This summer, keep it simple.

And keep these ideas in mind.  They are designed to help you savor the magic of your memories, with less effort than getting ice for your tea…

THANK YOU FOR HOSTING

I’m putting together a One Big Adventure book for friends who shared their family home in Florida with us.  I just got my photos and am playing around with what 10 photos will tell the story.  I’m trying to get everyone in there somehow.  I’m so bummed we didn’t get family photos or a group shot… I always forget that.

I do know I want the photo of Cali, all tutu-wearing-18-months of her, as the back cover.  She was toting her big sister’s rolly-bag at the airport with all the other travelers.  It was hilarious!

What better way to say thank you, than with a photo story book that even their one-year-old can enjoy.  This thank you may even insure our invitation for next year!

PARTY PLEASER

Photos are an unbeatable way to bring the personal touch to any party.  They really help celebrate the person or occasion that is bringing people together.  I have about a million ideas in this area.  But since we’re talking about Snap Stories, they can be used as party favors, table decor, and as a party activity.  They are a great conversation starter & you can get creative with them if you opt to.  (For example, a friend of mine gave them as party favors at the couples baby shower she threw her sister.  She slipped baby photos of her sister and her brother-in-law into the front covers of all the books!  Something like this takes a little extra effort, but the impact is 100% personal touch.)

NEW BABY

Two of my cousins just had babies!  Hip hip hooray!!

No surprise to anyone (right, sis?), I gift the photo story books I invented.  I have a stack in my gift closet specifically for the occasion of welcoming babies into our world.  If I’ve already given a shower gift, this is an easy way for me to celebrate the actual arrival of the baby.  (And at $10, it’s just a little more than the cost of a nice card these days).

Here’s what I often do:  I take off the shrink wrap, slide the birth announcement (or a note to the family) in the cover photo opening, and pop it into a letter-size bubble mailer. Done!  (Snap Stories weigh 5 oz, so they are easy-peasy to mail.)  How cute is that?

I hope the rest of your summer is breeze-y and all your photo keeping is easy :)

Snap-happily,

For those who know me, you know I dance to my own drum.  (Well if you really know me, you know I can’t dance, even to a drum beat!)  I’ve often been called “creative” or “idealistic.”  I’m not sure if these are compliments or euphemisms.

I’m going to take a minute in this blog to honor photos, since the Snap Stories photo story books wouldn’t be much without ‘em.  And because I love photos.  Not for the art or skill of it, but for the emotion and memory of it.  And this is where my “drum beat” gets really loud and overpowering, because I tape photos to just about anything.  Seriously, don’t stand still around me too long, as you may get a photo double-sticky taped to your arm.

I cleaned & organized my husband’s closet for Father’s day (heck of a gift, huh?).  The crowning touch were the photos I taped to the inside of the closet doors.  Just like I used to decorate inside my high school locker.  Kind of reminds me of a mullet, as well:  all fancy woodworked business in the front, all unframed photo playfulness in the back!

I’ve also taped unframed photos to our kitchen cabinets.  These are cabinets that we will someday (hopefully sooner than later) replace.  My goal was to cover up what I considered to be unattractive “dead” space.  I have to say, now with photos, it’s one of my favorite places of our house.

I have also taped photos to coke cans, juice boxes, basement doors, packages for the mail, and games (like Memory)!

I *JUST* added a fun little corner to the snapstories.com site.  It’s called PHOTO OF THE MOMENT.  It’s a place to showcase great snapshots and photos!

My signing-off two cents is that prints are cheap, so slap ‘em everywhere.  Don’t feel bad cutting and playing with them.  OK, this is really the last two cents, print ‘em for the kids:  seriously, KIDS LOVE PRINTED PHOTOS.

Cheers,

I was recently asked which Snap Story would be best for young kids while the mom was deployed.  It’s a great question that ultimately just made me sad.

She said:

I love the look of your snap stories. I’m wondering if there is one I could use for my kids for my deployment. I created a hardbound book from MyPublisher. It’s a compilation of pictures throughout the year to take the kids through the months while I’m gone.  My 4 yr old, Bradley, is into telling stories and books. So, I thought I’d try to make a book that has a story, but has some connection to him. I tried that with the My Publisher book, but it turned into more pictures, less stories.  I want to make something that is more like a kids story that they can read for bedtime or naptime.

I said:

I think your best bet would be One Big Adventure. It’s a very versatile story line. You could fill in the photo blanks in a variety of ways. Choosing photos from a family vacation, road trip or field trip that you all enjoyed would be a really easy way to complete it.  In fact, you could even make the book WITH the kids.  Then they feel like it’s “their” book. Or they could each make a birthday-themed book with fun photos of them, with a few shots from a favorite birthday party. Just make sure these books have a great photo of you smiling or hugging them. This way you’ll be sending them mama-love every time they read it.

