enjoy
that flying feeling.) She likes being what people don’t expect her to be. When asked what she wants to
be when she grows up, she talked about maybe buying a couple of acres and living on a farm with some
awesome chickens. Maybe building a house with a log cabin home kit. (Full disclosure: we have often
talked about doing the log cabin home kit thing, they are pretty cool.)
WHAT’S GOING ON AT CASA?
CASA has continued their mission to advocate for children during the pandemic though
obviously there have been changes in how they can carry out their mission. There has been
more virtual training and in person classes are on hold for now. The CASA’s have tried to perform
their job while using Zoom, though it is harder to make a connection virtually. It is much more
difficult to gauge emotions and it can be impossible to judge whether the child has privacy since
you can’t always see who else is in the room.
2. The quality of the volunteer advocates is crucial, but so is the quantity needed. Those who
attend the training, court observations, and other requirements and are promoted to a full
fledge CASA volunteer must commit 18 months to their assigned foster youth, though many
continue long past that basic commitment. Tracy finds there is no typical volunteer, though they
are always in need for more men and people of color to advocate and act as role models for the
kids. The need for more CASA volunteers is a problem nationwide.
3. If you have ever been to the CASA office in downtown Woodland, you have seen their unique,
and poignant, display in the conference room. Every foster child in the county is represented by
a cutout of a caterpillar. When the child receives a CASA, the caterpillar is removed and replaced
with a beautiful butterfly. Knowing the story, you feel joy when you walk in the room see all of
the butterflies displayed from above. But you soon realize how many caterpillars are still hanging
from the ceiling and there is also a feeling of sadness at how many foster children there are in
Yolo County and how many do not have the advocacy they need and deserve.
On a lighter note, many may not know that Tracy is also the proud grandmother of Mochi, the famous
bearded dragon of TikTok fame. Mochi visited our studio recently and spoke very highly of Nana Tracy.
If you would like to learn about the CASA program, or wish to look into volunteering, you can find out
more here: https://www.yolocasa.org/.
Interested in a portrait session?
YOLO Spotlight - Staci Johnson of Sunflower Gift Company (formerly Foster and Create)!
Welcome back to Yolo Spotlight! Continuing our focus on women business owners to celebrate Women’s History Month.
If you have ever needed a personalized gift you may have gone to Staci Johnson of Foster and Create. Staci specializes in just about everything you would need for a unique gift. Tumblers? Check. T-shirts? Check. Coasters, towels, blankets? Check, check, check!
Having operated under the name Foster and Create, Staci is in the process of rebranding to Sunflower Gift Company on Etsy because of her love of sunflowers and summer. She has built up a huge following and says she loves receiving the most unusual presents like a heat press and, soon, a laser, that will help her create even more magical items.
Staci started her thriving business by making the family matching T-shirts for a Disneyland vacation. Then she got the heat press as a gift and she was off and running. She almost closed up shop last year because between the pandemic, a death in the family and her husband being away quite a bit life got a little complicated, but in September she found a renewed passion for her work and began the rebuilding and rebranding process.
FUN FACT #1:
Staci is originally from Wichita, KS and stayed busy with the drill team, ROTC, and dancing. She was a social butterfly, but also a bit of an introvert. She always knew she wanted to go back east to college and graduated with a degree in Business Administration and accounting, giving her a leg up in knowing the ins and outs of owning a small business. The family is considering retiring to Wichita at some point in the future so the girls can know all of their cousins and other family.
FUN FACT #2:
Speaking of the girls, Staci has two lovely daughters, plus two Great Danes, and one cute mutt, as well as a husband in the military. After she gets all of them taken care of in the morning, she settles in to make calls, answer emails, take meetings, work on designs and ship orders. (Just a few things!) Good thing Staci enjoys a challenge and loves staying busy.
