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Monthly Archives: October 2007

Once upon a time…

Goat There was a young mom who loved Halloween. She spent hours making wonderful costumes for her children and beamed proudly as they collected candy and compliments.

Eventually, the young mother began to slack off. And she got older. But that wasn’t really the problem, mostly she was slacking off. Within a mere ten years, her children were reduced to finding things around the house for costumes. On one particular year (ok, this year…) all the poor children could find was a sheet and a pair of glasses and hand-me-down costumes from prior years. We’ll see how this story ends… Stay tuned. :)

Oh! By the way… we felt the earthquake last night. Enough to cause excitement, not enough to cause damage. Shelby came home from school last week, terrified about earthquakes because someone said there would be a big huge one the next day, so we talked about what to do and why our house is most likely safe and how she can go to sleep without fear of death. So we were prepared. But still, she and Piper were pretty freaked out.

November 1, 2007 - 9:52 am Hilary - Poor, poor Piper. :)

November 6, 2007 - 2:15 pm kent - Ha Ha - I was just talking to the kids last week about your costume and that you were a hit at our meeting. I told them what the kids would be and they thought it was cool. So no goat for Franklin this year? :-)

Thunderstorm!!

I really love a little bit of bad weather. I’m not wishing for a hurricane or tornado, but a great rainstorm or windstorm makes me really happy. The lack of bad weather has been a big bummer since moving out to California. All of these nice warm sunny days can get pretty boring. :)

I’ve thrown open the window in my house to help me enjoy the beautiful rumble of the thunderstorm. It’s delightful.

October 29, 2007 - 4:56 pm Hilary - It was refreshing, I would agree.

October 30, 2007 - 10:31 am Brenda - Jealous down here. All we get is wind...

October 30, 2007 - 1:24 pm Mindy - I loves me a good thunderstorm, with lots of lightning. I miss the storms we had in Indy and Virginia (minus the occasional tornados and/or hurricane). I'm sniffing really hard to get a whiff of your rainy air!

Soup update.

Butternut Squash and Granny Smith Apple. check.

Chicken Noodle. check.

Portugese Sausage and Kale. check.

Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup (Pho). check. Didn’t make it, but ate it last week, I’m counting it.

Mexican Corn Chowder. check.

Cream of Chicken and Wild Rice. check. (again, bought this one, but still counting it)

Top Ramen. check.

Still on the docket: Split Pea Soup, Cream of Broccoli soup. Looking forward to these.

My kids are beginning to ask when they can get off the liquid diet. My answer? I’m not sure. I’m still digging the liquid diet and don’t want to give it up yet. My only regret is that we’ve been eating nearly all the soup at each sitting, so I don’t have a freezer-full of a variety of soup like I wanted.

Just trying to keep this blog as informative as possible, folks.

In other news, I wanted to thank all you all for signing up for mini-sessions. They booked up in less than 24 hours! I’ll be sending the final details to everyone later today.

And because it’s boring to leave a post up without any pictures, say hello to cutie pie.Sirkin_33

And her parents.Sirkin_18  Sirkin_09 Sirkin_20Sirkin_44 

Sirkin_49Sirkin_29_2

October 25, 2007 - 5:32 pm margie - Shannon! Look at you capturing such joy in a family. This is incredible!!!

October 25, 2007 - 9:53 pm Hilary - Uh... recipes? :) You are a mini-session fiend. :)

October 26, 2007 - 6:32 am Lindsay - Sounds yummy. I love soup. I just made Butternut Squash soup this past week. Oh boy, was it delicious! I can't say that it would surpass my favorite of Split Pea Soup, but it was right up there. And the recipe was so simple!

October 27, 2007 - 4:42 pm Holli - I love making soup. Now what I want to know is - how did you get your kids to eat all those soups? I can't get my kids to eat any soup but canned chicken noodle. They'll eat the required one bite and that's it of all soups I make. :-( We had a delicious chicken enchilada soup this week. SOOOO good!

Got a little excited there…

I hate feeling like I lied. But turns out I did (on accident). I just noticed we just hit FOUR thousand comments, not five. But still!! I think that’s amazing, especially given the fact that I rarely say anything interesting!

