The Importance of the Unplugged Weekend

Here at Cottage Hill, we believe in thoughtfully connecting with others. Technology can be consuming but making an intentional effort to be present is truly living wholeheartedly.  We are excited to share this shoot that focuses on just that. Kristin of Reveriemade shares a bit about her inspiration for this shoot. 

"Joy is our lifelong pursuit.  It’s our biggest aspiration and biggest mystery, most of us spending a lifetime in search of it.  

In this pursuit of joy, we experience the ebb and flow of happiness and sadness, each one a point of reference allowing us to appreciate fully the other.  Neither of these have the power to alter the homeostasis of absolute joy.  Joy is omnipresent.  It’s unshakeable, and it’s freely available to all of us.  So how do we get there?  

In our culture of instant gratification, most of us fall back into a pursuit of happiness.  We forego long-term joy for something that is quickly attainable.  We upgrade our wardrobe, we furnish our homes with pretty things, and then we turn to social media to fool others-- and ourselves-- into thinking that we’ve found joy.  But instead, all we’ve created is comparison; the comparison of our lives to others.  The comparison of our ideal lives to our real lives.  All of us fall, and nobody wins.  

But absolute joy is so much more than a fleeting feeling.  Joy is a choice.  It was not yesterday, nor is it tomorrow; it’s the here and now.  Joy is.  

Joy is every bite we savor at the table, away from the distraction of television.  It’s the morning run without an iPod, the rhythmic sound of strides and breaths as the only sound.  It’s the laughs we share with friends in person, without the distraction of cell phones.  

In our final days, we’ll remember most vividly the moments in which we were fully present in joy.  We were created for community, and we were created to live joyfully.  As quickly as we can learn to be still-- to be fully present-- joy is just as quickly found."

Concept, styling and floral design by Reveriemade :: Photography by Love & Light Photographs :: Cinematography by Between Sleep & Awake :: Calligraphy kits, pillows, aprons & mugs by  Parris Chic Boutique :: Location at Content & Co. :: Models Amy Hickey, Alexandra McMahon, Ashley McMahon, Mekina Saylor, Alyssa Thiel