Tag Archives: Weekend Projects

Photo Book Inspiration: Easter

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Every family has its own special way of celebrating Easter. Getting up early to attend sunrise service together is the most important event of the day for some people. For others, grandmother’s famous ham with a side of candied yam casserole is the highlight. And some competitive types might wait all year to have the opportunity to tackle siblings and cousins in the annual down-and-dirty Easter egg hunt.

This year, get out the camera and take a basket’s worth of pictures and then make an Inkubook that’s as unique as your family’s traditions.

  • Build an album of Easters throughout the years.
  • Collect favorite Easter recipes in a cookbook.
  • Make a step-by-step manual about egg coloring.
  • Compile a portfolio of your children’s Easter-themed doodles and drawings.
  • Create a “Where’s the Bunny” picture book for your toddler.

Whatever the inspiration for your book, Inkubook can help you get it done.

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Photo Books for Record Keeping

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Have you considered making a photo book of your valuables for insurance purposes? Photo books are for more than good times, they are also great for record keeping. From jewelry to coins to stamps or anything else you’ve noted valuable enough to put a rider on your home or renters insurance, photographic proof is a great way to document, in case of a fire, natural disaster or other major loss.

During your spring cleaning, go around your home and take pictures of your valuables – you may even come across something you’d forgotten you owned. Use bright lighting and consider placing your (small) items on or in front of a piece of white poster board for simplicity. Be sure to document the date of ownership, carat/size, mineral of the item, whether it’s been appraised or not and other pertinent information.

Select the 7×5″ Mini Brag Book and use black or white background for your backgrounds. Once the book is printed put it in a safe spot such as a safe, fire box or safety deposit box so you know where it is should it ever be needed.

Photo Books for Record Keeping

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A Fairy Tale Book: Starring Your Kids

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For National Tell a Fairy Tale Day, we’re asking our members to post a fairy tale on our Facebook page.

To break away from the usual Cinderella and Snow White adaptations, I wrote my own narration of a lesser-known fairy tale: Mother Holle (pronounced “holl-ee”) by the Brothers Grimm. I hope it inspires you to find and post a fairy tale that is new to you. Or even write your own fairy tale.

I’ve taken my version of Mother Holle a step further by having had my friend’s kids act out the story so we could make a children’s book with the photos instead of illustrations.

What will you do with your story?

Family Fairy Tale

 

Mother Holle (holl-ee):

Once upon a time, a kind serving girl lived on her father’s farm with her stepmother, the Widow and Stepsister. The Widow spoiled her daughter making her very selfish, lazy, and unkind; and it left the Serving Girl to do all the chores.

One day when the Serving Girl was spinning on the spinning wheel she pricked her finger and got blood on the thread. Worried about how angry the Widow would be, she rushed to the well to wash it off.

However, the Serving Girl dropped the spindle into the well and when she went to reach for it, she fell in! She went tumbling down and when she finally reached the bottom, she found herself in a new magical land.

Searching for the spindle, the Serving Girl came across an apple tree. “Shake me! Shake Me!” said the tree. “We apples are ripe.” said the apples, “If we don’t fall soon we’ll rot!” And so the Serving Girl shook the tree so that the apples would fall.

The Serving Girl then came across an oven with bread. “Help us, Help us!” yelled the bread. “If we don’t come out soon we’ll bur!” and so the Serving Girl took the bread out of the oven.

At last the Serving Girl came across a cottage where a good witch lived. “Hello” the Serving Girl said. “Can you help me? I’ve lost my spindle.” “I can help you find your spindle, but you must also help me” said the good witch. “You must help me clean and cook, and you must shake my pillows until the feathers fly.”

“Why must the feathers fly from your pillows?” the Serving Girl asked. The good witch replied, “Because my dear, I am Mother Holle, and when my pillows shake until feathers fly, it snows on Earth.”

And so the Serving Girl helped Mother Holle with the cooking and cleaning, and shaking the pillows until the feathers fly. “Good news!” exclaimed Mother Holle one day. “I found your spindle! Now you can go home!” “But I don’t know how.” The girl replied. “I can take you there, and to thank you for all our help, I will send you with a reward.” said Mother Holle. And with the wave of her wand, Mother Holle sent the Serving Girl home.

When the Serving Girl arrived home, she was covered in gold and jewels. She told her family about the magical land, and the good witch who lived there. The Widow was so angry that her stepdaughter had this newfound wealth, when her own daughter had nothing.

So, she told the Stepsister “Go to this magical land, and find Mother Holle. Then you will have gold and jewels too.” And with that, the Widow threw the spindle down the well, and kicked the Stepdaughter in after it.

