Clara’s first birthday last Saturday made for a natural conclusion to 52 weeks of fabric-filled photo-y goodness (click here to see ’em larger).
But we’re going to keep going. Kind of. Before we move on to that though, let’s talk about the last photo-filled year.
We’re just as surprised as anyone that we managed to maintain our weekly ritual fifty-two times in a row. In fact, today is the first Friday in 12 months that we haven’t busted out the camera, a yard of discount fabric, and a white-onesied Clara, and then used Photoshop to add the week number to her onesie after the fact. It’s kinda sad in a way. But just looking at all of the photos that we captured of our growing bean cheers us up pretty quickly. And it really surprised and flattered us to hear from many of you who were doing your own version of the project with fabric and photoshop too. The craziest thing about our weekly photo session is that our project actually got featured in a book about photographing kids: Mamarazzi, by Stacy Wasmuth. Yeah, we’re kind of in shock. And the grandparents went freaking crazy (“our grandbaby is famous!”).
And of course there were all of the sentimental items that the project spawned around here – like the bound photos books that we’ve ordered for ourselves and the grandparents (more on those when they arrive), the photo display that we created at Clara’s party…
… and the items that Sherry sewed out of the leftover fabric – like her birthday banner and quilt:
For any of you who have considering starting (or are in the midst of) a similar project of your own, we thought it might be helpful to toss up this link back to the original “making of” post for a look at how we took and edited the pictures. Though we should add one piece of advice that didn’t become clear to us until recently: your baby won’t be a motionless blob forever!
In the early weeks many of you said “I can’t wait to see what you do once she starts moving around!” At the time we wondered how hard it could be to keep the bean on her back. Heck our biggest challenge was getting her to move enough to make the picture somewhat interesting in the early days (“oooh, that burp looked like a smile!”). But as you can see from many of our recent pictures, of course it was harder than we originally thought. Once those rolling / crawling / pulling up skills kicked in, let’s just say that Clara had little interest in waiting patiently for me to white balance. These last few photo sessions could be subtitled as “how many parents and objects are needed to block a baby from crawling off a daybed while singing and waving your arms around frantically?” The answer: a lot.
We did find that giving her an object to hold (aka: to distract her) helped make her less wiggly – like the carrot in her Easter photo (week #49). So part of us wished we had included an object from the beginning – even if for the first few weeks it just laid by her side. Plus, if we had used the same object throughout there would be a clearer reference for scale.
The only object that was consistent in our pics was her onesie, but that wasn’t the clearest way to show off her growth. In fact, it almost looked like she got smaller when we switched from a (tight at the time) 0-3 month size to a (loose at the time) 6 month one for her 14 week picture.
Because of that hiccup we actually squeezed her into that some 6 month onesie for the rest of the project (don’t worry, it stretched enough that she was plenty comfortable). The irony is that she’s such a tall glass of water that some 18-24 month pants are too short for her, but miraculously the onesie just stretched to fit her the whole time.
So even though there are a few things we might’ve done differently (someone suggested starting her in a 12 month onesie from the beginning so we could watch her gradually fill it out), we’ve got no regrets. We’re just turning those lessons learned into “adjustments” for the next year. So without further ado, here’s the beginning of year #2.
We were really excited to use the fabric that we designed on Spoonflower for this shot. As for what’s different, allow me to point out the obvious (or maybe not-so-obvious):
- Her onesie says “months.” Since her week-to-week changes became more subtle as she grew, we figured this would still do justice to her developments over year two (while also making it a more manageable project for mom and dad).
- She’s sitting. Rather than fighting her to stay on her back, we’re embracing her desire to move and be upright. We figure this also gives us the flexibility to capture a crawling, standing, or even walking picture down the road.
- She’s wearing a skirt. In addition to her pose, we’re gonna be less strict about her wardrobe this year too. As long as there’s something white on top to photoshop the
weekmonth onto – it flies. Since we had fun doing special things like a Halloween costume (week #24) and a Santa hat (week #32) we thought it might be fun to mix things up. - She’s on 2 yards of fabric. One yard of fabric wouldn’t cut it for this new sitting set-up. But since we’re only taking 12 pictures (times 2 yards = approx 24 yards of fabric), we’re still buying half as much as we did for the last 52 weeks this year. Happily we snag almost all of our fabric on clearance or with 50% off coupons from places like Hancock or JoAnn. And sometimes we use other backdrops that we already have on hand (we like to work in random duvets and towels and shower curtains that we have too since it keeps the budget down when we don’t feel like springing for new fabric).
