This is B. And her family. She is very busy. Very, very busy. In fact, she’s so busy, I have now deemed her “Busy B.” Based on my extensive experience in photographing littles who happen to be as busy as Busy B, I thought I’d share some tips you may find helpful should you per chance to meet a Busy B of your own.

1. Wear running shoes.

2. Accept that she is the leader and therefore, you must follow her.

3. Enlist the help of friends.

4. Rescue her friends.

5. Offer help, but only when it’s *really* needed.

6. Snuggle.

7. Often.

8. Play.

9. Often.

10. Laugh at your efforts to keep up and love every ounce of her energy and spirit almost as much as her parents do!

From Mom:

Tell us a little bit about your family…

We have been married for over five years. Our 2 year old keeps us super busy and we are looking forward to welcoming a little sister soon.

What made you decide this was the time to do a photo session? Were you marking any special occasion, etc?

We love working with Michele and we try to schedule a session once a year

Where was your session held and why?

Our session was held at Phil’s Ice House in Austin. I really liked the idea of using their playground, especially with a busy two-year old.

What did you like about your session location?

The playground was perfect for a busy toddler and I loved all the colors and textures.

What was your favorite part of your session?

We spend a lot of time playing outside and I think the outdoor/playground session reflected our family well

Was there anything you were nervous or worried about before the session?

tantrums!!!

Any funny stories or interesting happenings during your session?

Blake did have quite a few tantrums during our session, especially trying to get her away from the playground.

Any advice to other families before their photo sessions?

Just roll with it 🙂 [And you did. And you did it WELL! It really makes a session so much more authentic and relaxed when parents are as easy going as you are. You set a great example of how to just let a session be!]

What made you choose Pinkle Toes Photography?

We have started working with Michele when I was pregnant with Blake and we have never been disappointed. My husband always says that “she is the best” and he is completely right. We are always blown away by the moments she captures.

What do you hope your kids/family will say years down the road when looking at these images?

I believe all of our sessions tell a story about our family. I hope when the girls look back on the images they understand the meaning of those moments.

Annnnnnnd…as always, my favity fav can be found HERE!

Oh my gosh, I could not get over how amazing the sky was during our entire session! Not only that, but the temps were so fall-like for September in Austin, TX. It was a treat simply getting to work with this family, but with the spectacular sunrise and the city as our backdrop, I was in photography heaven.

I mean, look at those gorgeous rays of sunshine framing his delighted smile!

And the relationships between the older siblings and the younger twins would make anyone’s heart melt.

Four. 😉 Get it?

The skies were really THAT blue! Love how it made the colors in their outfits really pop. My FAV cloud image HERE.

These two are really amazing together.

So were these two…

And these two…

She was really wanting to be the star of the show, so we let her. And then she got all bashful ;-).

Her little shoes…I die.

Okay, I had to throw this one in there. We asked her to give her brother a kiss and he was having no part of that. But then seconds later, he was playing and laughing with her. Sigh…sibling love!

This guy has got skillz!

Little guy’s suspenders = perfection!

And I want to point out that Katie with Modern Muse Beauty was up before the sun came up, too, in order to do makeup/hair. She’s pretty awesome like that and I know mom sure appreciated not having to worry about that part of the session. It takes so much as it is to work out wardrobe and to get everyone dressed and fed and ready for the session, the last thing you want to have to fret over is makeup/hair. Wise choice, Mama!!!

And, from mom, herself:

Tell us a little bit about your family…

Well, there’s 6 of us; we get along great in that we’re so close we’re not afraid to give one another “the business”. My older two are from a previous marriage but they’ve had Mark in their lives for almost 10 years. We’re silly and (when we have time and our schedules allow) we like to have game night complete with cheating scandals.

What made you decide this was the time to do a photo session? Were you marking any special occasion, etc?

We have never done a family session and with the twins able to walk we thought it would be a good time. This year will be our FIRST ever family Christmas card.

Where was your session held and why?

