Glimmering Best Shot

What sorts of glimmers of the season have you discovered this week?

Trick or Treat Disney Style

My girls and I recently had the pleasure of attending Mickey's Trick-or-Treat Party at California Adventure. Last years event was such a blast we were delighted for the invite again. With each passing year outings like this get more and more fun (and easy) as the girls are older and more independent. The energy, excitement and stamina of a 5-year-old makes the late night galas (like this one) much more enjoyable for everyone.

Disneyland in all it's season grandeur offers Halloween Time- a festive transformation of both Disneyland and California Adventure-from Sept 26th through Nov 2nd. Mickey's Trick or Treat Party is the 'costume party' part of the gig. It's Disney's way of celebrating this spooky time of year, in a not-to-spooky way. Thank you Mickey for offering a family friendly (non scary)celebration of the season.

We enjoyed our evening at the party so much as music and dancing were happening around every corner. Characters danced and played around the park. There's nothing that screams October like doing the chicken dance with big blue Sully from Monsters Inc. Am I right? And there were star sightings a plenty. Good times. The actual trick-or-treat stations were dotted around the park (they give you a map to find them) where there were sweet AND healthy treats available. Yes, there were bags of apple slices and carrots, raisins, etc. I really appreciate the healthy offerings and my children were a lot better off snacking on the fruits and veggies, believe me.

You've only got a week or so to check out Halloween Time and only a few select dates (Oct 28, 29, 30, 31) to attend Mickey's Trick-or-Treat Party so head on down to the Happiest Place on Earth and have some Halloween family fun!

To Love and Be Loved

"To love someone deeply gives you strength. Being loved by someone deeply gives you courage." -- Lao Tzu

Those Best Shot Moments

When moments like this present themselves I melt; my camera at the ready of course. I shoot with reckless abandon loving each shot more than the last, in a zone of celebrating these moments of my life that make it all worthwhile.

What I love most about it is knowing that it's just these simple mundane moments that can bring such a grand perspective. Some days it can even feel like a heaven on earth. I know I'm not alone. Sentiments like these resonate from the blogosphere day after day, small celebration after small celebration.

As a mother that can often become enveloped in a sea of what feels overwhelming and never ending in motherhood (not in a good way), the warm glow of what is really important is what gives me hope. It's what keeps me mindful and appreciative of my life.

I shared a shot from this mini-love-shoot in a presentation I gave recently about capturing the perfect photo for holiday cards and how to use those photos to create an awe-inspiring cards. I know many of you manage to do just that year after year. I hope you join us at Shutter Sisters as we explore and discover new ways to create great greeting this season. And please come over and join our Flickr group, great greetings! and share what you have done in past years as well as your process this year. It will be fun to share our inspirations with one another!

Share with us those moments melted you this week.

It Must be Love

Sometimes it's the little things....

Happy Love Thursday.

The Best Kinds of Miracles

"I know a lot of you folks have come out to the farm and you've seen the words, and a lot of you have asked me, 'how could this have happened?'. I don't know, but it has happened... at a time when we really don't see many miraculous things. Maybe we do. Maybe they're all right there around us everyday, we just don't know where to look."
-Homer Zuckerman




What sorts of Ordinary Miracles have you found this week?

Today's post is dedicated to the miracle that is Annika.

Books to Inspire

Today at Shutter Sisters is a round up of some really awesome creativity books!
We have just launched a bookstore over there too.

Don't worry...I'll be opening one over here too. Also to include books for moms and stuff. Woot! So much to do, so little time.

tribute

Shopping Some Best Shots

Our Sunday consisted of a large list of to-dos. The shoe store, Home Depot and the super market. Of course, the camera came with me. Who knew that taking photos in the super market can actually make for a pretty hilarious (and even fun) outing. For a day filled with errands, my girls and I had a pretty good go of it.



The two I'm sharing for my best shot(s) are among my favorites of the 100 photos I took today. Yes, 100! I will add however that the girls got in on the action too so they shot a fraction of the 100. But still! Wow. Talk about trigger happy!

