Art in Everyday Life

moving day!

2009-07-22T09:01:00.000-07:00

it is here.
i have a new blog!
go to shannonleith.com
AND LOVE YOUR LIFE
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

pretty grid.

2009-07-21T10:07:00.000-07:00

who doesn't like grids, is my question.
((((((((((((( the blog is launching tomorrow! ))))))))))))))))
(((((((((((((((((((((((((((( it has grids! )))))))))))))))

how fun, its the 40th anniversary of landing on the moon

2009-07-20T15:32:00.000-07:00

i love that google informed me of this.
thank you, google.

i love space,
i love galaxies,
i love the moon,
and i even have the 'cosmos' screensaver on my mac.

sigh.

wednesday's the day!

2009-07-20T12:12:00.001-07:00

get ready for the change of a lifetime,
get ready for my Mariette Tryout white signature to be a thing of the past, because the new blog is coming on WEDNESDAY!
this wednesday!!!!!

what a great mid-week treat we all have to look forward to.
eh?

i have decided that i will be giving away treats in celebration of the launch, treats to make you happy.
so stoked.
eeeeee!!
i kind of can't handle it.

and i'm going to say goodbye
so i can keep working!
shan

new addition to the fam. (how do you like two entries per day, eh?)

2009-07-16T21:00:00.000-07:00

my really nice friend blaire's really nice boyfriend gave this camera to me. he just came over and gave it to me.
i freaked out and said thank you a million times
and of course,
photographed it.

thank you KC----------
can't wait to develop the film!
which might not happen for months.
we'll see.

i like lines.

2009-07-16T10:00:00.000-07:00

when things come in lines i get more excited than most people.
oh my gosh.
just looking at that picture gives me butterflies.
holy crap.

blythe ruthi ro and i went to mike & annes the other day for breakfast and this was ruthi's. don't worry, the website describes the restaurant as "real class in south pas"

my piece for my man.

2009-07-15T12:10:00.000-07:00

wolfgang tillmans is an artist i really like.
i like his style,
he inspires me,
causes me to think.

his work is described as open-ended and unresolved,
he loves variety and possibility.

i found these photos on his website

so my ceramics teacher Tricia McGuigan gave us an assignment to make an urn for an artist, and i chose him.
i dont know if its morbid to tell you that,
since he's still alive.

i thought that he'd want options though....
so i gave him lots.

there you go wolfgang,
love to you,
shannon

the best guestbook entries i've seen

2009-07-15T09:20:00.000-07:00

my computer is a galaxy

2009-07-14T19:42:00.000-07:00

who knew????

tweet tweet! exciting things ahead.

2009-07-13T17:35:00.001-07:00

guess what.
i have a new blog coming out.
how long has this been in the works?
two years.
two, years.
literally.

i'm hoping it will be done in a week... we're working hard on it!

now for a story.
i found this print by the Mincing Mockingbird at the Renegade Craft Fair this weekend, and literally was brought to tears because of what it stirs in me. cardinals are becoming a big deal in my life, i now collect cardinal art, and this piece represents some of what will be coming in the new blog.

go check out the Mincing Mockingbird's etsy store!........ his art will change you. Bird art is becoming cliche, but this is far from that. And his titles are changing me.

excited for the next week. :)
get ready to rock!
shan

A REALLY CUTE LEAF

2009-07-11T17:37:00.001-07:00

i found it this morning, just sitting by me.
the sweet thing.

anyone else get lots of street sweeping tickets??

2009-07-10T20:53:00.001-07:00

i do!!

i finally got it all figured out when I lived in Tropicana... it only took two years, but I think I went a few straight months with no tickets near the end of my time at Biola.

I moved to South Pasadena about 5 weeks ago and was beyond excited to have a REAL GARAGE with my own permanent spot so I didn't have to worry about street sweeping. So imagine my surprise, shock and awe when I drove two streets over, parked, went to a little shop for literally 15 minutes, and came back to a ticket. Lame.

I'm really into returning things, contesting things, getting out of paying things.... and so I of course, chose to write a letter contesting the citation. Good thing I decided to do this the day it was due, and also simultaneously ran out of ink in my printer (another thing i'm good at doing.) I spent literally an hour trying to use my roommates printer.... it didn't work... and so I only had one option left. Type it.

Pray they dismiss that bad boy.

the 4th.

2009-07-09T00:18:00.001-07:00

when it comes down to it, i really enjoy quality time with my friends. big parties aren't my first choice, and that's why i loved the 4th this year. Rachel came over to our house and hung out for the whole day, and we had everything from homemade juice to homemade pie. good food and quality time with my friends = my ideal day.

rachel put these pictures on facebook and i just about fainted. it hit me that i rarely get to be the one to sit back and have someone else take pictures of my life.... let alone POST THEM UP. i honestly had a moment where i was in shock.

so, this time i get to be the one to steal the photos from someone else :) our day was so relaxed and fun and i am proud of our food creations we made. enjoy!

first was our juice.
beet carrot apple orange !!!

we had dinner next... a cold summer pasta salad and sangria.
talk to me.

rach carmelized the sausage and onions and OH MY GOSH it changed me.

while rachel made the pasta i busted out one of my favorite things: strawberry pie! pre-packaged crust goes against my morals so yes, MADE that crust. the secret to the pie is a cream cheese and lemon zest lining, which i'd be happy to talk you through if you want to make it one day---

and don't worry, rachel's nails are iridescent purple

Julienne's::::::::: wowzey

2009-07-08T07:57:00.000-07:00

Rosanna and I went to Julienne's in San Marino for breakfast yesterday.... and WOW. amazing service, fantastic food, totally beautiful setting, great prices........ i was in heaven.

just needed to tell you,
shan

pink house: its really pink i promise

2009-07-07T19:15:00.000-07:00

there has been some debate about whether my pink house is really pink. its pink, seriously, my last picture of it just sucked.... so i'd like to redeem myself and prove to you that i do, indeed, live in a pink oasis. decorating projects are my new favorite pastime, and i'd like to show you the most recent one: THE STAIRWAY.
lots of people just walk right in, thinking that there will be multiple apartments up there. nope! just us. luckily the loud wooden stairs act as our doorbell. we thought maybe some artwork would help the ups guy, the electrician, the gas guy.... all the guys... know that the glass door is our personal front door. it hasn't really worked yet, but whatever. we now have the raddest entryway. i find myself choosing to walk around to the front door instead of the back door (which is closer to the car) just so i can soak it in.

these are the sections, starting with the top.
l-r: rosanna's mom's self portrait from childhood, my showcard, a painting from lindsey besthorn
a fantastic piece of art by debbie lin, a thrift store find & a photo from a disposable camera
a self portrait from my mom!, and a painting by debbie,

and you probably know what these are.
dont worry brady, those aren't dust spots,
those are are permanently dirty walls.

so upon going out the front door, turn left and see our neighbor's secret garden,

val and carl, we love you.

pink, house

shooters, maybe its salmon.
shannon

say hello to the Serratos family!

2009-07-07T17:19:00.000-07:00

I am a believer in treats, so for this family session
we started off our day with ice cream.

this is sweet Ani, the most happy little girl

and here is Ricky, doing her signature move,
finishing off the last drops (my kind of girl.)

Fernando and Monica are superparents to the max,

a seriously amazing couple.

(my fave!)

they have a new one on the way-----------------
can't wait to see your family grow you guys!

- shannon

space------------------

2009-07-03T23:12:00.000-07:00

i am quite, quite, quite ecstatic over my new workspace. this has been in the making for more than two years----- it has been in my mind for so long, and to be sitting at it right now typing to you is really surreal. after i moved in to the pink house, i have been piecing it all together bit by bit, and i finally topped it off yesterday.

piece #1, the yellow desk
#2, the shelves with the white bird items
#3 the screen
#4 the computer
#5 the polaroid strings.

i'm so happy to have a space that is me.
me to the max.
so this is where i write my blog from
edit from
everything from.

:)
love to you,
shan

jane&alex=wow. ::: LA wedding photography

2009-06-29T20:59:00.000-07:00

i dont like to be a tease,
i dont like posting teasers because its MEAN.
but!
i'm going to be nice-mean and post these,
because they move me,
and i had to.
my computer made me.
(((( more to come!))))

this photograph has the most Venus-essence i think i've ever created,

jane and alex,
two beautiful people,
married and in st. lucia.
!