It’s great, particularly with kids, to have a story line to lead the tour of ten photos.  Although, I must admit (and I’m the one who wrote the stories), the photos always trump the story.   The first thing you look at on the page is the photo.  It’s the smile or the eyes or the vista—-it’s always “the moment” of the photo that speaks volumes.

She said in her next email:

Good idea.  I might have them do one to send me while I’m gone, or make one upon my return. Bradley keeps asking if he can write me a letter…So this might be a good way for him to put something together to send me.   I made a box for them to open (one per month) while I’m gone…I could include this in one of the boxes.

Truly, this all makes me so sad.

If you know someone who is going to deploy or is deployed, a Snap Story is a great way to connect.  I’m happy to give free shipping to any family that is using a Snap Story to stay connected through a deployment.  Please email me (emma-at-snapstories-dot-com) for the code that will enable free shipping (and please pass this invitation on to others who are amid or anticipating a deployment).  If they are shipping overseas to protect my freedom, the least I can do is offer free shipping on some story books.

Great opportunities to use Snap Stories:

• a soldier’s birthday:  send a Hip Hooray It’s Your Birthday book filled in with photos of the soldier over the years with friends and family.
• a baby is born or is just growing and changing while a parent is deployed: My Baby Face
• a child takes a meaningful trip and wants to show their deployed parent, uncle, or auntie:  One Big Adventure
• as part of a send-off gift (better than a frame because it’s lighter, it holds 10 photos & can stand up on it’s own)
• for gal pals use Go Go Girlfriends for any good friend who is deployed; those memories of relaxed, happy times will bring much comfort.

 Go ahead:  share your story,

Greetings,

Yes, I’ve been Missing In Action from my blog, but only because I was held hostage by the Snap Story muses and coerced to create four new books.  (Or maybe I should say limited to four new books, because once I get going, I go.)

These books should be printed and ready for photo fun by the holiday season, but I’ll share a sneak peek now.

PET LOVERS BEWARE:  this story has a little something for everyone tucked into the layered illustration and anthropomorphized plot.  Believe it or not, it works equally well for cat, dog, ferret, or pot-bellied pig!  If you love a pet, you’ll LOVE this photo story book.

Looking to make history?  This jazzy Snap Story number—illustrated in black, white, and shades of silvery-gray—will work beautifully for prom, graduation, even a new baby or a wedding.  It would also work to document road trips, an era (say college or employment at company for a long time), or professional photos.

Oh baby!  Here it is:  a super simple, adorable framework for ten great snapshots of that bouncing baby boy or glowing baby girl.  This “Hi Baby” book is perfect for a brag book, a fanned out frame for the office, or for baby to babble over.  There is no written story, just plenty of inspiration so your photos can do all the talking.

This is a creative story that is awaiting your creative touch.  It’s a color-it-yourself tale of gratitude!  Perfect for ANY photos capturing the things you like (hobbies, toys, people, places, vistas, jewelry, food, ANYTHING!).  The story and illustrations work for any age.

Well, that’s it.

Which one will you be most excited to get your paws on?

This brings the Snap Stories family of photo story books to eight.  Guess that makes me like the Octomom!

Well not really, but like any busy mom, I’m back in action on multiple fronts.  Stay tuned & keep taking those photos this summer because come fall, you’ll have even more reasons to snap them inside a story!

Cheers,

Hola!

A memorable weekend is upon us…

In addition to the really important things to remember (like our freedom), it’s a weekend to make some girlfriend memories!

For example, my friend Kelly’s daughter will make the birthday memory of a sleepover with 8 of her friends.  The planned activities are “salon nail art” and “Snap Stories.”  They’ll be using the Go-Go Girlfriends story book.  Kelly asked the other moms to email her a few photos of their kiddo, and she’s already printed several copies of these.  She’ll also use her little home photo printer for more snapshots of the girls at the party doing their nails, being silly, and generally hamming it up as these 8 year olds do so naturally.  Add a few sparkly stickers to the mix, and these girls are good to go-go!  (Now that’s a party favor worth holding on to.)

(Ask me about discounts that apply when you buy 6 or more of the same title.  If you’re looking for activities for play groups, mom groups, book clubs or summer camp, Snap Stories are a no mess, creative option.  Or if you want a super-sweet gift for your bridesmaids or sorority sisters…this is it!)

Another Memorial Day memory…I’m going to see Sex in the City 2 with some gal pals.  Woo hoo…what to wear?  I’ll ask Lilah, since she’s clearly the high-heel expert…

Wishing you the kick-off to a very snappy summer!

