Establish Your History

How I Can Help YOU!

2009-11-09T17:30:00.003-07:00

As I've mentioned previously, scrapbooking and photography have always been my passion, and over the years I have been really happy to be able to share this passion with others. I love working with photos, and even more I love helping people record their own stories, so if you're intimidated about the idea of getting started with some of these projects, I would love to be able to help you!

From digitizing old photos to organizing your photo library, I can help you with compiling everything you need to get those pictures out of a shoe box (or your laptop,) and into a beautiful work of art that everyone can enjoy! Whether you still use film, or all of your photos are jpegs, there are lots of options available.

Together, we will explore your vision of the finished product. Your style, the story you want to tell, and where you want it displayed. Is this book a gift, or just for you? I will walk you through the details you may want to include, and help you stay true to the story you want to tell. The process is simple as you leave all the hard work to me! I would love to help you with all the details of organization, compilation and publishing of your photo book. I am always honored to be included in the process of recording wonderful memories.

For more information or a price quote, email me at candyscreativebooks@gmail.com.

Now Go Make History!

Organizing & Displaying Your Memories

2009-11-03T11:17:00.000-07:00

There is so much that could be written on this one subject. Today I'm going to focus on just one option available to you, but keep in mind there are many others out there that we'll cover later.

One of the greatest options available today for all your wonderful digital prints are photo books. Most of you will recognize immediately what I'm talking about, but in case you're not sure, these are actual bound books that contain all your personal photographs, and can also display detailed descriptions of those photos, or any other information you want to include. These books can be beautiful works of art to display on your coffee table, or they can be a simple straight-forward way to organize your photo library.

There are many websites that offer them, but if you're going to do one yourself, make sure you do your research! Pricing, layout and cover options, as well as ease of use all very greatly from program to program. WalMart.com, Costco.com, KodakGallery.com are a few of the big retail names that allow you to put together your own bound and printed book of all your favorite digital shots in a relatively simple format. There are also several software programs such as the one available through iPhoto for mac, that offer the option of creating a photo book. Many of these offer stock backgrounds and page templates and will even allow you to automatically populate your photos into the book.

Here are a few of the things you'll want to look into before getting started on your book project:

1. What type of book are you looking to organize? Is it a child's biography (K-12), a baby book, a vacation log or just your family's year in review? The reason for your book will help to determine style, layout and look. It will also be helpful to have a plan as to how large you would like your book to be, and how many pages you want to use to tell your story. Will this book be displayed on your coffee table, or do you want one that will fit easily onto your book shelf?

2. Do you want it to be photo-only or provide detailed information about those photos? Baby books or wedding albums for example, might be photo-only, providing a beautiful way to display all your professional portraits. But be careful not to make this your only record...some day you will want to remember a lot of little details that would otherwise be lost, so be sure to write them down somewhere! My philosophy is that if you're going to do that anyway, why not include it in the book alongside your beautiful portraits?

3. What story are you trying to tell? I like to include as much information as possible, so that if someone was looking at the book and I wasn't sitting next to them, the story would make sense to them. Sometimes you can actually tell the whole story in pictures. More often, to tell the complete story you will need to include additional information. Details also make the photos more interesting and will usually be forgotten fairly quickly, so I like to add as many interesting little details or fun facts as I can remember. The amount of detail you'd like to include may affect your design layout, so you'll want to have an idea of this before you begin your project.

4. Think long-term. Remember that someday your children, grandchildren or great-grandchildren may be reading through this book to get to know you better. Plan to include pictures and information that may seem everyday and mundane to you, but will provide future generations with priceless information about your life. Be sure to plan specific information you want to include depending on your project. For instance, a holiday book may not be complete without a few favorite family recipes.

Develop a plan based on these first four steps and you'll be on your way! Compile all your photos, information & memorabilia you'd like to include in your book. Don't have a lot of pictures? No problem! You can build a beautiful book with very few pictures whether you're into writing or not! Got lots of memorabilia that won't fit in a photo book? Take a few creative photos of your favorite pieces and include them! I like to do this with ticket stubs, programs & other common items that help to tell the story. The beauty of this whole process is that it's by YOU. Include what's important to you and let your personality shine through.

