Connie and I dreamed up this idea this fall… She moved in with 3 girls that she was dancing with and thought it would be fun to do a “roomie” session.  I agreed to take on the project if I got to style them and shoot them the way i wanted.  (I mean, I’ll be nice… but with conditions!)  I looong for days like this- me, in the zone, my camera, beautiful models (with the ability to sculpt their bodies beyond my imagination… that isn’t always a part of the deal), and a world of possibilities.  I can play, create, discover, and enjoy photography without giving any thought to what another soul has to say about it.

I hardly said a word as we drove to our location… I was so excited to see what would unfold.  I have to say- there were more to share than would possibly be post-able… it was a dream.  the light was beautiful and soft- and the girls were dreamy… they truly seamed like little forest fairies.  what beauty they exude.

thank you lovely ladies for letting me capture the light and life in your movements… you each posses a radiance all your own.  May the Lord continue to bless your ministry of movement… and i pray these photographs forever remind you of this season of your life.

much love.

isn’t she fabulous? seriously- i’ve put my makeup on wrong since highschool.  awesome.

thank jourdan.

you are the big sister i always needed!

what else do you want jourdan to teach us???  we have so many fun things in store… what shall we add to the mix?

]]> http://www.shaunamanessblog.com/all-things-style-5-minute-makeup-with-jourdan-johnson/feed/ 2 http://www.shaunamanessblog.com/our-first-dallas-staycation/ http://www.shaunamanessblog.com/our-first-dallas-staycation/#comments Mon, 14 May 2012 14:00:56 +0000 Shauna http://www.shaunamanessblog.com/?p=4020

When you live in Europe for four years and can hop in a car and be in Paris in 3 hours… or you know- 4 other countries in those same 3 hours… moving back to Texas and trying to come up with a trip that seems worth taking proves to be a little difficult- and anti-climactic.

Romeo has a tricky schedule so anything requiring flights or reservations far out are not possible at this point… so what to do? We thought about driving to New Mexico or Colorado- maybe next time, we considered a hill country trip (but we’ve been there several times this year), and finally settled on staying here in the Metroplex and actually doing some of the zillion things there are to do here… and there are a ZILLION.

When we have off together we tend to sleep late, go to brunch, watch a movie on the couch, and eat at home- or skip brunch and eat out in the evening… we have our favorite spots and always seem to head to the same places… sound familiar?

Sooo… In an effort to break the cycle and enjoy more of what the BIG D I have created a strategy!

(insert laugher from every.single.person that knows me)

I AM GOING TO PLAN A SCHEDULE FOR US.

stop the presses. hold the phones. pick your jaw up from the table.  ”close your mouth- your not a cod fish.” (yes i just quoted Mary Poppins on my blog)

It’s true, I’m going to do it!

We are going to take our travel budget and invest in things we can continue to use (mountain bikes, portable grill, tent, and a few other essentials to outdoor living) and we are going to have a BLAST.

and i’m not cooking.

really, we are picking a new restaurant every night.  that’s what we would do if we went somewhere… and where else in Texas can you eat like you can in Dallas??? NO.WHERE. it’s on.

and a few bonuses about a STAYcation vs. a VAcation with a 6 month old?

1. we don’t have to pack all of his “gear”
2. he can take naps and enjoy his regular bedtime (b/c we have an awesome sitter)
3. he can enjoy respit from the sun
4. we have an awesome pool at HOME he can have some fun pool time and head down for a nap
5. we have a super fun outdoor space at my office to enjoy and Nico can sleep inside
6. did i mention we don’t have to pack his “gear”?

I’m stoked.

Here is our official “plan of Action”… I’ll be sharing how well we stick to it- there are two rainy days in the forecast so I’ve accounted for those- this is SOOOO not how i roll- and there are a hundred other things to do… I’m excited to see how this week evolves.

sooo Dallas… what have I missed??? what do you think we should do???

Happy Monday!!!

The 5 Love Languages is a great read for any human on the planet that wants to understand those they love a little better.  Don’t judge the book by it’s cover- Mr. Chapman, can i tweak that for you? trust me when i say it is eye opening.  Not only will you discover things about your loved ones- secrets into their hearts… but you will find some of your very own as well.  The premise is that there are 5 key ways we all give and receive love.  With few exceptions, the way you give is the way you love to receive.  It rings true with me.  I read this book in college and with it learned to love my friends and family in a new way.  It’s transformed the way I give and the way I receive the love that others show me.  It’s a great read… and a great place to start as you are “training your giver.”

