I make a Christmas Collage every year to send in my Christmas Cards. I bought NikkiZ a fancy dress. For $40, can you believe I spent $40 on a dress? I’m kinda ashamed. I’m going to let her wear it everywhere to justify buying it. I was trying to set up a good Kids In Front Of The Tree Looking Angelic shot, and NikkiZ had none of the same photographic concepts as I did.
This is “Smile!” Adorable, but not quite the angelic grin I was going for.
Here, she insisted on keeping this Crunchy Baby in the photos with her. So, I let her as long as she would smile. Do you think it worked?
Then, she insisted on putting the baby in the chair. But she needed to be carrying the chair in order to get the effect she was going for. Artistically speaking, you know.
This one is very cute, but seriously, why must this doll be in the photo? It’s not even one she seems extremely attached to. It’s just the one she was attached to last night. So, of course, it needed to be in the pictures. Think I could pretend it’s a sibling?
Then we had to chase the cat.
Then do some spinning in the dress that’s super awesome to spin in.
But, I’m happy with the results. How about you?
I think they’re just fabulous! And maybe the doll can represent the Zootbyro
Oh, and I think I mentioned it on Flickr, but I LOVE that dress!
The photos are cute, but the final one of LilZ and NikkiZ is fantastic!
Also, where did you buy that dress? It is beyond adorable and worth $40!
That dress is totally worth the bucks. Also, I would be really tempted to use the second photo. That full-body grin kind of captures the spirit of the holiday, no? And the last one? Perfect in every way.
Sooo cute! The dress & the pictures! She’s such a doll.
the dress is worth it. I love the fact that it isn’t all Christmas-y and that she can wear it beyond that.
Too cute of a picture!! How long did it take to get the actual pic you wanted?
Your family is completely adorable! I say the dress was worth it.
I love the shot of LilZ with the dolly in the rocking chair.
And, um, I must get Henry a rocking chair. This boy loves to rock. Where did you find this?!
Fabulous!
In the picture where she’s spinning she looks exactly like my favorite childhood book character: Eloise. So cute!
For those of you loving the dress, I bought it at a dept. store in our mall called “Dilliards” - I have no idea how popular they are, but it’s the same place I bought her Easter Dress:
http://flickr.com/photos/misszoot/453848390
I’m a sucker for Polka Dots.
Definitely worth it.
I LOVE the dress!
Too funny! I just posted about the exact same thing. If they’re so cute all the time, why does it have to be so difficult to capture it on film?! Imagine next year when you have a baby AND you’re trying to get her to smile. That was my experience. I got some GREAT pics, but only a few worthy of a Christmas card!
That last photo is super cute & I love how proud she is of herself while she’s holding the chair. Adorable.
I love the spinning photo - that is hilarious. The lighting in your photos is so nice!
They’re all great. I love that she insisted on putting the doll into the chair and THEN hauling the chair into the photo. Hee.
THAT DRESS!!! OMG! She is adorable and that dress is just the icing on the cake!
Oh my gosh I can’t get over how cute she is
that dress was so worth $40! Makes me wish I had a lil’ girl to buy dresses for!!! LOL 
I have to say tho the last picture is the BEST by far. Its just too sweet for words. I can only hope my boys have the same love for thier younger siblings 
Awwwwwwwwww!! So sweet!
Weirdness alert: Last night I dreamed I was driving somewhere with Mr. Z and Lil Z. I commented that I’d seen a picture of you in a kimono (?) and Mr. Z wanted to know if I wanted to buy it. I have to stop reading blogs, I think. Last week I dreamed I called another blogger I read at his job to tell him we should meet. But that dream was okay because there was also pie.
Oy.
Excellent! And that dress is gorgeous!
NikkiZ pulls of the polka dots rather well. I say keep it up! And the picture with her leaning over the chair… she has the sweetest little grin!
adorable. and oh my god, that dress! so freakin’ cute.
The dress is fabulous, but I am digging her cute little painted piggies..adorable…the final picture, of Nikki-Z and Little Z…totally rocks!
Do they make dresses like that for big people?
PAINTED TOENAILS!!!!!!!
Adorable! I personally, love the one with Crunchy Baby sitting in the chair! Who says crunchy babies can’t celebrate Christmas too?
That is seriously the cutest Christmas card I have ever seen. But I love the twirling picture too!
I LOVE THE DRESS!!
