This adorable six-month-old cutie was so much fun to photograph! I think I love this age the most, the sitting up and really pleasant stage before they start getting around and getting impatient with things. If you remember last December, I decided to give away a session. A friend nominated this family and they won. They have been through so much this year. Little miss B was born with a severe problem in her abdomen that caused her intestines to go into her lung cavity… The mortality rate with this is very high. She spent a month in the hospital (and that was the fastest recovery time the doctors had seen with a case like hers!) and while she was there, another baby with the same condition was born, and passed away shortly thereafter. When I was discussing parenthood with this family during the shoot, her parents said that they just adore her. Crying at night doesn’t bother them, because at least she’s crying. They really appreciate and are thankful for the miracle that is their daughter. It was so fun for me to witness the love in this new little family.
Check out those eyes!! I know you’re looking for her scar… it’s just a tiny line on her stomach, barely visible. Her mommy takes such good care of her…
She was seriously the cutest, happiest baby.
Here she is, pondering the mysteries of life…
And counting her piggies… She loved those feet!
Normally, I like it to be just feet, and I did get a couple of those… but this one cracks me up. I love her looking over at me. We had a hard time getting those piggies without her sitting up because she kept lifting and grabbing them, so we gave up and got this.
Those eyes kill me… I love the different family shot here.
Horray for the bubble beard!! I love bubble beards… 
And don’t even get me started on baby butts. These were taken at my house, by the way… The parents lived too far for me to travel there, so they traveled here. I like my wood floors, especially when I’m trying to highlight the adorable pudge factor of baby butts. I love how she posed with her hand on her leg. 
We headed downtown for a couple family shots… I love the color of downtown walls. The interaction here was priceless…
Last shot of the day… I always like to end on this note (ha ha)… I love this shot, especially considering how they’d said earlier that they really are just happy that she can even cry. This picture illustrates that so perfectly, with mom looking happy and beautiful and dad being so gentle and comforting, and little miss B letting it all out!Man, that was fun. Can I just say again how much I love doing this?
Monthly Archives: March 2008
Winners
March 31, 2008 - 12:23 pm - These are so sweet!! Love that you did this for them!!! I think 6 month olds are my favorites, tooo - love that they're not mobile yet but so curious!
March 31, 2008 - 1:54 pm - Awh, very cute!
March 31, 2008 - 4:48 pm - Ohhhh am I loving this new blog of yours! Beautiful, clean design...A perfect showcase for your talent! Lovely pics...Sadly, I know all too well what a stunning miracle she is! Congrats to the family!!
March 31, 2008 - 4:54 pm - cute!
March 31, 2008 - 6:54 pm - Shannon--These are priceless! What a special baby this couple has. You did an amazing job of capturing the life in that little girl! These are beautiful!
March 31, 2008 - 9:17 pm - Aww, man. That's a great story and such a cutey patuty! She looks like she has the best little personality! Love the dimply bum, it's my fave.
March 31, 2008 - 9:36 pm - I love the positive attitude of those parents. I need to be more like them. What a sweet little girl. Very motivating family.
April 2, 2008 - 7:43 pm - Wow, Shannon, what awesome pictures...and a great story! I entered that contest, but I have to say you picked the righ winner! Wow! What an inspiring story of love...so happy for those parents and their sweet miracle! :-)
April 2, 2008 - 8:54 pm - aw sooo sweet shannon! lovely shoot!
April 6, 2008 - 12:41 pm - Shannon- These shots are absolutely beautiful! It makes we want to have another shoot with you! Maybe when Katelyn turns 1 :) Thank you for doing this!! Krista
Mancala
Have you guys ever played this game?
I’ve seen it before, but never learned it. Until now. Shelby talked us into getting it at Target a while ago and I have to say, I love it!
I’ve found a game that I can play with my kids without wanting to pull my hair out. While Candyland was fun when I was a kid, and Chutes and Ladders ROCKED, in the 10 years since I became a mom I’ve gotten pretty burned out on the standard kid games. I’ve played Candyland enough times to make me start sweating whenever I even see the box. Chutes and Ladders is so frustrating I can’t stand it… how I ever thought it was fun is beyond me! Sorry is a game I still like. Again, it’s frustrating, but I still like it.
But Mancala… I love. The pretty rocks, the easy rules… Sophie kicked my can the first time we played. I’m so happy to have a new game to play with the kids!