So that’s the new plan. We’re excited to continue the project in some form, while letting the first year stand alone as a complete and finished set of pictures. We’d hate to “ruin” what we started by trying to keep weeklies going and then abruptly fall of the wagon somewhere randomly around week 71 or something. Plus, if taking these sitting pictures turns out to be easier, maybe baby #2 will get this treatment from the start (or an entirely new photo project concept – who knows).
And yes that’s green painter’s tape holding the fabric in place. Would you expect anything less from us?
Psst- We announced this week’s giveaway winner. Click here to see if it’s you.
Meredith says
So I know this is unrelated to Clara (even though I must add how adorable she is at every angle and every week,) I found something for you to put in your ceramic animal obsession group(though I’m not sure it’s ceramic, it def matches)
It’s at Urban Outfitters:
http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/urban/catalog/productdetail.jsp?id=20141958&bnec=RatingsReviews&cm_mmc=broadcast-_-Operational-_-RatingsReviews-_-bnprod2&[email protected]
YoungHouseLove says
Very cute indeed!
xo,
s
Nicole says
Asbsolutely beautiful!! I wish I thought of that when my kids were little. They are now 28,26 and 13. I know my daughter reads your blog so hopefully she will do a project like this one when her little one arrives in October!! Thank you for sharing your ideas with us, and as always Clara is one amazing little girl. Love her!! :)
Skye says
Using the same fabric would be super simple and allow for some scale. When we need fabric we often buy sheets at discount or thrift stores. Some places we have picked up flat twin sheets for $1. Would definitely help with the cost of a different fabric every month.
Wish I had done this with my two littles. So awesome. :)
Designology Interiors says
I’m pretty crafty but your 52 baby photos blew me away! I looove the happy baby photos with all the different fabrics. So inspiring.
Nancy says
Be sure to take family photos along the way for Clara will want to look at those through the years and will be surprised by how young and cute you were (are).
Clare says
Have you thought of taking a picture of her every year on her birthday with the Clara fabric?
YoungHouseLove says
I actually mentioned that to John a while back. Could be really cute!
xo,
s
Kristin H. says
Is it weird that I want a baby just so I can do this every week.
YoungHouseLove says
Not at all. Ok, maybe a little. Haha.
xo,
s
Amber says
I was inspired to do weekly pictures by you guys. Reid is 47 weeks old now. :) All along I have been doing monthly pictures in a chair to show his growth. It’s fun to see how much taller or fatter he has gotten from month to month and have a point of reference in the chair size. I’m continuing the monthly pictures until he is 2…I think. Baby #2 is due 1 month after Reid turns 1. So we’ll start the weekly pics again. :) Thankfully #2 is a boy so we can reuse fabrics that we haven’t made into other things.
Kim@superchyc says
It’s the Clar’ Pitch Project…like the Blair witch project except she’s adorable, the photography is great and everyone enjoys the outcome! I wish I had been in the mindset to do something like this when my Peanut was a baby but I was in a different place then. Little Clara is a dollbaby and I’ve really enjoyed these posts.
Heather says
I saw this on Pinterest (just got my membership and I’m completely addicted!!) It really gives a good perspective on how much the baby grows!
http://pinterest.com/pin/25683546/
YoungHouseLove says
Cute!!!
xo,
s
Lisa G. says
I am a photographer – well, more like I pretend to be a photographer, but always find myself wanting to be as good as so-and-so…… anyways – I’m always on the lookout for some photo gear, especially anything that will be useful to me and is super cheap at the same time. When shooting children [um, yes of course with my camera), I’m squeaking toys and waving my hands in the air – something must be made for this! …. and there is!
http://www.etsy.com/listing/68215798/custom-large-owl-lens-pet-for-your?ref=sr_gallery_14&ga_search_submit=&ga_search_query=camera+kids&ga_page=2&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade
Well, really I still squeak the toys because I have grand plans to make one of my own from an old scruntchie – I don’t have one (can you believe that I don’t normally keep 90’s hair accessories on hand?) but I’m sure that I can find one at a thrift store.
Well, I would feel like a total knob if someone’s already suggested this….