Now Go Make History!

An Ounce of Prevention: Backing Up Your Photos

2009-10-27T13:53:00.005-06:00

I'm sure you've probably heard a horror story or two of someone who lost their oldest child's entire photo library (baby pics, 1st tooth, kindergarten, etc.) when their computer died or their lap top was stolen. It seems to be more common than one would think, as I've heard several of these stories. While I would not want to go through the nightmare of losing everything on my computer, I admit that losing the photo library would be absolutely heartbreaking and the worst part for me.

A few simple preventative measures can save you the heartache of losing all those irreplaceable memories. But if you're not already doing this, (you know who you are) the important thing you can take away from this post is that you DO IT. Do it TONIGHT. Don't wait. Each of these methods are simple and effective, and there's even an option that doesn't cost anything.

1) An External Hard Drive. You can purchase these almost anywhere, including WalMart, or at any electronics store. You can even get them online at sites like NewEgg.com. They range in price from about $70 on up. The amount of memory they hold is usually measured in GB, or gigabytes also referred to as "gig." Most will be 250, 320, 500GB and up. I have a 500GB that I bought for around $120, and it should last me for a long time. To put things in perspective, I take lots of pictures and my entire digital photo library back to 2004 takes less than 10GB. Obviously, if you are taking high-res or professional photos, those will take more space. But if you're just looking for a place to upload images from your point-and-shoot, even if you take a lot of them, it will take you awhile to use 5ooGB.

2) Use Online Storage. I use Kodak Gallery. I was actually introduced to this recently by my husband's aunt and uncle, (thanks Evan & Charity!) The storage is free as long as you make a small purchase every year. They do all kinds of photo services, including printing (their prices are very competitive), so chances are you would be spending the money anyway. This is the option that is best for you if your budget is tight right now. There are several sites that will allow you to do this, but this is my favorite for it's ease of use and the variety of services it offers. You can upload up to 200 photos at a time, and the storage is unlimited. There are also options for easily sharing your pictures with your friends and family.

3) Burn a CD. This is the less efficient way to do it, but if an external hard drive is not in your budget right now, and you don't have access to the internet on a regular basis, at least it's something. Transferring your entire library would take a long time, depending on how many photos you have, so I don't really recommend that. But I did actually use this method for awhile. Since it would take too long to transfer my entire library, I selected the most "important" groups of photos (the ones I absolutely couldn't live without if I were to lose the rest of my library) and burned only those to disks. Then each time I uploaded a new batch of pics, I would burn that batch to a CD and then label it. It's not the most effective, but at least you can sleep at night knowing you have a backup. If at all possible, I recommend one of the first two options.

Whatever option you choose, the most important thing is to DO IT TODAY! You never know when your computer might die, or your two year old might decide to dump their drink on it. Accidents happen, you know. Once you're all backed up, you can sleep easy with the peace of mind that your pictures are safe. So DO IT TODAY!

Now Go Make History!

Fabulous Fall Festivities

2009-10-26T20:07:00.006-06:00

Ahhh, I LOVE this time of year! Crunchy leaves, warm sweaters, fuzzy socks and lots of traditions and fun memories. What do you love most about fall? I have so many fun memories of trips to the pumpkin patch, carving those pumpkins, hot and spicy apple cider, corn mazes, and costume parties. Whatever you're doing, don't forget to take lots of pictures! And this week, whether you celebrate Fall Festival or Halloween, here are a couple of MY favorite ways to celebrate!

The Costume Box: This was one of my favorite things as a kid. We had a big barrel, I have no idea where it came from, but it was full of random items we used for costumes. They included my mom's old prom dresses, costume jewelry, crazy colored tights and my dad's army uniform. There were old hats, masks and other random items that always started us on the path to excellent and unique Halloween costumes every fall. These days, people buy new costumes every year, but we didn't have the money to do that, and I think this was more fun. I have a costume bin, and it's full of fun and fanciful things that will someday have the prestige of being part of a Halloween costume, and many that have gotten plenty of use by myself and my friends. If you don't have one, start a costume box this year. Before you throw that loud, trendy vest into the bag that's bound for the thrift store, ask yourself how it would look accessorizing next year's zombie costume (I'm not saying anything about your fashion sense, here. The keyword is trendy -- it'll be out next fall.) Old glasses, hats and other unique things are also a lot of fun to have on hand. And the costume box needn't be used only in the fall. Little kids love to play dress up, so let 'em have at it, and take some pictures!

