last call for Oasis registration

Don't let us disrupt your Sunday plans, in fact, we're only interrupting your weekending activities to remind you that registration for the Shutter Sisters event Oasis will end on Friday, Sept 7th at noon PST. There are only a few more spaces that are open and they'll only be available for a few more days.

We've been spending a lot of time in Palm Springs lately, specifically at Ace Hotel and Swim Club and we can only say, we are bursting at the seams with excitement at being there with so many sisters of the shutter. It's pretty much going to rock and it's only a few months away. We are counting down the days and would love to have you doing the same with us!

Today's prompt is "books" and we do hope you choose to book your spot at Oasis before it's too late. 

summer reading

 

From the Impassable Wilderness of Wildwood to the pristine and proper home of Miss Aunt Polly of Beldingsville, Vermont in the classic Pollyanna, our summer reading list seems to take us places. I find
myself swept away, trudging along the Pacific Crest Trail via Wild (by Cheryl Strayed) here and there as time allows, sitting poolside or as I drop into bed rivited & resonating.  We don’t mind tucking into the
tent early after a full day playing in the lake when we can close our eyes and experience all that Trenton Lee Stewart has to offer by way of Nicolas Benedict in The Mysterious Benedict Series.  There is an
ever changing list of opportunity and possible travel by way of a good book, but there is one book that will forever be a favorite. One kept on hand for every expedition as our faithful guide & inspiration, not
only just of the mind: the Atlas. (Road trip anyone?)

What have you been reading? Or should I say, where have you been going? Share your images of summer reading today and tag them #sselevate.

Image and words courtesy of Sarah Swanson-Dexel.

favorite space

As I looked at the Elevate the Everyday prompt for August 2nd and began to think about my favorite space, I started by doing a mental tour of my house. As I imagined each room, nothing stuck out in my mind quite like this corner of my son's room. Before naps and bedtimes we snuggle into this comfy rocking chair to read books and sing songs. These are rare quite moments amongst days filled with constant activity and motion. I am grateful for this space and what it represents.

We are ready to elevate the everyday this month! Show us your favorite space in the links below and add them to the One Word Project pool on Flickr. And be sure to tag your images this month with #sselevate.

Elevate the Everyday

"The true secret of happiness lies in taking a genuine interest in all the details of daily life and elevating them to an art." -William Morris

What better way to spend the whole of August than to turn our attention toward all the details of our daily life and elevate them to a photographic art? As we kick off a brand new One Word Project, we invite you to join us and the amazing folks at Paper Coterie as we ELEVATE the next 31 days.

Inspired by the arrival of my new book Elevate the Everyday, we want to focus on all the parts of our lives that can so often be overlooked; those spaces and places, affections and connections, routines, milestones and details that make our ordinary life so extraordinary. And there is no better time to begin than right now!

Stating today we will prompt you to discover something that you can elevate, through your lens, from your heart. August promises to be full of inspiration and insights, gratitude and creative joy. Just take a peek at our calendar and you'll see what I mean! We are so excited to have you with us as we elevate the everyday together.

And just to elevate things, Paper Coterie is offering a 25% discount when you buy a copy of the book and/or any of the lovely products from the companion series. There's even a limited edition bookmark signed by yours truly included in your book order while supply lasts! Fun!

We will also be giving away a few copies of the book this month too...starting right now! Just leave your comment here between today and midnight Friday night EST for a chance to win your copy! Wheeee!

Be sure to tag your elevate images with our tag #sselevate in whatever social media platform you're on! And don't forget we've got a OWP flickr group too so add your images to the pool for a chance to be featured here.

YAY! We can't wait to elevate!

aliveness

In the end

you won’t be known

for the things you did

or what you built,

or what you said.

You won’t even be known

for the love given

or the hearts saved,

because in the end you won’t be known.

You won’t be asked, by a vast creator full of light:

What did you do to be known?

You will be asked: Did you know it,

this place, this journey?

What there is to know can’t be written.

Something between crispness of air

And glint in her eye

And texture of the orange peel.

What you’ll want a thousand years from now is this:

A memory that beats like a heart—

A travel memory, of what it was like to walk here,

alive and warm and textured within.

Sweet brightness, aliveness, take-me-now-ness that is life.

You are here to pay attention. That is enough.

-Tara Sophia Mohr

Today, as we continue to savor the moments, we encourage you to pay attention through your lens. Share a thought, a word, an image where you're focused on this  "sweet brightness, aliveness, take-me-now-ness that is life."

...........

In the End is one of the poems featured in Your Other Names, the new book of poetry by Tara Sophia Mohr. She is graciously giving away a copy of her exquisite book today. All you have to do is leave a comment between now and midnight tonight EST (12/5).

For more information about Tara, visit her website. And for more information about her book visit the Your Other Names web page. We'd like to thank Tara for sharing In the End with us here, just as she shared a poem with us almost a year ago. It's always pleasure to have her.