In the magical land, the Stepsister came across the apple tree. “Shake me! Shake me!” the tree said. “Turn us loose! We apples are ripe!” added the apples. “No!” exclaimed the Stepsister “I don’t want to scratch myself on the branches.” And so, the apples rotted.

The Stepsister then passed by the oven. “Let us out!” cried the bread. “Or we will burn!” “No. I don’t want to get dirty.” said the Stepsister. And then the bread burned.

When the Stepsister arrived at Mother Holle’s house, she banged on the door loudly. “I’m looking for my spindle.” She stated. “I have not seen your spindle.” Mother Holle replied. “But I will help you find it if you help me with my chores.” “Fine.” the Stepsister wined. “And don’t forget to shake the pillows until feathers fly, so that it snows on Earth.” Added Mother Holle.

The Stepsister did very little to help Mother Holle. She ignored her chores and was very rude. When Mother Holle returned the spindle to her, she demanded her reward. “Don’t worry you’ll get what you deserve” replied Mother Holle.

And when she returned home, the Stepsister was covered in ashes which could not be removed for the rest of her life.

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Researching a President for Presidents’ Day

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President James Madison

Presidents’ Day is observed the third Monday of February. For me, it’s more than a day off, it’s a chance to learn more about my ancestry.

You see, I have a lot of knowledge on the fifth Vice President of the United States: Elbridge Gerry—as I am one of his descendants. I and the rest of my family however, know very little about the president under which he served.

Part of why we know so little about the president VP Gerry served, is we can’t remember which president it was. You’d think it would be easy to match VP to President. Gerry was the fifth Vice President but served under the fourth President. Furthermore, the fourth and fifth presidents are similarly named “James Madison” and “James Monroe”. So to make Presidents’ Day more than just another day off, I  sat down and read about James Madison. At the very least, I’ll know my family history, and maybe I’ll be the person my family turns to when they want to learn more about our heritage.

Through my research, which you can read below, I decided I would combine this information and photos into a photo book to have on hand for any family questions that may arise.

 James Madison

Before being elected into office, James Madison served in the Continental Congress and the Virginia Assembly. He contributed to the earliest drafting of both the United States Constitution and the Virginian Constitution. He later took great part in the Constitution’s major ratification and helped frame the Bill of Rights.

Madison served as Thomas Jefferson’s Secretary of State and thus had the responsibility of negotiating with France and Spain the purchase of the land west of the Mississippi River, which became known as the Louisiana Purchase.

Madison was elected President in 1808. In his first year, the U.S. had prohibited trade between Britain and France, due to the two countries’ conflicts with one another. However by May of 1810 Congress authorized trade with both countries as long as they respected the U.S.’s wishes to remain neutral.

This did not go well. Napoleon only pretended to agree and British ships stopped American trading ships and seized American seamen. Later, Britain was blamed for causing resistance from the American Indians in regards to settlements in the western region.

The United States declared war on Britain June 18, 1812.

Madison commanded American troops on the field—the only president to do so while in office.

While he was away, the British burned the White House and the rest of the nation’s capitol. They then attempted (and failed) to launch a naval assault on Fort McHenry in Baltimore. The battle was the inspiration for Francis Scott Key’s poem, The Star Spangled Banner, which of course, would become the National Anthem.

The War of 1812 ended on December 24, 1814 when both sides agreed on terms of peace.  It is said that the war set where the United States stood as a nation in relationship to the rest of the world.

In April 1812—just before the start of the 1812 election, Madison’s Vice President George Clinton, died. After an intense period of “election-eering” by potential VP candidates, Madison announced Elbridge Gerry as his running mate for his re-election campaign.

Vice President Elbridge Gerry

When Madison’s second term ended in 1817, he and his wife, Dolley Madison, retired to the family estate: Montpelier, in Virginia. He stayed active in politics, finding the American Colonization Society, which was dedicated to freeing slaves and transporting them to Africa’s west coast; He served on the board of visitors at the University of Virginia. In 1829 Madison came out of retirement to attend the Virginia Constitutional Convention.

Madison died at the age of 85 in 1836.

The signers of the Constitution. Gerry and Madison are depicted 3rd & 4th to the left of Washington.

Sources:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/jamesmadison

http://montpelier.org/explore/james_madison/

http://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/common/generic/VP_George_Clinton.htm

 

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Sick days can be a gift.

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My kids gave me a gift this weekend, though at first, I didn’t see it as a gift. Why? Because they gave me something that was given to them, the flu.

