August 19, 2017

7 Tips to Help You Perfect The "Instagram Flatlay"

Brand repping has a range of duties, from showing off the shop owners work to showing love on social media. Most of it is actually pretty easy, especially if you love the shop, already play "mama-razzi" and you just enjoy sharing on social media... ahemmmm, I'm not the only mom like that, right?

While repping isn't too incredibly difficult, one thing that takes some practice is an Instagram flatlay. I'm not saying you have to be an artistic genius to achieve a great flat lay... but I am saying you need to have an "eye" for product placement. I don't know if it's the years I put in as a retail manager (shout out to Francesca's Collections) or if I'm using my "painting knowledge", but I absolutely LOVE putting a flat lay together. It's almost like I've created a true masterpiece whenever it all comes together and makes an eye-catching image... and today I want to share how I achieve that look.

Want to perfect your flatlay? Here's a few tips to help you up your game! Oh... and be sure to give us a follow (@Sunkissed_Sweetheart) so you can see these babie and a ton more
bubble romper from k&e couture || bow from Darling Diva Boutique Bows
1. Keep a theme - Instead of going all willy-nilly, choose a "theme" and stick with it. I recently did a few travel related flatlays for some of our favorite small shops. I included things that I planned on having Lainey wear or play with while we were on vacation. Soon I'll be doing Fall and Pumpkin Spice themed flat lays! The possibilities for a theme are absolutely endless, so just pick one and stick with it. Grab that flamingo romper and then walk around the house looking for all things tropical, it's easy once you get the hang of it... and kind of fun to find little bits of your daily life, like baby's favorite book or toy to photograph and capture forever.


bubble from skyroseco || bow from Kenzie's Kollections || sunglasses from Carter's

2. Use a basic background - This one is easy-peasy. Score a foam board from the $1 store and use it to photograph your goodies. It makes your background crisp white and if you use an editing program, it's easy to adjust the white balance and perfect your photo even more!


3. Natural lighting is the key - This is true for all photography, in my book. Natural is best. It looks better and is easier to edit straight off of the camera, so find a well-lit table top or use the futon in your guest room, just chase the indirect sun and find the perfect lighting!


outfit from matilda jane || bow from Darling Diva Boutique Bows

5. Find your style - Here's the thing... there is actually more than one way to do a flat lay. You can build a little tower of adorable-ness and share a "stack lay". You can do a daily post and include an #ootd flatlay that showcases what baby will wear and play with each day, you can only photograph one item, standing alone (which would make for a great "stock photo" type shop image for marketplaces like etsy)! There really are tons of different ways to go about showcasing items... but the easiest is kind of a random, eclectic way of showcasing items. Just placing them perfectly on the foam board and adjusting until it looks just right.



6. Such great heights- While placement of the items is key, making sure you take the photograph from the right angle is of prime importance as well. You'll want to be above your surface, able to shoot from directly above, allowing each item in your flatlay to be showcased perfectly. I use a stool and lay my flatboard on the ground, but do whatever works best for you!


7. Don't take it too seriously - While achieving a great flatlay is something some are able to do on their first try, for others it takes a few times before a shop notices your talent. Don't fret. Just keep working on your flat lay game and I guarantee shop owners will notice and begin reposting soon! Also, don't be scared to try something different. Pair pink converses with a purple outfit, if you like it. Think outside the box and enjoy sharing!


August 5, 2017

DIY #DisneyJuniorFRiYAY Mickey Inspired Watercolor Painting Project

Today's discussion is sponsored by Disney Junior,
regardless all opinions (and all the love for Mickey) expressed below are mine alone!


You know, 11ish months is a weird age... at least for Miss Delainey it is. She's at this point where she's no longer an infant and not really a toddler yet either.


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I mean she wants to help, she longs to be a part of everything, but she's simply too little. From wanting to be a part of the chopping of her strawberries during snack time to singing from the backseat of the car while we are heading to the beach, she's really starting to find herself in the world, expressing what she wants, and that's pretty amazing and bittersweet to watch. While she knows what she likes and doesn't like, she is still learning to voice that and still learning the motor skills that she needs to be fully mobile to get to where she wants to go, so I'm doing everything I can to try and help her develop and satisfy her needs and wants to be a "big girl".

Tracking Pixel

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Any day now she'll be running in and out the front door, playing down the street with neighborhood kids, or riding her bike around the block...  but for now she's only a somewhat mobile, absolutely adorable little ball of energy and she constantly needs to be entertained, otherwise she gets into mischief. Luckily, I've found a handful of fairly simple ways to keep her occupied and today I want to share a couple of our favorite ways.



We'll start with the less messy way to keep D entertained, every FRiYAY we take the day off and play. We always start with an episode or two of one of our new favorite shows and this week, D is loving watching Disney Junior's Mickey and The RoadsterRacers! Haven't heard of it? Well, it's essentially a spin-off of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and with The "Happy Helpers" segments included, the show is full of great lessons and educational tales for D to absorb. I always want my girl to be happy to help when someone is in need, so of course we both love watching Daisy and Minnie step up and help each week!


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This week The Happy Helpers are going to be protecting a precious painting, which inspired us to make our own masterpieces. While painting with acrylics is something we do on occasion, I wanted to give D a little more of the freedom she's been craving so we decided to go with homemade, washable, easy to make watercolors that she can literally splash in and we don't have to worry.


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Want to make your own watercolor paint and create a fun, simple DIY painting like this?


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For this craft you will need:


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food coloring
water
ramekins
scissors
all purpose or watercolor paper
sticker paper (name tags or folder labels would work too) or salt
droppers or paintbrushes
baby wipes
newspaper or baking dish (optional)


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Side note: If you have a wild little one around D's age, the craft may be better suited for outdoor playtime - she got a little wild with the water. 😂


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To begin, you'll want to pour a little bit of liquid or gel dye into the ramekin and add a little bit of water - stir and let the color settle.


Place paper on newspaper or baking dish to keep the surface you are painting on protected.


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Cut out and add a sticker paper Mickey Mouse Silhouette or maybe create one out of salt. The salt makes a sparkling effect, in person, and it's stunning!



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Now use your droppers, paintbrushes, hands, etc to splatter and paint your paper.


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Set to the side and allow to completely dry for about 3 hours before touching.


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Enjoy your art work... and if you're feeling fancy, you can always remove the sticker paper from your paper to reveal a perfectly shaped Mickey. I'll add my two cents and say I kind of like it left on the paper and tie dyed!


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After you make this quick craft and are waiting for it to dry, be sure to check out all your favorite FRiYAY shows on the DisneyChannel on Friday mornings! If it's not Friday when you have a chance to read this, don't fret... catch your favorites all day, every day over on DisneyJunior.



This post is sponsored by Disney Junior.