Printing your own Photo book

Posted by gmirage1 on Mar 22, 2012 in Photo Books, Photography | 9 comments

To someone who’s been taking photos the past 12 years, a coffee table photo book showing the best photos is but  a dream come true. Well at least for me. In any case, a personal photo book of my kids is as wonderful as the real thing.

If like me, your hard drive (perhaps shoebox) is holding your photos (that’s digital and printed) for the longest time now, a photo book is a great way to have them out of the…box. A photo book, closely looked at isn’t just a book of photos, it’s a collection of the special moments and milestones of your life (and your kids) that you treasure. Later on, it will be a nostalgic remembrance of days past, also a funny walk down memory lane. Photo books are also great gifts to families and friends.

To make a photo book is like compiling a photo album but digitally, the photos get printed directly on paper and you don’t have to worry about the acidic content that photo albums are dreaded for. There are online stores that offer such services and your nearest photo printing shop might do it for you too. However, doing a layout online and by yourself will give your photo book a personal touch. You can include anecdotes, text and quotes to make the photos much memorable. So I tried making one with select photos and a few quotes via printluna.com. It’s an easy-to-navigate website that offers templates for users to choose from. You upload photos and layout them the way you want. They also have options to sell your books!

Consider the following when you set to have yours printed.

Purpose of printing the photo book. If you are a photographer, consider a professional layout that would pass as a coffee table book with the goal of being sold. If you are planning to give them out as gifts, consider the photos that would be included, those that are significant to the person who will receive it. If you are printing it for personal reasons, to compile for future viewing, a neat layout with notes of when and where the photos were taken, a little anecdote perhaps would suffice.

Size of photo book. Different websites offer different format and sizes. Choose what is appropriate for the purpose of your photobook. For personal bound copy of photos to brag, a 2×3, 3.75×2.5, 4×4 and 5×5 small book is recommended. This will appear as a flipbook which is now getting to be a popular wedding souvenir.

If you prefer a rectangular shaped book, the small rectangular 8 x 6 is perfect. This will only include photos sans text. If you want to include text to make a story book along with the photos, the 8×8 will be your option and this is the size that most photo book printers offer.

For a full use of page, get the 8.5×11 classic photo book size. This is the one used by professionals as it gives them the full option of layouting photos in different styles.

There are bigger sizes to choose from but I doubt if those would be practical to carry around or give as gifts.

Type of photo book. Would you like your photo book to be hard bound or soft bound? Would you like to have the pages glossy or matte? These are all taken in consideration as well as the cover that is to be used. Take time to think of your preferences.

Again, photo books will serve somehow as a vault of your fondest, funniest, most treasured memories. It’s time to start making one.

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Bunk Beds

Posted by gmirage1 on Mar 21, 2012 in home comfort zone | 8 comments

That Pinteresting is addictive and totally inspiring is a given. I’ve been meaning to try the recipes I’m seeing there, to visit the places that are so picturesque and do the do-it-yourself home improvement ideas such as the one above. The bunk beds that would be wonderful for the kids’ room is one of those I aim to do. One bed for each  with another to spare for a friend spending the night over. This is also a convenient alternative to traditional dorm room bunk beds we’re used to seeing. Bunk beds are space savers and give the kids endless playful ideas.

Here’s another one that is so inspiring and cozy-looking being integrated on cool, powder blue walls.

If you are thinking of getting bunk beds then consider the option of  doing it yourself with the help of many tips from bloggers around. I’m sure google would be a lot of help or hire professionals to do the job for you. If DIY is not your thing then there are a lot of websites selling bunk beds in designs that would match your taste.

Bunkbeds.net is one of those sites. They carry a wide range of beds and bunk beds designed to soothe one’s preferences. To help you in choosing a bunk bed, consider the following points.

Room Measurement. Consider the room that the bunk bed will be. Take measurements here and there especially the ceiling height. Consider at least 2 feet of extra height from the top bunk to the ceiling to avoid bumps.

Bunk Bed Features. They’ve evolved for the better through the years. Some have compartments under the lower bunk to maximize use space. This could also be a pullout bed so there’d be a third bed. There are also loft styles, which looks like an elevated bed with space under that can be used for other stuff. A desk or a small sofa or a small cabinet perhaps. There’s also those with integrated sofa beds. The bunk other is a sofa in the morning and could be turned to a full bed at night — serves a double purpose. Moreover, there are bunk beds that come with a set of desks, drawers, dressers and other furniture in matching color and design. Just like the picture on the right.

There will definitely be a lot of styles in the market, upon considering the above points it is still important to choose a style and make that will make you and your kids happy. Take his/her opinion in to consideration, her favorite color perhaps, her favorite movie character and incorporate a bit of those into what you will have to choose.

