Embracing the Camera

Hi everyone! I'm super excited to share my layout with you today as a part of our Mother's Day theme. The inspiration behind my layout is from a blog post by a photographer I really love, Ashley Ann. Her blog, Under the Sycamore, is a lot about motherhood, every day moments, and she takes some really great candid photos. One blog post that was particularly impactful  for me, and is the inspiration for my layout, was one where she encouraged her readers to embrace the camera. A lot of us moms love to take pictures, and as a result we're not IN those pictures. So Ashley Ann started a hashstag on Instragram encouraging moms to jump in the pictures WITH their kids--no matter what their hair looks like, even if they don't have on make-up or what the house looks like--but to GET IN THE PICTURE! It's those memories of everyday activities, that the kids will want to remember when they look back through our albums one day.

So I've taken that challenge and have tried to be more intentional about getting in pictures with my kids. THEY love selfies, so that's what we do.  I've also tried to mix up the scenarios a little bit by taking a selfie of all of us in carpool or laying in the grass (that's what these two pictures are of). And if I admit it, I really do like that I'm forcing myself to capture these shots too. I like seeing myself with my kids in our everyday environments, or just being silly with them.  So here's my layout of 2 of our #embracethecamera selfies.

"Being Intentional"

Details about the layout: I used a neutral palette with the pops of blue from the Carousel kit (sorry, sold out) to create a fun whimsical LO. Keeping with an Instagram theme, I layered my layout on a white cardstock border, added a few mists to the kraft paper and lots of hand-drawn squigglies around the pictures and edges.

This Mother's Day weekend, I want to encourage you to get out there and Embrace the Camera with your family--your kids, your mother, and other generations if you have them. I really believe it's a big deal to leave a legacy for our kids, and what better way to evidence it than by taking a picture with them.  So Go. Embrace the Camera. Capture your memories. Love on your family!