tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-39084026008169393782024-03-12T22:55:56.932-04:00A Blog by ShannonShannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12598917504237827013noreply@blogger.comBlogger204125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908402600816939378.post-18217141483591378672010-11-18T12:01:00.005-05:002012-04-28T15:46:03.406-04:00Where you can find me....I am so sad to admit that I have totally abandoned my blog here at A Blog by Shannon. The truth is, I took a break, while going through some major life changes. I got married!!! Quit my job in D.C! And moved to Richmond, VA! That is a lot of stuff.<br />
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I can not say that I will be back just yet, but I am still blogging. You can find me here:<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://thirstyrichmond.blogspot.com/">Thirsty Richmond</a></span></h2>
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<a href="http://shannonandevan.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-size: 130%;">Shannon and Evan's Wedding Blog</span></a></div>Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12598917504237827013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908402600816939378.post-55646853668369116982010-08-07T09:19:00.004-04:002012-04-28T15:45:14.607-04:00The New Ride<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hCjpylaQh9Q/TF1eFbsq2pI/AAAAAAAACWY/F0eKwrvhATA/s1600/car+shot.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5502657767144086162" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hCjpylaQh9Q/TF1eFbsq2pI/AAAAAAAACWY/F0eKwrvhATA/s400/car+shot.jpg" style="display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a>This week the word overextended would be an understatement when describing my schedule. I have a tendency to pile things on and if I wasn’t busy enough, we decided that this would be a good week to do some car shopping. Evan has been driving my old Mercedes that my Dad gave me in college. The car had a lot of miles on it, some of the electric gadgets had stopped working and we were just waiting for the day that it wouldn’t start in the morning. We could have taken it in to be serviced, but the cost of fixing it up would be astronomical. So, we decided it was time for a trade in. We went to Carmax right near where Evan works and they gave us $2,000 for the trade in. Way more than I thought we would get. We really didn’t know what kind of car we wanted, but after walking around their lot, Evan picked out Ford Ranger truck. It was just about as simple as that. Sometimes I am amazed at how decisive we are. It was a little sad to say good-bye to the Benz after all these years. The car didn’t seem to want to say let go either as it took 3 guys to get the plates off. The salesmen asked me if I wanted a few minutes with the Mercedes before they drove it away, which I thought was pretty silly, but a little part of me did want to take a moment to reflect on all the good times I had with that car. In the end, I declined the private parking lot moment. So last night, they pulled the Benz away and we became proud owners of a shiny white truck!Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12598917504237827013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908402600816939378.post-91607852861317684102010-08-02T20:53:00.002-04:002010-08-02T21:08:50.907-04:00Tomato and Mozzarella<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hCjpylaQh9Q/TFdsCXkQeFI/AAAAAAAACUw/eh_oNLLQq2A/s1600/Dinner+007.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500984257797978194" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hCjpylaQh9Q/TFdsCXkQeFI/AAAAAAAACUw/eh_oNLLQq2A/s400/Dinner+007.jpg" border="0" /></a>This summer we have been absolutely spoiled with fresh produce. Evan has been going to our local Farmer's Market every Sunday and coming back with fresh tomatoes, zuchinni, basil, corn, peaches and other deliciousness. We treated ourselves with fresh mozzarella, tomato and basil one afternoon as a little tasting before dinner. Add a little balsalmic drizzle = a happy Shannon.Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12598917504237827013noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908402600816939378.post-56165169743595944682010-07-25T21:58:00.008-04:002010-07-25T22:09:24.354-04:00Dragonfly Video<div align="left">This Saturday was a really great Dragonfly Rehearsal. Not that all rehearsals aren't great, but this one was caught on video. We are working on a new piece to be performed at a TBD time and place that will be called Thread 2.0 I believe. The first version of this piece was performed with the AACC Symphony Orchestra while I was away on my honeymoon. I am so happy that I am getting to be a part of the new version of the piece.<br /><br /></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/v0VeXBDP6LQ&color1=" width="640" height="385" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" color2="0xd0d0d0&hl=" feature="player_embedded&fs=" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always"></embed></div><div align="center"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><br />I'm in the blue :)</div>Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12598917504237827013noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908402600816939378.post-22039753450548026022010-07-24T21:30:00.006-04:002010-07-24T21:56:05.561-04:00Photos from our Coffee Table<p>Hello my long lost blogger friends. I have been trying to be disciplined and keep the wedding updates flowing on the <a href="http://shannonandevan.blogspot.com/">wedding blog</a>, which has sadly distracted me from posting here. We are still recovering from the amazingness that was our wedding and honeymoon, trying as hard as possible not to let reality set back in, if we can help it. I do have some new ideas brewing of things I would like to share here, one of those being "Photos from our Coffee Table".