Monday, June 06, 2011
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Another Shutterfly Creation!
Friday, October 22, 2010
Making My Life Easier this Holiday Season: Shutterfly Style
As many of you know by December of this year I will be 9 months pregnant. If you’ve ever been pregnant, you know that the last trimester can be anything but comfortable. So foremost on my mind as I look towards the holidays: “How can I make my life easier this Christmas????” One way I plan to make my life easier…creating a Shutterfly photocard for the holidays.
Traditionally I am a scrapbooker, and I love making holiday cards. But do you know how long it takes to make Christmas cards? It’s not an easy task and with a very active toddler and a baby on the way, there is no guarantee I will get anything made this year. So I am getting a headstart on the Christmas cards. I’ve got a photoshoot scheduled for November, and I have already begun browsing the Shutterfly website for card ideas.
Every time look at the products on Shutterfly I am impressed by their up-to-date style and quality. I love using photos to tell stories. As I browsed this year's collection of Christmas cards I realized how influenced I was by wanting to tell a story. I am very excited that this year they have some exciting 5x7 folded options that allow you to include pictures and short paragraphs on the inside of your card—no need to write a holiday letter, just put it right on the card! Most of these designs include only one picture on the front, BUT the insides all included 4 pictures, so I will still get a total of five pictures in my card. Some of my favorites in this design were “Sweet Holly Story,” “Joyous Holiday Story,” and “Most Wonderful Story.”
I should also admit, that I enjoy looking at the sample pictures on the cards. I am also finding them very helpful as I think about my upcoming photoshoot with Nathan and Thomas. "Starlight Snowflakes" caught my eye because of the cutest little girl on the cover. I think a close up of Thomas would be adorable on this one as well (though I doubt we will have snow in the background!) Another design I liked, “Mod Ornaments,” requires some extra space on the right side of the card for the design, so the focal point of the picture needs to be on the left side. I definitely want to have some of these things in mind to let the photographer know before the shoot. This way I will be more likely to have a great photo to fit my card.
Finally, Shutterfly has a lot of adorable 5x5 photocards this year. My favorites were the “Classic Red Square” and the “Believe in Magic” card (which would be perfect for a new baby!) Unfortunately, these cards require extra postage, so you’ll have to decide if that works for you.
If you also plan to throw a holiday get-together this year check out the invitations section. You can also find lots of great Thank You cards in the stationary section.
I'm excited to create my photocards, and more excited after checking out my options on Shutterfly!
Monday, May 03, 2010
Review: You Can Be Everything God Wants You to Be by Max Lucado
I received a complimentary copy of the book You Can Be Everything God Wants You to Be by Max Lucado from Thomas Nelson Publishing. This book is 127 pages long and contains excerpts from another Lucado book, Cure for the Common Life. It contains encouraging passages about how each of us is uniquely created by God and He has given each of us specific gifts and talents that make up who we are. Each section has scripture and various stories to better explain Lucado's points. The sections are only 2-3 pages each and which makes the book easy to pick up and put down periodically.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Review: Gigi’s Big Break DVD by Sheila Walsh
I recently watched Gigi’s Big Break on DVD. It contains two stories: “The White Lie” and “The Pink Surprise.” The first story is a lesson in honesty and follows Gigi as she tells a bigger and bigger lie, eventually admitting the truth and asking forgiveness. At the end a Scripture verse relating to honesty is shown. The second story: “The Pink Surprise” is about loving siblings. Gigi’s parents reveal they will be having another baby. At first Gigi is excited, but that soon changes. The storylines move in between Gigi’s make believe world and the real world.
The animation on the DVD is pretty basic and not very exciting. At the beginning of the story this bothered me as the characters seem incredibly stiff. However, once I was involved in the story this no longer bothered me. I liked the fact that the story includes real conversations between Gigi and her mother. Some other highlights include a family prayer before a meal, Gigi praying before bed, and scriptures included at the end of each story. The lesson is told clearly and interestingly. I do recommend this video and other Gigi products for young girls. Young girls (preschool) would enjoy the cuteness of the characters and animation while school age girls would be more likely to get something from the story.
**A complimentary copy of Gigi’s Big Break (DVD) was provided for me by Thomas Nelson Publishing for the purpose of this review.
Learn more about this DVD at Thomas Nelson Publishing