Day Off

This weekend, we ran away from home, if only for a day.  It was not a day to worry about what we were missing online, on television or what was still lingering on our to-do lists.  Rather, it was a day to give ourselves a break from responsibilities, spend time together as a family and indulge in our favorite activities.

Without the distractions, we focused on the simple joys of life.  And for our family, nothing soothes our tired spirits like visiting the ranch, playing with farm animals and walking the docks of the local fish camp.  We returned home relaxed and refocused.

Today, I invite you to share some images of your favorite activities. What do you like to do when you need to escape the day?

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We are giving away one $100 Paper Coterie gift card EVERY SINGLE DAY of September to one of YOU!  All you have to do is share a comment each day before midnight EST for your chance to Win that day's random drawing.  Be sure to leave links to your story shots.  

A New Season

I'm a true California girl. I live for summer, so when the days grow cooler and the days become shorter, it has always been a difficult transition for me.  I would pout my way through autumn, because really, finding a true fall season in Southern California is pretty much impossible. A couple of years ago I decided it was time to stop pouting about it and find fall on my own and I have.  Pumpkin patches? Check.  Apple picking? (yes, even here in SoCal!), check.  A yummy pumpkin latte? Well, that's a given.  But what truly signifies the changing seasons for me?  Football!  High school, college, professional, it doesn't matter.  Fall is in the air, people.  Even for me, this born and bred California girl.  :)

Share your stories of how you celebrate the changing season. Show us your autumn.

We are giving away one $100  Paper Coterie gift card EVERY SINGLE DAY of September! Share a comment each day before midnight EST for your chance to win that day's random drawing. Be sure to leave links to your story shots. 

ten years ago

I was two months pregnant with my twin sons and getting some rest at home. I turned the television on and stared in utter shock and fear like millions of other people in the rest of the world. I called my husband who was working at his office and begged him to come home as soon as he could. "Why? What's going on?" he asked. "Something terrible has just happened. I'm scared. Please come home" was all I could tell him.

When he finally opened the door 30 minutes later I ran to him in tears. We hold each other and our unborn children for a long moment, praying that they grow up in a safer world.

As we commemorate the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 tragedy today, please share with us an image that celebrates life, and your stories and memories from ten years ago.

We are giving away one $100  Paper Coterie gift card EVERY SINGLE DAY of September. Share a comment each day before midnight EST for your chance to win that day's random drawing. Be sure to leave links to your story shots.

Story Time

We indeed are the lucky ones. The ones who not only have creative tools at our fingertips but the ones who use those tools to tell the stories of us. Our milestones, our struggles, our successes, our relationships, our family, our love, our joy, our daily lives, our most mundane and our most magic. We point, focus, shoot. We talk, write, share. And with it all, we are documenting what's most important to us.  We are writing the story of our lives, with every photograph, every word, every memory.

This month you are invited to join us as we honor the power, the beauty and the truth of our stories. It's definitly going to be a celebration as we join forces with the amazing folks of Paper Coterie. This month they introduce their Everyday Storytellers; some amazing women (who you may recognize) who will be sharing their stories over there in hopes to encourage you to tell your own, which is why for this very special One Word Project we have chosen the word story.

As we head into September, the summer bids us farewell, the kids get back to school and routines settle in, let's have our very own, grown-up girl, Shutter Sister Story Time!  Heck, why not make it a party! Our stories are worth all the hoop-la!

What would a party be without presents and prizes? Your heard right, we've got lots of gifts to give this month thanks to Paper Coterie. They really know how to throw a party!

Can't wait another minute to hear more? Then let us unwrap it for you...everyone who chooses to share an image with us in our One Word Project flickr pool this month will receive a special gift from Paper Coterie! Everyone! All you have to do is:

1. shoot your story (for more info about how the OWP works, check out the about page)

2. upload your image to the Shutter Sisters OWP pool on Flickr (tag it "story")

3. visit Paper Coterie on Facebook and tell them, that you shared a story with Shutter Sisters

4. graciously receive your gift

And be sure to check in each day on the OWP photo features page here at Shutter Sisters to see if your images gets featured. If it does you'll be getting a bonus gift from Paper Coterie. That's 29 story winners this month! Totally awesome!

And if that's not enough, we will be giving away one $100 gift card EVERY SINGLE DAY of September (starting today) to one of YOU! All you have to do is share a comment each day before midnight EST for your chance to win that day's random drawing. Be sure to leave links to your story shots.

Can you imagine?? All this goodness just for doing something you already do? Tell your story. We just love that!

It's going to be quite a story celebration this month, isn't it? We're so glad to have you at our story time party with Paper Coterie and Everyday Storytellers. As far as we're concerned, September doesn't get better than this!

no distractions

Racing against the clock today trying get a million things done all at at once, I felt more scattered than focused. Late in the afternoon I was on a call with a friend (someone I'm working with on a big project) and  before we could even get into the work part of the call, I was interrupted on my end by my daughter bounding in from her first day of High School. I got immediately distracted, Uh, er, I think I have to go. But, I really need to talk to you about just a few things. Uuuuh, er, um...shoot. Let me think.I paused for a moment trying to figure out how I was going to stretch myself to be in two places at once; with  my work and with my daughter.

Go, go, my friend ordered,That is much more important than this. Go. We'll talk later.

Indeed.

How was it that so quickly I lost sight of what really was most important? How easily I tried to put off what was happening under my roof, with my kids and keep them on hold while I worked? There's a lot of that around here with projects and pressures and so many things to do. It's amazing to me how often I say, give me a minute.

But sometimes, there's the non-negotiables. The things that matter so much that everything else must fall to the wayside; the other demands of the day totally blocked out until all you can see is right in front of you; no distractions. There is such a freedom in those moments. The freedom of letting go and being all in.

When my kids were babies, there was a lot of that kind of time. When you didn't have a choice. When tiny mouths needed to be fed. When small bodies needed to be rocked. When bright eyes needed you to pay attention. No distractions. It's so different now and yet so much the same. Sometimes though, it's harder to see the need. But rest assured, it's still there.

Whether you've got teen-agers or babies or spouses or parents or pets or friends or neighbors or anyone or anything that might need you, remember the non-negotiables. When all you can do is be there and be all in. 

Show us today how you capture a moment through your lens that removes everything but what matters the very most.