Newborn Wooden Bed Prop | Pittsburgh Newborn Photographer
Newborn Wooden Bed Prop | Pittsburgh Newborn Photographer
When you become a photographer you inevitably become the marketer, accountant, sales person. designer, web developer, social media manager, as well as the shopper, shipper and customer service department. Much to my surprise, I recently became the carpenter!
I saw an adorable bed that I thought would make the best newborn prop but could not order it because of company's lack of inventory. I asked my mom if she was up for the project and she was all in! It's wonderful when you have an idea and have family members that have skills and the tools to help turn it into reality!
Together we raided my dad's workshop and found a miter saw, jig saw, hand saw, drill and sander. We looked around the garage for some cool, repurposed wood - found shelves from an old house and a green door from an antique piece a furniture. We were all set! With smiles on our faces and determination in our step, we got to work.
Once we had our pieces cut and sanded we needed to connect them together in the most sturdy, yet attractive, way possible. I had an idea for what kind of hardware we needed and asked the manager at Ace Hardware if he had what I needed. He just asked what size, he had several to chose from!
With our hardware in hand we were ready to glue and screw together our wood pieces to create an adorable newborn bed. This was the point when my dad came home to see what we had used! He was impressed and help us finish our newborn prop. I'm so thankful to have family nearby that can help me create my big ideas!
People tell me it must fun to just take pictures all day. Then I smile and say, "it sure is!"
Laura Mares is an experienced photographer specializing in capturing timeless family keepsakes. Laura works on location and in her fully equipped home studio, located in Mt. Lebanon, eight miles south of Pittsburgh, PA. Laura’s style is creative, natural, and timeless. Would you like beautiful portraits of your newborn baby, to update your child and family portraits or to document a milestone in your life such as a wedding, graduation, birthday or reunion? If you are interested in high quality, timeless photographs, book your session today, call (412) 654-3367 or email [email protected]. To view a wide range of gorgeous portraits and to get great tips, advice and beautiful inspiration follow us on Instagram and Facebook.
Ella & Tutu at Home | Pittsburgh Lifestyle Child Photographer
Ella & Tutu at Home | Pittsburgh Lifestyle Child Photographer
Story by Anna Mares. Doll by Lenna McGraw. Photography by Laura Mares
Today Ella and Tutu and all their plush friends are going to have a stay-at-home fun day! First Ella must wake up Tutu and Marie from their luxurious sleep.
First, Ella puts on Tutu’s special sparkle socks. They are ready to face the day!
They start their day by chasing the sleepiness away with a little dance! Ella grips Tutu tight as she prepares for her twirl.
They sprawl onto the bed with dizziness, but Ella sits up as she decides on the next activity. HEDGEHOGS! Tutu pulls out the honey hedgehog and they play with the homemade dollhouse.
Tutu lays on the pink quilt as Ella works on her puzzle book. Tutu exhales a contented sigh.
Ella places the final puzzle piece before turning to the next page.
Sitting up, Ella gazes at all her completed puzzles and is very proud. She contemplates on the next activity while setting Tutu on her lap. They sit together in the morning sunshine that gleams through the window.
All the sudden, Tutu shoots out of bed, and dives into the cozy, furry tepee. Ella follows, and her eye catches the glimmer of the glittery star that hangs above their hide out. Tutu cheers her on as the stands on her tip toes to run her hand across the sequins.
After the sensation, she giggles with delight!
Ella lays down with Tutu and they share some secrets, as the scratchy wool tickles their tummies.
They lay and think for a while, tired from all they have done. Ella kicks her purple and white striped socks in the air, while studying closely one of her toys.
Tutu’s tummy growls, and they know its tea time! Ella sets up the table for Tutu and takes her order.
She’s in the mood for a herbal blend.
Ella sits down and pours the tea. They pretend they are in London, having tea with the Queen.
Ella feeds Tutu her tea, and she loves it! Tutu complements Ella on her hostess manners.
