Meet Robyn: Nicole Starr Photography's Newest Spokesmama

YOU GUYS!!!!  I've been keeping a secret... a very huge & exciting secret that I dreamt up almost a year ago and that has taken nearly twelve months of planning, designing, connecting, and searching... And today's the day for the big reveal!  

I would love to introduce you to Robyn Racheotes, Nicole Starr Photography's newest Spokesmama.  (WAIT, WHAT'S A SPOKESMAMA?!?!  READ MORE HERE.)

Robyn and I met last spring at our Celebrating Motherhood Event.  She was the first mom to arrive that day, and we hit it off over makeovers and baby cuddles.  

We connected again last summer for a family session on the beach in Harwichport, which coincidentally turned into a pregnancy reveal session when Robyn discovered that she was 8 weeks pregnant at the time we got together.  

After spending a few hours together during her gallery premiere talking about all things babies, pregnancies, gallery walls, interior design, and blogs (she is an amazing blogger with a focus on style, design, and motherhood), I knew that I had finally found the perfect fit for our very first Spokesmama!

Read on to learn more about Robyn & her family!

Tell us a little about you & your family.  

We are currently a little family of three, soon-to-be four. We spend our weekdays in Boston, but most weekends we can be found on Cape Cod. We love being by the ocean and we are currently working on updating a little home by the ocean. It’s been a fun project and I can’t wait to share our home with friends and family next summer. 

Nicholas is a fun and busy 15 month old and we have another little boy due in early April. Life is about to get really fun, not to mention hectic. 

What do you enjoy most when you get some mommy-time all to yourself?  

Even though my alone time is very limited these days, I try to carve out moments throughout the day where I focus on my passions and what I enjoy, which includes photography, blogging and searching for interior design inspiration. There are days when I’m not able to slip away, but it’s important to me that I still focus on what I love and my passions. 

Share a favorite image from one of our sessions together, and the story behind what you love about it.

My first photoshoot with Nicole, and when we met, was so special because it was a mother’s day session. The shoot documented my first mother’s day as a mom and I will never forget that session.

The smile on my son's face, his excitement and me realizing that even though I’m not perfect, I’m still doing a great job in my new role as “mom”. 

Share a favorite image from your personal family photos, and the story behind what you love about it.

There are so many great memories in this photo. I was 8 weeks pregnant in this picture and hadn’t shared the news with family and friends yet. We didn’t know the gender and I hadn’t had my first appointment yet. Looking at this picture, our first as a soon-to-be family of four truly holds a special place in my heart.

This picture was also taken on the beach near our home that we had recently purchased. It’s also the beach that my husband grew up going to as a kid and there are so many fond memories of this beach. I look forward to creating new ones as our family continues to grow. 

After visiting your family’s home, I fell in love with the many gallery walls throughout your house.  Why is it so important to you to surround yourself with these memories?  Do you have any tips on creating the perfect gallery wall in your home?

Pictures, similar to a song, can bring you bring back memories and the exact emotion felt in a moment, at event or point in your life. I also think there is beauty in the everyday moments in life and capturing your life through photos can truly tell a story. 

My approach to gallery walls isn't precise or calculated. I play around with different frames, colors and textures and try to mix it up so that it feels natural and not too perfect. Pick a variety of layouts, mix and match and select pictures that you will enjoy looking at daily. I also think making it easy and using companies like Framebridge for custom framing can help pull together a personal gallery wall to fit any décor preferences and style. 

Can you share any tips for other moms to make it easy to print their artwork and get their photos off of their hard drives?  

I am obsessed with printing photos and think that printing is just as important as taking the picture. I love apps like Timeshel where you can commit to have iPhone photos printed and shipped monthly (they also remind you to upload your pictures every month). These keeps you from storing great moments on your phone. The print size is also great for a baby book or scrapbook and they are perfect for framing and gifting photos of your little ones.

I also use Shutterfly as the app is easy to order prints, gifts and make albums. I also enjoy Artifact Uprising and their clean and simple approach to prints. And lastly, Chatbooks because it’s so easy to make a photo book from your phone and it’s the perfect way to pull together a collection, a year in review or gift photos from a special event.

In addition to working a full-time job and being a mom & wife, you also find time to write a blog, www.amodestlife.com!  Tell us a little about your blog, your mission, and the inspiration behind your website that focuses on “Navigating Motherhood with Style”.  Also, I hear that there are some exciting new changes coming for A Modest Life… What’s up next?  

I started my blog back in 2008 (yes, that long ago) and it was right around the time that blogs were starting to take off. I started it with the intent of posting daily and focusing on fashion. I was very committed and would only post occasionally.

I decided that the content was marginal and as my personal life shifted (I got married, had a baby) I thought the content and focus need to be adjusted to reflect my new reality. I decided to rebrand and redesign my blog to include a focus on motherhood.

I’ve been working at slowly over the last few months and I’ve really enjoyed coming up with new content. I have some great posts on the horizon and I look forward to growing my following of moms. 

Interested in learning more about our Spokesmama program?
We're currently accepting Spokesmama applications in
the Saratoga Springs/Albany area, and the Boston area.

Click on the Spokesmama tab above, and email us at
hello@nicolestarrphotography.com.
We'd love to chat to see if this would be the perfect fit for you!