With Christmas just days away, I though it might be fun to end the year with a list of my favorite things!

My personal wish list:

Anyone that knows me well, knows that above all things, I love to be comfy, cozy and warm. These boots are perfect for trudging around outside and in the field for sessions. Aerie’s sweatshirts are my absolute favorite – oversized and comfy, and this color is definitely on my wishlist for Christmas! Beyond Yoga leggings are my favorite for ALL. OF. THE. THINGS. They are like a second skin and butter soft, I wear them to hot yoga, HIIT classes, photoshoots, shopping, traveling, hanging out at home… They are hands down the best! We are lucky to have pretty mild winters here in Texas and this soft fluffy sherpa from JCrew has a yummy wide neck and is the perfect weight to keep warm all winter and can be topped off with this fur pom hat! This Free People top comes in lots of fun colors and can be worn so many ways – dressed up, dressed down, on the shoulder, off the shoulder… it’s just so versatile!

My Favorite Things for Littles:

I’m a huge fan of toys that will stand the test of time and that my kiddos can pass down to their kiddos some day. Some of our favorites over the years have been any of the Janod Story sets, especially this Circus set. We also own the fire department, and wild west sets. We’ve gifted my kiddos different variations of these sweet little Maileg mice and they are the perfect size for little pockets or a doll house! A current hit in our househould are Kapla blocks. They are simple small planks of wood that allow little imaginations to run wild and create anything that they can dream up! We discovered them on a trip to Charleston last year and couldn’t believe the incredible things that could be built with them! I also love to read to my kids and some favorites that tend to get pulled from the shelf time and time again are This Moose Belongs to Me, Lola Dutch (is a little bit much… that doesn’ sound like ANY little girl that I know, HA!), Charlotte’s Web (my 8 year old and I have been working our way through this one at bedtime, he loves all of the different voices!), and my personal favorite… Five Minutes Peace – this was MY MOM’s favorite to read when I was little and for good reason, LOL! If you haven’t read this one yet, mama’s ORDER. IT. NOW.

My Favorite Things for Dads:

I tapped into my husband’s wishlist for this one and none of these came as a surprise to me! He is a coffee loving, vinyl hoarding, sneaker snob. I’ve gotten craft coffee boxes for him in the past and this one by Onyx Coffee Lab is on this year’s wish list and he can sip on it from this sleek minimalist mug – I think he will especially like that it is created using 400 year old methods! This set of John Coltrane’s vinyl records will make for the perfect addition to his ever growing vinyl collection. He is fortunate to have a very laid back work environment, but he still likes to look put together and these cognac sneakers not only look nice but still have a laid back vibe that will keep his feet comfy all day! He MAY have already self gifted himself the Self Planner, but it has space to set goals for the week as well as daily priorities and tasks allowing him to grow professionally and stay on top of everything while staying organized!

My Favorite Things for Photographers:

This was a tough wish list to narrow down! I started with my favorite lenses… the Canon 50 1.2 is my favorite to use in studio – the aperture opens up really wide making it the perfect lens to use in studio as it can withstand lower light conditions when needed, and the bokeh is JUST. SO. YUMMY. For my outdoor work you will almost always find me shooting with the Canon 135mm lens – it is always tack sharp and it compresses the background so well. One thing that has brought me so much inspiration and support over the last year has been my subscription to The Motherhood Anthology. It provides ongoing education and resources every single month and the group of women in the facebook group are always helpful, encouraging, and supportive, I have been blessed to be a part of this amazing membership! As far as things I want… Sandra Coan’s Missing Link course as I really want to start incorporating artifical light into my work so that I am able to achieve a consistent, natural light look all of the time despite the lighting conditions, as well as a workshop with Elizabeth Messina – her work is gorgeous and her posing always looks so natural and organic.

Despite all of these material things, what I REALLY want is to be better at balancing work and life. I often let work take over and major mom guilt sets in. I’ve been working really hard so that I can take a full two weeks off at Christmas to spend with my kiddos. I’m sure I’ll do some planning for 2020 and try and catch up a bit on blogging, but for the most part, I want to be PRESENT… and to spend a couple of days watching Christmas movies and never bothering to change out of our pajamas 🙂

Kate Marie Portraiture specializes in portraits and family photography in the Dallas and Forth Worth area, including Flower Mound, Grapevine, Southlake, Plano, Frisco, McKinney, Grapevine, Northlake, Westlake, Colleyville, Coppell and Argyle.

I would love to begin planning your luxury portrait session with you.  To see more of my portfolio please click over HERE and get in touch if this is something you would love for your family! If you are you interested in a custom portrait session with Kate Marie Portraiture and would like more information, please click HERE to learn more about me and this experience.

If you would like to reserve a date on my calendar, please click on the contact page in the menu or email me directly at hello@katemarieportraiture.com. Sessions are currently booking for fall 2019, so please inquire when you know you’d like a session. I suggest scheduling at least one month in advance to allow for thorough wardrobe and detail planning!