Here’s why Weight Watchers has been so easy for me: toddlers ;-). Seriously, the last time we were together, they weren’t nearly so speedy. This session totally reminded me of my days chasing after my older boys when they were this age (19 mos apart). It’s like oil and water…you set them down and they repel and go in opposite directions, LOL. So, I’d like to thank these beauties for keeping me on my toes and earning me those extra activity points. And again, what is it with kids and being upside down that makes them so gleefully happy??? Go figure.

I am originally from VA and I gotta say, man I miss fall and the foliage up there. So, I tend to get just a teensy bit excited when we have some semblance of fall here in TX, like these stunning golden leaves. We were actually wrapping up the session when the wind picked up and swirled these leaves all over the place. It was so magical…I wish you could have been there to dance in them with us.

FYI: We only have a few openings left for the 2nd Annual Holiday Mini Sessions! Wow! That’s amazing! So looking forward to starting these next week!

Her mommy knew that this little beauty would be *very* excited to have a tent set up at her session. We didn’t realize, however, that she would never want to get out of it which made picture-taking a wee bit challenging. We eventually were able to coax her out of her tent  and gosh, I find myself just smiling right along with these images!!! So fortunate to have known her since she was a baby. In fact, our very first session together was in this park just 3 years ago…

Everything about this session was giggles, sparkles, wonder, and true family contentment. I don’t think we could have had a more perfect session if we tried and it was so much fun getting to know and work with this family. There’s one pic up there that should be viewed larger, by the way.

Speaking of sparkles, you may have seen my little teaser the other day: well, we’ve been hard at work creating the set for the 2nd annual Pinkle Toes Holiday Mini sessions!!! These kids-only minis will be held starting at the end of this month at Gro Boutique and the mini + one file is FREE when you book a full session with me for 2013!! If you’d like all the details, please let me know and stay tuned to the blog and Facebook where I’ll be posting more sneak peeks of this year’s magical set. Last year, these sessions filled very quickly, so don’t miss out.

Can’t think of anything better to do than to document the pregnancy and their time together while still a family of 3. Goodness, their little boy is beautiful and I cannot wait to meet his baby sister in a few weeks! That wildflower field was a total fluke find, by the way. I actually took a wrong turn going to our meeting spot and happened to spy it behind a car wash, if you can believe it!

…we did this.

This fall it was my honor to come back to revisit and expand…

And of course, I have to showcase my personal favorite image from this session HERE. 😉

This little dude and I have been hanging out for a few years now, but this session was probably one of my favs. Basically, we just let him explore and do the things he wanted to do and we followed along. He loves his parents. He loves is little go car. And he loves apples! {Still my FAV from this session}

Oh man…just realized I never shared the images from his session at the Pinkle Toes photography workshop earlier this year! Silly me!

And some super fun behind-the-scenes pics from that day:

[images by myself, Claire, and Michelle]

What fun it was to look back at these images! Fantastic group of ladies and so much talent, it was unreal! Oh, and it rained like you wouldn’t believe. So much so, this happened. Miss you girls. Miss your humor, too 😉. In case you wanted to visit it, here are pics from our newborn session from this workshop. Oh, by the by: one of these ladies from this workshop is actually hosting the Charlotte, NC workshop!!! Awesome!!!!

While we’re on the subject of workshops, just wanted to remind you (or let you know if you didn’t already know) that today, November 1st, is the last day to qualify for the $100 discount for reserving your spot in a 2013 Pinkle Toes (only) workshop. If you need the full details (dates, pricing, etc.) fill out the contact form on this page.

To me, this image completely sums up their family: full of energy, life, and utter joy! It’s always been a blast getting together with them and this fall was no exception. I can’t help but to smile when I look a the pics from any of their sessions. See what I mean?

And my personal fav HERE.

I truly believe the home is too often overlooked as the perfect session location. Sometimes we get so caught up in the idea of getting gussied up and going downtown to shoot, we forget that it’s not necessarily the location that makes the images, but the feelings and connections created in those images that make them so special. And your home is probably the most ideal place to relax and get true feelings and connections. This is especially true when a session involves little ones and here’s why:

1. It’s safer. Your home has been lived in…by you and by your children and you’ve already eliminated things (traffic, bugs, etc.) that might get in the way of safe play.

2. You have what you need. When out and about with little ones, there’s often so much stuff to carry around and we tend to bring even more stuff to a photo session. And invariably, you will forget something at home or realize mid-shoot that the perfect toy that will calm your child down is resting peacefully on his bed right now. When working at home, we can take breaks (snack, bathroom, etc.) as often as we need to and we don’t have to worry about disrupting the flow of the session. Spill something on a shirt? No problem…we can change it! Your baby is getting hungry? Great…let’s eat and even better, we can take advantage of that time to capture some truly candid images of your family life.

3. Memories. There is no way to predict what will trigger an important memory for your child years down the road, but by having a photo session in your home, you are much more likely to capture some things that will become invaluable to your children later on. For me personally, I moved around to several different homes as a young child and so I just love pouring through pictures taken in those homes because it helps me to remember what they were like.

4. You can relax. This is the biggest reason to consider your home for at least one family photo session for your kids. You don’t have to worry about fighting traffic or bad weather or packing or planning around potty breaks or other people watching you (this is often a big one for dad, LOL). We can take our time and let the photo session develop organically. We can work in several places in and around your home and photograph you all doing the kinds of things you like to do together as a family. You (and your children) are more likely to be calm and relaxed in your own cozy little environment.

…maybe, juuuuuuust maybe, I pulled a few too many “favs” from this session to blog. Oh, well. Too bad. It was a rockin’, relaxed, family photo session at home doing family-like things. I can’t help it. Those are the kinds of things that float my boat. Another heart-fluttering fav for me HERE.