Excuse me while I sob. My baby....my sweet, funny, charming, friendly, chubby little baby just turned ONE. She did not listen to her mother when she was told to slow down on the growing and stay a wee one for just a little while longer. But alas, here she is, inquisitive and happy, interested in everything about life and nap times (hehe).
Turning one is such a pivotal moment for both baby AND the parents! My husband and I high five when our first daughter and this little baby turned one: "We made it a year!! They are still alive and WE are still alive and managing to live off of little sleep!" So...it's kind of a big deal!
I was inspired to create a Princess and the Frog themed portrait and cake smash session solely from the fact I adore fairy tales (and Disney!). I also like to incorporate the area that we are living in (ie. my first daughter was born in Japan and celebrated her 1st birthday there, so her theme was cherry blossoms and she had an origami crane on her cake). When we learned we were moving to the New Orleans area, I just knew the Princess and the Frog would be the perfect fit.
For her outdoor portraits I wanted the gorgeous hanging Spanish moss on the trees and a wonderful golden light. I created her crown (my first DIY project!) and hand selected her outfit from Mia Joy Studios (gorgeous work). I had contacted The Wooly Possum to create a custom hand-felted frog prince to make his debut in these images (he will also be available in the studio now for client sessions!!). I am so pleased with how it all came together. (Scroll down to read and see more about our cake smash!)
Ahhhh....the cake smash. The most delicious part of a one-year portrait session! Now, I want to preface this topic by saying not all babies are crazy about this portion (if any of you watched my LIVE taping of Adelyn's sessions, you will see she did not want to touch her cake. Same went for my first daughter). I will create a new blog that will talk all about cake smash sessions, what they entail, how to prepare for them and all that fun stuff :)
We brought Adelyn's smash photos into the studio where I carefully created every single flower on her backdrop. Again I used the tiara I had made from a little Mod Podge and lace. My two good friends who were my partnered bakers in Okinawa (Whipped Up By Mimi) and California (Sweet Serendipity Cakery and Studio) both added a loving touch to her cake. Whipped Up by Mimi shipped hand-created Frog Prince and magnolia for the cake, and Sweet Serendipity Cakery and Studio created the textured cake.
My friend and a favorite vendor of mine, Emilee from Le Petite Couture Designs custom made Adelyn's delicate vintage-inspired romper. She has created over half of my stocked newborn and infant items..I just can't get enough!
I am so thankful for the relationships I have made throughout my photography journey so far and I am so touched they played a big role in my baby's special photos. Please enjoy while I weep bittersweet tears!
