I love Halloween!

You know why I LOVE Halloween?? Because its an excuse to be creative! I seriously love making costumes for people...Especially when its for a contest!!!
My mom always tried to convince me that I should go to school for Fashion or Costume Design simply because ever since I was young, I would draw out an outfit for my Barbie Dolls and then try to make it on the sewing machine... My poor cat even had an outfit or two... The best part is that I would cut up my own clothes for the fabric to make these creations, which didn't go over to well with my mom ( as you can imagine)...
Nowadays, I refuse to mangle my own clothes for the sake of a costume but I also refuse to wear a store bought one... There is something so exciting about dreaming up an idea and watching it come to fruition :) Here are a few creations from my stint as a costume designer...ha ha

The ongoing joke about this costume was... "Does drinking a Dew make me a CANnibal"

Wonderwoman is my favorite superhero... So, Last Halloween, when I walked into the fabric store and saw blue velour fabric with silver stars I knew exactally what I wanted to be!

This car was the perfect accessory to these costumes!

Ok so I didnt sew anything for this one, we just used what she already had and added to it...but I thought it was funny!!
(ps) This dead starbucks employee is getting married to the Mt Dew Can next year!

What is Beautiful?

***TRUE BEAUTY CAMPAIGN***
wow.
I saw this video on OSP and I just couldnt get it out of my mind...
No wonder girls' perception of beauty is distorted.
Do you think there was a such thing as eating disorders and poor physical self esteem before mass media?

Red cars are EVIL!

Last night I went to the Basketball game with Deej, Deyl and his beautiful wife Paige. I don't know much about basketball and this video DJ posted proves that I am a silly silly girl that all my guy friends should be ashamed of!...LOL...... But nonetheless, I had a GREAT time just hanging out with those guys...truly a kick in the pants!

Anyway, after the game we walked back to my car and DJ asked if my car had any new bump and bruises... For those who don't know, my car has been the bane of my existence over the last few months and anything that can go wrong has...so his question was definitely warranted! I proudly responded "no" but I think I spoke to soon because today there was ANOTHER incident...

This is me sitting on the side of the freeway after a HUGE blow-out waiting for help to arrive! It was so bad it even did damage to the body of the car.... *SIGH*

Here, you can see one of the shredded tires...


And this is the back panel that is now hanging... My poor car looks more and more ghetto as the days go on.


Nonetheless, I am still thankful and I am still smiling...it just makes the idea of getting a new car someday that much more exciting :)

Abby Quiz

Meet Mrs. Abby Quizenberry...
This beautiful young bride was married in May of this year but unfortunately she had a less than pleasurable photography experience....sooooo.....we remedied that situation with a fun little shoot this afternoon. :)
I've been looking forward to this shoot for a few months now because not only is Abby gorgeous but she is such a sweetheart!
I love these post wedding bridal sessions because they are so relaxed with little or no time restraints and the bride usually doesnt care about getting the dress dirty....

Thanks Abby... you were AWESOME!

Quotes..Quotes..& more Quotes

Last weekend I spent the afternoon walking about Canon Beach, OR and I happened upon this cute little shop where I found these metal tins of quotes that are actually static clings (so you can put them up places without sticky residue!!)... I think stuff like this is so fun! Anyway, I bought a tin of 100 quotes and went back to the hotel room, plopped on the bed and read them all! I liked them so much, I walked back down to the shop and bought another tin of different quotes and did the same thing...lol
Who knows what I'll do with 200 little sticker-things but I still thought they were fun!
Here are a few fun quotes I picked out that...


*It is better to be an authentic loser than a false sucess, and to die alive than to live dead.

*Your spark can become a flame and change everything

*Criticism-- its just someone else's opinion

*People of accoomplishment rarely sit back and let things happen to them, they go out and happen to things.

*To abolish all valleys is to get rid of all mountains

* The quieter you become, the more you hear

* To play it safe is not to play... ;)

* Wake up with a smile and go after life... ( I really liked this one because thats how I feel every day I wake up... Its a brand new day with brand new opportunities to take on life and live an adventure... and that definately warrants a smile!)

Credit

I must give credit where credit is due... I have gotten alot of emails, messages and comments asking me who took my new Avatar/MySpace pic...sooooo... the wonderful photographer is... (drum roll please)....... My BROTHER!!! We had a fun little photo shoot last week when I was visiting at home and this was one of the shots :)
Mark, you are awesome!
Oh and ladies, he is single ;)

I couldnt figure out how to make these bigger ( or the one above smaller...) but here are some fun shots we took before leaving for the airport last night :)



Oh and I got to work today ( after a week of being gone) and look at my email inbox... 1000 emails!!!HOLY COW!!!!
Its gonna be a BUSY day :)

Home...Home on the Range...

Another great thing about being home is seeing all my babies at church... I think I spent more time with all the kids I havent seen, than with the adults! Here are Jack and Abby... I have been shooting them since Jack was 3 months old... Their family has a special place in my heart!!!
Next I got to see my friend's new baby Evalia... This was my favorite shot of the day...

Momma Asena!...I have known Asena for years and it just so weird when your friends start having babies!

haha... here is Evy with daddy... Joe and I interned together in the Youth Department after HS and now he is the Youth Pastor!!! As you can tell.. he is awesome!!


Next, my brother and I went shopping on NW 23rd and it was the PERFECT fall gloomy day. 23rd (Otherwise known as the 'Pearl District') is the trendy part of town so you always find really cool things there! We ate lunch and then had dessert at my favorite Restaurant Papa Hayden's...mmmm...yummy!!!
I picked up this huge petty coat from a little consignmnt shop to use for a shoot tomorrow and my brother bought this hat. Anyway, my parents just got home from their home group and we were showing them our treasures...
The next thing you know my mom started prancing and twirling around the kitchen with the skirt... I ran to grab my camera but I was laughing soo hard everything is blurry :) Then dad put on Mark's hat and we just lost it.... again I was laughing sooo hard so the pics are ...uh...kinda "soft"...haha!