<br /><br />Like many young couples, we don't eat our meals at the dinner table. We have a dinner table, but it is usually piled with mail and dry cleaning and other non-food items. We usually have the television on with both laptops going while we eat dinner on the sofa. I know it may not seem the most romantic thing, but sometimes we get try to get fancy in our own way. So I am going to try to make a weekly habit of posting, dinner from the coffee table. Although the event is casual, the food can be elegant, especially since we are attempting to pair our newly acquired California wine with our meals.<br /><br />So I leave you with a little sampling we did last weekend with my Mother and Michael. We opened the first bottle of white from the trip to California. It was the Chardonnay from Summer's Reserve in Calistoga. We paired it with a Camembert cheese, baguette and fresh strawberries. A great bottle of wine enjoyed not at a fancy French restaurant, but on the couch with family. <p><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hCjpylaQh9Q/TEuZM2GoyaI/AAAAAAAACMU/sDPC0Rfg3ig/s1600/Dinner+005.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5497656216096655778" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hCjpylaQh9Q/TEuZM2GoyaI/AAAAAAAACMU/sDPC0Rfg3ig/s400/Dinner+005.jpg" border="0" /></a></p>Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12598917504237827013noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908402600816939378.post-55071468803941414982010-07-08T20:10:00.001-04:002010-07-08T20:12:15.193-04:00Thursday Night Dinner<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hCjpylaQh9Q/TDZpJXOsUDI/AAAAAAAACJc/SFG7bGv2Zgc/s1600/Dinner+003.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491692405200277554" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hCjpylaQh9Q/TDZpJXOsUDI/AAAAAAAACJc/SFG7bGv2Zgc/s400/Dinner+003.jpg" border="0" /></a>Who do we think we are?<br /><br />Thursday night dinner looks very fancy thanks to the generous wedding gifts including the plates, silverware, serving bowl and wine opener, but believe it or not, these are left-overs. Pesto pasta from last night (which Evan lovingly refers to as $2 dinner), tomatoes and cucumbers left-over from our vegetable tray from yesterday thrown on a bag-o-salad with turkey lunch meat and the wine. Well, the wine isn’t leftover. It is actually the first bottle we opened from the bottles we picked up on our honeymoon in Napa.<br /><br />Married life is sweet.Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12598917504237827013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908402600816939378.post-77772175021742696292010-06-14T16:24:00.012-04:002010-06-14T16:36:33.021-04:00Day of Dance<div align="left">I have been hearing some complaints that I am slacking on my blog posts, so I am here today to update on some of the exciting things that have happened recently.<br /><br /></div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hCjpylaQh9Q/TBaRKxJEEKI/AAAAAAAACH0/dyRjbsDkBA4/s1600/Flier.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5482729210546229410" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 250px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 350px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hCjpylaQh9Q/TBaRKxJEEKI/AAAAAAAACH0/dyRjbsDkBA4/s400/Flier.jpg" border="0" /></a> <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hCjpylaQh9Q/TBaQ-HzEmxI/AAAAAAAACHs/OZroefKPfss/s1600/Flier.jpg"></a><p>Yesterday was a beautiful 90 plus degree day downtown Annapolis. The sun was high and scorching, the ground sizzled like hot sand and a breeze blew every half hour. It was a beautiful day for dance. <p><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hCjpylaQh9Q/TBaQ0cT8HdI/AAAAAAAACHk/wY7u4GKwf0M/s1600/Brigid+Cheesin.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5482728826997579218" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 266px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hCjpylaQh9Q/TBaQ0cT8HdI/AAAAAAAACHk/wY7u4GKwf0M/s400/Brigid+Cheesin.bmp" border="0" /> <p align="center"></a><span style="font-size:85%;">Brigid Myers</span></p><div align="left"><p>Although Mother Nature didn’t change her plans to give us a nice 75 degree day, at least she didn’t rain on us! Dragonfly Dance Experiment had a wonderful performance at the City Docks in Annapolis.<br /></p></div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hCjpylaQh9Q/TBaQoc902XI/AAAAAAAACHc/3UcEwkYdTsU/s1600/Dance.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5482728621014833522" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 291px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hCjpylaQh9Q/TBaQoc902XI/AAAAAAAACHc/3UcEwkYdTsU/s400/Dance.jpg" border="0" /></a> <div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;">Megan Morse Jans and Stephanie Yezek</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></div><br /><br /><p>We performed an hour show to a very warm audience (pun intended). The show started with a duet, “Before Bed” choreographed by Dragonfly’s director, Megan Morse Jans and guest choreographer, Stephanie Yezek. Jans and Yezek recently performed the piece at the Oxford Fringe Festival and the British influence was a light hearted and fun start the show. Next to perform a self-choreographed solo was Dragonfly, Sarah Keller. The feeling of falling in love was represented by her sweet choreography that melted the hearts of our audience. Following was the Dragonfly premier of “Build, Run, Speak” a piece choreographed by guest artist, Becky Radway, artistic director of Becky Radway Dance Projects based in New York, New York. The three section piece performed by six of the Dragonflies is based around the creation of a working machine. Remember, “If you build it, he will come.”? Well, we built it and the audience flocked to see. <p><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hCjpylaQh9Q/TBaQhyHW2TI/AAAAAAAACHU/ykltt9gzsic/s1600/Audience.