Continuing that train of thought, I bought a new cookbook today.Cookbook  A cookbook devoted to making soup. I have been craving soup lately. And when I say "craving" I mean thinking of it constantly and dreaming about it and wishing there was a pot of soup on the stove at all times. I want a million different kinds of soup at my fingertips, so I can eat it whenever the mood hits. So my plan is to make like ten different soups and freeze them in portions so I can eat it every day for lunch. And maybe if I also hit the gym, I’ll loose this spare tire I keep beating myself up about. So, tonight… Butternut Squash Bisque. I can hardly wait!

While I’m here, I might as well share some images from a recent session… hmm… let’s see…Kenney_05 Kenney_13 Kenney_19

I thought her shoes were so sexyKenney_27 . Kenney_32

I photographed the baby recently, and am just now proofing them. He was SOOO cute. More on him in the future. :)

October 18, 2007 - 5:45 pm Laurissa - Soups sounds good, especially as we've been eating spaghetti and hot dogs lately. I really need to branch out. Let me know how the cookbook works out.

October 18, 2007 - 7:30 pm Hilary - Awh... Kimberly's adorable. Nurses always have y shoes. It's our way.

October 18, 2007 - 7:35 pm Tina - Gorgeous photos! Love the belly shot with the hands.

October 19, 2007 - 1:31 pm joslyn - just found your blog. great photos!!! love your work.

My new friend…

(you guys are SO close!!!) **eta** You did it!! Congratulations to Laurissa, my 5000th commenter. :)

In my last post, I mentioned that I had a new friend I want you to meet. Internet, this is Buggy. Buggy, this is Internet.Buggy3 Buggy  He was so cute, looking at me with his buggy eyes. Though I get the feeling he might have been wondering if he could take me down and eat me for lunch. Are bugs that look like vegetables vegetarian?

Buggy and I met right after I finished a photo session a couple weeks ago. He was just waiting for me on my car, hoping to introduce himself. As luck would have it, I had my good camera and my lovely macro lens.

So Buggy and I had a little impromptu photo session. I decided not to charge him for it, as long as he understood that these photos might turn up on the internet and he might just be nude and he wouldn’t be able to do anything about it. But he was cool with that. He looks like he’s covered up by a leaf, anyway. Or IS a leaf. Or something like that. Anyway, Buggy was all into modeling.

Look at those eyes…Buggy1

Do they look scary? I can’t decide.

So… anyway… Buggy loved me so much. I got in the car and drove off, expecting him to clear the scene as soon as it got windy. But no… I guess Buggy wasn’t done getting his picture taken. He wanted to come home with me and be my Buggy and let me raise him as my own. Or maybe he wanted to eat me. I don’t exactly know.

I gained a great deal of respect for Buggy on the drive home. He hung on for dear life. Even on the freeway. As the wind was whipping him at nearly 60 miles per hour, I was thinking… "Buggy… just let go. If you get off this crazy ride, the air is calm, your life becomes uncomplicated again." But no. Buggy just kept hanging on. I began to feel bad for poor Buggy and made it easier on him by taking the next exit and using side streets to get home. He seemed to enjoy that ride a bit more, but still… that must have taken incredible strength to hold on.

Eventually, I made it home, with Buggy planted firmly on my windshield the whole time. He taught me a great lesson, this new friend. Yes, he could’ve given up and gotten some rest and relaxation along the side of the road somewhere (or… on the front of another windshield), but he hung on. The trial passed and he ended up in a wonderful paradise, My Front Yard. Or maybe the lesson is that you don’t need to try so hard and be stupid, you can get off the crazy ride and find peace. I can’t decide if that was dumb or smart of him to hold on, but I’m sure there’s a lesson in there somewhere.

