Cassondra's the Second Winner of Pay It Forward Plus See Why She's Awesome!

Following up on the March 2018 ‘Pay It Forward’ Session Giveaway | Meet the Second Winner!

Hey, gang! Wow, I am so happy you’re visiting this blog post today! If you’re a regular follower, you may know that in March 2018 I did a session giveaway in which the premise was simple: share an act of kindness in hopes of inspiring other people to do nice things just because. In turn, when someone does something kind for you, you ‘pay it forward’ by doing something nice for other people, too. This creates a movement, even if small, of actions that better the world.

One morning, I woke up feeling very grateful, my heart wanting to give. I firmly believe each and every person has their own gifts and talents they can use to benefit others. I’m a professional newborn photographer in Houston; I am able to create lasting images that stand the test of time. These photos will be passed down from generation to generation; treasured heirlooms that are sure to preserve a precious new life. This in mind, I created a Facebook post with the following information:

acts of kindness

This morning I awoke with a happy, joyful heart feeling inspired to pay it forward. There are few feelings as awesome as doing something kind for someone without expectations in return.

This in mind, I am giving away a completely free mini session to Sarah Borchgrevink Photography, LLC. I'm based in Houston, TX and specialize in posed newborn photography, but also photograph family, maternity, and studio milestone baby sessions, too, such as 6 and 12 months. :-)

If you'd like to enter for a free mini session it's simple: comment below with one (or even more!) ways you have paid it forward. You can also share a selfless act you've done. It's a nice way to put a little bit of goodness into this world and to inspire others, too.

I'll pick my favorite comment and I will follow up with a blog post featuring your session as well as showcasing other ways to pay it forward. This post is open until 3/28 at 3:30 PM. :-)

No strings are attached, just share an experience and I will look forward to reading them.

Mini Sessions at Sarah Borchgrevink Photography include the following: (8) full resolution, retouched digital files as well as a professional grade 4x6" print of each image. This session may be applied to newborn, baby milestone, family, or maternity.

I've never done this before so hopefully, it's not a complete failure, yikes!

Wishing you all a fantastic Tuesday with your loved ones! I'm out of the office for the rest of the day so I may spend time with my little ones, but I'll be back bright and early tomorrow morning.

27 people entered the giveaway! I chose my favorites based on reactions from followers, too, but also considered the act as well. For instance, Jamie, the first winner, donated a year of breast milk! You can read more about Jamie’s Act of Kindness, too!

Meet Cassondra

Please allow me to introduce you to one of the nicest parents I’ve ever had in my studio! I am awe of her! Not only is she an amazing person, inspiration to me, and also a fantastic Mom, when she visited my studio, I felt like she was a buddy and really connected with her. She is full of joy, positive energy, and is totally awesome! Wow!

pay it forward movement

In case the photo above does not load, here is her act of kindness.

“Before becoming a mother, I was a special education teacher. I taught the most beautiful population of students, kiddos with a range of severe and profound disabilities. 
During my time at a specific middle school, my student were majority low income. It didn’t take me long to realize their needs were far and beyond academic. Luckily for me, my husband had been volunteering in special Olympics for years, one of the reasons I fell in love with him, and supported (still does) my burning desire to do good in this special community. So, I set out. 
We purchased every single student hair brush, tooth brush, deodorant, floss, etc. I began arriving at school early and opening my doors to my students so before school started, I could wash their hair, braid it, teach them to brush and be ready for their day. 
One of our sweet girls was in desperate need of a bra and age appropriate clothing that fit her; so we slowly but surely bought her a wardrobe that matched her royal personality and her age. 
Another of our strapping young men desired to be a part of sports. With the encouragement from our class, conversations with our sports coaches, and his dedication, he made not only the track team but basket ball team. 
The assistants in my classroom, who became my family, jumped right in along side me. We worked together to drive him to and from practices, purchase his shoes, pack him snacks for practice days and game days. We stepped in when his parents weren’t able. 

I wasn’t alone in this endeavor. Myself, my husband, and two of the aids in my classroom jumped in. In fact, my male assistant learned to braid in order to help. My aids, who weren’t paid enough to begin with, gave additional time they absolutely didn’t have to give. 

That group of kids will keep a special place in my heart no matter where I go or what I do. They taught me more than I can express. They deserved every single opportunity to be age appropriate and included. Throughout the year, no matter how much academic success we saw, the most joy was their social success. Learning to care for their own bodies, learning to be confident, learning to give to one another, teaching us what it means to be a good human. I keep in touch with most of these kids and their parents to this day, most of them are about to graduate high school.

