Speaking in Plain Shamish

Insta-Friday - April 27, 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon B) — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 01:44:00 +0000

another installment of insta-friday - enjoy Please join me in praying for the wonderful host of Insta-Friday. Jeannett's little girl has a epilepsy and has been in the hospital.

Insta-Friday - April 20, 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon B) — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 02:25:00 +0000

From Life Rearranged - "Simple, everyday moments make up our lives. If we're not careful, we'll miss it. Capture it in all its grainy glory using nothing but a cell phone."

You don't have to use Instagram to participate... any cell phone pictures are fine - plain, unedited or prettied up with any of the tons of apps out there. Personally, I have a bunch of apps... Hipstamatic, Instgram, Camera Awesome (my fav), iphoto, Camera+ and the list goes on and on. Heck, I just found an app that makes panorama shots and another app where you can video record short blips, and then you choose which part of the image is animated and which is still! I'm going to have to play with those two soon! Oh how I love technology!!! Anyways, if you are on Instagram.. I'm shamish - follow me, and I'll follow you back! :)

Before I get to this week's pictures, I found a picture I took with my iPhone back in the beginning of March when I toured the Fergus Falls (Minnesota) State Hospital - a historic Kirkbride Asylum for the Insane. I am still in awe of how well the image turned out with a phone camera! I used a fun texture from the Camera Awesome app to make it fun!

We had some crazy storms in the middle of the night earlier this week, and the sky was just wild looking when I drove to work.

I took this from the top of the parking ramp before work.... I love this image. I love how you can see the old houses and the expressway and the trees in the distance. And the color of the sky was so pretty!

And this is me on top of the ramp after work..... STILL crazy windy out!

Pictures of me and my boy (uh-hem.... teenager. Almost 16 teenager.... I'm in denial thus the pouting) And one of him alone... pouting because he hates his picture taken!

I went to a conference this week and this was one of the centerpieces. So pretty (and brillant) putting limes in the water!

My beautiful lazy girl!

Oh and how could I forget..... 3 words. TITANIC IMAX 3D!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Worth EVERY penny!

Qdoba chips and guacamole... and Starbucks

Taken with the Americana pack on Hipstamatic

I love this beautiful house on Heritage Hill here in Grand Rapids. And I always look at the sign in the beautiful curved windows. "BE THE CHANGE"

And one of the most beautiful streets here in GR... love how these old trees totally canopy the street! So pretty on a rainy morning!

Martin Luther King Jr. - such a wise, wise man!

Insta-Friday - April 13, 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon B) — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 00:42:00 +0000

From Life Rearranged - "Simple, everyday moments make up our lives. If we're not careful, we'll miss it. Capture it in all its grainy glory using nothing but a cell phone."

I am totally loving Insta-Friday. Such a great way to share images I've taken with my iPhone all week long.... and because I don't carry my big DSLR around with me all the time, I love that my iPhone really takes pretty good images!! However, I cannot wait until my contract is up in November to get the newest iPhone.... which has 8 megapixels compared to my 5! :) That will be fantastic! Anyways, onto this week's Insta-Friday images!

I got new spectacles..... and had fun playing with old ones! :)

Speaking of old.... while we were at the antique shop, I saw this cute little doll. And I remembered this egg thing.... maybe from my grandma's house when I was a kid?? Not sure.

Pretty sunset, my lazy baby girl, puffy clouds and one of my silly fish!

Skywalk at the Children's Hospital, pretty jetstreams, crazy car and a barn

I love this dog!! She is practically perfect in every way.... just like Mary Poppins!

Pretty blue building....

And Starbucks

And my sister who is gonna be a doctor!

She totally inspires me!

And I wanna tell you about W.A.R. - Women at Risk! It is an amazing organization that helps rescue women in other countries who are sold into sexual slavery!! These women make goods that are sold in shops.... we have a shop just 10 minutes from my house and I finally made it there tonight!! And I found the most beautiful necklace. It was made by Tom, age 30, from Thailand! I even received a card that showed that Tom lives in the Thai safehouse #5.... and shows a picture of her (right above the number 3 on her hand-signed tag)!! How AWESOME is this????
Want to participate?? Join us at Life Rearranged!