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5482728506432870706" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hCjpylaQh9Q/TBaQhyHW2TI/AAAAAAAACHU/ykltt9gzsic/s400/Audience.jpg" border="0" /></a>The second half of the show included some Dragonfly favorites and a new duet. “In Her Hands” choreographed by guest artist Stephanie Yezek was performed by four Dragonflies. This intense performance of powerful movement was a great addition to the works presented at the Docks. Dancers jumping for their lives as it would seem, didn’t give up even in the heat. To cool things off (and not in a temperature sense) a duet featuring Jillian Barber, Dragonfly Rehearsal Director and Megan Morse Jans was a light hearted petite allegro. The dancers seemed to be playing a bit of cat and mouse as they tried to one up each other in a friendly and delicately choreographed competition. It was a fun piece that brought smiles to the glowing (hopefully sunblocked) faces of our audience. Closing the show was “Like a Peach” a sweet and thoughtful piece in Dragonfly’s repertoire. The piece represents the challenges of adapting to mother-hood and closed the show by putting the baby to bed.<br /><br />Dock Side Dance was yet again a fantastic evening of dance offered to a wonderful community of supporters. Anyone who would sit on the 100 degree brick for an hour is a lover of dance and we are so very thankful for that! Next year bring your beach umbrellas because we will be there shine or shine! </p><p><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hCjpylaQh9Q/TBaQIYbeiMI/AAAAAAAACHE/lejLliv3Rcg/s1600/Dancers+Group+Shot.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5482728070041209026" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hCjpylaQh9Q/TBaQIYbeiMI/AAAAAAAACHE/lejLliv3Rcg/s400/Dancers+Group+Shot.jpg" border="0" /></a>A group shot of the Dragonflies looking beautiful is what I have decided to post in the place of an action shot of myself with a red face. :) </p>Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12598917504237827013noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908402600816939378.post-46593567308547441212010-05-10T12:05:00.005-04:002010-05-10T12:14:41.731-04:00Checking In<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/kCeZzW54a2o&hl=en_US&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/kCeZzW54a2o&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br /><br />This past weekend was a very busy one. Friday night, I went to see my best friend, Jill's high school dance company perform. One of the pieces was student choreographed and featured music by Santogold. I had not heard of her before, but her sound reminds me of the Yeah Yeah Yeah's. I am totally diggin' her.<br /><br />As you have probably figured out by now, I am spending most of my time wedding planning. Updates are on our wedding blog, <a href="http://www.shannonandevan.blogspot.com/">http://www.shannonandevan.blogspot.com/</a>. We have 7 weeks to go until the big day!Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12598917504237827013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908402600816939378.post-79281745287144917372010-02-15T18:50:00.003-05:002010-02-15T18:56:18.303-05:00Front Row<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hCjpylaQh9Q/S3nfDS5DglI/AAAAAAAAB28/FiZOJf9g3SY/s1600-h/front+row.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 267px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5438623272730329682" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hCjpylaQh9Q/S3nfDS5DglI/AAAAAAAAB28/FiZOJf9g3SY/s400/front+row.jpg" /></a>Look closely at the shot of the front row from my brother's fashion show at New York Fashion Week. Recognize anyone?<br /><br /><div>I don't know, maybe <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005060/">Kristen Johnston</a>, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0002546/">Mena Suvari</a>, <a href="http://amber-rose.org/">Amber Rose</a>, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2458152/">Caridee English</a>, <a href="http://shannonandevan.blogspot.com/">Shannon and Evan</a> and Mom, etcetera...</div>Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12598917504237827013noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908402600816939378.post-71171958907500539292010-02-14T19:41:00.006-05:002010-02-14T19:47:02.968-05:00The Runway ShoesIt is that time of year again. This past Friday, my brother, Christian Siriano, showed a collection at New York Fashion week. I am so furious with myself! I did not get a single picture of myself in two of the three dresses I wore at fashion week. I made three costume changes throughout Friday’s events, one dress for the runway show, one dress for the after party and another dress for the after after party. I was too busy having fun to think to take pictures. Ahhhh! Although I can’t share pictures of my full looks, I can share pictures of the three different pairs of shoes I wore to compliment these looks.<br /><br />Again this season, my brother worked with Payless to create the runway shoes and translate them into wearable fashion for sale in the Fall. I just love the Payless people. They are so nice and always let my brother make one of each style in a size six for me to try! This season I went from stiletto to platform to boot, a good transition for wear-ability. The stilettos were the most beauteous, but they were killing me by the end of the show (mostly because I don’t sit down until they make me), the platforms were the best for wearing outside in the cold and the boots were perfect with black tights and my mini dress.<br /><br />Here are the runway models in the shoes!<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hCjpylaQh9Q/S3iY9yUdjCI/AAAAAAAAB2c/9vghOw2o278/s1600-h/flounce.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 276px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5438264737296911394" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hCjpylaQh9Q/S3iY9yUdjCI/AAAAAAAAB2c/9vghOw2o278/s400/flounce.jpg" /></a><br /><div align="center"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hCjpylaQh9Q/S3iYwZxAMAI/AAAAAAAAB2U/0EqrlLPJbZw/s1600-h/flounce2.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 294px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5438264507367436290" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hCjpylaQh9Q/S3iYwZxAMAI/AAAAAAAAB2U/0EqrlLPJbZw/s400/flounce2.jpg" /></a>Stiletto Flounce<br /><br /><div align="center"></div><div align="center"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hCjpylaQh9Q/S3iYmrPKk7I/AAAAAAAAB2M/Rg-qJgWj79Q/s1600-h/boot.