"Merry Christmas From Our Family to Yours."
Just recently, my little boy and I went to take our yearly Christmas photos in downtown Boise at the Idaho Capitol Building. I chose this location because of its historical significance and pristine beauty. During the holiday season, it is decorated from ceiling to floor with red poinsettias, Christmas trees, lights, wreaths, and dressed with garland.
Throughout the entire Idaho Capitol building, there is the most beautiful marble: red marble from Georgia, gray marble from Alaska, green marble from Vermont, and black marble from Italy. The Architectural inspiration of the Idaho Capitol building included the works of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, St Paul's Cathedral in London, and the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.
Located in the center of the Idaho Capitol building there is the most beautiful skydome with 13 large stars and 43 smaller stars. The 13 large stars represent the thirteen original colonies and the 43 smaller stars indicate that Idaho was the forty-third state to enter the union. It’s one of my favorite pieces of the Idaho Capitol building, because of its intricate design and symbolism.
This year I really wanted to do something different. Something that is not a traditional family photo session. I wanted it to be playful and fun. To a little kid, the Idaho Capitol building is like a palace. I was inspired to fit the theme of the Christmas season and all the magic, joy, and happiness it brings.
To fit this magical fairytale-like theme I purchased a red floor-length gown, that has a hugging slender fit, with an open shoulder, and a long mermaid-like train. “My little boy calls it the red fiery princess gown.” The best thing about this dress is that it looks elegant and expensive, but it was only $40 on SHEIN.com I bought my little boy a nice knitted navy sweater with a light blue checkered button-up shirt to go underneath, and matching navy blue pants with the cutest dark gray high top dress shoes - all from Target. I made this Christmas photoshoot even more affordable by having my mom take our pictures with my I-phone 11, which has a great camera on it and portrait mode as well. As a publisher, I have access to all of the Adobe Pro programs, so editing these photos myself will be a synch. I even downloaded a free photo filter package that I found online. It’s very basic but has a timeless look to it. The photos really don’t need to be touched up much, because of the soft-focused lighting in the Idaho Capitol building. The lighting gives the photos that already timeless vintage look that I am already going for.
As a thrifty single mom, I feel pretty happy with how everything turned out and that I did not have to spend a fortune to capture these photos. It could have well cost close to $700+ for a photographer ($450), a beautiful dress ($300), and clothing for my little boy ($65). My mission was accomplished by making these photos special, magical, and fun! My little boy had an absolute ball at the Idaho Capitol building and I know, will someday look back on and cherish these photos of us together.
Fun Facts About the Idaho Capitol Building
There are 219 pillars in the original building – Doric, Corinthian, or Ionic – and each pillar is made up of marble dust, plaster, and scagliola. Scagliola is a mixture of granite, marble dust, gypsum, and glue dyed to look like marble. This artificial marble was created by a family of artisans in Italy.
From the first floor to the eagle atop the dome, the Idaho Capitol Building rises 208 feet.
The Winged Victory statue is a plaster replica of the original marble statue of Nike of Samothrace. The original statue was found on the island of Samothrace, Greece, in 1863 by a French explorer. The statue has characteristic features of Hellenistic art. The people of France gave the replica to the United States as part of a gift after U.S. forces helped liberate France from Nazi occupation at the end of World War II. After it arrived in February 1949, state officials placed the gift in the Boise capitol.
Tunnels connect the Capitol Building to the Supreme Court building and other government buildings on Capitol Mall to the east.
A full-scale replica of the Liberty Bell (uncracked) occupies a site at the base of the stairs outside the Jefferson Street entrance.
The sculpture Statue head of Louise Shadduck honors the dedication of Idaho author, historian, civil servant, and political activist Louise Shadduck who died in 2008, at age 92. In 1958, Shadduck was elected secretary of Commerce and Development – the first woman to hold that office. The statue is made of bronze and black stone.
Idaho’s Capitol Building is the only one in the United States heated by geothermal water. The hot water is tapped and pumped from a source 3,000 feet underground.
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