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

2009-06-29T10:31:00.000-07:00

just about to eat breakfast with rosanna, (coffee, omlettes, fruit, yogurt, YES!) and wanted to give you a little burst for your day-----------------

'it is in the routine and the everyday that we find the possibilities for the greatest transformation.' - kathleen norris, the great

::: Clarivel & Tuan ::: LA wedding photography

2009-06-26T10:20:00.000-07:00

this was one of the most unique first-meetings i've seen, purely because clarivel told me, "i want to surprise him." and i asked her if she was serious, and she proceeded to have her maid-of-honor distract tuan, and she LITERALLY snuck up on him!

another fun detail of their wedding was her shoes. clarivel had these pretty white heels, which she put on for about ten minutes and quickly changed into these. she let out a big sigh and said "NOW i feel like myself." its my favorite thing when people choose to do what makes them feel comfortable, themselves, free...... :)

ahh! how amazing does she look?

i love this one of tuan!

their wedding was at a golf course, which gave me lots of fun accessories for the pictures, including LIVE GOLF CARTS

individual pictures of each member of the bridal party!
something i dont usually post, but i think these are rad.

:::::::::::::::::::::: ceremony! :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

my favorite!

he asked for a profile picture,
and i was a fan of that idea:

unique thing #20 of their wedding....clarivel sang tuan a Leona Lewis' song Keep Bleeding during the reception----- i cried.

they loved their cake! so much they wanted a picture with it after they cut the cake. yes yes and YES.

what a beautiful day you guys.
congratulations!
--------------------- Shannon

Jen & Jon's Wedding-----------!! ::: LA wedding photography

2009-06-25T21:11:00.001-07:00

I really, really like Jen and Jon. I like how they interact as a couple, I like the friends that they chose to stand with them on their wedding day, I like their style, their families, their warmth.

Their wedding was up in Exeter, CA----- at a friends amazing yellow house, which had a perfectly perfect red barn, chickens, and everything else that a country house should have. There was barbequed tri-tip at their reception, which Jon said was the part he was most looking forward to. Oh, men and their meat. ;)

We honestly just had a blast hanging out together. Fun and relaxed, my favorite kind of day.

say yes to this image, oh my gosh! i love it!!

jon!

i have a polaroid of this that i want to show you all---- the polaroids from this wedding need their own post!

can i just say that the groomsmen in this wedding were stellar?

this is one of my favorite group photos i've taken.
"the Lord CARES FOR US!" ;)

JEN!! PERFECT!

(love these girls dresses. so summery. and they have pockets.)

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

total favorite!

and, the ceremony:

another amazing idea by jen: lemons,

beyond sweet,

i've enver really done a shot like this before, and i was so excited about it!! the sun had just set, and i went on the balcony with my 24mm 1.4

and THEN------ a magical moment happened that could have been bad.... the first dance started. i was just up there, hangin out, experimenting... and up walks jon! (obsessed with this shot!)

i embraced it, shot up on the balcony for a while, lots of motion blur, lots of rad blue sky, and then came down and got this one, among many others.

so there we are. :)
the most lovely country wedding,
and to top it off,
they honeymooned in canada.
i love them.
shannon

Carson! (((((go mustangs, go brownies))))))

2009-06-24T16:16:00.000-07:00

my brother carson graduated from high school last week! yes! kid #4 to graduate from Trabuco Hills High School... and like the 30th graduation we've all gotten to attend. jr. high, high school, college, torrey.... we have graduations all the time. it's pretty funny.

so to kill time at THIS one, my brothers played with the really lame balloons we got him at party city. the lady who made them did a horrible job. the white one is 10 times longer than the rest. for my brothers, this made the balloons ideal for this:

heather jay cars ry and, me!

we have teams in my family,
those with brown hair and those with blonde.
carson's clearly on my team,
which is clearly the BETTER team,
so i'm extra proud of him.
:)
shannon

Evening at Whole Foods for $5.

2009-06-24T08:28:00.000-07:00

If you need some summer activity inspiration,
Take a $5 bill out of your wallet and go to Whole Foods...!

Rosanna and I were informed by her dad that the Whole Foods' target customer is someone who makes more than $150,000 per year. That's why their apples are 75 cents instead of 50, and that's also why you get to buy that 75 cent apple in low-lighting after you've had your wine tasting.

Since Ro and I do not, at all, make $150,000 we've stopped shopping there and we embrace Trader Joes, clearly the place that is within our means.

When we wanted a treat last night, Ro had the idea to have a $5 budget at Whole Foods------- but we found out SO MANY SECRETS WHILE WE WERE THERE!

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
#1. you can get samples from the bulk foods. we took a 3 inch coconut chocolate bar and yogurt covered papayas.

#2. theres LOTS of samples. muffins, spreads, vitamin water, lotion, face tonic spray, soap (ours has a sink to try it out), bulk foods round two, etc.

#3. we split a calzone meal for $5.99 that came with a ginger-ale and salad: $3 each

#4. we also split some gelato for $2.49------ 1 scoop of coconut and 1 scoop of blackberry merlot. what!

#5. while eating our treats we watched the cooking class that was happening in the roped-off area directly in front of us and learned how to make pizza.

#6. shoot i think that's it.
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

but we did spend a good hour or two there last night, and had a hilariously fun time.
for $5.
yes.

LOVE THIS PHOTO

2009-06-22T12:15:00.000-07:00

I was going through my entire computer, clearing it off for my new one which will be coming to me very very soon. in the process i found this image from juli and john's wedding, laughed out loud, and deemed it one of my favorite moments ever. i remember that guy----- being so nice, trying to get out of my way so i could take photos.

i just love it. i think i might have put it in their album. juli? did i?

note to all:
have a great monday
!

daddy!

2009-06-21T11:32:00.000-07:00

here's my dad,
the guy who has been married to my mom for more than 25 years
and spends time with his five kids.

i've been realizing that those two things are rare,
so dad,
thanks for making a simple family life seem normal to me.
i'm thankful for you.
love you :)
brownies unite :)
Shan

ps, dad, you can no longer say you aren't photogenic, because i like that photo of you, and i'm the photographer so i can call those shots. end of story. love you! ;)

Kristin & Cory at Casa Romantica ::: LA wedding photography

2009-06-18T01:20:00.000-07:00

Kristin and Cory are the kind of people who made every detail of their wedding personalized, down to the fact that they got married on a Thursday and had in-n-out for dinner! i loved it! i was so excited to have the chance to meet them and experience their wedding. it was perfect you guys!!

i just love these next two,

had to have her along, :)

i of course chose to do lots of the photos in the green-tiled bathroom

kristin had one of the most fabulous rings i've ever seen.

they're now in Figi!!! have so much fun you guys!
shannon

moose pasta: my dinner from tonight:

2009-06-14T23:29:00.000-07:00

moose pasta, from ikea,
with my favorite additions:
peppers, sprouts, raspberries, pesto, more sprouts, tomatoes, frozen corn & frozen asparagus tips...............................

to drink: rosemary raspberry infused water

(say yes to THAT)

a few special notes:
• the blue chair, is from linda hartzell (love it!!)
• awesome bowl, from my grandma jackie and grandma bill, from anthro, thanks guys!
• crystal pitcher: from rachel clark!
• rosemary: from rosanna's rosemary bush from the farmers market
• and, thank you to this weekends weddings for the 50mm macro and the 24 1.4 rentals sitting in my camera bag.

love to you all :)
Shan

Courtney and Woody at Calamigos Ranch::: LA wedding photography

2009-06-10T10:58:00.001-07:00

Courtney and Woody were married at Calamigos Ranch in Malibu! I knew them from my RA job at Biola, so it was an honor to be able to photograph their wedding. To start us off, how about these rings?

when the groom makes lint rolling a
priority, he's serious stuff. woody, you rule.

Courtney!!

okay, i also need to feature a few more of my favorite portraits from the day. First, Will. Him and his sister Emily were also in the last wedding I shot.... Michael & Bethany's! Professional ring bearer:

and Emily doesn't mess around...
she brought a backpack, probably filled with treats. smart girl.

and Grandpa!

okay back to the wedds,

so rad!