FUN FACT #3:
When she does have some down time, Staci likes to read fantasy books and also enjoys the classics. She has fun with video games, especially Final Fantasy. Staci loves that she has formed a large tightknit online community from the game. They have fun and support each other. The family connects over movies that they can enjoy together. In five years, Staci would love to see her business earning six figures and make it a real family business when her husband retires. Then she would love to travel all over the world and see all the places her husband has been during his deployments.
WHAT ARE SOME COOL THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT SUNFLOWER GIFT COMPANY?
1. Many small businesses survive because of the education/experiences of the owner. Besides her college degree, Staci has been a foster mom, firefighter, hotel front desk assistant, and worked at Boeing as a financial analyst. Her mother pointed out that, while she majored and worked in very analytical fields, she has a major creative streak. Staci took that observation to heart and embraced her creative side.
2. Getting a laser will greatly open up the gifts she can make so she expand her inventory of items to sell. She loves making the tumblers, but they can be time consuming. One tumbler can take up to a week because there are many layers involved in each one and each layer has to cure before the next one can be applied.
3. Staci would love to be known as someone who helps you celebrate your big moments with fun, personalized gifts. She enjoys customizing items for people to help them remember their milestone events like weddings, anniversaries, and births. One of her new items are milestone blankets for babies. What a great thing to celebrate! She loves being able to be a small part of such happy occasions.
You can find Staci’s fun items for sale on Etsy here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/Sunflowergiftcompany.
Staci is excited about a new year and a new brand name. She hopes to be debuting a new website soon that represents her and her wares much better. She loves to bounce ideas around with other people, so if you have been thinking about sending someone a personalized gift, let her know. She is happy to add something new to her repertoire!
Interested in a portrait session?
YOLO Spotlight - Erin Morris of Zest West!
It’s Thursday so it’s YOLO Spotlight time! We continue to celebrate Women’s History Month and present another woman small business owner in Woodland. This week we are pleased to highlight Erin Morris, owner of Zest West and Woodland native.
Erin is a savvy businesswoman, but also easy to talk to and fun to hang out with. We were lucky to catch up with her because free time is rare for her and she is always juggling several things at one time.
Erin grew up in Woodland and graduated from Woodland High School. In high school she hung out with the “art” crowd and felt comfortable with them even though she claimed she isn’t an artist. (We disagree, because if you have seen any of her cakes there is definitely an artistic bent needed to produce those works of art.) She baked for fun growing up and attended college in Santa Cruz, thinking she would become a teacher. After college, she attended The Culinary Institute of America in St. Helena, CA and went to work as an assistant pastry chef at a private beach club in Rhode Island. Her husband, Cory, is a Rhode Islander.
While at culinary school Erin met her “culinary soulmate”, Gabriella. After knowing each other for two weeks they knew they wanted to work together to pursue their dream of opening a bakery. They opened Zest in Connecticut in 2012 and joined their vision of using fresh and seasonal flavors in pastries. When Erin returned home a few years ago, she opened Zest West, and the rest is history!
Zest West had not even been opened a year before the pandemic hit. The bakery did not suffer as big a change as many businesses because they were able to stay open and are not dependent on indoor dining. People couldn’t celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, and other events with parties so Erin focused more on cakes, allowing people to commemorate their milestones with a great cake. Zest has been happy to celebrate the special event weeks with other downtown restaurants and had fun developing special pastries to fit the various themes. (We learned that something called “grey stuff” really exists and is delicious.) As the weather turns warmer, Erin looks forward to getting back to offering salads and light sandwiches and encouraging the use of her back patio for cake tastings and small meetings.
FUN FACT #1:
Erin loves being part of people’s special moments by making the perfect cake (or other items) to celebrate. Everyone at Zest West enjoys what they do. Most of them are from Woodland and are invested in the community. Being part of the community is a major bonus for Erin and she has donated her talents to non-profits to help those organizations that need it.
