Real Richmond Woman; LaDonna Bailey

LaDonna greeted me at the door yesterday with a huge smile and ushered me into her charming Woodlake home. It was her day off and she was dressed in work-out clothes. "Welcome to the cottage!" she said in an adorable british accent.

I was wearing black patent-leather ankle-boots, which she insisted I take off - not because she is obsessive compulsive, but because she wanted me to be comfortable. "It's just me, you don't have to be so formal!" she said with a giggle.

But this mother of three has just recently begun to relax and embrace this kind of lifestyle. As I began to apply her makeup, she related to me the pieces of her story. By the time I had finished with her hair and the finishing touches had been made to the wardrobe - a pair of jeans, an elegant black top with pleated neckline, and a necklace from her daughter - I knew just how special she was. Along with having three kids, she works full-time at a local library and attends evening classes at the University of Richmond, where she is pursuing a degree in Library Science.

LaDonna's marriage of eighteen years is now in the final stages of a bitter divorce. "I never wanted to be a divorced person" she said softly. "There is a sense of failure." But LaDonna is no failure, and it was clear to me as I took these photographs that she is a triumphant woman to whom I owe a great deal of respect. She plays the cards life deals her, while holding on to the most cherished gifts: her children.

It was such a pleasure to give LaDonna a makeover. What a beautiful Richmond woman! As I left, I looked over my shoulder at her standing in the doorway. The feeling came over me that I had just witnessed a woman being brought back to life.

Would you like to nominate a Richmond woman for a makeover? Send me an email at ave42designs@gmail.com describing your Real Richmond Woman nominee and why you have chosen her.