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 274px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5438264340258657202" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hCjpylaQh9Q/S3iYmrPKk7I/AAAAAAAAB2M/Rg-qJgWj79Q/s400/boot.jpg" /></a>Platform Boot<br /><br /><div align="center"></div><div align="center"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hCjpylaQh9Q/S3iYaRrurGI/AAAAAAAAB2E/6YFvfRN0-UM/s1600-h/gladiator+boots.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 303px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5438264127240711266" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hCjpylaQh9Q/S3iYaRrurGI/AAAAAAAAB2E/6YFvfRN0-UM/s400/gladiator+boots.jpg" /></a> Gladiator Boot<br /><br /><br /><div align="left"><p>I do have other exciting news to share about these shoes…my brother had Payless make the stiletto flounce shoes in white, ivory and orange (my wedding color) to have to wear on my wedding day! He made three different pair since I haven’t completely decided on the dress yet. Am I the luckiest bride ever, or what?<p> </div></div></div></div>Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12598917504237827013noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908402600816939378.post-55312040939702456602010-02-07T19:28:00.006-05:002010-02-07T19:36:49.078-05:00Snow Days<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hCjpylaQh9Q/S29cgNoqWeI/AAAAAAAABzE/tmVf5wYkkl0/s1600-h/DSCN1168.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435664983745255906" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hCjpylaQh9Q/S29cgNoqWeI/AAAAAAAABzE/tmVf5wYkkl0/s400/DSCN1168.JPG" /></a>It was a nice change of pace to be snowed in this weekend. We watched movies, worked on wedding craft projects and just enjoyed each other's company. Today, we did venture out to see how the snow was piling up as people started to dig out, but our snuggling kitties stayed nice and warm inside.<br /><br /><div></div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hCjpylaQh9Q/S29bmryKsfI/AAAAAAAABy8/NP1BtO-ppck/s1600-h/DSCN1162.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435663995405775346" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hCjpylaQh9Q/S29bmryKsfI/AAAAAAAABy8/NP1BtO-ppck/s400/DSCN1162.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hCjpylaQh9Q/S29bmbcih0I/AAAAAAAABy0/ZqVNvLSaL_g/s1600-h/DSCN1161.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435663991020095298" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hCjpylaQh9Q/S29bmbcih0I/AAAAAAAABy0/ZqVNvLSaL_g/s400/DSCN1161.JPG" /></a>Hope everyone had a nice weekend! </div>Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12598917504237827013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908402600816939378.post-87703806819940972482010-01-27T20:45:00.000-05:002010-01-27T20:45:00.585-05:00New Music - Melody Gardot<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hCjpylaQh9Q/S1z3_PWhBGI/AAAAAAAABxs/yiV9v-HQ3t4/s1600-h/melodygardot1.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 314px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430487916526765154" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hCjpylaQh9Q/S1z3_PWhBGI/AAAAAAAABxs/yiV9v-HQ3t4/s400/melodygardot1.jpg" /></a>I am absolutely in love with Melody Gardot. They did a little promo on her on CBS Sunday morning this weekend. She is a Philly girl, which automatically scores points for me. The story on CBS can be found recapped at <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/01/24/sunday/main6136473.shtml">this link</a>. Her story is a pretty striking one. She suffered very serious injuries in a crash with a Jeep Cheroke while she was on bike at a Philadelphia intersection. Music was a big part of her recovery and she still deals with constant pain, sensitivity to light and sound as well as additional symptoms of her brain injury. Her story is an amazing one, but so is her music. Her voice is just beautiful. You can see her music video <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Eb651s_o1Q">here</a>.Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12598917504237827013noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908402600816939378.post-4718979026405557962010-01-25T20:42:00.000-05:002010-01-25T20:42:00.105-05:00Cupcakes are Back!<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hCjpylaQh9Q/S1z3fz44mII/AAAAAAAABxk/WDMOfna0fkI/s1600-h/Cupcakes+001.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430487376578779266" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hCjpylaQh9Q/S1z3fz44mII/AAAAAAAABxk/WDMOfna0fkI/s400/Cupcakes+001.jpg" /></a>Sorry for the horrible picture. I finally had some time this weekend to bake after I don’t know how many months. I also got to try out my new decorator that Evan bought me for Christmas. It is very fancy and I am looking forward to practicing some more advanced frosting techniques. These are just a quick box mix of Devil’s Food Cake and canned Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting. Nothing fancy, just a little sweet to get me through the week.Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12598917504237827013noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908402600816939378.post-3707889625082647492010-01-23T19:49:00.009-05:002010-01-23T19:57:15.009-05:00Dance Performance<div align="left"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hCjpylaQh9Q/S1uZWtyfUbI/AAAAAAAABw0/DMd61VYNJAw/s1600-h/Rhapsody+flyer.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 309px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430102391252799922" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hCjpylaQh9Q/S1uZWtyfUbI/AAAAAAAABw0/DMd61VYNJAw/s400/Rhapsody+flyer.jpg" /></a> <p>As promised, I wanted to share the details for my upcoming performance with the <a href="http://dragonflydance.com/">Dragonfly Dance Experiment </a>modern dance company. I never in a million years would have thought I would be performing in a dance show. Last summer, after a gracious invitation from the amazing Megan Morse Jans, I started taking class with the Dragonfly Dance Experiment dancers. I thought that would be enough, but after Megan asked me to rehearse for their upcoming show, I couldn’t say no. If you would have asked me even then if I thought I would ever participate in an evening length dance performance, I would have told you, “Never”. Never say never, my friends. Hope you can make it to the show!