In case you’re interested, my website is http://www.lisagriffinphoto.com
Congrats on getting your photos published!
YoungHouseLove says
Amazing! Both the owl and your photography. So smart.
xo,
s
Leah says
I’m am inspired and I’m not even sure what I’m inspired to do. I adore this project.
ashlee says
you have the best back drops for clara photos! i wish i had done this with my girls :( they are currently 5 and 7 years old. it’s so hard to believe. don’t blink – before you know it, little clara will be off to school :(
she’s going to be SO STOKED to have these pictures when she is older. what a special gift you are giving her.
i have a landscaping question for you guys. considering that you just laid a gorgeous new stone patio and all. we have a rock walkway leading around the perimeter of our house. the previous owner laid it. it consists of big rocks, in various sizes, laid in a stepping stone fashion.
well. i got it in my head to weed flower beds…and i got mud ALLLL over some of the stones and also all over the brick edging that lines the flower beds. how on earth (no pun intended) do you get serious mud off stepping stone rocks and bricks? does it eventually just wear off in the rain? it looks HORRIBLE right now!
YoungHouseLove says
I would break out the hose and add one of those sprayer attachments that can be put on high (you know the ones that sprinkle or shoot really hard like a jacuzzi jet) and just blast the dirt off. You could also probably dump water on them from a bucket or watering can and scrub the dirt off with a small hand broom. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
ashlee says
i love that i’m living and learning through this home owning process :) it is teaching me a lot, and your blog is SO helpful.
i’m so sore today from my hardcore weeding efforts! lol.
April says
I used to work as a photographer in a children’s studio, and let me tell you, this set up will be just fine until they learn to move. Crawling can be tough, but walkers (or runners) are even harder! Giving them objects to play with (blocks, a doll, a footstool to pull up on, etc.) helps keep them in place, but you may have to give up and try another day sometimes if they simply refuse to stay put. Don’t let it get you too stressed out. :)
PS: I generally recommend avoiding snacks as bribes during the photo shoot. Kids chew with their mouths open a lot, and you don’t want to see ABC food in the photo.
Ami says
Happy bday Clara baby!!! You guys have been a great inspiration. My little one is 8 mths and we have been taking her pics each month. It is wonderful collection. I have one question for you. How do you maintain the physical distance between the subject(Clara) and the camera. I have had one month where I guess we zoomed in too much or leaned in too much an she looks way too big than the previous or next month. Hope what o wrote makes sense. Cant wait to hear your advise.
YoungHouseLove says
John always takes the photos so since he’s the same height (and she was always posed on the daybed for the entire 1-year span) he was roughly the same distance away from her for each photo. Maybe try taking all of your pics extra wide and then you can always crop in on them each week to keep them consistent? Or try to remember approximately how much space was in the picture from the month before and glance at it while you do your next photo to make sure it’s consistent? Good luck!
xo,
s
Brenda says
This is one of my favorite baby projects! I share it with everyone I know who’s pregnant, and I plan on doing this with my babe when he (or she) arrives in the fall! The quilt you made out of the fabric was so creative and will be an amazing memory blanket for her as she grows up!
Mirnada Williams says
You’ve inspired me to do this with our little one! I’m pregnant with our first and love the idea of doing the weekly photos and then monthly. We just got a new cannon rebel SLR too, so I’m excited to learn how to use it and be able to take some amazing pictures of our baby. Thanks so much for the inspiration!
Emma says
Myself and my 9 year old looked at these – loved the tutu one most – what a very gorgeous idea – love them – like a quilt :)
Erin @ Out on a Limb... says
I’m still in awe of this project. So heartfelt, thoughtful and beautiful in so many ways. Congrats on the inclusion in the book. I look forward to seeing year 2 pics!
Christine says
I love the weekly pictures you have taken of Clara. We are expecting our first baby, a boy, this September and I would love to borrow your weekly photo idea. I have searched and searched and can only find monthly stickers, not the weekly ones. Would you mind sharing where you got the stickers?
Thanks:)
Love your blog! You inspired us purchasing a 1960s home and having an outdoor, small, intimate wedding!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Christine,
We actually make the numbers on the onesie in Photoshop (she just wears a plain onesie for the pics and we add them in later). Here’s a post about it for ya: https://www.younghouselove.com/2010/08/where-do-baby-photos-come-from/
xo,
s
Cara says
I am totally stealing your weekly photo idea and putting that photo book on my registry. Such a great idea!