It was held on the rooftop of the parking garage of the long center because I hate nature… Grass creeps me out, true story, and the family indulges me, God love them. My poor children.

What did you like about your session location?

I loved the contrast of the beautiful sunrise with the concrete; it was SUCH a pleasant morning and the view of the city in the distance was amazing. [my kinda girl!]

What was your favorite part of your session?

our photographer!! What else. Honestly, you put us at ease (we’re awkward people in front of cameras) and you were so great with the little ones, and won HUGE points with the older ones for knowing something about a “whip” and a “Nene”??? [#imthatcool]

Was there anything you were nervous or worried about before the session?

I was worried that we’d all be/feel awkward having our pictures taken and be left to our own devises to come up with poses etc.

Any funny stories or interesting happenings during your session?

Yikes – it was all such a rush and I hadn’t slept much the night before I don’t really recall. I do remember feeling like the vampy mom with the JCrew family. Then later that day, Marky (baby, not hubs) broke his leg and I kept telling the entire family, “HE’S FINE!” even though he wouldn’t walk… Tuesday (TUESDAY) I finally took him to the doctor and had a cast put on. I felt badly. I have withdrawn my submission for Mother-of-the-Year. [Oh, P…poor little guy! But try not to feel too badly…at that age, it’s really hard to tell when something is wrong sometimes. I hope he has a quick recovery!]

Any advice to other families before their photo sessions?

Oh my.. just relax and enjoy the ride because they’re in GREAT hands!!!

What made you choose Pinkle Toes Photography?

I stalked the blog and I loved ever last little thing about the pictures and the photographer and I have no regrets!! Can’t wait to do this again for senior pictures or something fun. 🙂

What do you hope your kids/family will say years down the road when looking at these images?

I hope they remember how much fun we all had; even coming up with what to wear was silly and fun because of all the drama coming from the boys… I dare say they were better dressed than me. [I think you ALL looked amazing!]

It is not easy to articulate how this family makes me feel. When you’ve worked with a family for so long, it just doesn’t seem like “work” anymore and it becomes more like it’s MY own family I’m hanging out with. The kids just treat me like I’m a goofy aunt or something ;-). My Type A side tries really hard to keep my business self separated from my personal self–but that’s pretty much pointless. With a “job” this intimate, you just can’t help for your heart to become invested in the families you spend time with…you can’t help but to adore these children like you would adore your own. I was actually sad to leave my session with these guys :-(. Their children keep me so entertained…they make me laugh…they make me look upon my own kids and wish for this time back with them at these ages. And mom and dad couldn’t be more wonderful if they tried. They let their children be themselves and love them completely for exactly who they are and their passions. It’s a pretty beautiful thing to watch, actually.

She actually got in a couple of decent steps here!!! Way to go G!!!!

Big sister photobombed us at the last minute and I loved it.

Giggling at the littles.

When mom is willing to dance and twirl with her daughters in a beautiful dress during a beautiful sunset? Yes, please. Also, this one…yes, please.

A million thank you’s for letting me spend these times with your family, J and B…I love each and every time.

In the Spring of 2014, just a day before we reached a rather non-celebratory milestone (a year since the passing of my husband’s brother), I became an aunt…a real, honest-to-goodness aunt…when my one and only sister delivered identical twin girls at 31 weeks (and some change) gestation. At roughly 3 lbs each, they were sooooo tiny, and they were of course, immediately whisked away to the NICU where they would spend the next 5 weeks growing and learning to survive outside of the womb. I look at photos of them back during that time and I squint and I try to find some sort of recognition, but to me, they are not the same little people that I have come to know over the past year (and four months). I never understood this kind of love before, but I love these girls, as if they were my own, but in such a unique and special way. I can love them like I’m a grandparent…I can adore them and fuss over them and spoil them and see only their perfection…and I don’t have to do any of the rearing, the disciplining, the tough work required as a parent. I love being a mommy, make no mistake about that. But I am thrilled to be Aunt Poppy to these two vibrant, joyful little girls.(#auntpoppysnieces – also lovingly referred to as “The Bambinas” in our household ;-).