:) love these kind.

look at them about to enter! :)
partying before they even got inside.

congratulations you guys!
--------------------shannon

blogging from, THE PINK HOUSE!!!

2009-06-09T14:47:00.000-07:00

announcement:

i've moved!
from my bright teal tropicana,
to
THE PINK HOUSE
!

i did stay with a common theme of bright,
but this pink place was no easy find.

...house hunting is hard, it turns out.

rosanna and i looked for about a month.
craigslist every second
so many apartments
so many ugly ones
so many expensive ones
so much lack of character

take for example,
this 1 bedroom studio for $750/month.
nope, we dont need more photos because this is it!
no thank you, we dont want to live in a place that holds 1 loveseat and a futon.

ALSO on the Umm...No List was the place where i wouldn't be able to wash my hair in the shower.

when we saw The Pink House,
lets just say we were at our limit,
ready to give up and move in with our parents,
but it spoke to us
we walked in this place and had in-love butterflies

ahhhhh! see?

it has so much natural light i could stay locked up in there for a month, shoot every photo session there, edit for hours a day, and not get bored.

one of my favorite highlights of the house is its doorknobs.
every single one! this is the CLOSET!
when people care that much, it speaks to me.
they just dont do this anymore.
thank you, architects of the 1920's.

so here's the main living area
• wood floors!
• arches!
• 10 million windows!
we went to an estate sale the other day and found this trunk,

and my new desk!

right next to it is this area,
complete with a built-in hutch
which we use for things like tools and sweaters
since we dont own napkin holders, and all that hutch-stuff.

the pretty white kitchen,

had to have a tutorial on the stove,
and LOVE IT.
lemon bars anyone??

the past few weeks have included
many garage sales,
lots of cleaning,
lots of unpacking,
and lots of disbelief that i really get to live in such a rad house!

more than thankful,
more than happy,
open to visitors!
-------shannon

its like drinking a garden!

2009-06-08T17:20:00.001-07:00

my new favorite thing is my juicer.
my parents gave it to me
i love it
i now enjoy buying out the farmers market
and am more attuned to vegetables like
:::beets
:::chard
:::carrots
etc
than i was before.

along with making me feel like i'm drinking pure health,
i also love the stunning color palettes that appear in my cup
!

this combo is
an entire beet
a nectarine
beet stalks
2 or 3 carrots
1 apple
and blueberries.

do you just love that foam?
i also added some of the pulp to give it more spice.

this is seriously rocking my world
why drink coffee when you can make your own juice?
(did i just say that??)

so happy!!!! I GRADUATED!

2009-05-24T23:37:00.001-07:00

yesterday was seriously one of the most exciting days....
i didnt think it would feel as monumental as it did.
that was a BIG DEAL!!

it was a happy, tiring, exciting time
and now i exist as a college grad
and am moving to my new house in south pasadena with rosanna
tomorrow!

so many more things to update you on,
and that will happen
live from the pink house.

just wanted to let the world know,
i'm alive
and done with school
!!
:)

and i got a cactus and a sugar bowl!

Tiffany and Allen, everywhere

2009-05-08T09:30:00.000-07:00

I always tell my clients that engagement sessions should be like an adventure. They should choose something to do that they love, wear clothes that they LOVE, and that way I can document them in their real element, having real fun, enjoying the world and enjoying each other.

Tiffany and Allen took me up on the adventure part more than anyone I've photographed------- they took us to about 7 different places, all little secrets of LA, which of course won my heart and put this session super high in my books.

We started at this cool alley---- we had it all to ourselves!

next was a cafeteria: Cliftons
yup, thats right

next, fountains

and NEXT!! they brought props! cut-out cardboard props.

union station was next

and there was even more to our day, but i'll keep this post to blog length instead of book length.

tiffany and allen win the most creative award!!
love to you!
shannon

venting via links!

2009-04-17T17:50:00.000-07:00

i'm on spring break, but i've got a lot of work to do (creating albums, editing, catching up on ceramics homework). when i have lots to do, sometimes i decide to procrastinate.

i was in need of inspiration today, and came across a few amazing things. i'm not a huge link poster... mostly because it overwhelms me. blogs with lots of links cause me to just click click click and not pay attention to the actual blog i'm at! you know?

but, today i'd like to divert your attention, in case you need a little exploration and inspiration in your life. in case you're in the mood to click, like i am.

it might help you if you go to CVS and buy lots of candy, so you can pretend you're at the movies, but really, you're at your computer.
i bought gummy bears, twix bars (multiple), sour patch kids, and nerd eggs. my go-to's at all times.

here's my link love for ya!
welcometoloop.com/
(oh my gosh, best stationary.)

rosiethomas.com/
so sweet, love her

jengotch.com/mainpage.html
(obsessed with her site)

orangette.blogspot.com/

domestica.typepad.com/

etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5067599
::: cool hand-bound books and journals

timothyliles.com/
click on every section of his site and benefit, big time.

myspace.com/fleetfoxes
my new favorite listen

flast.es/
an architecture studio that makes me breathless

joelwanek.com/index.php?/teaching/emptiness-project/
>> can we please be like him? i want to hold classes, teaching people about art and life, like he does.

fortheloveoflight.com/purchase.html
>> be like them too. i wish this was still in stock.

simplybreakfast.blogspot.com/
bought some berries from the farmers market the other day, this is inspiring!

mypyramid.gov/
i like health.

happytape.bigcartel.com/
>>>>>>>>>> a tape lovers dream site

heathdoggy.blogspot.com/
my really funny sister

www.youtube.com/watch?v=luRmM1J1sfg
>>> susan boyle, i cried, and am tearing up right now thinking about it.

fun.from.hell.pl/2003-11-24/bubblewrap.swf
have fun!

and the usuals:
bookjournals.com/
shop.littleotsu.com/
jillbliss.com/

add your faves in the comments!
you are loved,
i promise
shann

pencil holder, vase, paperclip holder, planting pot, paperweight....

2009-04-15T17:20:00.000-07:00

here's my second ceramics project:::::::
cylinders!

this one has a rad glaze color, except i hate gloss. HATE.
its called lobster, though, which redeems it---

creamy matte and copper matte and yellow matte glaze.

creamy matte with lobster and yellow matte under,
{{{my FAVORITE! i think it looks like a photograph that i'd take.}}}

charcoal matte

copper matte+charcoal
oh my gosh i love matte.

so, these things sit on our kitchen table,
just, sitting there, being pretty.
here's my documentation of the light falling on them:::::::::::::::::::

have fun today!
shannon

breakfast domesticism: cinnamon rolls. yes.

2009-04-15T11:00:00.000-07:00

rosanna and i have our friends megan and hollie come over every thursday for breakfast. we've decided to have a progressive bake-off: every week a new person makes CINNAMON ROLLS!

lots of sugar,
my fave.
last week was my turn, and i made my grandpa's recipe.

can i say, i love rolling out dough?
and kneading it?

and eating them?

Cynthia-----senior

2009-04-13T23:25:00.001-07:00

Cynthia is graduating from Chapman this year----- she was referred to me by my friend Lindsey and I loved meeting her! This girl knows how to have fun, knows how to rock it in front of the camera, and was seriously a blast to hang out with.

story! these vans are special: cynthia started kindergarten with little blue vans just like these, but was made fun of by a girl who had the pink ones! her friend said she had the BOY SHOES! here she is, sixteen years later, symbolically closing out this part of her education with the same kind of shoes, except this time she doesn't care what anyone thinks. can we say, love it?

cynthia you rocked my world.
keep being fab---
!!!!!!!!!!!!
shannon

happy easter--------------!

2009-04-11T23:53:00.000-07:00

Rochelle----------- senior!

2009-04-10T11:21:00.000-07:00

Rochelle and I hung out in Huntington Beach and took some anti-beach senior photos. My favorite thing was that she was really into 'little pockets'----- which to us, meant little back alleys with great light! my kind of girl!! woohoo!!!