Or maybe, the dude had dreams of male modeling and he wasn’t done until HE said so. So, one more for Buggy, after the ride home, all windblown and fierce. Buggy2_2

October 16, 2007 - 9:18 am melia - Awesome pics, even though I don't like bugs. You remind me of Pioneer Woman :) Melia

October 16, 2007 - 9:22 am Cathrina - You are amazing!!! I love the pictures of the wedding and even buggie :) Miss you guys. Big Hugs. Cat

October 16, 2007 - 9:34 am Brenda Miles - He's crazy cute! You even make nasty bugs look gorgeous! And I'm sure your front yard is his little heaven.

October 16, 2007 - 9:56 am Andrea - Seriously, you were always afraid of dogs but bugs don't bother you? I admit, you do make him look pretty cute. At least you weren't falling in love with a praying mantis. I don't think I would visit your blog again if you were blowing up and waxing poetic about one of those. (shiver) YuckA.

October 16, 2007 - 10:35 am Kayli - That's really crazy--cause this just barely happened to us! Except it was a praying mantis and we only saw him on our hood AFTER we got to Lowe's, and then when we came back he was still there, so he drove with us around town, our kids asking every 2.2 seconds if he was still there, and he came home with us. Then my son poked him and he jumped off into the bushes. Great pictures of your cool-looking bug.

October 16, 2007 - 11:46 am Deena - You know you have people that appreciate photography when they can see the simple beauty of a tiny green bug. The green and yellows are really pretty.

October 16, 2007 - 12:17 pm Laurissa - Those are really cool pictures. I'm looking at your blog with Matthew (3) and he really liked the eyes on buggy.

October 16, 2007 - 12:50 pm Nicole - We just found that we had a praying mantis in our back yard. Our nearly 2 year old daughter brought the thing to my attention. She loved it. I wasn't as thrilled about the huge thing that was nearly the length of my hand. Cool pictures, though. Just checking in on who won (and secretly wishing that it's me)!

October 16, 2007 - 1:12 pm Kelly - I love the bug pics!

October 16, 2007 - 1:43 pm Alana M - Wow I've never found such an interesting bug around here. Cool.

October 16, 2007 - 2:32 pm Kari - Wow! Now that Buggy is a supermodel I feel honored to have met him! Viva "Green Steel"

October 16, 2007 - 5:46 pm Hilary - EWwwwww....

October 17, 2007 - 4:39 pm Laurissa - I am honored to be the 5,000 commenter on your blog! I just wish it had been an incredibly witty, funny comment . . . but I guess I'll save that one for comment 10,000 :)

Coming up on a big milestone!

I just realized I’m getting really close to a BIG milestone with the blog… nearly 5000 comments in the life of this blog (which, granted, has taken years, but STILL!). Seems like there should be a contest or a party or something.

SO… for the 5000th commenter, I’m going to give a big box of scrapbooking supplies and a gift card to Two Peas in a Bucket. If you’re local and have had or plan to have a photo session, you’ll also get a free 11×14 from your session. If you don’t scrapbook, then we can apply the value of the products to a photo session and give the box of goodies to someone who will actually want it. So TALK TO ME! :)

In other news, I dropped off  some pictures to clients on Saturday. It’s got to be one of the best parts of my job, watching how happy people are when they get these in their hands. One of the moms could barely talk through her tears as she described how she felt watching the slideshow. Seriously… what better compliment could I get?!Witter_11  Witter_36 Witter_17

Witter_05

Reed_09Reed_05_2 I love family shots like this, where everyone is represented, but not necessarily showing… just their happiness or their comforting presence.Reed_30

Reed_17_2

Stay tuned for a very important post about a new friend I made recently…

October 15, 2007 - 11:29 am Lindsay - Great, how am I supposed to know what number you are at now so I can strategically plan my post? I think the contest should have been for the first responder, because I am the first responder. Just kidding. Lovely pictures! Jeff and I need to visit San Jose!

October 15, 2007 - 12:31 pm Holli - Great pictures, Shannon. You do such great work! Don't you want to visit the Sacramento area sometime? :-)

October 15, 2007 - 12:36 pm Deena - Hey there! I love the wedding pictures! BTW, you should check out the Stephenie Meyer website and pick up a Jacob t-shirt.

October 15, 2007 - 1:55 pm Andrea - Please, please...I wanna be 5000....

