Tuesday, December 09, 2008

The Annual Christmas Card Photo Shoot

Each year the kids and I start thinking of what we want to do for our Christmas card way before Halloween. Since the baby was still pretty small and the weather was pretty cold we knew the outside one we had planned wasn't going to happen.
Plan B: I had it all envisioned in my head. The lighting would be perfect. I shopped for and found the perfect props and clothing. Even the book (Mary Engelbreit's Night Before Christmas) I bought had the perfect colors.
Plan C came into action when the baby was sick and she couldn't come to my "studio".
All the props were intended for a different place, lighting, and background than what I had to work with since the baby couldn't leave the house. (She's fine now, btw).
I also haven't worked a Christmas card with these three yet either. The baby LOVES books, so the minute Peyton pulled out the colorful "prop" the baby lunged for it and wouldn't look at the camera. Then she tried to eat it. We had to get rid of the book. ($19.99)
The pretty hand-crafted pillow also looked like a tasty morsel to her. We had to ditch that as well. ($16.99)
The snowy garland ($18.50) and the Christmas artwork ($24.99) didn't work so well on this set up and left glitter all over the bed.
Presley's 6' long, velvet santa hat, complete with jingle bells sewn on ($34.95) was too big for her head and kept falling over her eyes. Her mamma stuffed the hat with a pair of the baby's jammies, making her look like a conehead.
Plan D: Put the baby in her red Christmas jammies and give her Chloe's pearl necklace.
Finally, finally, I was able to get some decent shots.
Not the ones you see below.
I thought I would blog this for posterity so these little kids would appreciate just how hard I worked to make a stinkin' cute Christmas card!
To make the collages below was so quick and easy thanks to MCP Actions Blog-It-Boards.
I love those things. There are two sets with several templates from 2 to 9 photo spots.
There is even a one-step action to add branding bars with your title like I did here.


Can you feel my pain and frustration?

In the end, looking at these again, I think that I might like these collages better than the actual cards.

Happy Holidays!
pam

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

You have such a beautiful family!

Anonymous said...

and 3 precious cuties - PRICELESS. Oh my gosh Pal, this are too stinkin cute. BTW love the pearls.
Love to all,
L

Anonymous said...

love the picture of Presley smiling, you must have had a fun day with the kids. She is going to be a little stinker I'm sure.

Anonymous said...

Dear pam,
If I do not recieve a Christmas card of these three ADORABLE children, I will not be at Christmas brunch!!!!!! You know my address.
:) Love, Peach Fuzz