So, when it came time for their One Year Birthday Celebration, I didn’t hesitate one bit when my sister asked me if I would host their birthday party. I was only too eager to get to celebrate in magnificent style and mark this momentous occasion with flair! Taking inspiration from my sister’s Mickey Mouse Clubhouse-themed Pinterest board (that’s what the girls were into at the time–they have since moved on to Yo Gabba Gabba, because this *was* four months ago, you know? And I am happily going to take them to a live show when they ever come back to town), we put together a colorful, joyful, fun party and I even think the girls enjoyed it!

Deliciousness on a platter from Nothing Bundt Cakes in the Austin Arboretum area. We have gotten bundtinis from there to mark each important milestone for the babies (at my sister’s baby shower, the day she reached 28 weeks gestation, the day they were born) and it was only fitting that we would have them at their First Birthday and will continue to have them each year after ;-). The candles were a wee bit tricky for their smash cakes, but at about 11pm the night before the party, I finally got it figured out.

My sister looks so happy up there making her little mouse cheeses!

Nearly 11 years ago, I saved and saved and saved to afford this little Fisher-Price house for my first son’s first birthday. That house was loved and passed along to my middle son and then to my daughter. But of course, they outgrew it and so I gave it away years ago. But, I knew I would HAVE to find one for the girls. It’s out of production, so it’s tough to come by. One day, I was shocked to see one at a children’s retail shop. SOOOOO excited to find it and after a bit of cleaning up and a new set of batteries, we were good to go. I *still* remembered the tunes and sounds that house plays. Jen: you cannot ever get rid of this, okay? When the girls finally give it up, let’s store it away to pass along to our grandkids. Deal?

Um, nothing cuter than those toes right there!

Cake time. Notice the different approaches.

See? Verrrrrry different.

“Ma’am…more cake, please?”

My middle son wanted to make a birthday card for the girls. The note he wrote (all on his own) had me in tears. He was so proud to read it to them at the party. I will add that the one thing I never anticipated was how much my own kids would ADORE their cousins. From the very beginning…remember this?

Hmmm…seeing that image makes me think we should try to recreate it…somehow.

Anyway, this long trip down memory lane has been wonderful for me and it sure makes me miss those sweet little girls. Good thing they don’t live too far away so I can pop in for fix whenever I need to. I am so grateful they are a part of our family and that they are healthy and happy and have brought boundless joy and love to us (and at a time when we really, really, really needed it). Aunt Poppy loves you, Bambinas, and I promise I will always be there for you (especially when you are teenagers and you need to vent to me about your mommy…oh, have I got some stories to tell you!).

Once upon a time, there was a beautiful, blue-eyed baby boy that grew up into a beautiful blue-eyed big boy and he let us celebrate this milestone with him one warm summer morning in a park overlooking downtown Austin.

After exploring the park, making adorably cute faces, and doing some baby yoga ;-), he was crowned a prince by his mommy ;-).

Speaking of his mommy, she had this to say about his one year photo session:

Tell us a little bit about your family…

Alex and I met in Austin and have enjoyed starting our lives together and now our family here. Michele took newborn photos of Henry last year that turned out so well.

What made you decide this was the time to do a photo session? Were you marking any special occasion, etc?

The photo shoot was for Henry’s first birthday. We know how fast they grow at this age and we wanted to get some photos while he is this age.

Where was your session held and why?

We did the photos at Butler park to get a nice view of the Austin skyline and to be outside. We did the newborn photos at home because it seemed too overwhelming to take him somewhere and too hot to be outside, but now that he is a little older and we are more comfortable as parents we felt like it would be fun to get more shots of him outside enjoying himself.

What did you like about your session location?

We loved the views of downtown Austin and the water. It was also really easy to get to and had ample close in parking.

What was your favorite part of your session?

When Henry started splashing in the water and when he was under the Magnolia tree in just his diaper.

