Holiday photos 2016

Every year we try to do something fun for our holiday card photos. And this year, we had THREE Hogans to sit for a photo! And one of those Hogans is a 10 month old who does not like staying still. So I had grand plans, but as we take them ourselves and were crunched on time (how do we never do this early enough??), we kinda had to just roll with it. We got PJ's from Target and sat outside on a blanket with some Christmas lights. Boom, that's it. I'm not sure if we'll ever be able to top the Buddy the Elf and Jovie photos or the creepy one from last year where our we unabashedly showed our weirdness, but I'm still happy with how these came out!

This one is extra blurry but I love Indiana's face. Like, "ew."

That one was the winner, we're all looking at the camera and no one (Indy...) has their belly out. We probably could have taken more but my camera battery died and I was just like, WHATEVER WE WILL MAKE THESE WORK. Because we were alllll over it at that point and cars were driving by and it was just done. Maybe next year we'll have someone take our photos for us, because a self timer PLUS baby wrangling is exhausting.

And bonus, Indiana with Christmas lights. She was very into them.

Lemme just taste this one real quick, it looks yummy. BABIES EAT EVERYTHING.

Indiana's first Christmas card! Here are the past years' photos, if you're really into seeing our faces. ;)

Holiday photo 2015

We got real weird with our holiday card photo this year. Life was obviously a little crazy this holiday season, so we (I) majorly slacked on getting our card together. But, we had a trip to New Orleans to work with so we thought we might snap one there! Maybe in front for some pretty Christmas decor or something. Well, there was totally pretty Christmas decor everywhere, but somehow it just didn't happen. BUT, then we had the idea to take one in the cemetery when we were doing our cemetery tour. But that didn't happen either, because well, it was a tour and I didn't want to interrupt and be like, "AHEM, can you stop what you're doing there and take a photo of me and my husband? Also all you other people who paid to be here, skeddadle, we don't want you in it." Plus, that cemetery was very cool, but not that pretty. But then, we found another more visually appealing cemetery the next day and it was pretty dang empty! Prime opportunity! But who would take the photo?? No one was around except tours and this creepy dude who I suspect was the caretaker, but I mean... I've seen movies. I wasn't asking him.

SO WE SAT THE CAMERA ON A TOMB. We busted out that self timer and propped it up on a tomb. Omg, I was so scared that possible caretaker was going to come around the corner and be like "WHAT ARE YOU DOING THAT TOMB IS 200 YEARS OLD HOW DARE YOU SET YOUR BIG ASS CAMERA ON IT YOU ARE NOW CURSED FOREVER GET OUTTTTTTT!" Kind of like when the Beast finds Belle in the west wing, about to touch that rose. You know. But thankfully no one bothered or yelled at us, and it took a few tries, but we got a shot that was acceptable.

If you got a card (hopefully they have all arrived by now), this is old news. Perhaps you were like, wtf? But for everyone else, it says, "HAPPY HOLIDAYS. We're dead serious."

HAAAA, we think we're real funny. Too weird? Too morbid for Christmas? Did we mix up our holidays? I don't know, but I'm a fan. Mostly because it was a comical situation. And because we can't do anything normally. We started with the idea of a normal photo with pretty holiday decorations, and ended up taking a photo in a cemetery. Honestly, I like the cemetery far better than normal.

Happy Holidays, y'all! Next year our card with have THREE HOGANS in it! Eeeee!

And for a walk down memory lane, here are our holiday photos from 2014, 2013, 2012, and 2011. We look blissfully young and gleeful in last year's photo, the calm before the storm y'all! Although, as grumpy as we might look in this years photo, this storm has been a blast.

Holiday photo 2014

Compared to last year, this Holiday Photo might seem a little weak, but you guys, it was so perfect. Because it was more than just a picture, it was an experience. A memory, y'all. So here's the story on how we met Santa:

While walking to Dinseyland on the most wonderful day ever, we stopped at the Paradise Pier hotel so Mr. Hogan could use the bathroom. At first I was like oh no, lets not stop there, you can hold it (ha, rude), but then I was like, what the heck. I wandered around the gift shop and then as I was walking into the lobby while texting Brendon I heard someone say, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" And I was like "OH GOD, they know I'm not staying here!" I looked up and lo and behold, it was Santa. "Who's on the phone?" he asked. I'm beet red at this point, "uhhh, my husband." "Your husband? Let me talk to him, I'll leave a voice mail." "Eh, heh, heh, I'm just texting him." "Oh okay. Well have you been good this year? I remember you from when you were a little girl. You know, I think we need to take a picture, you look like a candy cane!" And then, I took a picture with Santa. And giggled a lot. He told me that Ariel and Flounder helped him decorate the tree but Sebastian wouldn't help because he was too crabby (eeeeee!). Then some little kids came out and did their thing and then Brendon came back and Santa was like "BRENDON! Where have you been?" And then Brendon met Santa, we took a photo together, and the rest is history. It couldn't not be our Christmas card photo.

Walking to Disneyland I was just like "omg omg omg Santa. Did that just happen??" Truly, the most excellent timing. I think I mentioned in the Disneyland post how lucky we were with timing, and this was what started it all off. I mean, how often do you meet Santa? Not often enough I say. Not often enough.

And for a walk down memory lane, holiday photos from 2013, 2012, 2011. 

Holiday photos 2013

This year for our holiday photos, we went ALL OUT. For realsies. Did you know that my favorite Christmas movie is Elf? Well, if you didn't now you do. I LOVE that movie. I feel the same way about Christmas as Buddy, I'm all about it. So when brainstorming ideas for our Christmas card, Elf costumes happened. Not sure if it was Brendon's idea or mine, but they came out better than I could have imagined. They are so fun and I want to wear that Elf dress everyday. And of course, we had to document. All over Austin.

