03/28/2026
This dress belonged to my mother, and I couldn’t quite let it go.
I saw her as a glamorous and gifted artist. She grew up in Burbank, California, in the 1940s, right in the heart of Hollywood. Growing up, she would go to the movies whenever she could, dutifully sketching every detail of the lovely gowns and outfits the starlets wore. Her mother, my grandmother, who was a seamstress, was known for turning her sketches into outfits she delighted in wearing.
Over time, she built a closet full of these exquisite, handmade pieces that she kept for years.
This is one of them.
What may not be obvious is that it doesn’t really fit me.
It doesn’t zip all the way, and it’s a bit snug at the waist, but that doesn’t matter to me. I knew I could be photographed in it in a way that honored it and honored her.
Photographing myself wearing my mother’s dress made me feel close to her again. She’s been gone over two decades, but that connection bridged the distance for me.
I think about how easy it would have been to say, “I’ll wait.”
Wait until I felt better about how I looked.
Wait until the timing felt right.
But I’m so glad I didn’t.
Because now I have this.
This is exactly why I created my 40 Over 40 Portrait Experience, for women who don’t want to keep waiting to feel ready, but want to have something real and meaningful to hold onto now.
