love, light and being together

You know how everything is better when you're together? That's obviously the way we feel about things here at Shutter Sisters! That's why I would like to personally invite you to join in the fun this year as we Picture the Holidays.

Many of you might know of the Picture Series I have taught over at Big Picture Classes for the past year and a half. Many old friends and new ones too have gathered to spend some creative photo fun together in these classes. With every prompt and with each class my hope was to inspire people to see the world around them with a brand new perspective. My other hope was to bring people together; to learn, shoot, and share a space where like-minded, like-hearted women could gather in the name of creativity!

Keeping all that in mind, I would like to give you all a personal invitation to join us this year to experience Picture the Holidays. I am delighted to announce our partnership with Paper Coterie for this years versionof Picture the Holidays! I would love for you to participate in the daily photo prompts (that will come right to your inbox) as well as join the conversation in our private Facebook group.

If you are in need of a way to slow down enough to actually enjoy your holiday season (and who isn't?) then this experience is exactly what you need! All you need to do is sign up at Paper Coterie on thePIcture the Holidays homepage to "become a member". This gives you a membership at Paper Coterie AND enrolls you in the Picture the Holidays "Prompt Me" experience. If you've taken Picture the Holidays already last year, you're invited to do it again! If you're already a member at Paper Coterie, you still need to fill in the "become a member" prompt with your current member information and you'll be enrolled for the prompts. Upon becoming a memeber you will receive a confirmation email with instructions on how to get into the facebook group if you'd like to join us there too! The prompts for Picture the Holidays are complimentary. I hope by offering the 31 daily prompts to EVERYONE we can start our own Holiday Revolution and take back this Season! It's time to remember what it's all about; love,, light and being together!

At the end of 31 days of inspiration and imagery, you will be invited to create a photo book of your very own featuring the photos YOU took during your December. The book is optional, but encouraged. It's a perfect gift to afford yourself for reclaiming your Holiday season! And it was designed specifically for Picture the Holidays which makes it extra special.

So, what are you waiting for? Click over to Paper Coterie and pre-registerby becoming a member. Oh, and if you register before 11/23 you are entered to win an Epiphanie Bag too! YAY!

Join us and come December 1, we will be on our photo path to enjoying the Holidays together! I cannot wait to begin!

How do you enjoy your Holiday? What helps you slow down and savor?

Let's Find Fall

Early frost, snow storms, power outtages? Sounds to me winter is coming, with little regard to Fall. There may not be too much of a winter's chill yet where I am but the weather even around these parts has been as unpredicatble as the tide.

I don't know about you but right around now is when I long for Fall. As in crisp cooling air, round orange pumpkins, leaves covering the ground, gratitude, a fire stoaked, something sweet in the oven, cuddling blankets, family and cider.

Whether you are trying to beat what feels like a late summer heat or hold back the rush of winter, today, let's find Fall.

Wherever you are, share today an image that conjures up the quintessential element of this season.

seeing a different side of you

'Tis the season for being someone or something other than who we really are. It's not that we're trying to hide our truest selves, no way! This dress-up game is just for kicks. Scary, funny, adorable, whatever it may be, it encourages us let our hair down and have a little fun.

Who doesn't like a little make-believe now and again?

Whether it's you in disguise or your little ghosts and goblins behind those masks, share with us how you will celebrate this All Hallow's Eve.

moo and you

We tell the world a little about ourselves with everything we do. How we act, what we say, how we dress, what we carry. From our bags to our blogs from our coffee mugs to our cameras. Our words, our images, our facebook status, all express who we are.

In the theme of this month's One Word Project, we have partnered with MOO to encourage you to really express yourself this week! Who are YOU? Share it with us through your shots this week for your chance to win some super-cool prizes from MOO. MOO offers a ton of ways to express yourself through business cards, mini cards, post cards, stickers (total cuteness), and holiday cards. We know you know all about them (coolest cards for photographers ever) so why not offer this fun contest in celebration of MOO and YOU?

Here's the scoop:

For a chance to win – all you have to do is post a URL to a photo in the comments which resonates with this month’s theme of ‘YOU’. You know how the OWP works! We want to see shots that have YOU written all over them! We are looking for beautiful, creative, unque or just fun shots of/or about YOU.

Prizes from MOO

Grand prize – 100 business cards (or 200 minis), 25 Christmas (Holiday) cards, 20 postcards & 52 stickers!

2^nd place – 100 business cards (or 200 minis) & 52 stickers

3^rd place – 100 business cards (or 200 minis)  & 52 stickers

You've got until  Friday, 10/28 at midnight EST to leave your comments and links here for a chance to win.

We can't wait to see YOU in your entry image!

small snippets

Sometimes days are long and time is short. Sometimes we have more to-dos, work, and responsibility than we even have time for. Sometimes we are far too busy to muse, ponder or reflect. This is what life feels like for me these days. And when it gets like this I find it hard to pick up my camera, to update my blog or even to blurt something out on facebook. But my story being written every day of my life, whether I have time to acknowledge it or not. The things that happen, the people I meet, the places I go, the time I spend...it all means something. It's all a part of my story.

I am finding lately that it doesn't take much to document my life these days. As a matter of fact, these small snippets of my days and nights captured with a simple camera phone are enough. This is what my life is like right now. Tiny slivers of light. Stolen moments in time. Amidst a very tight schedule my story is being written.

And as you go about your daily life, whatever it looks like, yours is being written too.

Today, as we end what has been an inspiring month of stories, share a small snippet today. Something that may have only taken a split second to capture but means the world.

Today we want to give a very special thank you to Paper Coterie for affording us so many lovely giveaways and encouraging all of us to tell our stories. We are giving away our last $100 gift certificate today. Please leave a comment here for your chance to win.