The Jenkins Family | McKinney TX Child and Family Photographer

This family has been with me since they were just a couple and every session is more fun than the last. Their newest addition is growing like a weed and big sister just keeps getting prettier!

The Lorax | McKinney TX Child Birthday Photographer

As soon as I started seeing previews for the Lorax, I knew that I wanted to try and convince my soon to be 10 year old to change party themes.  Who could resist those awesome truffula trees!  I must say that I love how it all came together!

I loved this punch idea from Tonya Staab, but I put my own twist on it using a large chenille stem (left over from mustaches) and a piece of feather boa (left over from the truffula trees).  As you can see, my truffula tree cupcakes and cake toppers had begun to melt before I took the picture.  Cotton candy doesn't last long out in the air! The fruit picks and metal flowers came from Hobby Lobby.  For snacks, there were chocolate teddy grahams (barbaloot bears), marshmallows (which the bears love to eat), goldfish (singing fish), and peeps (the closest thing I could come up with for a swomee swan).

I made her invitations using a wallpaper download from the official site here.  Here is the back of the invitation in an Organic Bloom Frame with a small truffula tree added for decoration.  I got the idea for the tree here and the back of the invite here.  She has a download the for The Lorax quote printable, but it wasn't quite the right colors for my invite, so I made mine using photoshop.

Using large chenille stems made making mustaches for the girls super easy!

Now, the most important part...the truffula trees!  I read a lot of different ideas for making them and then made my own design.  I used styrofoam balls (not cheap, so use coupons if you can) and wrapped them with feathe boas using metal floral pins to attach them to the ball.  The trunks are made out of chicken wire and paper mache.  I just used a pencil to add the details.  Once they dried I stuck a dowel through the center and into a piece of floral foam in the pot and then attached the tree top onto the top of the dowel.  They were quite top heavy, so the set of three I had to tie with a ribbon to keep them from falling over.  I still loved the way they looked, though!

An etsy seller had wool that matched the trees perfectly.  I had extra boa and pencils on hand for a truffula tree pencil craft, but we ran out of time.  They did make glow in the dark bracelets at the beginning of the party while we were waiting for everyone to arrive.  Perfect for a dark movie theater.

For dinner, we had Lorax quesadillas, carrots, and chips.  Some of the girls don't eat meat, so this made it easy to offer a chicken and vegetarian option.

Here is the birthday girl blowing out her candles!  I still can't believe she is in the double digits!!!

For party favors, the girls took home a pot with a metal flower and a chicklet type gum.  I had planned on putting cute Lorax printables on the lid, but ran out of time. 

Overall I am thrilled with how it turned out.  For more Lorax ideas, visit my pinterest page!

Little Miss Peacock | Newborn Photography Frisco Little Elm TX

I can't believe that I forgot to blog this cutie's newborn session.  Mom couldn't resist the peacock headband, since their last name is Peacock. 

9 Month Mini Session | Senior Portrait Photography Keller TX

This little cutie is just growing up so fast.  I just love getting to see her every few months!  I'm going to miss that once she has her first birthday.  The evening was surprisingly chilly.  I think we were all glad it was just a mini session!

Kaitlin | Senior Portrait Photography Keller TX

I loved spending part of my afternoon with this gorgeous senior.  She was a joy to work with.  Not only does she have a fabulous personality, but she is beyond beautiful.  Although I love them all, the dandelion shots were my favorite and hers!  Thanks for making the drive to work with me!

The Manley Family| McKinney TX Child and Family Photographer

This session was over a month ago and the rather nice day turned unexpectedly cold by late afternoon.  Even though he was chilly, the sweet little guy was full of smiles and giggles.

Cotton Candy Clouds | McKinney TX Child Birthday Event Photographer

With all the other birthday's I have shared lately, I just couldn't resist the urge to share my own daughter's party.  Wind....that is the answer she gave me when I asked what type of party she wanted.  I racked my brain for ideas and searched google for everything I could find.  As time went along the theme evolved into cotton candy clouds.  She loves all things pink and had recently talked me into a cotton candy machine at Big Lots, plus I could incorporate her "wind" idea.  I have to admit that I was very pleased with the results. 
I found eco-snow for 75% off at Jo-Anns and went to work making cloud tufts to hang from the ceiling,  I also placed it around the room on tables and the ground to give the feel of really being in the sky. 

There was even a little rain cloud!

Using a baskets and 3ft balloons, I made hot-air balloons to decorate the table and a large one for pictures with her friends. 

The banner is just triangles that I hand cut out of scrapbook paper.  I used an itty bitty whole punch to puch wholes in the corners and then ran twine through it.  I used some of the same paper to make large pinwheels that served as decorations and treats for the kids.  They were really easy.  Just squares of paper, painted dowels, large beads, and metal wire.  I was impressed that they actually spun in the wind!

But I think my favorite thing was the noisemaker for the kids.  It was a basic yellow blowout, that I drew lightening on and then made cloud faces.  They turned out so cute!  It was one of the original ideas I had found using google.  I "pinned" a lot of ideas on my wind party board, so I will share the link at the end of the post.

The kids made a sunshine and rainbow craft.  They pained with cotton puff clouds instead of paint brushes.  They all turned out so cute!

They also pretended to be wind and had cloud races!

...and danced on clouds :)

My mom made the frosting for the cake and cupcakes.  It tasted just like marshmallows.  YUM!!!

They weren't trick candles, but they sure acted like it.  Daddy finally stepped in to help. :)

The party favors were ivory soap, with instructions on how to use a microwave to turn in into a cloud and rain "drops" (lemon drops and gum drops).  For the ivory soap cloud, just put the bar on a large paper plate and microwave for 2 minutes.  FYI, the aloe smells better than original when it is heating up.  I forgot to get a picture, but it really does look like a cloud.  Both of my girls loved watching it grow and to tell the truth, so did I!

My sweet girl and her friends.

Pinterest Link

Video - music by Laurie Berkner

Happy 4th birthday my sweet girl!