On the second day of Christmas my true love gave to me... potatoes, bacon, and a mexican egg scramble. That sounds awfully unhealthy, but it sure was good! Dan and I got home from work, changed into pajamas, and cooked dinner together. Sweet and simple.
Today is day three: Take food to a local food pantry. Why didn't we put this on the weekend?
Every year around October, while we're in the thick of creating holiday cards for others, I realize that I'll need to order our own cards soon... and that I have no design ideas whatsoever. Then, I wonder why it's fairly easy to make things for others, but so incredibly hard to make things for myself. The process repeats until mid-November when I know that I'm almost out of time and I'm still searching for that perfect idea.
This year, we had a few different ideas and one kept taking the lead. It took some extra steps to plan and implement, but once we ironed out the details and knew we could do it, we just had to. I was so excited to assemble the cards with Dan and get them ready to mailAlso, since I've wanted to make an advent calendar for a while, this card was a great compromise and a fabulous way to share the daily activiites with others. Check out the makings of our card with our version of the 12 Days of Christmas.
Our first day of Christmas was yesterday, December 13th, and the activities will go through Christmas Eve. If you didn't get a card and would like to play along, here are the activities:
12/13: Make paper snowflakes and decorate with them.
12/14: Make breakfast for dinner and eat in your pajamas.
12/15: Take food to a local food pantry.
12/16: Have a holiday movie night.
12/17: While shopping, buy something extra and donate it to charity.
12/18: Buy a new ornament to place on the tree.
12/19: Write 10 things you are thankful for this year. Tape it to your mirror.
12/20: Make a special treat and deliver it to a neighbor.
12/21: Drink hot chocolate.
12/22: Take a drive to look at Christmas lights.
12/23: Have a game night.
12/24: Fill a small stocking. Drop it off on someone's door as a surprise.
Tailor these activities to your own home. If you don't want to buy something on the list, then do something handmade. If you don't like hot chocolate, then have hot cider. Live in a cozy, little neighborhood? Instead of driving, bundle up and walk around to look at Christmas lights. Everyone's results are going to look different, and that's what I love most. To start us out, here are the paper snowflakes Dan and I made last night. We haven't decorated with them yet, but we will. Let's see your snowflakes.
By Vicki | Posted on 12/14/11 | Posted in Design, Personal | 0 Comments | Post Comment
I can't believe it's November already, but I have to say that October went out with a bang! Not only did we get to meet a cute family with two little girls, but the weather was wonderful and the maple trees along their street were at their peak. The images below only give you a glimpse of the amazing colors. Check out the sneak peek and say hello to the [R] family...
By Vicki | Posted on 11/07/11 | Posted in Shoot, Family | 1 Comments | Post Comment
Michelle Adams : Gorgeous!!! Love all the fall color too! 11/07/11 8:48pm
Our friends Sara and Bobby are such special and inspiring people in our lives. If the couple hours we spent meeting Hayden last weekend was any indication, I know these two will be wonderful parents as well. While I finish editing their images and coming up with the words for their full post, enjoy a little sneak peek of their happy baby boy.
By Vicki | Posted on 11/04/11 | Posted in Shoot, Newborn | 1 Comments | Post Comment
Sara : This are so great :) Glad you were able to capture some of his little smirks :) Can't wait to come out and see the rest in a week or so. 11/05/11 7:33am
Now that Dan and I are back in the office from a couple big trips this fall, I'm digging my way out of images and orders. Here is a quick sneak peek of Jesse's senior session. His session was special for a couple reasons—first because he is one of Dan's brothers, and second because the session took place at the Rye family farm. It's a photographer's paradise with the family's abandoned cabin, old tractors, and overgrown fields. I'll have more later!
By Vicki | Posted on 11/01/11 | Posted in Shoot, Seniors | 1 Comments | Post Comment
Michelle Adams : Ooooo. - Love these!!!! 11/01/11 5:51pm
Between Lila and Ava, last weekend was filled with cute little girls. I can hardly hold back the rest of the [A] family's session, but you'll have to check back next week after their premiere. I think the following images will give you a good idea of the adventure we had.
By Vicki | Posted on 09/27/11 | Posted in Shoot, Kids | 1 Comments | Post Comment
Shae : We are looking forward to our premier! 09/27/11 5:49pm
Could this family be any cuter? Seriously. I can't believe how much Lila's grown and learned since we saw her in April.
Here are a few images for Maggie and Ryan to see until their premiere. I can't wait to show the rest!
By Vicki | Posted on 09/26/11 | Posted in Shoot, Kids | 0 Comments | Post Comment
At the end of August, we had the pleasure of hamming it up with a group of teens. This is not just any group of teens as the first two boys you see are my twin nephews (how old do I feel right now?!). I'll give more background to the session in the full post, but for now I know the moms are waiting for a sneak peek!
By Vicki | Posted on 09/19/11 | Posted in Shoot, Family | 0 Comments | Post Comment
From the moment you meet Kellie and Dave, you can tell that they were made for each other. They are such sweet and supportive souls, but love a little fun and competition, too (you should see Kellie play Stratego!).
For their session, we were celebrating their second wedding anniversary and wanted to make sure the session represented them as a couple. We headed to a park where they could hang out on a blanket, enjoy the scenery, and play a little frisbee together. Dan and I joined in for a bit before ending the session and heading to the nearest ice cream shop. Let me just tell you that tossing a frisbee is not a skill of mine, but eating ice cream certainly is. You just can't beat an evening with good light, good people, and good eats.
Enjoy our favorites from Kellie and Dave's session.
By Vicki | Posted on 08/05/11 | Posted in Shoot, Couples | 0 Comments | Post Comment
Josh's sessions are always a blast (and a good workout for us). He runs around and does what he loves to do—whether that means going down the slide over and over or stomping around while making dinosaur sounds. Working with this family is always a joy, and their session premieres always bring good tears.
For this session, we were celebrating Josh's second birthday and how much he's grown over the last year. We had custom cupcakes made for the session, and took some time out from the playground to enjoy the sugar. I got vanilla to be safe, but I should have known that Josh is a boy after my own heart—chocolate all the way! Normally I like the colorful images from a park, but the cupcake series in black & white was just so sweet. As the sun went down, we ended the session by catching lightning bugs and playing in the last bit of sunlight.
By Vicki | Posted on 08/02/11 | Posted in Shoot, Kids | 0 Comments | Post Comment
By Vicki | Posted on 12/15/11 | Posted in Design, Personal | 0 Comments | Post Comment