And speaking of running errands and being trigger happy...did you know that you can pop into a Long Drugs and get photos and other photo related products while you shop? HP has a new photo kiosk where it all can happen right there in front of your eyes. Even calendars and cool collage photos. Just one more way to get some of your Best Shots off of your computer and made into something tangible! Something I need to do more often. How about you? I guess this 'week in the life' project has really got me thinking about ways to help myself and my family enjoy the photos I take everyday.

And as a little incentive for those of you with a local Longs Drugs in your neighborhood, when I signed up in the Longs Studio Club I got a coupon for bogo free poster. Woot! And for those of you in California, I actually have a coupon to share with you for a bogo free calendar right here. Compliments of Blue Suit Mom. Enjoy!

Happy Best Shot Monday! Can't wait to see yours.

Two Rooms

Ali mentioned in a recent post, "I love that many of you are changing up the project to make it fit your life. That is perfect." That's what I love about Ali. There's no pressure with her. She wants to let us off the hook and encourage us to work at our own pace and do it in a way that feels good to us. So refreshing!

I think as I mull over how I'm going to end up creating my book, I might design many pages like this. Almost like a comparison. A contrast. In this case from one daughter's room to the other.



This foursome is especially appealing to me and it represents my daughters and where they are right now, in this moment in time. It makes me very happy. It makes me appreciate who they are and how they are growing up. Becoming their own incredible people in this world. It makes me so proud.

I cannot tell you how much fun I am having with this project. What about you? Are any you playing along? I'm eager to hear how it's going for you? Are you having fun this weekend shooting your world?

In the Hush

An important part of showing 'a week in the life' for me is capturing the routine of everyday. It's about our normal life and the moments I will look back on fondly and deeply miss. Photos like this one of my youngest snuggling with her "purps" (as she calls it) as she drifts off to sleep. She fidgets with it right under her nose, sniffing and smelling for just the right spot and as she discovers it...heaven...and the settling in of sweet, sweet sleep.

This post was inspired by the 5 Minutes for Mom bedroom set giveaway sponsored by Home & Bedroom Furniture. If anyone needs a nice, new, matching bedroom set it's the underprivileged second child in our house. She's got all the mismatched hand-me downs in her room-poor baby. And the smallest room with no closet. Sheesh.

Wish me luck. I would so love to win this for her! And I encourage you to enter the contest too if you haven't already. The deadline to enter is Oct. 13th.

Cool Places

I love days like these.

Every Night

Shooting everyday moments also means shooting every night moments too. Ours usually revolves around bedtime snacks. Since last night was watermelon, I took the time to snap a few shots.

Shooting indoors can be tricky. Shooting indoors at night can be near impossible. But, since I'm a tenacious gal, I have come up with a few tried and true techniques I use to get the job done. A few of which I am sharing today at Shutter Sisters.

This first shot came straight out of the camera.

This second version is my idea of a small tweak that makes for a much better shot all around.

All I had to do was dial out a little yellow/add a little blue, dial out a smidge of red/add a little green and boost the contrast a tad. A 10 second fix that improves the shot and makes it a keeper. Don't ya think?

Sisterly Best Shot

As I observe my everyday life for the 'a week in the life' project, I'm seeing snapshots at every turn. Fleeting moments captured in still pictures. I'm seeing clearly moments like this.

My intention is to see my life for what it is; it's absurdity, authenticity, hilarity, sincerity (the list goes on) and the goal is to capture the many facets of my life that will remind me of today. I know that one day I will miss the tiny toys all over the family room, giving baths, little mismatched socks, making heart shaped peanut butter and jelly and sitting through elaborate plays starring fairy princesses and magic spells in the living room.

What shot reminds you of today?

For a little inspiration be sure to click over to Shutter Sisters first thing Monday morning. The lovely Hula has shared something about capturing the world around us in a whole new way. Believe me when I tell you that she converted me instantaneously. I'm sure you'll find her post and images irresistible.

