Little Levi is now nine months old! He and his siblings have graced the blog several times before, and they are so much fun to photograph. Here are some of the highlights from our latest session together!

I may live in the suburbs of Cincinnati, but I love getting the opportunity to take photos in Downtown Cincinnati! This session was a three generation session, and these ladies were so much fun to spend the morning with walking along the Ohio riverbank! Smale Park is a beautiful location and is the perfect setting for a picture session!

Well, friends. I admit it. I have no style. I mean really... I just want someone to pick out clothes for me and say, "Hey! That looks great on you!" Maybe this seems foreign to you. Maybe you love shopping. Perhaps you delight in putting together different pieces of clothing to make that perfect outfit. This is not me. At all.

​If I'm totally honest, I will admit that I really do not enjoy clothes shopping. I never have. I vividly remember shopping at the mall with my entire family-my mom, dad, and two older sisters. I was probably 10 at the time. I remember my mom and my sisters painstakingly touching every piece of clothing in the store while I rolled my eyes and wondered when we could get out of there. My dad and I decided to sit in the seats outside of the dressing rooms and make up games to keep the two of us entertained. I do have fond memories of that because my dad is a pretty funny guy and I think he understood the severity of the situation-that we could actually die of boredom if he didn't keep us entertained.

Fast forward 30 years and here I am, 39 years old in a few short days, and I still really struggle to put together a decent outfit. I'm constantly frustrated with my wardrobe, and usually just end up in jeans and a comfy top or now that it is hot, shorts and a t-shirt. There is nothing wrong with that I suppose, but I'm ready to actually have a decent couple of outfits in the closet.

For my birthday, I took the liberty of ordering a ThredUP box for myself. If you are not familiar with ThredUP, it is a shopping service much like StitchFix or other similar store to door shopping services out there. ThredUP is different than other companies because the items are high quality pre-owned and it is run like an online consignment store. You can send in your gently used items and receive cash, and then they use these items to ship to customers at low prices. You also get 15 items, which is much more than all of the other companies that may send about 6 items per box. Also, if you spend over $100, you get a $10 credit toward your next box!

You may not like the idea of the clothing being gently used. I actually like this, because there is nothing worse than paying full price for clothing, washing it, and it fitting all funky. When you buy used, you know what it will look like and fit like after it is washed.

How does ThredUP work? Simple!

1. Sign up for an account. If you use this link, you and I both get $10 towards our purchase! 
2. Click the "Get a Custom Goody Box" button.
3. Fill out the information, and pay $10 by credit card. (This $10 goes towards anything you purchase)
4. After payment, you will get a more detailed questionnaire. You can make requests (mine included no yellow, shorts longer than 5" inseam, and longer shirts) and even attach a Pinterest board with your fashion tastes.
5. In a few days you will get an email that your box has shipped with tracking information.
6. Once your box arrives (it is like Christmas morning!) you open it, squeal with delight, model clothes for your family, choose what you want to keep, and put everything back in the box that you don't want.
7. Attach the return shipping label and drop off at a USPS location within 7 days, and once it arrives back to ThredUP, you will only be charged for what you kept and the $10 you paid up front goes towards your purchase. If you keep over $100 worth of items you will receive a $10 credit toward your next box.

So these are the items I am keeping. Not bad for my first box! I now know to be a little more specific (i.e. no Lu La Roe, please) and to give more specifics about the type of tops I like. They did send me items that all worked together in a complete outfit, which I liked. And the price tag was even better. These four items were just under $70. One major complaint I have heard from friends that have tried StitchFix is that the prices of items are so high. One of my friends paid $70 for one pair of pants. While she loves the pants, I'm just to cheap to spend that much... Unless there was a neverending supply of chocolate in one of the pockets... No, probably not even then. 

In conclusion, my review of ThredUP is that it is a must try. For $10 and a shipment of 15 items, you are most likely going to find at least one thing you like. The risk is low, and it is really fun. And you don't have to play mind games with your dad in front of a dressing room at the mall. Win/Win.

Please comment below if you have tried StitchFix or ThredUP or anyother shopping service like this! I'd love to hear your experiences.

I love taking family pictures. It is always a lot of fun, but today's session was even more fun because the folks in front of the camera just happen to be our besties. Although our families see each other most days of the week, it still has been four years since I have taken their last family photo! It was time. And we had a blast. :)

I usually don't take the pictures, edit, and blog a session all in the same day, but these guys are with my husband and older boys at their baseball game while I'm home with my napper so I get to be extra productive! But I really am missing sitting on the sidelines with all of our friends watching our boys play some baseball. 

I met Sam back in the winter when I took some Christmas themed photos for his family. He was a sweetheart back then, and continues to be as sweet as can be! Sam loves trucks, balls, and Paw Patrol, and we were able to capture some of those elements in his two year old birthday photo session today.  We met at a park in Liberty Township, and Sam had a great time!