It’s hard to believe it’s already been one whole year since we launched our blog but we are so proud of our “baby” and honored to have you along for the ride! In celebration of our one year anniversary, we are sharing some of our favorite posts and introducing you to the whole team at PlayFully!
01. DIY CARDBOARD BUTTERFLY WINGS
“This is our most popular post and for good reason; the pictures turned out amazing! This is one of those cases where the product and the DIY really just made things natural for the kids. They were running around with their butterfly wings on and having a blast. I think it’s clear at this point that Ann-Marie is good at making cardboard wings. Two of my favorite post include wings that she has made, with the other being her DIY Ladybug Wings. We shot this in Stephanie’s parents yard, and I have to say that the yard really helped bring this product to life. The Butterfly Garden Pavilion has a very pleasant design to it, and although it is designed for indoor or outdoor play, it really shines through when placed outside. From the outfits the kids decided to wear to complement the theme, to the wings Ann-Marie made, to the location we were able to shoot at, this post resulted in not only some of my favorite pictures, but clearly our readers favorites as well.” – Tyson
“This one was so beautifully shot and you can tell the kids are having a good time. Plus I designed this tent and this was the first time seeing it in a real life environment with kids playing in it which is always such a joy to see!” – Stephanie
“What most people probably don’t realize is how tight the spaces we work in really are! These photos were shot from the doorway of the garage looking into the front yard, but with a little camera trickery, you would think we were in a lush, open landscape! We pride ourselves on being able to make the most of any situation or setting.” – Ann-Marie
02. DIY MAILBOX
“Part of the reason I took on the job at Playfully was so I could merge my love of motherhood with my passions for photography and writing. I have so enjoyed being able to document my own children at play over the past year and this particular shoot (which I shot on my own in my parents’ backyard!) was one of those rare moments where my daughter was perfectly content interacting with the product while I got to act as a fly on the wall and capture her in her element!” – Ann-Marie
“This was a photoshoot that Ann-Marie did completely on her own. The pictures from this shoot are some of my favorites, if not my all-time favorites that she has taken. This Firefly Bed Tent is also one of my very favorite Pacific Play Tents products. The DIY for this is simple, but they don’t always have to be complicated. I think this product kind of speaks for itself and photographs very nicely as is. That being said, Ann-Marie’s daughter did a great job at bringing it to life! I’m not a photographer, but something I always hear photographers talk about is good and bad lighting. I feel like this is one of those cases where I get what everyone is talking about. The way the light shines through the blue mesh here creates an almost magical setting that was captured perfectly.” – Tyson
“This is hands down one of the best for so many reasons. The images really showcase the bed tent. It was always really complicated to find a kid’s bedroom with a twin bed that showcased the style of room we are going for as a brand. Ann-Marie was able to capture her daughter, Briar in her very own bedroom and element. Every picture is usable for all different needs (ie. ads, social media, trade show banners, web banners, etc). The tent looks so beautiful in this element and really sells the item which you wouldn’t be able to tell how beautiful it is in a regular product shot image.” – Stephanie
04. DIY FARMER’S MARKET TOTE BAGS
“This was one of my favorite photo shoots. It was at a beautiful house in Santa Monica and the pictures turned out amazing. This is a brand new product and one of my favorites that Pacific Play Tents has to offer. I love the design and the theme to it. Initially I think of a farmer’s market as something for adults, but it was so cool to see these kids interacting with the tote bags and felt food while playing inside of the Farm Fresh House Tent. Ann-Marie had a really creative idea for this DIY, which was to cut up fruit and use it to stamp onto the tote bags. The bags really enhanced the shoot. I also love the design of this product in general. If you look closely on the side panels there are actual steps for potting a plant. I thought this was pretty clever. Not only was the house that we shot at beautiful, but there was a sort of ally way out front that was a very natural setting for this product. From the product to the location to the pictures we got out of it, this is a favorite of mine.” – Tyson
“This was my favorite shoot to date. We were lucky enough to have free reign of the most beautiful, inspiring home in Santa Monica and our models were an absolute dream to work with. I felt like this was the shoot where we really hit our stride!” – Ann-Marie
05. DIY FELT PIZZA
“This was our very first video we attempted on our own! It was a fun day. Ann-Marie came into the office and we set up a shooting area where we could film us making the felt pizza. It was so fun to being doing crafts not only together but it was probably the most fun “work” I have ever done. It’s a great, fun memory for me.” – Stephanie