In Celebration of Today

OK, so I might be skipping ahead (considering this is only supposed to be the gathering phase and I'm already in playing with my photos mode) but the idea of honoring our daily life is a cool exercise. Plus, I finally figured out how to install my new fonts which is just like the coolest thing ever! It's so fun to play with new fonts!

Or maybe I'm trying to be the teacher's pet (even though Ali swears this is not a class). In case you didn't know by now, people consider me a Type A personality. *cough, cough*

Anyhow, here's to celebrating this weekend, in grand mundane fashion.




And don't forget to add your comment on the post at Shutter Sisters to get in the drawing to win a copy of one of Ali's books. You have until midnight tonight to comment.

You are Invited

Image today in honor of Flare Friday.

Taking a moment to extend a few invitations...

First, Ali Edwards is beginning an irresistible 'week in the life' project over on her blog which will start next week. I RSVP to her invite to join in the creative fun at Shutter Sisters today. And what's even more fun is that we have copies of her books that we are giving away to our readers. Be sure to comment on the post to be included in the random drawing.

Also, mark your calendars for next week (Tuesday 9/30 @ 5pm) as I am cordially inviting you to an event at The Attic Door in Burbank (So Cal). I will be sharing tips and tricks on taking awesome holiday photos and incorporating those shots into the perfect holiday cards. It's never too early to muster up some inspiration and get a jump start on these sorts of things. Won't you join us?

Love Takes Flight

This lovely work of art was created by the ever-charming super-talent Kelly Rae Roberts. Everything she touches is gold, I swear.

And speaking of gold, I am beyond thrilled to announce that her new book Taking Flight is now available. If you do nothing else, you must get this book. Consider it a gift of love to yourself. It is Love Thursday after all. Why not celebrate?

Melancholy

I can't get enough of this video by Jen Gray.

Rockin' My Best Shot

I remember the Christmas morning when my youngest daughter got her guitar. She's been a rocker ever since she came screaming, er singing, from the womb. I guess Santa figured the least he could do was to get her a guitar at a young age to foster her love of the rock star lifestyle; loud, wild and free.

But, as I have mentioned so many times before, she's a girl who plays by her own rules. You cannot pin one persona on her, no way. She's a renegade ballerina. A singing soccer star. A fierce and fiery, tender and true spirit. A wild and wonderful one-of-kind kid who lives life cranked to 11.


Now, neither one of my girls knew much about Hannah Montana or Miley Cyrus when I got the job to shoot a handful of VIP parties and 'meet and greets' on the Best of Both Worlds Tour. I know, I know. It seems like an impossibility, but, it's true. But for me, after 5 concerts where I shot photos like the one seen on this cool site and some of the shots featured in this concert memory book book, I got to see a little bit about the life of a young rock star and almost all the lyrics to every song...


Fast forward to now where my girls are both really embracing thier inner rock stars. Especially the young one. Surprise surprise. Note the Miley/Hannah concert tour t-shirt.






How could I not share weekend shot as my Best Shot today? It's priceless.

Have you got some rockin' shots to share today?

The Baby Daze

Wishing Happy Babies to Kristen and Rebecca, two rockin' mamas from Blogville that we know and love and that are ready to deliver bundles of joy sometime in the very near future. Blog buddies have been invited to participate in a remembering the baby years virtual baby shower so I have been pouring over photos of my own daughter's baby years. Sigh.

Moments like this one suspended in time make my mommy heart break into a million pieces. Sniff sniff.

Before I get really nuts and post some kind of slideshow featuring 500 of my favorite baby pix, I will just say to the mothers-to-be congratulations on yet another beginning where a new little person joins the family ranks and the whole world begins again. Despite the sometimes seemingly endless days and sleepless nights, you are welcoming the mystery and magic of the sacred days of babyhood.

Here's to avoiding colic, getting a shower now and again and taking as many naps as humanly possible.

Cheers!