October 15, 2007 - 3:11 pm Jami - Hi. I don't know if I count, but I'm commenting anyway :) I LOVE the wedding photos!!! Everything else too. I wish you would've done my wedding.

October 15, 2007 - 4:10 pm Lara - Might as well try for 5000.... Really loved your wedding photos, btw. I don't know why you were so nervous about it! :)

October 15, 2007 - 5:13 pm Hilary - Awh... def. something I miss by just giving them the CD.

October 15, 2007 - 5:50 pm Mindy - I can relate to the crying-through-the-slideshow sentiment. Curious about your new friend...

October 15, 2007 - 6:03 pm Nicole - So you don't know me, but I got a link to your blog from my friend Mindy. Anyway, I check back every now and then because I LOVE your photography and saw Mindy's family's shots. I'm dreaming and saving for a time we could have you photograph our family! Anyway, thanks for the glipses of art!

October 15, 2007 - 6:25 pm Becky - Congratulations!!! Your work is AMAZING! I love visiting your site!

October 15, 2007 - 6:37 pm Moriah Bettencourt - I love the little serious guy at the bottom. What a cutey?

October 15, 2007 - 6:38 pm Moriah Bettencourt - oops I did not mean a question mark

October 15, 2007 - 6:47 pm betsy - Visit your blog often-love your photos-some people just have talent to take good pictures! I believe good photos can make great scrapbook pages-wish I had that talent.

October 15, 2007 - 8:55 pm Heather Roms - I visit your blog all the time and always think your pictures and your scrapbooking are totally rad!

October 15, 2007 - 9:28 pm Meghan Roberts - Ok, ok... so I can't be silent admirer any longer? Please let me be 5000! Love the picture of the little boy running - so adorable!

October 15, 2007 - 10:40 pm kristen hansen (from AZ) - Ha ha ha, love that Meghan.... Hey Shannon, I am certain this is your 5000th comment. If not, that's okay too. I will still read your blog and worship you. Oh and that Meghan I was referring to, the Sis Roberts in your ward... yes she's a gal I went to HS with! Small world that she rubs shoulders with one of my most favorite links ever (that's you!) She's a sweet gal, isn't she? And I told her she needs to get a session with you, so I can Ohh and Ahh over the amazing photos I know you will take. So maybe this isn't the 5000th, but it's sure to be the longest, right? hee hee.

October 15, 2007 - 11:30 pm Brenda Miles - I don't think it would be fair if I won both your contests, but if it happens, it's out of my hands!

October 16, 2007 - 4:30 am Amber Smith - How do you get such great lighting? Do you have fast lens or good flashes?

October 16, 2007 - 5:35 am Suzelle Kasaian - sweet !!!! LOVE your work !!!!!

October 16, 2007 - 7:23 am LeAnne - Shannon - so good to see you posting again. I missed your blog over the summer. Happy blogging!

October 16, 2007 - 8:54 am Kayli Bell - is it my lucky day?!

October 16, 2007 - 12:40 pm Beverly - All of your photography is awesome, but those wedding pictures were exquisite. Some of the best I have ever seen.

October 24, 2007 - 1:57 pm Julie Reed - Hi Shannon- Just saw your blog-all I can say is WOW!!!! I am just in awe of your talent. You have such an amazing talent. I got frames for all of our photos last week and can't wait to hang them. As the other folks said, I wish you were around when I got married. Those pictures are beyond anything I have EVER seen! I can't wait to take more photos with you. julie, jackson and jay

The Wedding.

It was so much fun. I can say that now that it’s been a few weeks and I’m not sick anymore! Just kidding. It was exhausting but a really great time. I want to do it again!

Here’s the slideshow. The slideshow has about half the pictures. I’m only going to leave it up for a couple days because it will get really annoying to have it playing every time you visit! I had to mess with the margins of my page to get this to show, I hope it works!

(eta: You can now view the slideshow HERE.)

The song is the one they chose for their first dance. Be sure to watch for the extremely handsome groomsman (who happens to be the father of my children) that was distracting me from my job. I tried not to make this about him. :)

Some details:

Board_2 There were so many fun details. Sarah did most of the planning herself and did a great job!