March 26, 2008 - 6:08 pm - We LOVE that game! We discovered it about 6 years ago while we were waiting for an interminable delay at the airport. I bought C a new version this past Christmas :)
March 26, 2008 - 7:40 pm - I just wanted to tell you how much I enjoy reading your blog and compliment you on how talented you are as a photographer. I am amazed!!! You probably have no idea who I am, but I lived in the same dorm with you at Ricks College way back when, though we didn't really know each other. I recognized you on one of your layouts at Two Peas quite a while back and try to check out your blog every now and then to see what you're up to now. Keep up the amazing work. I am truly amazed.
March 26, 2008 - 9:54 pm - my girls love this game. It's fabulous! I think they learned about it at school and it's become a favorite around here.
March 27, 2008 - 3:49 pm - Love those pretty little rocks.
March 27, 2008 - 6:26 pm - Shannon, I love your new blog! I love to look at all the pictures you post! You're awesome!
March 28, 2008 - 6:48 pm - I haven't played the game...but I LOVE LOVE LOVE your new blog header. Makes me miss all y'alls.
March 29, 2008 - 10:26 am - Aww dang. I thought I had changed your blog address on my blog link. I didn't. What a fool. I wondered why you hadn't posted since "The blog is dead". But I love the pics! They looked fine on our computer and on Trev's laptop. You have a gift lady.
March 30, 2008 - 11:06 am - Ooh, we LOVE Mancala. My son Zach and I play all the time. :) Very fun!
March 31, 2008 - 9:52 am - I used to love mancala when I was a camp couselor. We played all the time!
The Big Picture…
So one of the reasons I decided to get a new blog was the ability to post great big pictures! I wanted to try it out today, so I’m going to use the photos from one of my sessions last November that, for some reason, I never posted. I was pretty busy last November, so the blog got neglected. But I have to say, this was one of my favorite sessions ever.
I got to the park a few minutes before the family did, and this is what I saw:
{ insert choir singing: !!LLaaAAAAAAAA!!! }
It took my breath away… that light filtering in through the trees. My palms got sweaty, I felt all shaky and panicky that it would go away before the family showed up. (I left the garbage cans and stuff in that second picture, I wanted you to be able to tell that that’s how it really looked! No photoshop magic…)
Luckily, the family showed up in time. I ran out to meet them, I’m sure they thought I was nuts the way I was so excited when I started talking to them and telling them to hurry, because there was some amazing light in there!
I loved this moment I caught between father and son… so perfect… and dad had no idea I was capturing it… And the little rainbow? So fun!
I was so jealous of them. I would LOOOVE to get a family picture in that light at that moment!
This little man was SO much fun. We had a blast just being crazy and running around.
If only I could just create the ideal light for every session! I was happy all day after this session. We had such a great time!
Ok… I hope that worked out. I’m trying some new things, and with this being the first time posting large pics on the new blog, I’m anxious to see how it turns out. Please let me know what you think. Are they too big for your monitor? (It looks ok on mine, but I have a pretty huge screen!)
I’m hoping to be a much better blogger from now on! Stay tuned. 
March 24, 2008 - 4:08 pm - Love all the big pictures! Beautiful and perfect.
March 24, 2008 - 4:43 pm - Yummy. The people loved your photo site on my blog. They are very smart that way. :) They are fine on my monitor, but I too have a landscape monitor.
March 24, 2008 - 5:02 pm - Gorgeous! I LOVE that first one.
March 24, 2008 - 5:31 pm - No better time than the present to introduce my "blog-stalking" self and say, "I love the light!!!" awesome :) (a friend from San Jose forwarded your blog on...I love it :)
March 25, 2008 - 10:43 am - Absolutely awesome! That light is amazing. The pics aren't too big for my screen, but I do have a widescreen monitor. Wonder how it is with a regular, full-size monitor...
March 25, 2008 - 1:02 pm - Wow. How do you do that?? Just wow.
March 25, 2008 - 2:24 pm - Lovely, lovely, insanely gorgeous photos and location. I love how the photos look in this post. Big and beautiful is always a good thing.
March 25, 2008 - 5:47 pm - Beautiful!! Really, that first one should be framed and hung over my mantle. BTW I have a small crappy old monitor and they look just fine.
March 25, 2008 - 8:16 pm - I love, love, love these pics! When are you coming out to Utah next? I would love to schedule a session!