You may know this character Snap Story who I incessantly talk about, but did you know this character has a middle name? Yep, it’s Easy.  Not Elizabeth or Emma (although a great name), just plain Easy.  It has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?  It sounds rather snappy (er Snap E.)

Clearly it’s too late for me to be blogging.  This is the giddy time of night when I’ll think up a great tag line like “Where Easy Street meets Memory Lane” and be convinced that THAT says everything that needs to be said about Snap Stories.

I have some more stories “from the field” to share…. I LOVE (!!) those.  If you have any stories to share as to how you used Snap Stories (what story your photos told) or who you gifted a Snap Stories to, let me know.

Now, I must find a pillow before I write something I completely dreamed up!

Stay snappy,

So easy, kids, monkeys and men can do it (as Oliver demonstrates)!I LOVE MY JOB!

It’s just hilarious & lovely what I end up learning about people when I’m working a show.

I was at a Ladies Night Out event at Meadowbrook Country Club last Thursday.  While selling Snap Stories, I had the unusual pleasure of meeting the woman who’s face is on the original Playboy “bunny money.”  Too funny, right?  I’ve been looking for a celebrity endorsement (ha!), and although this gal could still turn heads, I think I’ll keep looking… (plus she didn’t buy a book :)

However, another gal bought 5 Go Go Girlfriend books.  Her plans with these books were VERY VERY thoughtful.  She was part of a playgroup when her kiddos were just sprouts.  All of these gals (and kids) have remained close friends since.  Now the kids are graduating high school & she’s going to give Snap Stories as a type of graduation present for the moms, using photos from their get-togethers over the years.  Now that’s the kind of endorsement I’m talking about :)

Read on for more sweet talk of how Snap Stories will be given…

• One gal said her husband’s mom has a group of friends who are like the Ya-Ya Sisters, hence a Go Go Girlfriend book for Mother’s Day.
• Another gal said she was giving her mom a One Big Adventure book for outings they’ve had together.
• Someone else is assembling a One Big Adventure book for a high school graduate.  (High school is definitely an adventure, right?)
• Another Adventure book was being assembled for a son who was recently engaged.  The mom plans on using photos of her son from lego-building years up through the last page which will be him & his fiance.
• A woman picked up One Big Adventure to put together for her husband for their 30 year wedding anniversary…

I’ll stop there, but the stories go on.  We have four Snap Stories titles right now and look, folks are so creative:  a few books, but with different photos they tell countless stories.  I LOVE IT!!

Come see me this weekend, as I’m working a bit of magic & will be in two places at once.  I’ll be at the Junior League’s Spring Boutique Friday night & Saturday 9-3 and I’ll be at the Spoede Marketplace Saturday 9-1:30.

Thanks for reading & keep me posted on events you think Snap Stories should be a part of.

Cheers,

Yes, Yes, THIS Saturday!!

Right in Benton Park (St. Louis) MO.  I’ll be selling Snap Stories along with various & sundry other vendors at the French Flea Market at The Map Room from 9am to 5pm.  The fair proprietress of The Map Room has asked vendors to dress a la mode francais, to use French phrases, and to (I hope) eat French cheese!  It should be really fun!  If you live in St. Louis, come join the fabulous French-ness (and avoid shipping costs on your Snap Stories).

Inspired photos below of what was (event on April 14th) and what’s to come (on Saturday).

I plopped myself on the front yard as the day beckoned.great sign from Old Barn Rescue, neighboring vendor at the Austim Speaks eventmade by Caitlin, a friend and fellow vendor at the French Flea Market

If I ever learn moderation, it will be a momentous day.  I just spent a good two hours updating Examples on the Snap Stories website.  I added a 1st birthday, a 3rd birthday, a beach walk, a wedding, a bridesmaid spotlight, an auntie tribute, two good girls, another 1st birthday, and another adorable baby face…  Some examples use photos from professional photographers (www.abbietakespictures.com and www.emilybeckett.com) and others are just fun snap shots.  They all work to tell entertaining, delightful personal stories.

If I ever learn to not make a fool of myself, that will also be a momentous day!  I am —-as we speak—- in training to re-claim the World Record of Fastest-Ever-Photo-Book Maker.  Below is a teaser of footage that will be released shortly…  Folks, what do I have to do to prove that Snap Stories are really, truly, the easiest, fastest (and darn cute) photo books on the planet?  All in good fun, and all in due time.

Truly happy and truly snappy,

Snap Stories: DIY (at home) photo board books I am fortunate that I spend my time working on a product that makes people happy.  But the feel-good factor is even higher when the actual sale of a book is tied to something discretely good, like autism research.  My friend’s sister has an autistic child and she’s opening her home next Wednesday, April 14th, for a Spring Shopping  Boutique to raise funds for Autism Speaks.

