shanna murray

I woke this morning thinking of my sister Sara, and the wonderful overnight visit we had in Seattle in May. We don't get to see each other often, maybe once a year, but I'm hoping this will change. As we get older I wish more and more that she lived near by, and she could just pop in for a visit over dinner. It could happen someday - I've learned you never know what the future holds. 

- - - - -

In preparation for some new work that I need to get started on, I'll be working on a total overhaul of my attic studio this week. I am so grateful for the help of my amazing intern, Courtney. I'm convinced she has super powers. We got off to a great start in the studio yesterday! I'm looking forward to sharing some new projects in progress with you soon - it's been a while!

Happy day,

Shanna

p.s. this is crazy neat! have you seen it? found via ginny branch.

a new hour

On one of our walks at dusk.

Quickly becoming my second favorite part of the day...the close to late hour after dinner when we're most spontaneous, a time when no one has to hurry off somewhere (most evenings), when Ollie gets his 7th wind and is thrilled at the chance to run free just one more time before sleep. A time when a glaring sunshine that makes the world feel raw and hot is replaced by shadows and crevices and quiet, and a little bit of mystery - enough to cause me to breath deeper and stop racing inside. 

I see the hour between rush and sleep a little differently these days. As I've allowed myself to strip away the necessity of non-stop, I've been carving out this pause in the day and marking it as mine. I can see my general attitude start to shift as well. I forgot that I'm supposed to breathe into life, lean into it. On the bridge where we walk, where so many crushes have carved out proclamations and declarations, I might etch out one word. Dusk.

I think it's time for a summer manifesto. Have you read Andrea's? I love it.

Happy fresh start, happy new week!

Shanna

Yesterday's thunderstorm left behind an awesome gift.  

Happy Friday, pals!

Shanna

the first ones

The daisies are here! For a very long time daisies were my favorite flower. Though they've been ceremoniously booted from the #1 spot, I still love them. Last year was our first summer in this little cottage, and boy what a surprise! People actually stop and knock to ask if they might pick just one bunch, there are so many! That burst of blooms is a couple weeks off, but I find such pleasure in watching the process take place - and picking bunches for strangers driving by.

C and Ollie and I had a wonderful evening. I've been addicted to green beans with mustard and red onion vinaigrette, last night I topped them with hard boiled egg whites (I hate the yolks), yum! Afterwords we all took a walk at the creek at dusk. I loved how the trail grew so dark when we got back into the thick of green everything past the bridges. I'm looking forward to the water level lowering, so Ollie and I can walk up stream again.

It seems I haven't talked about creative pursuits much here lately. To that end, I'll have some new plaques, exclusive to Hygge & West up in their shop soon! You can see a sneak peek here. Also on their blog, have you seen this? Rad!

I've been thinking an awful lot about the citizens of Iran, and also the American Revolution. Sort of boggles the mind, the courage people can tap when inspired to fight for basic human rights we can so easily take for granted.

I'm trying to be more mindful of those rights, and appreciative. Seems silly to think that just days ago I was struggling to enjoy summer evenings... I need to lighten up.

Besos,

Shanna

p.s. Oh! forgot to mention I'll be at the South Wedge Farmers' Market  tonight taking more portraits, if you've been waiting for the next date - that's of course only if it doesn't pour and thunder like crazy as the forecast calls for!  

things are looking up

Well, goodness! I'm so glad I asked for suggestions! You all left such helpful comments - thank you!! At the top of my mood-improving list right now are:

#1 hanging some twinkle lights.

#2 making some rhubarb soda (and reserving it only for evening time consumption).

#3 walking a couple times a week after dinner with Ollie + C at our favorite spots.

#4 making a little make shift outdoor ping pong table - as a birthday present, maybe?

#5 late evening picnic dinners on the lawn.

#6 a little star gazing.

#7 putting together the perfect 2009 summer soundtrack.

#8 and making some paletas!

#9 mandatory one day of the weekend with NO work (giving myself something to look forward to and making summer feel a little more like summer felt when I was a kid).

