a picture is worth a thousand words....

 Tis the time of year when my mind turns to

 the family photo

 for the Christmas card.

The thought of this both sends smiles to my face

and shivers down my spine.

The act of the family photo includes:

1. scheduling a day that we all can be together for a couple of hour uninterrupted

and happy.

(oh, this has to also include the photographers schedule too)

2.  planning our outfits for the pictures. 

If you know me, you know I don't like too matchy-matchy,

but I can not leave it completely up to each individual,

as I would like for it to look like we are all in the same season 

AND

the same decade.

3. location, location, location.

You have all heard it....

location is everything.

I think this theory goes for photographs as well.

I am always looking for new and unusual places for the shoot.

You won't see this family in a studio any time soon.

4. dealing with the terror of seeing myself in photos. 

This means I will have to come to grips with what I actually look like

vs.

what I THINK I look like.

I have mastered the art of denial,

and until I see a picture of myself,

I still think of myself as the way I looked in college.

Seriously, when I think back to what happened yesterday or last month,

the vision of my self is me at 22 doing whatever I am remembering.

Imagine my surprise when I am remembering the pictures being taken as my 22yr old self

and then they come out looking like my 34 yr old self. 

Quite shocking I tell ya

.

I deal with this by buying only a few with me in the frame,

and only displaying the ones with hubby and kids.

Problem solved until next year.

Long story short,

here are a few shots that I have gleaned some inspiration from:

 any shot with leaves falling is an instant classic.

 I ADORE this idea,

as long as my photographer is VERY friendly with the double chin delete button.

No need to remember the waddle.

 One of my constant favorites,

a fancy-smanchy sofa in the middle of the road, field, or what have you.

 We have a huge picture of mine and the girls legs

framed and hung on the wall.

This might be a clever way to include hubby in that this year.

 The puddle pict. 
Gets me every time.

 Ok, I am sure this is an engagement photo,

but who says after 13 years of marriage we can't do this too?...

 ....Or this. 

This is EXACTLY how the girls feel about

Hubby and I smooching.

And a school bus as a prop?

Just stop it...

Getting all kinds of inspiration! 

Click here to see the holy grail of original location ideas....