shannon leith :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: photographer of everyday life based in pasadena, california

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Tuesday, June 22, 2010

I love doing family portraits for people who are open to what the words family portrait might mean. Blaire, her mom, and her grandma fit into that category. Wanting a documentation of the real them, having a real experience. We went to the the San Juan Capistrano Mission, a place where her grandma had taken photos of Blaire and her mom 20 years ago. The three of them are reallyclose. Both Blaire and her mom are the only daughter---- think Gilmore Girls, and you'll have a glimpse into real life for them. We ran to the car from the rain at the end, happy with what we had and excited to see what we had created and captured. So, Blaire, Sue and Grandma. I call her Grandma too along with Blaire, so we'll go with that :) enjoy,

1 comments so far

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Ro says:

love all of the plants sooo much

(06.23.10 @ 11:33 PM)

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aw,

pink house

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Monday, June 21, 2010

okay, he wins the quirky cute YOURE MELTING ME award.

7 comments so far

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Jennifer Hood says:

This is sooo precious! i want one!

(06.21.10 @ 05:56 PM)

Shannon Garcia says:

Oh my goodness. I miss my tiels... what a great photo :D

(06.21.10 @ 09:43 PM)

jennifer young says:

oh my! such a cutie! lovin' the head tilt!
j.

(06.22.10 @ 12:57 PM)

elizabeth says:

I ADORE this photo! it's fabulous!

(06.22.10 @ 10:06 PM)

Stefan says:

agreed!!!

(07.01.10 @ 11:48 PM)

Ronnie says:

Awesome, love it!

(07.03.10 @ 01:45 AM)

maren mcmillan says:

god .. he is soooooooooo cute

(07.05.10 @ 04:12 PM)

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my mail life lately,

pink house

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Friday, June 18, 2010

the mail lady now comes around 12:15 instead of 1..... which makes the most exciting part of my day happen forty-five minutes earlier. i love this. i have considered going down to meet her since she does provide me with the best substance ever: my mail. i think i'm at least going to write her a note or something. especially since i spy on her as she walks up in her USPS shorts and mail bag, listening to her ipod and hopefully loving her life.

anyway.

today my neighbor val yelled up in my window: you have a package!

i literally ran downstairs,

to find TWO PACKAGES.

glory.

one from blaire, who sends me a present every month as an ongoing birthday present (WHAT!)

one from my friend rosanna's brother phillip.

blaire's june present for me was a sugar holder from her work. i love it.

i now need to go get some sugar packets somehow.

phillip,

he gave me a box of maple seeds.

which i am just realizing at this second are placed perfectly next to the maple syrup jar which i transformed into a vase. life is nice to us, mmm?

honestly just taking a nice deep breath right now and saying THANK YOU GOD! for such great people in my life. yes, i receive the delights of today.

thank you blairey,

thank you phillip.

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jennifer young says:

i love snail mail! such lovely surprises you received!
j.

(06.18.10 @ 02:45 PM)

tiny twig says:

i hope you marry phillip. that is the best present ever.

(06.19.10 @ 07:09 PM)

jasmine says:

this is such loveliness, and you are, too!

(06.20.10 @ 10:53 AM)

blaire says:

every time i discover an item with a slight crack or chip in it, i quickly bring it to a manager who inevitably says, "toss it." to which i reply, "may i have it, instead?" "uh, sure. i guess." "yes!" i think you will soon have one place setting-worth of everything we use at the restaurant, as i have begun searching for imperfections on every item i touch.

(06.20.10 @ 09:37 PM)

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garden party,

pink house

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Friday, June 18, 2010

i've been meeting with a group of girls from my church every thursday night.

we had a garden party in my new backyard oasis last night,

celebrating our year together.

monica made spring rolls,

which made us all feel like we were in a gourmet vietnamese restaurant.

but really we were just at the pink house,

hanging out,

trying to figure out how to juice limes without a citrus juicer,

and enjoying our last night as an official group.

for me, each of them has helped me transition to pasadena and i'm thankful.

transition is hard and the consistency of our weekly time together has been so good.

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Hollie says:

I sooooooooooooo love this.

(06.21.10 @ 10:33 AM)

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jen, exploratory portraits

portraits

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Thursday, June 17, 2010

hands are so beautiful.

its crazy how you can see a photo of just your hands, and know that they're yours. how does a mixture of skin, bones, creases, nails and veins say "yup those are mine!"

how can there be 6 billion different versions of The Hand?

What??

a person's uniqueness comes out through every cell in their body.

i think that's so rad.

this is jen,

a beauty of a woman who is Canadian and plays the piano with elegance and creativity.
living in who she is, even though the daily reality of that can sometimes be scary.

she's going for it.

going after the dream.

doing it.

