12 Days of Christmas – Downtown Austin Baby Shower

12.12.2014

The family that parties together stays together, right? If the Sharratt and Stephen family are any indication, those parties are both beautiful and incredibly fun too. True to family form, then, Jessica’s baby shower for baby Kennedy Rayne at the 360 Condos building in downtown Austin was a family affair to remember:

Ziem has been honored to shoot a number of events for the family, from the maternity, shower & newborn shoots of Olivia, sister to Jessica, and Olivia’s event design company Liv By Design Events:

The rainy weather didn’t put a damper on the perfect party details – in fact, it perfectly suited the mother & father-to-be, since it rained on their wedding day, as well as baby on board Kennedy Rayne (get it?):

The beautiful florals were provided by STEMS, delicious food – as always! – by Word of Mouth, and yummy desserts by Simon Lee.

Kennedy Rayne couldn’t have had a better or more enthusiastic sendoff. As the first grandchild for her paternal grandmother – one of Ziem’s favorites, incidentally – baby girl on board was truly showered with love. She’s soon to be in good company, too, with two girls and another due soon to family & close friends. What luck & good timing!

Ziem can’t wait to do Kennedy Rayne’s newborn photos and is just anxiously awaiting her arrival along with the Stephen-Sharratt clan. As we all know, the ~~sleeplessness~~ party *truly* begins when the newborn arrives! At least, given the family involved, this particular newborn party is bound to be a pretty & pretty fun one too.

Austin Anniversary Party : The Perfect 10

12.04.2014

Picture it – a wedding so fabulous, so perfectly *you* and your Very Important Other that you decide to re-create the magic 10 years later, bringing back every last detail down to the same vendors. That’s exactly what Cindy Lo and Scott Francis did last Saturday, revisiting perfection at the historic Driskill hotel:

Lucky Ziem got to sub in for Cindy & Scott’s original photographer, who had since gone out of business. Not only did Ziem appreciate working with Cindy, the kindest, hardest working woman she’s had the pleasure of working with for almost half a decade, but she also loved seeing the incredibly creative, luxurious little details Cindy dreamed up – and it’s all about the details, isn’t it? Take the guest entertainment at the reception, for example, which included a stunning ice sculpture, casino tables, flash tattoos, an interactive photo/video booth with festive props, and – Ziem’s personal favorite – a “typewriter rodeo“, complete with poets who churned out personalized poems on the spot using oh-so-Austin vintage typewriters:

austin photographers | events | Cindy Lo Scott Francis

Cindy & Scott put the same attention to detail into the food, and the results were equally spectacular – again! Guests enjoyed food stations featuring Peking duck bun, fancy mac & cheese, Texas-inspired soba noodles & a taco bar. It all culminated in a cupcake bar, much like I imagine Heaven does:

Dysfunksun Junkshun kept guests shake shake shaking off all that cupcake bar goodness.

Notable guests for the night were the bridal party and Ziem’s past client and friend, the de Waals, who made a quick appearance to congratulate the amazing couple after her husband pulled a 24-hr ER shift. Obviously, it was a party no one wanted to miss!

Just to put the icing on the (cup-)cake, guests encountered a delicious surprise when the valets returned their respective cars – two macarons in a darling gift box.

Congratulations to Cindy & Scott on scoring a perfect 10 anniversary party – here’s to many more happy years *and* another killer party in 10!

** Special promotion to new and old clients, mention #EatDrinkStillMarried when booking and receive 10% off. Sessions must happen before June 1, 2015 **

Happy Thanksgiving!

11.28.2014

Feeling so much love and gratitude today.

Thanks to all the wonderful families, couples, and clients who allow me to continue doing what I love.

I hope your tummies and hearts are full.

austin photographers | thanksgiving |thankful

It’s So Pinteresting: Thanksgiving Tree Craft & FREE Templates

11.24.2014

Thanksgiving DIY for kids | Austin photographers | ziem photography

Between the meal prep and the in-coming in-laws and the school breaks, it’s easy to feel the true meaning of Thanksgiving is getting lost somewhere, maybe wherever the top-secret family stuffing recipe is hiding (WHERE did I leave that???). Those of us with kids may – ok, do – struggle with how to teach our children the true reason for the Thanksgiving season #heyitrhymes.

Thankfully our trusty photographer-in-chief Ziem is coming to our Thanksgiving rescue this year with a craft trifecta. It’s easy, it’s FREE, and it will keep your littles entertained creating a family heirloom while you’re arguing with Aunt Myrtle over who correctly remembers the stuffing recipe. Again.

Thanksgiving DIY for kids | Austin photographers | ziem photography

click here for download

How beautiful and beautifully simple is that?

Ziem, being the overachiever she is – and a mom who knows that little attention spans may need more than one craft to last ’til turkey time – also whipped up these gorgeous Thanksgiving cards, where each family member can note their gratitude (particularly if said family member can remember where the stuffing recipe is, ahem.) These have so many fun possibilities – set them out in lieu of placecards at your Thanksgiving table & go around the table sharing what you’ve written, or simply steal a quiet moment amidst the chaos to individually record your memories. Either way it’s such a simple way to create a keepsake:

Thanksgiving DIY for kids | Austin photographers | ziem photography

click here for download

With not one but two free craft templates – again, you can download them here and here – you’ll have plenty of turkey time. OK, “plenty of time” is a foreign concept to most of us with families – how about a distraction long enough to start the stuffing search party?

Fall in the Fields – Austin Family Photography

11.22.2014

When life hands you a family session with a middle school cheerleader, you’re sure to end up with a batch of images chock full of smiles and silliness. Our spirit girl abandoned all restraint (both on and off cameras) which was infectious to a very charming and suave little brother. I love it when parents leave kids to be themselves! Their personalities truly shine here and I’m totally bookmarking the individual shot of Isa for recreation in 10 years.

Photo sessions without a child under the age of five are few and far in between so it was a welcome break from shooting while getting a full on cardio workout 🙂 Together these two were so much fun and their energy matched my experience as a mom of two.

Loved meeting this great looking family (dog included) and I can’t wait to work with them again in the future!

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