FUN FACT #2:
Owning a business is a 24/7 gig, right? So what does Erin do to keep her sanity? We asked about free time and she replied, “What’s that?”. Her special pleasure is time to hang out with friends and talk about anything but work. And she just signed up for TikTok so she can watch stupid videos and turn off her brain. If there is any time left over for a family vacation they go to Hawaii or the East Coast. The kids are easy going and are happy to go anywhere.
FUN FACT #3:
There is no such thing as a day off when you are a business owner. Erin gets up early to respond to phone messages and emails, gets the kids ready for school, manages paperwork, errands, and usually works at Zest from 9 am on. Saturday means 4 am to 5 pm and Erin can be found there when the bakery is closed to catch up on things that need her attention. Her saving grace is that husband, Cory, does more than his share.
WHAT’S GOING ON AT ZEST WEST?
1. Erin noted that there are now three bakeries on Main Street in the downtown Woodland area. She feels, however, that they are all different and offer different things. Zest West takes pride in sourcing most of their ingredients locally. They work with small farms and try to stay seasonal, meaning offerings can change over the year. Erin feels it is vital to support other small businesses and feels that not only is this one way to accomplish this, but it enhances the taste of her pastries.
2. They have survived the past year and are still here! Erin feels tired much more than before because COVID19 has added a whole new layer of thing to consider and manage. She is fortunate that her crew has willingly followed the guidelines and understand the importance of safety measures, but, like everyone, is more than ready to see the end of the pandemic.
3. Erin anticipates continuing her participation in Woodland’s Farmer’s Market this year. It is where she got her start in Woodland by letting people know Zest West and what pastry goodness they have to offer. And she also looks forward to being able to expand the use of her back patio, which is nicely set up and provides a pleasurable outdoor experience.
It is always great to see a hometown girl make good, especially when it involves great, yummy food. We have personally deliberately forgotten to eat breakfast before an early morning shoot just to be able to run over to Zest West and grab one of the breakfast sandwiches. Or not being able to distinguish whether their brownie is a brownie or actually fudge, which is, of course, a really bad problem to have. (ha!) Or have our noses pressed to the window of Zest to see if they made any of their chocolate mousse bombs, which really are THE bomb. Head over and try them all, you will see what we are talking about.
Put Zest West on your rotation schedule of supporting local eateries. You won’t be sorry.
And thank you, Cory, for all your help in making this happen. It is truly a community service for us all.
Interested in booking a session?
YOLO Spotlight-Christy Hayes of Mojo’s and Kitchen 428!
Welcome once again to YOLO Spotlight! This month we are focusing on women small business owners to highlight Women’s History Month. Luckily, we were able to interview/photograph Christy Hayes, owner of Mojo’s and Kitchen 428, entrepreneur, veteran, and benevolent community member.
Christy’s vivacious smile was easy to capture in photos and we noticed that her eyes sparkled with humor even during serious moments. She is not used to wearing makeup, but graciously consented so as to undergo the full KLJ Studios experience.
Christy had worked in restaurants starting in high school, working in both the front and the back of the house. It was natural that she would get a job bartending at Morrison’s when she came to Woodland, eventually becoming a part owner and then the owner in 2012. During her “free” time (yeah, right!), she went to UC Davis for two quarters anticipating becoming a veterinarian, and then switched to Sac State to eventually complete a degree in Public Relations and Event Coordinating. It was a big leap from employee to owner and she learned much of the business on the fly. Event coordination continues to be a passion for her.
One of the hardest aspects of the restaurant business is providing consistency, Christy says. There are so many moving parts between the food and the service you can never relax and you must always be on your toes. And consistency is the key to good customer service.
The pandemic has certainly changed things. As her staff receives their vaccines, Christy anticipates gradually re-opening for lunches in April, extending their hours, and, finally, the re-opening of the bar section of the business.
FUN FACT #:
Christy signed up for the Air Force while just graduating high school in the Morro Bay area. As a diesel mechanic she worked her way from Dover Air Force Base to Fairbanks and ending up in Fairfield at Travis. As a member of the Air Force Reserves she needed to live within 100 miles of Fairfield and chose Woodland to settle down.