March 26, 2008 - 1:00 pm - WOW Shannon! Everything looks great. You are a creative genius!
March 30, 2008 - 11:08 am - These are great! That light is to die for. :)
The NEW ME!
I’m SO excited!! I really love my new website. If you somehow missed it, here’s the link: www.shannonmontez.com
I’m so stinking excited to finally have it up and ready to go. I’d love to know your thoughts on it. I’d love it if you’d show everyone you know. I put my heart into it, I hope it connects with yours.
The last couple days, I’ve been working feverishly and somewhat spontaneously on a new BLOG, too! Until about two days ago, I had it on my list for later, someday, hopefully when DAVE decides to do it for me. But at the encouragement of a friend (thanks, Lisa Russo!), I just went ahead and got over my fear of technology and customized my own blog. I LOVE IT!! There are a few tweaks here and there that I will be making in the next few days, but so far, I’m really loving this. And so stinking proud of myself for figuring out how to do it.
If you have my old blog linked to your blog, please update your link to this address: www.shannonmontez.com/blog
I’ll leave the old blog up for a while, but mainly it will just direct people here. I’ve migrated all of my old posts, so this blog has everything the old one did. Please let me know if you have any problems viewing either the blog or the website so I can get any possible bugs worked out asap.
Thanks for visiting, please say hi! I feel like this is a housewarming party or something.
March 21, 2008 - 7:58 am - Shannon, I just had a looksy at your new photo site and watched "Meet mine..." HELLO! Did you do that to make us all cry? I am seriously "verklepmt" right now. I LOVE EVERYTHING YOU HAVE DONE; the blog, the site, etc. I feel like your mom, and am so proud of you and all your wonderful, extraordinary accomplishments. If you rock any harder, I will have to have you poured into my driveway as gravel. Thanks for being so stinkin' darn cool and for sharing *you* with all of us!
March 21, 2008 - 8:04 am - SHANNON! congratulations on your new site! it is really really beautiful, and your irresistable personality comes shining through. i can't wait to see what you do next. :) niki
March 21, 2008 - 10:02 am - I love the new site/blog! You have done an amazing job!
March 21, 2008 - 10:20 am - Love the new look. It's FABULOUS!
March 21, 2008 - 11:02 am - Shannon it all looks so great. I love the colors and how crisp it feels! Gd work. I am, as always, in awe! xoxo kim
March 21, 2008 - 12:14 pm - Congrats on the new website Shannon. It looks awesome! My kids loved seeing the pic of me and hubby and little Toby (from our mini-session in November) in your gallery. You do beautiful work and your family is so cute.
March 21, 2008 - 1:26 pm - I love your new look. It's like you just got a cut and color and a fancy outfit.
March 21, 2008 - 2:41 pm - I LOVE your new "you." So awesome, inspiring, and fresh. I feel so *happy*, *sappy*, and *emotional*. LOL! Very fun feelings! Fabulous job Shannon!! :)
March 21, 2008 - 3:55 pm - I'm so happy for you, Shannon! It looks fantastic!!!
March 21, 2008 - 4:55 pm - I love the new site and blog, Shannon!
March 21, 2008 - 6:29 pm - Congratulations on the new website and blog. I love the symbolism of your logo. The pictures, as always are beautiful. I especially like the "meet mine" introduction. That's a great idea.
March 22, 2008 - 6:30 am - It is fantastic and brilliant and any other nice, extravagant words you can think of! I LOVE it! I was so about to use that song on my website!!! My husband e-mailed it to me the other day and said this made me think of you. I had never heard it before and I loved it! You are going to make a fortune with that site! It is a dream....Now I need to get to work on mine!
March 22, 2008 - 7:28 am - Shannon, your new website, blog, colors, logo - I love it all!!
March 22, 2008 - 1:30 pm - bee-u-ti-full, shannon! warmly, -melanie-
March 22, 2008 - 6:49 pm - ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS!!!! Man, I want to get married again, have babies again, and have you photograph it all. Really great job, Shannon. Good for you!
March 22, 2008 - 9:53 pm - Hi Shannon! I'm Tami's sis. in law. I really like your new look! I actually check your site every now and then and I absolutely LOVE your work. You are an amazing photographer! I'm inspired to take more pictures every time I look at your blog:)
March 23, 2008 - 8:57 pm - Foncy, schmoncy! Love it! You are so super, mega, ultra, lightning talented! We missed you guys this weekend. We were driving up to Sacramento and felt a little homesick when we didn't exit to the 152:( Hope you had a fabulous Easter, the site looks fab!