SO PRETTY!

embrace the wind, i say.

yay Rochelle! we had the best time.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

also,
i'm doing a select number of senior sessions over Spring Break---
i only have 3 slots open, email me if you want one!
--- Tuesday April 14th at 2pm
--- Wednesday April 15th at 2pm
--- Wednesday April 15th at 5pm

details:
• all the sessions will be in Old Town Orange---! (yes.)
• sessions last about an hour
• packages start at $300
• if you sign up for next week you'll get a $50 credit to spend on prints!
• fast turn-around time, since i know you want to send out announcements soon
• EMAIL SHANNON@SHANNONLEITH.COM TO RESERVE A SPOT (quick!)
• fun fun fun fun fun fun!

love!
shan

behind the scenes:::::: setup of day 1

2009-04-07T09:34:00.000-07:00

installing day one of the show took the entire weekend. i predicted it would be 'easy' and that we would be done in a day. hello, optimism! nope--- it took three!

i couldn't have done it without the help of my mom, my grandparents, and my friends rosanna, ruthi, becca and marisa!

ruthi and becca started us out with creating a grid on the wall with pushpins and string. it took forever, but made our lives a lot easier.

here's ro, measuring queen

clearly becca was into her work :)

while the grid was being made, my mom and grandma made hundreds of tape rolls to put the photos up with---green tape! my fave!

while all of that was happening, i was organizing the polaroids by color. i had never seen them all out like that before---- it was rad!

next job: putting them on the wall! rosanna would hand me one, i would look at it, choose where i thought it would look best, and then place it.

--me, grandma, ro--figuring out wall #2--

my grandpa's job was to install a shelf, which he did perfectly,

and here i am stepping back and looking
at one of the completed walls, (ahh!)

day one!
shannon

behind the scenes #1----- video interview!

2009-04-04T11:24:00.000-07:00

Here's me being vulnerable and showing you a little video interview of Marisa and me for our shows. Marisa's paintings were in the gallery beside mine. The vulnerable part comes in because of course, its weird to see myself on video, I feel like I rambled way too much, I blanked on simple phrases like "cardboard packaging", and I wish I talked more about Madeleine L'Engle than what was going to be in each day! anyway---it will give you a look at what day 1 looked like in person. Marisa's interview is first, and mine starts about halfway through. enjoy :)

Biola Art Gallery from Zach King on Vimeo.

and then here's my part of the article that went with it. I think Colleen did an amazing job:

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Explorations of Art and Life

By Colleen Van Houwe

March 25, 2009

After two years of preparation, Shannon Leith and Marisa Rountree kicked off the first week of this semester’s senior art shows, installing their culminations of hard work, planning and art making.

Both artists demonstrate how two different art forms, photography and painting, can explore beauty and life. While Leith takes Biola through her journey of the exploration of life, Rountree invites us to join her in the exploration of paint, pattern, and design.

Leith’s “Today” show consists of photos from 100 different days and life and practice into the gallery. Her original intentions were to go out on walks and capture the beauty and rarities of life. However, as she engaged in this project, over 75 percent of her photos stayed confined to her apartment.

“It wasn’t this big adventurous thing,” she said. “It’s looking at the things we see every day and the artist being the one to find something new in it … being able to explore it in a different way and discover something completely different about something so familiar.”

She began to explore the meaning of words like habit, rhythm, space, and liturgy and their role in everyday life. This long, detailed process led her to a very simple way of understanding her project. It is the exploration and life of today. She quoted Eva Hesse as her inspiration, who said, “My art and my life are not separate; they’re together.”

Leith described the process as “peeling up little layers of life” and catching a glimpse of what is there. “This process has helped me see things that I might not have noticed before,” she said.

The goal for her work is to be more attuned to what she encounters in daily life and move those who view her art to achieve the same thing. Therefore, different photos will be displayed each day giving the viewers the same experience of “newness” that Leith encountered during the shooting process.

“I want people to walk away with a sense of delight and excitement – doing life, whatever that means for each person,” Leith said.

“Each person’s daily life can be a place for them to find newness, excitement, a place to explore rather than a place that’s mundane and boring. God gave us seven days to live. What’s here for me today? … there is something there.”

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

and to end with, the awkward, stiff photo of me, sitting in a dress on the gallery floor! woo!

day 5! ::::::: one step {polaroid installation}

2009-04-03T08:50:00.000-07:00

"I dont mean to criticize, Mother, but there's something wrong with it."
"With what, child?"
"The way Sister Mariana looks out the window at the flowers, and the way she enjoys that orange."
"Well?"
"She enjoys it too much."
Mariana's mouth was full of juicy pulp.
"Aren't we supposed to?

MADELEINE L'ENGLE
Glimpses of Grace

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////

ending with Madeleine L'Engle was special to me, because she's my favorite, especially because we share a birthday. i love Madeleine L'Engle.

in celebration of enjoying life, day five was a polaroid give-away! i taped a few hundred to the wall for people to take and keep. i put them on the back wall of the gallery so it was kind of a surprise, and i found that some people didn't even read the little sign that said "please take one", and were horrified that people would rip one off the wall and walk out of the room. ha! so many available social experiements. love it.

PLEASE TAKE ONE >>> choose your favorite and its yours to keep (only one! please let everyone enjoy)

i went in there a few times and really loved hearing what people liked about the ones they chose. other people's interpretations on blurs of light were so, enlightening.

this one's a Carravagio!

it reminds me of mold

and here's what was left after the harvest,

there are about 20 left, and i want to give one to
you
!

email me (shannon@shannonleith.com) with your address, and i will mail you one! only to the first 20 though, so hurry!

hoping to spice up your mailbox....!
------------- shannon

day 4::::::refining {polaroid installation}

2009-04-02T17:40:00.000-07:00

"Shampooing the hair, washing the body, brushing the teeth, drinking enough water, taking a daily vitamin, going for a walk, as simple as they seem, are acts of self-respect. They enhance one's ability to take pleasure in oneself and in the world."

-KATHLEEN NORRIS
Quotidian Mysteries

day four was close to me, because before i ever decided to do the show in five parts, i always knew i wanted to frame them. having the entire show framed seemed too boxed in though---- so i started exploring other methods of showing my polaroids, which led to ideas like the grid, the canvases and the museum cases. anyway---- i love these framed pieces, and i chose this series of photos specifically because it's one of my favorite. inspired by Kathleen Norris' book Quotidian Mysteries, i've been intrigued with daily habits like laundry and cooking---tasks that could be seen as boring and mundane. this is a series of photos i took while i was doing my laundry one day.

enjoy!

it wasn't this dramatic in person, but hey. run with it.

here's each one,

one of my favorite! lines of light on the ceiling that i found while lying on the floor that afternoon,

here's a few scans of the polaroids since you
can't see them very well in those little photos,

i'm in love with the white ones::::::::::::

one more day!
come back tomorrow!
shannon

day 3::::::::::seeing {polaroid installation}

2009-04-01T21:00:00.000-07:00

"The world is so visually complicated that the word 'banal' is not an intelligent word to use."

WALKER EVANS

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

there it is,
day three.
seeing.
four feet by four feet of the pavement with leaves, a plastic bag and light leaks.
-------------------------------
-------------------------
-------shannon

day 2:::::::::finds {polaroid installation}

2009-03-31T21:36:00.000-07:00

"There are lots of things to see, unwrapped gifts and free surprises."

ANNIE DILLARD

Pilgrim at Tinker Creek

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
here's what you see as you enter my side of the gallery (the other side was an amazing set of abstract paintings by Marisa Rountree!). The quotes that I'm putting at the top of each post were posted on that little white box under the orange today.

i kept two walls the same from day one, but changed the right wall and added in the museum tables,

for these documentation photos I had to take out the museum tables so you could see this whole wall---- the image on the right is an enlargement from a polaroid, which some people thought was construction, which i thought was awesome. and that line on the left is a project i did two years ago, the first polaroids i ever took!

i focused on PROCESS for day two.
all the little behind the scenes bits that eventually made up the body of work.

here is my SX-70 Polaroid, the camera i used for most of the photos. my friend Riley gave it to me, a gift i am still speechless about. wow.

i called him one day to see if i could borrow it, and he casually said, "yeah! you can have it, actually. i never use it."
WHAT! WHO DOES THAT!

i'm semi-OCD and can't throw things away like
Polaroid packaging because i think its pretty.

i also really like tape.

and my sketchbook. these drawings are for days one and two!

also in that case, =

and as a nice ending shot,
the door with my fun vinyl lettering on it.

there's my finds for you!
-------------------shannon

day 1:::::::scatters {polaroid installation}

2009-03-30T14:58:00.000-07:00

"Then the quails begin their sweet whistling in the wet bushes. Their noise is absolutely useless, and so is the delight I take in it. There is nothing I would rather hear, not because it is a better noise than other noises, but because it is the voice of the present moment, the present festival."

