Friday, May 29, 2015

need time to scrapbook?

I speak with many people about photos, albums, and scrapbooking.  One of the big reasons people don't do anything with their photos is time.  

I am being completely honest when I say it breaks my heart a little when I hear people say that.  Anything you don't record becomes lost.  Irreplaceably lost!  When the moment is past, your memory fades, no matter how much you think it won't.  The details, the passion, the memories, the feelings... gone. 

So take my new 90 Minutes for Life challenge!!!  You can change course and become a Heritage MAKER not a Photo Keeper.  Give yourself and your family that gift!

And maybe start by thinking about time a little differently. 

Now do yourself a favor.  If you don't already have one, open your free memory-keeping account here and start uploading pictures.  It will give them a safe digital place to be.  (They're saved in full resolution so you can download them back from your account at any time!  For free!  Most companies aren't that way.)  

If you need help organizing your photos before you can make something meaningful with them, check out my three-part Photo Organization and Preservation series.  There's SO MUCH helpful information there!  You will come away with so much knowledge and so many tools!

It can take a while to organize photos, but don't give up.  Just give it 15 minutes at a time.  Start small.  Start organizing just one year and moving on from there.  Manageable increments--15 minutes 6 days a week, or 90 minutes one day a week.

Next, decide how you want to preserve your photos and their stories.  A hardbound book?  A softbound books?  Individual scrap pages?


I recommend grabbing something you love to drink and sitting down for 20 minutes to learn about these three heirloom-quality options for putting your photos and memories on pages so they can be preserved.  There's an "easy button" option, a quick and simple template option, and a fully creative digital scrapbooking option with complete flexibility.  


Whatever fits you best is what you should do because they are all top-quality products from a company with a photo privacy promise (which is more unique and special than it really should be)!

Keep going!  90 Minutes for Life!  You can do this.  

You can't not do this.  Your memories are depending on it!  Be the hero of your family.


Get started right here, right now!  If it's easier to do with a friend, pass this post on and find strength in numbers!  Or join one of my memory-keeping events--find what's coming up next right here.

Thanks to fellow Heritage Makers consultant Debbie Rasmussen for the 90 Minutes for Life idea!
This post was updated in 2022.

Monday, May 25, 2015

the story of our heirlooms

I just made a book I'm SO thrilled with!!!

I moved to a new-to-me house last year, and that means not everything fits where it used to go.  So in reorganizing some things, I thought I really ought to make a record of the things I have that have been passed down from my parents, grandparents, and even great- and great-great- grandparents!  The history and significance of some of these things needs to be somewhere other than my own memory!   

So I decided to make a storybook.


This is the front cover.  I took photos of each of the objects.  I put one object on each page with a description--where did it come from, who owned it, any other special significance.

I made a very simple design for this storybook.  I didn't want too much bling or busyness on the pages so that the focus would be on the heirlooms.

I got the idea for this book from a Pinterest pin I saw once about recording the history of your Christmas ornaments.  But look how lovely this is for heirlooms!



UPDATE 2023:  I created this book using a now-defunct software program called Studio by Heritage Makers, but this would be very easy to do today with templates using free software from Forever's Design & Print program.  This video shows you how easy it is to use Design & Print to put in your hands whatever story you'd like to tell.  The video here is about publishing a life story, but the same process applies to a book about heirlooms!  


You could also make a book like this using Forever's Artisan software program if you prefer full flexibility on pages.  

I got the book back a couple of days ago and I LOVE it!!  It will become its own heirloom.      

Monday, May 4, 2015

photo facts

I just learned something amazing.  Did you know any of this?


I think the most amazing fact on here is that a printed photo can last up to 200 years.  We're so into digital--so much can be stored so easily--that we forget that good, old-fashioned PRINTED photos really last a long time!  Besides that, formats change all the time and who knows when some sort of digital storage will be obsolete! 


 

UPDATE 2022:  When looking for digital photo storage, be aware that many companies have fine print that reserves the right to terminate your account, use your content, or mine (sell) your data.  Look for permanent, private photo storage.  My best recommendation for digital photo storage is Forever Storage, for these reasons:


When looking for printed products, be sure you find the highest quality available!  There are plenty of bargain bin options for printing photos and memories in pages, but take my advice and don't spend money or time twice (because your book fell apart).


I just love knowing my photos and memories are SAFE in both printed and digital form.  Plus, I love being able to provide the books and scrap pages to my family so they have hands-on connections with their life's stories and their memories.