Vintage Train Birthday Party

hip hooray for train birthdays!

     The party was a huge success, and the guests all had such a great time.
here are my favorite pics from the day.

Many thanks to the fantastic team at Hostess With the Mostess for the grand feature!

party details are below.

party inspiration:

• invitations were punched to look like real train tickets
• table backdrop is a simple duck cloth hung from a portable backdrop kit
• juice boxes were served in little muslin sacks, and customized using inkjet iron on transfers
   and did you know the standard juice box hole is the perfect size to fit a retro paper straw!!?!
• cupcakes were baked into candy cups
• wooden utensils were gussied up using a strip of washi tape on their handles
• yogurt parfaits are served in mason jars with burlap squares and bakers twine holding it all together
• loot bags were customized using the same design from the juice box, but printed on ink jet labels
• mini hot dogs were just standard franks cut in half. here's how we got the look:
      thaw frozen dinner roll dough and let rise per package instructions
      reshape dough to hot dog shape & rise again
      brush with a thin egg wash and sprinkle with poppy seeds, then bake per package instructions
      cut mini dill pickles into spears and serve with desired condiments
      nestle each mini dog into a standard-sized cupcake liner
• we have loads of cardboard at our house, so we upcycled all our boxes to create a station master's
    office for the guests to decorate. what fun!!!


vendor credits:

invitation suite by kellyallison photography
table design by may boury styling
sweet treats by frost cake & cupcake design
paper goods & party sundry from fort & field and paper source


enjoy!

winter beauty

enjoy!

kellyallison photography is a chicago area photo studio passionate about the visual documentation of love, life and all things beautiful. 

chicago area family photography: the missing months of 2011

it literally has been forever since I've spent time sharing images from recent sessions.

     it's not because I've forgotten, but because I've been busy. really busy. and that's mostly really great news, except when it comes to things like blogs, and keeping up with posting work. or tweeting. or pinning. or sharing anything at all, for that matter.

anyway, it's a new year, and a new day. I plan to stay connected this time . . . we'll see how long that lasts.

in the mean time, here is a little sneak peek of all the fun that I've been hoarding.
     I plan to share more from each of these moments. and soon. so come back and visit whenever you get a chance. knowing you'll be here will be good motivation.

happy 2012, everyone.
     xo

   

   

 

   

  

kellyallison photography is a chicago area photo studio, specializing in modern family portraits, and narrative portraiture of children, babies and newborns. 

  

my love

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together alone almost never happens

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together alone with a camera and a sunset?
     nearly unheard of

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we'll gladly take these moments when they do come around

snow drinks

I'm sure we broke some great moral code of bourbon drinking in creating these shots.
        it's virtually sacrilege to dilute pappy's with anything . . . especially snow.


but darn it if it doesn't look cool.

add the serenade of a handsome guitarist & the warmth of a glowing fire, and you've got yourself the makings of a perfect january night.

i heart winter

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it's true that winter weather can be a downer--with all those grey skies, cold winds, and icy streets & walks. but with just a little shift in perspective & a dose of child-like energy, these chilly months can really be fun. a fresh and fluffy blanket of snow definitely helps, but even when the snow is crunchy and boot trodden, there is a certain magic to winter.

there's just something about wool sweaters, wood fires, and hot cocoa that I'd miss in a sunny clime.

snuggle up and stay warm!

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