I finally know how my clients feel when they tell me they have been thinking about their cakesmash ever since their newborn session.  There is something so special about a first birthday.  It is a time when the end of babyhood is palpable.  You feel proud of the little person your child has become while longing for the baby they used to be.

I wanted Grace’s cakesmash to be extra special for her to look back upon.  Let’s be honest, her cakesmash was for me as much as it was for her.  It was a way for my photography to pause and celebrate a time that was so full of emotion for me!

I started brainstorming ideas after the rush of the Holidays.  First, I got busy on Pinterest!  You can see my inspiration board below.

I kept thinking “how can I do a set that no one has ever seen anything like?!”  So, I decided I would paint her a backdrop.  I had been picking up the brushes here and there for custom sets for my clients.  The only way to create a complete original… was to do just that!  I painted her drop more quickly than I thought.  In about two hours, acrylics mixed with charcoal to create spring time in Paris.  I felt really good about it.  I almost cried.  Mariah did cry!  It felt amazing to create something for my daughter from my heart.  A teeny tiny little reflection of my love for her.

We spent hours here and there in the weeks before the shoot preparing the branches and stars that filled our background with touches of spring sparkle.  Next came the outfit.  I ordered this adorable onesie from Tutu DuMonde.  I waited until two days before the shoot to try it on Grace.  It had been sitting in the box for over a month.  It was too big for my tiny girl AND it was the same color as her fair skin.  It was not going to work.  I panicked a little.  “Why do I always do this to myself?!”  Always last minute!  Of course my schedule for the next 6 weeks was insanely busy.  I was fully booked at the studio, planning a commercial clothing shoot, banging out 3 written interviews for blog features, flying to Seattle to teach at the Chic Retreat (another blog post coming soon!), and had a first birthday party to throw, all before heading to Maine for a family vacation.  Definitely no time to reschedule and wait for a new outfit to come in.

I called my friend Ashley at Framboozled Accessories and she saved the day.  She went to the craft store that night to buy supplies and had 2 beautiful tutus for me to choose from in the morning!  Add to that a gorgeous custom headband from my friend Bethany at Blossom Bands and the stunning cake by the always AMAZING Sweet Indulgence and my friend Kerri, and we had a cakesmash that made me smile inside!  I have some pretty fabulous friends!  Grace loved every moment of it.  The whole studio team and Kerri Cupcake watched, and Mariah quietly captured some behind the scenes video that has me crying every time I watch it.  Thank you so much to everyone who made Grace’s first birthday cakesmash so memorable.  It meant so much to me.  I never wanted it to end.

So here it is, Grace’s Cakesmash, Behind the Scene’s Video, and in the tradition of this blog being my only baby books for the girls, my birthday letter to Grace.

Grace’s First Birthday Cake Smash! from Heidi Hope Photography on Vimeo.

Grace Isabel. Our joy. You make every day a little lighter. You wear a smile when you wake up in the morning, pointing at the photos of our family on your nursery wall. You always attempt to say everyone’s names as if you’re saying good morning to each of us. When I lay you in the crib at night, you give me one more smile as you pull your blankie up over your eyes. You are our happy, go-with-the-flow baby girl. Easygoing is an understatement! Where did we get you? You are a social butterfly who loves commotion and a good party. You’ll gladly crawl into anyone’s arms and giggle at the attention. Singing, dancing and music make you so happy. We adore your silliness, the sweet way you scrunch up your button nose just to get a smile from of us. We call you our little peanut, Graciebelle. That’s because you’re so tiny, which makes me feel like you’ll still be our baby a little longer. I’m happy about that, because in my head, you’re somehow still the sweet newborn we brought home from the hospital. When I’m working in the kitchen, I can usually find you right under my feet. You’re so quiet and quick in the way that you explore your world. The best part of my day is walking through the door after work. You get so excited, you can’t catch your breath. You scoot towards me as fast as you can for your hug. A laugh escapes me every time. There is no better feeling. You love dada (gaga) and your sister (who you call jeej for GiGi). You think they are pretty hysterical and they certainly love to make you giggle. If there were just one thing I would want you to know about your first year, it is that from the day you were placed into our arms, you have brought so much happiness and laughter to our family. We love you Grace, Happy Birthday!

Baby S was my one newborn girl in a month of newborn boys so far!  You can see below, she was such a doll.  When I spoke with mom to plan our session, she said they loved soft, light, neutral colors and timeless photos.  I always love hearing that.  As much as we use props and color in our other work, lately I am most drawn to the simple newborn photos that really focus on the beauty of baby with their new family.  I think we captured that perfectly with S!  She started our session wide awake and we captured some beautiful family portraits that bring tears to my eyes.  You can actually feel how loved she is by the expressions on her parent’s faces.  And, check out that little dimple when she smiles up at them!  After that we captured all of the classics.  She even rocked a tutu, but we still kept it soft and classic.  We finished with more family portraits when S was curled up and sleepy… more favs!  Every bit of S was beautiful and so fun to photograph.  Enjoy your sneak peek.