Karina says
This was the cutest thing ever!! It is so amazing that you did this every week for 52 weeks!! I’m a new follower and you delightful and inspiring!! I wish I can be as creative as you!! Thank you! BTW, your daughter is lovely!
thecounselor mom says
I love it!! the book looks amazing. I did a similar thing with our daughter but once a month, and we put her in my old wicker high chair each month the first year and we plan on doing it each month her second year too.
Bee says
This project has really inspired me to track the growth of my own little bean someday. :)
Mujgan says
I’m happy to hear the good news because I discovered your blog two days ago and Clara’s pictures were what I spent most of my time on. Love the project! :)
May you have a long peaceful and happy life with your family Clara… :)
Lisa says
Very cute photos and wonderful ideas. I do enjoy reading about other people’s ideas and get inspired and motivated. currently working on kids room and researching sites.
Lisa
Tauja @ Simply Mod Mom says
Wow-what an amazing idea! I’ve been following your blog for a while now…you’ve inspired me to start one of my own! Thanks for such incredible ideas! Happy belated birthday Clara!!
Arnice says
I can totally see these printed, in a mosaic type of way, onto fabric to make a cute tote or pillow for a grandparent. The 52 weeks of photos was such an awesome idea.
Libby says
Another idea from pinterest on what to do with leftover fabric…
http://pinterest.com/pin/26195886/
YoungHouseLove says
Cute!
xo
s
Cathy says
This is one of the cutest things I have ever seen!! Clara is absolutely adorable, and this is such a fun, sweet idea. What a great keepsake — wish I had thought of it when my kids were babies!
Liz says
We are doing a simplified version of this with our daughter (now 6 months old). We have put her in a white onesie, propped up in the rocker in her room with the same stuffed lamb every month for scale. We pretty much just plop her down and let her do her thing. It takes two of us- one to take the pictures and the other to keep her from making any dangerous moves. It’s fun already looking back on the photos and seeing how she’s changed. We haven’t always done it on the right day, sometimes as much as a week late, but it’s still just great to chronicle how she’s changing. I can’t believe how fast she’s grown already!
Anne says
I’ve been following Clara’s weekly photo shoot since I saw the post about it on BabyCenter. I love the photos and I will admit all the while I’ve been thinking that Clara was one calm baby. Since he stopped staying where I put him at 6-months-old, I’ve had a hard time keeping my now 17-month-old on a very large chair for his monthly photo shoot. Up down or on the back, I think baby number 2 will require just as much entertainig to stay put.
Besides the beautiful Clara, I love the numbers on her onesie. I tried to follow your written instructions and photoshop numbers onto our pictures. Unfortunately they do not come out looking right. I decided it takes more skill or patience than I have.
If you ever run out of hand me downs, 1 yard of fabric is more than enough to make a little sun dress, skirt, shorts or bloomers. Two yards and the possiblities will be endless until Clara is 5 or 6. Sewing I can do.
After seeing the banner making photos I’ll pass on a bit of advice I’m happy I bit the bullet and followed, resist the temptation to buy a sewing machine online or from a big box discount store. Sewing machines and sergers can be quirky. It may cost a bit more up front but in the end the free lessons, trouble shooting, guidance, not to mention a shoulder to cry on– buying a sewing machine locally, preferably from a dealer pays off in time, money, effort and much less frustration.
MeliseH says
This is by far one of the coolest and creative projects I’ve ever seen. My daughter was born about 7 weeks ago and I tried my hardest to do it but we always seem to miss the day and then after a while just dropped it. But I am so inspired and I can’t wait to see the month ones! So glad you’re keeping it going!
Tarnya Cook says
Hey Sherry
Completely unrelated to this post and you may have seen this before but I know you love a good map…
http://www.houzz.com/photos/69427/jvw-home-modern-bedroom-austin
Tarnya x
YoungHouseLove says
So pretty!
xo,
s
Arrica Lee says
My! What a cute baby! And the fabrics look awesome!
liz @ bon temps beignet says
Sherry, I was at Target yesterday and noticed they had short rolls of patterned gift wrapping paper in the dollar bin section. I immediately thought it would be perfect for your monthly picture backdrop. Just an idea:)
YoungHouseLove says
Ooh thanks- sounds like a fun twist!
xo,
s
Michelle L says
I did this monthly with my daughter and had to stop around 18 months… it gets much harder!
