About a year and a half ago, Dave and I attended a silent charity auction for our local library. (Full disclosure:  Jennifer was one of the co-chairs).   I am sure many of you have been to one of these events.  And those of you who are like me have a grand old time getting happily cocktailed and then fiercely competitive.  You plot, scheme, and sneak around the coveted items, waiting until the very last moment to make sure you WIN the best stuff… and then you are immediately horrified when you win everything you bid on!  

Uh, excuse me…how much did you say we owe?  Are you sure I bid $50 for the pineapple pet bed?  Oh, I won the sitting with the premier photographer too? How many hundred dollars?   Gulp, ok – at least we’ll get a few shots of the boys and it is for a good cause.  Wait, I cant use it for over a year?  My boys won’t be nearly as cute by then.  Ok, who do make the check out to again?

Needless to say the pineapple pet bed went over like a lead balloon with our pets. 

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Although Chase has taken a particular liking to wearing it on his head and walking around the house like he is a blind man.  That’s almost worth $50.

And this morning, we are scheduled, weather permitting, for our fancy outdoor photo shoot with Donna Billingsley who if you link to her website, you will see what beautiful work she does.  My favorite shots are the “candids” which Donna confided to me take a good amount of prep to capture (not as candid as you might think). At one point, Jennifer and I were going to use the sitting for some swanky MoB shots but I’m not sure they would fit the down-to-earth, family-next-door images we have worked so hard to convey.  And if Donna Billingsley can make my family look like the families on her website, it will be well worth the cash I forked over 18 months ago.

I chose a small creek for the backdrop; we will be wearing white, the boys in t-shirts and jeans; me in a little sundress.  I will admit to you MoB readers that I am hoping we can recreate a Ralph Lauren ad in which our two pristine boys laughing and playing in the water while Dave and I look on lovingly, seemingly unaware that ANYONE is taking our picture.  The reality will likely be something much different.  I will be insecure about the outfit I picked, wondering if the billowy dress makes me look fat; Noah will constantly be making his best Zoolander Steel Magnum face; Chase will fall into the creek and get muddy before the first shot is taken; and Dave will sigh and give me that look that says, “The next time we go to one of these auctions, you are to stay 100 yards away from the bar.” 

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