Trick Or Treat Dinner: My family didn't do this, but I loved the sound of this tradition. My friend's family has done this every year, and it's something that her kids now look forward to. Trick or Treat Dinner includes their family's special chili recipe, cornbread and cider, along with some other (healthy) treats before the pint-sized tricksters hit the road for their own stash of treats. Since getting everyone into their costumes and all prepped for the festivities can be a crazy time, this dinner need not be fancy, and you don't need to do chili. Maybe your family's tradition is to order a pizza that the kids munch on while mom applies the finishing touches to everybody's costumes. Traditions are merely things that happen consistently, that everyone can look forward to. I did love the idea of the chili, cornbread and cider, though. So Fall-ish. YUM.

Spreading the Stash: When we got home from trick-or-treating, we had a little ritual that we would do at our house. We would sit on the floor in the living room with our pillow case of candy in front of us. Each would dump his pillow case on the carpet in front of him, and proceed to go through the loot, admiring our treasures. In the kid year, this was a highlight, since we knew this was the most candy we would see at one time for the entire year. We would weed out stuff we didn't like, and trade with each other items that we found to be more desirable. Once all the bartering had taken place, my mom would give us a container or specific number of treats that we could pick out and keep. The rest of an individual's loot went into a different container, marked individually with each of our names, that would be put up somewhere for safe keeping, to be doled out in the future as she saw fit. This kept things a lot less hyper around our house the week after Halloween, and also spread the joy for a lot longer than it would have lasted had we been allowed to plow through the stash unchecked. Funny that my mom was doing that as a practical matter, and now it's one of my favorite memories of Halloween.

These days most of us wouldn't take the kids out into the neighborhood to Trick-or-Treat, but most churches, schools and malls offer some sort of trunk-or-treat or other activity where kids can participate in this fun tradition without fear of problems. If you don't have kids, but you miss the glory days of the annual Trick-or-Treat, these types of activities are a fun excuse to get dressed up and join in the festivities...passing out the treats this time, of course! Whatever you do to celebrate this year, be safe and have fun!

Now Go Make History!

My Favorite Things: Gooseberry Patch Cookbooks!

2009-10-24T19:29:00.010-06:00

Each week I'm going to try to do a post highlighting something that I love that pertains to one of the topics covered on this blog. I'm excited, because that leaves me lots of material to choose from. Obviously, I'm no expert, but everybody's got an opinion, so I'll have fun sharing mine, and hopefully I can share some things that you can enjoy, too.

Gooseberry Patch Cookbooks are this week's Favorite Thing, and here's why. For those that know me, family traditions are big in my book. HUGE. And holidays are just as big, or maybe even bigger. Spending time with the people that are most important to you adds so much to life, and is one of the most rewarding things we can do. And let's face it, it's a lot more fun to take pictures, journal, blog and keep a personal history when you're doing fun things. Since you're reading this blog, you probably agree with me on all of these points.

So whether you're a go-all-out kinda girl like me, or you're looking to start a few little traditions, or just something new or different for the holidays or family night, these cookbooks are awesome!! Loaded with all kinds of simple, great recipes that have been submitted by readers, they are easy, inexpensive and quick, so working and busy moms love them, too. The holiday editions also include a section of activities and ideas, even childhood memories of favorite family traditions, and how to do them. I was introduced to them by my dad's wife, and I really do love them!

This edition, Flavors of Fall, is one of my favorites, and it's actually on sale right now on their website! I have several different Gooseberry Patch Cookbooks, but since fall is upon us, this is the one I'm going to share. I used it for several new dishes for Thanksgiving dinner last year, along with several yummy bread recipes to take mini-loaves to friends.