Sadly, tea time comes to and end and Ella must start to clean up, starting with Tutu’s socks.
Tutu begs Ella to put her sock back on, because she doesn't want her feet to get cold! Ella then tucks Tutu and Marie back to bed, so they can rest for another day of fun!
Laura Mares is an experienced photographer specializing in capturing timeless family keepsakes. Laura works on location and in her fully equipped home studio, located in Mt. Lebanon, eight miles south of Pittsburgh, PA. Laura’s style is creative, natural, and timeless. Would you like beautiful portraits of your newborn baby, to update your child and family portraits or to document a milestone in your life such as a wedding, graduation, birthday or reunion? If you are interested in high quality, timeless photographs, book your session today, call (412) 654-3367 or email [email protected]. To view a wide range of gorgeous portraits and to get great tips, advice and beautiful inspiration follow us on Instagram and Facebook.
Family St. Patrick's Day Traditions | Pittsburgh Lifestyle Family Photographer
Family St. Patrick's Day Traditions | Pittsburgh Family Photographer
Isn't it fun to transform an ordinary day into a fun day that your family will remember with fond memories in the future? My family loves celebrating holidays. Some years we go all out for holidays - like cooking delicious meals and planning details for a family celebration, while other years we're busier and simply buy a couple fun items at the grocery store! Either way we always have a blast! One of my favorite St. Patrick's Day celebrations was when we had a proper Irish tea party in our dining room. We love to mix things up year after year, but we generally have 5 pretty consistent family traditions on St. Patrick's.
Listen to Irish Music
We love music. We love Gaelic Storm, Lúnasa, Dervish, The Chieftains and Cherish the Ladies. Plus we listen to "Irish Pub Songs" on Amazon Prime music. We always go to enjoy live Irish music by Abbot's Cross somewhere in Pittsburgh during the month of March.
Enjoy some Irish food.
We have Irish Soda Bread from Trader Joe's every year for breakfast. For dinner in the past we've enjoyed Shepherd's Pie, cornbeef and cabbage, fish and chips. This year we're planning bangers (from Costco) and mash.
Wear Green.
Simple and fun, right? (I found this shirt on Groupon for only $12.99.)
Decorate the house.
My children each get a dollar or two to choose a decoration from the dollar store. They have chosen green streamers, balloons and leprechaun window clings. The kids enjoy decorating with me and it makes our house feel festive!
Catch a leprechaun.
Every year my kids create a leprechaun trap out of cardboard boxes, pipe cleaners, construction paper and any other art supplies they find around our house. This year my son let me in on his plan - he is making sure his younger sister is going to actually catch a leprechaun this year. I can't wait to see what we trap Friday morning!
I would love to hear from you. Please share your family's St. Patrick's Day traditions in the comments below!!
Laura Mares is an experienced photographer specializing in capturing timeless family keepsakes. Laura works on location and in her fully equipped home studio, located in Mt. Lebanon, eight miles south of Pittsburgh, PA. Laura’s style is creative, natural, and timeless. Would you like beautiful portraits of your newborn baby, to update your child and family portraits or to document a milestone in your life such as a wedding, graduation, birthday or reunion? If you are interested in high quality, timeless photographs, book your session today, call (412) 654-3367 or email [email protected]. To view a wide range of gorgeous portraits and to get great tips, advice and beautiful inspiration follow us on Instagram and Facebook.
Interview with a Pleasant Hills Mom | Pittsburgh Newborn Photographer
Interview with a Pleasant Hills Mom | Pittsburgh Newborn Photographer
When was your baby born?
January 10, 2017
What was your baby's height and weight at birth?
21", 9lbs
Was your baby early, late or on time?
Two days late
What area of Pittsburgh do you call home?
Pleasant Hills
What was your first thought when you found out you were pregnant?
When we found out we were pregnant with our second, we were elated and nervous. We wondered what the baby's gender would be, as we already have a son. We were a bit nervous because the kids would be so close in age (16.5 months apart).
