Have you heard about the trend of choosing one word as your theme for the upcoming year?  The idea is to choose one word as an expression of a goal that you want to accomplish or work towards in your life for that year.  Yes it’s February 1st and 2014 has begun – but it’s not to late to create intention around what you want your future to look like.

Having ONE WORD  to focus on, is like driving down a long highway with your word at the horizon.  It might take a while to get there, but your location is on the horizon and you can see that you are driving in the right direction. 

Choosing this type of intention for your year can began a baby step of opening your eyes to possibilities in your life and seeing things a little differently then you might have.   Once you put your mind to something it’s amazing how things began to come into focus and bloom right before your very eyes.

 

1.)  Choose a world that harmonizes with your soul.  It needs to ring true.  You need to feel it in your guts.

2.)  Choose something that encourages and inspires you and puts hope in your heart.

4.)  Choose a word that gives you vision of how you want to live and who you want to be.

What do you want your ONE WORD to be for 2014?  We’d love to have your share it here!

I’m having my first holiday party of the season and it’s a baby shower.  This party is going to multi-task.  Of course, most importantly we are celebrating the new baby and the parents.  But, hosting the first week in December makes me also want this party to be holiday festive.

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I’m pulling my inspiration, like many, from Pinterest.  We’re serving Italian food for a large group.  I loved this olive wreath.  I see it happening on tiered cake platters.

This idea of a paper chain with gray ribbon was meant to be a chain of thanks.  It’s from our Thanksgiving board.  I’m switching it up for my party and adding small clothes pins for guest to write their well wishes and life advice for Baby P.  I think it will be a great way to take a traditional paper chain and mix it with a new idea.  I plan on sending it home with the baby and the parents as a party favor.  I think it will be darling as nursery decor.

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Aside from the fact that I love a chaldboard painted wall.  What about these glass jars filled with Christmas goodies?  And what about brown paper bag packages tied up with string holding something special for each guest to take home?

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Gingerbread is perfect for this season.  But a gingerbread boy on top?  Is the perfect way to celebrate a new baby boy!

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If I can find the time this week, I plan on working on sweater ornaments for each guest.  And, antler rack?  Well, I have one I haven’t yet displayed.  No time like the present, with this pictured nudging me on.

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Visit our LoveFeast Table Pinterest board  –>  Celebration ~ Holiday Baby Shower to see more party inspiration!

Wish me luck!  I only have a few days to get it all done!

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We are so excited with all that is going on at our table.  If you are new WELCOME!   You can find out about us HERE.

Inspiration for Dream Planter & Winter Porch Vignettes HERE.

Has anybody else been eating too many Christmas Cookies already?  I have to admit I am loving enjoying my morning cappuccino with a little extra deliciousness on the rim.  I kicked off this years LoveFeast Holiday Cookie Exchange making these shortbread style cookies.  You can find my Lime Wafer recipe HERE.

Kristin and I have been busy hosting the LoveFeast 3rd Annual Cookie Exchange.  We have such a lovely group of talented ladies adding their favorite cookie recipes at our table.  Each guest is giving away a cookbook from our LoveFeast Shop at their blog on the day that they guest at our blog.  Check out our Cookie Exchange Page to see who is next to guest!!

You’re invited to add your cookie recipe post at our LoveFeast Holiday Cookie Exchange HERE!

I stuck a little early Christmas present in the mail for Kristin this year.  I saw this Glittery Deer head and I HAD to get it for her.

Check out our new set of lovely Holiday Pumpkin Sets!  They are all 15% through December 31st in our LoveFeast Shop.

All Holiday Pumpkins and Velvet Pumpkins 15% off through 12/31 with Promo Code:  HOLIDAYPUMPKINS15

We love to see what customers are doing at home to decorate with our Velvet Plush beauties!  One of our friends, Janelle at Queen Of The House Of Boys is decorating up her mantel with all of our favorite things, silver frames, glittery trees, and of course velvet Plush Pumpkins!

Speaking of pumpkins and deer – we were thrilled to see this tablescape featuring our Deer Antlers and Snow Pumpkins from LoveFeast Shop over at the blog, Cote de Texas.

