Emma’s 'Arf' Dalmatian Costume | Tales from the Suburbs & Mom Life

How to Pull Together a DIY Dog Costume for the popular children's musical 'Arf': A Canine Musical Of Kindness, Courage, And Calamity 

Dalmatian Dog Costume

Howdy, friends! Today's blog post is a little different than the normal topics you see on the little 'ol blog. While I am a full-time portrait artist, I also dwell in the suburbs and have a mom life, too. When I'm not photographing precious cherub newborns, I am trying to balance it all from working, being a wife, mommy, and also staying on top of school-related tasks for my eldest, Emma. 

Well, it's pretty darn tough sometimes. 

I'll write something on the calendar and think, "It'll get done today." But then life happens. Groceries need to be purchased; laundry needs to be folded, there is an emergency with one of the kiddos, or a flat tire - believe me: it happens more often than you'd think.

My kiddos are 8, 3, 2, and 3 months old so as you can imagine things are a little spirited with the Tiny Tribe of Wild Women & Cheif Jack, as we like to call the kiddos, ha! Four children are an absolute blessing, but in full transparency, it's also a lot of work, though very rewarding.

Full disclosure: sometimes I look around the room and realize I'm the only adult present. I am responsible for keeping everyone alive. And at the end of the day, everyone is alive and breathing, and I admit I'm happy with this. I'm not particularly crafty. I cannot sew. I don't have any fancy t-shirt making equipment and I don't often do well on Pinterest projects.

However: I have a superpower. I'm part Mom and part Amazon Prime Goddess.  

My main rule in life: If you cannot find it on Amazon, do you even really need it? HA! 

When Emma pranced into my office, delighted to explain she's part of the school musical and needed a costume I sort of gulped out of fear, cause you know I'm not really one to sew costumes or have those talents. After all: we all have our own things we excel at and quite frankly, using Amazon Prime is my talent, HA! No shame at all. 

For Emma's school musical, her sweet teacher chose Arf! A Canine Musical of Kindness, Courage, and Calamity. The premise features several dogs of all shapes, sizes, breeds, and talents of their own. Emma chose to be a dalmatian. 

The musical, by John Jacobson and John Higgins, the premise is super cute. 

"Doggie Town is a-buzz with excitement! Judges from the famous Wurstchester Dog Show are coming to spot new talent, and everyone is busy rehearsing for the big show. General German Shepherd is drilling on proper etiquette and discipline, the singing Dalmatians are connecting the dots, the Boxers are toning and getting in shape. But why is Rover the mutt so sad? Join the huskies, poodles, pointers and more as they help Rover discover his special talent!

Young performers in the primary grades will have their night to shine in this entertaining 20-minute musical featuring five original songs in a variety of musical styles, clever rhyming dialog easily adaptable to casts of varying sizes, simple movement and production tips to help stage a successful performance, even when time is limited." 

Well, I started with Pinterest Arf Costume Inspiration to gather a few ideas. 

Everything on Pinterest, however, required a good bit of sewing and planning. I already admitted this is not my forte and I'd probably make a mess of it, dissapoint my child, and then still have to create something new.

Afterward, I used my Amazon Prime superpowers to find a dog costume and select 2-day-shipping..like a mom boss. Here's where the DIY part comes in. I paired the dog costume parts, such as the tail, bowtie, and headband with a white tutu and spotted black and white t-shirt. Grandma even found some adorable dog socks to make Emma super proud! We styled her hair with pigtails, too!

The moral? It's okay to give yourself a little bit of grace. It's okay to embrace your own talents and skills. It's okay to not be the "cookie cutter" perfect Mom. And if you *are* that Mom, it's okay to know that your skills are totally respected, too! ;-) 

Here's what we came up with! 

The hubby was kind enough to take a few photos of Emma and I before we left for the school musical, too! Thanks, Kevin! You're a gem. 

Are you Instagram? Keep in touch!

Scheduling Your Baby's In Studio Sitter Session with Sarah Borchgrevink

Everything You Need to Know about Baby Milestone Portraits for your 6-10-Month-Old Little One

6 Month Sitter Session with Baby Boy Jackson

Hi, friends! Today's blog post showcases one of the latest sitter sessions I had in the studio! His name is Jackson and he was such a dreamy baby! We're also going to chat a little bit about what is a sitter milestone session, how to book, and also use Jackson's gallery as an example of what you may expect.

