Thursday, November 29, 2018

Family Picture Tips & Tricks

If you're anything like us, you tend to take a lot of pictures this time of year. Once our little family started growing I realized it would take a bit more prep than in years past. I like our outfits to be coordinating, but more than that, I like when my kids aren't screaming. So I've rounded up all my favorite family picture tips and tricks to share with you all today. Let's dive in!

1. Dress Mama first. Yep, that's right, BE selfish and pick out your outfit first! If you're trying to find everyone's outfits at the same time that will get incredibly overwhelming. So start with you, find something you feel really good in and plan out the rest of your family's colors around yours. Or, if this is a special photo shoot for one of your kids, then find their special outfit first and plan accordingly. 

2. Layout everyone's outfits the night before on your bed. This is seriously the only way to make sure you're going to like how everything works together. Lay Dad's and Mom's clothes next to each other and the kid's clothes over the bottom half of Mom & Dad's (the level they would be in an actual picture) to make sure everything flows. You can have the perfect color combo but realize that some tops and bottoms shouldn't be right next to each other, so maybe Dad avoids holding that child if that's the case, or you change a top or bottom. This leads perfectly into our next tip which is:

3. Don't pick all the same color tops or all the same color bottoms. For example, Dad is wearing a burgundy sweater and black pants. That means brother should NOT be wearing a burgundy top and black pants. BUT, brother could wear a black top with burgundy pants. That way if Dad is holding brother, their colors don't run into each other and you can still tell who is who in the photo. Also, don't be afraid to mix patterns and fabrics, you SHOULD. This helps each individual to stand out and is more pleasing to the eye.  In our pictures Della's dress ties us all together. She has a bit of red like me, a bit of green like Everett's shirt and Aaron's tie, and black for the rest of our outfits.

4. Bring a toy. Depending on your child's age it might be super helpful to bring a bright colored toy to help get their attention. This is something you should clear with your photographer first, but most of them will be just fine with it if it will help your child look at the camera and smile! This is totally age dependent. For example, this might work great for a 10 month old, but my 2 year old might possibly lose her might if we brought her favorite toy and didn't let her actually hold it. SO, you know your kids, if you think there's any chance this will cause a meltdown then it's best to skip it.

5. Prep your kiddos. As a rookie at family photos I just thought "I'll get everyone dressed, we'll smile, take a bunch of pictures and be done!" Yeah, that didn't work out so well. My 4 year old doesn't love pictures, so each year as he's realized what we're about to go do, he needs a little more incentive than just "SAY CHEESE!" This is completely dependent on your family and your style of parenting. For my kids, I might tell them we'll get ice cream afterwards or pick out one toy at the dollar store. Something simple, but it works like a charm. If we're all exhausted but need just one more picture, it comes in really handy to remind them of their reward afterward. But mainly, the most helpful part of this I think, is sitting them down beforehand and explaining the process and that you need their help to get the pictures taken as quickly as possibly. An explanation of why we take family pictures in the first place might also be helpful depending on your child's age. You're 3 month old probably won't understand or care, hah.

6. Time of day totally matters. Your photographer is probably already all over this because they have to worry about light and all that fun stuff. But, you need to be aware that you know your kids and when their "happier" times of the day are. If your child takes awhile to wake up, then morning pictures probably aren't your best bet. On the contrary, my kids wake up super happy but after naps they are almost always cranky, so that's a time I definitely avoid if possible. 

7. Try to have fun! At the end of the day you might not get the "perfect" shot, but the real reason behind taking family photos should be having priceless memories of your family in each stage of life. Enjoy the process! For instance, my favorite shot is below. I wanted to try to create the classic Beatles photo (much too ambitious for kids, but live and learn, right?) and we got some hilarious photos out of it! This photo shows perfectly our silly family, and my husband and I shared some really good laughs looking at them. I mean, how cute is Della trying SO hard?! I'm so glad we have them!


I hope these tips were helpful & that your next family photo session is easy breezy and stress free!

Tuesday, November 20, 2018

White Shirt = Endless Options

We all probably have a white shirt in our closet, but how often do we honestly wear it? It can be easy to get caught up with buying a new shirt for every occasion, but really you already own the most versatile piece, so why not save some dough and pull that white shirt out? A white tee can be dressed up (or down) so many different ways. Let's dive in!



Option 1:
The easiest way to dress up a white tee is with a statement necklace and a front tuck. This look is simple and clean, but it still looks put together and styled.



Option 2:
Keep that front tuck and add a scarf! The awesome thing about a white tee is that you can pick any type of scarf with any pattern because your plain white tee won't be competing for attention. I choose the biggest warmest sweater I have to give this look a cozy feel.


 
Option 3:
For the last look I paired our white tee with a simple knitted cardigan. What really sets off this look is making sure you pull the white sleeves through so they peek out under the cardigan. This adds more dimension to the outfit and looks a bit tidier.

I hope this post inspired you to liberate that white t-shirt out from the back of your closet and get creative!
xoxo
Misha

Monday, November 12, 2018

Thanksgiving Outfits

I remember turning 12(ish) and wondering why my family would get all dressed up each year for Thanksgiving. My Mom usually hosted for our extended family and friends, but as a 12-year-old watching my older sisters and Mom get ready, I finally had enough knowledge about Thanksgiving to question it. Don't we just eat all day? Don't we just lay around and watch football & Christmas movies after? My 12-year-old self may not have understood, but today I certainly do. People take PICTURES during the holidays, man! You gotta be ready for that or suffer the consequences of posterity wondering what the heck was wrong with Great Aunt Misha that year?! Anyway, all jokes aside, when family gathers it feels good to look your best, right? Which is why I've compiled a few outfit ideas for you this year. All of these options are incredibly affordable because that's how I roll.

Option 1:

Option 2: 


Option 3:


Jeans (same as above)
Necklace (same as above)
Option 4:

Jeans (I distressed them myself, LMK if you'd like to see a blog post on this!)

I hope you enjoyed this post! I'd love to hear your feedback. Come visit me on instagram @mainly.misha & let me know what you'll be wearing for Thanksgiving! 
xoxo
Misha