How did you tell the father you were expecting?
Mark and I were together at home when we read the pregnancy test.
How did you style the nursery?
There is no specific theme to the nursery. The colors are grey, pink and blue. Many stuffed animals are positioned around the room, and the nursery furniture is a deep cherry color.
How did you chose your baby's name?
Choosing Adelie's name was very difficult. I was positive I was having a girl three weeks into my pregnancy, and her gender was confirmed a few short weeks later. We tossed around names for, literally, nine months, but neither of us was in love with any specific name. My husband kept going back to 'Adelynne Rose', and I liked 'Kiera Lynne'. We went through baby name books and websites regularly; I even went as far as to research American Girl and Cabbage Parch Kid names! When I delivered, and up until the night before we left the hospital, baby girl still didn't have a name. She was (jokingly) referred to by my Dad as 'Ralphina', and to the hospital staff (again, jokingly), as 'Baby-No-Name'. It wasn't until the night before discharge that we started looking into names from our shared German heritage. 'Adelie' struck us both, and her middle name, Rose, would be shared with our ten year old niece. Adelie is a German name that means 'noble', and we couldn't be happier with it.
What are you looking forward to doing with your baby?
We are looking forward to watching Adelie grow into her own little person. We plan on guiding and cherishing each stage and step of her transformation. Family vacations are definitely one thing we are excited to share with her. We are anxious to see her reactions to water, sand and maybe Mickey one day!
Write 3 adjectives that describe your newborn baby.
Sweet, Tolerating (of her 'helpful' big brother), Snuggly
Share a piece of advice to an expecting mom.
It's great to have a plan in mind, but never expect it to work accordingly. It's best to be flexible and try to think of various options ahead of time.
What has been the biggest struggle since coming home from the hospital?
The biggest struggle is being a Mom of two very young kids. My husband works quite a bit, regular shifts and overtime, so it's challenging to establish a routine and try to stick to it. I feel like I have a 'cycle' established, and it changes soon after due to teething, feeding increases, extra diaper changes and a toddler who doesn't want to sleep. I wouldn't change anything for the world, though!
What was your favorite part of your newborn photo session ?
I can't even begin to think of what my favorite part of our newborn session was! Everything was absolutely perfect! Laura was open to new ideas, props and poses; she and I bounced ideas off of one another, producing amazing results! Specifically, trying the potato sack, froggy and hammock poses were my favorite part of my session. I'm always open to new and exciting things - especially knowing the photo shoot results I would get with Laura behind the camera!
Why is newborn photography important to you?
Newborn photography is so important to me because this time goes by so fast. Capturing Adelie's first few days of life was so important to me because I'll never have her that way again. Delicate, dainty hands, tiny feet, back wrinkles and baby fuzz are captured so I can refer back to the incredible innocence and perfection God blessed us with.
If any of your personal items were used during the portrait session, where were they from? Target, Pottery Barn, Etsy, etc.
Adelie's pink police outfit was custom made by Evonne Umbel, owner of ETSY Shop Cuppa Stitches, Pink bunny was a gift from Papa and Grandma and some hair bows were purchased at The Children's Place, Target and Walmart
Where did you deliver?
Jefferson Hospital
Who is your OB/GYN?
Dr. Remtulla (Dr. Logan, Dr. Smith, Dr. Lantzman, Dr. Poot)
Laura Mares is an experienced photographer specializing in capturing timeless family keepsakes. Laura works on location and in her fully equipped home studio, located in Mt. Lebanon, eight miles south of Pittsburgh, PA. Laura’s style is creative, natural, and timeless. Would you like beautiful portraits of your newborn baby, to update your child and family portraits or to document a milestone in your life such as a wedding, graduation, birthday or reunion? If you are interested in high quality, timeless photographs, book your session today, call (412) 654-3367 or email [email protected]. To view a wide range of gorgeous portraits and to get great tips, advice and beautiful inspiration follow us on Instagram and Facebook.