Fall Photo Shoot

 We did our (dreaded) family Christmas card photo shoot today.  Dreaded because it's a little stressful, and I hate how I look pretty much all the time, avoiding mirrors when possible and cameras at all costs.  So why would I PAY someone to take my picture?

The only reason is because Ed and I both HATE it when people send pictures of just their kids in Christmas cards, so to avoid hypocrisy, and in the spirit of "4-out-of-5-Hickmans-looking-great-is-a-majority", we did it.  We scheduled the fabulous Alia, who did our pics last year.  I cannot say enough about how easy and awesome she is to work with.  She had the girls, even Poppy, who is a tough age for smiling at strangers, wrapped around her finger.  Since we thought it might be chilly in mid-November, we wanted an indoor site.  I asked her where this is - love that distressed wood! - and would you believe it?

It's a backdrop.

 Is this bad?  Should I not be giving this secret away?  You totally can't tell in pictures, which is why I find it so amazing I can't keep mum.  We just set it up in the family room, mid-afternoon to catch the natural light, and voila!

 How do you like our styling - the gray with pink accents?  I wore gray and black with silver earrings...and more make-up than I ever wear the other 364 days.  And I even blow-dried my hair with product and a round brush.  I really went all out.

Hazel is wearing a gray dress with small white dots from Target, Ginger's dress is from Carter's (belt from Wal-Mart) and Poppy is wearing an H&M gray onesie with white dots and Uniqlo gray corduroy jumper (and Old Navy gray & black striped leggings.)  All flower clips are from Claire's.  

 Hazel has really taken Project Runway to heart.

 What a coupla lookers, right?  Like I said, 4 out of 5.  (Ed's wearing a gray sweater over whatever he wore to work - a blue shirt, I think - he breezed in for about 20 minutes between work meetings, and breezed right out again - we're just glad he made it at all!  And he always looks good.)

It was such a mild and lovely day we did go outside after these shots, but I didn't take my camera.  We took more family pics, individuals, sisters, and a few with the blog header in mind so I'm excited to see how those came out.  Alia's going out of town Sunday so she promised them before she left - stay tuned...