--- THOMAS MERTON
Rain and the Rhinoceros

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

the show has happened!
today was a success, it surprised ME in lots of ways, and I'm going to take you blog-readers on a 5-day journey through each installation of the show, and THEN I'm going to do a few behind-the-scenes, special features posts, mostly because i'm in love with documentaries and the special features are my favorite part. i love revealing secrets. so, stay with me for the next week or so---- check back each day, and we'll have some fun. plan?

this was the first installation. an organic grid on the wall with about two hundred polaroids as well as CANVASES of polaroids!

the left wall,

this wall was the first one we did------- it's the back wall of the gallery, and it is my FAVORITE! the differences between each white or grey one are so fascinating. obsessed with this.

the right wall,

brussel sprouts!

woohoo!
enjoy today----------
shannon

my art show is today! (sneak peek!)

2009-03-23T14:26:00.000-07:00

its today!
today is today!!

i got up early to finish a few details, about to shower and get ready, but just saw this post on Ruthi's blog about our set-up weekend and wanted to show you some sneak-peek shots!

Ruthi helped install, and so did SO MANY PEOPLE!
becca
rosanna
my mom
my grandma
my grandpa
..... thank you all!

come tonight!
THE BIOLA ART GALLERY
13800 biola ave., la mirada, ca 90639
questions? here's my number. my mom will answer:
949 525 2281

so jazzed!
shan

today--------------

2009-03-19T10:15:00.000-07:00

I LOVE ERRANDS!
which is great because today is errand day for the show.
• paint
• wood
• pick up things from the printer
• pick up other things from the other printer
• send things to another printer
• and more
!

heres a little insight into the show,
a small sneak peek.

this weekend is set-up time,
and monday.... is party time!
i hope you can come!
monday at 7pm.
when i say i hope you can come, i'm serious----

biola's art gallery:::monday the 23rd at 7pm
13800 biola avenue, la mirada, ca 90639

4 days away!
(i feel like i'm planning a wedding or something.)
shan

ceramics 1, how cute

2009-03-16T01:05:00.000-07:00

I am in my 5th year of college, graduating this semester (yes!!) with a degree in fine art, and am in the midst of taking a Ceramics I class.

It's traumatizing.

??????????????????????
clay? bats? engobe?
??????????????????????
??????????????????????
??????????????????????

I'm used to indesign, curves and f-stops.

talk about going back to square one.

needing some form of familiarity, i've been photographing
my clay pots as they progress----------------------------------

this is pre-firing/////////////////////////all the foreigntools!

my first child!

so odd, i love it.

this next one is a response to a drawing i did a few years ago, which you can read about here if you'd like. drawing was also a fear-inducer for me.... ahh! doing things with Not the computer! scary, but eventually, fun...!

++ at this very moment,
i have 5 cylinders in the kiln that i threw on the WHEEL.

get ready for those beauties.
very screwed up beauties,
and actually, not completely cylindrical
but hey
its ceramics 1.

------------ go try something new!
((((pizza w/ sprinkles? drawing? etc.))))

things that have made me !!!!!!!!!!! lately

2009-03-14T16:18:00.000-07:00

there's been a few things lately that have
added much-needed delight to the day.

>>>>>> my gardening roommates who have bought all the succulants and flowers that trader joes will sell them,

>>>>>>>>> whole foods and their coconut haystack chocolates in the bulk foods

>>>>> whole foods everything

>>>>>>>>>> buying candy for the show opening (so many gummy bears and pop rocks....you won't know what to do with yourself!)

>>>>>> being simultaneously obsessed with vegetables and candy

>>> the animal collective, just found out about them!

>>>>>>> reminders from the people that love me that everything's going to be okay, that i'm not dying, that the world is not ending, things like this...

>>>> annie dillard, madeleine l'engle, kathleen norris (thank you for existing, ladies)

>>>>>>>>>>> my ceramics 1 class -------- learning new things, is nice, and difficult, and rewarding, and relaxing

>>>>>> the gilmore girls and their wit

>>>>>>>> these arrows.

alright, that was my break,
now i'm off to do show-prep!
lots of scanning and designing today.

are you coming to the show?
this, my friends, is the question of the hour.

you are invited!
march 23rd, 7pm,
13800 biola ave., la mirada, ca, 90639

please come!
love to all,
shannon

Jane and Alex::::::::::: engagement photos at tropicana

2009-03-13T22:36:00.001-07:00

starting with the best of the best is how i like to do things.
therefore, this beauty::::::::::::::
secret: its the middle of a polaroid! its edgeless.jane and alex won my heart when they agreed to do their engagement photos at my apartment.

the familiarity i have with the light and the space created this really unique feel to the photos i think. i've been thinking about these shots for a year it seems. every time i walk into our living room that pink chair just shines! and the lines with our plants and the stick outside.... ahh! i was freaking out for the entire session. it was so fun.

the POOL! you dont know how much i love these ones!

!!!

so, sweet,

speechless

YES!

jane. alex.
THANK YOU!!!!!
i love you guys.
i can't wait for the wedding!
shannon

Michael & Bethany ::: LA wedding photography

2009-03-12T18:30:00.000-07:00

Bethany--------------!

Michael seeing her for the first time that day,
i love this moment!

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////
//////////obsessed with this one//////////

they brought a BIKE for the photos!

at the tip of their shadow = surprise

michael loves.....
guess.

and meet the official cutest flower girl EVER:
emily!

and her brother will-----
(ahh! SO CUTE!)

fast forward to their exit from the reception----
(((((MORE BIKES! so fun!))))

eating our way through disneyland:::::::::::::::::: ro's birthday wish

2009-03-12T14:44:00.000-07:00

Rosanna's top #1 birthday wish was to go to Disneyland to get corndogs and dole whip. WOW. this was coming from the girl who never eats fast-food and doesnt eat sweets past 8pm.

i asked her multiple times if this was a joke, and if she really wanted me to make it happen, and let it be known: this birthday wish was serious stuff.

so! i signed her up for the free birthday deal, and i got signed in from our friend Daniel who works there (thanks Daniel!!!!!!!!).

just a little fun while we waited for our hats to be embroidered!

#1, i can't believe she convinced me to buy the mouse ears, number two, we are wearing our matching bow-sweaters! wowzeyy

her favorite ride: the teacups!

food stop #favorite::::
dole whip!
(except, whats up with it being hollow?? deceptive.)

next on the agenda was to stalk people eating turkey legs.
those things are SICK in my mind.

do you see how bitter his girlfriend is?

never in my life. never.
i like tempeh and seitan from whole foods.
and vegetables. lots and lots of vegetables.

dont worry, we just borrowed this one from a nice man for the shot.

one thing we WERE into eating, was corndogs!

little cutie.

we also went on peter pan, the storybook ride, and one other one.
clearly the dole whip was the HIGHLIGHT!
and the mouse ears!
:))))))))))))))))))
i will say it again: wowzey.

March 23rd::: you are invited::::::: my art show!

2009-03-09T14:14:00.000-07:00

i've been skipping the blogging part of my life lately to concentrate on the SHOW part of my life! this is my senior art thesis show: a one-week solo exhibition at our school's gallery.

like it says on the flyer above... i am doing a new installation of my photos each day: nothing will be shown twice! completely new work each day.

and for the polaroid lovers, its all polaroids. hundreds. i buy out wal-mart and ebay on a weekly basis.

the opening reception is March 23rd at 7pm at Biola University's Art Gallery: 13800 Biola Avenue, La Mirada, CA 90639.

There will be an overwhelming amount of treats (ie: candy!) at the reception, so come, get a sugar high, and look at art!