Was there anything you were nervous or worried about before the session?

I was worried that Henry would be upset and not take great photos.

What made you choose Pinkle Toes Photography?

A coworker of mine had used Pinkle Toes to shoot her family many times and I had seen the photos and she highly recommended Michele. After using Michele for the newborn photos we knew we wanted to use her again.

What do you hope your kids/family will say years down the road when looking at these images?

Remember when Henry was that little?

I didn’t realize this until I started culling and editing this precious baby boy’s newborn photos, but I must have been really boring him because he yawned SO MUCH, lol! Here are just two examples:

Actually, I think he was just happy and content and why wouldn’t he be? Look at how well he fits into his little family! You all may remember those lovely red curls of big sister from the maternity photo shoot HERE. Well, it was so crazy because the whole time I was editing the images, I could NOT get over how much he resembles his big sister! Something about his nose and lips, I think? Wonder if he’s going to have the same red curls, too…

While he LOVED snuggling up with his mama, he was pretty awesome with his big sister, who LOVED to love on him! My personal favorite image is HERE, because you can literally SEE the wonder in his sister’s eyes as she is watching over her little brother. I teared up several times at her interactions with him. I know she is struggling to figure out her new role, but she loves her brother so much. You can just tell it.

She is one of the most gorgeous little girls ever, isn’t she?

Then of course, look at her parents ;-).

These two. So happy to hang out…

…and nap together ;-).

Counting baby toes.

I mean, seriously?

We had to work hard to wake him.

And to try to keep him awake ;-).

But I think our persistence paid off with the very last image of the session right up there.

Yes, okay, so we had to all get up crazy early to catch this beautiful sunlight without catching the yucky summer heat, but I think we can all agree it was totally worth it. I was totally obsessed with big sister’s amazing curls and little man’s joyous full-body smile. And the pupsters were so completely go-with-the-flow…they were kindofamazing!

Boys. Girls.

Love that we are able to see little brother’s sweet face peeking through the kiss!

I was properly warned that this sweet girl was NOT a morning person and yes, it took her a little while to fully wake up and put up with my silly noises (see below), but once she did, wow! What a sparkling personality!

 (Cinderella 😉

My personal favorite image is HERE.

From Heather:

Tell us a little bit about your family…

Wonderful husband, my sweet girl Elsa and my baby boy Cannon. Two goofy hounds Clyde and Daphne. 3 boys and 3 girls…lots of fun and chaos!

What made you decide this was the time to do a photo session? Were you marking any special occasion, etc?

I had always wanted family photos taken and now that our family is complete, it was time.

Where was your session held and why?

Heritage house in Pflugerville and a local creek. I wanted nature and old, vintage scenery with farm equipment etc. the location was great.

What did you like about your session location?

Everything…the big red barn, old farm equipment, the creek.

What was your favorite part of your session?

The creek. Michele doing funny things to get my daughter to laugh.

Was there anything you were nervous or worried about before the session?

Preparation for the day.

Any funny stories or interesting happenings during your session?

Michele would burp and talk in funny voices to make my daughter smile.

Any advice to other families before their photo sessions?

Be organized/flexible and ready for anything because anything can happen.

What made you choose Pinkle Toes Photography?

Her previous work spoke for itself.

What do you hope your kids/family will say years down the road when looking at these images?

That they love the photos and we had a great time that day together.

The day I flew back home to Austin from the Pinkle Toes Workshop Reunion and family photo session in Charleston, SC, I was actually VERY concerned that I wouldn’t even be able to fly home that day due to the start of what would end up being historic (and historically damaging) rainfalls in Texas. By some miracle, I did make it home that morning and by the time our session rolled around for this beautiful family, the SUN even popped out for a few minutes. Of course, looking at the incredibly beautiful home this mama has put together for her family, we probably didn’t even need to go outside at the end of our photo shoot like we did, but…any excuse to soak up the sunshine that had been in short supply over the past several weeks was a good excuse.