A few of my favorite images (although they’re ALL my favorites!):

The dress:Koch_017_3

Sarah, before the ceremony:Koch_080

Ryan, moments before the ceremony: Koch_100

Ivy, moments before the ceremony:Koch_093

During the ceremony, exchanging rings: Koch_130

And a couple favorites from after: Koch_232 Koch_210 Koch_226

October 12, 2007 - 4:15 pm Andrea - Can I just say that I think you RULE!!?? These pics are amazing.

October 12, 2007 - 4:23 pm Rachel - you are amazing!! These are fabulous. They must be over the moon!

October 12, 2007 - 4:55 pm elizabeth - Wow, Shannon, these are the best wedding photos I've ever seen. I'm so impressed!!

October 12, 2007 - 6:10 pm Hilary - Really nice job, I'm sure they love them!

October 12, 2007 - 6:26 pm Tina - Wow, Shannon. I'm speechless. That last one knocks my socks off. You should be very proud of yourself.

October 12, 2007 - 7:15 pm Kerri - When I see these pictures, I am a little bummed about my own wedding and especially my wedding pictures. BORING! I wish I could get married again just so I could have you take my pictures! So creative, beautiful and fabulous!

October 13, 2007 - 12:41 am Kristen - Simply breathtaking! She's stunning! Your work is incredible and inspiring as always.

October 13, 2007 - 11:18 am Lindsay - Beautiful!!!

October 13, 2007 - 1:43 pm Brenda Miles - I second Kerri. My wedding photos suck compared to those. THESE ARE THE BEST I'VE EVER SEEN SHANNON!!!!!!

October 13, 2007 - 4:21 pm janet o - My GOODNESS...these are so good - you are so so SO incredibly talented. AWesome job.

October 13, 2007 - 8:23 pm Suzelle Kasaian - wow, wow, wow....these are AMAZING !!!!!!!! Love the song playing too :)

October 14, 2007 - 8:45 am Mindy - So lovely! Wouldn't it be fun to "remodel" your wedding day when it gets outdated, just like remodeling your house or something? Anyone up for renewing their vows just so Shannon can be there? :) I guess I'll probably just have to settle for you taking Rachel's wedding pictures (can we get that on the calendar already?). I love to see you succeed in so many areas. You are just so talented. Wonderful work, Shannon.

October 15, 2007 - 10:53 am molly - ok, after that, i'm convinced that i'm flying you out here to good ole PA to capture my wedding. it's wonderful shannon! fantastic job!!

October 15, 2007 - 11:50 am Kim - These ARE really great. Curious though, how did you get the traffic out of the way so you could shoot the bride in the middle of the street??

October 15, 2007 - 2:14 pm melia - These are amazing, Shannon-wow!

October 15, 2007 - 6:09 pm jenniferL - those are awesome photos shannon! i love the last one with the flare.

Mini-Sessions

For any of you that would like a family picture, but don’t want a full session, this is for you!

When: November 3, 2007

Where: Downtown Campbell

How it works: For a $75 creation fee (that’s half the regular price!) you get a 30-minute family session, 10-20 photos in an online gallery to choose from, and your choice of either 25 holiday cards or an 8×10.

I’m only doing it this one day, and I will do up to 8 families. So if you’re interested, let me know asap! You can either leave a comment here, or email me at shannon@shannonmontez.com

Here’s a sample of a couple Christmas cards I made last year… Of course there are many more options than this and I can design anything from scratch, but I just hated ending a post with only words. :)

Card1web_2 Laynejami_card_copyweb_2 Nicholscardweb   

October 10, 2007 - 4:17 pm kent - Oh - there's me!! For anyone that is hesitating- don't! We had a great time getting photographed last year and I am looking at a beautiful photo of my two boys I had done that is over my desk. I still use and love the photos I had taken and that was almost a year ago.

October 10, 2007 - 10:41 pm Janet Hartley - We'd love to have our family pics. with you! Will you call me to set things up? Thanks! Janet

October 12, 2007 - 8:50 am Brenda Miles - Why did I move?

