magic

A couple weeks ago, in the spirit of the season, we decided to download the movie Fred Claus. Simple enough. Until the eight year old wheels of logic started turning in my son's head, and the interrogation began. "But how does Santa get in here if we don't have a chimney?" "Does he know the code to the alarm?" "How does he fly through the night when it's daytime on the other side of the world?" (That one made my head hurt). But we dutifully lied through our teeth as the questions got to be more and more detailed. "YES! We mailed him the key to the front door, ALRIGHT?!!"

A few days passed, and I guess it had been eating my husband up. Because the next thing I know, he waltzes into the room to casually announce that he has single-handedly informed our children (the youngest is THREE) that Santa Claus is indeed NOT REAL.

Me: "Are you serious?"

Him: "Yep, I was sick of lying to them."

Me: "Well, why don't you just tell them about the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy. And while you're at it, tell them how babies are made. For good measure, why don't you just pour them a drink?!"

But the damage had been done. Or so we thought. A few more days passed, when my oldest asks my husband, "If Santa's not real, then who always eats all those cookies after we go to bed?"

My husband could see in his eyes how much he desperately wanted Santa to be real. He said, "You know what...I never thought about that. But you're right...the cookies ARE always gone the next morning. Maybe he really IS real afterall!" All three children tuned in. And by the end of the conversation, Santa was alive and well again. And so was the possibility of magic. It made me realize that sometimes it's not important to have all the answers, because so much joy comes from just having the faith to believe.

What do you believe in this Christmas Eve?

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love life

 

Every time I try to write about Kal, I sound like a crazy groupie. It's probably not far from the truth. I've been adoring her work for years for the way she combines fine art, with graphic elements, and WORDS. I LOVE the way she sees and communicates, whether she's using a paintbrush, a camera, or a paper bag. Today's post is by (my favorite) Kal Barteski.  :)

Hey Shutter-Sisters. You don't know me. My name is Kal Barteski and I would expect you should think three of four times before taking photography ideas from an artist-but, I wanted to share two holiday-happies that a non-photographer thinks about when lugging around a camera.

First, I don't think about taking photos. Whether I'm using a camera or a paintbrush-I don't think so much about the tool as I do the idea of creating art. Magic even. That's right- a camera is simply a tool used to capture shadow and light - the magic is in the taking.

Second- I don't think about taking photos. I think about watching and catching memories and glances and those little words between what's happening and the invisible music between the hearts in  the shot. Because to me - the very, very best photographs are the ones we cherish - not for the fashion or the beauty, but for the message.

You can find Kal's blog with everything she's been working on here. She's having a holiday special on her Love Life books. It's such a good deal, I purchased ten of them as gifts this year. So go check it out, and leave a comment to win one today!

certain

There are so many ways that one can fall into the perfection trap around the holidays. In the past, I've built Thanksgiving up to be an unattainable figment of perfection. Rarely hosting, for fear that I wouldn't have the right ladle, or butter knife. The performance anxiety was just not worth it. But as I get older, those things matter less. I'd like to say that if you're the kind of person who judges me by my utensils, then I'm sure we're not compatible. Especially, since it's only been recently that I've stopped feeding my children out of boxes. It also goes deeper than that. The world lately, has been filled with so much uncertainty. There are businesses closing down, and asking for bail outs, everywhere. These are concerning times. But they're also a blessing because it nudges us to find, and focus on the things (which are usually not things) that we ARE certain about.

What are you certain about today?

eyes of a child

You know how children always spot airplanes while you're lost in thought at the steering wheel? Or how they hear dogs barking in the distance, when all you hear is the chatter in your head? It's a welcomed relief to be pulled back into the world. The Moment.

This was taken at a photo shoot when little Vienne (age 4) spotted reindeer on the wall! Until she  pointed it out, I hadn't noticed that the sun was rising to form perfect shadows behind them. And it reminded about when I let my kids play with the camera. They often come up with the most amazing images, and I  think it's for two reasons. One is that they don't see the world through the filter of what it's supposed to look like. Instead, they're naturally open to looking at everything from many different angles. The second reason is that they're not afraid of failing. I think we could all learn a lot from the way kids see things.

What do you think? Any amazing kid-inspired shots to share today?

Now

We used to string the phone cord from the kitchen into her bedroom. Then we'd huddle over the receiver together, calling boys. And by "calling boys", I mean we'd dial their numbers, hang up on them, giggle hysterically, and repeat 50 times. I'm pretty sure we were the sole reasons why they invented caller ID. After we graduated high school, we went to Waikiki together. Four of us by ourselves, we switched planes, flagged down cabs, and learned important life lessons like Strawberry Hill only tastes like fruit punch. Oops.

The next summer, we moved back to Hawaii. It was as simple as impulsively faxing over an application one late night. The next thing we knew we were living in Aloha Towers. We had jobs and a refrigerator. We learned to use bus routes, and found the grocery store. For the first time, everything was up to us. 

After the summer, we went our separate ways. There was college and road trips, relationships, jobs, marriage. The busy-ness of life allowed for paths to cross only occasionally. Then one day she emailed and asked if I'd consider flying out to photograph her family. She was now living in San Francisco with her husband and little boy. They'd been married for years, but I'd never met either of them. So, of course I agreed.

It felt like a full circle, opening the door to her apartment. Certain things hadn't changed. She still had too many shoes. We still laughed like teenagers. And she still knew all the best places to find everything, whether it be coffee, a pedicure, a baby sling. But what I loved most was the depth of understanding that happens when two friends grow up, then apart, then back together. Suddenly there are more layers to a story you'd put down years ago.

So here was my friend, living in her new chapter. One that felt familiar, yet completely new in context. I'd never seen her so content. And as we walked to the car after her shoot, I told her that I was so happy for the way things had turned out for her. She looked at me and said that everything else was just getting ready for this. And that made me think about life in general. The messy, scary, reckless, parts mix up with the thrilling, beautiful, intimate pieces. They're non-discriminating as they combine, yet they have a common goal. Everything is getting you ready for This. The only place where Life can exist, Right Now.

What does Right Now look like for you?