FUN FACT #2:
During her down time, Christy enjoys watching TikTok videos. She finds she can even keep up with the news this way. She is also looking forward to gardening as the weather turns nice. And she loves every opportunity to hang with her dogs.
FUN FACT #3:
Christy buys all of her clothes, and many other items, at thrift stores. Her wardrobe is pretty cool and so are the decorating touches she incorporated in the décor of the restaurant, which, if not a thrift item, was probably bought at a low cost auction.
WHAT’S GOING ON AT KITCHEN 428?
1. Sadly, business is down 70% this year for obvious reasons, but Christy has implemented several fun weeks, with other local restaurants, that have helped keep them going. Who didn’t love Harry Potter Week? Or County Fair Week? Or the recent Amusement Park Week? We can thank her degree in Event Coordinating and just some great creativity for these much needed distractions during the past few months.
2. Her hours are spent differently now, of course. There’s more stress, more exhaustion, and she spends much more time bartending (cocktails available for takeout, folks!) and taking orders. Before, she spent a lot of her time in meetings, office management and attending events. So when you order take out, remember to take advantage of her bartending expertise and order cocktails to go!
3. Christy predicts it may be a slow, yearlong rebuilding period. But as she helped us out with special take home meals for Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s and Valentine’s Day, she is planning another special menu for Easter. And through this all, she has still considered the plight of our veterans and set up a GoFundMe page for the Feed Our Woodland Vets program. This program helps to feed veterans who can’t, or shouldn’t, go out and get their own meals.
Restaurants have been hit hard. But Christy has proven a little creativity, with a big dash of hard work, helps to get through the worst. As they begin to open and rebuild, let’s remember to support them and all of our Woodland eateries. Life would not be as much fun without Prime Rib Wednesdays. (A personal favorite.) Or French Dip Thursdays (another personal favorite.) Or Fish and Chips Fridays. (Seriously, maybe my favorite of the favorites.) Okay, honestly, I just like them all.
I pointed out that growing a successful restaurant is not easy and, even under normal times, restaurants have a high rate of failure. Christy clued me in on “how to make a small fortune from a restaurant. Start with a large fortune.” Easy peasy, right?
Get some takeout from Kitchen 428 and then next month head down in person at 428 1st Street in downtown Woodland. You can phone in your order at 530-661-0428 or just put them on speed dial.
And remember, cocktails to go!
Interested in booking a session ?
YOLO Spotlight - Marilyn Clark and SL8 Fitness!
Welcome to YOLO Spotlight! Once a week we will focus our KLJ Studios blog on someone in the community because we believe everyone has a story to tell.
Since March is Women’s History Month we will focus this month’s Spotlight on local women business owners. The good news is there are many to choose from! The bad news? There are many to choose from! It was hard to narrow down, but we figured anyone we missed we can catch in a later month.
So, to begin.
How fun that our first “victim” is a lovely ball of energy and fun in a human shaped package. And, if you have met Marilyn Clark, I am sure you agree. She is approachable, intelligent, and packs plenty of charisma.
Marilyn co-owns SL8 Fitness, a woman-centric gym in Esparto, and when the opportunity to also buy former Oases (also a woman-centric gym) in Woodland came about, Marilyn and her partner took the plunge and found themselves trying to keep two gyms alive during a pandemic. They have used a creative combination of virtual classes and personal training to keep going until just recently they were allowed to have in person activities. The layout of the gym allows for good social distancing and other COVID safety protocols are followed to keep everyone safe.
FUN FACT #1:
Marilyn, a Massachusetts native, worked her way out West via college in Connecticut to New York to Seattle to the Bay Area, eventually moving to Woodland where her husband is from. Extra fun note: she met her husband on AOL back in 1997 before online dating was even a “thing”. This woman is a trailblazer in more ways than one. She loved Woodland from the first and loves being part of this community.
