Picture Perfect Presents

As if decking the Halls, and scheduling everyone’s holiday schedule isn’t stressful enough, it’s that time of year when all of us seem to be scrambling to find the perfect gift for the people we love, the ones we only get to see once a year if we are lucky! Can I get an Amen? Hopefully, I can help you out in your quest, and you may be surprised that you can find everything you need in a shoebox in the closet and a computer.

It’s no secret how I found my profession and passion. I remember it well, a spring day 12 years ago I had this overwhelming urge to get the family together for a family photo. No one could juggle their schedules to get together and the issue was dropped. It really bothered me but what can a girl do? Three days later my father died suddenly of a heart attack. I realized at that moment that every “thing” I was ever going to get from my father I owned, and every photo I had of him was already taken.

A few years later, my cousin presented me with a photo of me and my father embracing. Obviously nothing fancy, but priceless!

You guess it! My gift giving ideas are all about photos!

The digital age has transformed the way we view our photos and has made it incredibly simple to reproduce and share.

One of my favorite sites for digital cards is www.smilebox.com. Their creations can turn your photos into a mini slide show while having the look and feel of a greeting card. I use this company for every birthday and special occasion.

One of my “go to” companies for professional slideshows is www.emotionmedia.com. You can upload your photos directly from your computer, select your music and it will arrive on your doorstep within the week! E Motion Media will do all the work for you.

For online slide shows visit www.vimeo.com.

If you want to turn a photo into jewelry www.kimbrastudios.com is a wonderful place to visit. For men they have belt buckles, money clips, and key chains. For women, there are necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and so much more! Their designs are made out of sterling silver so need to worry about the “cheese” factor! Simply beautiful craftsmanship!

www.flashbags.com is a great place to make your own photo bags. Want to give someone a tote or a purse with special photographs? Flash Bags are wonderful and don’t break the bank.

And one more idea just for you, if you are giving a book you can turn the pages into a treasure trove by using photo splits to affix old photos throughout the book. Not only is the book a real page turner the photos are a nice added touch.

Turn your photos into gift tags. When you use photo gift tags there is no reason to read the tags just look at the photo. You will be amazed at how much people comment on the gift wrapping. Suddenly, your tag is a gift for the gift!

Let me know your ideas and what you like to do with your photos.

Coming soon a article just for decorating with photos at Holiday time!

Looking forward to getting to know each other better!