We started off with a little mother/daughter time, snuggling in bed. Baby brother joined us for a little bit, too!

EVERYONE in this family gives the BEST smiles. They smile with their entire being and you can’t help but to smile yourself when they do!

 We spent some time in little brother’s room…I could totally move in here ;-).

 He is seriously one of the happiest little dudes I’ve ever photographed.

 Really glad we got to get away for a bit to get some images of just mom and dad together. It’s not always all about the kids 😉

 I changed my mind, I’m going to move into their dining room instead ;-).

 Guys, you should just see how this little girl dotes on her daddy. He is her prince right now, through and through. THIS image, something she did all on her own just gets me all choked up.

And this candid moment captured between these two…the wind playing with her hair…golden sunshine…authentic smiles. Melts my heart, too!

Beautiful makeup and hair by Katie with Modern Muse Beauty.

Confession: I wasn’t really expecting to fall in LOVE with Charleston, SC, but I couldn’t help myself. This was the location of the 3rd Annual Pinkle Toes Workshop Reunion (I’ll be posting about that later 😉 and while I was in town, my friend Becky of  Rebecca Keller Photography wanted to have her family photographed in the same place where her husband proposed to her (the gazebo you see above). Um…I also need to pause here and let you know that Becky’s AMAZING photography was recently featured in People Magazine  for an incredibly inspiration article totally worth reading and in the same issue where Princess Charlotte first graced the cover. Yeah…you should have seen Becky’s hubby and I snagging copies at the local Harris Teeter and bragging on her ;-).

Anyway, the day I flew into Charleston, we headed right into town for an evening full of photographer’s eye candy which included a happy, loving, beautiful family; gorgeous light; unique and endlessly interesting architecture; the scent of jasmine so thick you could practically see it; a honest-to-goodness cobblestone street; and a row of homes painted so brightly, it is actually called “Rainbow Row.” I quickly learned that evening that Charleston was a city full of character, color, and charm.

This one made me giggle when I stumbled upon it! Mama definitely  has her arms full of love with these two hams. And there’s that jasmine. The streets were basically lined with it in full bloom!

Our first pass along Rainbow Row. We had to go back for seconds later ;-).

Cobblestone!!!!! Just don’t see much of this in Texas, so yeah, I was a bit infatuated.

Becky gave me the heads up that it might take a lot for little buddy up there to smile and true to form, he was pretty serious through most of the session. But he couldn’t resist the power of mom snuggles.

Yeah, there’s more of that stunning light.

Back to Rainbow Row!!! I’m kinda glad we didn’t come here first because I don’t think I would have gone anywhere else. I mean what a cool spot!

Another one of my favorite shots along Rainbow Row can be found HERE.

This little dude is sharp as a tack and SO charming! He is such a neat kid and so much fun to chat with!

Becky’s hubby has the patience of a saint. They drove in from NC that morning and then he drove back and forth to the airport to pick me up and then hauled the whole family into downtown to do a photo shoot AND then, took the boys home the next day so that Becky could stay and enjoy the reunion. I think he earned his hubby points for the entire year in just a few days’ time.

So there’s a thing about pineapples in Charleston. Didn’t know that, but they’re a symbol of hospitality and you can spot them everywhere…even as a giant fountain at Waterfront Park. The fountain and sunglasses were a big hit with big brother, but both were a huge miss with the little guy. He was D-O-N-E with us and all of our shenanigans by this point. Fortunately, Becky had a secret weapon: his bear. The first glimpse of his bear and he lit up with a full body smile! How precious it is to see something so small bring such delight to a child.

Becky, it was my absolute pleasure to get to work with you and your family. I know I said this over and over during the session, but your patience, relaxed approach, and realistic expectations of your sweet boys really gave me the freedom to create for you. It was such a joy to experience a city that obviously means so much to you with the people that mean the most to you! Thank you for sharing Charleston and your amazing family with me!