“This is a case of the images really selling the product. When we design product from the ground up, it isn’t always a success the first time around. We had some construction issues we were working out with this D-tunnel. It is so nice to see the tent evolve through the design process. Once we redesigned the structure and Ann-Marie shot it at home and it ended up looking AMAZING.” -Stephanie
“I shot these photos in my living room right before my then-9 month old son’s nap since I knew it would be the best natural lighting we would have that day. I wasn’t sure if either of my kids would be cooperative but they both loved crawling through the Glow In the Dark Space Capsule and at the very end, my son laid himself down and took a nap under the “stars!” It couldn’t have worked out any better if I tried!” – Ann-Marie
07. DIY PAINTBRUSHES
“This is another one where I feel very fortunate that we have access to the locations that we do. We have shot this location twice now, and I hope we get to go back again sometime soon. This house has a giant backyard that is any kid’s dream. I certainly wish I had a yard like this as a child. From an organizational perspective for shooting it is also a dream. There are so many different pockets in this yard that we have room to set up multiple scenes at a time and not have to worry about rushing to set up and tear down to make room for the next product. For this particular post, everything fell into place perfectly. The lighting was amazing, there was a slight breeze that opened up the tent, and the DIY paintings turned out amazing. We had help from Andrea from our Art Department for this DIY, and she did a great job at creating these canvases for the kids to use their rosemary brushes on. This Giant Teepee lives up to its name; it is giant! Having a big backyard really helped do this teepee justice with showing off the size. It was big enough to fit five kids in while they painted, but had room left for several more. This is a great example of what good photography can do for your products, and Ann-Marie captured this one perfectly!” – Tyson
“We’ve been fortunate enough to cultivate relationships with an amazing group of children who are always up for our crazy ideas. I have a special place in my heart for our Valencia crew whom have literally grown up in front of our eyes over the past year! We owe so much of this blog’s success to them.” – Ann-Marie
“This is super special to me. It was shot in my parents’ backyard and it happened organically. We didn’t have a DIY yet but then after the shoot, Briar wandered into the side garden with my dad and was smelling all of the spring vegetables. It was so cute every time she smelled a flower because she really sucked in huge sniffs to smell. It melted my heart every time she did it. Ann-Marie came in and started taking pictures of her cuteness and we ended up tying it into a diy with the garden name rocks.” – Stephanie
“This was the perfect example of how the best photos come when you allow children to lead the way. We had just wrapped up a marathon photo shoot and were packing up all the tents when I watched Stephanie’s sweet father lead my daughter to his garden to show her the blooming produce. Not only was I touched that he was willing to help me watch her while I finished up my work but he was so kind and patient with her as he told her about each of the vegetables. It was such a lovely moment as a parent and as a photographer.” – Ann-Marie
“This was a fun one to shoot for several reasons. We had a great location, great products, and a healthy snack, which was a nice change from the usual DIY craft. I really loved putting this one together because we got to incorporate a couple different products together. We just recently released our new Friendly Monster Sleeping Bags to go along with our Friendly Monster Tents. The two products pair perfectly together, and it was great to get to show them in use both inside and outside. Making the snack for this one was also a blast. I’m all about the healthy snacks, and I think most of the parents at these shoots are too. It was great to make something that was fitting for the theme, but that you also felt good about giving to kids to eat (unless they have nut allergies!). At the time this post went up this product was just a “sneak preview” of an item that was coming soon in the future. Having these pictures really did great for helping us promote this product leading up to its release.” – Tyson
10. DIY FAIRY WANDS
“This product is no longer available but it is one of my favorite teepees ever! I designed it for Nordstrom and they had a very specific direction in mind. I hit the design on the first try (which never happens) and it was a pretty smooth process. Plus, it was a top seller for their 4th quarter which was really a huge confident booster as a designer. It was so cool to see the product I designed on display in the store.” For the diy I literally whipped the wand together using leftover odd and ends from other diy’s, it was one of the those moments where the shoot was the next day and I needed to come up with something, anything. We had about an hour left of the work day and I started messing around with ideas and rather quickly this wand came to life! They came out super cute and we even had a model mom recreate them for her child’s birthday party! – Stephanie
“Not only do I love this teepee but I am so happy with how the images turned out! We borrowed Stephanie’s parents’ neighbor’s super narrow yet beautifully landscaped side yard and created magic.” – Ann-Marie
Which post was your favorite?
