last minute back to school thrifting in Minden, Louisiana
School starts Monday, and if your back to school shopping list is still untouched, you’re not behind. We spent the day primping at The Vanity Loft in Springhill, thrifting a whole wardrobe at Purvey in Minden, and revealing our finds at The Villas at Spanish Court. Here’s where we went, and how to pull off your own last-minute run.
We Went Back to School Thrift Shopping in Minden, Louisiana, and Here’s What Happened
If you’re doing back to school thrift shopping in Minden, Louisiana this weekend because school TECHNICALLY started today, but we’re going to pretend it really starts Monday and you have not so much as looked at a shopping list yet, I want you to know: you are not behind, you are right on time. My Senior Creator Team and I spent a full day doing exactly that, thrifting our whole back to school wardrobe instead of fighting the crowds at the Targé, and it turned into one of my favorite creative days of the year. Most of Webster Parish are already back in session today. If yours starts Monday, this weekend might be your last window, and I promise it does not have to feel rushed.
Getting Ready at The Vanity Loft
We started the day at The Vanity Loft in Springhill, where Callie Coe did our hair and makeup. I asked for something light and easy, not the full glam you’d expect for a shoot, because the whole point of the day was that our thrifted pieces could stand on their own. Callie kept everything soft: natural and fun styles for the hair, a barely-there glow on the skin, nothing that would compete with a thrifted graphic tee or a great pair of vintage jeans. That’s actually a good rule for back to school photos in general. Let the outfit be the star. Save the heavy glam for homecoming.
Where We Went: Purvey in Minden
From The Vanity Loft, we headed to Purvey, the vintage and reloved clothing shop tucked into a beautifully restored 1932 building in downtown Minden. Sara McDaniel has built something special there: racks of upscale vintage pieces, real denim, real texture, nothing that looks like it came off a fast fashion conveyor built. Each of them picked their own outfit first, then the twist: I gave them all a piece of paper with a size on it that would fit one of the other team members, sight unseen until the reveal. It turned a shopping trip into a little bit of a game, and it changed how we shopped. Instead of “what do I usually wear,” it became “what is the raddest thing I can find in this size” which is a much more fun question. If you’re doing back to school thrift shopping in Minden, Louisiana with your high schooler, that same trick works. Let them pick a piece for you, or you pick one for them. It gets everyone out of autopilot and honestly, would be the funnest girls day ever!
The Reveal at The Villas at Spanish Court
We ended the day at The Villas at Spanish Court, the restored 1930s apartments in downtown Minden that Sara also owns and runs as an AirBnB. The funky design and style of Annie gave us the perfect backdrop for the reveal: everyone finally seeing the outfit picked out for them, then some fun photo sessions around the property. Trying to transport these Gen-Alphas a few decades proved very entertaining 😆
Why Sustainable Shopping Matters for Your Family’s Back to School Season
Here’s the thing about back to school thrift shopping in Minden, Louisiana: it is not just a budget move, though it absolutely helps there too. It’s a chance to teach your senior or your younger kiddo that their style does NOT have to come from the same five stores every other classmate is shopping from. Thrifting means one-of-a-kind pieces, real quality construction you don’t always find in fast fashion, and money that stays in a small, locally-owned Minden business instead of leaving town. For the moms scrolling this at 11pm trying to figure out how you let the days creep up on you too fast: you still have this weekend, and it can still feel like an event instead of a chore.
How to Do Your Own Last-Minute Thrift Run This Weekend
If you’re heading to Purvey or another thrift shop around the Ark-La-Tex this weekend, go in with a loose plan and a flexible mind. Bring a list or two or three “need” items (jeans, a jacket, an every day tee) but leave room to be surprised. Try the buddy-pick game we played: have your senior pick something for you and you pick something for them (because Purvey also carries rad things for mom and dad, too!) Give yourself more time than you think you need, good thrift finds are worth a little digging. And if you want the day to feel like more than errands, do what we did: add a stop for hair and makeup, or just great lighting and a phone camera, and turn the last-minute scramble into a memory instead of a stress.