Update 6/4/15 from Becky:

Tell us a little bit about your family…

Michael – grew up in Akron, OH,loves Carolina basketball and spends a lot of his free time building legos with Owen.
Becky – Grew up in Greensboro, NC, loves photography, iced coffee, fried okra, and pure barre (thanks Michele for recommending!!!)
Owen – spends most of his time building legos, reading, and playing at the park
Harrison – loves trains, his bear, his blankie and his big brother

What did you like about your session location?

I was so super excited when I found out the Pinkle Toes Workshop Reunion was possibly going to be in Charleston. I e-mailed Michele to see if it would be possible to photograph our family and was so excited that it was going to work out. Since Michael proposed in the gazebo at The Battery, I loved the idea of having family portraits there, too. Charleston has always been special to us, and I’m so excited about decorating our house with the custom portraits Michele created for us.

What was your favorite part of your session?

My favorite part of the session was just how much fun it was. There was no trying to get the kids to look at the camera or Michele – no stress of trying to get the kids into good moods because what was important to us was capturing our family have fun together and interacting together like we normally do. The session was focused on us just being us which resulted in pictures I just LOVE. When I look at the images, I see my kids personalities just shining though and I love that – Michele captured so many of their everyday expressions. It was also fun walking around Charleston and exploring all the fun spots – we did not run out of pretty places and had to keep ourselves from stopping every second! I also love that we were able to capture so much of Charleston – the Battery, Rainbow Row, cobblestone streets, and the Waterfront Park. I’m still amazed at all we captured in one session.

Was there anything you were nervous or worried about before the session?

Since we all made the trip to Charleston that day, and Michele’s connecting flight was a little delayed, it seemed like a miracle that it all came together! I had my hair and make up done only twenty minutes after we arrived in Charleston and we left about an hour or so later for downtown.

Any funny stories or interesting happenings during your session?

Owen was totally Michele’s bff right when he met her and just took her hand right out of the car and started towards the park like they were hanging out – see you guys later!

Any advice to other families before their photo sessions?

I would just relax and spend the time playing with your kids and not focusing on trying to get them to look at the camera. Those are my most favorite images. I also loved that I had my hair and make up done and that I didn’t have to worry about it during the session and could just play with my boys.

What made you choose Pinkle Toes Photography?

Michele is so much fun, and I love how creative she is with her images and not focusing on posed portraits. I knew she would create authentic family portraits for us that captured my little ones’ personalities and us together. I also wanted something that looked more like art to decorate our home with, and I’m so excited to display these!I knew I wouldn’t have to worry about our session – that Michele would create beautiful memories for us that were unique and creative.

What do you hope your kids/family will say years down the road when looking at these images?

How much fun we had as a family and what a treasure these are to look at and remember. I love our images because they genuinely look like us because we weren’t stressed, and we were having so much fun together. I hope my kids will see that – how loved and treasured they are and the love their mom and dad also have for each other. Since I’m usually the one taking photos of my husband and kids, it’s such a treasure to be in the photos, too, and to also have a photo of just Michael and I. Thank you, Michele, for capturing these sweet memories for us!

I mean when you have a family this stunning + wildflowers this amazing + THAT dress + THOSE curls + vibrant colors, you cannot go wrong. It was physically impossible to take a bad picture of them and I tell you this, I cannot wait to meet this new baby and hang with big sis again!

She was seriously killin’ me with that hair!

Love how she photobombed us when I was trying to work with just her mommy and daddy ;-). Cute little stinker!

Now that is a perfect baby bump right there! And I was totally honored mama invited me to photograph her family as she is a photographer herself ;-).  She’s going to be so happy she did this instead of trying to take all of the newborn and family pics herself. Believe me. I know. I’ve tried it and it’s incredibly stressful! So much easier to relax and be in the pictures with your family if you’re not worried about all of the technical stuff. Plus, I know personally, my kiddos tend to cooperate better with someone who is NOT their mommy (a-hem, Tristan ;-).

My fav is a toss up between this one above and this version HERE.

Hugs with all her might!

And this face cracked me up!