Everyday I come across abandon moments. Remnants of activity, left behind. These captured moments end up being some of my favorite photographs. They are evidence of life. We were there. We played. We lived.

As a mother, I spend a lot of time cleaning up. As I do so, I often notice how beautiful the scene is. Now, don’t get me wrong, most of the time picking up after kids is more drudgery than beauty, but in certain moments, I can see the perfection. These pictures are my everyday still life.

Do you capture the “stuff” of life? Please share!

A line of flowers meticulously created and left by Olivia

Changing baby and the abandoned curtain tent.

Photobooth making remnants.

Outdoor mud play, left for another day.

Boots left where they fell.

The piano, post practice.

Valle de Guadalupe

There are moments that make life stand still. A stealing beauty moment, as my sister and I call it. This afternoon was one of them. The breeze, the place, getting to the place. Dirt roads and obscure signs. The wine, the vineyards, the hills and the kids. Four sweet cousins and a local cat, gathered under the table as we drank wine, laughed and relaxed. This is life’s perfection.

Blair family shot by Candice Stringham

It’s been far too long since I have braved the annual family photo shoot. In fact, it has been a few years. When thinking about tips for taking great family photos, both from a professional photographer and in my everyday life, two bloggers came to mind as being good resources for tips and inspiration.

Gabrielle Blair, who blogs at Design Mom, has a family of six beautiful children and has some of the most creative and fun photo shoots. Here is her advice she has for getting the family photo shoot right.

• Take the time to find a great photographer. Research, look at shoots you like, ask around.

• What do you want to capture? Once you’ve scheduled a date with a photographer, take some time to think about what you want. Talk over your ideas and plans with the photographer and look to them for guidance.

• What’s your style? As far as family photo trends go, 10 or 15 years ago it was all about matching denim shirts. Then family photos trended to candid, up close shots — photographed by your best friend or neighbor. What’s happening now? A more editorial style — as if the family photo is being shot for your favorite magazine. Find your style and go with it.

Sometime when shooting with children, things tend to be a bit chaotic. More important that get the perfectly posed family photo, really focus on the family’s dynamic rather than to have everyone looking the same direction. Ali Edwards really does this right. She captures the real stuff. “I like photos that showcase relationships – especially the real ways in which people interact everyday.” Here are some of Ali’s tips for getting great everyday photos of your family.

• Turn around. What’s happening behind you as you walk ahead?

• Capture moments of delight. I do a lot of looking through my lens to capture delight. It’s one of my favorite emotions and one of the things that I love to see most on my children’s faces.

• Get perspective. I love shots that demonstrate size perspective – this is especially cool with kids. How can you show that both when you are up close and farther away?

• Motion. I love shots that show motion. Bring on the blur. What sort of movement is happening that can be captured on film?

• Rule of thirds. Studies have shown that when viewing images that people’s eyes usually go to one of the intersection points most naturally rather than the center of the shot – using the rule of thirds works with this natural way of viewing an image rather than working against it.

• Get me in the shot. I think it’s important for me to see myself in my own life.

Jean + Sam Buffa via The Selby

Every month the home magazines roll in. I savor my time going through them and fixating on a few articles and images. Time and again, the things that I am most drawn to are the interiors that invoke a sense of self. The places where I can see real life. Family pictures, collected treasures and groupings of goodness. All the stuff that we all have in our homes in day to day living. In a Ladies Home Journal article, Kiran Juska talks about the different ways to freshen up your living room. One of the ways is through personal touches. Framed pictures, your children’s artwork and treasured mementos are all great examples of bringing your own life into your space and making it feel beautiful.

Holly Becker, author of one of my favorite decorating books, Decorate, also talks a lot about grouping lovely things together that have special meaning to you. Creating collections shows your style and also tells something personal about you. I know that I love walking into a home where I come across personal collections either displayed on a wall or grouped together on a shelf or table. I feel as if I am peeking into their private world and getting to know more about them.

Image via Bliss blog

Another way of showing personalization in your home is through a collection of similar prints or pieces of art. “Grouping pieces together makes a strong, lasting impression. By hanging prints in a grid over the family room sofa, for example, you can get the impact of a much larger piece of art”, said Jen DeRose for House Beautiful Magazine. A well assembled collection really expresses your style.

Packed, almost.

As I launch my new blog & website I remind myself that everyone has to begin somewhere. For me that beginning is happening at alt design summit.

Although there are still kinks and growing pains, just getting it out there feels good.

Ideas take root and grow.
Effort we put forth, expands.

This is a beginning. It is a little scary, but it is exciting.

Welcome to Cluster.