OT- Gifts for mom

This year is the first year my brother doesn't believe in Santa .  So sad but he is 12 years old LOL.  I guess because I was 10 when he was born so I've seen him grow up.

Anyway, the whole family decided we were going to not give gifts this year and go to Disney World on Jan 2 for a week.  We did say we would buy each other a gift or two, but Christmas at our house is usually a TON of crap no one needs but we just like to give "things" you know...

So I was helping my mom clean out her pantry today because we are moving back in with momma in 2 weeks so the house needed a cleaning.

Then she said, "I wish I had a nice recent picture of all you kids, I have no new pics ect ect..." 

So I thought that I should sneak my brother and sister out one day before X-mas and take a family photo of the 3 of us.  I want to include my hubby in some pics too.  I want to do something cute, should we be matching or something?  I was thinking denim jeans and a white turtle neck?  Should we make it a Christmas themed photo or should it be something neutral we could have up all year round?  I know the "picture people" in the mall do a nice job on family photos, but they are usually mobbed around the holidays.  Has anyone had their photos taken at Wal Mart or Sears or something and how did they turn out.  I have a photographer friend, but he would still charge me for the photos and he's expensive!

Thanks for the input everyone!

 My sister uses Sears all the time for her family portraits and they always turn out really good.   I have an sitting scheduled on the 21st for our first family portrait and a few solo ones of Baby Alex.  I got my husband and Alex coordinating outfits, but not "seasonal" ones. I will also be wearing something that coordinates with them.  They are both wearing charcoal colored pants and sweater vests with button down shirts underneath :)

Thanks a lot, don't have too much experience with family photos YET, lol. 

While I was there I wanted to get some baby bump pics with my and hubby, I wont be huge yet, but might as well kill two birds with one stone!

Thanks

 I'd book now for Holiday portraits.  They fill up fast!

ETA:  We did baby bump pics on our own.  I took my digital camera out to the park (happened to be at the lake side) and had my SIL take a whole bunch of photos of us.  I loved the way they turned out.  Sure they werent professional quality, but they were good enough to have an 8x10 made and a few 5x7 framed.

Here are a few of the pictures we took...  
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=310490&l=54277eca07&id=588935494

 You should thumb through a phone book and see photograhpers. We did this before we left NC so we could have out door photos taken of us with our dog... She took over 400 photos of us, in a 2 hour span.. some of us playing some of us posing.. It was nice. We only paid $65 for the photo shoot then got a CD with the rights to print what ever we want... I'm doing this again this weekend with a lady here in Japan. We are taking indoor christmas photos, but i wanted a few that won't look so christmasy. that way i can frame them and put them around. My husband and son will be wearing red sweaters and i will have on a red blouse... We all will have on black pants. So i think matching is good, White is harsh for indoor photos, it can wash you out if your not careful on that.. 
Look at what looks good on skin tone... 
i'll try to post some of my photos so you can see, we all had on matching colors, and it was beachy colors too.. 
take care
Annmarie 

i would say use your fav place. I like sears they are not bad in this area. We have picture people but i feel they are way overpriced.

I wouldnt do totally matching. Im not into matchy matchy. Maybe some jeans or black pants with coordianating shirts. But not all the same color. Know what i mean?? LOL like for my kids i would do kam in a black dress pant or  jeans with a nice colored dress shirt maybe like red. Lola would wear a nice black and red dress with little scotty puppies on it. Get the idea?

hope it helps

My sister, my husband, my brother in-law and I are going to Sears on Saturday to get ours done, they do a great job and are cheap!!!

Good luck, pictures are always great!

My mom said the same thing. So last year 2 weeks before mother's day, I rounded up my brothers and all the grandkids and we got our pics done. She cried when I gave it to her. She was especially suprised to have one granddaughter she doesn't get to see much. She loved it. We had ours done at Walmart. They have a 1 priced pkg. and you have the option of buying more poses. I spent about $50, but I got one of all of us, one of me and my brothers, on of my older brother with his daughters(gave that to him as a suprise for his bday), one of me and hubby,  and one of all the grandkids. Nice gift that lasts forever.

We have a new Target near us and they have a portrait studio! My girlfriend had pics done there of her family, and they are sooo cute, and they weren't pricey, either! Good luck!

Portrait Innovations is great too....you get disk and tons of shots...I like matchy but not exact matchy.....good luck!