March 23, 2008 - 9:28 pm - Congrats, Shannon!! Everything looks wonderful!
March 24, 2008 - 11:56 am - I love it Shannon! I colors and design are all so fun and fresh. Nice work!
March 25, 2008 - 6:05 pm - glad to see the new blog up and designed!!!
Fun Stuff
I’ve been icky sickie the last few days. I haven’t had a cold this bad in YEARS.
I had a temporary break in the yuckies on Saturday and left the house to celebrate Matthew’s NINTH birthday in San Francisco! We had tons of fun, I plan to post pictures, hopefully tomorrow.
But in the meantime… Because I want to share a good thing when I’ve found it, I want to talk about my new favorite movie: Dan in Real Life. 
Follow that link, spend a minute listening to the music while you read the rest of this post. Go ahead, I’ll wait.
I love the soundtrack. It was so perfect. I saw this movie on the airplane on the way to my workshop… when I got back, I told Dave we needed that soundtrack, he got it and fell in love with the music. It’s awesome… mellow, pretty, nice.
But the movie itself is also a gem. I’ve always loved Steve Carell. He’s hilarious. But I really loved him in this part. It was much more serious than his usual, and it fit him so well. I just loved the pace and mood of the movie… not overdone, subtle in the humor, perfect soundtrack…Great movie. Mom- you’ll really love it.
Of course, now people will have expectations and be disappointed when they see it, because movies never live up to huge expectations… but I loved it.
Also, because I’m trying to post more of my sessions, here’s a couple of my favorites from the session I did for Stephanie, who needed some images of herself for a big project.
Ok… that’s enough sitting upright for today. I think I’ll go lay down. Maybe I’ll watch that movie again, while we still have it.
March 17, 2008 - 1:56 pm - Shannon, ME TOO! Ohmiheck. I had a bad ole'cold back in January, came home from Love Affair and immediately got a worse cold. I'm still not over it. I've had too bad cases of peeling nose from all of the blowing. I'm going crazy just wanting to have no more phlem...ugh. I hope you're feeling better. It was absolutely wonderful to have you at Love Affair. You are a sweet gift.
March 17, 2008 - 1:57 pm - Oh! And I watched Dan on the way home from NC and loved it. Is there anything I don't love about Steve Carrell? He was wonderful in this movie...
March 17, 2008 - 3:14 pm - Jay and I saw Dan in Real Life in the movie theatres and loved it. I was laughing so hard at the part where they're at the piano... I was almost crying. I just rented it from Netflix and watched it two more times. And you're right, the soundtrack is awesome. I hope you feel better soon!
March 18, 2008 - 5:24 pm - i've been HORRIBLY sick too. it has been an absolute nightmare! maybe my comments about the movie will even the playing field a bit for people. i didn't enjoy it, it was WAY to slow for me and the music bored me to death. i did however laugh in a few places. now i believe that if i had seen it when it first came out in the theatre i probably would have LOVED it because this movie is honestly right up my alley. people raved about this movie and said it was their fave. and so hysterical so i bought it before seeing it. the hype ruined it for me. i want my money back! hahahah! there, maybe that lowered the standard a bit for those who haven't seen it yet. :) glad you loved it though...all of my friends did too. hope you get better soon!
March 18, 2008 - 8:58 pm - The same day I read this, Trevor's sister was raving about "Dan". Now I feel like a loser who never gets out much. I must remedy that. Love the new blog header. Can't wait for the new site:)
March 22, 2008 - 12:40 am - I was just talking about Dan in Real Life today! We started watching it a couple weeks ago but started it too late and had to break for sleep. Today someone said something about a bookstore and immediately I remembered that I must finish watching that movie! Tonight!
New Look!
Ok… I didn’t really mean to post this today, but being the technological guru I am, I can’t figure out how it was republished without my permission… I’m sure I gave it permission somehow! I’ll probably be tweaking it here and there over the next couple days.
