Ok so I had a few of you comment that you would like to see me continue and some of you cancelled your subscription. SO….
I think I will give it another chance and re-invent it, which means maybe more photography and “other” digital tips and still some tips using CM products. I am actually thinking of re-designing the layout too, so give me a month and lets see what happens :)
Thanks for all your support, I wasn’t even sure you were still out there :)
Hugs
Shannon
Personal
Well that pretty well sums it up.....Summer was crazy with the kids home and with the new neighbors next door it was all day play day, some days there would be up to 12 kids over. Then of course school had to come and boy was I ready! Labor day weekend my poor hubby had to get his wisdom teeth out, which happened to be the same time our tomatoes came on and so for about 4 days I was canning salsa.....maybe now I can actually turn on the computer.
Sad to say I did not reach my goal of 100 pages. I really thought I would have more time in August, but did not. So I will keep reaching for that goal.
Shannon
This is my 100th post!!! So it seems that is challenge is appropriate!
100 pages in 30 days!
are you up to it?
"Accept the challenges so that you feel the exhilaration of victory." -George S. Patton.
I finally realized that without a push I won't get much done. So this challenge is as much for me as for anyone else. I know that I am one of those that has a lot of ideas and intentions, but not much action or progress. I am really tired and discouraged that I never actually do much.
This summer has been a experiment for me. I have been trying a lot of new things, and the key is that I have been trying to change that feeling of anxiousness and that feeling that begins in the pit of my stomach that says its easier to say no than to try.
Well after a low week in June I realized that I needed a change, and I was the only one that could make that change... so starting with a vacation to Lake Powell I decided to start my experiment. It started with the water. I have been quite the baby when it comes to water. I have issues...lets just say its not just water but also what's in the water. So when the first opportunity came I grabbed it. I was going to attempt surfing... fall after fall, I finally got it! Then the next time I graduated to trying wakeboarding! And surprising enough I picked that up easier than surfing, it only took 2 tries and I was up.
Crash after crash instead of feeling tired and defeated I felt exhilarated. I may not have been that good at it but I did it. The experiment was as simple as just jumping in! I realized a lot about myself that week. And now it is time to extend that experiment into other aspects of my life.
Last post I told about the milestone my daughter is reaching the the change in me that it has caused and this challenge came about as a result. I am more committed to creating life. Through images and words I have felt inspired to explore life and observe it and create something that shows our life. 100 pages and I will have a completed book. 100 pages and my kids will have new memories and a new confidence. 100 pages and I will feel accomplishment and inspiration to spread. 100 pages.....what is 100 for you?
What is your challenge? What is holding you back? Do you feel like if your life was a book, would it be a story, would it tell the details of your life, would you have the photos and words to go with it? What is your story?
To make it official and maybe get a community effort going I have created a Dabling in Digital Facebook Group. Already posted is this challenge. Join the group, share with us your story. We can share our efforts. Post your pages, post your struggles, post your accomplishments....join.
http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?topic=9806&uid=109191656111#/group.php?gid=109191656111
Happy Creating
Shannon
The new features of this program make me want to sing. I seriously had butterflies in my stomach when I was playing with it this morning. Last night I got upgraded right before I went to bed, and this morning I was in heaven. I really haven't gotten this excited about something since Storybook Creator Plus came out...granted I am sort of geek. (Especially when I go into best buy and run for the hard drives. )
But the interface of this new version is beautiful! Its easy to navigate and I love the one click features. Its amazing!!!
I *heart* this program
9 years and counting! So I will post Tuesday Tech Tips tomorrow....wow that is a tongue twister :D
Do any of you watch Oprah? I confess, I sort of do a little (which means I DVR the episodes and pick and choose which ones I want to watch, late at night, while folding laundry)
Well they have been having this series on her show about cleaning up your messy house. So this months challenge was the Home Office. (Which if you saw my office you would know that its going to take more than a month )
SO... I started my project and realized I need to separated my home stuff, like paying bills, etc from my work. I decided that it would be great if I were to put an computer armoire in my dinning room and use that as Control Headquarters. (since the table is where most of the stuff lands anyway.)
SO.... I found a used armoire a local classified website for a reasonable price and went to get it. But now the spot where I want it there is a china hutch. So I decide to list the hutch on the classified site. Which means that I have to clean out my kitchen cupboards to fit the set of dishes and other items the hutch houses. Then I think in my head that it will look so weird to replace that china hutch with such a small armoire. But if I paint the room maybe it won't look so weird. (since this hutch has been in the same place for 27 years, yes I live in my childhood home)
SO....I decide on a paint scheme and go to Lowe's and buy paint. The next day I start to prep the walls, spackle and all, and totally dismantle the whole room. I get it all done in ONE day!!! That's not easy on a Saturday with 3 kids.
Then, after moving things around I realize that the hutch will work so now that I have completely emptied it and cleaned it I can now put everything back.
But all in all, the dinning room looks great! But wait a minute, the office is still a disaster!