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Anonymous says:

sweet photos. cool ideas :)

(06.17.10 @ 08:40 PM)

Bianca says:

Beautiful. "Hands of the Day" by Pablo Neruda. It celebrates the work of hands in the most beautiful way.

(06.18.10 @ 11:59 AM)

heather says:

WOW. she looks a lot like you. it threw me for a loop!

(06.19.10 @ 02:06 PM)

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ha,

pink house

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Tuesday, June 15, 2010

a few days ago Cosmo did a lap around the living room and then landed on my desk. his cage is right beside my desk, so you'd think this would be normal, but it has taken him three months to realize this is an option. he stood there kind of stunned. no clue what to do next. i guess he stood there long enough for me to get my camera and take these. we were both sitting there, stunned, looking at each other. AHHH! LIFE!

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Michelle says:

You are so awesome - AHHH! LIFE! I totally have urges to scream that aloud, with a huge smile, of course! Oh the little things...

(07.07.10 @ 09:40 AM)

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freshening up. a cosmo photo,

pink house

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Monday, June 14, 2010

whenever i feel awful i take a shower.

emotionally awful....

physically awful....

i'm about to cry awful....

showers cure all.

today i needed to have a shower and so i did,

and everything wasn't magically better but it definitely helped.

i'm also going to go to Dance Jam tonight with my friend Jessica,

one of my goals for 2010 is to dance.

shower and dance.

maybe it should have been in the opposite order, but for me i needed to a) shower, and then b) dance.

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Lehua says:

Tell me how it goes, the dancing :)

(06.14.10 @ 05:37 PM)

Jessica says:

Me too! But, I'm revising the list just a little: A. Shower before you get here in a half hour. B. Iced Coffee. C. Dance. Perfect plan!

(06.14.10 @ 05:58 PM)

Erin says:

I do the same thing. Showering just works.

(06.14.10 @ 07:26 PM)

Greg Leith (alias, DAD) says:

plus, they are FREE!

(06.14.10 @ 08:40 PM)

shannon leith says:

the shower was great, but DANCING RULED!!!!!!!!!!!! guys! it waqs the best.

(06.14.10 @ 10:12 PM)

Anonymous says:

dance on!!

(06.15.10 @ 07:36 AM)

Marilyn Paul says:

Get this, Shannon. When I was in highschool my Mother wouldn't let me go to dances (or even "dance" in the house) because it was considered evil. All they were doing back then was the Avalon, waltz, polka, two-step----come on Mother! So, be careful, Shannon! This might be the start of your road downward to ...... GR MA :)

(06.15.10 @ 09:55 AM)

Marilyn Paul says:

Get this, Shannon. When I was in highschool my Mother wouldn't let me go to dances (or even "dance" in the house) because it was considered evil. All they were doing back then was the Avalon, waltz, polka, two-step----come on Mother! So, be careful, Shannon! This might be the start of your road downward to ...... GR MA :)

(06.15.10 @ 09:56 AM)

Marilyn Paul says:

sorry about two of the same things. It says that my answer has been posted and I go look and it's not there - where does it go??? Now I see it two times. NUTS. Anyway, I forgot to tell you that it was my BROTHER Art that I was going to the dance with - not even a date! She really really pitched a fit and I never asked again and never did go to a dance. ENJOY. I used to stick tacks to the front and heel of my shoes and tried to do tap dancing when no one was watching or listening. I wanted to feel music - besides listen to it!

(06.15.10 @ 12:25 PM)

Lindsay says:

Shannon,
Please let us know how the Dance Jam goes - this sounds amazing! I love to dance and so support this being a goal of yours for 2010 - woohoo!

(06.15.10 @ 08:53 PM)

Lindsay says:

OK, just saw that this was written Monday and you loved the dancing...so good to hear! I may have to try it some time!

(06.15.10 @ 08:55 PM)

shannon leith says:

Lindsay.
it
was
amazing.
honestly, if you ever want to come i'd love to meet you and bring you.
it was one of the most freeing things i've done in a long time.
my biggest challenge was to just feel the music and let my body move.
i had to keep telling myself there was no rules.
ahh!
so good to just move and be and let loose.
highly, highly, HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT!
go!!!!!!!!

(06.15.10 @ 09:46 PM)

jasmine says:

oh my goodness. dance, dance, dance! I am a firm believer in dance mending all things negative. PS. I am not a bird person, but I heart cosmo!

(06.20.10 @ 10:45 AM)

Hollie says:

i took a shower after reading this.
thank you.

(06.21.10 @ 10:32 AM)

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