Goals and Ideas for 2014

I do love writing down a few goals for the new year. I've done it in the past and feel pretty good about the results. You can read about 2013 here. 2013 was a total bust with regard to reading, but I had a baby in March and he was sleeping in our bed until last week. I'm definitely giving myself a pass on that one since I usually do all my reading at night before bed and didn't want to risk waking up the baby by turning on the light. 

1. Read grownup books. I love Roald Dahl and all the other kid books we read, but darnit, I want to read something for me. Even if it's just for a few minutes before bed. I have a slew of books (<photo at bottom of post) that I bought last Christmas break. 

2. Volunteer. This is a follow-up from last year's goal, but I have found the organization I'd like to work with: Nurse Family Partnership. It is "a maternal and early childhood health program, fosters long-term success for first-time moms, their babies, and society." New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof says NFP may be the most important earliest intervention. More details to come on this partnership :)

3. Waste less food. I don't think we waste a lot, but I'm going to strive to do better. First test: the pineapple I bought today. I'm going to cut it and juice it because kale, celery, and pineapple juice is the best thing I've ever had and I don't want to pay Whole Foods $6 for another Kale Yeah. 

4. Take violin lessons. I got the raddest violin for Christmas (there will be a whole post on that!). And I want to take lessons this year. I'm ok knowing that I'll never be the next Andrew Bird (omg- his striped socks!) or Tin Cup Prophette (I held her baby boy during this show so she could perform. I love her).

Casting Call

Hello my long-lost loves! I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas! Ours was lovely & warm. I'm excited about a big project coming up in the new year and I need your help finding awesome families to model for me! 

I'm looking for families with children ages 0-5 who are available in late January or early February for a photoshoot in San Jose. To be considered, please email me with a few photos, contact info, and the age of the child/children. 

What to Wear for Family Photos

"What should we wear for family photos?" I get asked this question every time I book a family photography session. I have lots to say about this, so I thought I would put together a little post for y'all. The boys are asleep, it's Monday night, and Pinterest just isn't cutting it tonight. So you're in luck- Here are a few tips to make your family look naturally awesome. 

Tip #1- Keep it Simple. This is the nice way of me saying no words, logos, brands, characters or pictures on your clothes. Not even a little logo by the chest pocket of your shirt. Logos and designs are super distracting. And you'll be much more pleased with your photos over time if you're not a walking advertisement. Solid is probably best, stripes are totally ok, and patterns are sometimes ok if done well.  

Tip #2- Not too Formal. Be yourselves! Think about wearing a slightly nicer outfit than you usually do. Also think about the location… you don't want to be all dressed up if we're taking photos at the park. You don't want to be all dressed up if we're taking photos at your house.

Tip #3 Color. Please don't get all matchy-matchy on me. Think about coordinating different shades of a color, or similar colors that compliment each other. I would choose your outfit first- I'm making the assumption that you're the mom reading this ;) and then help with your spouse (if necessary… some dads can totally rock this out on their own) and kids (see Tip #4). It's so important for everyone to be comfortable in what they're wearing and generally speaking, the moms are usually the most self-conscious and critical of themselves. So make sure mom is super happy in her outfit. (Feel free to get your hair done… I feel downright amazing when I take the time to go to Drybar and get my hair all done up smooth and right).

Tip #4 Getting your kids to wear what you want… Ahhhhh, this is tricky, right?! Guess what? You can't make them wear something they don't want to. If you have a little fashionista or a stubborn love bug, let's keep the kids happy and give them a choice of 2 things. Give yourselves enough time to get ready so that you don't have to rush the little ones and make sure everyone is fed before the photo session ;)

Tip #5 (optional!) Shopping. Again, totally optional. You can definitely minimize your cost by planning around what you already own. But if you're looking for something new, I'm generally pretty happy with Anthropologie, Zara (kids, too), J. Crew (crewcuts!), Flora and Henri, Olive Juice Kids, Kidscase (euro alert), and Mini Boden. My super favorite splurge clothing companies for kids are Fith (sold at Cotton Sheep, SF), Neve and Hawk, and Wovenplay. Cool online retailers for kid clothes: Thumbeline, Estella, Poppys Closet, Little Vida, and Trommpo.

That's my list. Hope this helps… is there anything you'd add? Share any other ideas in the comments. Here are a few photos from a photo session last year for some inspiration.

 

Busytown Birthday Party

Hooray for our sweet birthday boy! We celebrated our son's 5th birthday over the weekend. It was crazy times with 27 kids running and riding vehicles all over. One of our favorite children's book author/illustrator is Richard Scarry, so the whole party was centered around it. We should probably donate money to his foundation or something as payback for all the images we scanned and printed. We had a goldbug hunt, hopscotch, and a general drive-around free-for-all! My brother drew out an amazing 30 foot banner/mural of Busytown. We originally were going to have the kids color it in, but it turned out so awesome, that we changed our minds. 

Able Baker Charlie, Farmer Alfalfa, and Grocer Cat provided the snacks and cupcakes. It was a crazy afternoon, but I know my boy had an amazing time. Special thanks to Stephen Wahl for the last 2 photos.