In the gallery next to mine will be an amazing painting show by my friend Marisa Rountree. She does abstract paintings that are so lovely and intricate and fun. You'll love them.

>>>> if you're going to come and need any more information or have questions, email me! shannon@shannonleith.com. I'd love to meet some of you!

i'll be blogging more about it as it gets closer, but know this:
you, are, invited!

come every day if you can!
--------------------shannon

my sister's winter formal

2009-02-23T00:27:00.000-08:00

my sister heather went to a dance a few weeks ago, and i got to go to the picture part! i felt like a mom!

first lets talk about her outfit. hair? amazing. makeup? perfectly simple. earrings? adorable. DRESS? so pretty!

before all the chaos, we took photos in our garage. garages are becoming my new favorite photo place. such great light.

she's so pretty! i love this one.

heather's man with the plan: Phillip!
I LOVE HIS SUIT!this was the chosen pose of the day that heather was all over:

her superhero friends,

the fam! --- my mom and i always match, accidentally.
i had my outfit on first.

and the group----

this was like a wedding with a lot less pressure.
and a lot shorter.
shan

Clarivel and Tuan at-----DISNEYLAND!

2009-02-22T23:37:00.000-08:00

Let's just say, Disneyland was a perfect place for Clarivel and Tuan to have their engagement session. Mag-ic! Oh man!!

number one, i'm obsessed with this polaroid. i sometimes wish i didn't promise clients that i'd give them their polaroids, because i WANT THIS ONE! i love it!!

and here they are in front of small world, still happy and shining----

when i took this one i was freaking out. pretty pretty pretty!

and here's where our day got even better.
i was apparently breaking the rules by standing in the planter to get these next shots. a disney castmember told me to get out, and when she found out we were doing their engagement photos, she proceeded to treat them like ROYALTY! they got the special bride&groom mouse ears, they got their own boat on the storybook ride, and the woman, our new best friend: PAM, rang a bell and made sure all of disneyland knew that CLARIVEL AND TUAN ARE ENGAGED!

"HERE YE, HERE YE. CLARIVEL AND TUANNNN ARE....ENGAGED! .....I SAIDDDD: CLARIVEL AND TUANNNNNNNN ARE ENGAGED!!!" eruptions of cheering, people ooooo-ing and ahh-ing, love all around, magic in the air, our own parade, clarivel crying out of sheer happines.... it was seriously awesome.

here we are on the private boat ride! dream date!
(how cute is she!)!

Sam-------senior photos in my favorite place

2009-02-19T19:13:00.000-08:00

Samantha is graduating from my alma mater---- trabuco!

we had the best time hanging out in old town orange, getting some fun photos to celebrate her upcoming graduation.

sam's amazing--- she's ASB vice president and is on the GOLF TEAM!

and she's got the best eyes, ever.

congratulations sam :)
only a few more months!
----- shannon

shoot--- do i have a lazy eye?

2009-02-10T21:09:00.001-08:00

thought #1) i'm realizing lately that i possibly have a lazy eye.

thought #2) my sister went to winter formal this weekend, and looked GORGEOUS! i was so excited for her, especially since i was able to live vicariously through her....... i only went to 2 dances, and they were horrible.

oh, the deep thoughts of my evening :)
---------------------- shan

anthro art by ruthi auda---------!

2009-02-07T09:51:00.000-08:00

My friend Ruthi does the art installations for Anthropologie, and used some of my polaroids for her last project! It's at the one at Fashion Island in Newport.

Here's her blog post about it: http://ruthiauda.com/blog/?p=512

and here are the photos!

rad!
shan :)

Courtney & Woody's engagement session!

2009-01-30T09:58:00.000-08:00

Courtney and Woody spent lots of time at It's A Grind while they were dating, so that's where we started thier session. Their engagement photos were really exciting for me to create because they told me they hardly have any photos of their journey as a couple.... so they're looking forward to having these images.

That being said, they also began our time declaring their nervousness about being photographed, which happens essentially every time.... so to new clients: DONT WORRY! look at how natural and free Courtney and Woody look in these, and be inspired. :)

I approach the delicate task of photographing people with a realization that having your photo taken is not normal. It's not NORMAL to have someone follow you around for an hour or two, telling you where to go and which light is the best to play in, and to "GET CLOSER!" (my trademark.) and to "LAUGH!" (also a favorite of mine!).

So, I'm aware that photographs can be awkward, but I love the challenge of making it as un-awkward as possible, as FUN as possible... and usually by the end of the session people say "that was it?" "that wasn't as hard as i thought!"

and this was literally our first image.
they're insta-pros.

after It's A Grind we went to a secret place in Fullerton----

i love these two!

be encouraged.
it doesnt have to be awkward.
:)
shan

Jen & Jon::::::::::::: the Farmer's Market in LA

2009-01-27T18:07:00.000-08:00

Jen and Jon chose to do their engagement session at the Farmer's Market because they LOVE FOOD!!! which totally warmed my heart because I do too, and I love that they love to do things together like cook and eat and go wine tasting. :) thats the best.

we started things off on a good note with FUNNEL CAKE!

i'm breathless over the next three

and here's the polaroid!
haa! i'm laughing by myself right now as i type this. jon totally cracked me up when he pulled out the RV Trader and tried to convince Jen that they should live in an RV when they get married,
and here they are, just spinnin....
thank you anthro for the best window displays, ever:

we ate dinner across the street at Tart. Both Jen and I wanted to go there when we saw it------- because it's so fun looking! It looks like one of those fun organic LA places, right? wrong! southern food. fried southern food. with a fancy wine menu. who knew.

ahh! one of my favorites!
here we are in TART! :)
(hey, at least they have the best outside wall ever)

:)))))))))))))
i loved that engagement session.
shannon.

hi all!

2009-01-26T11:53:00.000-08:00

today is my first day of my last semester of school.
YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
yes yes yes.
no school will mean more time! maybe! probably not!

in celebration, here are some photos i love.
#1) the lines in tropicana's cement:#2) this tree that looks like a piece of coral.

and by the way. some people had an issue with my spelling of brusselS sprouts in my last post.... and i would ask you to please check the worlds worst way of confirming information, Wikipedia, for proof that I'm right.

off to CLASS!
shan.

ps: if you're wondering if it bothers me that you can see the off-white around the polaroid, yes it does, thats why i usually photograph them instead of scanning them, but i wanted to try something new, and LOOK WHERE IT GETS ME. i'm practicing not being perfectionistic. the next step will be to refrain from writing the ps rant, huh.

i call these --scatters-------

2009-01-23T21:43:00.000-08:00

that yellow light leak by the bag is what i like to call Creepy Cool.

& this was my dinner last night! well, part of it.

and what do these polaroids have in common?
answer!
>>>> i'm pretty obsessed with scatters.
anything that scatters.
brussels sprouts, leaves, etc.
little known fact: when i was 6 i asked for brussels sprouts for my birthday dinner. maybe i needed to broaden my horizons, huh? OR---- maybe that shows that my horizons WERE broadened.......

i really hope you have a great weekend :)
shannon

OCD? maybe....??

2009-01-17T22:07:00.000-08:00

I CAN'T STAND EXTRAS!

i just did some errands,
which happens to be one of my top favorite things to do in life.
like, my ideal date would be... errands. the grocery store... target... nordstrom rack... and peets.

so, as i unpacked the things i got on my errands...
i realized that i could possibly have OCD.

the >>i'm home from my errands<< process
• tags on shirts... unnecessary. cut them off.
• granola bars need to be taken out of the box, throw away the box
• immediately throw away all the bags... i hate bags
• take the plastic off the post-it notes and the DVD (tonight i bought my third DVD...ever)
• take the top off of the soy milk and throw away that little tab
• avocados out of that mesh bag... 2 in the fridge, 2 in the fruit basket
• tomatoes out of that plastic thing... 3 in the fridge, 3 in the basket
• rip the advertisements off of the receipts (i cant stand those. wow. definitely don't need a foot of extra receipt in my wallet.)
• mix the old spices with the new spices so we dont have to have a spice jar with only a quarter inch of spices

things like this,
plague me.
oh my gosh.
shannon

ps------------ i just posted this post, and saw that practically every one of my bullet points went onto the 2nd line with only one word. so i went back and fixed it, of course. extras! no extras here. none. try and find a one-word line on this little blog..... i try my very best to not let that happen. the ultimate design faux-pas. whew. i'd lose sleep.

