AND ONTO THE NEXT

I have officially set up my next photography session! Michele's friend Shaunna emailed me the other day asking if I would take photos of her family! Of course I said YES YES YES! Supper excited...we have set this up for the 1st weekend of December. Speaking of photos...in general...I can't get enough of this GAP ad. I love the coordinating festive outfits & the "snowflake" look! This would be a fun photo op! Maybe I can convince Steve to do something like this w/ me for our Christmas cards! Maybe, just maybe....

CINEMAX IS IN THE HOUSE

The Cinemax dance crew put on a show in our cafe @ lunch today! My boss even showed off his break dancing moves! Hysterical! I needed a good laugh....it's crunch time for our big yearly NEVA event Thursday night. So much to do...trying to hang in there...

Lot's of goodies floating around the office...

LESSONS TO LIVE BY

My friend/old co-worker Jackie just sent this to me....love it! Thanks Jackie! :)

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.
16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else. 20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
24. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.
25. Frame every so-called disaster with these words ''In five years, will this matter?"
26. Always choose life.
27. Forgive everyone everything.
28. What other people think of you is none of your business.
29. Time heals almost everything. Give time, time.
30. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
31. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
32. Believe in miracles.
33. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
34. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
35. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.
36. Your children get only one childhood.
37. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
38. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
39. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.
40.. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
41. The best is yet to come.
42. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
43. Yield.
44. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.
45. Yah 45 was missing from the list. Oh well. Come up with your own lesson if you want to re-post this/forward it on! :)

FAMILY PORTRAIT OF THE YEAR

This is my friend Rebecca, her husband Bryan & their 2 adorable kids! They just had their family portrait taken the other day @ Sears....notice anything out of the ordinary? Maybe the placement of Bryan's thumb? :) I told her to submit it to ELLEN.... so she did. I can't stop laughing. They obviously didn't catch this until after the fact.

JOSH, MICHELE, ALEX & LILLY

As you know I had the pleasure of taking some family photos for our dear friends Josh, Michele & their adorable kids Alex & Lilly on Sunday! Here are my top 20 shots out of roughly 200! HA!.....I still have a lot to learn on my camera & on the programs I use but I think they came out pretty darn good for it being my 1st time & being a beginner! :)

HOLIDAY SHOPPING PARTY

Tonight after work & after my appt I am heading to The Mansion @ Bald Hill (South Woodstock, CT) for their "Holiday Shopping Party" w/ Crystal, Stacia & Sam! A mini girls night out! Tonight's agenda includes free appetizers, a cash bar, door prizes & vendors that include: BC spa, lingerie, artwork, Silpada jewelry, wine, Pampered Chef & more! It's going to be a lovely evening!

http://mansionatbaldhill.com/index.html

HAPPY FRIDAY THE 13TH

I honestly had no idea today was the 13th for most of the morning....normally I look forward to significant dates like this!....Today has been a good day, going by fast for the most part! Especially since Amy & I ate lunch together....virtually. :) HA! Great idea Amy-it was fun!

Sooooooooooo let’s see as far as this weekend we have a few “mights/maybes” on the agenda….
***

FRI: We might/maybe go to this winery in CT that our neighbor Ric’s girlfriend Felicity works at!
*
SAT: I am going to check out the Sterling Flea Market in the Town Hall pretty much right behind our house…I LOVE flea markets/antiques/craft fairs! I hope to find some goodies while I am there….then we might/maybe go to Mystic Aquarium w/ Matt (Steve’s bro), Nichole & the kids Leah & Avery… as well as dinner in that area if the weather allows us. The aquarium is on the small side-unlike the huge one in Baltimore, MD that I am used to! But it should still be a great time!....Nichole informed us that ½ of the exhibits at the aquarium are outside so if it’s not 50* & rainy like they are calling for, we will keep our plans….if it is then they will probably just come out our way to meet our kitten Boo & grab something to eat somewhere.

*
SUN: Get this! I am photographing my friend Michele & her cute lil family for their Christmas cards @ 10am! I am sooooooo excited!!! I have never done this before! Gotta start somewhere right? They are sooooo gonna be my guinea pigs! HA! I can’t wait! I have some ideas & props AND Michele, Josh, lil Alex & Lilly have some wardrobe changes! PLUS I will get to use my 2nd (early) birthday gift from Steve! He gave me a tripod camera stand last night!...Keep a look out for these photos next week! I may even start a 2nd blog just for “professional” photos! YAY!

NOTE:
The TV show TRUEBLOOD is now offering their own jewelry line! Interesting. I'll have to admit, there are some pretty cool pieces available...

