Monday, April 11, 2016

get caught up on your photos

Thanks for visiting.  2023 UPDATE:  Heritage Makers and Snap2Finish became YPhoto under Youngevity (which purchased Heritage Makers in 2013).  YPhoto uses only templates, so the creativity showcased here is no longer available there, and they also no longer have capability to print previously-created projects like these from the old system. YPhoto is not a photo storage site like Heritage Makers was. 

Best-in-the-industry quality and permanent cloud photo storage with guaranteed privacy are required for anything recommended here by Photo & Story Treasures, so we highly recommend Forever for:  

·        creative digital scrapbooking applicable in a variety of photo products using Artisan software

·        easy photo-memory books using free AutoPrint and Design & Print software programs

·        private, permanent, secure, and guaranteed photo and video cloud storage (triple-backed-up and bank encrypted)

·        white glove digitizing services for old memories like VHS tapes, slides, old scrapbooks (scanning), 8mm film, audio tapes, and much more

Learn more here to  find similar products at top-quality with a 100% satisfaction guarantee.

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I will admit that I am never more than about 2-3 months behind on preserving my photos in Heritage Makers digital scrap pages.  (Other people use the hardbound books.  I love that there are OPTIONSUPDATE 2021--check that link for additional memory-keeping options, too!)  


Photos and memory-keeping aren't a burden to me.  If you asked me why and how I keep up on my photos so well, this is what I would tell you:
  • It's easy because it's digital.  It's really no effort because there are no "supplies"--it's as easy as checking e-mail.  I can do memory keeping for an hour or for 15 minutes here and there, which adds up!  
  • Templates are free and make things go quickly.  If I want to take creative time to design something myself, I can, but if the goal is to just GET IT DONE, templates are a huge time-saver.
  • I enjoy it.  It's quiet time.  Creating something meaningful is peaceful to me.  
  • I set aside the time.  You never "find" time.  You make it.  I set aside personal time, but I also host online events for my clients from all over the country where we "meet" at a specified time to work on our individual computers and share what we're working on.
  • I get the best prices by being a Club member! (It's free!) 
  • I don't use every photo I ever take.  If you take a lot of photos, I highly recommend just choosing your favorites.  It is okay to not use a photo you've takenYou can't be so knee-deep in photos that it precludes you from enjoying ANY of them!  



Join me and get caught up on your photos!   Get started right here!  


Let's rock this.

Friday, April 8, 2016

Who lives in your memory? And have you built a bridge?

There are people who live in your memory who don't live in the memories of younger generations.  A grandfather, a special aunt, a parent.  What do you know about those people that you want to make sure lives on and isn't forgotten?  How can you make sure the people below you in the family tree know about the people above you?


All my grandparents are gone.  My mom's mom was a genealogist.  She was hilarious, resourceful, and a hard worker.  She knew every plant native to Oregon and would point them out on our drives to the coast.  My mom's dad reminds me of my youngest son.  He was quiet but hilarious and had the best laugh.  He was stalwart and someone I always looked up to. 


My dad's mom had a beautiful singing voice and played the piano and the violin.  She was quick to serve.  She was a widow for 31 years, and I think one of the grandest unspoken things that I knew about her was how very much she loved my grandpa.  My dad's dad died two days after my 6th birthday.  He was only 65.  I always wish I'd had more time with him to know him better, but he was with me when I caught my first (and only) fish, and he loved sports and would play with me.


These are the people who live in my memory.  They don't live in my children's memories.  That makes me {the bridge}.


I am pleased to share a beautiful poem today (with permission) by Colleen G. Brown Pasquale over at Leaves & Branches called "Suppose You Were the Only One" that will inspire you to do something with what you know.  It's here:  http://leavesnbranches.blogspot.com/2016/03/suppose-you-were-only-one.html?m=1

I'm all about solutions!  No use feeling inspired without something to DO about it.


The people in your memory can be shared when you put them in a storybook!  

Here's one possibility:

 

And here's another:

 

There's no time like RIGHT NOW to preserve your what you know and remember!  Be that bridge.  It makes a difference.  

In fact, {studies show} that the single biggest predictor of a child's well-being is their knowledge of their family stories.  It creates a sense of belonging and even makes kids more resilient.

Here's a simple and straightforward method for making an heirloom-quality legacy storybook from a pre-designed template:


If this method for publishing a legacy story looks good to you, simply {follow the directions here to make your own}!

So don't let who you remember and what you know only live in your head.  Make a record of it!  It will be priceless to you and to generations.  


Monday, April 4, 2016

What makes a "storybook" different than a "photobook"?

family yearbook photo credit: Denise Pehrson

A few years ago I was teaching a Heritage Makers memory-keeping class and a gal in attendance told me that she had just barely finished a photo book.  She went on a once-in-a-lifetime trip and took lots of pictures and was so excited to share them.  

BUT, she said, the company she used for her photo book didn't leave much room at all for text, so she wasn't able to put the details of her adventure in the book.  She told me she was frustrated because here she'd gone on this fabulous trip, spent time and money on this photo book, and yet every time she showed it to someone, she had to narrate it.  

She had to actually sit down with the person and explain all the photos on all the pages.


You've probably seen a good handful of companies that allow you to put photos in a book.  

A photo book seems like a good idea, right?

Well, only if it's a photo-storybook!  

photos + text/story = memories


You want high-quality books, for sure.  But you also want space to record your memories--the story behind your photos.  
Without the story--the reason you took the picture!--a picture doesn't really mean anything, especially because memories fade.

So find our best photo-storybook recommendations and get started creating them yourself by clicking here.