It was a bit of a glum day when we got together to do their annual family photos, but somehow, the decision to dress up and take a bit of a “domestic chic” approach turned glum into glam. It was the perfect amount of sparkle and rich velvet and deep jewel tones and I just love how these images turned out! Especially the “looking glass” series, including this one HERE. {Hair and makeup by Katie with Modern Muse Beauty}

I couldn’t think of a more perfect place nor perfect day to mark their new adventures here in Austin from Chicago! And what an incredibly stunning and striking looking family as well. The children really interacted so well with one another, so well in fact, they required very little direction from me. My favorite images from this photo session were from when they were just being themselves. Like in this dance party HERE. At first, it was just Dad and the pup, but the kids wanted to join in, so we convinced Mom to play along as well ;-). Speaking of the pup: I was a bit skeptical when they wanted to bring him to downtown Austin for the photos…I was worried enough about keeping all the kiddos safe and contained…but they assured me that this dog was very well-behaved. And let me tell you that my jaw hit the floor to learn that this dog was still a puppy but followed the family around perfectly behaved, even without a leash! It was quite impressive!

Each year when I get to work with this family, I know there will never be a shortage of ideas because their kiddos are so full of energy and personality. I don’t have to make anything up…it’s always a case of me going along with whatever the kids want to show me at the time and I like having to think creatively on my toes. On this particular evening, we celebrated the completion of their new backyard. Dad even built a fire and they got to roast marshmallows! We also spent a lot of time playing on their awesome swing and I loved getting to hang out with the chickens, too! {Favorite HERE}

Their new pup stole the show quite frequently as you can see. You may recall in past sessions, the appearance of their doggie, Troop. Sadly, Troop passed away shortly after our annual pics last year and I’m just so glad we were able to faithfully document his time with his family though the years. When I walked in for the first time since they lost Troop for this photo shoot, the first thing I noticed was this tribute to him and I thought it was sooooooo beautiful and special:

Note: We are currently booking for the 6th Annual FREE Pinkle Toes Photography Kids Only Holiday Minis! A little sneak peek of the set is HERE and to find out more (and see more pics) and snag your spot, inquire HERE. There is a bonus offer that is ending soon, so you’re going to want to learn all about these ASAP!

Helping this family celebrate their life in their new dream home was magical. Hearing the story of the house was even more incredible…long story, short: don’t give up on a dream. Even if it takes longer than you had anticipated, persistence pays off. It’s quite clear that these two little ladies are perfectly content here and are super duper loved!

Don’t forget, we are now booking for the 6th Annual FREE Pinkle Toes Photography Kids Only Holiday Minis! A little sneak peek of the set is HERE and to find out more (and see more pics) and snag your spot, inquire HERE. There is a bonus offer that is ending 11.5.2016, so you’re going to want to learn all about these ASAP!

Well, it’s getting to be that time of year again where I have lots of photos to share and blog but not a lot of time to write all that I want to say about each session. So, I’m going to let the photos tell the story of this evening at home with this family. Favity fav HERE.

The photos should hopefully speak for themselves, but this is 100% for real what their Sundays look like and that was 100% mom’s intention behind this very special photo session. I’ve been working with these amazing people since before their eldest was born and we’ve done every kind of family photo session under the sun. I know mom has been dreaming of capturing this time when her sons are old enough to play ball in the back yard and young enough to still be tucked in. Oh, I teared up so many times that evening: inspired by how beautifully they work together as a family and wistful for the days when my kids were this little, before homework and after school activities replaced bedtime stories. MK…these moments have now been documented forever and I hope they bring up powerful and happy memories for you and all of your boys each time you see these pics and you never forget that this is what your Sundays look like.

(She’s already seen this one, but my personal fav image can be found HERE.)

The post I’m about to show you is probably one of the most incredible homes/properties I’ve ever had the pleasure of working in in Austin. SO much history with this home and it thrills me to think that there is a modern day family with their two energetic and happy little girls living here and enjoying every little charm this place has to offer. My jaw hit the floor over and over again with each little nook we got to explore and I just kept saying over and over again how lucky these children are to get to grow up in such a magical place.

One of the things that really struck me was how kids are kids, no matter what their environment…zooming down this elegant hallway on a stuffed zebra ride-on. How fun is that??????

And then we went outside…jaw on floor again.

Don’t miss my fav pic by this antique cart HERE.

It’s as if that gorgeous light was there as solely to enhance the magic and beauty of these sweeties and the property.

Once again modern + childlike meets historic + natural.

Even the pupsters put on some fun faces for us!

But the ultimate was this majestic old oak tree. Wow. Just wow!

Love that we got to go fishing ;-).

