Lexus + elle and ellie

One of the best parts about this little gig we’ve got going here is getting to choose who we work with. We have had the unique opportunity to handpick our collaborations + that means we’ve been blessed to work time and time again with people we call friends.

Working with Lexus of Wayzata + Lexus of Maplewood was no different – except in a way it was. I mean, it was LEXUS.

A good friend of mine runs the marketing department, + she is pretty amazing at what she does. While over for dinner one evening, she mentioned she thought it might be fun to collaborate, Lexus + elle and ellie, for Mother’s Day. She told me how as a company they love to work with locally-owned businesses, schools, + charities.

To be honest, I never actually thought it would happen. Lexus is a huge brand name. HUGE. And we’re still just getting our feet wet.

But a few weeks later, there was a 2018 Lexus RXL parked in my driveway. (If only I got to keep it; it’s a dreamy Mom car.)

As a company, Lexus stores aim to treat everyone as you would a guest in your home. Hospitable. Authentic. Like a friend. And that’s exactly what we experienced the day of the photo shoot.

Now, if you’ve ever had a photo shoot with 3 young kids, a barking dog, + tried to keep things strictly professional — well, you know that didn’t happen. Thankfully, it didn’t feel as if three executives walked into my home, camera ready, but three friends. Needless to say, they were very professional, but they also didn’t mind playing in the sink with Elle, Ellie taking a quick nap, or Atlas following Micah around like a puppy. He absolutely loves to take pictures with ‘the big camera’- doesn’t love to be in them quite as much.

About the photo shoot – We brought the chaos. They brought the magic.

Micah of Micah Jane Photography is simply that —magic. She got great pictures of all the kids, being themselves + also posed. She somehow even managed to get a group shot where we are all smiling minutes before naptime! And I got to style flatlays with her, one of my favorite things to do.

It obviously didn’t hurt that most of our pictures were in or around the 2018 Lexus RXL. If you want to keep a kid interested in a photo shoot, put them in a car. They loved honking the horn, climbing over the third row, + pushing all the buttons. This car has all the features we mamas want + that the kiddos love to play with. (All the safety features, back-up camera, smart stop technology, + it seats 7!)

We were beyond thrilled to collaborate with Lexus of Wayzata + Lexus of Maplewood for a Mother’s Day giveaway — and are excited for a few other things we have in store down the road.

Until then, go check out this amazing feature they received called, “Letters“. (Their letter is the one read, “Eric volunteered to come to my rescue that evening, as soon as Lexus closed.”) And of course, go show them some love on Instagram.

@lexusofwayzata
@lexusofmaplewood
@micahjjanephotog

Xo,
Emily