My mood is already improving, I'll keep you posted! 

Warmly,

Shanna

I think I need an evening ritual. I've been an unpleasant crank lately at the end of the day. I think some sort of ritual or mantra would help - don't you? If I do go sour it sort of starts to come on around dinner time, continuing on into the evening. I'm not sure what this is all about. Part of me thinks I just need to rearrange the furniture, but sooner or later the new placement will  no longer be new, so that's out. I need to find my evening rhythm, something akin to the morning routine that I love. I'm not a night person, so going to bed is always my first choice when I'm feeling this way - but these long summer days have so much to offer, and I know I'll regret not making the most of them come February. 

I wish I still had my ping-pong table (or a place to put one), back in California that used to always do the trick...maybe I could practice my golf swing in the yard? Also, I think I need a summer sound track and some twinkle lights. I'm determined to enjoy my least favorite season! I'lk keep you posted...

What do you enjoy most about the evening hours in summer?

Cheers!

Shanna

hello summer

Had one of the best times ever at this photo shoot on Friday. I laughed a lot, got eaten to absolute shreds by mosquitos, stood in my shoes and socks in pools of water, and was challenged technically at every turn - can't wait to do it all over again! I'll have more to share about this shoot in the coming days.

I've decided it's time to give digital a little rest and break out my very clunky but well loved Nikon 6006. Any advice on your favorite film for outdoor shoots would be greatly appreciated!

Haven't mentioned in this space yet that we've launched the application for our 2009 Second Storie Indie Market event! There are some really super special surprises in store this year!! This time next week I'll tell you a secret about surprise #1!

Happy summer, friends!!

Shanna

collecting myself

Feeling a little quiet today, the last ten days have been a catch-all of busyness and loose end tying and not enough sleep. Today is no different: a meeting with a new client, a photo shoot for a good friend, and a free concert tonight with family. 

But tomorrow is for list making, catching up on rest, hanging out with my best friend, and finally for rhubarb! Wondering what you do when you need to recharge...?

xoxo, me

p.s. I like this one bigger.

I so enjoyed reading your comments on what makes you nostalgic yesterday, I'm happy you took a moment to share! Your thoughts will actually, in some way or another, wind their way into an upcoming project. So, if you haven't already shared something that makes you feel nostalgic, I'd love to hear from you!

Baking is one of those things for me. Breaking out the measuring cups never fails to bring up memories of baking in my grandmother's California kitchen as a girl. My grandmother actually had two kitchens and at the time I thought it was because she was such a serious cook! She always baked her meringue chocolate chip cookies in that kitchen. Later, I learned that the kitchen at the back of the house was meant for my great grandmother who had lived with my grandparents in her golden years. And later still I learned that the meringue cookies were actually made there because they needed to sit in a cooling oven for four hours. 

It's not the time of year for meringue cookies, those will have to wait for the holidays, but I'm hoping to make something with my freshly harvested rhubarb this evening. I have so much to learn about rhubarb. Having never worked with it, it's such a mystery to me. For instance, I recently read that one should harvest the thinner stalks as they are less acidic than their thicker neighbors. 

I'm off to the creek with Ollie, and then to the studio but I'll stop for mini breaks throughout the day to narrow in on just which recipe I'll choose (in addition to that rhubarb soda I've been dying to try!) to give a go tonight.

Cheers!

Shanna

Sometime around 3 am last night thunder cracked so loud overhead I thought the sky would split open. After that a tremendous rain fell. I lay in bed thinking of my first summer with C, in the tiny little carriage house. It rained so much that summer. Powerful thunderstorms that would flood the streets. My favorite part of summer.

The garden there had a lovely lilac, and even though the house was so small that all of our newly combined furniture practically bumped up against each other, it was small enough that when I brought lilacs in I could smell them wherever I was. I'm feeling very nostalgic about that tiny house today...a good time to day dream about new work, I think. 

What makes you feel nostalgic? I'd love to know.

'Till tomorrow, 

Shanna