October 12, 2007 - 10:59 am Andrea - Me me me!!!! I am SOOOO wanting some family pics from you....can't you ever come out to visit me????

October 15, 2007 - 12:37 am erin yamabe - oh, i won't be in town that weekend, however, if you do this again by chance, please post:) i would love this oppty:)

November 1, 2007 - 11:21 am Jennifer - Have admired your work for a long time. Will you be holding future Mini-Sessions? Can you please add me to your mailing/newsletter list? Thank you!

Reading again!

I really love getting lost in a book. Sometimes (ok… almost always) when I’m involved in a good book, I have a hard time coming out of the book and getting on with reality. It’s my acid trip or my booze fog. A total escape. I can tune everything else out and focus intently on the world within its pages (much to the dismay of anyone trying to get my attention at any point during my involvement with a book).

Once I had kids, I found reading to be very difficult. I would tend to ignore the kids and all housework for several days in order to spend as much time as possible in a book. With little ones, that can be bad… very bad. So, for my children’s safety, I had to be very selective on how often I read, which wasn’t very often.

At the beginning of the summer, I made a goal to read more. It’s been so fun! I’m addicted again, for sure. As I was looking at the list of books I’ve read since June, I figured I’ve read about a book a week. Pretty good for a girl who averaged maybe 2-3 books per year in the past few years! I think it helps that I don’t have a baby destroying the house as soon as I look away. At least, not with Sharpies like they did in the past. (And just because I said that, I’m probably going to have a post in the next few days documenting the damage someone did with a Sharpie, since that seems to be how it goes…as soon as you’re sure of something, or get too cocky, you’re kicked in the knees by the thing you thought you were safe from.)

So… for any of you readers out there, here are my summer reading recos:

A Thousand Splendid Suns Really really good. I couldn’t put it down. I was visiting family when I read this and spent an entire day and most of a night reading this and finished it in one day. It was thought provoking and moving, the type of book that leaves you feeling like a different person than the one who picked it up.

Twilight, Full Moon, Eclipse Such a fun series. My sister from another mister, Mindy, gave me Twilight when I was in Utah, telling me how her cousin’s wife’s sister wrote it and it’s getting all kinds of praise. So, I’m practically related to the author. This book was the one that finally kicked Harry Potter off the number one spot on the fancy book list, whatever it is (NY times? Billboard?)  :) It can be a bit melodramatic at times, but I will forgive that (it was written for teens, after all) because it is so fun and engaging. I read all three in close succession… the most fun I’ve had since I fell in love with Harry Potter in the beginning, years ago. Maybe even more fun…

The Red Tent Awesome. This book is about Dinah from the Bible. So, it’s practically like reading the bible. I’m totally counting it as bible study. The incest, the sex… all of that’s in the bible, right? Ha ha. It was fun reading a book set this far back, learning about the way they did things and having a very interesting and lovable character leading me along. I felt like I really knew this character by then end, like she was one of my really good friends.

Water for Elephants I read this one this week. I loved it. Another totally engrossing book where I got really caught up with the characters and the environment. I fell in love with the narrator… I even cried tears of joy at the end… something that is unusual for me! But I must warn my innocent friends… there are a couple parts that might offend your delicate sensibilities. Please forgive me for adoring this book anyway.

So… go forth and read. Let me know what you think about these. Maybe we could do a book club in the comments section here?  Maybe?

And when you find a can’t miss novel… let me know. I’m on the lookout for my next great read!

October 8, 2007 - 5:28 am Maureen - LOVED Water for Elephants! Read The Red Tent years ago....and yes...awesome! Have A Thousand Splendid Suns waiting for me. My daughter has read the Twilight etc...and LOVED them! I keep saying I am going to read them but time....ugh! Good for you for reading more! I love to read :)

October 8, 2007 - 8:48 am Hilary - I'll have to put that water for elephants on hold at the library. I think it's time for you to get a good reads list. :)

October 8, 2007 - 8:57 am Allison K - Some good recommendations!

