Sharing one of my cherished possessions

In the movie The sound of Music, there was a litany of favorite things that the Von Trapp family sang. I have my own version and one of them is making memories, from planning trips, travelling, taking pictures of the places and my kids, collecting souvenir items and postcards to scrapbooking and making the photo books. Even if the events happened a long time ago, organizing the photos and Journalling bring back the happiest of memories.

My latest photo book was from our Hong Kong Disneyland trip back in 2009. This was our last holiday before we flew to Canada as immigrants. As we celebrate our 3rd anniversary in Canada, It's fun to look back. Here's our Disneyland trip from Summer 2009 - took 3 years to finish. This is for Sharyn too (her first trip outside the Philippines). Enjoy!

Link

Our "Firsts in Canada" Photobook

I have been waiting for this moment to arrive. The long hours spent on the computer on my vacation this Christmas week and dried, tired eyes are worth it. Here's the finished product of my labor of love (only selected 30 pages are shown, the book's total pages = 200) - Our firsts in Canada Blurb photobook:

A first time for everything | Make Your Own Book

Sharing our East Canada tour photobook

It's been a year since our trip to Kingston, Ottawa, Montreal, Quebec City and 1000 Islands and it's about time I post our photobook. Enjoy viewing!

My Artscow projects

I already received my Artscow projects and I was happy with them. I was an Artscow fan since last year. I used their products for my Christmas and Valentine gifts and the recipients were very happy to see their precious photos too. What's more important than getting these quality items in real, real bargain and they have great promos you can't resist. Would you believe that the items in the picture - the mousepad, the camera case and the keychain watch are all free? Well, for the mousepad, I think I paid $1.99 only for the shipping. What a way to showcase your loved ones in these value-for-money photo thingies! :)

My gift to Alexus - First Year Photobook

I want to share the photobook I made for Alexus for his first year. I was hoping to get him a studio portrait but we need to have an appointment and it's fully booked until Christmas. Anyway, I included the shots I took after our unsuccessful trip to the studio to complete his album which I started last October. Thanks to Ces and Sharyn for sending me the photos we left in the Philippines and also for Lito for letting me use his Paypal account (mine's already consumed in Artscow and online shopping hahaha). I'm so excited to get the printed copy. Here's Alexus' First Year photobook.

Travel Photobooks

I just finished the first travelbooks I made in Artscow. So far I have only made the Bohol and Palawan books. I still have to finish the HongKong and First Year in Canada books. I might consider going back to Blurb for this 2 if I'm not happy with the quality of my Artscow books. Let's wait and see.

Looking at it online, I'm happy with the results. I just hope that the printed copy is much better. I can't wait to get hold of my books. Here's the preview: A Paradise called Bohol and Wonders of Palawan. Let me know what you think.

Sharing Kyle's ABC Book

I have been busy these past weeks doing the kids and our travel photobooks. So far I have only finished 3 and the other one for Lex is still in progress, waiting for his First Birthday photos. I wonder if he will ever have a party (ninu-ninu-ninu). It's already the 15th and no party planning yet. Anyway, at least I already have my gift. I also made one for Candy as birthday present. But here's my latest, an ABC Book for Kyle's Toddler Years. I hope I can finish the Palawan and Hong Kong travel books before the free 8x8 (39 pages) from Artscow expires soon.

Artscow items finally arrived

I'm so excited. The artscow items arrived today. I was not expecting them but the shipping took less than 2 weeks. Galing! I was happy with my orders but they are supposed to be surprise gifts for our anniversary and christmas, Lito opened the package and spoil the surprise LOL. Now I need to get him another one, he likes what I got for Irvin and Faye and he wants the same too. We need to have our family portrait taken in a studio for the project. I hope I can find a mala The Picture Company studio here that is not that expensive.