Meet the team!
MEET STEPHANIE: Art Director of Pacific Play Tents / Photo Shoot Coordinator / The True Founder of Playfully
“Stephanie is one of the most positive and enthusiastic people I’ve ever known. She has a very strong work ethic that I admire, and she puts a lot more into her work than the average person. When she has a vision for something she does whatever she can to make it happen. She has been the biggest advocate for having a blog ever since I started working here. She saw the benefits early on and was able to make her case and the blog a reality. She does so much of the behind the scenes work with setting up locations and coordinating models, and the photoshoots would not be possible without her. The majority of the kids at our photoshoots come from connections she has made. I think that her and I make a great team together and really share a lot of the same passion that we put towards the work we do. She is also an amazing artist and has designed several of our top selling products, including most of my favorites.” – Tyson
“There are so many wonderful things to say about Stephanie but here’s what it boils down to: she sees me and believes in me exactly as I am and that is a powerful gift. Steph approached me about blogging for Pacific Play Tents and I immediately said yes. Not only did I think it would be a great opportunity for me to use my photography and writing skills but it also allowed me to be her co-worker so it was an obvious YES. Steph is truly the heart and soul of this operation and her warm, loving energy has carried all three of us every step of the way.” – Ann-Marie
MEET TYSON: Marketing + E-Commerce + Social Media / Frequent Hand Model for DIY Photos / Model Whisperer
“Tyson is a remarkable person to work with. As our Marketing Director, Tyson contributes to the blog with his knowledge of knowing what is needed from a digital, social media and web point of view. It has been such a joy to watch him discover his love of everything that has to do with the behind the scenes of what goes into the making a blog. Whether it is a DIY craft, brainstorming posts or interacting with the kids at the photo shoots, his enthusiasm of detail shows through his work. Tyson is a very detailed-oriented person that is ideal in this line of work. It is fun to work with someone with such passion for what we do.” – Stephanie
“From the moment I met Tyson, he reminded me so much of my brother that I felt an instant kinship towards him. As I got to know Tyson better, I was so grateful to have him on our team as he is incredibly thorough, organized, and able to keep everyone on the same page. I often rely on him to be my second set of eyes at photo shoots since his analytical left-brain perfectly complements my creative right-brain and ensures that we nail the shot every time. Through the evolution of the blog, Tyson has not only shown himself to be the one that our adorable models always flock to but he also has killer DIY skills as well!” – Ann-Marie
MEET ANN-MARIE: Photographer + Blogger / Product Copywriter / Wrangler of Toddlers
“Ann-Marie is a talented photographer, graphic designer, blogger, crafter, maker, writer and the list goes on! She has a knack for shooting kids in their environment and taking a tiny moment from ordinary to extraordinary. Playfully was born when Ann-Marie took her pictures and accompanied them with her whimsical and fun writing. She is also a momma of two beautiful toddlers and they are where she captures some of her best work! If you take all of her attributes and add her personal style, you get magic! Getting to use her images in my work has been such a pleasure and joy. When wanting to get a company blog off the ground she was the only candidate right for this role. And this blog wouldn’t have been possible without her!” – Stephanie
“Ann-Marie has been a joy to work with over the last year. She has an incredible eye for taking pictures, and I have noticed a night and day difference in the quality of our photography since bringing her on board. When I first started working for Pacific Play Tents I was trying to come up with content for our website and social media calendars, but it was very difficult given what I had to choose from. So much of our image library looked outdated or didn’t show off our products in their best light. She really helped turn that around for us. She is the mother of two adorable, sweet little kids who have by default kind of become the faces of Pacific Play Tents. She juggles a lot between being a mom and shooting/writing for our blog, but the end result is always great. As our photoshoots have grown and evolved over the last several months I have kind of moved into a role where I end up at her side from time to time helping direct a lot of the shots. I think I annoy her a bit as she is the one taking the shots and I’m just the one standing there with a checklist asking if she got everything from my list. But that being said, she’s always willing to work with the crazy visions I have for things. Working with her has been a really fun experience for me, and I think we’ve made a great team together.” – Tyson
Thank you so much for following along and supporting Playfully on its maiden voyage! Cheers to one year!