<br /><br /><div align="center"><p>Sunday, February 21st @ 2:30pm</div><div align="center"><p>Pascal Center for Performing Arts</div><div align="center"><p>101 College Pkwy, Arnold, MD 21012</div></div><p></p><p></p><p></p>Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12598917504237827013noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908402600816939378.post-23836017534719070352010-01-11T11:13:00.005-05:002010-01-11T11:18:18.054-05:00Happy New Year!<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hCjpylaQh9Q/S0tO9Mr4ZkI/AAAAAAAABvE/cpbImGyHExA/s1600-h/happy_new_year1.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 285px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425516989382157890" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hCjpylaQh9Q/S0tO9Mr4ZkI/AAAAAAAABvE/cpbImGyHExA/s400/happy_new_year1.jpg" /></a>I know it is a little late to be wishing Happy New Year, but time is just flying by in 2010. I'm sorry that posting has been so light over here. I have been busy wedding planning and blogging about all things wedding over on the <a href="http://www.shannonandevan.blogspot.com/">Wedding Blog</a>.<br /><br />If you are interested in wedding details you can catch up on recent posts:<br /><br /><a href="http://shannonandevan.blogspot.com/2010/01/hotels.html">Honeymoon Flight BOOKED!!!<br />Hotels </a><br /><a href="http://shannonandevan.blogspot.com/2010/01/things-to-do-go-to-canada.html">Things to Do: Go to Canada </a><br /><a href="http://shannonandevan.blogspot.com/2010/01/orange-spiration.html">Orange-spiration<br /></a><br />In other exciting news...I have started blogging for Dragonfly Dance Experiment, the company that I dance with. I post every Sunday, so you can check out what is going on with the best Modern Dance Company in Annapolis on their site: <a href="http://www.dragonflydance.com/">http://www.dragonflydance.com/</a>. We have a show coming up in February, check back for more details!!Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12598917504237827013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908402600816939378.post-26271464099635315742009-12-28T16:18:00.009-05:002009-12-28T16:28:35.632-05:00The Shoes<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hCjpylaQh9Q/SzkhVxnwlWI/AAAAAAAABtE/UcKgiknlWVk/s1600-h/christian-dior-serpent-pumm.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 254px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420400284498171234" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hCjpylaQh9Q/SzkhVxnwlWI/AAAAAAAABtE/UcKgiknlWVk/s400/christian-dior-serpent-pumm.jpg" /></a>The holidays have been quite hectic, but now that things are winding down, I am realizing how incredibly lucky I am. Not just because of the generous gifts I received this year, but because I am so fortunate to have a loving family, a wonderful fiancé, adorable kitty-cats, a nice place to live and a good job. Evan and I were talking after Christmas Day that we can’t think of anything that we want or need. That is a pretty amazing realization.<br /><br />One of the reasons that I can’t think of anything that I want or need is because of these babies….Yes, they are Dior, and yes, my brother gave them to me for Christmas…and yes, you should be very jealous. I promised I would include these on the blog for all to drool over. He bought these to go with an outfit he designed that was worn by actress, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0088127/">Alexis Bledel </a>famous for her role on <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0238784/"><em>Gilmore Girls</em> </a>and <em><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0403508/">The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants</a></em>. She wore these for a few hours at a Saks event and now they are mine mine mine! I don’t know where I will wear them just yet. Probably with one of the Christian Siriano outfits I got for Christmas. 2010 is a year I will be stylin’.<br /><br /><div></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420399957753697874" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hCjpylaQh9Q/SzkhCwZzllI/AAAAAAAABs8/Jg3HHHthttU/s400/alexi-bledel-christian-siriano.jpg" />Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12598917504237827013noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908402600816939378.post-76153738993561495432009-12-14T14:23:00.007-05:002009-12-14T14:33:35.967-05:00Holiday Party Dresses<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hCjpylaQh9Q/SyaRKAtz9mI/AAAAAAAABsk/FJ5lRvxKW8o/s1600-h/blackmarket+dress+1.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415175203136468578" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hCjpylaQh9Q/SyaRKAtz9mI/AAAAAAAABsk/FJ5lRvxKW8o/s400/blackmarket+dress+1.jpg" /></a>I am absolutely in love with every single dress currently on the racks at <a href="http://www.whitehouseblackmarket.com/store/home.jsp">White House/Black Market</a>. I couldn’t contain myself and ended up buying not one, but two holiday party dresses this year. I know I am supposed to be saving for a wedding, but these dresses are reasonably priced and the store is always having some sort of deal.<br /><br />The first dress I purchased to wear to Evan’s work party. It is classic black, strapless and fits like a glove. I really feel beautiful in this dress, and isn’t that what it is all about? I am probably going to freeze in it because I’m not wearing tights. I will be wearing a spray tan to show off the shoulders, but probably no jewelry to keep it basic.<br /><br /><p><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hCjpylaQh9Q/SyaQ6hc5rwI/AAAAAAAABsc/dfLL3y63l8s/s1600-h/blackmarket+dress+2.