Who do I mean when I say I’m “training a cheerful giver?”

You are going to laugh-

or think I suck.

either way, that’s fine.

I mean I’m training by boys- by way of their father.

I see it like this:

We model all things for our children.  I speak to the ladies at the grocery store, so does my son.  I offer to help with the door, so does my son.  Romeo waits to eat until I’m at the table, so does my son.  I *love* to hunt for the perfect gift for those i love, so does my son.

Soooo… If Romeo models for our sons what it looks like to be thoughtful to his wife, to take heed of her interests, and consider how she receives love as he gives… and he does it out of joy and not begrudgingly… then our boys will grow up learning to do the same.  I just hope their ladies are a little easier to give to than i am.

The hiccup in this novel approach is that Romeo is (8 years into our marriage) still learning to give (birthday, mothers day, christmas day) with a cheerful heart.

Dooon’t get me wrong- HE LOVES TO GIVE ME THINGS.

he just wants me to pick them out, go pay for them, bring them home, and say Thank You… without actually having to go get me a gift.

Who can blame him?  I’m probably the world’s most difficult person to buy for.  I’m one of those obnoxious people who sees something she wants and buys it, or saves her money and buys it.  It doesn’t occur to me to leave the store, come home, request the gift, and send brandon on a goose chase for it… it might be gone… and that is a really inefficient use of time.  i’m there- why wouldn’t i just grab it and let him know he got me something?

do you see why it’s taken us 8 years to address this?

it’s a cocktail for disappointment for both sides.  The giver never feels appreciated and the “getter” never feels like a priority.

soooo this year we are attempting to change things.

we will start after mother’s day and my birthday.

i already found my gift !!!  haha… but really, i did.

We had this long drawn out converstation expressing all of the afore mentioned sentiments and headed to my favorite boutiques in dallas to look for a great piece of jewelry.  Romeo left to head back to work- I spotted the new Jonathan Adler store on Knox Henderson and found the perfect lamp.

that’s right- i went from jewelry to lamp.

can you see why this would be difficult?

did i mention i’m the worst to buy for?

This is where YOU come in! How do you like to receive gifts? How do you and your partner to work out gift giving details?

I would love some advice!!

Last summer around the time of my nephews birthday Z and I sat down and talked about Liam.  We talked about what we loved about him, the games he plays, the toys he enjoys, and the toys they enjoy playing with together. (these are 4 year old boys… the conversation is about 5 minutes and really funny) we came up with some ideas and headed to toys r us.  pretty brave adventure considering one 4 year old was buying for another 4 year old and didn’t get to bring anything home for himself.  Z was so excited.  he walked EVERY AISLE.  he finally settled on 2 toys and we checked out.  We went home and wrapped the gift and hung it by the door so that we could take to Liam.  He checked on Liam’s toy everyday. He was so excited to give it to him.

That is the kind of giver I want to raise.

I just need to figure out how to train the Papa so the little men fall in line!

Help please!!!

J Crew Confetti Tweed Jacket $278.00,  Keychain Video Camera & Recorder $99.00,  Catbird Alphabet Rings $92.00 (My Favorite), Custom Boat and Tote Bag $49.95,  TOM’s Natalia Ballet Flat $73.95,  Lemon Scrub

This is to all of those wonderful mothers- thank you for taking care of us when we are sick and always being there to help make the bad days into good ones. Thank you for all of your hard work and efforts to make us better people. We love you and couldn’t survive without your support.

I have a great list of gifts for your mother! What are your favorite Mother’s Day gifts???

how in the world did this happen so quickly? this seems like yesterday.  Everyday is a gift.  I love you sweet son of my heart.

]]> http://www.shaunamanessblog.com/dallas-child-photographer-6-months-in-a-flash/feed/ 1 http://www.shaunamanessblog.com/i-am-doris-lees-granddaughter/ http://www.shaunamanessblog.com/i-am-doris-lees-granddaughter/#comments Mon, 07 May 2012 14:00:50 +0000 Shauna http://www.shaunamanessblog.com/?p=3990

May 7th, 1911 was 101 years ago today.

My sweet grandmother would be 101 years old today.

We still talk about her every time we are together.  There always seems to be a fitting segway into one of our favorite memories.

Today I talked about her mother, my Great Grandmother, Claira Elizabeth.  The entire town she lived in called her Aunt Lizzie- and her husband, my Great Grandfather, Uncle George.  my grandma took great pride in the love that all who knew them showed them.  she loved her mama and papa.