For taking sitting pics, try to get her feet angled at 40 degrees. Also, make sure her face is closer to the camera instead of other body parts. If a foot or arm is closer, it will look larger.
Good luck! I love all of the weekly pics. She is one lucky little girl :)
Skint in the City says
Love it! The pics brought a huge smile to my face! I thought it would be expensive though – what with fabric costs – so thanks for sharing how you used stuff you had lying around at home. Makes it feel (almost!) do-able!
Stacy says
This is kind of random but I was wondering if you remember where you got the fabric from Clara’s 10 week photo? I have the exact same fabric on my lamps & I wanted to recover some ottomans in the same fabric. Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
I think that’s from JoAnn. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Suzanne Supplee says
I LOVE your website. I’m a young adult author, but my other passion in life is decorating. My editor always compliments the way I write interiors, which makes me laugh b/c I’m OBSESSED. Because magazines and realtor.com don’t feed my addiction quite enough, I googled something or other, and there y’all were! I was so excited and now visit your site daily. Okay, so sometimes more than once per day, but I’m at my desk for hours. You can relate, right? I adore the photos you took of Clara (cutie pie), but I’m really writing for another reason. I spend oodles of hours in my basement home office, and while I love being a writer, I hate my work space. Not the rest of my house, actually, just the room where I spend the most time. So, I am long-windedly asking if you’ve ever done an exclusive post on home offices and how important they are to those of us who are stuck in them? Am I missing it? If you haven’t covered this, will you please, please, please do so? Thanks for the wonderful posts! They brighten up my day, truly. Best, Suzanne
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much for the kind words. So glad you found us! Here’s a post about the home office that we lovingly created in our first house (we still have to tackle our new one). Here’s hoping there are some ideas for you in there! Happy writing.
xoxo,
s
Tivisiana says
Curious how you did the photoshop words on weeks 40 and (I think) 35 (orange paisley). I have read your “how to” post but am still not completely sure how you make the image appear to be on the onesie when Clara isn’t laying or sitting straight and only part of the image appears. Looks like you have some mad photoshop skills….please share!
YoungHouseLove says
We “rasterize” that type layer (go up to the “Layer” drop down menu and click “rasterize type”) which then makes it uneditable but it’s erasable (so you can shave off bits with the eraser or select the part you want to keep and delete the inverse). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Handy Man, Crafty Woman says
She is just too darn cute!!
andrea p says
Taking her monthly photo in front of the Clara Spoonflower fabric each month would be cool….but I know you guys cant resist more fun fabrics!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, it’s true! I already told John that I have a “craving” for fabric shopping. Hah.
xo,
s
Julia says
have you considered photoshopping in the background too? then you don’t even have to buy the fabric!
YoungHouseLove says
Buying the fabric is one of my favorite parts (since we use a 50% off coupon or get it on clearance and it’s really fun to pick out). Then I get to reuse it to make things like banners and quilts and a ton of other stuff that I have pinned on Pinterest so buying it isn’t so bad. Haha. But if times got tough it’s nice to know that we could probably cheat it in Photoshop (but it might not look as convincing as the real deal).
xo,
s
Bethany Annechino says
The kid is just too cute. There is nothing more to say about it. :P
OH! BUT! I wanted to show you something. :)
http://gallery.apartmenttherapy.com/photo/amy-butler-house-tour/item/244793
The best painted version I’ve seen so far. And there is some eye candy in the house tour if you scroll through it. <3
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes I love that tour and that painted chandelier. So blingy.
xo,
s
Blair says
I absolutely love this project! What a great idea!
~Blair
Molly P-H says
HONESTLY, y’all, could this child get any cuter??? Now I look for shots of Clara as often as shots of The B. Oh, you mean this is a DIY blog?! ;)
Joanna says
I saw this time-lapse video of a growing puppy, and thought you all could do this with Clara’s photos, too!
YoungHouseLove says
Sooo cute!
xo,
s
Mila @ loftyappetite says
Such a wonderful idea! Growing up we had birthday photos. This just takes it to a whole new level, I’m inspired for when i have kids. The numbers look so real like they’re on the onsie. I need to work on my photoshop skills!
Erin says
Today marks 50 weeks for us, so I only have a few more to go! I’ve been anxiously awaiting this post to find out how my project was going to continue :)