i heart maternity leave

Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love, love, love my job. There isn't anything in this world that I would rather do to make a living. I realize how blessed I am to be able to say that and mean it.

With that said, I am so full of gratitude for this special time of maternity leave that I get to stay home and spend all of my time with my precious family. There really is nothing better in this world. Keegan and I have been doing so many fun things together, I have been cooking meals, doing crafts, snuggling with my baby girl and I even watched a movie the other night. I have been so busy the last several years that this amazing time at home has been SO good for my soul.

I wanted to share a little crafty project with you that I did the other day. I didn't take photos of the project as I went along but the process was pretty simple. This is a chalkboard that during the Christmas season was covered with Christmas cards. During the rest of the year it usually has something written on it in chalk. I am in the process of redecorating a lot of things in our house and displaying our photos is one thing that it is at the top of my decorating priority list. I am a photographer for goodness sake. ;) So.....here she be.

So, what do you think? I just love it! I wish that I could magically make my heat registers move off of my walls and onto the ceiling or the floor but I haven't been able to figure that one out yet.

I bought doilies with a coupon from Joann Fabrics but they were bright white and I wasn't in love with that look for this project. So, I dipped them in a bowl of diluted black tea. Instant antique doilies. The Polaroid photos came from a pinterest download. I used photoshop to resize them for 4x5 prints and dropped my photos on the image with photoshop.

I just taped everything to the board so that I can easily switch things out. I debated repainting the chalkboard but I kind of like the look of the chalky residue.

I cut a piece off of my homemade Christmas garland to keep out as a little added interest on my piano.

I plan on posting some more photos of other fun projects that I have been working on very soon. I hope that you have a wonderful day!

penelope {1 month}

It is so hard for me to believe that my little blue eyed beauty is one month old. Well, she is actually six weeks old but I just remembered that my sister-in-law had gotten me these cute onesie stickers as a shower gift. ;)

Lack of sleep wll make you forget lots of things.

christmas day {the 4 of us}

Well hello there! I figured it was time I post some new photos and I just had to share some of our Christmas pics. Better late than never.

This is our very first photo of our family of four.

I love my kids!

Cutest baby booties ever. Thanks Aunt Jessie!

sweet little penelope

It is safe to say that we are all a bit smitten with little Miss Penelope over here. I thought I would post a few photos of our recent days.

4 days old. She is wearing the sweet hat that my friend Nichole got for her off of Etsy. This whole girl world is so much fun. I am pretty excited for when she gets just a little bit bigger because she is so tiny right now that hardly anything fits her.

5 days old. P sleeps next to my bedside in her cradle. (Well...sometimes she sleeps.) It is the same cradle that I slept in when I was a new baby and it was made by my father.

Headband made by my dear friend Keri in Michigan. Her Etsy shop is Guguberry.

6 days old. This is my absolute favorite thing about newborns. Kissing that sweet soft head of hers while she is curled up on my chest makes all of the sleepless nights totally worth it.

1 week old. I think that her little lips are my favorite thing about her face. So sweet. This is a hat made by my amazingly talented friend Cassidy. She knits the most beautiful things you have ever seen. I can't wait to show you the sweater she made for her. I put a headband on top of the hat that was made by my friend Lisa and her little sweater is from Miss Jessie Dewey. I have really great friends that love my little sweetie.

10 days old. She is lounging on her amazing quilt. I had it made by Holly at Binkwaffle. I cried when she gave me the finished product on account of how perfect it was and really wanted to keep it for myself but I decided to let Penelope have it.

I just love those cheeks!

12 days old. Lounging in front of the Christmas tree. It is a wonderful thing having a baby in December but the holiday season really crept up on me. I feel like I kind of missed out on a lot of Christmastime activities and decorating. But......I am pretty sure that she is totally worth it.

Headband from Etsy Lou and Lee.

our daughter has arrived

I have tried to sit down and write this post several times this week but I start boo hooing tears of overwhelming joy.  And let's be honest, I would much rather be holding my new baby girl than writing a blog post.

Finally, our daughter Penelope Rose is here! I say finally but really she was right on time just like her big brother. Both of my children were born on their due dates without any kind of induction. Even the nurses that had been in labor and delivery for 13 years had never heard of anyone else doing that. I guess I have a timely cooker. ;)

These are some of my favorite photos from labor and delivery. The amazing Jessie Dewey (Imago Vita photographer as well as the owner and photographer of Jessie Leigh Photographry) is responsible for blessing me with these images. Words will never be able to express how much these photos mean to me. My labor was faster than any of us could have anticipated so she literally bolted into the delivery room seconds before the baby's arrival.

Fresh out of the oven.

I was so happy that they put her right on my chest after she was born. They couldn't do that with my son because they had to suction him right away.

Hello world!

Penelope Rose. 6lbs 5oz. Born on her due date December 4, 2011 8:33pm.

thankful

There has been a lot of nesting and tying up loose ends going on around here as we await our precious little girl. I am so very thankful for this time. I have been soaking up lots of quality time with my little man while he is still my only baby.

He is my special little helper.

Everyone should bake in their undies.

I walked into Keegan's preschool one day welcomed by their "I am thankful for...." board. There were just a few of the kid's projects up on the board. I definitely teared up over this. He is so excited for his baby sister to arrive and talks about it all of the time. ;) I am so thankful.

She will be here any day now. Here I am feeling very well rounded at 39 weeks.

Gosh, I love this kid! My heart is so full.

the H family

I want to start this post with a disclaimer so that there is no confusion. ;) DISCLAIMER: I am not a family photographer and do not book family photo sessions. This one was a very special circumstance.