Give me feedback. Like the look? Hate it? Not sure I’m 100% happy with the look of the blog, but I do love my new logo. I created it because I wanted something a little funkier than I have. I really like fun funky look in a lot of home decorating, and feel like my photography is like that, kind of crazy and fun, so I was inspired by that. I saw an article about Lotta Jansdotter that got my creativity flowing and I sat down and did this. It’s kind of symbolic for me… the six petals of my weird little flower represent the six (weird) people in my family, all connected in the middle by love, God, home. I know it’s weird and unconventional, and it took me a couple days to get used to it, but now I think it’s perfect. It’s my favorite thing about my redesign.
I also have to thank Erica Hernandez who helped me design some of my new stationary and stuff. She’s the best!
So… this is your sneak peek! My new logo, my new colors. New website coming within the next week. Keep watching the blog… I’ll let you know when it goes live, and I’m trying to think of cool things to make everyone excited. Stay tuned!
March 14, 2008 - 12:30 pm - I like it! :)
March 14, 2008 - 12:53 pm - Love it! Change looks good on you.
March 14, 2008 - 1:50 pm - i like the colors and the new logo. i just bought some of lotta's sticky notes and i love her quirky designs. oh, i just noticed that the bg of your header is the lined writing paper!
March 14, 2008 - 3:57 pm - I love the new look and logo!
March 14, 2008 - 6:21 pm - I love it Shannon, it suits you. The logo is spunky and I adore the color scheme. Can't wait to see the new website! You're going to have to give me more details about the Davina thing so I can bring it up at the next family get-together. ;)
March 14, 2008 - 6:56 pm - Fun! I like!
March 15, 2008 - 7:05 am - I love the look -- funky and still clean and fresh!
March 15, 2008 - 11:50 am - This is freakin' fabulous Shannon!! Love the new logo, colors, everything! Can't wait to see the new website.
March 15, 2008 - 2:27 pm - Looks fantastic, Shannon!!
March 15, 2008 - 9:02 pm - I think it is fantastic! Loving the colors, design, everything :)
March 17, 2008 - 7:56 am - I love it.
March 17, 2008 - 12:45 pm - congrats to you!! :) I LOVE it :)
March 17, 2008 - 1:53 pm - It's super cute--love the colors!!
March 17, 2008 - 1:59 pm - LOVE IT! You have done a gorgeous, perfect, fun job of capturing YOU. And I've had a sneak peek of the site and everyone is going to want to see it! It will definitely NOT disappoint. Shannon's creative self displayed in all her glory. :)
March 21, 2008 - 11:10 pm - i love your new look! ...and it's good to know that i'm not the only one who eats dessert after breakfast :)
October 28, 2008 - 11:43 am - Great work.
One year…
Raise your hand if you’re sick of that banner!
I was thinking it had been months since I changed it. But I just looked in my files… It’s been an entire year!
I’m so sorry to subject all of you to that.
Question is… do I post my new website first and then change the blog to match, or do I update the blog as a sneak peek? Life is full of these hard decisions! But if you look REAL close, I’ve put a little sneak peek into the blog. It’s tiny… and part of my new look. Makes me want to start changing everything else now!
While I’m here, I’ll run down the last couple days of the workshop, since people keep asking. The next day (after the last one I talked about, whatever number that was…) we started out with a Q&A session in the morning, where we asked the hosts whatever we wanted. We got some great answers and had a lot of laughs. Davina dug herself into quite a hole and it was hilarious to watch her try to explain herself out of it. It had to do with spending time with her husband, but it came out all wrong and she was blushing and backtracking and we were laughing… It was great. After that, mentor sessions and lunch and some free time. I had planned to do some work but ended up chatting and taking a walk on the beach. Or maybe that was the day I went to the Captain Charlie house to take pictures with a group of girls like I showed in a previous post. It’s beginning to blur… Then was a photoshop class and the night shoot (I think).
The next day was talking about balance and ways to keep yourself in check, keep your priorities in line. (come to think of it, this might be the day that Davina had so much fun getting laughed at) Mentoring sessions followed, then lunch, then another photoshoot. This one was a little chaotic and I didn’t get as many images as I would have liked, but I got a few. Here are a couple favorites.
I swear, they built that cabin and planted those weeds just for us!
I have more, but my computer is acting up…these colors seem really off… those will have to do.
The next day was the marketing day, where the hosts showed us all of their materials, from packaging to albums and stuff. That was really fun.
More free time, my mentoring session with Kelly. I touched on it before… but it was fun. Basically Kelly just confirmed what I had been thinking about the direction I want to go with my business and encouraged me a lot. It felt good.
