Tips for
Tuesday
The last time I spoke at a MOPS group, my friend Shelly asked, "What are you going to talk about, how to stuff a baby into a pumpkin?" Actually, I talked about organizing, but I do know a thing or two about stuffing a baby into a pumpkin! I thought I'd take this opportunity to share some of my ideas for baby photos with you, featuring my two favorite models, "Dude" and "Bubba".
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I used an artificial pumpkin for this photo of Dude back in 2011. I purchased the matching hat and socks on clearance after Halloween the year before. After cutting off the top I cut out a couple leg holes, making sure to make them extra high since babies don't always bend their legs when you want them to. You can use a real pumpkin, but that just seemed super-messy to me. Instead, I used a 40% off coupon at Hobby Lobby. Little did I know I would be reusing the pumpkin just a year later for Bubba!
As with Dude, I used a towel underneath and behind Bubba to keep him propped up. This time I also had some gourds to add to the mix and again, Dude's shirt came from Halloween clearance the year before.
Here Bubba is sporting a Thanksgiving bib and hat set over his regular outfit that just happened to coordinate nicely. With me, you can assume everything came from the clearance rack until otherwise noted.
As you can imagine, things get more complicated with each child you add to the mix. I've found that with children this young, you have to be evenly matched (1 adult per child). Outnumbered is even better - then you have an adult to help each child plus one more to hold the camera!
As you can see, there was not much holding still going on here!
This is the one article of clothing I paid top dollar for but when you're a new Grandma on a mission trip to Alaska, you can't help but buy a cute onesie from the North Pole! Dude wore this under a super-cute Santa suit I picked up at a garage sale for next to nothing.
Here's Bubba the following year in the onesie and Santa suit.
I also found some reindeer hats and a moose shirt for Dude (all on clearance after Christmas) for our group photo. The hats did double duty; since they were nice and warm the boys used them all winter.
I haven't had much luck with New Years photos since the guys hats are so big, but I did use a favorite photo of Dude in his "lumberjack" shirt to make this Valentine online.
For Easter, I picked up these bunny ears added some fresh carrots and viola!
Just to change it up a bit, for the next year I gave Bubba an Easter basket instead of the carrots and he went to town!
I took advantage of the plethora of Trillium growing around us every spring and plopped Dude down into the middle of it.
You can also use props you may find around your house. Dude had a Superman cape minus the PJ's it came with, but it worked great for a photo with Bubba. It also helps to be flexible. I was aiming for one of those cute "sleeping baby" photos here, but as you've seen, these guys don't do "sleeping baby" - not even at just a couple weeks old.
Our most recent photo is another example of "going with the flow." I'd seen one with the younger boy in the bucket and the older one standing over him with a watering can, but that didn't happen. Dude decided to join Bubba in the tub, so we went with it!
Dude quickly lost interest, but Bubba enjoyed having the tub and the watering can to himself.
With a few quick alterations, you can also create a costume. When he was little, I called Dude my "round-headed boy." I gave him an outfit to match his head :) by turning around a onesie with a logo on the front (Go Blue!) and tacking on a piece of felt cut out in a zig zag.
I'm so thankful to be a grandma who gets to watch her boys every week and has time to take these fun photos. I hope they've given you some ideas for your little ones!
Here Bubba is sporting a Thanksgiving bib and hat set over his regular outfit that just happened to coordinate nicely. With me, you can assume everything came from the clearance rack until otherwise noted.
As you can imagine, things get more complicated with each child you add to the mix. I've found that with children this young, you have to be evenly matched (1 adult per child). Outnumbered is even better - then you have an adult to help each child plus one more to hold the camera!
As you can see, there was not much holding still going on here!
This is the one article of clothing I paid top dollar for but when you're a new Grandma on a mission trip to Alaska, you can't help but buy a cute onesie from the North Pole! Dude wore this under a super-cute Santa suit I picked up at a garage sale for next to nothing.
Here's Bubba the following year in the onesie and Santa suit.
I also found some reindeer hats and a moose shirt for Dude (all on clearance after Christmas) for our group photo. The hats did double duty; since they were nice and warm the boys used them all winter.
I haven't had much luck with New Years photos since the guys hats are so big, but I did use a favorite photo of Dude in his "lumberjack" shirt to make this Valentine online.
For Easter, I picked up these bunny ears added some fresh carrots and viola!
Just to change it up a bit, for the next year I gave Bubba an Easter basket instead of the carrots and he went to town!
I took advantage of the plethora of Trillium growing around us every spring and plopped Dude down into the middle of it.
You can also use props you may find around your house. Dude had a Superman cape minus the PJ's it came with, but it worked great for a photo with Bubba. It also helps to be flexible. I was aiming for one of those cute "sleeping baby" photos here, but as you've seen, these guys don't do "sleeping baby" - not even at just a couple weeks old.
Our most recent photo is another example of "going with the flow." I'd seen one with the younger boy in the bucket and the older one standing over him with a watering can, but that didn't happen. Dude decided to join Bubba in the tub, so we went with it!
Dude quickly lost interest, but Bubba enjoyed having the tub and the watering can to himself.
With a few quick alterations, you can also create a costume. When he was little, I called Dude my "round-headed boy." I gave him an outfit to match his head :) by turning around a onesie with a logo on the front (Go Blue!) and tacking on a piece of felt cut out in a zig zag.
I'm so thankful to be a grandma who gets to watch her boys every week and has time to take these fun photos. I hope they've given you some ideas for your little ones!
Lisa
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These are just adorable, Lisa! Thank you so much for stopping by my blog and leaving encouragement behind. It meant so much! I am so happy to have "met" you and just became a follower through GFC. Have a blessed night!
What fun ideas you have! You are blessed to have your grandchildren so close. I hope I have the same blessing when the time comes.
Janis
Your photos are so adorable. You are a lucky grandma:)
Dropping by from Tell me a story. My entry: Home again" is from joysnotepad.blogspot.com
Such fun dressing up the boys for each holiday occasion. Love the outfits (most at clearance) I love to bargain shop - always have. I discovered I could purchase an outfit cheaper than if I made it, so I quit sewing. Thanks for sharing with us here at "Tell Me a Story."
LOL I came over to visit and am still cracking up ! These are priceless! That artificial pumpkin looks real ...my first thought was "why didn't I think of that" ha ha ha ...the kids are adorable!
I have a couple of friends in blogland that are grandmas..I am sending them this link! :)
Love your photos! So very cute! I am one of Debra's grandma friends that she said she would send over! Glad I stopped by. I am the lucky Grandma to one amazing nine year old girl and am lucky to live only one mile away from her. Life as a Grandma really is the best job ever!
I'm another grandma sent over by Debra and I am delighted by the joy you so obviously share with those darling boys! How much fun it is to "decorate" them for the seasons and getting most of your things at deep discount makes it even more fun!
I'm a lot like you - I just live for the next round of fun with the kids! - two boys (5) and four girls (3, twins age 1, and 6 months)...we are so blessed!
I think you really kind of bailed on the Thanksgiving photo a little. If you can stuff that baby into a pumpkin than certainly you could stuff him into a turkey! Stop slacking over there! ;)
Seriously cute!!
Thank you for sharing this with us at the HomeAcre Hop! We'd love to have you back again tomorrow.