GAP HOLIDAY

The 1st new GAP Holiday commercial is here! Yippee! They are always so fun & colorful! Take a look...
http://www.gap.com/browse/home.do?ssiteID=BG

I HEART PHOTOGRAPHY

Shocking! Right? Never. I have always loved taking photos! I have my camera wherever I go! Sometimes it annoys people bc I'm flashing away all night, but usually the next day people ask me when I’m uploading the next batch! Over the past year I have gotten more & more into it. I have had some fun using Photobucket & now Picnik. Ever since Steve gave me my new camera as my wedding gift I can't take enough pictures I love funking them up, making them brighter & more unique. I would LOVE to do even more with the equipment that I have now, along with a few (pricey-uggg) programs out there that I am looking into. I am sooo ready to take this hobby of mine to the next level!...Again, I owe a HUGE thank you to Stacey, Jen, Allie, Amy & Erin for answering all of my photography questions! I hope I haven't been a pain! You girls are the BEST! I really appreciate your responses & advice! THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!! I look up to all of you! Each of you have an AMAZING talent! :)

RANDOMNESS

Do any of you watch "Ugly Betty"? If not it's such a great show! Steve actually got me into it a few years ago... the most recent episode has a great scene at the end! Betty is missing her ex, he brings a date to the party they are both attending (We've ALL been there before! You know you can relate...).....she talks to him for a bit, but then walks away to dance to Billy Idol's "Dancing With Myself" all alone! This scene gave me such a good feeling! She seemed so carefree! Skip forward to 4 mins & 50 seconds...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPLeooK51I0

*****

Eyes Lips Face aka ELF (super cheap) (www.eyeslipsface.com) cosmetics are now being sold @ Target! I walked by this display last night...

Check out Amy's sexy animal print tights! Too cute!!! She sent me this phone pic, I sooo had to post it!

*****

I really despise Chris Brown....but I'm loving his 2 new songs & videos. I'm hating myself for that...but I can't get them outta my head ever since Girls Night In the other night...In a good way. They make me want to bust a move.

"Drop It Low" Ester Dean f/ Chris Brown
http://www.musicloversgroup.com/ester-dean-feat-chris-brown-drop-it-low-video-and-lyrics/

"I Can Transform Ya" Chris Brown ft/ Lil Wayne & Swizz Beatz

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_N2jvyLc6w

DC AREA SNIPER ATTACKER

John Allen Muhammad=EXECUTED.


CNN breaking news popped up on the TV last night:
-- John Allen Muhammad, the mastermind of the Washington-area sniper attacks in 2002, has been executed, official says.........I remember this all too clearly while living @ home in Northern, VA ....we as a family were terrified while this was going on. We had never experienced anything like it before. We were scared to get gas, go to the grocery store, walk down the street, drive to work, go to school...etc. What this man did was awful. He has now paid for it...We all had our eyes peeled-we kept watching our backs-being too careful never crossed our minds....we had no idea when & where he would hit again.
***
The Beltway sniper attacks took place during three weeks in October 2002 in Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. Ten people were killed and three others critically injured in various locations throughout the Washington Metropolitan Area and along Interstate 95 in Virginia. It was widely speculated that a single sniper was using the Capital Beltway for travel, possibly in a white van or truck. It was later learned that the rampage was perpetrated by one man, John Allen Muhammad, and one minor, Lee Boyd Malvo, driving a blue 1990 Chevrolet Caprice sedan, and had apparently begun the month before with murders and robbery in Louisiana and Alabama, which had resulted in three deaths.[1] In September 2003, Muhammad was sentenced to death, while a month later, Malvo was sentenced to six consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole. Muhammad was executed by lethal injection in November 2009.

LIA SOPHIA, WILD TREE & AT HOME AMERICA

I'm hosting a 3 in 1 product partayyy on Dec 6th!

Lia Sophia jewelry (Shaunna), Wild Tree healthy foods (Michele) & At Home America home decorations (Valerie)

Please let me know if you would like to order any products! Pass this onto family & friends! Just make sure you mention my name Shannon Danis if you or someone you know places an order!My email address is: BrwnEydAngl6@aol.com if you want to let me know what you are interested in!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Michele's Wild Tree website: (you can order directly-mention my name Shannon Danis)
http://www.mgeragotelis.mywildtree.com/

Valerie's At Home America website: (you can order directly-mention my name Shannon Danis)
www.athome.com/valerie11

Lia Sophia website: (email me your orders @ BrwnEydAngl6@aol.com)
http://www.liasophia.com/

NOT FAITH & TIM BUT...

According to People.com, the other country fairytale couple Julianne Hough & Chuck Wicks have split....so sad if this is true.

REMINDER

Just a friendly reminder...the month is almost 1/2 way over!

http://skv6.blogspot.com/2009/11/attention-readers-free-giveaway.html

EVERLY

EVERLY...aka...Bethany Joy Galeotti & Amber Sweeney... (Bethany Joy aka Haley James Scott of "One Tree Hill") ....check out their music....it rocks.

BEST GREETING CARDS EVER

I have many of these...I plan to order more soon. These are the most unique cards you will ever find! The first time I came across them I was in a lil boutique shop in Block Island (RI). I googled the company & found their website! I have been a HUGE fan ever since...

http://www.baldguygreetings.com/servlet/StoreFront

OPRAH + ELLEN

I've been dying to see the cover of Oprah's holiday issue where she shares the spotlight w/ Ellen! I am beyond pleased. Here are two out of several out there... :)

GIRLS NIGHT IN

Lots of...
talking
singing
laughter
dancing...aka running man & moon walking
drinking
eating
games
& much much more!

Thank you ladies for coming over! We must do it again!
(click on each photo to enlarge)

The "late night" girls! :)

Crystal & Sue breakin' it down!

Michele & Sue

Lisa & Sue...future sister-in-laws!

Cara, Crystal & Sue

Me, Sara, Mary & Amy

Mary, Amy & Sara Lauren, Me, Amy, Heidi & Denise <---Sue's sis!

Sue, Denise & Lauren

Jenny, Stephanie (my work buddy) & her adorable daughters!