When illness hit Saturday morning my first thoughts were “but I have things to do today and a big pile of laundry.” By Saturday evening, firmly planted on the sofa with my laptop providing much needed heat, I realized the gift I was given – time. Time to organize my photos and upload them to Inkubook to make my Fall-Winter 2011 photo book. On Sunday, day two of the gift, I was able to tweak photos, play with backgrounds and add in comments. As soon as I’m clear-headed (which I hope will be today), I’ll give it a final review, then order. I wonder who I can pass my gift on to (I mean the photo book, of course)?

“Time does not change us. It just unfolds us.” Max Frisch

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Give the keepsakes of your love this Valentine’s

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Whether you’re in high school, engaged or have been married 25 years, you likely have a box (or two) of love notes, movie stubs, pressed flowers, photo booth photos, greeting cards, pictures of you together at parties or on vacation and other keepsakes. Consider taking those sweet nothings that your SO may not even know you’ve kept, scan them and make a photo book of all of the small things that have added up to big, lasting love.

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Inspiration: Candy Hearts Brag Book

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Want to show the one you love how loved they are this Valentine’s? Want to do it in a personalized, creative and unique way that’s sweeter and longer lasting than a box of chocolates? Here’s the recipe to make one thoughtful Candy Hearts Brag Book.

Ingredients:

  • Scissors
  • Construction paper
  • Marker
  • Camera (or phone)
  • Teaspoon of creativity
  • Teaspoon of sweetness
  • Dash of sauciness [optional]

 

Assembly:

Take 14 pieces of construction paper and fold them in half. Cut hearts from each piece. Then write sayings like “Be Mine”, “I<3 You”, “U R Cute” as well as some of your own [sweet if for your child, saucy if for your SO]. Once your hearts are ready, take pictures or have someone take pictures of you holding each heart. Upload them and create a book. Add more sweet nothings by adding text boxes. And since the minimum Inkubook page count is 20, you could make a few more hearts and take a few more pictures.

Candy Hearts Photobook

Give a sweet gift that’ll last way longer than a chocolate filled heart.

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Forever Capture Holiday Traditions in a Photo Book

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Every family has its special holiday traditions from when they put up the Christmas tree to where they put the Minorah. Traditions are part of what make the holidays special and memorable.

Cookies & Trees

Since they first had teeth, my daughters each get a 99 cent Advent calendar with the waxy chocolate on the evening of November 30th. They enjoy the daily candy and I enjoy it helps countdown the days until Christmas instead of being asked each day. Come to think of it, my mom did the same for me and my sister. And, while we generally skip seeing Santa at the mall, we do have breakfast with him every year. Another tradition is my father reading ‘Twas the Night before Christmas by Clement C. Moore on Christmas Eve to all of the grandkids complete with voices and sound effects. Partnered with that, is the “you get to open one gift on Christmas Eve and it’s going to be holiday pajamas” tradition. A good friend of mine has his children decorate the tree without adult interference and they spend a Saturday in the kitchen making all sorts of good treats to give to the church, neighbors and family. What special holiday traditions does your family have?

Santa Visit

From the first snow, St. Nicholas Day, breakfast with Santa, and the first night of Hanukah to the First day of winter, The Twelve Days of Christmas, and exterior illumination, December is full of photo ops. Capture your special traditions in a Holiday Traditions photo book and smile the whole year through.

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Bring Christmas Past Into The Present

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The lights, the music, the holiday cheer and the big guy in the red suit – something about the Christmas season seems to bring out the child in all of us. And while you may not look as young as you feel, you can relive the days when you did with Inkubook vintage Christmas photo books.

This year, while you’re up in the attic getting down the decorations, look around for some boxes of old photos. You’re bound to find stacks of forgotten pictures that will rekindle the memories of Christmases and haircuts past. Once you’ve collected enough pictures, simply scan them to a computer and upload them directly into an Inkubook. Vintage Christmas photo books make great presents, especially for those in the difficult-to-buy-for category.

But photo books aren’t your only option. Instead of hassling with getting the entire family together for a picture, use one of the classics for this year’s holiday greeting card. It’s sure to be one of the most unique cards anyone receives, and it’s much less embarrassing than the matching holiday sweaters families usually wear in the pictures.

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Gooooo Inkubook!!

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It’s a magical time of year for sports fans. Football season is in full swing, basketball has just tipped off, and whether you prefer the hardwood, the hockey rink or the gridiron, everyone, players and fans alike, will love Inkubook team sports books.

If your season has just begun, start taking a camera to games, practices and pep rallies to capture every aspect of your favorite sports. Collect newspaper articles and box scores to include in your book so you won’t miss a stat. If this year’s season is already in the record books or about to wrap up, make a photo book to tide you over in the offseason, or as a gift to an athlete or coach on the team.

You can include interviews with players, coaches and even referees to cover every angle of the game. Also, Inkubook has a variety of sports-themed backgrounds and art to decorate each page and help you show your team spirit.

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