I'm on Shutterfly!

Well, many of you have asked when the results from my big (non) celebrity (non) super-model photo-shoot would show up on the Shutterfly website. The answer is: now! I can't seem to get a direct link but if you go here and then click on "Get inspired" you'll find it. That's me holding the book I made for my brother, Danny's, 40th birthday. Kind of fun that they chose the pages with all those family photos. They also used a couple of quotes. Here's the rest of my interview, in case anyone is interested...

How did you feel while making the books? What was your motivation for making the book?

I love the planning part. It’s so much fun to think about making a gift that you know will make the recipient happy. For my sister’s “Look out Fifty, Here I come!” book, I was inspired by another book in the gallery, “A Drummer Looks at 40." I was really excited about the idea of putting a really positive spin on a milestone birthday that I wasn’t sure she was particularly looking forward to. I wanted her to know how truly amazing we all think she is. That 50 didn’t mean she was old, it just meant she’d had 50 years worth of experiences that turned her into the incredible woman she is now. It can be time-consuming to create a contribution album but it is absolutely a labor of love and even in the most frustrating moments I know it’s one of the most meaningful things I’ll ever do.

How did you feel when you gifted the book?

Presenting the photobook is always my favorite part. That first moment of surprise is the best. It makes every second of hard work worthwhile. I love to watch them flip through the pages. In my experience, people are always extremely moved to receive a photo book. They are amazed that someone took the time and effort for them. My mom always tells me I should add a box of Kleenex to the gift because, more often then not there are tears, and there is always a lot of laughter.

How often do you make photo books?

That’s kind of a tough question to answer because I feel like in some ways, I’m always making photo books, even if I haven’t actually started any in Shutterfly. Most of the time I’m working on at least one book, and usually several, in my head. I make a year-in-review album every year and I give copies to the grandparents for Christmas. I’m currently working on a book about our family traditions, one about my hopes and dreams for my daughters and several others too.

Do you often give photo books as gifts?

Shutterfly photo books are my favorite gifts to give. They’re perfect for any occasion. I’ve made them for wedding showers, baby showers, birthdays, anniversaries, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Christmas. I’ve made them as thank you gifts for teachers and I even made an “I’m sorry” album for my mom, to apologize, in a humorous way about all I put her through as a kid.

Why do you make photo books?

There are many reasons I make photo books… the practical ones, of course, like I want a way to get our photos out of boxes or off of my hard drive so that we can look at them and share them with friends and family. I make photo books because as a stay-at-home mom, there are very few things I do that don’t need to be redone within a day or more likely an hour… laundry, housework, meals, baths… but photo books are something that hopefully will stick around for a very long time.

I make photo books because our memories are precious and I want to capture those memories in a meaningful way... not just the big moments, but the little ones. The everyday moments are the ones that I think I’m going to miss the most one day and sometimes photos have the miraculous power to transport me back in time even if only for a second. I make photo books because it reminds me to appreciate all those little moments while I’m right in the middle of them.

I make photo books because I feel like everybody has a story that deserves to be told and I seem to be the designated storyteller in our family. I make photo books because there are some things that need to be said that I’m not sure I’d be able to say in any other way. I make photo books because I have to. Because after making the first one, I became completely hooked and now it’s not really a choice for me, it’s just something I have to do.

I make photo books for a lot of reasons but ultimately it all boils down to this: I make photo books because I want the people in my life to know that they matter to me. There are a million different ways to let people know that, but to me there’s something special and really almost magical about combining words and photos. I love that photo books are tangible… Something that people can hold in their hands and return to again and again. I know it sounds sappy, but my hope is that when people flip through the pages of my photo books they will feel how important they are to me. I make photo books because I want the people I love to know that I love them.