Smash Cake | Jacks First Birthday

You may remember a couple weeks ago my post of Sawyers First Birthday Smash Cake Session. Well it got a great response and it lead to another session only 2 weeks later. This is Jack, one of Sawyers first friends. They are born only a day apart, And I used to watch his older brothers! So I love this family for so many reasons! Ps this is also the friends who sent Sawyer that surgeon bear from all those iconic photo’s I shared this spring. So I was so excited to be doing a smash cake session for his first birthday as well. Also nervous as crazy! I still get crazy nerves before taking photo’s of others. Hopefully that will end soon! Onto this boy’s beautiful one year photo’s!

I am on the hunt for some extra chairs to paint new colors, so there is a choice. And will be offering this session as a package. It includes the chair, custom cake, balloons, 1 hr session and a disc of your edited images. Please contact me at lissables@gmail.com for interest in this or any other sessions.

I’m working on a whole bunch of posts to share this week since I know it will get hectic and I don’t want to fall so far behind again! So stay tuned, and thank you for always following me!

Smash Cake.

This is a new craze in the little’s world. I’ve seen it a lot in the last couple years. So I couldn’t pass it up when Sawyer is about to turn ONE! So I found a old wooden highchair and refinished it. And then I made a little cake special for him. Very simple but I filled it with all kinds of colors on the inside. Though red seemed to take over on that one. As promised here is the amazing pictures that came out of such a simple project.

And By far my favorite from the whole night. A complete fluke of a shot, as I was just cropping myself of all of them and just using sawyer walking. But sometimes you find a gem in those unexpected places. Hope you enjoyed this very heavy picture post!

If you are in Las Vegas I am offering this as a package deal. I provide the Chair, balloons, cake, and a one hour photo shoot. You will receive all the pictures on a disk for you to print at your own convenience. Cost of this package is $150.00 It’s great for invitations, blown up nursery prints, or just some great memories. I already booked a second one for this coming Monday, so I will be sure to share a second look at this “smash cake” session!

Thanks for stopping by!

A Vintage Highchair.

As we all know I am the biggest fan of pinterest.

But the best part of it is when you actually create some of your saved projects. Which is what Sawyer’s birthday is all about for me! I’m even getting it finished and on time! This is rare indeed.

But there was one pin I saved way back when I first joined pinterest. I knew as soon as that chunk in my bump was born it was going on the to do list.  Refinishing a vintage wooden highchair, and doing a smash the cake photo session. {another excuse to take pictures is always on my to do list.} Here are a couple of the pins that inspired this project!

So off I went on my craigslist hunt for a vintage wooden high chair. Looking for items like that in Las Vegas gets very few and far between. But I got lucky. One just down the street. Brandon thought I was crazy. I was thrilled. And then it sat in the garage for 6 more months. I knew if I left it too long I would put it off and put it off. So I made a deadline chart for all his birthday projects. This was the first. {don’t worry I will share them all!}

This is such a simple project. If I can do it, you can do it!

Here we go, start by cleaning your chair. This is a step if your chair is dirty or has been used in the last 40 years. Mine was already clean so I started with sanding. And sanding, and sanding, and sanding. This is the step that takes the longest. The tray was the hardest since it had a finish on it to withstand a lot of wiping down. But stick with it, it’s all down hill after that! Make sure you also clean off the dust. Wipe it down with a wet cloth and make sure you get it all. I left a little on the tray in my haste, and though its not visible in pictures, you can sure feel it!

Now you want to find your favorite color. I debated between the final lime green and teal. There is not a great selection at our local home depot. I would have gone to a craft store had I prepared in advance. While your there pick up 2 cans of primer. It took me 1 1/2 cans of spray paint for each, primer & paint. {4 cans total.} Lay down a drip sheet, I choose to paint in my garage since painting in direct sunlight can cause the paint to bubble. I applied the primer one night, a second coat within the hour. And then let it dry overnight. 24 hours later I started painting. I did one coat at night and then I let a couple days go in between. Not on purpose, just time getting away. If you are going to use it as a daily high chair I would suggest putting a clear seal coat on the tray. I didn’t bother since I will only be using this for birthday’s and hopefully be re painting it each birthday!

