Capturing Memories

I love scrap booking but I've never been very good. My mother-in-law Lisa makes amazing scrap books and I always buy a bunch of creative memories merchandise thinking I can duplicate them...fail.

I began blogging as an alternate way to try and capture stories, events, activities, etc. and recently investigating venues to convert blog posts to a hard copy book.

I looked mainly at Blog 2 Print, Fast Pencil, and Blurb. This is my own personal experience with these companies.

I found Blog 2 Print to be incredibly irritating to try and make changes and gave up after getting frustrated trying to change the cover picture!

Fast Pencil I started reading was not compatible with Blogger so you needed to convert your blog to another platform, etc. and I again found myself thinking there had to be an easier way.

I had my doubts with Blurb when I realized I needed to download software in order to be able to use it. Desperate though I decided to give it a shot.

After it downloaded I got started making my first book. I was able to select exactly which posts I wanted to be included in my particular book, which was a plus since I was hoping to make one for each year.

I started blogging last July so I downloaded all of my posts from the start of the blog through our Christmas vacation.

Blurb automatically arranges the posts onto a default layout and you have the ability to modify that layout however you'd like. It took me a little while to learn some of the quarks, but once I got the hang of it I loved the control and personalization I was able to give it.

In fact, I was very easily able to add more pages to the front and insert pictures and stories from the first half of the year as well making it a full 2011 album.

I finished editing and proofing the book hoping that it's printed quality would match its versatility and I would have my new software for blog-converted scrapbooks.

This weekend after arriving home exhausted from my girl's shopping trip (read about it here), I saw my book in the mail!

The book is 70 pages but still thin (which will be good after we've collected quite a few). I did the upgraded page thickness because it was only a few dollars. I used a coupon from Retail Me Not and the total with shipping was $49.35.


I absolutely LOVE it!! The quality is amazing and I couldn't be happier with the end result! I will definitely be using them for future Stingerie family memories!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone