Digital Scrapbooking...and a Giveaway!

Do you ever think about all the great photos you've taken and wonder; "Now What?".  Me too.  They usually sit on the camera forever, or get uploaded to the computer and just sit there.  I haven't done anything with pictures in the last 10 years except upload the occasional image to this blog or my facebook.  Well....here's the solution!

Recently I was presented with a great opportunity from MyMemories.com  They asked me to review their digital scrapbooking software called My Memories Suite, and then give you all an opportunity to win the software!  Isn't that cool?  I sure thought so.  Throughout this post you'll see my Christmas Album, the first one I made on this software.  Click on the pictures for a larger view.

 Some of the the pages are predesigned templates with no changes, some of them I completely overhauled for my own look.  I added snowflakes and picture frames, even changed colors and text.

I've had the opportunity to play with it for a couple of weeks and I have to say I've been pleasantly surprised.  I've scrapbooked in the past, and although I love the results, storing the supplies and taking the time to make something nice are not feasible for me.  Having the digital software installed on the computer where I already store my digital photos made it easy to do something with those photos. I created a Christmas scrapbook in a matter of about 1-2 hours...and that accounts for time getting used to the program(which is REALLY intuitive and actually pretty simple if you have ever used a paint program).  A few days later I did a small wedding album and only took about 45 minutes to an hour; a quick Saturday morning project.  And now I have some really neat looking things to share with others. 

Not only can you create a digital scrapbook, you can have your photobook printed professionally, or you can print individual pages right at home to add to your existing scrapbook.  Looking for a fun gift?  Have this printed as a calendar, or make an interactive movie, send it to your ipod or put it on dvd.  This really is a great way to drop in your photos to pre-designed template pages, or create pages from scratch using the many elements available from their website (lots of them are even FREE).  I hope you will get as much out of it as I have.  I know with a new baby on the way this will get even more use in the coming year!

I've included a video about MyMemoriesSuite that gives an overview of the software.  Watch it if you want, or visit their blog www.mymemoriesblog.com to learn even more!

Here’s what’s on the video –

·         Software Screen Tour – finding your papers and embellishments.

·         MyMemories.com website tour (and description of different types of products on the site)

·         Beginning information on album creation

·         Introduction to SOME of the tools (and references to the other video tutorials that are available)

Welcome to the Family! from Lisa Jurrens on Vimeo.

 And now for the giveaway!!!  Here are the rules; 1. Leave a comment about what you'd do if you had this software.  It's that easy!  2. For an extra entry visit mymemories.com and pick out your favorite digital paper pack, then come back here and leave a comment to tell me what it is!  The giveaway will close at 12:00p.m. Friday, and the random drawing will take place on Friday at 2p.m. So, be sure you leave your comments for a chance to win!  


Entry 1: Leave a comment
Entry 2: Visit www.mymemories.com and pick out your favorite paper pack, then tell me which one it is!


That's all you have to do! :)  This is a GREAT program, and one of you will be lucky enough to get it FREE!!! But you have to enter to win.  And check back Friday afternoon to see if you won.  If you are a no reply blogger, then leave your email address in your entry comment so I have a way to let you know you won, and give you your redemption code.  Happy scrapbooking!!!

Nursery Is Done!

 Here is the mural on the south wall of our nursery.  It is adapted from a set of wall decals I saw online.  This version has a bit more going on, and LOTS more detail.  I'll post detail shots over the next couple of weeks.

 When the door is open it covers part of the right side branches.

You can click on the picture to enlarge.

 We liked using all the bright colors all over.  We have butterflies, little birds, the owls, a squirrel, a hedgehog, and lots of flowers.  There is a little sign on the trunk that says "Lila's garden".

This is a little shelf next to the crib with a jewelry box from when I was little, a little homemade plaid bird, and my pink sock monkey that my mom gave me at Christmas.

I made a curtain for the window with some fabric from my stash.  Really colorful stripes(the picture doesn't do it justice). And to the left is Ryan's teddy from when he was little. You can see the top of the chair peeking into the photo.

This is the closet.  Thanks to Nicole's suggestion we were able to reuse a tension rod previously on the little window and put it on the closet instead.  The little valance is actually vintage panels I found about a year ago at a junk shop and it covers up the linens stored at the top of the closet without blocking everything else.  I found the green hanging storage at target for $2, and re-purposed an old dresser.  To the left you can almost see our stacking cubes which will eventually be used for toys.  