October 8, 2007 - 10:55 am Holli - Love good book recommendations! A Thousand Splendid Suns is by the same author as The Kite Runner, right? I loved that book and am definitely interested in reading this one. Some other good reads I've had recently: Enders Game by Orson Scott Card, A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute and for a classic, Mutiny on the Bounty by Charles Nordhoff and James Norman Hall.

October 8, 2007 - 10:57 am Deena - I love the Stephenie Meyer series. It is a must read for the teachers at the school I work at. I've even bought some Twilight t-shirts. Edward Cullen is hot, hot, hot!

October 8, 2007 - 1:10 pm Kathi - Can I stop by after school and borrow a book? I NEED to read! I'm going nuts!

October 8, 2007 - 4:51 pm AmyG - well, you already know my love for all things Twilight. :) I also loved Red Tent. I'm going to have to pick up the others you recommended!

October 9, 2007 - 1:57 pm Tina - Barbara Kingsolver's "The Poisonwood Bible" and "Prodigal Summer" are two of my favorite books. "The Secret Life of Bees" was a great read, as was "The Glass Castle". Jodi Picoult's "Harvesting the Heart" was great and I know I'll be reading more of her work. I also just finished "Eat, Pray, Love" and really enjoyed it. I'm now reading "Digging to America" by Anne Tyler and, since it's about adoption, a topic near and dear to my heart, and since it's Anne Tyler, and since everyone else whose read it says it's wonderful, it's bound to be great.

October 9, 2007 - 7:58 pm Brenda Miles - You're the 4th person to suggest the Stephanie Meyers books. What is taking me so long?

October 10, 2007 - 6:00 pm Laurissa - So funny, Shannon, as I am just coming up out of the fog after reading the Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse trilogy. I'm still feeling a little guilty as I look around the house, but I'm sure we'll see the floor again, if I don't start any new books.

October 11, 2007 - 7:39 am kristi - wow! I am reading A Thousand Splendid suns right now, and have read every other book on your list- except Water for Elephants, that I have picked up and put back a few times- unsure of it, but now I will read it for sure! thanks!

October 12, 2007 - 10:51 am Court De - oh my gosh I am the same EXACT way - totally lost for days when I get a good book. i love the Red Tent I read that probably 5 years ago and it's one of my all time favorites.

Fun opportunity…

First of all… the wedding is done. I can’t wait to share. However, my computer is pooping out and I want to wait ’til I get my new one (yay!!) before I attempt that entry.  Could be tomorrow. Hopefully. Crossing my fingers.

In the meantime, I thought I’d share a fun session I did recently that was different than my norm. Full Throttle is a local band that needed some publicity pics. It was fun to walk around and play with this type of group… way different than chasing a toddler, for sure! :)

Here are a few of my faves…

Full_throttle_03 Full_throttle_06 Full_throttle_08 Full_throttle_26 Full_throttle_33 Full_throttle_35

Feel free to check out the slideshow here.

October 4, 2007 - 9:36 pm Hilary - NEW COMPUTER!!!! No way!!!!

October 4, 2007 - 10:20 pm Rachel - unbelievably AMAZING. wow. you rocked this!

October 5, 2007 - 6:56 am Julie - way cool, shannon! i love this style from you!

October 5, 2007 - 7:44 am Lindsay - Sweet band pics! These guys look really tough!

October 5, 2007 - 10:00 am Mindy - Cool pictures! The first one is my favorite with the sun. BTW, we saw your wedding slideshow last night--it worked fine for us. Have fun with the new computer!

October 5, 2007 - 11:16 am Brenda Miles - I saw these on your website (I've been checking for the wedding pics!) and was highly impressed. I loved all the ones with the car. I don't know how to say this without sounding like a lame mom, but these pics were, for lack of better word, cool.

October 6, 2007 - 9:02 am stacy benintendi - shannon i have not been on your blog for months ans i was so happy to see all of these amazing shoots. these are some awesome pictures. ;)

October 8, 2007 - 4:52 pm AmyG - how cool!!! i love the first car one.

October 10, 2007 - 6:03 pm Laurissa - Awesome pictures, I wish I could have seen you posing them (or whatever it's called in the photography world) and telling them all what to do, I don't know why that thought makes me smile.