I gave my tips to taking having a great family lifestyle photography session HERE.  I promised I’d show a bit of the final product.  One of these may end up my Christmas card this year.

 Taking a family picture for the holidays? Check out ~ Family Lifestyle Photography Tips

Guess what’s happening at the end of this week?  Kristin and her husband, Devon will be visiting!  We needed an “in real life”  “meeting” for our business.  And, well…we just NEEDED to see each other.  Besides fluffing and puffing the guestroom I’m going to be sharing this DIY Pine cone project.  And, of course this week there will be a daily post in FEAST featuring COOKIES!!!

What are working on to get ready to celebrate the season?

Thanks for joining us at the table ~ if you’d like we’d love to have you follow us on Instagram to catch our random moments of inspiration on Facebook for the conversation ~ or join our Newsletter to receive promotions from LoveFeast Shop!

The truth is I made this photography sitting at the last minute just a few days before this shoot. The photographs from this post are not the finished products, by any means. Between my youngest son and myself we managed to capture some of the “behind the scenes” of our lifestyle photo shoot, while wrangling the dog, searching for the flung pink headband and wading through the knee high grass.  Here are my tips for a Family Lifestyle Photography session that will be enjoyable for your family and will produce some great shots.

Tips for a Family Lifestyle Photography Session

Hire someone or have somebody else (with descent photography skills) take the pictures if possible.  I have good equipment and can take a good shot.  But, having someone else organize my kids on that sofa.  Priceless.

Be flexible.  Having a photographer that is flexible and personable will make the experience a good one for your family.  You want “personalities” not “perfection”.  The picture should feel like yourselves.

Be yourselves.  Every family has a star.  Let yours shine!  Our family is almost always focused on the little Fancy Sister.  As you can see by the pink leggings (her choice) and the sassy shoulder she’s the center of attention.  Letting personalities shine through will add interest and a natural quality to your photographs.

Yeah, there was that moment where the pink headband went flying.  But, we worked through it.

Be comfortable and casual in your dress.  Casually blend colors that work together.  In our case we gathered shades of turquoise with a bit of hot pink.  Don’t force anyone to wear something that they don’t feel good in.  That said.  I negotiated an early Christmas present of the wearing of a pink headband.  I have found through the years I like the more natural shots.  The shots aren’t necessarily perfect.  But, they are us.  And, my fancy girl wears a headband almost everyday.  Except the day that I wanted her to.

Ladies ~ Try to stay at a 25% angle away from the camera.  Keep most of your weight on the foot furthest from the camera for a slimming effect.  Let your hands fall naturally and comfortably.

Men ~ Don’t stick your hands completely in your pockets.  Or, it will look like you don’t have any.

Afternoon light is best.  The light right before what I like to call the “Golden Hour” captures the best and most flattering light.

Take a lot of shots.   You never know what will get captured.  Take shots at different and unique angles.

Two hours was the perfect amount of time for a family lifestyle sitting. We allocated 2 hours for this excursion into the weeds and it was the perfect amount of time to get the shots we needed.

If you live in the Minneapolis area I highly recommend our talented photographer Sharon Elander of Graceful Reflection Photography.  It is wonderful to see someone using their talents and doing something they are passionate about.

{You can see Sharon’s work  at her Photography Site.}

Yay!  One more thing checked off the to-do list.  The finished product is coming soon!  I’ll promise to share our final family pictures with you!  I hope these tips help you to create a memorable and beautiful Family Lifestyle Photograph.  If you have any tips to add, or funny experiences caught along the way in your family photography please add your story in the comments below!

Family Lifestyle Photograph Tips

*Hire someone if possible.

*Be flexible.

*Be Yourselves.

*Wear comfortable and casual dress with limited patterns.

*Ladies stay at a 25% angle away from the camera.

*Men don’t cover your hands completely away in your pockets.

*Afternoon light is most flattering.

*Take lots of shots and at unique angles.

*2 hours is the perfect amount of time to allocate for a sitting.

Share in our comments!  Do you have a Holiday Card Tradition or some family photography tips or stories to add?