Stay tuned for more details of the mural in the next few weeks. :) 

Nursery Update 3

Sorry the picture is so dark...the other one had a horrible flash mark across the whole thing.  I can't show the whole mural just yet...but this gives you an idea.  I wanted to paint the room because right now it's this horrible sweet green color that annoys me, but I don't want to paint.  So, the room has stayed it's lovely shade of green and I'm just going to work around it.  Working on this tree mural with lots of creatures.  More to come.

Heads up for a Giveaway!!!

Okay ladies...I want y'all to be on the lookout because I'll be reviewing a digital scrapbooking product called MyMemoriesSuite in the next week.  And guess what?   They want ME to host a giveaway of their product!!! Yep, you read that right....a chance for you to have a free digital scrapbooking software!  I've played with it a bit already and think it's going to be great.  More to come in an actual review.

Psychedelic Orange

I know the photo is too bright.  I know you can't really tell anything about it.  But you'll see it finished soon.  It's a crib quilt, from a pattern, but in our house it's just called a wall hanging.  This is the back with a peek at the front edges...it's kind of psychedelic, and kind of awesome.  I don't work with orange fabrics much, so this was a big step for me.  I really love this little quilt.  You can barely see a very blurry yellow bird peeking out on the bottom left.  The fabric line I used for the front is called Cheep Talk.  The psychedelic backing was from Wal-Mart's bargain bin.

Guess what!

Lila Kathleen McKee is scheduled to arrive January 10, 2012!

Baby Update

Boy or girl?

We don't know, but we will tomorrow!

Any guesses?

Light Hearted

This is my bedside lamp.  It's kind of gorgeous.

 

This lamp was given to my husband by someone who said it no longer worked...turns out it just has two switches.  They didn't want it back.  We've had it several years.  

I want to find another one.  

Hanging off the secondary switch is my favorite necklace that my husband gave me for our first wedding anniversary.  It's a heart.  Get it...light...hearted... Yeah, I know that was silly...it still made me chuckle!

Nursery Update 2

 Nevermind the Christmas tree in the background.  It is actually in a closet that doesn't have any doors on it.  I'm patiently awaiting someone to figure out a better place for it than the nursery(formerly the office) closet or the garage.  I can't lift it anymore, so it may just stay there until after Christmas.

Anyway...the real topic is this chair.

This is the before; one of two gliders my parents purchased almost 15 years ago.  The other one actually gets used, but since this wasn't in use they decided to let us borrow it for the nursery.  It sits really well, and the price was right, but I decided it needed a face lift.  

So I did this;

Isn't it pretty?!!!  If I'd had enough fabric I would have done the whole thing the same as the seat cushion, but there was barely enough to cover that so I went with a coordinating fabric for the back cushion.  I've not decided if I'll attempt to cover the footstool.  I actually just made slip covers for the seat and back cushions, but based on the way the foot stool is made that isn't possible.  So, we'll see.  And yes, the tree is still there...I just ignore it.

Finding Beauty in the Little Things

 You might be noticing a theme lately...little things around our house.  Beautiful things.  Everyday things.  We don't always stop to take stock of all the beauty around us, whether in the treasures we have or the people we know.  This is one way for us to do that.  To just take a picture of something we see everyday, but don't always take time to notice.  Looking at each little thing helps us realize just how many beautiful and treasured things  we have.  I think people are more important, but that's harder to do on here, so I'm sticking with the stuff.

My husband's Great Aunt painted this light switch cover.  It's in our dining room.  It always makes me smile.  Is it weird that I'm annoyed I can't get the screws to line up?  Maybe.    If I tighten either one any further it will get stripped, if I loosen it the plate jiggles.  Oh well.  I just don't look too close when I pass by.

A Surprise

This is a sneak peak...

I love books.

This bookshelf is in our master bedroom.  It's now full to the brim with books...most of which I have read cover to cover, many of them multiple times.  You can't see all the shelves, but this is the bulk of it. 

Some of them are teenage fiction, some even children's literature.  Some are historical fiction, or biographies.  Novels, study guides, and things I might not want you to read the title of, but I enjoy having them.  There are many worlds on those shelves, numerous imagined images, ideas, and escapes.  Best of all; endless entertainment.  I learn something new or think about it differently each time I read one of these treasures...I like that.

Getting Started; Nursery Update

 This is my husband working very hard to clean and restore the crib I used when I was a baby.  The fumes were repulsive.  Our cat lazily laid by and withstood the smell so she could stay in the shade.

 This is the first look at what we are doing/have done to get ready for baby.  I don't have much to show, but I'll try to give y'all updates every once in a while.

He is quite proud of the outcome, as he should be!  It turned out so much better than I thought it would and he worked really hard to get it there.  Thanks babe!