:::::::practicing self control and healthiness:::::
;)

cardboard-sparkle-love

2009-01-16T22:33:00.001-08:00

last semester in my design class, we had to pick a verse out of the Bible and use it in an installation piece on campus. my friend jehoaddan and i worked together on this------ we chose II Peter 1:7 ------------------ a verse about love and faith and virtue

so, naturally, we used lots of neon and lots of sparkles.

how RAD are these letters?? they're about two feet tall, made of cardboard that we found in the trash and hot-glue, and jehoaddan was the mastermind behind these beauties. i honestly have no idea how she did it. genius. for typeface-lovers, this is called Auto 2- my current fave!

we xacto-knifed each of these skinny letters out of the tinfoil, and WOW is tinfoil ever delicate.

here's jehoaddan in the studio,

& me with lots of sparkles,

from making THIS!
it took literally hundreds of dollars of sparkles.
who knew glitter was so expensive? are you kidding me?

so here's the entire thing--- it took a few days to install, lots and lots and lots of fishing line and hammering and wondering how to hang cardboard words from a tree in mid-air.

fishing line--------!

i think this is my favorite photo of this project---- i love this view.

jehoaddan tied little pieces of neon string onto the millions of pieces of fishing line so that people wouldnt do unexpected faceplants.

oh my lanta.
i love type.
--------------- shannon

Marie & Nick's wedding at the St. Regis! ::: LA wedding photography

2009-01-12T00:47:00.000-08:00

Marie and Nick's wedding was planned in literally five days. Take that, wedding timeline checklists! After dating for four years, they decided it was finally time to get married, they called me on a Monday, I met them for the first time at the St. Regis Hotel on Friday, they got ready, and then had a wedding! They surrounded themselves with their closest friends and a few family members--- most of their family lives in Jamaica though, so this post is extra long so that everyone can see what a lovely day Marie and Nick magically had last Friday.

these next two are some of my favorites!

here's the ceremony------ can you BELIEVE
that this was planned in 5 days? five days!

ahh!!!

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////

can we say, stunning ring?

another favorite! so perfectly gorgeous. wow.

okay basically i'm in love with this entire wedding. it was great because we got to just explore for a few hours after the ceremony---- with no agenda, no reception to rush to, no one telling us to hurry.... it was so perfect.

i screamed when i took this one. a good scream... that signifies: you're going to LOVE THIS PICTURE!

nick...marie.... thanks for including me in your day. i truly felt honored to be there. you are a truly beautiful couple, and congratulations on your marriage! and a big hello to everyone looking at these in Jamaica!
----- shannon

discoveries that will make your day ten thousand times better

2009-01-08T18:28:00.001-08:00

here are a few simple things that literally make my days sing.

for me, i've realized that life is more fun if the little things in life are valued, like---- using good shampoo, eating off of lovely dishes every day, and keeping my paperclips in a glass jar instead of the ugly paper box with bad design.

here are a few of those little, simple things that i love,
i'd submit that they've literally changed my life,
and yes, made each day TEN THOUSAND TIMES BETTER!

#1. straws. oh, straws. ever since i started using them i all of a sudden drink millions of glasses of water per day. i even put a straw in my nalgene. insta-hydration! making water-drinking fun 2009!
philosophy's 'the present'. ladies, i use this every morning and it is the best makeup-base, primer, amazingness ever. it smells like lavendar, so i feel like i transported myself to a day-spa every morning. start it off right, i say. and basically everything from this brand, Philosophy, is incredible. especially their wit.
embroidery floss! life-changer. i wrap every single gift with a bow of colored string, i use it to spice up my life, and i usually have some in my purse and in my car, just in case
the milk frother!!!!!!!! since there is no Peets within 25 miles of my apartment, my roommate and i have taken extreme measures and have chosen to bypass the empire of starbucks and make our own coffee-beauty each morning. this frother is what makes it all amazing: we froth cold milk in the cup first, add some french-pressed coffee from Peets, top it with a little cinnamon or maybe some caramel sauce, stir a little bit, and enjoy! this contraption can be purchased on amazon by clicking here. prepare to never buy cups of coffee, again.
Peter Thomas Roth's Botanical Buffing Beads. ie: an awesome exfoliator. i love it because i have sensitive skin and it is absolutely perfect for me. its gentle, smells great, and makes my skin shine. but dont judge me if i have zits. because i do.
Spray Dirt. this stuff makes the morning easy and unpredictable because i spray it in and have instantaneous fun hair. clearly i love hair and face products. in fact, i'm obsessed.
lastly, these blank journals contain all of my thoughts about the world, all of my lists, all of my school notes, all of my business ideas, everything! i keep it simple by just having my entire life flow sequentially through these books---- it just works for me that way. i lose things easily, and this method keeps me organized. quotes that i hear and love, notes from a book i'm reading, websites i want to visit, someone's contact information: everything! love it. AND... you can paint on them, label them with green tape, and they have blank pages to ensure full maximized creative potential. perf.

:)
anything that has changed your life that you want to share?

--------------------- shannon

craft time! ----felt flower awesome headbands

2009-01-07T15:25:00.000-08:00

i've found my 2nd calling: making headbands out of felt. talk about a stress-releaser, a creativity outlet, and a GREAT GIFT!! i gave the one above to my friend blythe after she declared a love for felt on her blog. people were charging $15+ for things like this on etsy, and i had an "i can make that" moment, so i went to joannes, came home, and crafted!

this one i made for rosanna:

she discovered tons of uses for this little felt wonder. ie:

felt celebration!
>>>>>>>>>>>shan

when we lose our myths..........

2009-01-05T09:15:00.001-08:00

i love madeleine l'engles book 'glimpses of grace' and todays reading ended with this: when we lose our myths we lose our place in the universe

i love linking mystery and myth with polaroids: you never know whats going to come out of the camera---------- i'm always in awe of my little camera's way of interpreting the world.

madeleine&polaroids make the world make more sense
or less
or both

shannon :)

wedding polaroids

2009-01-04T10:49:00.000-08:00

does anyone else love organizing their harddrives and finding photo surprises?
i do!

these are from annie and matt's wedding in long beach

off to the Puffy Taco for lunch with Rachel!
---------------------- shan

the McCoy family!

2009-01-03T11:44:00.000-08:00

photographing the mccoy family was a total and complete delight. i loved it. i photographed joy and michael's wedding in August of 2007, so doing these family portraits made me so happy! their wedding, by the way, was one of my favorites to date. i'm adding some of those photos to the end of this post because their wedding hit my heart and melted it instantly. for so many reasons.

here's sweet Riley!!

and the whole family! :)

doesn't this moment just make you love life a little bit more?

sweetly sweet sweet hilarious riley. wow-----------

and here are a few of my favorites from their wedding. i think this is my favorite dress picture that i've ever taken. love it!

and how awesome is michael?

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

MARANATHA!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-01-02T18:27:00.000-08:00

--------------thoughts that i want to let you in on------------

• i got a printer from my parents for Christmas (thanks mom & dad!) and just opened and installed it. this is monumental for me because for the past two years i havent had one in my apartment, forcing me to go to my school's computer lab every single time i wanted to print something out, copy something, or make a scan. now i have a 3 in 1 and i LOVE MY LIFE! the joy of printers.

• went to yoga today for the first time in a month and simultaneously loved and hated my life: i felt like i was about to puke the entire time, had to sit down for half the poses and was ghostly white. luckily it will get better with time. i hate starting after i havent gone for a while. ahhh!

• bought groceries after a catastrophe: trader joes wasnt open yesterday! DEAR ME! i was determined to use my gift certificate, so Ro and I went after yoga, all nice and yoga-ed.

• i'm on winter break right now, which means: no class until the end of january! i stayed in my sweats all day with my neon orange jacket and yellow beanie (touque for the canadians)--- looking like a caution sign and loving my life.

• i'm buying a new computer soon! YES! no more midnight trips to the computer lab to edit. thank you trevor meeks for saving my mac life.

