Evening

There's a sweet relief that comes with evening. The light shifts from gold to blue and like clockwork, I feel my shoulders drop, the hard angles of my body soften. As the sun goes down, I know I can count on the routine of the evening to get me through. There's nothing particularly unusual about it-- dinner, conversation, laughter. Last minute playtime, last minute homework, a collection of bedtime rituals. And then the house is quiet. The sky, finally dark. We collapse onto the big green couch, my husband and I-- let it swallow us whole. Well, we say, we made it through another day. We look around. Dirty dishes, everywhere. Stacks of books, papers, dirty socks, legos scattered like confetti. We're exhausted but we made it through another day. And we're thankful.

Today's prompt is 'evening'. What do evenings look like at your house? Please do share an image or two with us today.

The Nap Series

 

When my son Max was about 7 months old I was so keenly aware of how important nap time was. Not for him, but for me. I needed Max to go take his nap so I could eat my lunch, decompress, have an hour or two dedicated to “ME TIME”. But Max didn’t get the memo. He would stare up at me and laugh and laugh while I thought about all the things I wish I was doing instead of rocking him back and forth for what felt like an eternity. I finally realized that this nap time business wasn’t going to go away. I needed a way to shift my swirling thoughts back to the present moment.

I decided to bring my iphone to bed and once he fell asleep I took a photo of the two of us in whatever position he ended up in. Seeing that first photo, I was hooked.  When I saw how the light was falling on this frustrating situation my mind quieted. My heart burst open at the sight of the two if us, peaceful and content, tangled together in a compositionally pleasing snuggle. I started to notice deeper clues about our relationship that showed up within the photograph. Our closeness, and our deep connection was revealing itself to me in a way I felt inside but had never really seen in this way before.  The Nap series was born.

Two years later, I am so grateful for the collection of Nap photos of the two of us that document a time in our lives that is short lived and so precious.  I didn’t realize that I was trying to leave a situation that was truly incredible. What was the bigger lesson for me? Don’t leave before the miracle happens. Use the camera to shift perception from mind to soul. I remember this whenever I find myself frustrated, stressed out, or in fear. Bring it back to the present. Grab your camera and see with your heart.  Creating this nap series has increased my ability to “see” in ways I didn’t expect. It continues to help me connect more deeply with the preciousness of these fleeting moments.

Photo essay and words courtesy of Catherine Just. You can view a larger portion of the nap series on Catherine's blog.

What better photo essay to share when our prompt is "bed"? Share with us how you get cozy in your bed today and tag your snuggly shots #sselevate.

Let's Eat

 

“Let’s Eat!” How many of us say those words each day, gathering our families together to share a meal? Food is such an integral part of everyday moments, it often time gets overlooked when we think about the beauty in the every day.

Yes, eating feeds our bodies, but it’s the moments beyond the food that feed our souls. Whether it is a simple chat with a friend over breakfast, or recapping the day with loved ones around the dinner table, food, eating, and connection go hand in hand.

“Let’s Eat” is the photo prompt for today. I challenge you to glance around your world, slow down, and look at your food as more than nourishment. Notice the moments while waiting for dinner to be set down on the table, a certain cute food habit someone might have, or a special treat you were able to share with someone you love. Even simple ingredients that go into our meals have a story. It’s up to you to discover that story through your own lens.

Share images inspired by today's prompt with us and be sure to tag them with #sselevate.

Image and words courtesey of food blogger extraordinaire Kristen Doyle of Dine and Dish.

texture

Amongst the many qualities that make my hair such an enigma to me, my favorite is the way I can manipulate the texture of it. Every night before bed, I spend time parting it into sections and then twisting it. Sometimes I spray water on it, other times I add jojoba oil to the ends. After it's twisted, I put on a very unsexy hair bonnet (and yes it is a bonnet!) and tuck all the twists under for protection. No matter how thick/big/poofy it has gotten during the day, this gentle routine every night guarantees that in the morning my hair will have the soft texture it has in the photo above when I let the twists down. I never know which way the curls will go or how big they will grow once I step outside. I do know that these beauties greet me every morning and just as the day unfolds with twists and turns and ups and downs, so does my hair. It has taken me quite some time to be comfortable with this unknown. When I was growing up and even into my college years, I longed for straight hair that would be consistent and manageable. Now into my forties, I have come to welcome the unknown and enjoy the anticipation of what it will become. It's a wonderful metaphor for my life really. What will it become? 

Today, can you find a texture that has been a challenge for you that you have come to love? A type of food, an item of clothing, a patch in your front lawn, can you choose a different way to see it and elevate your experience of it? Share with us on instagram at #sselevate or on the OWP.

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!