Anyway, I just thought I would share the fun :)

There's NO place like home.

Its's sooo good to be home :)

My mom is the cutest ever! Every time I come home she always put little vases of flowers next to my bed and in my bathroom(the one below is from my bathroom)and it always makes me feel so special! :)
The house always smells perfect because if she's not cooking, then she is burning yummy candles...She also ALWAYS has little snack dishes all around the house so everywhere you turn, there's food saying "EAT ME"....so I do... I swear I always gain wieght when I am home because all I do is eat :) I think thats one of the best parts about being home... THE FOOD!

That dish of pumpkin candy was full this morning....haha... ;)

Another great thing is the water... you can drink out of the tap here and its tastes sooooo good!! Doesnt it just LOOK tasty??...lol


Anyway, I just wanted to share a little bit of home... I am so blessed to have such a wonderful family and a fantastic momma!! Watching her makes me so excited to serve my own family someday!

I've caught the travel bug...

Yay!!! I am going home tonight!! I am so excited that despite the fact I didnt get to sleep until after 1am... I was wide awake by 5am.... crazy huh? I never sleep well when something exciting is happening the next day.
This has and will be a crazy few weeks.... lots of travel.
Last weekend I was in Chicago. This weekend I will be in Portland/ Vancouver....Tuesday- Wednesday I will be in Cleveland Ohio, Thurs-Friday i'm in Raleigh, North Carolina... and then round it all off with a flight BACK to Portland for my home church's ladies retreat in Canon Beach, OR

Good thing I love to travel... I cant wait for the day when I can post and tell you all the different countries I am going to :)

Oh and guess what?! I'm meeting with my designer when I am in town and I get to see a mock-up of my website tomorrow night!!! wahoo!

Naughty Girl!

I am sooooo bad!!!! I'm sitting here with my friend Linna and we totally just hacked into my friend Ryan's MySpace page and ...uh...yeah.... lets just say we 'customized' it!!
I used a bunch of pics from our lil' photoshoot to create a slideshow and even put a 'special song' on there... haha...
Check it out before he gets home and finds out!!! ;)

**Click Here**

haha... you know you love me RyRy!

I heart Chicago!!!

The Barlow Experience: 4 day intensive in beautiful Chicago, IL

'Blessed' doesnt seem to encompass the feeling I walked away with after this weekend. At the close of spending 4 action-packed days in Chicago with the infamous Barlow Family I left with the biggest smile on my face. Truly the most loving and caring family...they are some of the few who not only preach it but live it out in their everyday lives. I always say "actions speak louder than words" and this family is the epitome of this axiom!....
I just got home Sunday night and I already am suffering from Barlow withdrawls...:(

Not only did we have sooooo much fun, but I learned a thing or two in the process...like...
1. Sarah's motto..."No cop, no stop"... has no consequences
2. When the Barlow's call me a 'Beast' it DOESNT mean I am fat and hairy!...its actually a compliment...haha!
3. Oberweiss truly is the BEST chocolate milk ever!
4. There is no substitute for authentic Chicago-style Pizza....YUM!
5. When you run after a flock of grazing Geese in the middle of the night, you get stopped by the cops and asked to leave the premisis
6. ...Um... yeah, so even though the camera says your battery is dead, DONT...I reapeat ... DO NOT... stick it in your mouth because your hands are too full to hold it. An electrocuted tounge feels REALLY uncomfortable! :)

So now, allow me to introduce the infamous Barlow Family... I realized I never got any shots of Mom & Dad Barlow but the whole family looks alike anyway so you really only need to see the kids and you'll know what Joe and Nancy look like ;)



And last but not least... The one and only Sarah Barlow



I totally felt like a part of the family from the moment I walked in the door and saw a "Welcome Shyla" sign posted up...Its as if you cross over this magical threshold and automatically are infused with Barlow-blood! Now, if only I some of their talent would rub off on me, I'd be set! ;)
I absolutley LOVE you guys!!! Thanks again for EVERYTHING...you touched me in ways that will have a forever-impact!
Here are a few more from the weekend...






And this one was added by special request from Natalie.... :)


Wanna know something else??? I ran into my friend Lisa Goe ( who also happens to be Amy Nave's roomate!) on the plane. We were on the same flight!!! She was enroute to a wedding in Chicago and a gig opening for Shawn MacDonald...I was so excited to see her!

Life at Pictage...

Haha... so I am sitting at work and this guy comes over and starts talking about arm wrestling!
The next thing you know we are both lying on the floor in an all out arm wrestling match!!!
....and guess what?! I TOTALLY beat him!!
I have beat guys before but one time I beat this guy who liked me ( I had a crush on him too for the record) and after I beat him, his pride was too hurt so he stopped talking to me....sad huh?!


sooo... anyone wanna arm wrestle??? haha :)

BarlowGirl!

Last night I had the awesome privilege of attending (and helping shoot) the BarlowGirl Concert!! They are currently headlining the 'Don't Confrom Tour' with Matthew West and DownHere.....
So GREAT!!



I am so excited because my friend Sarah Barlow let me use her ShowIt web to create a slideshow of some of my images...I have never used ShowIt before but I plan on buying it real soon!!! I didnt realize how easy it was... seriously the greatest thing since sliced bread!

Here's a *Slideshow* of these rockin' beauties....





After the concert we hopped on their tour bus for a lil' chit chat as we all partook in the gift of an adoring fan...a 5lb chocolate bar!! :)