Sitter session details:

A sitter session is a portraiture experience for little ones who are anywhere from 6-10 months old; each baby is different and hits their milestones at their own pace. This in mind, a sitter session is simply when the baby is sitting up unassisted but is not yet walking. These photos are ideal for parents seeking images showcasing their little one's personality in a studio atmosphere. 

My studio is an excellent option for your little one's sitter session because you have full access to all of my amazing, vintage and classic props. Moreover, the baby milestone photos are scheduled around your little cherub's naptime so we're sure to have a wonderful gallery. As a professional portrait photographer and mom to 4 little ones, I have learned a well-rested child has a great final gallery so I joyfully offer flexible scheduling.

• Sitter sessions are also a great session option because the baby is sitting up so we're able to capture many adorable aspects of their personality and you have more diversity in their final gallery.

• Baby stays in place. All children and little ones are an absolute joy to document, but as babies learn to walk and become active toddlers, particularly closer to 12 months old, it's hard to catch really great images when they're on the move. It is also harder to connect with eye contact since the little one is very curious once they're walking and often may not want to sit down and take photos. Little ones are the bosses during our sessions, ha, and the sitter stage makes for an incredibly precious gallery! It's also an amazing way to have professional, luxury portraits of your little one if you missed the newborn window (which is the first 14 days of life).

• The sessions are not as long as a typical family session, either. I capture everything needed in about 30 minutes or so. You can be in and out of the studio without stress. A newborn session is usually 2-3 hours long and a family session is over an hour, so this shorter session has great results for busy parents without huge expectations on everyone.

• Less "stranger danger". The older your little one gets, the more aware of strangers they are. For instance, my kiddos have all been scared of strangers particularly close to 18 months old. The 6-month-old sessions, however, are before the baby is tentative around those they do not know well and we are able to document their eyes full of wonder, curiosity, and also their darling milestones such as sitting up, clapping their hands, big smiles, and rolling over, too.

• Your baby is adorable at this stage! As mentioned above, I do have 4 little ones and can attest the sitter age is beyond precious! They are chubby and have filled out since their time as a newborn; they are very expressive, too, and often coo, smile, and even can say 'mama' and 'da-da' often!

Sample Images from Baby Boy Jackson's Session

See the full session here:

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Recent Sessions with Sarah + other fun topics

Introducing the Newest Maternity + Baby Plan Client | Michelle & Jeff

Located in Houston TX, Sarah Borchgrevink Photography offers a maternity + baby plan membership to her professional portrait studio. Check out the highlights from Michelle & Jeff's on location pregnancy photos!

Maternity Photography for Expecting Couples & Parents to Be

Hi, friends! Welcome to my blog! The topic you'll be seeing today is all about introducing a spectacular couple to you named Michelle and Jeff! They're my newest maternity + baby plan clients. I'm also excited to tell information about this package. It's my most popular option for couples who are expecting their own bundle of joy. 

The Maternity + Baby Plan Collection is a portraiture membership to Sarah Borchgrevink Photography. There are a $350 savings for clients who secure this membership. This collection gives you priority on the calendar and ensures you'll have the best rates available to you. This membership includes the following:

• Natural light, on location maternity session

• Custom designed in studio newborn session

• 7-month sitter session in the studio

• 12-month cake smash + bubble bath session in the studio

“Sarah was an absolute sweetheart to work with! Being 30 weeks pregnant, I was not feeling the hottest, but she made me feel beautiful and relaxed the whole time. We took our photos at one of the parks during sunset and thank goodness, she brought bug spray with her because I was getting eaten alive. The maternity shoot came out beautifully and I’m super excited for the newborn session now. Thanks, Sarah!”

— Michelle

For my time with this sweet couple, we scheduled their session around their baby shower. It's great to have your pregnancy photos taken so they may be displayed at the baby shower so your family and friends can see how magnificent and radiant your adorable baby bump is!

For clients who book a session with me, I do my best to ensure you have wardrobe advice for your session. For example, I've created a curated list of my favorite maternity photo-shoot gowns that are available on Amazon and under $40. The gown Mom is wearing is option number 2. :-) 

I also have an awesome hair and makeup artist recommendation for you, too!

You will look and feel your best, which makes for amazing photos! Part of being one of the best Houston newborn and maternity photographers is offering a fantastic experience from start to finish. 

Here are some of my favorite images from our session together! They are expecting a little girl this summer so stay tuned to see a follow up on their newborn session! They may be having their first human baby, but their fur babies named Oatmeal & Boba totally stole the show during our session, ha! The dogs were simply so sweet I could not stop gushing over them. They added such a fun dynamic to the portraits. 

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