I cannot show the artscow items here because it will spoil the surprise but I was really happy. Here's the link to one of them. Although there is a tag that was not centered and almost missed Miggy's face but it's forgivable good thing it doesn't cost much, I can order again. Online shopping is cool! LOL

My First Born's Photobook

Aloysius didn't have a scrapbook like Achilles. I made a photo album for him using clear sheets and plain white paper and since I cannot find the negatives of his baby photos, I didn't made a new scrapbook for him. While I was doing Kyle's First Year Scrapbook, he helped me cut the papers using craft scissors and put rubber stamps. I just told him, I cannot make him something like Kyle's because I don't have his old pictures anymore, I didn't want to destroy the plain white paper scrapbook I made for him either (actually, I'm just tamad. BTW, I sprayed acid-free mist to his album to preserve them). I still remember that look on his face and I promised myself to make him a growing up scrapbook before his 7th birthday. But last year, the situation is difficult. I was busy with work, the new baby and taking care of them because Lito was not here, his 7th birthday celebration which is supposed to be a blast was not even close to his first birthday. I know, I was a bad mommy to my firstborn and it's time to make amends. I hope that when he receives the photobook on his birthday this December, he will remember my promise and that I fulfilled it.

Making the photobook was sentimental. I was teary-eyed seeing the old pictures of my first-born (well, only those captured in digital cameras while he was already in 2 years old). I remember vividly how cute he was having some babyfats and now I can't believe that he was turning 8 and telling me "I can do this by myself, I'm not a baby". I made the pages in chronological order and the 30 pages was not enough for all those I selected. Because I was reminiscing, I forgot to save the file and lost the 10 pages I added when I accidentally hit the back button. GRRR talaga! But then I realized, I was supposed to be making a 20-page 8x8 photobook to avail the freebie. haay!

Anyway, here's the link so that you will know why I'm being sentimental. Check out Miggy's Growing Up Years and enjoy. (I hope more paid blog opps come to replenish my Paypal account hahaha.)

Latest Netfind: Artscow for our 10th anniv gift

I was busy this past week looking for my photo archives because I wanted to create Photobooks for the kids. I came across Julliefer's Blog and saw the Dog Tags she made for her family using Artscow. I visited the site and got hooked too. First, I made dog tags for my christmas gifts - I just hope they'll like it. Then, I found out that there are coupons and freebies for new members like me so I started browsing for the other products. I found the small photobooks really cheap (7x5 20 pp for $2.99 with free shipping and 8x8 20 pp for 4.99 with free shipping although for 12 x 12, I still find Blurb cheaper without coupons pa yun). Next thing I knew, I was already browsing for designer kits to use for my photobooks (digital scrapbooking style). There are lots of designs and themes to choose from, I was overwhelmed and excited at the same time. After choosing a free quick pages kit (drag and drop style, I'm not into Photoshop yet), I immediately chose the photos. At first, I was planning to do the kids photobooks, then I saw a cute 7x5 bragbook template for our wedding anniversary so I found myself doing my 10th anniversary gift to myself and Lito in December. I was pleased with the results. You can check it out here. Let me know what you think wink ;)

"We love New York" blurb book is out

My second book "We love New York" is hot off the press. Finally, I was able to finish my 80-page travel photobook. You may want to check it out >> click here. Next thing to do is to look for blurb coupons to avail discount.

Next projects: Bohol and Palawan Travel Photobooks

My First Blurb Book

What is Blurb?

Blurb is a company and a community that believes passionately in the joy of books – reading them, making them, sharing them, and selling them.

Holding a finished book with your name on the cover is a truly amazing feeling; it’s one of those experiences everyone should have.

I started browsing and contemplating on using Blurb in the middle of the year but it's only now that I was able to finish a whole book. Well, it's taking me so long to conceptualize my kids album so I took a different approach and made my trip to the US my first Blurb project and would you believe I was able to finish it in 2 days. I realized that all the pictures in the Sony T7 camera were set in low-resolution (good for web use only) so I was disappointed that I was not able to use the full bleed/ full spread templates for my book. Good thing, Blurb has other options. I was able to use the collage and smaller squares templates and it only took 46 pages for all my pictures from the US trip.

Thanks for Noreen and Mylene from N@W who introduced me to Blurb and answered all my queries. I even got discount coupon codes from the site Mylene gave and took advantage of $10 off my whole book (10 x 8 landscape, hardbound with imagewrap) which costs $40.22 plus shipping within US. I'm so excited to receive the actual book.

Check this out - the preview of my Blurb Photobook