My beautiful {girl}.... almost teen!

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon B) — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 00:32:00 +0000

I can hardly believe Grace is going to be 13 on July 1st! She is turning into such a beautiful young lady.... inside and out!!!I am so blessed to be her mom!

And how beautiful are they together? My sister and my daughter!

Happy Resurrection Sunday! He is Risen!

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon B) — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 01:35:00 +0000

Insta-Friday - April 6, 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon B) — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 02:24:00 +0000

Woweeeee...... I took a lot of pictures this week!! I even snapped a few while Grace and I were out running! :)

First, beautiful sunset on the way home from class.

Fantastic find at an estate sale.... for the bargain price of $1.

We have have connections..... :) Uncle Carl brings Lady Isabelle all kinds of goodies!! She especially loves Greenies! :)

Love this necklace.... I saw it in the hospital gift shop and new right away that I HAD to have it!!!! Others are jealous of me.... rightly so, because it totally rocks!

Jeff and I had a Groupon to use at a local sushi restaurant. I tried the shrimp one and choked on wasabi. I opted for chicken teriyaki.

Silly things sitting in the middle of the road behind Costco.

Our garage wall!! :) We love microbrews.... so every time we try a new 6-pack, we cut the side off one and staple it to the wall!

What Lady does while we are cleaning house. Lazy bones..... she really needs to start earning her keep instead of relying on free dog food from Uncle Carl!

And another imaging catching her being lazy yet again! She lays in the odds (and cutest) positions! She even crosses her legs.... good girl!

Jeff and I enjoyed an evening this week sitting on the deck in our favorite chairs. Here's a picture of him.... and a picture of my Oberon!

Love puzzles....

And some pictures from Grace and my run..... :) Couldn't help but take a few mini breaks for some great photo ops!

And who leaves a junkie couch on the side of the road.... slobs.

Love cattails

Pretty trees and blue sky!

Thanks for sharing my week with me!! Join in at Life Rearranged!

March Photo A Day - 31/31 - Lion or Lamb

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon B) — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 00:58:00 +0000

Well, I made it!! I finished all 31 days. I did not, however, take a picture on each day. Some days I needed to play catch-up and take multiples with such a busy schedule, but it still allowed me to be creative and I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Lion or Lamb was the perfect topic to end with. God is so good!

March Photo A Day - 30/31 - Workspace

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon B) — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 00:54:00 +0000

M4H Project 52 - Week 13: Nature

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon B) — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 20:26:00 +0000

The official image of the week. It rained on Friday, and I just loved how the raindrops hung from the leaves and branches.

Here is another one I took. This was a flower on a tree, but they are all gone now for the season. I wish flowers would last longer on the trees.... so short-lived.

March Photo A Day - 29/31 - Lunch Time

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon B) — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 03:43:00 +0000

I've been eating a lot of these for lunch lately! Yum!

March Photo A Day - 28/31 - Animal

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon B) — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 03:41:00 +0000

There's that look again..... "STOP taking my picture!"

March Photo A Day - 27/31 - Star

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon B) — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 03:39:00 +0000

March Photo A Day - 26/31 - Bag/Purse

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon B) — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 03:38:00 +0000

I completely adore Fossil bags and purses! I've spied a new one that I really want.... soon!

March Photo A Day - 25/31 - What's on your Feet?

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon B) — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 03:35:00 +0000

Bunions.... on both feet. They hurt. A lot. I need to have them removed now that I've had my flat feet fixed. Sigh.

Insta-Friday - March 30, 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon B) — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 20:37:00 +0000

I have been a iPhone picture-taking maniac this week!!!! I couldn't wait for Friday to get here to post them all!! :) Hang on for the ride..... go grab an Oberon, sit back and enjoy!

My new favorite non-calorie drink!! These are fantastic! Meijer has them for $0.99 a bottle. Sam's has a case of 18 for $10!

Our friend's Jeff and Katy live in a house that is over 100 years old. This super cool vent is in their bathroom. You know I had to take a picture of it!

Guilty Pleasure.... dang hospital cafeteria. They need to get rid of these in the bulk candy bins.