Then the big finale… SPA NIGHT! They totally pampered us… brought in massage therapists and everyone got a massage! Plus there were manicure and pedicure stations. One of my favorite things was the book they gave us. It was full of a lot of things they taught that week, with tons of their amazing photographs. It was amazing. Most of us ended up using them like yearbooks and had people signing them. It was fun. The perfect souvenir.
The last day was pretty much pack up, eat, and leave. I caught one last self-portrait as I was on the ferry riding back to the real world. The ferry might as well have been some fictional magical transport… It totally felt like an out of life experience. Like we were transported to some magical place, learned a bunch, then we were released back into our lives. So this last (kind of weird) self portrait was my way of pinching myself, to see if I was really there.
I came back on fire, ready to make a ton of changes… some with photography, mostly with life. I have made some, and I’m working on others, but it hasn’t been instant like I wanted it to be! Real life is different than island life, with chores and low energy levels and all that. But man… what an awesome experience it was. One of the best memories of my entire life.
March 13, 2008 - 10:37 am - I've just loved reading about this experience, Shannon! It sounds absolutely wonderful. : )
March 13, 2008 - 3:01 pm - Sounds like an amazing experience!
March 13, 2008 - 4:11 pm - The suspense is killing me....I can't wait for your new site!
March 14, 2008 - 10:56 am - Shannon, I've really enjoyed reading about your retreat. Sounds like such an awesome experience. I am so happy for you. I, too, am jazzed to see your new site.
March 17, 2008 - 2:04 pm - I LOVE that self portrait...and yes, I really dug myself into a hole didn't I? lol. Miss you, Shannon!
March 18, 2008 - 10:29 am - I love the new look, Shannon! Perfect!!
March 22, 2008 - 9:10 am - Hey Shannon! I love the new look and now I am wanting to watch Dan in Real Life today! I saw the preview for that a while back and never got to make it out while it was in the theater so now I am just dying to watch it. It was so great to get to meet you at Love Affair Workshop. Take care and keep up the great work!
We interrupt this stalling…
for pictures of an adorable baby!!
I took these before the workshop, but I just finished proofing these today. Mr. J was awake the entire time, except for about 2 minutes. He was a pleasant and adorable baby, just not a sleepy one!
My favorite of the session (to be seen on a website coming soon!)
This one was taken during those two minutes. I love peaceful sleepy babies.
But awake ones are pretty cute too. If you look closely, you might be able to see a furry shoulder. I love furry shoulders…
Big sisters are pretty cute too…
And so are three different sizes of feet…
This one makes me miss those snuggly sleepy full-tummy moments that are the BEST with a newborn.
In other news, my mom is coming tonight!
And in more other news, Sophie is playing a computer game next to me, and every time she gets to a hard part, she stops, closes her eyes, clasps her little hands against her forehead, and prays. I guess it’s a pretty important game!
March 7, 2008 - 4:15 pm - LOVE the little crossed feet, Shannon!
March 7, 2008 - 7:48 pm - Great images -- love them! :)
March 8, 2008 - 7:45 am - Hey, I know that baby! Adorable pics. I'm sure Mr J's mom is going to be thrilled with them. And Little Miss Sophie cracks me up.
March 8, 2008 - 9:37 am - those are really lovely!
March 8, 2008 - 5:31 pm - I don't know that baby, but I know his people! Great pics and Sophie, you sound like Trevor playing the XBOX.
March 10, 2008 - 10:51 am - Absolutely beautiful black and whites. Such creamy skin tones! I love the little smirk barely showing on baby with grinning big sister.
March 12, 2008 - 9:05 pm - What a cute baby!!!...and little girl too. We love the photos! :)
Where was I?
Seems like I kind of stalled in my recap of the workshop! I was getting tired of hearing myself talk about it, I guess. That, and figuring out what pictures I want to post is hard!
I’ve been working real hard on my new website. I can’t wait to show everyone. I was hoping to debut it on April 1, but who knows… maybe March 15 is possible! Anyway… fun stuff to come… EVERYTHING is new. Except maybe a picture or two of my little F-Dawg. But everything else, from the logo to the… everything… NEW! Speaking of which, I want to get back to work on that rather than recap the last couple days of the workshop. In the meantime, I’m posting pictures that other people took, because I’m feeling too lazy to go through my own stuff!