Earlier this year I was asked to participate in raising funds for the Tulsa Crisis Pregnancy Outreach (CPO) and gladly jumped on board. They held a banquet and an auction so, I donated a session knowing full well that the type of session that I would most likely end up doing would be a family. I was okay with that.

My husband and I have always had a heart for adoption and started looking into the whole process at the beginning of this year before I got pregnant. We can't wait for our baby girl to arrive in just a few weeks but we also look forward to the day when our family will grow through adoption. During our research we found out about CPO and were blown away by them. CPO's mission and the heart of their organization is nothing short of amazing.

The primary mission of Crisis Pregnancy Outreach is to provide love and assistance, free of charge, to young women who are experiencing a crisis pregnancy, and to their children as well. They accomplish everything through the hard work and dedication of volunteers so no one there recieves a salary.

We have several friends that have adopted or are in the process of adopting through CPO and this beautiful family is one of them. Travis, Valerie and Trenton...Thank you so much for spending the evening with me and being patient with my pregnant lack of agility and speed during your shoot. ;) It was such a pleasure getting to know you all a little bit better. I am very much out of practice when it comes to shooting families and kids so, I hope that you enjoy your non-family photographer taken family photographs.

Handsome little man.

Could their outfits be any better?

Nope.

I just love Trenton's smile.

It just so happened that a train came by in the middle of our shoot.

Nothing quite as cool as a little penny flattening.

the imago vita (round 2) workshop is here!

Here are a few behind the scenes snapshots from our last workshop.

I am so humbled and honored that my first group of attendants were so amazing and gracious. They had some really sweet things to say:

"The Imago Vita workshop was well worth the time and money spent to attend. The information that Shannon shared with us will help me make huge strides not only in my shooting abilities, but also with my business ideas and strategies. For me, the most important thing that I walked away with from the workshop was confidence. I’ve lacked in that area since I began this photography journey, and it was nice to hear from other attendees that I wasn’t the only one. One of the highlights of the day (aside from the amazing food), was getting out there and doing a photo shoot with real models, and it was a huge help to have Shannon coach us along and take time to stop and give suggestions. I have already started to see a difference in my pictures from using what I learned on that shoot! Overall, the whole day was jam-packed with invaluable information that has changed the way I view my photography and has given me a renewed passion to pursue it seriously as more than just a hobby. Without a doubt, you need to attend this workshop."

"I loved this workshop. Shannon makes her business ethics, practices, and workflow available, as well as shooting techniques and helpful tips regarding equipment and what to have in your bag v. what to rent. I walked away with a new (and needed) confidence in my own style based on her critique and suggestions, as well as a more clearly defined direction in marketing practices, materials, and building awesome relationships with clients, fellow photographers, and vendors. The model shoot was a huge learning experience for me in how to keep talking to your clients and making them feel more comfortable and playful, as well as posing and moving through some shot sequences in a way that was logical but left lots of room to be creative. My favorite thing, though, was seeing that Shannon has not only found her niche, which we all should do, but that she also has struck a good balance between working your business financially, relationally, and keeping family a priority as well; these were lessons to apply immediately. Shannon rocked it out!"

"Shannon’s workshop was a wonderful experience for me. I learned so much, not only from her teaching, but also from watching her “in action” in our photo shoot. The setting made me feel special, and Shannon shared “secrets” she’s learned from her experience in the photography world. Her honesty and sincerity as well as her ambition and wealth of knowledge she shared with us is something that I am truly thankful for."

"The workshop was great for me since I am just now really starting to do wedding photography. Talking with you and asking questions really helps me feel more comfortable about being able to better serve my clients and myself. It’s very nice to be able to spend the day with someone who is successful and doesn’t mind sharing their knowledge in a competitive industry. The workshop itself, venue, models, hair & make-up, food was awesome. If you ever offered another workshop for the next level I would definitely attend. You truly are an awesome person and photographer. Thank you so much for everything!"

"Shannon’s workshop was informative, encouraging, and enlightening. Not only was I encouraged as a photographer, but as a person. She uses her talented photography to bless the lives of those around her. I walked away learning new techniques, more confident about my skills, and recharged."

james+paige {engagement}

It is a bittersweet feeling that I am posting my last engagement session of the year. I have officially finished up all of my shooting. I am getting huge and much less agile so I am grateful that the rest of the work I have to do can be done on my computer designing albums, filling orders etc.  The rest of the time I am loving on my boys and getting ready for baby girl.

Meet James and Paige. They are absolutely adorable and have such a deep joy that just oozes out of them. Following around these two love birds with my camera was such a wonderful way to wrap up engagement shoots.

Don't you just love Paige's Anthropologie outfit?

Hello GORGEOUS!!!

Save the date numbers are all the rage nowadays. ;)

I know that these next two shots are practically the same but I just love the laughter in the first one and the sassy hotness of the second one.

alex+angela {engagement}

Good golly I love what I do for a living! I mean truly love it from the depths of my soul. I get to meet and work with the sweetest most amazing people and document their love for one another. It just doesn't get any better than that.

This is Alex and Angela and they will be getting married next year. They are adorable, fun and so full of love. We did their engagement session on a beautiful evening just as the leaves started to show us their fall splendor. This is by far my favorite time of year to do just about anything and capturing the beauty of God's creation with my camera is just one of the things brings a smile to face.

Congratulations Angela and Alex. It was so much fun watching the way that you interact and love one another. I hope that you enjoy this peek at your photos.

The tapestry quilt that they are laying on is a family heirloom of Angela's going all the way back to her great Grandmother.  How special it must be to still enjoy the same quilt that she made forts out of when she was a child.

Yummy light.

If Alex and Angela remember to laugh as much as they did during their session during their marriage then they are headed for some happy years. ;)

Seriously girl, you are stinking gorgeous! Wow!