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Humpday 50$ giveaway!

Posted by giveaway on Mar 20, 2012 in Giveaways | 6 comments

Thanks to the 25 wonderful bloggers below who sponsored this event, it’s time for Hump Day Giveaway once again. This week’s task is for Twitter follow which is super easy to do. Feel free to visit all the wonderful blogs below once you’re done entering the giveaway. You can log on to Rafflecopter via your Facebook account, or your name and email (just make sure your Twitter is opened so you can easily follow the profiles).

My Tots Exactly | Wonderful Things in Life | Money Saving Mindy | Fab and Healthy | What’s UP? | It’s Not Always About ME | http://nicquee.com/ | Celebrate Woman Today | Life’s Cheap Thrills | levyousa.com | Mirage | WAHMaholic | Pinay Mama | Mommy Coupon Swappers | Delight My Appetite | Coupon Queen of Texas | Building Carpenters | Hott mama in the city | Blogger’s Tech | empleyado | Cognitif | Frugal Experiments | Fabulicious Diva | Travel UnravelsOnce you’ve followed ALL the profiles (separate page to be opened through the Rafflecopter form), leave your Twitter username on the space provided for Extra Info after doing the task so we can verify your entry.

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Bridal Fair 2012 (Features dresses, cars, wedding cake toppers)

Posted by gmirage1 on Mar 14, 2012 in Weddings | 0 comments

I got the chance to visit this year’s Bridal Fair and I was really charmed by the magic that surrounds weddings. A couple-friend and I were getting some ideas for their upcoming wedding…we looked at invitation designs, wedding decorations, wedding cake toppers and the cakes of course, dresses, hairstyles, souvenirs and every little detail concerning a wedding.

There were a few cars on display too and a lot of photographer booths! My favorite part I think would be, cake tasting!

What’s missing at the fair though were flower girl dresses and I was actually looking forward to seeing those. My daughter would be one of the flower girls for my friends’ wedding and the motif is peach. It wasn’t so easy finding ready made gowns in that color and until now I haven’t found one. I am not so sure about having it done by a professional dressmaker because frankly, I don’t know one around.  And I heard it’s not as cheap too!

The wedding is in May so I have up until a month to look for a dress. I’d probably look online if I don’t get to find one from the malls. Any ideas? Would appreciate them.

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Weddings and all that (apart from wedding decorations)

Posted by gmirage1 on Mar 12, 2012 in Weddings | 7 comments

Weddings are not as easy as one may think. There’s the invitation to think of, the guest list, wedding decorations that corresponds with the motif, wedding dress, favors, food, cake and the list just goes on. That’s just the part that the couples are to prepare…how about the couples’ parents, bridesmaids, groomsmen, flower girls and ring /bible bearers?

It’s fun and certainly a proud moment if your kids get to be flower girls or ring bearers in the next wedding event you’ll be attending. As a mom, one has to prepare for this too. First, one has to coordinate with the bride and groom or the wedding planner. If they are to shoulder the expenses for the dresses then all you have to do is take your kid/kids to the fitting and when the dress or suits are finished, you just have to make sure it fits…make necessary adjustments by then. If this is not the case, one should know the theme and motif to be able to buy an appropriate gown or dress for little girls and suitable ties and matching shoes for little boys.

Second, you have to make sure that your kid is in good mood during the ceremony…kids could go fickle-minded at the last moment or agitated especially the younger ones so anticipate tantrums, hunger complains and that. Sure weddings are fun but it could be boring for little kids to wait so make sure you have something with you that would make them busy when that happens. Talking to them about behaving in a wedding would do wonders too but most of the time, they would anyway find it uneasy to stay seated for long. ^_^

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Benches

Posted by gmirage1 on Mar 2, 2012 in Outdoor, Photography | 9 comments

What is it with benches that most of my kids’ photos were taken on one? I admit my fondness of benches and through the years I’ve taken photos of the kids paired or all 3 of them on a bench anywhere in the city. Some of these photos were already published here some not and if you look at a post just below, there’s another shot of my daughter and my youngest looking unhappy while on a bench.

Above was taken last year (February) at the Schönbrunn Gardens. The kids were getting tired walking about and sat there talking senseless.

This one was taken in December 2011 at the the roof of the Haus des Meeres. It’s winter but the sun was shining and we left our jackets at the locker so we went with it and it thank goodness we didn’t chill.

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One of the most frequently published photo here and in my other blogs, this one was taken in in May of 2010 at the tram station.

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This was taken last Spring (April last year) while we’re taking a rest from playing.

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I guess because I don’t have a real studio to take photos of the kids, I’d just settle with what’s there for us to use.

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