I LOVE this picture that the very cool and awesome Sally took of me. That’s me, hanging out in front of my cute little house. Don’t I look relaxed and free? I want to blow this one up and put it in my office. It makes me happy.
And this one, also taken by Sally, just moments later.
It’s hard for me to find pictures of myself that don’t make me cringe. This one also makes me happy… takes me back to the beach, the wind in my hair…
I watched a little too much America’s Next Top Model in the last few weeks, so the next too pictures have me trying a little too hard to look “fierce”…
This shot was taken by the fabulous Kelly Moore, who in addition to being one of the leaders of this workshop, is a freckly girl like me. She was demonstrating off-camera flash and night lighting…
Is it just me, or do my eyes seem to be looking in two different directions? Yikes… I hope that’s not a common problem with me! But still… looking “fierce!”
The next few were taken by dear, sweet Carmen, who in addition to being amazing and talented, is a mother of four also! Only she had twins, and they’re younger than Franklin… and her business is older and bigger than mine… I bow to her… Anyway, this one was also using the off-camera flash against sunset… dramatic, huh?
Gosh, I look happy to be there… I could go back… I wouldn’t mind… Even for a moment? Please?
A group of of headed over to my cute little place one afternoon to take pics of each other… here’s a group shot. Carmen’s arms were the only ones long enough to capture us!
Hanging out one night at the “party house”… the place with internet access… notice the abundance of computers… and wine… We had a couple of wine-o’s there… just kidding!
And one more (stolen from Carmen) of the party house, from the outside… I spent time chatting in that covered porch, or walking down to the beach… Oh… did I mention I’d be ok with going back for a bit? 
{sigh….}
March 3, 2008 - 9:54 pm - Hey! It's me your stalker! Okay, not really, I don't even know where you live! (Some stalker I am...) But seriously (I type that work A LOT when I leave comments on your blog) you are definately my #1 "celebrity" to meet before I die. I love the photos of you! Especially the head shot by Sally Brewer, it looks like the cover of a CD or something equally cool, oh oh, it could be a model picture! I LOVE IT! You had a blast at this workshop, didn't you??? I can tell. (wink!) Signing off, Miss JEALOUS in AZ
March 3, 2008 - 9:55 pm - So glad you posted more. I have been checking your blog daily looking for an update:P That place looks magical. Can't wait to see all your new stuff. So exciting:)
March 3, 2008 - 9:56 pm - Oops, my bad. In my language "work" = "word." :0)
March 3, 2008 - 9:56 pm - Oh and I forgot to mention that the photos your are super cute. All of them!
March 4, 2008 - 8:38 am - Looks like an AMAZING trip. So glad you had that opportunity.
March 4, 2008 - 5:06 pm - Hi Shannon! This is Trish, your sister in law. I just discovered your blog last Wednesday when I was looking around your website. I've become addicted, and am excited for you and your new website. I already think you are so funny, and talented, but think even more so after discovering your blogs. The other night a few friends were not wanting to go home yet so they stopped by around 11:30 and I was making them look at some of your blogs. I know I'm weird, but they enjoyed it too. Some of my faves were about the leaf bug and Michael, Dave's coworkers son. Your thoughts are ensightful, edifying, perspective changing, inspiring, and hilarious! Thanks! Glad you enjoyed your workshop!
March 4, 2008 - 5:28 pm - You look so great in those pictures, where do I sign up for a makeover so I can have a photoshoot?
March 5, 2008 - 9:36 am - You've grown my friend...artistically and in confidence. I can see it in your pictures. It's nice to see you 'come out'more! Side note: After last weekend I will never look at things the same again. I will,forevermore, be looking for the light. You go girl!!
March 5, 2008 - 2:44 pm - You're so pretty! But I can't tell if you had a good time or not...
March 6, 2008 - 3:54 pm - Shannon, Wow ... You are so cute and so talented my dear! Thanks for all the plugs. Anyway, I know your website is going to ROCK! I can't wait to see the finished product. I miss you but so happy I can keep up with your life in this manner. Keep the posts coming ... I'm your newest stalker :) Carmen
March 9, 2008 - 7:39 pm - Wow- cool pics. Funny seeing you "fierce" but I love the All American Girl shots!! Your man is "the man" still by the way. Always bailing us out. We need to repay you like a thousand times!!
by shannon
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