While you're busy cooking with the kids, (or even without them) be sure to snap a few pictures...you'd be surprised in 20 years how it will make you smile to look back at that old stove you used to have, the "crazy" tile or wallpaper that's up in your kitchen, or the favorite apron you always wore. Little, routine things become priceless as kids grow up and memories are made, so don't forget about them! While you're at it, write down your favorite recipes, along with favorite family recipes used for holidays and special events. If there is a story behind a particular recipe, or a reason it's your favorite, write that down, too. Holidays and traditions add spice to life and make our memories sweeter. Don't forget to include this important element in your family's story!

Now Go Make History!

Write It Down and Save It!!

2009-10-22T15:26:00.002-06:00

If you're like me, you've always struggled with keeping a consistent, detailed journal of what's going on in your life. There are lots of reasons for this, mostly because there always seems to be something more pressing or immediate that needs to be done. In spite of this, it's important to keep a journal for several reasons. Here are a few I've identified in my life, maybe you'll agree with me. I've also included some suggestions of little things you're probably already doing that actually are journaling, and how to put them to good use.

First, writing can be cathartic and helpful in working through feelings, good and bad. Through many of life's ups and downs, journaling can be a healthy outlet and a way to get in touch with what's really going on in your heart. Many mental health experts recommend it as a great way to release stress, anger, sadness, worry and grief. As you express those feelings on paper, you're essentially experiencing the same sense of release you would if you "vented" to someone, only writing them down privately may help save some stress in a few of your relationships. On the flip side, journaling feelings of happiness, hope and love not only increases those feelings, but records in a permanent record the circumstances surrounding them, making them available to be re-experienced anytime you want to read through your journal.

Second, I've found that journaling is a great way to look back and measure progress and growth throughout your life, big or small. Keeping as detailed a record as possible will help you to better remember exactly how far you've come, which is always helpful in providing the incentive that's sometimes needed to keep focused on your goals. And it's just plain fun to be able to look back and remember the days of driving that old clunker or living on ramen noodles and be grateful for just how far you've come. If you're currently driving a clunker and living on ramen noodles, take heart. Things will get better, so make sure you're writing things down so that some day you can look back on it all with nostalgia!

The third reason I think journaling is important is that you're leaving a record for your kids. For some reason when I think about the word "posterity" it conjures images of dusty attic boxes and ancient books being cracked open after years of sitting untouched. Well, I suppose this can be true, and what a treasure to stumble onto if you were so lucky! But in my family, I appreciated my mom's high school journals & scrapbooks while I was in high school. It helped me to feel closer to my mom that I could see the things that she enjoyed, the boys she dated and the conflicts or concerns she felt over teenage life. As we enjoyed these things together, we shared priceless moments that helped us to connect, at a time when you usually don't do much connecting with parents.

Have you ever seen or read your mom's journal? Your grandma's? What did it mean to you? If you haven't had that opportunity, what would it mean to you if you could? What do think? Is it worth it to try to do this? I think it is, and even if you don't have a formal-bound book with J-O-U-R-N-A-L on the cover, there's still plenty you can do to be journaling.

My three biggest short-cut tricks to journaling are these:

1. Keep copies of any emails or letters you send to friends or family, especially ones that detail events or circumstances in your life. I always write WAAYYYYY more about what's going on in my life when I'm writing an email (or way back in the day, a handwritten letter) to my friends or family, and while it may not happen often, it's a quick & easy way to keep a history of major events. Do you do a holiday or Christmas letter every year? This would be something to include, for sure! I have several white binders with sheet protectors in them, where I keep the copies of these emails. On rare occasions, I have the opportunity to look at these, and it's hilarious to remember all the crazy things that have gone on in my life, and how I described them to my favorite people. This is a particularly valuable option if you have friends or loved ones in the armed services stationed abroad, or living far away for any reason. Take advantage of something you're already doing. And don't be afraid to raid your "sent" box to see if there's anything you can print out right now to get started on your email/letter journal. Keep in mind: Experts recommend keeping hard copies of all your important e-documents since technology tends to change and upgrade every 10 years or so. That means that you should print out hard copies of any letters or other items you'd like to keep, and so I don't forget or get too far behind, I like to do this on a regular basis.