I’ve been thinking about this day, this May 7th, 2012, for many days now.  Today Nico is exactly 6 months old.  For the rest of his life I will remember his 1/2 birthday with my Grandmother’s together… this seems like such a small thing- but it is such a great gift to me.  I know that God wrapped up this beautiful thing long before i was ever born and waited with excitement for me to discover it.  it is truly one of the sweetest details of the story God has written for me.  I am truly thankful.

tears fill my eyes as i think about how much i adored, cherished, enjoyed, treasured, admired, respected, and loved my sweet Grandma.  i’ve feared forgetting her- her laugh, her manners that would put emily post to shame, her servants heart, her giving nature, her ability to live with great dignity and humility… and her grace… oh her grace, i never, ever heard her utter an unkind word about anyone.  she was truly a remarkable lady.  i’ve feared her life would flutter away and all that would be left were us, those who knew her, and a few stories that were once told and now seem a bit foggy.

now it is certain, carved in stone, and set as a beacon on each year’s calendar- May 7th will be a day of remembering and celebrating.  I will celebrate Nico & My sweet grandma… and pray that her legacy will chase him down and cover him as he grows into a wise little man.

I use her cutting boards to prepare every meal for our family.

I make tea in the pitcher she did.

I carry her train case with me when i travel and it hold all of lady things as it did hers.

I think about her when i wear a dress for no other reason than because i am a lady.

I think about her when i rock Nico… she rocked me until i weighed more than she did.

I think about her each time i put on my jewelry… the most beautiful things i have were hers.

I think about her when i see a lady wearing white pants and giggle when i think about all that she spilled on hers.

I think her when i slouch and can hear her tell me to sit up straight.

I think about her when i order fish at a restaurant because i should have it at least once a week, not because it’s the best thing on the menu.

I think about her every time anyone at our table takes their time finishing the last bit of their food or sip of their drink.

We always had to wait for Grandma to finish her water  always.

Happy May 7th to you friend.

Love,

Doris Lee’s Granddaughter

Saturday’s CRASHcourse was fantastic.  Small and focused- we covered a TON.  Special thanks to the lovely Kristen Massey who came to model for us… Kristen you are perfection! Your effortless style & energy are magnetic! Thanks for making our jobs so easy!

Have you been wanting to take a photography class??? Have a great camera that you just keep in Auto mode? Do you take photographs and get frustrated that what you end up with is not what you envisioned??? Come CRASH into Photography with us!!

We offer classes for all skill levels- this saturday was SALSA- the foundation of it all- we dive in deep to the technical fundamentals of photography and combine it with personal style development for the perfect mix of technique and creative application.

Dear Kristen,

remember that time that you modeled for our weekend CRASHcourse and you rocked it out in Deep Ellum? Remember how you shared a story of you and Travis leaving the parking lot for 5 minutes and getting booted? Remember the $105 they charged you? Remember my response? “Man, that SUCKS… thank for the warning.” Remember how i carefully chose our parking so as NOT TO GET BOOTED?

Clearly i suffer from short term memory loss.

Clearly i didn’t head your story with the kind of careful attention i should have.

Clearly it didn’t occur to me to read the RULES and the FINE PRINT ON THE BOTTOM OF MY PRINTED TICKET.

Clearly i missed the memo that in Dallas they don’t actually call it getting “booted”… they call it being immobilized. you know, because that sounds so much nicer…

So, $105 later i was re-mobilized.

thanks Dallas.

and THANKS kristen for trying

and to clarify for all of you Deep Ellum parkers… do NOT leave the parking lot and come back quickly to grab your spot.  only BLIND people do that… because it says clearly in black and white that you CAN’T.

it pays to listen and read.

lesson learned.

She is the sister every girl should have grown up with… she makes applying makeup seem as simple as brushing your teeth… her style is always on point- from her perfectly primped hair to her well chosen shoes.  i’m always asking for her tips and advice.  one morning as i was burning my fingers off with my chi the idea came to me:

Why don’t we just film Jourdan’s magic and she can become the sister we all learn from???

Magic.

So ladies (and gents) I introduce you to my friend Jourdan who will be teaching us how to apply our makeup, choose our outfits, be brutal with our closets, and a million things in between.  I am more excited about this than i could ever say!!

AND THE WINNER OF OUR CONTEST IS:

ERICA BLAKELY!!  email me erica so i can send your new book your way! info@shaunamaness.com

Jourdan’s new record is officially released THIS WEEK… head over to iTunes and pick it up!! you will be so glad you did!

special shout out to connie for her editing genius! i shot this footage and she brought it to life!