This experience, giving from the deepest parts of my soul, extending my school day, attending their events and watching them bloom, has been one of the absolute highlights of my life “

Paying it forward with a wrapped newborn mini session

wrapped newborn mini session

For her session type, Cassondra chose a wrapped newborn mini session for her impossibly handsome little guy named Summit! The 'wrapped newborn mini' is a newborn session only and baby is wrapped for the entire session. There are three setups for Baby featuring (3) styles of gorgeous newborn wrapping with a different vintage-inspired floor prop for each style. See highlights of our setups, the colors she chose, and how much fun we had together!

Potato Sack Pose | Perfect Bundle of Joy

potato sack pose newborn photos

Baby in a bucket | Classic Newborn Boy Set Up

baby in a bucket posing

Sage Green Set Up with Rustic Floor Props

newborn wrapping sage green color

Macro Photography | Those Tiny Details of Your Cherub

macro photography newborn photos

Macro images are absolutely breathtaking and set your gallery apart! These images, called macros, are up close, precious details of your baby’s stunning features. This can include, but is not limited to, baby’s profile, lips, nose, hands, toes, chubby cheeks, gorgeous eyelashes, feet, etc. I adore these and spend ample time photographing these in each and every newborn session I have.

up close images of baby's hands
tiny newborn toes

See the full gallery below!

Thank you, friends, for stopping by to see why Cassondra is awesome and the winner of the giveaway! I hope this post inspires you and also puts a smile on your face! Wishing you a great Tuesday, friends!

Warmly,

Sarah

Sarah Borchgrevink Photography is a Houston Newborn Photographer specializing in gorgeous posed newborn sessions. Her studio is located in Northwest Harris County. In addition to breathtaking baby portraiture, Sarah also offers stylish natural light family photography as well as dynamic outdoor maternity sessions for expecting mothers and couples. Sarah joyfully serves the entire Harris and Montgomery county areas including Houston, Cypress, Tomball, Spring, The Woodlands, Kingwood, Memorial & West Houston, Katy, Sugar Land, Pearland, Richmond, West University and Rice Village.

I Love Your “Beary” Much | Teddy Bear Bonnet is Most Requested Prop

Sweet, vintage, and adorable teddy bear hats make for a precious newborn session! 

Hi, friends! When designing custom newborn sessions for the cutest babies in Houston, I send a curated styling questionnaire to all of my Moms and Dads who are going to be visiting! There are a set of questions that ensure we have a fantastic session together; on one portion, nevertheless, there's a spot in which you may request a prop you've seen in my portfolio.

Newborn Baby Hats | The Must Have

vintage newborn photography props

Oh, my goodness! The bear hats, by far, are the most requested prop by parents! I have several adorable colors: grey, beige, blue, purple, and white. I also have a pink one but I have not yet photographed it, ha! This is the cutest prop because what is more precious than a baby animal?! Every newborn photographer needs to have these hats on hands. Not only do they have a classic, timeless, and vintage feel to them, but they perfectly frame your baby's face and showcase all of their darling features such as a button nose, full lips, perfectly plump cheeks, lashes for days, soft tufts of hair, oh my gosh! Too adorable for words! 

Beige | For the love of neutrals

newborn photography bear bonnet

This beige bear hat bonnet is absolutely adorable on Colt William! His parents requested earth tones and neutrals; for instance, beige and tan look wonderful with khaki, grey, white, light brown, ecru, etc. If you're a fan of all  things natural and muted, this bear bonnet would be the perfect addition for your new arrival. In this particlar set up, I paired a precious vintage bed, hand made by my favorite prop vendor, with organic textiles and the rustic wood floors. All of these textures work together to create the best Houston newborn photography.

tan newborn color scheme ideas

Light Blue | Little Gentlemen's Cap

newborn boy photography animal hats

Dylan Jacob visited my Houston Newborn Portrait Studio at just 15 days old for a wrapped newborn mini session. This is an affordable newborn package featuring stunning macro images, three rustic and vintage-inspired floor props such as buckets, crates, bowls, etc., as well as three cozy styles of newborn wrapping that will forever preserve trhis incredibly special time in your life. This package is perfect because full styling is provided, such as this adorable set up seen below, in which Dylan's sweet parents requested blue hues, such as periwnkle for their little gentlemen. This bear bonnet is stunning against his skin!