Just thought this might make you smile,
Shannon
At the bottom of each post is a place for you to leave comments or aka love! I love to hear your thoughts on the post and any requests for future posts. Thanks and don't forget to share the love :)
This is a 8x8 album that my clients receive when they sign up for the baby club. They receive photo sessions throughout the baby's first year and at the end of that year they receive a book with complied images from all the sessions. This is the first one that I designed in Storybook Creator Plus.
Here are the pages layout as two-page spreads for posting reasons. But when I made this book I used a normal 8x8 page layout for when I order it.
Over the past couple of weeks, we have been dealing with the death of a very close friend. He and his family are our neighbors and he was both of my brothers best friend. We have always been close with the family.
I went over to help his family choose pictures before the funeral to help make enlargements and I also made collages. It was a eye-opening for me to see all they had to go through to find their favorite photos.
His mother commented, that if you knew something like this was going to happen she would be more organized. She is actually one of those that are better off than some. She is actually pretty organized. She did have color coded folder for all of her kids portraits. She had most of her photos organized into shoe boxes by date. But it was still quite a process to look through two decades of photos. But it almost took just as long to look through the pictures on her computer because she had to open so many folders to look through to find the pictures she knew were there somewhere.
I am so glad though that I offered to help, I know it eased some burden during that time. I spent probably 15 hours scanning, editing, and designing to get the final product. But it was all worth it when at the viewing was over she was sitting in a chair with all of those pictures that I had done sitting in her lap almost protecting them. She loved them and I know having them will bring her some peace.
This is when I realize the importance of both my jobs. And then I start counting my blessings. Thank you Heavenly Father for the gifts you have given me.
Shannon
Hey guys, sorry for the lack of posts lately. I have had some personal drama going on at home. Our basement flooded. Our water heater leaked more than 30 gallons of water. It was such a mess. But the carpet got re-laid yesterday and today the carpets are getting cleaned. So hopefully next week I will be back into the swing of things :)
Yesterday was my sons birthday, so I did not get my Tuesday Post in. But here is something I made for his Birthday....
And here are the Valentines that me and my daughter made for her class....
The left side is for the girls and the right for the boys.
I just want to wish you all a Merry Christmas and hope you all have Happy Holidays. As the time ticks down and I am finishing up my last minute gifts. I feel such a great gratitude for YOU my clients and the relationships that I have with you. I have made great friends along the way and without Creative Memories I would have never met some of you. Alot of you gave BEAUTIFUL books for Christmas this year and it was so inspiring to see your finished projects. I feel enriched every time I hear your stories. Please keep sharing them with me. That is what keeps me motivated and keeps me sharing the Creative Memories Mission. It is making a difference in peoples lives. And I am honored to be apart of it.
Keep Sharing
Shannon
Tomorrow we hop on a plane and head for Disneyland to spend Thanksgiving with the Porters. Its become a tradition to go to Disney every other year as a family. We love it. More than anyone my Dad loves it. As his eyesight is becoming worse its more important for us to go on vacations together.
When I was younger and living at home almost every Christmas instead of getting presents we went on a trip. We got a few things from Santa and a few things from Grandma. But for the most part our parents gave us a trip. We always knew one day Dad would lose his eyesight and he loves to go on vacation so I think its really important that we do these sort of things.
The kids have been counting down, and are excited to go and I am really excited I don't have to do any cooking!
So Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!!
With the economy going the way it is and with all the natural disasters that have happened in the last few years, I keep thinking what am I doing to prepare myself if something happened to me. I started thinking of my priorities.
1. Food. I have to have food to feed my family and to survive.
2. Clothes and supplies. Like a 72 hour kit. Flashlights, etc what we would take with us in case of an emergency.
3. And our pictures are a priority to me and my kids (even Riley loves looking at the albums). With my love for photos I keep thinking would they be easy to grab if I had 12 hours notice to evacuate?
I would have to answer yes! Because of Creative Memories Organizational tools I could grab my two power sort boxes, finished albums and my Laptop and external Hard Drive I would have all my photos in 10 minutes.
Now I do have about 9 months of food storage
but I don't have 72 hour kits yet. But I am getting there.
Of course I could never plan for everything but I am doing what I can and what's important to me.
Just Reflecting
Shannon
Since today is such a personal day I am substituting today's post with a personal one.
Today is the first day of school for my daughter Madison.
Maddie has been so excited to start school. I have been ready to have more structure in my day too. But Jack is going to miss her so much. Sam is not quite old enough to entertain Jack. Jack grows bored playing with Sam just after a few minutes. But when Maddie is there they can all play together for hours. But Jack will start pre-school next week so that should help.
This morning Maddie went through her check list and got ready for the day. She has been counting down the days until school. So of course we took pictures this morning.
7:30 wake up call!
Shannon
How much fun we had at showcase!
These photos are from the 2 early days at Vicki Morgan's Lakehouse!
These are the Wonderful Morgan's! It was an Honor to get to know them and hear their stories about all the years of business with Creative Memories. I also loved to hear about their Family Legacy from the very beginning starting from Lee's Fathers Book Plate Company. Thank You from the bottom of my heart for you hospitality and friendship!
Shannon
