weekending by Polly Scott

I persuaded my husband and stepson to go shopping with me by promising good food and a toy store. My sights were set on the parade of cute gift shops and restaurants further north. But I had forgotten the magic of Lark Toys.

Entering the store is a bit like stepping into a Willy Wonka village.  A vintage toy museum runs along a long hallway leading into a candy shop with a large rotating carousel.  Llamas wander around the grounds waiting to be petted.  A large room of wooden toys runs into a room full of costume hats and wigs with noise makers, hula hoops and pogo sticks nearby.  The book collection is large and diverse enough to be an independent bookstore.  I stared at a room stocked floor to ceiling with family games. I thought about how long it had been since we’d played a simple board game.

My husband and stepson try on hats and make faces in the mirror. They head along to the noise makers and kazoo sounds fill up our quiet space.  As we leave, my stepson hops into the Whirlybird. We can barely tear ourselves away. I feel refreshed and I’m reminded once again of the value of play.

How do you play?

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Polly Scott shoots images like these with a Canon Rebel T3 and spends her weekends going on fun family outings like this one to the local toy shop.

You can find her on her website destinationdriftless.blogspot.com and on Flickr as DriftlessDestination.

Todays prompt: cards

Tomorrow's prompt: evergreen

weekending

A typical weekend for my family is spent attempting to tire out a toddler by getting fresh air and exploring new things. It might be as simple as going to a different neighborhood playground or as exciting as a hike to the river.

How are you spending your weekends during the month of December?

Today's prompt: decorate

Tomorrow's prompt: candles

If you are interested in sumbiting a photo to appear on a Saturday for our weekending series, please send your shot(s) via email to us at click [at] shuttersisters [dot] com with the subject: weekending.

Also, don't forget to join our mailing list!

weekending by rakusribut

"After days of exposing the layers of life,

and nights spent searching for silent lights,

my weekends are an oasis of light, reflection and contemplation"

by rakusribut

rakusribut shoots images like these with her Olympus PEN P3 and can be found on her blogs (linked above) or on Flickr as rakusribut.

Share your favorite weekend shot with us!

Today's prompt: wood

Sunday's prompt: mug

weekending

Weekends seem to come and go in the blink of an eye. Often it's the only time we have to take care of the responsibilities that we don't have time for during the week. But it's also important to spend some time relaxing and gathering with the ones we love. Last weekend I traveled home to visit my family and enjoyed the ability to relax and forget about anything else. It was nice to spend a little time wandering around in my dad's yard with no agenda other than photographing the beautiful view. I was immediately struck by the bright green grass contrasting with the brown, bare trees in the background. I wish all my weekends could be spent wandering outside and shooting beautiful scenes like this.

We are putting out the call once more with An invitation to your weekends.

If you would like to submit your weekend images for consideration in our weekend series, please send your shot(s) via email to us at click [at] shuttersisters [dot] com with the subject: weekending. We love sharing your weekend stories and photos and can't wait to see them!

treasures

“First I smell that smell and am overcome with a sensation of elation. Like a tight faucet turned open, everything floods from me. I scan the view, take a deep breath, and inevitably utter, "God, I love it here." I stride quickly to where the sand is still wet from the previous tide and then, and then I am gone. There is no thinking, just being. I have no awareness of time or of myself. If I am searching for glass, it is rote, with no more or less consciousness than a jellyfish searching for sustenance. It is not mindlessness or oblivion, as I am wholly aware, but in a way that preempts any reality outside of the moment. There I am seaweed, I am water, I am stone, I am fish. I am a grain of sand, warm in the sun. I am reduced to nothing, but part of everything. I am home, I am free, I am one with the sea, I am the primordial me, and the glass is just my excuse to be there.”
― S. Fields

I collect (and photograph) many treasures. Living near the coast, most of my treasures are gifts of the sea.  Feathers, beach rocks shaped like hearts, a few sand dollars, tiny starfish, and of course sea glass.  Finding these tiny pieces of glass, smoothed by time and sands, feels like finding a bit of magic.   Each piece unique in its beauty. My family has a favorite little cove we go, we have coined this cove "sea glass beach" for the bounty of these particular treasures you can find there. We just plunk ourselves down in the rocky sand and sift handful after handful of stones to reveal these tiny pebbles of glass.  It is truly meditative. Even my little ones will sit and sift with me. We weave stories of mermaid's tears, and lost pirate jewels. We stuff our pockets full, not feeling greedy at all since each time we go there is just more and more to find..  We bring them home, wash them and then place them in one of several glass mason jars strewn along our mantle and windowsills of our home.  Little glass gifts of the sea.  Thank you ocean.  

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Today's one word prompt is "glass", perhaps you have some tiny glass treasures like me, or maybe you will pour yourself a glass of something good today. Click and share your "glass" with us today.  Tag your images #shuttersisters.