FAQ
Q: Where can I go back to school thrift shopping in Minden, Louisiana?
A: Purvéy, located at 726 Broadway in downtown Minden, is where we did all of our shopping. It's vintage and reloved clothing with a curated, upscale feel, not a bargain-bin free-for-all, but there’s so many other options throughout Webster Parish - check out their Facebook page for all the finds in our area https://www.facebook.com/VisitWebsterParish
Q: Is thrift shopping actually cheaper than buying new for back to school?
A: Almost always, and you tend to get better construction and more unique pieces for the price. It just takes a little more digging than a big-box store.
Q: What if I only have this weekend before school starts?
A: You have plenty of time. One focused afternoon at a shop like Purvéy can outfit an entire week of first-day-of-school looks, plus they’re open on Sundays after church!
Q: Can I book a styled shopping and photo day like this for my own family or senior?
A: Yes. I love building custom experience days like this one, whether it's a back to school shopping day, a friend group session, or a senior styled around a local small business. Reach out and we'll design one around you.
Q: Do you offer hair and makeup for sessions like this?
A: I actually include hair and makeup in my senior sessions and partner with local artists like Callie Coe at The Vanity Loft in Springhill to make sure you have the best, laid back experience so again, it doesn’t feel like a stress, but a fun memory.
Q: Where was the reveal and photo shoot filmed?
A: At The Villas at Spanish Court in downtown Minden, a beautifully restored historic property that also operates as a short-term rental Air BnB.
Back-to-School POP UPs in Springhill, LA: Real Kids, Real Joy
Ten kids, one old school bus, and five real minutes each. Here’s what this year’s back to school pop-up mini sessions in Springhill, LA actually looked like, apple bites and all.
Back to school pop up mini sessions in Springhill, LA wrapped up this year with ten kids in ten completely different five-minute windows, and I am still going through the gallery grinning. I do these every year at the same old yellow school bus, and every year I forget how much personality can show up in such a short window until I am sitting behind the screen watching it all again (without pouring sweat). This round had pre-k babes, elementary kiddos, and a senior all cycling through the same set, and somehow every single session still felt like its own little story. That range is exactly why I keep coming back to this format, and exactly why I wanted to walk you through it here instead of just posting a highlight reel and moving on. If you have followed along with my back to school pop up mini’s in Springhill, LA before, this year’s group might be my favorite yet.
The Regulars
This year’s crew genuinely could not have brought any more laughter, but I didn’t expect any less. My favorite brother-sister duo, going into fifth and first grade, officially kicked off the hour with his typical knuckle-head antics while she always counters the crazy with the sweetness, but I literally wouldn’t expect anything else from him LOL! Followed by one of my goofiest clients, a pre-k kiddo, basically launching himself off the bus steps mid-laugh with barely any direction from me, and it is one of my favorite frames from the whole day.
A pair of second graders came through back to back, one a cowgirl at heart who wanted her belt buckle to be the whole point of the photo, and one who somehow manages to look GQ no matter what he is doing while cracking me up the ENTIRE time. Two sisters heading into kindergarten and first grade were an absolute comedy duo, and I made sure to grab a couple of them together because their differentiating energy side by side was too good not to capture. Every single one of these kiddos showed up completely as themselves, which is really the only requirement I have for a good session.
The Becoming Thread: Ten Years Behind the Same Camera
One of the sessions this year hit differently for me personally. I have photographed one of these girls since she was a newborn, and she just turned 10 and is heading into fifth grade this fall. Watching her change year over year through my lens is exactly why I do this work in the first place. It is not really about back to school mini’s or Christmas mini’s as a one-time event, it is about the thread running through every single year I get to photograph the same kiddos as they become more and more themselves. That is the whole heart behind everything I shoot, whether it is a five-minute po up or a full senior session, and it is a big part of why families keep coming back to me year after year for milestones big and small.
