Birmingham Alabama Newborn and Family Photographer
Back to school and back to packing those lunches every day…Click HERE to view some inspiration I’ve used to try and change up our routine and not hand my kids the same ‘ole boring sandwich every day.
Happy Packing!
Sometimes we have grown-ups in the studio too!
In addition to families and babies, I often do head shots for professionals around town.
Several companies hire me to do all their employees, for a clean and consistent look. Others just find our website and come by the studio.
Here are some images from my head shot portfolio:
Our Headshot Package for individuals includes:
$75
1-2 outfits
2 backdrops
15-20 mins
5-10 images
February is always a fun month to get creative with gifts.
Pinterest is a great go-to for crafts and gifts.
One of my most favorite crafts that I gifted myself was silhouettes of each one of my children.
This is a pretty easy craft and you only need a few items.
You will need the following:
Printer
White card stock paper
Black acrylic paint
Paint Brush
Camera – phone camera works
Scissors
A colored sheet of paper of your choice
Take a picture of your child’s side profile in front of a sunny window or a solid color wall/door.
You will want to print out this photo – it is completely up to you on the size that you print.
(I chose an 8×10 photo for an 11×14 frame) but smaller photos are so cute too and make great ornaments.
Once the photo is printed, you or your child should flip the photo over and paint the back of the photo (so paint the entire white page.)
Once the black paint has dried, flip over the page which shows the photo of your child, and now cut out the outline of your child.
You can then flip now flip the photo again and here’s your silhouette.
You can glue or tape the silhouette to the colored page, write their name and date it. Then you can frame it.
Most everyone have a few resolutions for the New Year.
But, normally, we plan them for just ourselves.
But have you ever had a New Year’s resolution for your family?
After researching them and talking with my family, we have decided to plan a few for our family.
Here are a few that I have found to get you started…
– Get Outside More – unplug from life and be adventureous. Step outside and soak up nature.
– Be a Gracious Family – a grateful family = a happy family
– Record Life – live life but also take photos, capture those memories and share those memories.
– Read Together – I love this one and stole this one. Is there a better bonding time?
– Schedule a weekly game night – speaking of bonding, this is a great way to be silly together and have fun.
– Eat and make healthier food together – healthy families are happier families
Wishing you all a Happy New Year!
Now that November is here – Leaves are changing, the weather has finally cooled off and Thanksgiving is around the corner.
Thanksgiving is one of my most favorite holidays.
Gathering with family around the table and a huge feast.
We want to help make your holidays fun for the kids.
Here are some easy Thanksgiving crafts and tips….
– A pinecone ‘I’m thankful for….” turkey – this may require help from a parent to help your child with their thankful things. But I love hearing what my children are thankful for.
– Fun headbands for each child – you can make an Native American headband or a Pilgrim headband. Super easy – you just need construction paper and glue or a stapler.
– Fingerprint Turkey – for those brave parents who want to get paint out, these are great! You can start a tradition and do these every year, and see how much your little ones have grown. Or you can give these out as a gift to your guests.
October means Halloween, candy and costumes. You have an entire month to plan but let’s get a jump in things.
It may not feel quite like Fall yet but I love this pinecone craft. If you do not have pinecones yet, you can definitely buy them at Hobby Lobby.
Owl Pinecones
How cute and easy. Add Felton construction paper shapes for eyes, nose & hat and you have festive homemade decorations.
Bathroom tissue bats
I love this because who doesn’t have empty rolls of toilet paper lying around?!? Lol.
Paint it black and add eyes and black construction paper – you have an easy but cute bat. This would be cute hanging from fishing line.
Fall is my favorite time of the year!
Who’s ready for football, tailgating and Fall fun?
Whether you are pulling for the Tide or the Tigers (or another team) – tailgating is the best!
Here are a few great snacks for football!
Buffalo Chicken Sliders
(these are amazing!)