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415174937046003458" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hCjpylaQh9Q/SyaQ6hc5rwI/AAAAAAAABsc/dfLL3y63l8s/s400/blackmarket+dress+2.jpg" /></a></p><p>The second dress is a little more flashy and I will be wearing it with black tights and the heels pictured here. (The sales girls always bring you shoes to try on with the dress which suckers me every time! And their black tights are awesome!) I will be wearing this sparkly number to a House Warming/Birthday/Holiday party this Saturday. I don’t think that this event is formal, but I don’t mind being a little overdressed. If we decide to go out on New Year’s I could wear this again, or I use the occasion to justify getting this one-strap loveliness. </p><p><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415174798771279330" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hCjpylaQh9Q/SyaQyeVo1eI/AAAAAAAABsU/G3VoAsgP1gQ/s400/blackmarket+dress+3.jpg" /> </p>Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12598917504237827013noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908402600816939378.post-91719549234471440882009-12-08T14:21:00.009-05:002009-12-08T14:44:24.710-05:00December New York Trip<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hCjpylaQh9Q/Sx6pB-4swwI/AAAAAAAABqU/5ma-Gmde1zc/s1600-h/800px-BoltBus_Prevost_0807_in_NYC.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5412949653671691010" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hCjpylaQh9Q/Sx6pB-4swwI/AAAAAAAABqU/5ma-Gmde1zc/s400/800px-BoltBus_Prevost_0807_in_NYC.jpg" /></a>After my <a href="http://shannonandevan.blogspot.com/2009/11/bridal-nightmares.html">nightmare </a>about my wedding dress, I decided that I really needed a consult with my designer. And if my brother can’t come to me, I would have to go to him. Mom and I booked a ticket on the <a href="http://www.boltbus.com/">Bolt Bus </a>and planned a two day get away. The bus ticket was $34 ROUND TRIP. My brother put us up in a hotel in Brooklyn and took us out to dinner. You can’t beat that!<br /><br />Our two day NY trip was tons of fun. The bus ride was a breeze, it was a clean and nice and a really simple ride. I definitely recommend it. Once we got in to Manhattan we thought we would walk around, but after walking around in a two block circle with our bags, we decided to just get a cab to Brooklyn. I hadn’t been to my brother’s apartment since last Thanksgiving, so it was great to see how he had it decorated. We visited and watched the end of Harry Potter and then headed to dinner at Sea, a Thai place down the street. After dinner we headed back to the apartment and watched “Four Christmases”. Not exactly what you would call a luxurious New York vacation, but it is exactly what we wanted to do, spend time with my brother and Brad and Topper at the apartment and have a nice family dinner together.<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5412949391104094274" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hCjpylaQh9Q/Sx6oysvtMEI/AAAAAAAABqM/hi3niFXFT5U/s400/NYC+Dec+2009+001.jpg" />On Monday, we woke up in our hotel in Brooklyn, my brother picked us up with his car service and we rode in to the city to his studio. We had our <a href="http://shannonandevan.blogspot.com/2009/12/wedding-dress-consultation.html">wedding dress consultation </a>and then browsed through his racks. Mom took home a sweater and I got a new winter coat! Mom and I went to do a little shopping, bought Christmas presents for each other and headed back to the studio for lunch. It was fun to be a fly on the wall in his office watching his team run around. We stayed for a bit and then went to our bus stop to catch the Bolt Bus back home. It was quick, but a really nice trip. I can’t wait until Christmas when the family gets together again.<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hCjpylaQh9Q/Sx6oII_zNyI/AAAAAAAABp8/anpT-31tKRI/s1600-h/NYC+Dec+2009+006.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5412948659953415970" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hCjpylaQh9Q/Sx6oII_zNyI/AAAAAAAABp8/anpT-31tKRI/s400/NYC+Dec+2009+006.jpg" /></a>Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12598917504237827013noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908402600816939378.post-48818845689551488592009-11-29T11:52:00.007-05:002009-11-29T11:58:16.811-05:00Buttercream Frosted<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hCjpylaQh9Q/SxKnbgKUeYI/AAAAAAAABp0/66jMzeZkJC0/s1600/Cupcakes.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5409570193356913026" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hCjpylaQh9Q/SxKnbgKUeYI/AAAAAAAABp0/66jMzeZkJC0/s400/Cupcakes.jpg" /></a>I have been really inspired after my trip to the newly opened Bethesda location of <a href="http://georgetowncupcake.com/">Georgetown Cupcake</a>. Although I make cupcakes often, I rarely make my own frosting from scratch. So this morning, I was feeling motivated and made a cream cheese buttercream frosting to go with my spice cake cupcakes. I still have to practice more to get them looking as professional as the GT Cupcakes, but it is a delicious project to work on.<br /><div><br /></div><div>Cream Cheese Buttercream Recipe </div><div><br />1 package Cream Cheese, softened<br />1 stick of Unsalted Sweet Cream Butter, softened<br />1 lb of Confectioner’s Sugar<br />1 tsp Vanilla</div><div></div><div><br /><p>Mix cream cheese and butter in mixer using the paddle attachment. Mix in sugar scraping the sides occasionally. Add in vanilla and mix some more!<p></div>Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12598917504237827013noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908402600816939378.post-50924806758215150962009-11-27T08:05:00.008-05:002009-11-27T08:15:40.764-05:00Pumpkin Roll<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hCjpylaQh9Q/Sw_PyUHZwWI/AAAAAAAABpk/gfSa8cSxcYk/s1600/pumpkin+roll+005.