• i have an art show coming up on march 23rd! it's my senior art show------- the pinnacle of my art existence at biola, and i'm looking forward to it. you are all invited, and the details will come when it gets closer. but march 23rd, put it on your calendar!

• any other freaks & geeks lovers out there?

• chocolate covered pretzels and i were besties today

• amy seeley, thanks for making the world a more beautiful place.

• confession: i say i hate uggs but really--- i love them.

:)
love to you,
seriously,
shan

on the job!

2009-01-02T13:11:00.000-08:00

random little times that my dearest blythe photographed me photographing people, or doing other things that end up being part of the day :)

for instance, styling!

or showing the images--- which i love\one time, my brother Carson and I ended up working at the same wedding! he was doing sound! now THAT was random.this is at wayfarers chapel, such a beautiful place!and here i am testing the light for my second shooter.
wow. bad haircut, shan.

so there you go!
have a great day,
(i went to trader joes this morning and wowzey, do i ever have good lunch options. woo!)

love,
shan

my grandparents, in trabuco canyon

2009-01-01T17:30:00.000-08:00

my grandparents travel all over Canada and the US in their RV------ and while they were here for Christmas, I wanted to take photos of them at their campsite. one of my favorite things was having my grandma show me all of her favorite things----- great trees, great light, little flowers, and her rock collection! it was the best.

i totally love this one!
their RV was the best light reflector ever

they said i could post this one--------
grandma getting an ear hair out of alf's ear.

here are the rocks! which are quite a commitment to own when you travel in an RV where every pound counts,

i loved listening to my grandma describe them.
"isn't it neat how God did this?"

they're leaving tomorrow to go off to their next adventure.
we'll miss them :)
love you guys,
shan

the Minolta Autocord TLR amazingness

2008-12-27T11:58:00.000-08:00

these are some photos of my new medium format film camera that i talked about in an earlier post------------ my Minolta Autocord! My parents got it for my birthday... my dad searched craigslist high and low and found the most amazing one that exists, in my opinion.

my reasoning for that is because it came with this RAD BOX! great packaging make me happy!! especially when its vintage, and especially when it is a box for an even more amazing camera/////

and here's the real beauty:

you look through the top screen as your viewfinder--- rad huh?

here are a few more photos that i took with it----
black and white tmax400 film

woo hoo!
i hope you have a great day!
i'm going shopping.
to get a new cell phone because apparently mine's ghetto, and to return a pair of pants. and then, i'm going to do a photoshoot of my grandparents! and i feel great from my massage yesterday.... Tanya at Burke Williams in Mission Viejo.... thank you for changing my life.

:)
love
shan

christmas snapshots-------------

2008-12-26T14:46:00.000-08:00

Christmas was lovely lovely lovely.
i got to see my brother sing at church
hang out with my family
sleep a lot
make pie
and watch freaks&geeks!

here's my family on Christmas Eve---------
my sister and i accidentally kind of matched

Grandpa Alf and Grandma Marilyn!

stocking bubbles

and here's my mom and dad on Christmas day! how cute are they!

*************************************************

rewind a few days.......... and these are photos from the HOLIDAZZLE!!! Rachel, Denise and I had a small little Christmas party, with a dazzle theme, which to us, meant: wear pretty rings

blaire, me and blythe in the traditional totem pole pose

trop 201! maddie, danika, me, ro, and el!

and then the post-party sleepover........
this photo warms my heart.
i love this girl.

and now i'm off to get a massage
with a gift certificate from my BIRTHDAY!
i feel so lucky
and i'm more than ready to get the semester's worth of tension out of my back. wow. deep tissue... here i come.

Heather and David's Wedding on a Yacht! ::: LA wedding photography

2008-12-24T10:18:00.000-08:00

Heather and David were married on December 20th on a yacht in the Newport Harbor. The perks of living in southern California! woohoo!!!!!! I bundled up in tons of layers, but it turned out to be pretty warm that day---- absolutely perfect for the wedding.

They chose to see each other before the wedding so we could do some photos before we all got on the boat, and I loved having that relaxed time in the morning. Heather and David are in HAWAII right now---- celebrating their first Christmas together in the sun! Love it!!

Heather has the world's most adorable mom----- I LOVE THIS MOMENT!! right after Heather put on her dress.

and this is the world's most beautiful alley, on Balboa Island

we magically transported to a woodsey winter wonderland

lace, fun shoes, amazingly, perfect.

David!!

the beautiful Heather,

this one of the millions of groomsmen cracks me up-

and the lovely bridesmaids, rocking out

Heather and her dad :)

this is becoming my favorite moment at a wedding. the walk down the aisle at the end! it's always so happy. i love it.

heather's parents, josh and dottie, used these toasting glasses at their wedding!

heather designed her own cake! isn't it fun?

and this is their neice, Shauna, being so cute

Merry Christmas you guys :)

packing to go HOME FOR CHRISTMAS

2008-12-22T23:45:00.000-08:00

here's an insider behind the scenes look at my thought process while packing to go home for a mere 10-12 days.

home for me, is a thirty minute drive away.

""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

#1 on the list, LAUNDRY. i hate having to pay a dollar to wash my clothes. let alone my sheets. and my sweaty yoga clothes.

#2 i should probably bring all the books i've ever wanted to read, all the books i half-read for school to re-read them, all the books that might keep me busy on a slow lazy day, and all the spiritually renewing books that i own to re-read and enhance my soul.

#3 my journal, of course, PLUS a blank one for when i run out of room

#4 baking supplies, for all the times that i bake, and for all the times that my own mother doesnt have flour and sugar, which is NEVER

#5 every photography related item i own. negative sleeves? totally might need them. every polaroid camera i own? yes. 20 gigs of CF cards? totally. all my lenses? you never know what shot we might need on christmas morning. WHEW.

#6 all my past client's contracts and current clients contracts and blank contracts in case i get any new clients

#7 face mask stuff for a personal spa day, along with multiple kinds of lotions, along with eye makeup remover and cotton pads, and an extra razor

#8 a minimum of 3 hair products. who knows if i'll be in a mood for SPRAY DIRT, COCKY, or TOTALLY TWISTED?

#9 four pairs of shoes. the only four pairs i own. and two of them i never wear because they give me blisters... but hey. you never know what i might want to wear to the christmas eve service

#10 every craft item possible, for all the crafts that i might make people for christmas

#11 all of my art that i've made this semester

#12 clothes that i'd like to mend. i'll totally have the time.

#13 every color of embroidery floss---- to do the mending with

#14 all of my old journals in case i want to reminisce and process through everything i've ever learned in life

#15 the groceries that i bought the day before i left

#16 all of my plants, oh wait!

#17 tea, coffee, french press, peets blend 101, another french press, and the pretty coffee scoop, and caramel, and cinnamon, and the milk frother

#18 all of my jackets. all of my sweaters. all of my sweatshirts. BRRRRRR it sure gets cold in southern california. man alive.

#19 all of my stationary, for all the letters i might write

#20 everything financial in case i decide to do my banking.

and then i forgot,
my allergy medicine,
which is bad because i already had a run-in with cashews the other day and almost died.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!
call me if you need anything!
949 525 2281.

love,
shan

SOMETHING NEW & EXCITING!

2008-12-15T21:04:00.000-08:00

one of my new most prized possessions is my twin-lens reflex camera. the kind that has two lenses... the kind that you look down into... the kind that changes your life. my dad is officially the best ebay/craigslister EVER.... and found me the most amazing one for my birthday. dad! thank you!! it even came with the original red box. :) i almost cried when i saw it in person. it's a Minolta Autocord, it has officially changed my life, and i went on a few walks with it recently and took these with Kodak TMax400.

my favorite, which i'd love to have become
a big big print in my house one day.

i love working in film!
kind of.
>>>>> annoying to develop, i hate dealing with dust marks, i hate dealing with scratches, but i love the detail, i love the authenticity it adds, i love the film grain, and i love the way it makes me slow down just a bit.
love,
shannon, who is absolutely exhausted right now and is going to bed :)

moments that i love >>>polaroids<<<<<

2008-12-14T18:51:00.001-08:00

i'm about to go home from the computer lab at school to eat a bagel: cinnamon raisin. my latest obsession, along with Peets coffee

have a great night!
shannon