IMG_4262.jpg

White | Gender Neutral for either little ladies and handsome fellas!

ideas for props baby portraits

Of all the newborn color schemes, white may be the easiest to add to a girl or a boy newborn session simply because it pairs well with any color, light or dark, vibrant or muted, girl or boy. In this case, beautiful Isabella is rocking a white teddy bear hat during her full newborn session at 7 days fresh and new. She is wrapped in the darling potato sack pose, in which baby is perfectly round and oh so adorable! 

white bonnet on grey background
potato sack pose with bear hat

Purple | Lovely for Little Girls

purple and violet bear hat newborn girl

Ella is showcasing all things all things purple such as orchid, mulberry, mauve, and plum. Purple is a great color to consider for your newborn session because it's different than pink. While pink is totally classic and darling, purple is a little more vibrant and may I say unique. Purple looks much better against newborn skin, too, and creates dewy skin tones whereas pink often washes out a newborn girl, since babies are typically very rosy. This purple bear hat is adorable with all things in the purple family and any hue from lilac to violet. 

purple bear hat newborn girl session

As always, friends, thanks for visting to see a fun topic such as what props are most requested by parents! If you are expecintg your own little bundle of joy, please contact me so we may discuss what type of props you'd like to have in your session!

warmly,

Sarah

Sarah Borchgrevink Photography is a Houston Newborn Photographer specializing in gorgeous posed newborn sessions. Her studio is located in Northwest Harris County. In addition to breathtaking baby portraiture, Sarah also offers stylish natural light family photography as well as dynamic outdoor maternity sessions for expecting mothers and couples. Sarah joyfully serves the entire Harris and Montgomery county areas including Houston, Cypress, Tomball, Spring, The Woodlands, Kingwood, Memorial & West Houston, Katy, Sugar Land, Pearland, Richmond, West University and Rice Village.

Chic, Delicate, & Classic | Inspired by Four Elegant Color Ideas

4 Gorgeous Colors to Create Girly, Chic, and Dainty Newborn Photos | Inspired by a Love of Muted Tones

Newborn Styling 101: Be Timeless

When designing a custom newborn session, there are three aspects to my brand that are essential in creating some of the Best Houston Newborn Photography: Classic, Timeless, and Vintage-Inspired. My motto has always been, "Why be trendy, when you can be timeless?" This in mind, I offer a great styling questionnaire to all of my expecting parents. This is where we talk about your nursery colors, likes, dislikes, must have poses, and even things such as sentimental items from home so you may incorporate a personal item into your session if you wish.

This in mind, when Lily's mother, Talitha, shared her color preferences with me, she mentioned she loves nude colors. I found inspiration for their girly, chic, and feminine newborn session in the most interesting of ways: through an eyeshadow palette! I headed to my master bath and studied some of my favorite groupings. 

newborn inspiration nude color scheme

Tan, Beige, Cream, and Mauve | Styling Houston Newborn Photos

These four colors, tan, beige, cream, and mauve, are absolutely breathtaking and stunning, making for an amazingly gorgeous newborn girl portrait session! 

nude newborn color ideas

These four colors, listed above, make for an elegant color scheme for the most petite of clients: a precious newborn baby girl! When it comes to setting up for a session, everything is provided by me; all the dainty tiebacks, wraps, headbands, bowls, buckets, textiles, etc., it's all available in my client closet. The cream, for instance, looks spectacular against Lily's skin tone; her parents brought a pearl bracelet to add a sweet southern touch to the session, and I cannot stop swooning over her gallery! How lucky am I to photograph the most beautiful babies in all of Houston, Texas?

cream and blush pink newborn girl photography
classic newborn photography inspiration
girly and chic baby portraits

During my time with Lily, we focused on the blush pink and rosy tones, as well as mauve and even a vanilla cream! These colors are timeless, classic, and result in a fantastic gallery. During potato sack pose, for instance, I paired the fluffy cream flokati rug with an adorable rose headband to emphasize all things feminine and chic about a brand new little girl. From the moment of being earthside, Lily is super stylish! 

cream, beige, and tan newborn colors

In my Houston Baby Portrait Studio, you'll find (3) custom wood walls that make for stunning portraits! A dark wooden wall is a great option for my sessions because the texture is lovely with the vintage-inspired floor props I keep on hand. The cream, tan, and lace are all super girly while maintaining the vintage-inspired aspect of my newborn brand. 

blush pink and mauve newborn photos

Finally, a cream distressed farmhouse bucket is a great way to encompass the nude color scheme for an elegant newborn girl photography session! This soft blush pink wrap is the perfect accent to little one's skintone; paired with a mauve pillow and rosy pink head piece accesorry, she is perfectly pink in all things nude! 

rose pink, cream, and blush baby images

Thank you for visiting to see a stylish newborn girl session! I hope you enjoyed reading how newborn sessions are designed and an interesting place to find inspiration! 

Warmly,

Sarah

Sarah Borchgrevink Photography is a Houston Newborn Photographer specializing in gorgeous posed newborn sessions. Her studio is located in Northwest Harris County. In addition to breathtaking baby portraiture, Sarah also offers stylish natural light family photography as well as dynamic outdoor maternity sessions for expecting mothers and couples. Sarah joyfully serves the entire Harris and Montgomery county areas including Houston, Cypress, Tomball, Spring, The Woodlands, Kingwood, Memorial & West Houston, Katy, Sugar Land, Pearland, Richmond, West University and Rice Village.