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5408770140795421026" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hCjpylaQh9Q/Sw_PyUHZwWI/AAAAAAAABpk/gfSa8cSxcYk/s400/pumpkin+roll+005.jpg" border="0" /></a> <p>A couple years ago, while living in Arkansas, I hosted an October Bunco party. I planned my menu for weeks. I chose foods that would fit with a Halloween theme, witches fingers (vienna sausages wrapped in puff pastry), coffin dip (pumpernickel bread cut like coffins with dill dip) and a blood ball (shrimp ball drizzled in cocktail sauce). I made sugar cookies in the shape of pumpkins and witches hat cookies. Everything fit my theme and my only stress was the “day of” execution. I always get stressed on the “day of” and once in a while, Evan and I will get in a tiff because of it. Evan had made a Pumpkin Roll and wanted me to serve it at my party. I was irritated because it didn’t go with my theme and I wanted the menu to be things that I had prepared. I had worked so hard to plan it out and prepare everything. And to be perfectly honest, I wanted the credit when the guests oohed and aahed. By the time the first car pulled in the driveway, I had kicked Evan out and let the Pumpkin Roll stay. Big mistake.<br /><br /><div><p>Guests arrived and grazed through the spread of food with the regular, “how cute” type of polite comments. That is, until they came to the Pumpkin Roll. These ladies went crazy over this Pumpkin Roll! There were extraordinarily loud “MMmmmms” and they were all dieing over the filling. Three people asked for the recipe and one woman suggested that I email it out to the whole Bunco listserv. Then the conversation went on and on about how difficult it is to make “rolls”. It was everything I could do not to lose it when I had to announce that I didn’t make it. I think some of the crowd was genuinely disappointed or worried that I didn’t have the recipe to give. So the party went on and I didn’t mention much about it. The week following the party, I received two phone calls asking for the recipe since I did not send it out.<br /></div><br /><div><p>Fast forward a couple weeks to Thanksgiving and I was planning a potluck with two couples in Arkansas. Both women were in the Bunco group and asked me to ask Evan to make the Pumpkin Roll. That stupid Pumpkin Roll would haunt me forever. I swallowed my pride and told him to prepare it, but I could no longer keep my feelings to myself. I had a couple glasses of wine and spilled my guts about my Pumpkin Roll animosity. That only set the stage for everyone to moan loudly and go way over the top when he served it as the finale of our Thanksgiving feast. And now looking back, I can’t even remember what I brought to that potluck.<br /></div><div></div><br /><div><p>The teasing is ongoing, but these days I have come to terms with the Pumpkin Roll. I know I can’t compete with it and have just accepted the fact that it is the best dessert at every party we take it to. This year was no exception. One of the guests at our Thanksgiving dinner had, not one, but two pieces of Pumpkin Roll, leaving no room for a piece of apple pie that his wife made special for him. Another women defeated by the Pumpkin Roll. I know her pain so well.<p> </div>Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12598917504237827013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908402600816939378.post-39560572881672503852009-11-23T20:50:00.009-05:002009-11-23T21:05:16.544-05:00Siriano Head to Toe<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407483354571502338" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hCjpylaQh9Q/Sws9df4ScwI/AAAAAAAABpM/VhJq9llhFVc/s400/Holiday+Party+006.jpg" /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hCjpylaQh9Q/Sws9S5mhf0I/AAAAAAAABpE/zUJS6GRZnfc/s1600/Holiday+Party+008.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407483172497751874" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hCjpylaQh9Q/Sws9S5mhf0I/AAAAAAAABpE/zUJS6GRZnfc/s400/Holiday+Party+008.jpg" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hCjpylaQh9Q/Sws9Msw6SLI/AAAAAAAABo8/XXyJ2DlcbCU/s1600/Holiday+Party+010.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407483065972443314" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hCjpylaQh9Q/Sws9Msw6SLI/AAAAAAAABo8/XXyJ2DlcbCU/s400/Holiday+Party+010.jpg" /></a><p>Every year the owner of the company I work for throws a huge holiday party the Sunday before Thanksgiving. Every salon employee, from stylist to shampoo assistant, is invited from every Bubbles, Salon Cielo and Colorworks salon. People come from Florida, Philadelphia, Virginia, Maryland and DC to celebrate and it is always an event. This year’s theme was Brazilian Carnivale, so the dress code was “flashy.” I thought about going in full body paint, but then decided that this was the perfect opportunity for me to wear the dress that didn’t make it to the engagement party. Everyone’s outfits are always over the top, so I knew that it would be perfect. I wore head to toe, Chrisitan Siriano. I had the <a href="http://search.victoriassecret.com/exec/">VS make-up</a>, the <a href="http://www.payless.com/store/search/results.jsp;jsessionid=7FDB7093BBE2920D86A1CF443094988B?_dyncharset=ISO-8859-1&_dynSessConf=3811088131095973346&%2Fcom%2Fcbi%2Fsearch%2FPaylessSearchFormHandler.question=christian+siriano&_D%3A%2Fcom%2Fcbi%2Fsearch%2FPaylessSearchFormHandler.question=+&_D%3A%2Fcom%2Fcbi%2Fsearch%2FPaylessSearchFormHandler.search=+&_DARGS=%2Fstore%2Fsearch%2Fincludes%2Fsearchboxslot.jsp">Payless</a> runway shoes and the dress from his most recent line. It was pretty show stopping. I even got a mention in the CIBU “Holi-do of the Day” video from the famous Jenn Mapp-Bressan.<p><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/lI7jZzDcXcI&hl=en_US&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><br /><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/lI7jZzDcXcI&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12598917504237827013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908402600816939378.post-35656311919675283162009-11-18T20:50:00.003-05:002009-11-18T20:52:27.596-05:00Martin + Osa<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hCjpylaQh9Q/SwSks-HSysI/AAAAAAAABok/7l7URoHZBbQ/s1600/martin%2Bosa+blue+dress%5B2%5D.