Not Just Kids
This round also included a senior who is graduating early because he has worked so hard and applied himself so consistently, and who is somehow still one of the funnest guys I have the pleasure of photographing. His younger brother came through too, and that one is a session I will remember for a while. He only agreed to one photo, just to make mom happy, and I asked him if he’d rather drum the blocks with my pencils instead of posing. He ended up not wanting to leave. Some of my favorite moments this year came from kids who needed a few extra minutes to warm up, or who only signed on for one picture and stayed for a dozen, and I built these pop up mini sessions specifically so there is room for that. Meeting a kid exactly where they are, whatever that looks like that day, is the whole point, and it is a piece of how I photograph every session, mini or full length.
The Vintage, Barely-Posed Style
My style has been evolving toward something warmer and more vintage over the last year, and this batch of back to school pop up mini sessions in Springhill, LA is where it really clicked into place. Think soft, film-like tones, worn wood and books instead of props that feel staged, and real expressions instead of practiced ones. I am not chasing a trend here, I am chasing the feeling of an old photo pulled out of a shoebox, the kind that makes you remember exactly what a season felt like.
That means less directing and a lot more waiting, letting each kid do their own thing for a few minutes and catching it exactly as it happens, belt buckles, drum solos, and all. This is the same style you will see across my senior sessions and family milestone sessions too, it just happens to show up especially well in five fast minutes at an old school bus.
Booking Your Session
If you have loved following along with my back to school pop up mini sessions in Springhill, LA this year, here is the good news: this is the same style I bring to every single session, not just these pop-up minis. If this is the kind of session you want for your own family, whether it is a milestone session for your little one or a senior session for the one about to graduate, that same feel is what you will get. I would love to help you catch your kid exactly as they are in this season, gap-toothed grins, GQ faces, and all. Send me a message and let’s talk about what your session could look like.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How long is a pop-up mini session?
A: Max five minutes of shooting per kid. It’s a quick window to pop in, so it never overstays a young kid’s attention span, plus if someone ends up sick there’s no need to try to reschedule.
Q: Do you offer pop up mini sessions besides back to school?
A: Yes. I have three more coming up this year: a Rodeo theme on September 17, a Fall theme on October 10, and a New Year's Eve theme on December 31. These all typically run in my studio rather than the rare sessions like at the bus.
Q: Are these sessions only for younger kids?
A: No. This round included pre-k through senior year in the same format, but as long as your child can sit-up unassisted, come on! Keep in mind, pop-ups are not family sessions, they’re geared towards children only.
Q: What should we wear?
A: Wear what feels like your kid, not a costume. Something they'd actually pick, belt buckle or GQ fit included.
Q: How do we get our photos after the session?
A: For pop-ups specifically, you'll get a curated online gallery, with the option to add prints or wall art if a shot from the set deserves a permanent spot in your home.
Q: If I loved these, how do I book a senior or milestone session?
A: Send me a message through the website. This is the same style I bring to every session I shoot, not just the pop-up minis.
WELCOME TO THE FREAK SHOW! {Callie Jo Photography Styled Shoot}
Make sure to hit play for the music to set the mood ;)
STEP RIGHT UP! STEP RIGHT UP! Men and women, boys and girls! Hurry, hurry!
Gather around to witness the greatest show on earth! Witness the unfathomable… the unusual… the exotic! Feast your eyes upon the most curious mishaps our world has even seen! We travel all over the country and setup in your back pasture just to bring you the freaks!
WELCOME TO THE FREAK SHOW!
Introducing you to Tiffani Tickles, our family friendly clown ;) our amazing helper Claudia who never fears to step in and have a little fun with our carnies; Miss Mag who is the baddest around with her blades; Tangling Tristan, our marionette who specializes in accordion playing, but also has to share the sound with the Siamese twins ~ Grace & Lace. You decide which is which ;)
And we couldn't run the show without our Ring Leader Brock, who always pulls the strings of Miss Tristan! Stare in awe at the Stupendour Strongman, Mason… he’s been witnessed to stop trains dead with his strength! And I promise, she’s not an optical illusion, Miss Dexterous Drue always performs some of the most daring trapeze acts! Make sure to gaze upon the beauty of the Lovely Bearded Lady and get your fortune read by the talented Lex, who uses her bearded dragon to summon all her powers!!
