I was so excited that they wanted to do an in-home newborn session for their latest addition. One, because I LOVE doing in home sessions and two because I LOVE this family and I just knew that this type of session would be perfect for them. I've done photos for them enough times to know that they want to see those fun "outtakes" that happen at every shoot, the ones where someone is scowling or making a funny face, because why not! That's life with toddlers right! And with in-home sessions you are always going to get that, along with kids being proud to show me their toys and their rooms and being able to take a time out from the camera if needed. They are just awesome (can you tell I like doing in home lifestyle shoots???) ;-) 

I was so happy to meet Baby Nico and even happier that we were able to get photos with Grandma and Great Grandma who were visiting from out of town. 

Check out the video from their shoot, I just love it :-) 

She's a photographer as well, so talk about pressure! Its always such an honor when a fellow photographer wants you to photograph their family, but a little nerve racking as well. You know they have their own vision of how they want the shoot to go and you just hope you can capture it perfectly for them! I was so incredibly happy when Mom contacted me and said she wanted to do a lifestyle session. I LOVE these types of sessions! I've always loved capturing those "in between" moments in photo shoots and I feel like lifestyle sessions are all the "in between" moments. The real moments and interactions between families. You just being you, and me just being there, like that annoying neighbor that just shows up and won't leave ;-) 

So for now I'll leave you with a video that I LOVE. Blog post with photos coming soon!

If you're interested in booking your own lifestyle session or you have questions about the whole thing! Contact me at [email protected] 

I thought about it one day when Maddox said he wanted to make something, so I pulled out the cookbook and he had so much fun flipping through and picking out something to make. Now everyday, (at 7am), he's asking for his cookbook so we can make something. Some days I give in (A is for Apple Crisp breakfast Tuesday apparently!) and some days I make him wait until the afternoon when sister is sleeping and we need a quiet activity. Its been great! He's learning his fractions, he's learning how to measure things and the best of all he's so proud to see what we've made. And its gotten me out of my comfort zone with cooking, making my own pie crusts and bread, something I would just buy or use my bread machine for before! And the recipes are super easy, with few ingredients so we're not making a huge mess, which scores major big time points with this Momma! 

The first thing we made was Mud Pie for M, and no, there was no mud in it, just lots of delicious chocolate! My camera is always hanging out on my kitchen bar so I grabbed it and snapped some photos along the way. Its been fun and I hope he continues to enjoy cooking and baking!

{if you just want to check out the photos without the video keep on scrolling!}

So here are the details:

Mini Storytelling Sessions (30-45 minutes max) - These sessions are created to shine the light on your special relationship with your kids. What do you love to do with your kids? Some special routine you have with them? Maybe its getting donuts on Saturday mornings, fishing at the park, playing soccer in the backyard, whatever you do with your kids that is special that you want to remember, its totally up to you!

35-50 images

Add on items: slideshow, album

Spots will be very limited!

$150

And don't worry Moms, same deal applies to YOU! I can't wait to see what you all come up with! Check out my sweet lovies and my loving husband at their special Daddy date to the Astros Game :-) 

*If your activity requires admission you will be asked to purchase a ticket for your favorite photographer ;-) 

I always love to use things in photo sessions that are meaningful to the family and the quilt that Emmaline is laying on is one of those meaningful pieces. The pieces were sewed by a family member years ago and recently found and made into a quilt. And what a beautiful quilt! Perfect for little girls! 

The beautiful quilt, the perfect backdrop for a sweet baby girl

Sweet baby got a little hungry by the end of the shoot, too bad Dad couldn't help her out too much ;-)

If you've never done a mini session before, its a great opportunity to get a family photo for your Holiday card at a discounted rate, or just to have as your family photo for that year. For Holiday Minis I do 30 minute sessions and include 10 digital images with the option to purchase more. I only do these family mini sessions in November, but I do offer additional mini sessions throughout the year. Be on the lookout for those announcements! I also have some exciting new additions and changes I'm making for 2015 so be sure to check back! 

I had such a great year, thanks to all of you. I'm so appreciative of all my clients and I hope to see you all again throughout this year. 

XOXO,

Victoria

I recently took a workshop with the awesome Colie James and she is really into slideshows. I'm not going to lie, when that week came up in class I rolled my eyes at my husband and said "I hate slideshows" (horrible photographer confession right here) but once I actually started watching other people's slideshows I really started enjoying them and the stories they tell. I thought this was the perfect session to try my first one, so let me know how you like it. I have to admit I teared up a few times while making it. There's just something about seeing the love between two new parents and their darling baby girl.

This week the assignment was to capture a day in my life, which, with a 3 year old and a 1 year old is always exciting! I got way less "Mom, stop taking pictures!" that I thought I would and I really did capture a typical day for us.

Days for us start out with me being so sweetly (not really) awoken by my 3 year old, usually yelling at me to get out of bed and help him find a train. Sometimes he just yells for the trains directly, unfortunately, they do not talk back. God bless you Mamas that get up and ready before your kids do. I strive to be you! 

Baby sister wakes up much more sweetly and is full of smiles and cuddles in the morning.
Note to self: Next time when doing a Day in the Life be sure to dress baby sister in some flipping pink jammies instead of brother's hand me downs!

