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My cousin Stacey and I had the fortunate pleasure of getting to spend most of our childhood years within a few blocks of each other.  We’re close in age, and were always dressed as “twins” by our grandparents and would often coordinate our outfits in the morning before we went to school – where we were in the same class, had the same friends, and did the same activities!  We don’t dress as twins anymore but some of you may recognize her – she has assisted with a session or two on the portrait side – but is my right hand (left leg, right elbow etc ) when it comes to shooting boudoir!  We went out a few weeks ago with an awesome concept… and this is what we got!

By the way – her husband, Luke, is the owner of Sportball here in Edmonton area.  For those of you that don’t know what Sportball is – it’s a way to introduce your kids to sports (soccer, hockey, basketball, baseball, volleyball, tennis, golf, and football) in a non-competitive, fun way!  Our kids LOVE it!  The coaches are high energy and so much fun – it’s a fantastic way to teach your kids the fundamentals of sports, and improve gross motor skills while having fun!

All in all it was one of my favourite urban sessions!  I love it when clients know who they are as a family and incorporate the things that make them unique!  In a family of boys this was the perfect way to incorporate their personalities into the shoot!

There was a time in my life where I was very inspired by fashion. However things have changed a bit having three kids (in four years) and a couple years of survival fashion (sniff sniff… does it smell *obviously* bad? Nah… ok!)

I still love to shop though – especially if it’s “pretend” wardrobes! (It’s like retail therapy without the credit card bill!) So I thought I would talk some of you through my thought process in planning a wardrobe – in hopes that it might inspire you with dressing your own family for pictures this fall!

1. The first thing you need to decide is the kind of style your family is. Yes you have a style… and NO it’s not sweats and puke stains all of the time! Do you love the outdoors? Would you rather take a walk in a forest or on a beach? What style suits your home? Are you rustic, retro, vintage, or contemporary? Perhaps a more urban look would match the style you have in your home!

After a couple years of trial and error I have figured out who my family is NOT. We are not outdoorsy, wind in the willow type people. Well maybe my kids are…(I think they look cute in anything!) but I’m certainly not… which leads me to my next point.

2. Mom’s YOU are the style of the family. Decide what looks good on you! I am not about to put this body in anything white, creamy or lacy. BUT I feel awesome in an outfit that’s a little more on the urban/edgy side with some pops of unexpected colour. Start with YOU and then move to the rest of the family who somehow manage to look good in anything… sigh

3. Channel your inner home decorator. Gone are the days of matching black/white/puce shirts! Lots of layers, colours and textures are going to make your family look SO put together! Imagine you are putting together cushions on a couch. They don’t all match – but have a similar colour scheme. Here are some easy tips for getting that to work.

* Dress your family in neutral colours (i.e. creams, browns, greys, blacks, whites) and add some “pops” of colour (teals, pinks, purples, green, orange, or yellow) by accessorizing (jewellery, cardigans, jackets, scarves, even shoes) with one or two of those colours!

* Pull colours for the rest of the family from a pattern in your daughter’s dress or son’s shirt.

* Choose the colours you want to go with and incorporate them! If it feels a little too circus-y pull in a neutral coloured cardigan, or that cute cord jacket for your son!

* Jeans look good on everyone! (there now we only have to choose tops! Yay!)

Here’s a quick family look I threw together. All clothes are from Old Navy and Gap. Shoes are from both Old Navy and The Shoe Company, and accessories from Forever 21.

Want your own family look? As part of your full or mini session package you get a “what to wear” consult with me! If you feel good, your pictures are going to look incredible!

We still have some spots available for our Fall Family Minis Sept 17th! (Just over a week away!!) Call or e-mail to book your spot!