A Park City Thanksgiving

I know you are wanting to see us up closer, you can't get enough of our family. No worries, you can just click on the image to see us all closer. Sorry, there is no function to make us go farther away.

 

Using this new Picasa 3 collage software. You just choose the pics, it makes a collage. Dreamy. New blog headers---of all your kids, so easy. That may be my next project. A good one. Accomplishable. Easy. Fast. Then I can say I did something worthwhile today.

Picasa 3

Have you all uploaded the new Picasa 3? The google picture service that is fabulous and free?

I just love some of the new features in Picasa 3; especially their new collages-----way better, and easy to use. Such a great feature. Plus, they have touch-up now, to help take distasteful things out of the picture. So fabulous. I think I am in love. If you haven't already checked it out, you really need to. Their cropping and other great features are so much fun. I just love it. But then again, I love pictures. But seriously, try it out. You will love it too.

Costco Collage Making

I have had a lot of questions about how to use the Costco collage making software I have used for my posts and my title page. If you have Mac----forget about it. So, here goes if you have the norm PC:

Go to Costco.com
Click on the Photos part
Sign in (get an account!)
Once you have signed in, on the bottom right side of the page, it will say Get your free copy of the Costco Photo Organizer System ---Download Now!

So, you DOWNLOAD the system. It can take a while, cause like Picasa, it will put all your photos on their system. Let it do it's work.

Then Costco should be in your programs. Find it in your programs, click on it. Then you should have a screen to search for pictures you want in your collage. Choose which pictures you want-----clicking on them should "hold" them for your collage.

Then you press Create (an option on top left)

Then choose the "print at home" option (or something like that)

Then you will see many templates on the top for a "letter" size collage. CLick on the one you want.

If you don't like any of those templates or sizes, on the top right, you can change the size of the collage (for a header picture like I did---the 4 by 6 or 5 by 7.

Then simply click on the pictures and move them toward the spaces you want them in for your collage. Then you can individually move pictures side to side or up and down to fit each space best.

Then you save your new image, or print it out, or whatever you want to do!!!

The longest part will be having them install software and finding your pics.

I love all the picture fun to be had with this free program! I think my Christmas collage calenders may be made in this way next year!

Hope this makes a lick of sense! Happy photo collage moments!

A Huge Benefit to Blogging!

Jen, Bon, and Traci


Clearly, I love the blogging world. It has added a new dimension to my life (or maybe some people would call it an obsession!) Anyway, it has been so much fun. Through comments on my blog, and commenting on the blogs of others, I have become so much closer to many of the people that I have known casually. I have a lot of cousins that I have not known all that well, but through blogging, I feel some of us have become good friends. How fabulous is that! I have also gained friends that I would've never met through blogging. As a Mom, sometimes it is hard to find new friends---especially since friendship takes time, and it can be hard to find the time to make new friends. Another blogging benefit. You can "comment" on others blogs at your convenience. You can find time for those blogging friendships on a daily basis. Anyway, it was so great last night-----I had to work in Utah county, and afterwards got to spend some time with some friends. I was so excited to have some girl time, and also was thrilled because my friend Jen's Mom (Bon) was there. It was so great to see her and spend time with her---we have gotten to know each other pretty well through blogging. She is an incredible person and it was so fun to spend some non-computer time with her. Anyway, I hope that I get to meet in person some of my blogging buddies; like Amy in Texas, among others. This blogging world is just great. I encourage all you "lurkers"" (see link for more info) to not just "lurk" but to start your own blogs. That way we can start some conversations and become friends. I am not a phone person, so I have done so much better through emails and through blogs. Anyway, this blogging thing is super fulfilling!!! Has anyone else met "blogging" friends in person? Wouldn't it be fun to have a "blog" party (not block party) and invite all the blogging friends? I just love any excuse for a party or get together!!!

My Own Personal Newspaper

I have already shared about the joys of google reader, which most of you probably know about and use (www.reader.google.com). The best thing about google reader, is you can check it daily to see what blogs that you read, have been updated. Much easier than checking each blog personally.

My newest discovery, which again, most of you probably already use, is blogsearch.google.com. This site is fabulous because you can search for your personal interests and find blogs related to your interests. I love it. So, after finding many great blogs on this site, I put the address into my google reader. It is so great, because each day, I check my google reader, and feel like I have my own custom-made newspaper, filled with all the topics of my interest---from individuals who I find interesting. It is just fabulous to have great reading information each day on subjects of interest. HERE is one of the cool sites I have come across. It is great to see the incredible skills of this woman on the other side of the world. As you can see, she has amazing flowers in her garden and makes incredible quilts. In Australia! I just love my daily newspaper made of blog entries!

HERE is another link I find quite amusing!

Benefits of a Birthday Slideshow!

OK, I just love a slideshow and am addicted to making them. I just thought I would share my theory behind my annual birthday slideshow for my children. One, it is so fun for them and the family to see their pictures (at least once a year)!


The main reason to do the slideshow is in preparation for their future! It is hard to do the first slideshow of each kid's life---finding the pictures, etc. However, once the first slideshow is done, then you can just update it every year, adding the best pictures of each year. NOT SO HARD!