FUN FACT #2:
Marilyn “retired” from a state job to now spend 12 hours a day at her business. And anyone who owns a small business knows it is essentially a 24/7 gig. She keeps her sanity by exercising and reminding herself to celebrate self-care.
FUN FACT #3:
SL8 is named to remind everyone that you can always start with a clean slate and its never too late to try something new. Her own personal training experience was so positive she became certified as a personal training and a nutrition coach in order to help others get that second, or even first, chance at a healthy life. As Marilyn says, “I want to find a way to make health a priority in your life and to find a way to make it work”.
WHAT CAN YOU FIND AT SL8?
1. SL8 Fitness on College St in Woodland is surprisingly large and has an efficient layout. There are separate rooms for cardio, weights, and classes as well as three tanning beds and, when allowed to do so, sauna and showers. There are also makeup and hair styling services available.
2. You can still enjoy virtual classes and personal training.
3. SL8 Fitness has designated March as “Women’s Empowerment Month” and wants you to claim one goal for yourself. Empowerment will come when you achieve your goal and motivate you to take another step.
Every year SL8 chooses a word or phrase for the year. For 2021, the word is resilience, which perfectly sums up 2021.
Go grab a guest pass at 1317 College St in Woodland (530-662-4444) or 15856 Yolo Ave. in Esparto and try it out. Or you can email at info@sl8fitness.com.
As Marilyn says, you are a culmination of all of your experience. Make your experience a healthy one!
Interested Booking a Session?
New baby! No problem!
Congratulations! You are having a baby!
KLJ Studios loves photographing newborns and their families. COVID19 has changed some of the ways we accomplish these sessions. Yet we can still help you capture these most precious moments in a couple of ways.
You are still welcome to come to the studio and take advantage of our family friendly amenities and newborn posing station and props. We have very strict county approved COVID19 safety protocols in place and can review those with you. We have successfully photographed dozens of newborns in the past year without incident.
But we also understand if you are nervous about coming in. Some new parents are hesitant about even going out in public right away with their newborn. We get it. You have been through so much and even veteran parents have not experienced the differences a pandemic makes when expecting and giving birth. We have heard stories about what new parents are going through and it seems the rules vary from hospital to hospital. We applaud you and our hearts are with you during this confusing and strange time.
But you deserve the same delightful newborn images that everyone has. To help you out, we have been providing in-home sessions for newborn families. We come to you, take advantage of your natural lighting and can still showcase your love and happiness. Sometimes the intimacy of your own space is just the ticket to beautiful images. And we use the same strict safety protocols that we use in the studio.
To find out more call us at 530-723-5332, email at info@kljstudios.com, or stop by to set up a consultation. (Remember your mask!) We are the boutique photography studio located at 424 1st Street in downtown Woodland. Our drop-in hours are temporarily noon to 5 pm from Monday through Saturday.
We would love to hear from you before your baby is born, but we have been known to squeeze people into the schedule if we can. Contact us to set up a consultation. And, again, congratulations!
Meet Empower Yolo
What is Empower Yolo?
It is a non-profit organization in Yolo County that provides 24 hour emergency shelter, crisis intervention, counseling, legal and other services for those impacted by domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking, stalking and child abuse.
While it is such an important resource for so many who needs its assistance, Empower Yolo can only survive with the help of the community. You can help with donations of diapers, wipes, laundry supplies, and gift cards, but monetary donations are also important.
KLJ Studios has teamed with Empower Yolo for a monthlong fundraising event. The February Boudoir Beauty event allows participants to gain confidence in themselves and their appearance and can be interpreted in many different ways. Some clients have gone for the sexy vibe, some opted for upscale street clothing, many others somewhere in between. It’s all about you wearing what makes you feel confident, self-assured, and essentially YOU!
10% of the proceeds from this photography event will be donated to Empower Yolo to guarantee their programs will remain successful.