And also love her cute little face up there 😉

As much as I shared their love for this amazing place, I think what I loved most about this session was how down-to-earth and laid back mom and dad were. They were completely engaged with their kids and were game for getting on the ground to play with them throughout my time there. Sure, these girls are going to have wonderful memories in this home, but those memories will be mostly due to the fact that their parents helped make those memories *with* them!

I cannot say enough wonderful things about this precious little boy and his awesome parents. His lifestyle newborn photo session was a dream, really, filled with all of the elements that make a baby’s first photo shoot pure and perfect: he was so fresh and new, his parents were incredibly relaxed and easy going, he was dressed simply to show off his perfect newness, there were so many *real* moments captured so the photos don’t look posed, and we were able to add a touch of whimsy with his beautifully decorated nursery (see below). But first, you have GOT to make sure you look at what he did pretty much the entire first 5 minutes I was there! Favity fav, fav, FAV!

Um, yeah. His mom is stunning.

Look at that perfect pout!

When I had my FaceTime consult with his mommy before he was born to discuss her session goals, she showed me his woodland-themed nursery complete with FOX wallpaper and I may have passed out from sheer delight!

Even the pupsters got to check out their new baby brother:

Okay, so baby O was indeed an angel throughout his entire session…sleepy perfection, really. BUT, you know we have to get a peek at those beautiful eyes at some point. This last series gives you a small taste of what we had to do to get him from completely zonked out to quiet alert for literally just ONE image:

So this isn’t that one image…I’m going to save that for his birth announcements (and it’s a GOOD one, too), but after at least 30 minutes of trying to gently wake him up, we *finally* succeeded. I’m so glad we stuck it out and didn’t give up because while he’s adorable with his little eyes closed, when they’re open, he sparkles!

I have known this family for.ev.er (since their eldest son was a wee babe) and I have loved every chance I’ve had to play with them. But I must say that this particular session has been my absolute favorite to date and here’s why:

1. It was at home (duh. You all already know how much I go giddy for lifestyle photo sessions at home).

2. The boys are so much fun! They really have come into their own and there is so much personality and spunk and vitality…they inspire me.

3. Those. Curls. My word!!!!!! I could have stared at them all day. LOVE.

4. Mom and dad = so chill. I love that they went with whatever direction the boys took us in during the shoot. And they loved and snuggled and played with the boys. And didn’t bat an eye when I asked them to get into the pool with the boys.

5. The underwater portion of our photo shoot. Oh man! This was a blast! SOOOOO many favs, including THIS one.

Yeah. It’s not hard to see why I loved this shoot so much!

I love that she greeted me at the front door in her mommy’s heels. I love that we got to hang out at their home and just do the things they like to do at home. I love all of the snuggles that took place (especially THIS one). I love that the sun came out for just the last few minutes of our time together. I love red hair. I love freckles. I love mom’s necklace. And I love that she wanted to do this session for the three of them (well, four counting the pupster). What a special thing to have captured…the love between a mother and her children.

From Mama, herself:

1) Tell us a little bit about your family… I have two ridiculously amazing kids – Jackson (7) and Kennedy (4.5). We have a rescued Boxer named Teddy Roosevelt. Collectively, they are my presidents and we live in the White House that just happens to be brown.
2) What made you decide this was the time to do a photo session? Were you marking any special occasion, etc? The past year was full of challenges for us all. I had a medically necessary hysterectomy, my grandmother died, our first family dog died suddenly, and my ten year marriage ended in divorce. As the wedding pictures came down, I decided that wanted to do a session like this to fill our home with photos of our recomposed family. It’s up to me to set the tone for this next phase of life, and I want my kids to have prominent visual reminders that we are still the happy, silly, loving family we have always been.
3) Where was your session held and why? Our session was held at home – partly because of yucky weather, but it turned out perfectly.
4) What did you like about your session location? My kids were relaxed at home and had fun showing Michele all of their favorite things.
5) What was your favorite part of your session? I loved that Michele never asked us to do anything that felt unnatural or staged. She went with our flow, even when my kids got seriously silly, and that made for the most authentic part of the whole session.
6) Was there anything you were nervous or worried about before the session? I was definitely worried about getting the house “camera ready.”
7) Any funny stories or interesting happenings during your session? I bake and the kids love to help me in the kitchen. I decided to incorporate that into our session, and I’m glad I did, but I should have saved the chocolate batter for the end! I was wiping the kids’ faces right to the very end!
8) Any advice to other families before their photo sessions? Relax! Michele’s got this!
9) What made you choose Pinkle Toes Photography? As an amateur photographer, I’ve always admired Michele’s style. I knew she would give us a fun session and amazing images.
10) What do you hope your kids/family will say years down the road when looking at these images? I hope they’ll say that these images are evidence that, even in our most difficult time, we were full of joy and love. I hope these photos reflect what I most want them to know about life in general – we can’t control what happens to, but we can choose how to react and move forward, and that makes all the difference!