For the love of Oberon!!!! A local brewery, Bells, has a fantastic seasonal beer called Oberon!! Us folks in Michigan eagerly await the release every March! It came out this week, and my friend Jamie texted me to let me know she just picked up a six-pack. I texted her back telling her I was jealous!!! Next thing I knew, Lady was barking and I saw a bottle of Oberon in the side window of our front door! Jamie shared!! And it was mighty tasty!!! Oberon is typically served with an orange... but I decided to cut a Cutie in half, and that was even better!!!!!!!

Parking ramp handicap parking. Not sure why, but when I looked down, I loved the way the textures against the blue looked, with the sun flare.

Crabby me because I hate eye exams, hate my eyes dilated... and it's inevitable, I get an ocular migraine the day after every eye exam.

Driving into my neighborhood... my neighbors beautiful flowering pear trees! (My house is the second one in.. the yellow one.)

My other neighbors flowering pear trees outside my dining room window. (Sorry about the craziness, I was playing with Camera Awesome's funky textures.)

Never ending.....

My baby girl.... and her toe hair.

Dividing rational expression. Nuff said...

Super cool file cabinet. This was in my bosses office and we moved it out this week, I couldn't part with it, so it's now sitting in my area... empty, for now. Look at the detail on this!!! They don't make them like they used to!

The best little Starbucks kiosk ever! It's a little dangerous though having it here at work!

Gotta love free Starbucks. I know the peoples who work at this little kiosk... and they saw me and figured I was going to have my usual... so it was ready waiting for me when I stopped to chat with one of the peoples. I wasn't going to order anything.... so they gave it to me for free! :) It pays to know people. After all, they say "It's not what you know, it's who you know!"

"I love it when mommy takes me for walks!"

I spied these cute umbrellas in the window at our children's hospital gift shop. I had to have the frog one for photo shoots. I also got a cute flower one for girls!! Best find ever! Can't wait to photograph some kiddos with them!

March Photo A Day - 24/31 - Colorful

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon B) — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 23:09:00 +0000

(Images taken at the Dimnent Chapel on the campus of Hope College - Holland, Michigan)

March Photo A Day - 23/31 - Something Sweet

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon B) — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 23:05:00 +0000

M4H Project 52 - Week 12: Sparkle

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon B) — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 22:23:00 +0000

Every little girl needs sparkly shoes!

Insta-Friday - 3/23/12

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon B) — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 16:22:00 +0000

I've been using my iPhone camera more and more now that I got the SmugMug Camera Awesome app! This is one amazing camera app! The focus is fabulous and it has great presets, filters, textures, frames and more (with the option to purchase more). So I am going to try to participate more in Insta-Friday!! Plus, the blogger app on my phone makes it super easy to blog the images without transferring them to my computer first!!

Spectacular cloud last Sunday!

Super cool shades....

Because I always love Angela's shoe pics.... and because I wore super cool socks with my Mary Janes today!

I know I posted this yesterday, but I just wanted to show you again.... because this was yesterday's sunrise... and the next picture is yesterday's sunset!! Perfect day!

March Photo A Day - 22/31 Neighborhood

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon B) — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 00:34:00 +0000

Sunrise

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon B) — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 18:57:00 +0000

The sunrise this morning was so stunning!!! (P.S. First time blogging from my iPhone! Totally fun!)

March Photo A Day - 21/31 Living Room

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon B) — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 01:20:00 +0000

I really love my living room. I love my big clock and my vintage cameras and my Willow Tree figurines. And I love sitting on my recliner that is next to my aquarium while editing pictures and watching DVR'd episodes of House Hunters. It's my favorite room.

March Photo A Day - 20/31 Flower

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon B) — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 01:10:00 +0000

Well, technically flower buds. But I am so thrilled my flowering pear tree is going to bloom soon!! Stay tuned for lots of pictures!

And here's a flower from another tree in my yard. Not sure what it is though... some day a dogwood? Who knows. :)

And here is a hydrangea!! Beautiful here in Michigan.... in March! Wow. Hope it doesn't snow next week and kill everything!

March Photo A Day - 19/31 - Office Supply

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon B) — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 00:49:00 +0000

How about supplies (plural)?

March Photo A Day - 18/31 - Book

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon B) — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 23:31:00 +0000