These costumes took forever to make, but mostly because I have been INSANELY busy. I used Simplicity 2542 for Brendon's jacket and our hats, New Look 6110 for his pants, and Simplicity 1913 for my dress. Brendon's jacket took the most work because the pattern was incredibly plain and unfitted and shaped incorrectly. It took a lot of work to make it Buddy the Elf's jacket, but I'm happy with it! My dress was super easy and only took minor altering. They're both made of cheapo felt, which was SO EASY to sew. You never have to finish your edges! And it makes a pretty warm get-up.

We definitely got plenty of looks and comments and people taking our photo, with and without asking. It was REALLY FUN! There's a preschool next to the Hey Cupcake and of course all the kids were outside when we stopped by. They were losing their cool and it was the cutest.

Aaaand we finally found the Austin postcard mural! We have been driving past it all the time and never knew. It was recently (as in less than a month ago) revamped, so it was super bright and pretty! And definitely on a relatively busy corner. I was so scared our tripod was going to get hit by a car.

And here's the Christmas card winner:

Probably looks familiar if you're on our extra exclusive Christmas card list. Kidding. Actually, I lost my Christmas card address list in the great computer crash fiasco, so we kind of had to start from scratch. So sorry if we missed you! Technology always gets the best of me.

I'm not sure how we'll top these pictures next year. This was so fun. SO FUN. And I'm so glad Brendon was more than game for sporting Elf costumes all around Austin and having ridiculous holiday fun in public with me. He's my favorite.

Holiday photos 2012 and 2011. We've come a long way.

Holiday photos 2012

Since our holiday cards are all mailed out, this wont be too much of a spoiler. Because I KNOW you were hankering to hear about our holiday card photos. Because it's riveting stuff and it features our faces, I know you haven't seen enough of them.

Last year we somehow rigged up our camera on a stack of books and took some terribly lit photos in front of our tree. This was our end product:

Look at us! We look so young even though it was just a year ago. And look how tiny that tree is compared to our giant tree this year! But man, I love that dress. It's gotten some good use this year.

We slightly upgraded this year with our holiday photo. We are now owners of a tripod and ventured out to auditorium shores to take some pictures in front of the Austin skyline, while a family and a couple of giggling teenage girls watched. We've created a little tradition, we took the pictures last year on our 6 year little anniversary, and this year we took them on our 7th!

Brendon was a great sport, he stayed perfectly still so I could jump in after pressing the shutter button. I literally had to jump over a bench every time. In a dress. I'm sure our audience was amused. One day we'll get one of those shutter remotes.

ALSO, notice Brendon looks slightly different? He lost something like 30+(!) pounds between the picture last year and now. He's insane. He works out every single day, he's on what I like to call the "Christian Gray workout plan". Ridiculous, but it's paid off and my husband is sexier than ever. I just need to hop onto that workout plan as well and we'll be set.

We may have had a little too much fun with the test shots.

 
The sun was a little brutal so we decided to keep our shades on because they matched our outfits and we're cool, hip, young Austinites, obviously. This next picture was the winner:

And we took this one to make you (and the weirdos watching us) puke:

It was a lot of fun and seriously took a whole 5 minutes and like maybe 10 shots. BOOM 2012 holiday picture, done.

6 years y'all!

This Saturday was Brendon and my six year anniversary of being together! This is now our "little" anniversary, as we have a more official one to celebrate in April. But regardless, we celebrated because way back in 2005 little 17-year-old-Brendon refused to let little 17-year-old-me get into my car until I agreed to date him. It was cold outside so I was like, "okay fine". Kidding! Really though, I am so glad I agreed. I cannot imagine my life had I not. It would surely be boring and not nearly as filled with goodness and love. Every year with Brendon is better than the last and I look forward to infinitely many more.

We spent our anniversary eating yummy food, relaxing, and having a Harry Potter movie marathon (because we got our TV back! Samsung is amazing!). Brendon took the day off studying, I thought I had died and gone to heaven. Oh and we took our holiday photos! I got to wear my festive holiday dress I made and Brendon sported a matching bow tie. Corny? Yes. But cute? We think so, and that's what matters. I'm sure I'll share the Christmas photos later, but since they're on our holiday cards, I don't want to ruin the surprise. HA. Kidding. A little.

So I tried to get Brendon to take some pictures of the dress, but after our little holiday photoshoot we were hit with a fit of the giggles and were acting ridiculous so there's basically not one decent photo apart from the holiday shots. So you'll just have to make due with these, you can blame Brendon.

Don't mind my stupid face. Or Sophie creepin'. But check out the pockets. YES, pockets. I am such a fan of pockets. Who isn't? You can put stuff in them! Like your hands!

Back view. Obviously I had to add a ribbon! You know I'm partial to bows. That particular ribbon was a pain in the butt to track down. Everyone was sold out of green satin ribbon in that width. I finally found some by the yard and snatched it up. Apparently it's a hot commodity. Also, that zipper in the back was a huge pain to sew in. I said a lot of bad words.

This photo is semi-normal but I have no legs. Again. This dress is probably one of my favorite things I've made so far. It's kinda retro. I love the pleats in the front and the cute little collar. Plus did I mention it has pockets?

And I leave you with this. It's blurry but it makes me happy because it reminds me that we are both truly ridiculous and very fortunate to find a fellow weirdo to stumble through life with. Well in reality, I'm the one stumbling and Brendon keeps me from falling/walking into things. Or laughs at me and then helps me up. Regardless, I'm so happy to have him by my side in every aspect. Team Hogan por vida.