And I agree, the final picture was worth it. Too cute!
Dude, I think ALL of the pictures are great! She’s SO cute in that dress - the twirling is awesome, the mildly psychotic smiles with the fancy dress are hysterical, and the last picture is PRICELESS. Love them!
Zoot, she is beautiful and the dress was money well spent. ANd you have some awesome and FUN pictures. That last one is precious.
That dress is so awesome. And that last picture is perfect. I love her little feet sticking out.
Also, that photo with her posing next to the doll in the chair? She is going to be a total heartbreaker.
I love this set. Love.
That dress was made for twirling.
I would put all of the out takes into a collage. She isn’t crying in any of them and would make people smile.
I love her dress!! I wish I had a little girl to dress up!
Love. That. Dress!
And, at age 27, I still spin-test skirts and dresses. It’s a sign of quality workmanship, no?
I love all the pictures- especially NikkiZ carrying that red chair- I love her expression! And the one with her and LilZ- very sweet. Seriously, good work! Anyone would be glad to have those pictures in arrive in their mailbox
these 2 make me want to wait 12 years to have another kid. they look like best friends…
(LOVE the dress!)
I must go to Dillard’s immediately after work. My niece must have this dress. I, too, love the polka dots.
I think the photo of her holding the chair and the one where she’s spinning are my favorite of the bunch. She is so unbelievably precious!
Adorable! I love the dress!
is it bad that i kinda want to wear the dress?
and, the pictures are super cute, as always.
SO CUTE!
What a beautiful little girl! LOVE the dress, LOVE the pictures, LOVE especially the last picture. How lucky you are.
Awesomely adorable, as always, Zoot.
Beautiful dress - worth every penny. Great photos! I actually like the one with her back to us bending toward the cat the best.
TOO CUTE! I love the dress! I love the “smiles”! Yay for Christmas!
oh, i can’t wait for mine!!!!!!
That dress is worth EVERY PENNY! Seriously, it’s the most adorable little girl’s dress I’ve seen in a long time. NikkiZ rocks it too….she’s just beautiful.
The dress is fantastic. And I love the photos. Such cute kids.
the dress is definitely worth the money! Too cute.
OMG! Cutest Christmas pic ever!
A.dor.able.
Love the whole series of pics! I hope I get half as good of shots as you did…
That dress is fabulous and worth every penny of the $40! I love it! Alas, I have a little boy-not as fun to buy for
Those are just hysterical and adorable at the same time. Love the cat pic and the twirling one, too.
When Caroline was that age, she refused to wear dresses that didn’t “turn.” She is a sweetheart, and I am seriously considering sending her some Vol gear just to get her outfitted properly.
How cute is she?!? Those are great pictures, and I love the last one. My “photo shoots” of my boys go exactly that way every time. Gotta love it.
You just reminded me I have to take Christmas card photos yet this year. Which brought back vivid memories of last year that made my right eye start up with the uncontrollable twitching.
I finally got a good one for the 3 x 5, but could not resist sending a wallet of one of the best meltdown shots ever taken with them.
That little picture of her spinning around with the cat reminds me of a Dead show I went to once - I think….
I love the dress. She looks so pretty in it. I love putting my daughter in a dress and taking lots of photos. You know its only going to be five minutes before its covered in whatever.
The spin rocks. If I could only be that coordinated at 36.
The dress? Totally worth every penny. It’s amazing!
I personally loved the spinning pic. This whole entry had me in stitches. Nicely presented.
Beautiful family, by the way.
That last pic? Is such a gorgeous picture of your children. Just love it…
That dress is so worth $40. Dillard’s is my go to. They have the best sales.
Oh so super cute. You have the most adorable kids. (I mean, next to mine, of course) but I do think Lil’Z is just a hansom little guy.
I have a hard time spending $40 on a dress for MYSELF! And I probably won’t grow out of it in a few months like she will, so I can understand your pain. But it is DEFINITELY most adorable. Love the polka-dots!
[...] Nothing against only children, but I don’t want it to stay this way forever. Eventually I would like to see another positive pregnancy test. I would like to (and this is hard to even type) get huge and miserable and be pregnant again. I would like to choose another baby’s name and snuggle a newborn. I would like to breastfeed again. I’d also like for Babboo to have a younger sibling to play with tease and teach. I want to get adorable Christmas pictures of kids in front of the tree. [...]