Storyboards are my favorite product that clients order. These are my favorite because they are super customizable and are beautifully stunning when displayed on a wall.

This weeks featured size is a 20×30 storyboard.  These 20×30′s are very popular for family and newborn sessions.

Happy 5×7 day!

20×30 storyboards are one of our most popular sizes for newborn and family sessions because they can fit a large amount of images. The tricky part my clients face is picking images with the right orientation because it really matters!  This week tip I focus on 3 to 6 image storyboard. With a large size such as a 20×30 you can fit a bunch of different orientations creating a unique storyboard. These are great visual layouts to help pick images because whether its a canvas or in an Organic Bloom frame the goal is to make the images look balanced.

Storyboards are my favorite product that clients order. These are my favorite because they are super customizable and are beautifully stunning when displayed on a wall.

This weeks featured size is a 16×24 storyboard.  These 16×24′s are very popular for all types of sessions.

16×24 storyboards are one of our most popular sizes by far! The tricky part my clients face is picking the right amount of images and the orientation because it really matters!  This week tip I focus on 3 to 4 image storyboard because thats the average number picked.  I’ve done up to nine images on one board though!  These are great visual layouts to help pick images because whether its a canvas or in an Organic Bloom frame the goal is to make the images look balanced.

We have had so much fun celebrating all of these first birthday lately!  The studio has been swarming with giggling, clapping 1 year olds for the past few weeks and Sweet Indulgence has been treating each one to the most fabulous first birthday cake.  Baby C was in last Friday for a classic baby girl cake smash.  We wanted to keep it simple and sweet with a pastel gingham bunting to match her fluffy pink pettiskirt.  C was such a good baby.  She took a little warming up, but as soon as she started crawling around the studio, she gave me some big, gorgeous smiles!  Once she was on the move, the cake didn’t stand a chance.  Enjoy your sneak peek!

Last night I found myself crying at this Target commercial.

Fact is, I’m a total wreck thinking about Grace turning 1 year old next month.  There is something about your last baby that you want to hold onto forever.  I found myself considering every piece of baby clothing as she outgrew it.  “Perhaps I should mount it like an artifact in a giant shadow box to preserve it for future generations!” 

It’s not just commercials, I’m feeling sentimental with every baby who visits the studio.  I’m remembering when I first held them or when mom was still expecting.  I’m even feeling sentimental about my own pregnancies, which if you know me, is a complete shocker.

It is no secret that I am not a happy pregnant person.  I thought I would be all earth-mother, glowing mom-to-be, but I was just unbearably sick, exhausted and a huge, broken-out version of my former self.  People always knew I was having girls.  That’s not a compliment btw.  Despite all of the discomfort, I’m now looking back on my pregnancy so fondly.  Dare I say, I think I’m experiencing a twinge of longing.

Since Grace’s Cakesmash is today, I thought I would use this Throwback Thursday to reminisce about how much has changed in one year.  Here are a few snapshots from the end of my pregnancy… most of which were taken by Mariah or Shaun.  These were all from the few weeks before we met our Grace.  I had to include one favorite from the hospital when Giuliana met her little sis for the first time.  Now I need to stop crying so I can go shoot this cakesmash!

Being inspired by all the fashion coverage these past weeks from Coachella festival!  Festival fashion is fun, free-sprited, and fearless! I combined festival fashion with one of my other favorite trend…neon!  I’d love to spend a day in the sun in this bright outfit!  The best part about festival fashion is that its over the top while keeping a laid back feel. So go ahead and put on a large stone necklace while rocking sandals and dance the day away! ~ Caroline

Skirt: H&M Skirt

Feather Earrings: Neon Pink Gold Glitter Dipped – Faux Leather Feather Earrings

Daisy Bracelet: Orelia Daisy bracelet set 

Marc by Marc Jacobs Pink Bracelet: Neon Pink Turn lock Charm Leather Bracelet

Sandals: MM6 Maison Martin Margiela

Crop Tank: Cream Floral Lace Swing Crop Top

Neon Handbag: Tory Burch Snake Cross Body Bag

Pink Necklace: Ombre Gradient Pink Neon Handpainted Vintage Rhinestone Necklace 

With the weather getting warmer this girl has already brought out the sandals!!  Theres nothing I love more than sandals.  They come in so many cool designs and colors; some are simple and sweet where others are beaded and covered in jewels!  They can make anyone look ultra cool walking down the street or soaking up the sun on the beach.  Here are some of my new favorite sandals I’ve been eyeing for this summer!  You can never go wrong with fringe! ~ Caroline

The denim trend has been very popular for the last few seasons now but no better time to stock up on the denim then for summer time!  My favorite denim looks are a cute denim button up shirt with white shorts, or try colored shorts.  If its still chilly out denim looks great with a pair of leggings and cute high boots.  Delia’s offer this nice medium toned denim button up while Ralph Lauren offers cool Native American graphics on the shoulder. I love the Ralph Lauren one, it’s my favorite! – Caroline