2 lbs of boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup of wing sauce (like Frank’s) – divided
Ranch dressing
12 slider buns
In your crock pot, add chicken breasts and add 1/2 cup of wing sauce. Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours or on high for 4-5 hours.
Remove the chicken and pull apart/shred using two forks. Place the chicken back in the crock pot and add remaining 1/2 cup of wing sauce. Stir to coat chicken.
Now place some of the chicken on the bun and top with ranch.
These are simple but so tasty.
Spinach Dip
( my own personal recipe and it’s amazing)
A block of frozen spinach
2 envelopes of Knorrs dry vegetable soup mix
16 oz of sour cream
A jar of Hellmans Mayonaisse
Thaw out the spinach by running hot water over it. Drain and squeeze multiple times in a colander. You will want your spinach drained as much as possible.
Place 8 oz of sour cream in a bowl and a cup of mayo. Add in spinach but pull it apart as you add it. Add one envelope and stir. Now add 1/2 of the other envelope and about another 1/2 cup of mayo. Chill and serve with crackers or pita or a bread bowl : )
Feel free to comment below and tell us what team you are pulling for this season!
We have a fun list of Back to School Books to hopefully ease any “first day jitters.”
Also, here are some helpful hints for all the Moms out there in our blog post from last year – you can click HERE to read it.
First Day Jitters (Mrs Hartwells classroom adventures)
Sarah Jane Hartwell is scared and doesn’t want to start over at a new school. With much prodding from Mr. Hartwell, Sarah Jane reluctantly pulls herself together and goes to school. She is quickly befriended by Mrs. Burton, who helps smooth her jittery transition. This charming and familiar story will delight readers with its surprise ending.
I Don’t Want to Go to School
“I don’t want to go to school!”
“Why not? It’s the first day! Aren’t you excited?”
Joey doesn’t want to go to school and he has a whole list of far-fetched reasons to stay home.
The Night Before First Grade
This humorous take on Clement C. Moore’s classic tale has a perfect twist ending that will surprise readers—as well as the “heroine” of the story—and help all about-to-be first-graders through their own back-to-school jitters.
The First Day of School
I loved that this book told the story of a little girl named Elizabeth and her experience with starting school. She meets her teacher and is looking very forward to school. The first day arrives, she is shy and nervous. She realizes that school is fun. She makes friends, learns songs & has a great time.
A fun idea is to have your child write their own “Back to School” book.
Finding the perfect gift for Dad on Father’s Day can be tough..
He probably has all the tools, clothing, and other things he likes or needs.
So what do you get Dad?
We have a few crafts for him.
____________________________________________________________
We love this Daddy Survey!
It’s so funny to hear what kids say.
You can view the free printable here.
I know Dad will love to hear the answers.
_______________________________________________________________
Does Dad like golf?
We have a gift idea for your golfer.
____________________________________________________________
Is your Dad a fan of baseball?
He will cherish this baseball from his little slugger forever…
Wishing all the Dads out there a wonderful day!
I have always enjoyed making homemade Valentine with my children. We have given these to family members, teachers & their friends.
Here are 2 easy crafts.
A Homemade Vase for a beautiful bouquet
Wash the container and then towel dry it well. Paint the entire container. (We chose white.) Then we painted hearts or any other design on the containers. We painted the hearts using my daughters thumbprints. (If you make a mistake, do not worry, the paint will wipe right off or if it has dried, you can wash it all off & start again.) Once you like your design, you can seal it with a spray clear sealant. Add your favorite flowers.
*** you really could paint any object lying around – a picture frame, a flower pot, etc.
Love Bugs
You will need:
Take the rocks and wash them – just to get off any dirt. Lay them on to newspapers. Have your child paint each rock in whatever color and design they choose. (It may be that your child wants to finger paint the rocks and that is fine too. Just remember: Acrylic washes off of hands but doesn’t come off of clothing.) Now just paint on eyes and maybe spots or wings.
And you can attach them to a piece of paper and add a cute saying like: “You have been bitten by the Love Bug. Happy Valentines’ Day!”