2. Today's Cyber-journal, the Blog!! If you're not already blogging, you should get started! Chances are many of your friends are doing it, and since you're reading a blog, you probably already appreciate the value of blogging. Turns out in the way of keeping your personal history, blogging can be extremely worthwhile. You may not want to blog about extremely personal subjects, but it's a great way to keep a history. A lot of us use blogs as a way to keep our friends and family up on what's going on in our lives, so why not use the same stuff as a little time capsule to be enjoyed in the future, too? Since most of the time pictures are included, and each entry is date stamped, blogs are more complete, organized and detailed than any kind of journal we might hope to keep. You can also have a private blog that's only accessible by you or anyone you approve as an author, if that's something that sounds appealing. The best part about a blog, is that there are several options out there allow you to actually have your blog produced as a professionally bound book, but more about that in another post. You can also do the old-fashioned cut, paste & print into your trusty white notebook...you've already done the hard part by writing things down. Good job, YOU!

3. OK, this suggestion may be a little over-the-top, but I do it, and I'm going to share, in the interest of full disclosure. Sometimes I like to chat online with my friends and family, and quite awhile ago, as I was chatting with my sister-in-law, I realized that I wanted to save our conversation for posterity, literally. I had just met a guy, and had told her all about it, and she had shared some fun memories of meeting my brother for the first time. So that night, I created a word document and copied and pasted our chat conversation that evening. As I got to know that guy, and we chatted online, I also saved our chat conversations. Since we ended up getting married, it's really fun to be able to read back through the conversations that we had when we were first getting to know each other. I have a word document for my husband, and another for my close friends that I chat with on a regular basis. Again, you probably talk about daily life in much more detail when you're chatting with a friend than what you might write in a journal. Take advantage of it. A WORD OF CAUTION: amidst my copying and pasting, just as in real life conversations, there have been topics discussed that may be hurtful or even harmful to certain individuals if repeated. There is no need to include those in your history. It may be good to let your friends & family know that you keep the conversations for your journal. This may help them to be more selective of what they chat about, and it's the courteous thing to do.

There are probably other things that you're doing every day that can double as personal history and journaling. Be creative and take advantage of all your efforts. A little extra effort and a plan will go a long way to providing yourself and your family a rich and rewarding record that will be cherished for years to come.

Now Go Make History!

Let's Make History!

2009-10-22T13:59:00.004-06:00

Welcome to my new blog! For those of you that know me well, you know that memories - including journals, scrapbooks, photographs, videos and personal and family histories, are all subjects that I've been passionate about my whole life.

Due to chronic illness, I have been unable to work in my decade-long career field for the past 12 months. This is not only frustrating, but it's also a little depressing, as I have had to rethink my future working options. One day, while working on a memory book for my wedding, I had a stroke of genius. I LOVE this. I'm GOOD at this. I can HELP people with this. And perhaps this will be a new path for me.

My goal with this blog is to offer my services. Services including ideas and tips for gathering and starting family or personal histories; organizing old photos and getting them into albums; organizing and making the most of digital photos; what to do with old family movies, and lots of other topics pertaining to my favorite subject. I hope this blog will be a valuable resource and tool for you, as you create and build your family history.

I am also going to be offering REAL services, creating unique and timeless memory books for your most treasured moments. The details of these services will be outlined in future posts, and as my blog continues to grow. For now, I'm very excited about having something to focus on, something that I'm PASSIONATE about.

Please support my blog by becoming a follower! It's very easy to become a follower and really helps me in my efforts of establishing this new endeavor. I plan to post at least once a week, but to begin with it may be more, as I try to build an archive of resources on memory making. Please, give me your feedback! Are you stumped on where to start? Have a specific question about your digital pictures? Let me know what will be useful for you, because I'd love to research and blog about it!

Now Go Make History!

P.S. Here are a few upcoming topics we're working on...just a little sneak peak. :)

Home Movies...VHS, Hi8 and digital...What to do with them?

Photography 101 for people who don't own cameras

What to include in a personal history

To print or not to print...digital pictures

Where to start if you're at square one

Backing up your digital pictures

Photo projects and other online tools