Then its off to school for the big mister then the grocery for me and little miss. Is it just me, or does everyone hate going to the grocery? I like to count it as my workout for the day. Seriously! Walking around the store, forgetting things on the opposite end of the store, walking back, lifting groceries in your car, carrying them inside and putting everything away (the worst!). All while wrangling a 1 year old that DOES NOT want to sit in the cart. Its exhausting!

Back home we go, for a little bit of work, she helps me keep my schedule and sometimes helps with a little editing, so you know, if anything is ever missed, I can totally blame my assistant for not being able to read, write or talk yet. Hey! Cheap help as cute as this is hard to come by. Round that out with a little theme song watching, she only watches (or should I say dances to) the theme songs to PBS shows, reading time and before we know it, its time to pick up brother from school.

While sister sleeps (sorry no sleeping pictures of her, she wakes up at the sound of just about anything!) brother gets to play with his trains without the threat of Hurricane Evie, as we like to call her, and gets some alone time with Mommy. If you've never done it, do yourself a favor and open up Photo Booth on your computer, its a ton of fun for a 3 year old. Well actually lets be honest its fun for everyone!

Once sister wakes up we head to the park. We've finally got a break from the heat and the mosquitos down here in south Texas, and when that happens you better believe we spend a majority of our time outside! 88 may not feel cool to some of you northerners but to us its heavenly :-) I love now at the park that they actually play together.  It makes me happy to think of all the years they have ahead of them of playing together. 

So, if there is one big piece of play equipment that you think you don't need but you actually do, its a bounce house! My Dad got Maddox this bounce house for his birthday and its awesome! Its easy to assemble and folds up nicely so it doesn't take up a ton of room, but its big enough when blown up that I get in and play with the kids in it. Best of all, after a full day and then bouncing in the evening, it makes bedtime earlier and easier ;-)

So I'm not going to lie, this is where I lost steam on documenting the rest of our day. Evenings are busy times at our house! Dinner, bath time and bedtime are here and over before we know it, and sometimes you just have to take your photographer hat off and switch it for your Mommy hat to power through. And who would have thought that the best bath time toy would be......ice cubes! I may (ok, I definitely did) get the bath water a little hot one night so I threw in a bunch of ice to cool it down real quick, because our faucet is broken and its a pain to turn on the cold water, blah blah! Anyway, the kids loved the ice cubes and now request them nightly. 

I hope you've enjoyed taking a look inside of our day! I think I'll try and make this a goal to do once a month to see how much our lives and routines change throughout the year. These little boogies are growing so fast sometimes its good to stop and make an effort to document all of these everyday moments.

This years spring mini sessions may just be my favorite set of minis yet! First off, I waited until last minute (like I normally do) to decide on props for the session, then while perusing Pinterest I stumbled upon this bench and I just HAD to have it! Mind you, this was the day before the shoot, but I'd found the plans for the bench so I just decided to build it. My husband thought I was nuts, my friend who went with me to Home Depot for the lumber thought I was nuts, but I did it and its flipping adorable if I may say so myself. We hit a minor snag in the loading of said bench into my car.....it didn't fit, whoops! But thanks to a handy husband and some sturdy tie downs we got it there.

One of my favorite things about my job is that I'm constantly meeting new people, but this time around I was super excited because everyone coming to the minis were past clients, so not only did I know exactly what to expect, the kids all loved me (as most kids do) obviously ;-) In fact, one of the Mom's said to me that in the car her little one said "Miss Victoria is going to tell me how beautiful I am when she sees me" and that is exactly what I told her when she got out of the car. I can't help it if my clients are just too cute!

Ok, enough of my rambling and onto the cuties. I hope you enjoy!

1. You've got to start somewhere, so pick out an outfit you love for someone. Maybe its a shirt and tie for Dad, or a dress for baby girl, just start! I'll use my most recent family photos as an example. I fell in love with this dress from Children's Place for my baby girl.

2. I looked at the colors in her dress -  Pink, aqua, mint green and white and pulled outfits for everyone else

3. I pulled the same colors of the dress in my little man's tie, but instead of the mint green in the dress it has blue, which ties in nicely with blue jeans, for me! Then to keep the focus on the kids, I put Dad and myself in solid colors, giving myself a statement necklace to pick up the white that everyone else had in their outfits except me. 

4. A kink in the process! I couldn't find a hot pink shirt that I liked! Whoops! Apparently hot pink is not in this year, its coral, coral and more coral. Thankfully as I was out shopping with my best friend, we ran across this dress. It was perfect, except that put myself and my little man in almost the same colors. 

5. No problem! Switch my little guys aqua shirt out for hot pink and we're in business! I kept his original tie, so he "tied" in all the colors ;-)

And because I was no longer wearing blue jeans I put my boys both in blue jeans. And while I was shopping for a white shirt for my hubby, I found a blue one I liked better!

So here was our final look

Photo by the lovely Stephanie Lawless Photography

6. Remember, accessories are the easiest place to add pops of color and tie in your outfit with everyone elses! 

7. Be flexible! As you can see everyone's outfit changed from my original plan, but it was fine! I just kept with the same color combos so I knew that everyone would go with everyone else.  

Just to give you some more ideas and starting points here are the other outfit combinations I came up with for my personal family photos. 

Happy shopping!