HippieDog

Photo Organizing

I absolutely love photos and capturing those special moments.
I think Everyone does :)

Everytime I would open our game/photo book closet, I would be overwhelmed with a HUGE mess. I really thought I was organized when it came to my photos. Somehow through the years, pictures were pulled out and thrown in a box. Sometimes a photo book would have doubles and lots of photos never made it in the photo books.

So this is what I did......not rocket science but it worked for me and I had a little inspiration from a favorite blog.

I used an old photo box that came with about ten index cards---I needed a lot more than ten. I used different colors of scrapbook paper and cut more using the original card as a template. I wrote the year on each index card and started sorting photos.

Most of my albums were ruined with the spines broke and plastics torn out. I pulled the photos out one by one from each book. It was so hard to remember that far back but I started putting the pictures in the correct year they were taken. (with the help of my husband Dan, he has elephant memory capabilities).

Note: Photo doubles stay in the box to use for scrapbooking and/or our kids memory books.

 

I bought new photos books for each year. Well, I bought a few so far---this will take some time.

I began with the current year and I'm working my way back---this was so much easier for me and I could see instant progresss (probably because I could remember the current year--ha!) memory loss.

Note: Thank God for my blog because I have to refer to it often to see what we were doing and the year it was. Now I just have to figure out what happened in the years 2006 and back :)

Just a few of the cute photo books I found this year. I wait until they are on sale and use a coupon, only buying a few at a time. I make sure they have a spot on each page for journaling because what I have learned is we think we will remember every photo and where it was taken but truth be told......not so much.

Also, I try to find the books with the picture frame photo on the cover. I love this because I instantly know the year or at least what types of photos are inside.

I love the journaling sections on each page of the photo albums. I find that almost every photo album has this feature now---that's a big reason why I'm replacing all of my old photo albums--even if they aren't damaged.

I grabbed my Smash pen and started journaling. I keep the current year on my night stand and  journal a little each night. It's relaxing and the photos bring back great memories.

Tell the story now.....because many years down the road when our grandkids and their grandkids are looking through photos---I think it would rest their minds to know that everyone in the family really didn't wear this get-up everyday :)

Special moments that don't happen everyday.

Vacationing.....

Photo books with photo frames on the cover---use to quickly identify the year of the book.
I place my favorite photo of the year in this spot.

I plan to buy a huge box like the floral one in the photo above for each member of our family. This will be their memory box to store loose photos that are doubles, awards, certificates, artwork and special keepsakes.

I'll probably find a non-floral design for the boys in the family. Probably.

I print my photos at Walmart or Shutterfly. I choose the highlights of the month or the really special moments. Truth be told, half of my photo library, the past few years are pictures of food. That will be great for a cookbook someday :) We are working on that too for the Fall.

I usually get doubles and use one set for the yearly photobooks and the other set for occasional scrapbooking. I don't get to scrapbook very often---but when I do it's so addicting and such a fun happy hobby. I would also like to try a few pages using digital scrapbooking.

 

My favorite thing right now, is making photo books. I love Shutterflys templates.
I made this Jake Adventure book in no time at all and he loves it.

To get ready, I organized all of my photos in folders on my computer. I found this great idea from a favorite blog, It will change your life. This gal really inspires me with organizing my life.

 

Make a Folder for each year and within that year make sub folders: Spring, Summer, Winter Beginning and Winters End.

You can even break down each sub folder into events like, holidays, adventures, family parties....etc.

Sometimes I make photo albums in Blurb too---

This one is my "2007 Blog Book". It's almost finished---just 5 more blog years to go after that. Someday, just in case my blog is no longer, I really want to have a copy of my favorite blogging moments to always remember and pass down to my kids---since they are the stars of the show.

After I finish organizing all of my photos in their folders---I weed out the photos and just keep what I need---I take hundreds of photos of cookies or a room---I just really don't need all of them.

For my back-up photo plan this is what I do.

I gradually send each season to Shutterfly to store my photos. This comes in handy when I'm making my photo blogs using Shutterfly.  I also have an account at FLICKR---I back-up my photos here too. This comes in handy when I'm using Blurb to make my books.

Last but not least----I back up my photos using an external hard drive. I bought a terabyte. This should hold my massive collection of photos :) maybe----

Overkill? Sure----but photos are so important---I'm not taking a chance.

I would also love to make a yearly movie with photos and burn them on a DVD. I just need a few more hours in the day---but as soon as I'm caught up that's what I'll be doing---in the year 2022.

Happy Photo Organizing :)

 

Photos and more photos......

We are still in organizing and Spring Summer cleaning mode around here.

Better late than never right? I still need to snap a few photos of our completed spaces......I sure wish my camera would come back home to us. Still in the repair shop : (

Note to self: Do not EVER ever.....leave camera on trampoline in 102 degree weather---overnight.

 

A few weeks ago, I went a little nuts and pulled out all of our photos. Some in books, some not---just a total mess. My parents bought me my first camera in 5th grade, and I'm a photo junky---so you could just imagine how many photos we have.

Things I couldn't believe:

1. hundreds of photos taken of my dog (sometimes she wasn't in the photos) *5th grade---guess I must have missed the shot.

2. rude photos of my sisters and brother (eating and sleeping) **6th grade up until a few years ago when I matured slightly.

3. Photos of my room--when I was little, with a gazillion stuffed animals posed on my bed (even then I was staging photos).

I will share more this week on how I organized all of our photos---well I'm still working on that one :) To tell you the truth, I've loved every single minute of it. I made so many mistakes along the way but finally found a system that I love. I usually do take the long route.

 

July Journaling.....

This is my journal art page I created for the month of July.

After I finished, I thought this looked a bit like Christmas.

Christmas in July perhaps :)

I found the saying, "Life is Good---Be Happy" in one of my magazines a few months back and loved it.

So when things seem tough and really not so much----I turn to this July journal page and remember I have so much to be thankful for.

Note to self: Turn to page often while at work.

Next month, my craft room will get a makeover and much needed organizing. I'm planning a Fall show in mid October so I best be sewing soon.

In a few weeks, it's fabric shopping time---this always inspires me. I choose my fabrics and the rest is just fate. The dolls somehow come to life with the fabrics they are given.

Yay for fabric shopping. I can't wait! Oh, and more journal junking to come :)

Have a great day!

"Life is Good.......Be Happy"

June Planner Junk

Each month I create a new Planner Junkie page for my Franklin.

I use my planner for so many things:

1. grocery list
2. to do list
3. financial planning
4. work stuff (rarely---i try to keep this a happy space)
5. save the date
6. doodling
7. HippieDog craft show ideas
8. thoughts and foolishness
9. anything Jake
10. Menu planning

Each page is created with a paper-sewn pocket for special keepsakes for that month.

Love is......a pretty place to put your thoughts.

room by room

I'm still wondering how and why I'm enjoying this spring cleaning-redecorating project of ours.

When we moved in over five years ago, it was in such a rush. Our home wasn't finished, our contractor bailed on us and we were stuck with so many things to clean, repair and build. 

Our yard was so much more than we could handle. I never thought putting a yard in would be so much work and back breaking! So here we are, our lives a little calmer and we are slowly but surely making some of the changes, repairs and redecorating that I have been wishing for.

I'm working on the spare bedroom next.....it was Jake's playroom, so he's not too pleased with me. You just never know when you'll need a guest room.

See you soon with guest room photos and some amazing Butter Pecan Ice Cream........YUM!