Whelp, we're past Labor Day and fall is unofficially here. Kids are back in school (can I get an Amen?) and as much as we enjoyed our summer it's nice to get back to a regular routine.

Our oldest son is a second grader at Des Moines Christian School (DMCS) this year. We love the school. The teachers are ah-mazing and love our kids like their own. The school's mission is "Equipping minds and nurturing hearts to impact the world for Christ". I absolutely love that.

This year I was blessed to be able to donate a photography session to the school's annual True-Blue Gala and Silent Auction and was thrilled to learn that Mrs. Veenstra, DMCS Middle School math teacher won the auction. It had been a few years since their family was last photographed so they were excited to have updated family photos now that their girls are getting older. They aren't babies anymore!

We headed to Greenwood Park in Des Moines and braved the heat and humidity. They looked like a million bucks and you'd never guess how hot and sweaty we all were 😜

The girls were both wearing Israeli cross necklaces that were a Christmas gift from their grandparents who visited Israel a few months prior. They were so excited to show me their beautiful necklaces complete with their birth stones.

Mrs. Veenstra did a fantastic job at making sure everyone’s outfits coordinated beautifully.

I always ask my clients at their pre-session consultation how they plan to display their photographs. Some clients have a specific plan in mind, where others perhaps haven't given much thought to it. Mrs. Veenstra knew she wanted to update portraits in their main living area and had plans to paint the room and take down some shelving in order to make room for new, updated portraits of her family. We worked together to design a custom wall arrangement that also incorporated an existing art piece (as noted by the blank white place holder) into a collage that would look fantastic over their couch. This can be done with a stock room image like shown here, or with a photo of a wall in your own home. It's helpful to see what products would look best in your own home, scaled to fit.

Don't forget to decorate other areas of your home with beautiful portraits too! Master bedrooms are a great place for portraits of just the two of you.

Every year Des Moines Christian School holds their annual True-Blue Gala, a fun night of food, fellowship, entertainment, and a Silent Auction with proceeds supporting the DMCS student experience. If you'd like to learn more about DMCS and their mission click HERE.

When was the last time your family was professionally photographed? Do your kids look the same as they did in their last portraits? Maybe it's time to update. Family portraits also make great gifts for grandparents as well as dad's office. Contact me to schedule your no-obligation consultation.