The brilliance, is that by the time they are married, you will have an incredible, fabulous slideshow of their life---for their wedding, or just to give them as a fabulous gift---sorta' a scrapbook of their life. I am very happy because I have had the goal this year to do this for all my primary family members. I have done all the kids except for Little Brandon, and his birthday is next month. Definately Ethan and Brandon have been the hardest as many of their pictures are not digital---so I have to still try to find some of Brandon's baby pictures to scan or figure out. Anyway, once you do that first slideshow of their lives, keeping up every year is not hard. Anyway, this is my random theory on why the birthday slideshow is a great idea!

Another Blogging Discovery!

OK, I may be the last person in America to discover this, but my brother introduced me to something pretty cool today. It is www.reader.google.com ! If you already have a gmail account, you can just use your same password to get into this system or whatever it is. Anyway, if you are like me, checking out everyone's blog on a daily basis, this is awesome, because it will let you know which blog has a new posting automatically through checking the site. So, that way you can stay up-to-date without having to check all the blogs on a daily basis. Instead, you just check your "reader" account and it will give you all the new blog entries! Pretty awesome!!! Anything that adds to the convenience of daily life is a plus in my book. This "reader" will not work on blogs where you have to log in each time, so keep that in mind. You do have to put in all the blog addresses initially, and then you need to check that you have read the current postings, and then it will update you on future new postings. Pretty cool. Like I said, you all may be already using this technology, but for me this was a new option. Hope you like it!

P.S. You can also use this to keep up on new info on any website you find interesting. If you like a certain column in a newspaper, or a certain writer, or whatever---that way you are always given their newest info/feed. I love technology.

New Blogger Discovery

I have been blogging a long time, but just in the last week or so it has finally occurred to me to start labeling each blog entry. When you blog, you have a chance at the bottom of your blog entry, to add a label to that entry. I have realized this is a great way to do individualized scrapbooks for your kids, or to do a scrapbook by category. So, I just label each entry with who that story was about, or who was in the picture. Then, each tag comes up on the right side of my blog, with the number of entries related to it. So, when and if I choose to print out "books" for my kids from my blog, I can just print out those entries related to them. So, for new bloggers, start tagging now, it takes no time! For some of us, we have to go back and label our entries. I think this is a great feature and will be great for printing out their blog books eventually. That way I can have all their funny stories and pictures individualized to them. Sweet! Talk about saving time, money, and effort! You can also print out a book based on one of the categories. Through the years you could create a book with all "christmas" stories and pictures of all your Christmas's through the years. The possibilities are endless! Love this! Take a look at my labels on the right and you can see the various categories with which I am labeling my blog. Loving it! Although, I don't think I will ever be publishing a book with my "Trashy Tidbits!"

Your family history; for minutes a day!

My Blog 2006
The inside of the book

My blog book without the cover;nice hardcover!

I could not be more thrilled! The whole purpose of my blog has been to journal for our family so that memories will survive the test of time. At this point, I am very upset at myself for not having kept up with journaling in the early years of Brandon and Ethan's life. There are just so many things that happen that you are sure you will never forget----but then you do! Many memories; both good and bad, are lost forever.

My parents encouraged me to start journaling at a young age, and thanks to them, from the time I could write, I journaled nearly every day of my life. Very unfortunately, I quit this tradition when I got married, until I began blogging again. So, I have lost about 9 very critical years of my life from journaling, which I find sad. I still cannot stand to read these journals from my early years as it embarasses me! I am hoping one day I can organize them and have them put together in some organized fashion rather than having 20 or more journals that are falling apart, out of order, etc.

Anyway, the whole point of this blog entry, is Brandon was able to have my blog for the year 2006 (I started blogging in the summer of 2006, so it is not a complete year!) bound into a book. It is a little over 200 pages, with all the written entries and pictures, bound into a hardcover book! So, all those memories for our family, are in written form. It only cost Brandon about $45 for this book. After the year 2007 ends, he will have that printed into a book also. What a fabulous idea! All our family memories in a hardcover book, with all the written memories too, written at the time they happened! Scrapbooking can be fun, but it is SOOOO time consuming, expensive, and often doesn't stand the test of time. Also, there is so much concern with each page being "cute", that many of the memories are not discussed---which I think are so priceless.

Anyway, for all you bloggers out there, and for all the non-bloggers, I am telling you, this is such a great way to have a family history; for minutes a day. I would definately encourage you to get it printed into a book on a yearly basis. You can't beat the price. I don't even want to think how much money I have invested in scrapbooking, when you can have your own hardbound books made at such a fraction of the cost. (And I must say, it is SOOOO awesome to see it in print!) $45 or even $100 a year for a book of your own family history is pretty inexpensive! The only problem with my book, is since the recent blog entries are first, the book is backwards! Next time that will be fixed, but it sure is fun to look at 2006! How nice to have the pictures and blog entries together, and not have to worry about a picture, or cute embellishment falling off the page; as often happens with scrapbooking. Seriously, this is the only way to go!!!!!

The other great thing for a Mom, is you don't have to make a scrapbook for each child, you can just print off a copy for each child!!! Dreamy!

Blurb.com was the website we used to print the blog into a book! Happy blog and book making! Talk about an incredible Christmas gift for the family!!! It does not get better than this in my opinion!