And tada! Finished! I’m really excited for the way it turned out. I’ll be sharing all the smash cake photo’s tomorrow but he’s the finished chair and a couple teasers! Good luck! If you make one of your own be sure to share it. lissables@gmail.com I always love seeing other people’s takes on the same projects!


Make sure you check back tomorrow for all the smash cake pictures. O and after posting these I already had another birthday boy book the same session, lots of photography going on! Stay tuned!

Christine l Maternity

The first week of September I shot my first real maternity session. I have been toying with the idea of pursing photography for awhile. My camera is ALWAYS attached to my hand. {I picked a diaper bag based off of my camera being able to fit in it.} But it’s a big leap. So for the last year I’ve been using Sawyer for practice. What a great little model he’s been! And after spamming facebook with his pictures I’ve had a couple people ask me to do photo shoots with them. Most recently an expecting mom who I worked with when I first moved to Las Vegas. I was extremely nervous and then last minute, very last minute, my location was kaboshed. But we made it work! I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

Thank you Christine, for taking a leap of faith with me!

Getting Ready.

After I spent all night making a wedding cake, and then getting up with Sawyers solo (since Brandon was away for the weekend.) I thought the best idea was to deliver the cake and then stay and take pictures. When she eloped they drove out to Valley of Fire. So her real photographer was out there. But my favorite wedding pictures are always the getting ready ones. So she asked if I would take them for her. I felt flattered to be another big part of her big day!


I had so much fun hanging out in the hotel room with these two. There is nothing like the feeling of getting ready for a wedding. It’s such a joyful time and I am honored to have been a part of it. Congratulations Breanna and Jesse!

Photo shoot Giveaway

Hey everyone. I know most of my readers are in the Calgary area. {though I am not. Yet.} So because of that I am sharing a photo shoot giveaway the a fabulous photographer there is doing. If you have me on fb you may remember 2 years ago my youngest sister-in-law got married. It was intimate and beautiful. Everglow Photography did their pictures and they turned out beautifully.

So if you are looking for a fun giveaway prize, this is it.  Visit her blog for instructions. And her fb page to qualify for winning the photo shoot of your choice {excluding weddings}

Good luck!

The Magic of Photoshop

So I recently shared some newborn photos that I took. I am loving getting into photography on another level. If you know me at all you know my camera has just become an extension of my hand. Its not a recent thing. It may annoy some, (see: my husband) But you cant ever go back. I remember telling my mom I didn’t want any pictures in High school and I was always mad whenever she had her camera out. I regret that now. And I am fully prepared to become the more annoying version of my mom when my kids are growing up.

Back to the point. I had Brandon sit with me my first night editing. He taught me the basics behind photo shop. Which helped with simpler edits like the one above. Cleaning up cuts made by little finger nails, vignettes, cream up the skin, blur backgrounds and such. I was having so much fun I couldn’t stop! And they weren’t even my pictures! I wish I had been myself after Sawyers arrival to do our own, but alas I don’t even remember those first 3 weeks!

The real fun however came when Brandon and I switched seats. He worked his magic before my eyes. I was amazed! I knew there was lots we could attempt. But he blew my mind. I literally am dying to take more newborn photo’s. Anyone want to volunteer baby’s! You know where to find me!

But this is by far my favorite edit. (forgive the photo a little the comparison shot is stretched a little on the blog. its really just to show the big edit.)I love shots like this but don’t own any backgrounds yet. So this was all done in post. I thought there was no way to make it look real but here it is and I think it turned out fantastic! Its incredible the before and after! So I just had to share. If anyone wants a complete breakdown you can email me at lissables@gmail.com. Otherwise just let it be magic!