To learn more about Empower Yolo, go to their website: https://empoweryolo.org/
To learn more about Boudoir Beauty or to book an appointment call KLJ Studios at 530-723-5332, email at info@kljstudios.com, or come by our boutique photography studio at 424 1st Street in downtown Woodland. Please note we have reduced our walk-in hours to noon to 5 pm Mondays through Saturdays.
With your help, Empower Yolo can provide aid to so many!
Valerie’s Newborn Portraits
Valerie was one of the best babies we have had. She slept the entire time. Being so good, her session only took an hour and a half when most newborn sessions take 3 hours. Joshua, Valerie’s older brother, was not happy to be photographed with his little sister. We are not sure if it was “stranger danger” or perhaps the mask and face-shield that we require our photographers to wear for every session, or maybe a mixture of both. However, Kaylyn was a fantastic photography assistant and she made it possible for us to capture two images of the three siblings together. This should have been nearly impossible, but Kaylyn is a magician and we are so grateful she was there to help.
Newborn Portrait, Newborn in headband and wrap
On the afternoon of Wednesday, December 16th, 2020, KLJ Studios was fortunate to capture Newborn Family Portraits with little Valerie, older brother Joshua, and big sister Kaylyn. The Newborn Portrait session occurred in-studio at KLJ Studios, 424 1st Street, in downtown Woodland, California. The session was booked from a newborn model call to capture Valerie’s newborn stage, as well as to test out some new tie-backs which were made by Hand Made by BGBarrettes, a new local business which creates newborn clothing and headdresses. The lead photographer for the session was Kelly Lynn and the Photography Assistant was Ashley.
Valerie was one of the best babies we have had. She slept the entire time. Being so good, her session only took an hour and a half when most newborn sessions take 3 hours. Joshua, Valerie’s older brother, was not happy to be photographed with his little sister. We are not sure if it was “stranger danger” or perhaps the mask and face-shield that we require our photographers to wear for every session, or maybe a mixture of both. However, Kaylyn was a fantastic photography assistant and she made it possible for us to capture two images of the three siblings together. This should have been nearly impossible, but Kaylyn is a magician and we are so grateful she was there to help.
Kaylyn had done her own hair and makeup for the newborn session. She should go into the makeup industry. Everything looks like she got her makeup done by a licensed professional. The makeup read so perfectly on camera that we just had to mention it! Another note is that Valerie was on the older side of being considered a newborn, but with her mom’s knowledge of her sleeping schedule, we were able to get her sleepy enough to get some great images.
Something to note for new parents: The session was photographed with a little bit of wiggle room as far as age goes. With an older newborn some of your typical newborn poses can’t be done like our bucket poses. This is due to the size and weight of the baby. Also newborns that are a little older in age typically don’t like to be on their belly so capturing them in the “froggy pose” is a no go. Older newborns are more aware of what their bodies are doing.
Julie Ann, thank you so much for allowing us to use Valerie as the model for these headbands. She made them stand out beautifully. We can’t wait to photograph the whole family in the future.
~ Kelly
Photos by:
KLJ Studios Lead Photographer: Kelly Lynn
KLJ Studios Photography Assistant: Ashley
Little Annie’s Newborn Portraits
On the morning of Friday, December 4th, 2020, KLJ Studios had the pleasure of capturing Newborn Family Portraits with Ashley, Miguel, and beautiful little Annie. This was an in-studio Newborn Portrait session at KLJ Studios, located at 424 1st Street in Historic Downtown Woodland, California. The session was booked to capture Annie’s newborn stage. This is the first time we have had the pleasure of photographing this family. They found KLJ Studios from a newborn model call to test out some of our new newborn poses. The Lead Photographer for the session was Kelly Lynn and the Photography Assistant was Beckie. Makeup was provided by Veronica Gersalia Makeup Artistry.
