Oh Shutterfly, You Shouldn’t Have

After 10 months (yes, you read that right… 10 MONTHS) of being married I finally got around to getting my wedding album put together and ordered.  It arrived yesterday - the bright orange box safely tucked in box #3, the key neatly laid in our tiny apartment mail hole.  You see, I’ve been waiting ever so patiently for this little puppy to arrive.  It is my own creation, showcases the happiest day of my life thus far.

I had used Shutterfly once before, but did not want to spend an arm and a leg to have my COMPLETE wedding album printed.  I wanted a big book, with page after page of snapshots from the wedding.  I’m not going to lie, I wanted every shot taken in that book.  Pricing the books made my head spin.  Our photographer (who took some AMAZING shots and I would recommend him to everyone) had created an example book with his favorite shots and told me it would be another $100 - $125 for him to have it printed – leather bound with thick pages… errrr. No thanks.  Shutterfly’s options were much better, but then you get into adding pages.  WHERE was I going to find a place that could let me create the album of my dreams at a reasonable price!? WHERE, I ASK YOU!?!

Customize Your Heart Out

Recently, Shutterfly came out with a new option for book creation, a completely customizable path that allows your artistic expression to seep through your project in its entirety.  I fell in love immediately.

I still had one problem, pricing.  We don’t have extra cash just laying around asking to be sent off for fun projects.

Sign Up for Shutterfly = Discounts Baby!

I created a Shutterfly account previously (as mentioned above) and would occasionally receive offers for discounts and freebies.  None of them caught my eye until… “50% off ALL photobooks”.  You say what?! 

I began diligently working away, selecting pictures for each page, uploading photo after photo after photo (this goes on 700+ times).   I selected colors and layouts, special phrases and fonts.  With “and they lived happily ever after…” the book was complete.  I submitted it for print and began my wait. 

Here is my book, sitting in its new home in our living room for all to see.  It turned out better than I could’ve imagined.  The colors ring true, the pages luxuriously thick, the product is exactly what we were looking for.

Click here to view this photo book larger

I invite you to visit Shutterfly’s website and sign up for your own account.  Just for doing so, they will give you up to 50 free 4x6 prints.  

 

 This blog is not a promotion for Shutterfly.  All opinions are truly my own.  And no, I was not asked to review my product.  I just love it so much I had to share with you!

DIY: Master Bedroom Re-Do

"This. Is. Perfect."

This morning when I opened my eyes after hitting snooze once three times I was in awe of the work we have completed over the last three evenings.  Our master bedroom ("where the magic happens" according to my husband's Facebook comment) was in desperate need of some TLC.  In its previous life, it was a hodge-podge mess of randomly collected furniture that we tried to spruce up with our wonderful bedding we received as a wedding gift.  Needless to say it wasn't working for me.  At.  All.

I began dreaming up a room idea - one that could bend with the seasons.  After careful thought and consideration I came to the conclusion - EVERYTHING must be painted white.  Finding bits and pieces of inspiration on the Pintrest boards I knew the seasons I wanted to feature were summer (think beach cottage with sandollars and starfish accents) and winter (think snowflakes and ice accents).

Without snapping pre-paint shots, I can't stress how much nicer this room looks.  But, without more of my ramblings, here is the finished product... sheer perfection in my book:

The grand total for our total room overhaul was a huge $75...

     $30 Wall Mount for the TV (husband's addition to the room)

     $20 New Curtains

     $15 Paint & Supplies

     $10 New Lamps (got 2 lamps at Wal Mart for $5/each)

Now that I've got the painting bug, I wonder which room will get hit next...

Snapshot

I strive for creativity in every aspect of my life.  Looking for new ways to express myself through every outlet I can think of (strike that) stand.  I enjoy writing (see here, I actually do like this blogging thing), reading;  I enjoy decorating my home to express my family’s style;  I enjoy design work to showcase my clients’ killer businesses.  I just LOVE implementing a seed of an idea into a larger product, and of course the process in between.  The sheer thought of exploring another avenue for my creativity is enough to get me stoked!

Oh photography… why can’t I just dive in?!  I appreciate the artistic eye, the setup, the waiting for a perfect moment/shot – click.  Masterful.  The nerd in me loves the gadgets used by photographers.  You know what I’m talking about, the gianormous lenses & extra flash extensions – focus, focus – the billboard-esque straps & Indiana Jones inspired bags.  I enjoy the thrill of it, but my eye and the product captured by my camera just aren’t working out for me these days.

Here is my problem y’all… I’m lacking on the geeky side of the photography experience.  Not saying that I don’t love a quick iPhone shot supped up by Instagram, or the candid shots from vacations and family events captured by my new-ish digital.  All I am saying is that I want a contraption - one of those “is she seriously going to lug that humungo camera around all day?” types.  I picture my grandma, with her then stylish camera snapping 35mm film like a guru; using her aging hand to de-blur her view into a thing of perfection; the red camera strap weighting down on her neck in order to offset the weight of her warfare machine (aka Canon).  THAT is what I’m going for. 

Until my dreams of a “REAL” camera come to fruition, I’ll have to celebrate the beauty God has created with a little touch of my own (thank you Photoshop).

"Vagabond" 2011

What creative outlets do you enjoy pouring your talents and time into?

Earring Holder

For a few months now I've been looking for something to hold my earrings instead of having mounds of them in the bottom of my jewlery box.  While working with my mom at Vintage Village yesterday, I came across this cute, white iron frame.  PERFECT!

First I painted the frame with black paint using a sponge brush.  I then dabbed the black paint off so that the original white would show through.

Then, I cut chicken wire (used pieces from my mom's old fence) and hot glued it to the back of the frame, securing it with decorative ribbon.

SUPER SIMPLE AND SUPER CUTE!!  What do you think?

Haunting Halloween Craft

Just the other day I was lucky enough to stumble upon a wonderfully crafty blog, Not So Idle Hands. In early September she had a post featuring these cute Halloween decorations that I HAD to make.

The process is simple and quick. This would make a great craft for kids too!

All you need is:
A couple of jars. Not So Idle Hands recommends using varying sizes for a more interesting effect. Since I didn’t have those, I just made mine the same and displayed them in a grouping of 3.

Tissue Paper. Not a whole bunch – just a sheet or 2. I used orange for the pumpkin and white for the ghost.

Mod Podge. It’s cheap and you can find it at the craft store. I think I paid $5 or so at Joann’s.

Black Paper. I used some construction paper I had.

Paint. Use green for the tops of the pumpkins and black for the top of the ghost.

For a great step by step guide (with pictures) visit the Not So Idle Hands blog by clicking here.

Happy crafting!