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

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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.

4 comments so far

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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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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.

14 comments so far

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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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planted these,

pink house

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Sunday, June 13, 2010

apparently gardening does something to your soul,

and i wanted to experience it.

i have relied on the world to garden for me,

and wanted to shed my fear and get in the dirt.

i wanted to plant something, care for it, and watch it grow.

i wanted to risk having it die,

but hopefully experience having it live for a while.

wanted to live in the tension and joy of right now,
so just said whatever and went for it.

14 comments so far

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Hollie says:

i love them.

(06.13.10 @ 01:24 AM)

Kodi says:

I love love love the pots! All square and colorful and different heights and fabulous.

(06.13.10 @ 06:28 AM)

blythe says:

wolfgang's urns! brought new life! love love love it.

(06.13.10 @ 10:54 AM)

Marisa P. says:

YES PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!

Love the firesticks in the red pot!!!! :D

(06.13.10 @ 05:45 PM)

bird by bird says:

beautiful! i love the little planters!

(06.13.10 @ 08:37 PM)

jennifer young says:

you did well! very well! where did you get those beautiful + colorful ceramic planters?!
j.

(06.13.10 @ 11:03 PM)

shannon leith says:

guess what--------- made them!!! in my ceramics one class. they were actually intended to be an urn for wolfgang tillmans. the project was to create 'an urn', and i thought tillmans would want OPTIONS. if that stirs questions for you let me know...... i understand its kind of weird. but yeah, turned them into planters.

(06.13.10 @ 11:06 PM)

Shelley Leith says:

Sounds like you could build a great side business making little square urns!

(06.13.10 @ 11:12 PM)

Shelley Leith says:

Sounds like you could build a great side business making little square urns!

(06.13.10 @ 11:12 PM)

Laura says:

SO cute!

(06.14.10 @ 08:41 AM)

Claire says:

I am successfully growing 6 plants in my kitchen windows, and as a previously self-assured blackthumb, I concur: Gardening does something to your soul.

(06.14.10 @ 10:51 AM)

Claire says:

I am successfully growing 6 plants in my kitchen windows, and as a previously self-assured blackthumb, I concur: Gardening does something to your soul.

(06.14.10 @ 10:54 AM)

Claire says:

I am successfully growing 6 plants in my kitchen windows, and as a previously self-assured blackthumb, I concur: Gardening does something to your soul.

(06.14.10 @ 10:56 AM)

jasmine says:

You are such a fabulously warm and soulful photographer. I heart your home (and I desperately want a gorgeous assortment of wee little plantings just like yours).

I am so glad you threw caution into the wind to do this. Incidentally, I have done the same thing recently (but to a less gorgeous result). I am thinking of you today!

(06.20.10 @ 10:49 AM)

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jellyfish, in my room::::::::::::::::::::: room update #2,

pink house

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Monday, June 7, 2010

i have a fleet of jellyfish in my room,

they were made by my friend claire, crocheted out of yarn.

crocheted is a weird word.

i believe that spaces have deep influence on us,

what we surround ourselves with both matters and says something.

i felt drawn to share my room with you this morning,

i've shown you before, but now it has curtains and a few more jellyfish, and some shirts in lovely colors that happened to be sitting on my dresser (which is really a bar hutch).

from Claire: Before making these, I was thinking a lot about our lack of control over life's circumstances. Similarly, jellyfish don't have much control over where they move or what they run into: they just have to go with the tide. With that in mind, I started crocheting with no set pattern: I let the patterns come to me organically and spontaneously, making each one unique.

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connie says:

your bedroom is so bright and cheerful! and the jellies look very pleased to be there.

(06.07.10 @ 06:59 PM)

Claire says:

Oh hello, my jellyfish !

(06.09.10 @ 09:47 AM)

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its eleven p.m. and cosmo is SINGING UP A STORM

pink house

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Wednesday, June 2, 2010

cosmo why do you decide to sing at 11am right when you wake up, and then 11pm, right when i am getting the blanket to put you to bed? this is hilarious, since you laze around all day sitting on that one branch. do you care that i can't stop laughing when you randomly get pumped on life and do this? can't help it. it's cute.

also, how do you feel about me putting you on the ground the other day just so i could watch you walk around the house? i need to video it because it's The Cutest Thing Ever.

>>> a bell curve of color: yellow purse from kohls for $15 (WHAT), coral yoga mat, cosmo who brings it all together with his neon head and orange cheeks, red lantern, red minolta box, teal chair. these things make me rest easy at night.

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Ro says:

Cosmo I used my debit card and it was amazing! The girl at Sbucks said "is that a gift card
no it's my debit card
Oh my God how cute! Who's your bank?
Wells Fargo!"

already working your charm

(06.03.10 @ 03:28 PM)

shannon leith says:

i havent gotten any comments yet and....... TC, i'm sad about that. DUH PEOPLE! THIS IS COOL!

(06.03.10 @ 11:16 PM)

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