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 229px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 236px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405626545246227138" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hCjpylaQh9Q/SwSks-HSysI/AAAAAAAABok/7l7URoHZBbQ/s400/martin%2Bosa+blue+dress%5B2%5D.jpg" /></a>This may not be a new brand, but it is new to me. I am a fan of this store. I bought this dress a couple months ago and thought it was the perfect summer to fall transition dress. I wore it with sandals when the weather was warm and dressed it up with cowboy boots and a cardigan when it started to get chilly. I planned to wear this into winter with tights and a sweater, but to my dismay, I got in a little accident. I tripped (over my cat) and split the dress right up the back. I was embarrassed and obviously bummed since I love this dress. My cat was ok, don’t worry. I put the dress back in the closet because I couldn’t bare to throw it away. Weeks later, I needed a dress for my engagement party and I immediately remembered that my favorite dress also came in a print. I bought the print dress and while I was in the store, I asked if there was any chance I could exchange my torn dress. I explained how it got torn, that I tripped over my cat, and they said, “No problem!” I was so happy that I asked. Last week, I took my dress in and they didn’t have my size. I was worried, but for no reason. They called another store and sent it to me at no charge. Isn’t it nice when a store goes out of there way to make you happy?<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hCjpylaQh9Q/SwSkeuyxuDI/AAAAAAAABoc/CYi7RijHvvg/s1600/martin%2Bosa+print+dress%5B1%5D.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 229px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 236px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405626300615473202" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hCjpylaQh9Q/SwSkeuyxuDI/AAAAAAAABoc/CYi7RijHvvg/s400/martin%2Bosa+print+dress%5B1%5D.jpg" /></a>Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12598917504237827013noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908402600816939378.post-32693851173666475562009-11-12T08:02:00.000-05:002009-11-11T14:06:54.290-05:00Flash Mob Part 2<p>I am participating in another flash mob project with <a href="http://www.dragonflydance.com/">Dragonfly Dance</a>. This one is recreating a Flash Mob from Oprah’s 24th Anniversay Concert. We will be teaching the dance to 200 non-dancers at a corporate event in downtown DC. I had rehearsal with 15 other dancers on Tuesday night to learn the choreography to the Black Eyed Peas song. Wednesday and Thursdayare the performances that will be taped. I don’t know if I will be able to get a recording of our actual performance, but here is the Oprah/Black Eyed Peas performance. Pretty stunning.<p><br /><object height="340" width="560"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/NZeUAqbIZO4&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/NZeUAqbIZO4&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object><br /><br />If you want to learn the dance yourself, there is a <a href="http://www.oprah.com/article/oprahshow/20090908-tows-flash-mob-dance-how-to">video </a>on Oprah’s website that shows you how to do it!Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12598917504237827013noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908402600816939378.post-42961564052329484512009-11-10T23:26:00.003-05:002009-11-10T23:29:38.339-05:00Back From Michigan<p>What a whirlwind trip! Do you know the feeling when you need a vacation from your vacation? We had such a great time wedding planning, visiting family and exploring Detroit city. We ended up making adjustments to our original itinerary and by adjustments I mean we were late to almost every appointment, rescheduled a floral meeting and cancelled the photography meeting because there was no way we could make it. Even with all that I feel like we had a very successful trip and now I know I need to plan more conservatively. <p><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hCjpylaQh9Q/Svo9acCcIVI/AAAAAAAABoE/pqVn6OLffQk/s1600-h/DSCN0986.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402698227396649298" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hCjpylaQh9Q/Svo9acCcIVI/AAAAAAAABoE/pqVn6OLffQk/s400/DSCN0986.jpg" border="0" /></a>I am so happy with the decision to have our wedding in Detroit. We only spent one night in the city and I wished we had planned for more. Evan, his mom, his sister, his sister’s friend (and native Detroiter) Michael, me and my mom all took the hotel shuttle downtown to Greektown so that we could check out the scene. My Mom wanted see the casinos so we did a quick walk through and spent a few minutes at the quarter slots. After the casino tour, we went and sat at the bar at Pegasus. They served flaming cheeses, hummus and other delicious appetizers, so we ate and drank and enjoyed the show. After appetizers and drinks, Michael said that we had to go across the street to a famous Greek pastry shop. We all picked out our own delicious dessert and jumped back on the shuttle to our hotel. We stayed at the Omni Hotel, right on the Detroit river. Our room faced the water so we woke up looking at the Windsor Canada skyline. Michael recommended some other places that I really wished we had time to see, the Renaissance Center, the Greektown hotels and the people mover. I guess we will have to schedule those in our next trip.<br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hCjpylaQh9Q/Svo9K-Uvz7I/AAAAAAAABn8/CoTefP_TAn8/s1600-h/DSCN0988.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402697961722335154" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hCjpylaQh9Q/Svo9K-Uvz7I/AAAAAAAABn8/CoTefP_TAn8/s400/DSCN0988.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></p>Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12598917504237827013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908402600816939378.post-32667545866099832662009-11-04T13:10:00.005-05:002009-11-04T13:13:08.813-05:00Off to Michigan<div align="center"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hCjpylaQh9Q/SvHD9_4DL4I/AAAAAAAABn0/MeCoJ0ljKB4/s1600-h/michigan_map.gif"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 318px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400312898079895426" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hCjpylaQh9Q/SvHD9_4DL4I/AAAAAAAABn0/MeCoJ0ljKB4/s320/michigan_map.gif" /></a>Be back next week with lots of wedding planning news to share...</div>Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12598917504237827013noreply@blogger.com0