something blue

 

Blue skies, bluer than blue, got the blues, once in a blue moon, true blue, out of the blue, into the blue, playing the blues, blueberry, blue bonnet, wild blue yonder, baby blues.

As you observe the big blue marble today, seek out the various blue hues that surround you.

No matter how ordinary such a simple color might be, the bluest of blues can soothe the soul and elevate your everyday like no other hue.

Share your blues with us today.

Self-portrait courtesy of my teenaged daughter who wants to enourage your teenage daughters out there to join us today in seeking out and capturing the color blue.

reflections

Perhaps it’s the end of Summer or the start of Fall.  Maybe it’s my birthday or something in the stars. Or what I usually attribute it to; getting the kids back to school and getting back to a predictable routine. Whatever the case, this is always the time of year where I do the most reflecting.  For years I’ve marveled at the power of this—what seems to be for me—the new year. It’s no wonder I don’t fuss over the true New Year, taking it all lightly and in stride. It must be because I always do my seeking and searching now.

Reflecting on the past and reflecting on the future play equal parts in my annual soul pilgrimage. One is no more important that the other. In fact, they seem to work together in a perfect alchemy. Looking back, I am reminded of what has been. Looking ahead I can begin to forge my path into the future. Whether I choose to bring what the last year held along with me into the next is never certain. It’s different every year. And I guess that’s not really the point. The point is the time of reflection itself. Slowing down, being contemplative, breathing deeply, holding onto gratitude, shedding  tears, getting rest, listening, musing, and paying attention to every feeling, every memory, every whisper. That is where the true magic of reflections lie.

Today I encourage you to take the time for reflections, whatever that might mean to you and seek out ways to translate that into your images. Literally or figurative, let’s reflect together and share our findings as yet another way to Elevate the Everyday.

sunrise sunset

Sifting and sorting through the many images of starts and stops of each day, I was delighted and inspired by how much beauty the sunrise and the sunset offer. But for me, the start of the day that most touches my deepest soul are the sunrises that begin when I see pictures like this one. It's my own personal view of sunrise and it's as refreshing as seeing the first light peek over the highest mountain top.

But, of all the photos taken, of all the various subjects and times of day, my guess is that sunset must be the most photographed experienced to date. I have a feeling the inspiration that will come from the images we share today will be awe-inspiring, whether they are of sunrise or of sunset or both.

Share with us the very start to a day or the very stop...the time when nothing else matters but beauty and all the possibility a heart can hold.

something orange

Hanging in the warm summer sky over an Orange County landscape is the inimitable Orange Balloon of The Great Park. Approaching the large metropolitan park, formerly a Marine Corps Air Station, the balloon is one of the most surreal sights I have ever seen. No matter how many times I visit, I am still delighted by the beauty, enormity, and color of this curious work of whimsical art.

As we continue with our month of elevating the everyday, share with us today a pop of orange that stimulates your senses! Tag your images #sselevate and play along with us.

And because this image is taking the theme of elevate to a whole new level (literally), why not give away another copy of the book Elevate the Everyday. Leave a comment here between now and midnight on Sunday for your chance to win a copy. Marilyn won the last copy. Maybe you'll be next!

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!