Snow Curls

A few weeks ago we took the boys up to Mary's Peak for the day to play in the snow. It was already starting to melt when we were there, though they boys had fun sledding and making snow angels. On the way back down the mountain I saw these and just had to have a picture. They were just to neat looking. Just like someone had come and purposely dragged the snow down making curls.

 

Fall Colors

One

Starker Forest

Blurb

** This is not a sponsored post. I just love them this much.**

Last year I posted about Blurb. For those who don't know and why don't you they are a site that publishes books made by you. I started using them in 2008 and fell in love with them shortly after that. A bit of warning though if you a scrapbooker it will take time to love them, they are a totally different median than what you are used to.

First off a bit of history on me: I was a scrapbooker WAS being the key word. I don't have time anymore, it's not that I don't enjoy it, it is that between the shop, boys, school, yard, house and what little time I have for friends I just don't have time. My photos were piling up and I found myself not taking as many photos that way I would have less to catch up on when I finally did have time to scrapbook again. Now that is just not a great idea. Well I started doing some research and there are many places online that you can do photo books, well I chose blurb because they fit my needs the best. While I was a scrapbooker my pages were always very simple and to the point. Perhaps a picture or two matted on the page, then some writing then off to the next one. For being the girly girl that I am; I am pretty no frills and fuss about some stuff. That being said they do have formats that have more to them, I always choose the "darkroom" which is black pages with white writing. My photos really stand out on the pages and I love the clean look.

I finally finished/published our 2009 family album in October and since then I have finished/published the 2010 album that I give to family. I also just finished/published the album from our trip to Washington DC in 2009. Sometimes I get backed up, but really a couple of rainy days and I am caught up again. Now these aren't the cheapest books, the family albums that I make for us are about $60 each and the ones I give to family are really reasonable at $15 each. I figure that is a really good deal considering if you figure out how much it costs for printing pictures, the album, paper, stickers and special pens, plus all the other gadgets and such that you think you should have (I have them all) it would be close to $200 per album, and yes there is something so special about putting together an album, but I put these together too.

With all this I am not saying that I won't scrapbook again. I will, but that will come when my life isn't quite so busy, and I can take the time to enjoy it, instead of feeling rushed that it just has to get done.

Poison Oak

While we were on our hike last weekend I took my camera and while we were out and about I noticed lots and lots of poison oak on the trail that we were on. Now being a person who is HIGHLY allergic to the stuff I was a bit concerned that the boys would bring it home with them but so far so good. It wasn't that close to the trail I was just worried that they would "crash" and fall into the stuff. For those who don't know what it looks like here it is. It is very easy to identify in the fall since it turns that pretty red color. Just remember it is just for looking...ONLY looking no touching, if you touch you will be sorry.

My Sunrise

More Peonies

I normally don't pick the flowers in my yard but I decided to pick these after the rainstorm that we had last night. They were all laying over and heavy from the rain. They are almost as beautiful in my house as they are in the yard.

Photobooks at Blurb

I have always been a scrap booker, but in the last few years I haven't had much time for it. (imagine why....3 boys remember) So when I found myself not taking pictures of my kids because I was so far behind already I knew I had to do something different. Through Matt & Maddy I found this site, and I have fallen in love with it. It is so simple to use.

When I did my first album it was honestly disappointed in it. At that time I thought it should look just like my scrapbooks, but after my hubby explained to me (several times) that it isn't a scrapbook, so I shouldn't expect it to look like one. I decided to give it another try and the next one I fell in love with. I have now made 4 that are completed and published, and I have another 4 that I am working on. I have done family albums and I am working on an album from our DC trip.

The program is great you download from the internet to your computer, so once you have that done you don't need to have internet to work on your album. You just copy your photos onto the program and they stay there until you are ready to start. It is nice that I can copy my photos monthly and work on the album a bit at a time instead of all at the end of the year. Another bonus is that you can order 1 album or as many as you want. With three boys I would never have the time to make them all an album every year this way I just choose 4 and I am set. If you are so inclined you can sell albums or send them to your family to purchase. I make one every year as a gift to the grandparents, it isn't as extensive as our family album, it is more highlights of the year.

Now all that being said, they aren't the same as scrap booking. It is a bit like doing all your scrapbooking at the end of the year since you don't really get to look at your photos unless on the computer until you have your album published. When you upload your album to Blurb it will take awhile if you don't have fast internet.

One other tip...the better your camera the better your album will turn out. I bought a new camera (Nikon D90) when I started doing this and it has made a HUGE difference in the quality of my photography.

I have had to use customer support a couple times, they are quick to respond and are very helpful. I still plan on doing my scrap booking when I can, but now it just doesn't feel as rushed to get it done. So if you want to try it I would give Blurb a try.

By the way no one asked me to give them a review I just love them that much.

Flowers

Sunset

Sunset on the Oregon Coast in January

Nature

I have started to play with some photography, these are from a hike May 2008