Newborn Portrait, Newborn baby with floral headband in bum-up pose
On the morning of Friday, December 4th, 2020, KLJ Studios had the pleasure of capturing Newborn Family Portraits with Ashley, Miguel, and beautiful little Annie. This was an in-studio Newborn Portrait session at KLJ Studios, located at 424 1st Street in Historic Downtown Woodland, California. The session was booked to capture Annie’s newborn stage. This is the first time we have had the pleasure of photographing this family. They found KLJ Studios from a newborn model call to test out some of our new newborn poses. The Lead Photographer for the session was Kelly Lynn and the Photography Assistant was Beckie. Makeup was provided by Veronica Gersalia Makeup Artistry.
During the session Annie was a complete dream and let us get through a total of 5 different looks. The typical newborn session takes about 3 hours. Annie was so good that it only took an hour and a half. Our little diva was so great for the portraits by herself, but then became a little fussy during the portraits with her parents. This little one is meant for the spotlight.
Some advice I could give for new clients is to bring your little one in for newborn portraits from between 5 to 8 days old. 5 days after birth gives you time to relax and 8 days is right before babies start cluster feeding. When a baby is cluster feeding, and therefore constantly feeding, the session gets interrupted, and the baby becomes over-stimulated. At this point the baby will not want to do anything for the session. You can also account for date of birth, so if the little one was born early you have a little wiggle room as to when they will begin cluster feeding.
Ashley and Miguel, thank you for trusting me with your precious bundle of joy. Annie was the perfect model and so sweet. I can’t wait to capture more memories for you.
~ Kelly
Photos by:
KLJ Studios Lead Photographer: Kelly Lynn
KLJ Studios Photography Assistant: Beckie
KLJ Studios Makeup Artist: Veronica Gersalia Makeup Artistry
Little Rilah’s Family Newborn Portraits
On the morning of Thursday, December 3rd, 2020, KLJ Studios Photography captured Newborn Family Portraits with Erica, Michael (excellent photography assistant), Saylor, and little Rilah. This was an in-studio Newborn Portrait session at KLJ Studios, located at 424 1st Street in Woodland, California. We remember almost exactly 3 years ago when we photographed Saylor’s newborn portraits. We have been so fortunate that this amazing family has been coming to us for all their special moments. We have been there for engagement portraits, wedding portraits, newborn and milestone portraits like the one-year and six-month baby portraits for Saylor.
Newborn Portrait, newborn baby photo with white bow and red sash
On the morning of Thursday, December 3rd, 2020, KLJ Studios Photography captured Newborn Family Portraits with Erica, Michael (excellent photography assistant), Saylor, and little Rilah. This was an in-studio Newborn Portrait session at KLJ Studios, located at 424 1st Street in Woodland, California. We remember almost exactly 3 years ago when we photographed Saylor’s newborn portraits. We have been so fortunate that this amazing family has been coming to us for all their special moments. We have been there for engagement portraits, wedding portraits, newborn and milestone portraits like the one-year and six-month baby portraits for Saylor. The lead Photographer for this session was Kelly Lynn and the photography assistant was Beckie. Make-up was by Veronica Gersalia Makeup Artistry.
During the session Saylor was a little jealous that Kelly was Photographing Rilah since Saylor is so used to Kelly Photographing just her. Saylor even turned to Kelly during the session and said, “You are my Kelly,” so adorable! Kelly made sure to photograph some portraits of Saylor by herself so that she felt included. Erica brought the cutest white bow for Rilah and Kelly was super excited to add it to the portraits. Kelly Lynn is an absolute bow fanatic. Making sure to bring in something meaningful for the portraits adds just a little bit more of the family into the photographs.
Erica and Michael, I can’t thank you enough for selecting me as the person to photograph all your portrait memories. I have loved spending the time with you and watching Saylor grow, and now with Rilah. You guys have become way more than clients. You are our friends and we love you.
~ Kelly
Photos by:
KLJ Studios Lead Photographer: Kelly Lynn
KLJ Studios Photography Assistant: Beckie
KLJ Studios Makeup Artist: Veronica Gersalia Makeup Artistry