Lauren+Jacob+Jane+Oscar // Raleigh Family Photographer

Lauren and Jacob live in a really rad house with a 2 month-ish baby named Oscar and a vivacious 2 year-oldish toddler named Jane. They all share, together, a really great blue fireplace and and several awesome vintage chairs. But most importantly (to me, anyway), they share all of Lauren and Jacob’s meticulously cared for childhood toys. We’re talking everything I loved and used to have as a child, and then some. It was awesome! Plus, they didn’t seem weirded out when I got out my phone and started sending pictures of the toys to family. My old Care Bear purse was there, in ridiculously pristine condition and complete with original tiny change purse that I’m sure I lost about 2 days after receiving it! My old My Pet Monster was there (technically my sister’s BUT MINE IN MY HEART), in almost brand-new like condition, complete with original plastic handcuffs (!!)! And my old, purple Popple was there! It was my dearest childhood toy that I really couldn’t be parted with… but that I also threw in the local lake (then burst into tears and made my dad swim in and retrieve it). Lauren and Jacob also have a lot of Cabbage Patch Kids, which were also, obviously, an 80s-kid favorite.

It made my day to see all this stuff again, and in such great condition! Quite impressive. But even more impressive is that they also have in their possession a vintage Michael Jackson doll that kinda looks like a Ken Doll except it’s Michael Jackson in his American Music Awards circa 1984 outfit, complete with visible white socks. The 100% best thing about this is that Lauren holds up this doll and goes “hee-hee!” and thus has taught Jane to also say, “hee-hee!” when she picks up the doll (definitely click on that link). I don’t think I’ve ever been more impressed and delighted in all my years of photography. Hee-hee!

Anyway – besides their vintage toys, they are also pretty great all on their own. Oscar sleeps a lot because he is a baby, but he does smile charmingly and is quite adorable. Jane took a strong liking to Geoff and wouldn’t go anywhere in the house or outside without him. “Geoff!” she’d say, and then point upstairs. “Geoff!” she’d say, and then point downstairs. There was a lot of ordering him around, but also handing him babydolls. She took a lot of delight into forcing him inside her playhouse and then repeatedly ringing the doorbell like a bad prank situation (Jane is really great). She also likes eating lunch (me too!) and cats (YES!) and when she sees a cat outside makes an immediate beeline for it with squealing delight (THIS IS ALSO ME!). They are a cute-as-a-button-on-a-vintage-Michael-Jackson-American-Music-Awards-jacket family and we’re happy to have photographed them.

At Home with John+Anna.

We have been so lucky over the past few years to gain some family portrait clients who make us feel like we’re part of their own family and we just love them so so much that we could squeeze them all to pieces. This is one of those families. Last year we met Anna, John, their daughter Lou, and their pup Keva, and they ran around and we photographed them being adorable. Lou was talkative to her parents, but was semi skeptical of us as most two year olds are (why are these people in my house?).

Fast forward a year and a half, and we suddenly and inexplicably gained all of Lou’s trust, and she immediately launched into a detailed speech regarding tigers, dinosaurs, and pajamas with feet upon our arrival. She sometimes prefers to eat breakfast while wearing a helmet, and insisted on having a temporary tattoo to match Mr. Geoff’s real tattoo. She also has a new little brother, Gus, who is just as friendly, only without words. He prefers spending his time chewing on giraffes and smiling happily at everyone.

We crashed Matchbox cars! We made pretend nighttime with a tent! We gave a full sleeve of temporary tattoos to a 3 year old! At some point a very scary monkey also made an appearance, and we might’ve asked if John and Anna would give us ice cream (they did). It was the best day.

Also, if you’re curious, Anna is a professional illustrator and does some pretty rad artwork of adorable kids and pigs and once drew a picture of myself, Geoff, and our two cats riding in a Viking ship.