Madeline is 3! (really 3 1/2...)

the first year of my daughters' lives, i take a formal portrait each month. kinda crazy, but i love to watch them grow. after that i try to do a birthday portrait each year. usually i have inspiration regarding the tone of each portrait. maybe they have a favorite dress, favorite toy, favorite food. as Madeline approached her 3rd birthday, i know exactly what was inspiring me, her favorite color: BLUE!!! this is without a doubt Maddie's favorite color. and she has tons of it in her closet, but none felt right for her portrait, except her favorite shoes: she got these for her birthday and they've been a constant companion ever since. then i discovered this great little spot, a wall covered in bright blue graffiti! perfect! i thought a white dress would really make this picture. i'm a little hyper like that.

i started my quest for the dress, even considered making one, (in my spare time ha!) as time wore on, the "blue farkelies" (Maddie's says "sp" like "f") got more and more worn. i found the dress, and then my dear friend Erin opened this shop: Haute Blue B Handmade. my dream ensemble for Madeline was complete.

one problem, by this time the graffiti was painted over. so, i tried an alternative. my friend Annie told me about a great Mexican restaurant and we actually tried it a day before this shoot. turned out to be the perfect spot!

the whole thing had us jumping for Joy:

one thing i've learned in doing child portraiture, props are a good idea:

this parasol was the perfect item to keep Madeline's attention and avoid too much "posing."

this might be my favorite, the expression is pure Madeline:

here she said, "Mom, this is what people do when they're thinking."

besides being a pretty cool little location, Elmer's has some pretty great food as well.

another classic Maddie quote, "Mom, this taco has a sign on it!"

originally, i was going to head over to a park for some more subdued shots. but when we were headed back to the car, i saw this fence and voila:

still, i thought we might go to a nearby park for some green grass. but again, in the parking lot, some green weeds. those did the trick!

all in all, i couldn't be happier with the way these turned out. they are exactly what i wanted for Madeline's 3rd birthday shoot. they capture her just as she is right now!

Madeline,

you are the sweetest little 3 year old in the world. your personalitly is bright and energetic, while at the same time sweet and mild. you are so loving to your family. the most nurturing big sister, and the most adoring little sister. you are so excited to try everything Anna does, and so willing to teach Avery everything you know. you love to be obedient and do all that your mom and dad ask of you. i have enjoyed every minute of being your mom, and can't wait to see all that you have in store!

i love you,

Mom

ps: readers, if you love this headband as much as i do, hop on over to my photo blog, or facebook page for a little GIVEAWAY!!!