Last night I was reflecting on what I know about autism, which, admittedly, is not much.  I recalled an interview on NPR with Temple Grandin where she described autistics as visual thinkers.  Which made me wonder, if a photo speaks volumes, would Snap Stories be particularly valuable to a person with autism?  I quickly poked around but didn’t find anything specific to autism and the use of photos.  If you have any thoughts, let me know…

What I did find was the following:

• Laura says on her website www.boardbookalbums.com:   ”Studies have shown that young children only have object recognition with photos. This means that before the age of two, they can not relate a drawing of an object with the actual object, but they can relate a photo of the object with the actual object.”
• Caroline, founder of love2read books, says:  ”Research shows that if your child loves books they will learn to read much faster and you will be encouraging a lifelong love of reading.”
• Teachers and parents of autistic children believe that autistic children learn best with hands on or very colorful activities. Books with pictures, audio books, and touch and feel books all work well.

It’s helpful to keep these tidbits in mind as you’re picking out shower gifts, or expanding your favorite baby’s library.  You could use:

• Snap Stories (10 photos + pre-written story line, DIY with printed photos)
• My First Board Book Album (20 photos, no words, DIY with printed photos),
• Love 2 Read (numerous photos, you write the story, create online —in the UK)
• “old school” scissors & glue and just adhere portions of printed photos into a board book.

 Also mark your calendars for next Wednesday & TELL ALL YOUR FRIENDS!  If you come to 6429 San Bonita in Clayton, MO, you’ll be guaranteed a great shopping experience & feel-good vibes for supporting Autism Speaks.

Thanks for reading & for the joy of ALL children, keep printing those photos!

Cali’s First Album features 20 photos of family & petsCali “stricken” by the saga of her Snap Story! (Oh, will she be mad at me one day for posting this photo!) 

Part I:  live & love

The thought “inappropriate” did cross my mind, but only because I’m the creator of Snap Stories (and my sister gives me a hard time about these crazy little books permeating every crevice of my life).

Otherwise, making a One Big Adventure book for my mother-in-law to keep as a reminder of her husband who just passed away, would not only be completely appropriate, it would be thoughtful.

I asked my husband if he thought I should do it.  He not only gave the thumbs up, he selected the photos for it.

Selecting photos to commemorate a chunk of time like 45 years is [usually] no small feat.  For that reason, it’s not [usually] what I’d recommend for a Snap Story.

It so happened, though, that for my father-in-law’s memorial the family put together a slide show with photos that were all scanned & uploaded to Picasa.  I then sent select photos to Shutterfly and picked the prints up at Target.  It was all quite easy.

So far, this is my favorite completed book.

click on book cover to see all ten photos

Part II:  Bounce!

Mark your calendars and tell your friends about MONDAY, MARCH 15th.  If you’re in St. Louis (or St. Charles), this is a unique way to spend a Monday night.  Forget hum-drum homework & hit the bounce house!

Pump It Up is an inflatable party house that is hosting a shopping event.  This coming Monday, you and your kid(s) can get into Pump It Up for $5 ($10 for over two kids).  You can shop-shop-shop a variety of vendors from Made for you TuTus, to Uppercase Living, to Classy Cupcakes, to your truly, Snap Stories!  All the while, your kids can be bounce-bounce-bounce.

Follw Tigger’s lead and “save your best bounce” for Monday night at Pump It Up!

Click here to take a peek at all the one-of-a-kind venues I’ll be selling Snap Stories in St. Louis this spring.

Live.  Love.  Bounce!

My peepers are always on the prowl for reasons to celebrate.

Two great things to celebrate:

1. Emma’s 36th [6x6] birthday!
2. the 60th [6x10] Snap Stories online order

Hip Hooray it’s a great, six-ish kind of day!!

We’re so excited!  In fact, Lilah stuck her finger up her nose in pure jubilation.

 What can you do with your excitement?

You can “pick” a friend to receive a FREE Snap Story (baby, birthday, girlfriend, or adventure).  This is a $15 value ($10 book, $5 shipping) that is yours for the picking er, taking.

The 6th person to email me (emma@livekindly.org) with the SUBJECT titled “FREE FROM ME!” will be notified that they won a FREE Snap Story to be mailed to one of their lucky friends (think “Pay It Forward”).

And my dear blog-readers (hi mom, hi sis) to answer the question I know you’re thinking, yes friends and family are also encouraged to partake in the ‘FREE from me’ fun.  Without you, I wouldn’t be celebrating order #60 —or my birthday— in the first place :)

I thank all [6!] of you for that support,

Here’s what I like about Hallmark Holidays:  a given day to appreciate something important.  Here’s what I don’t like about them:  the emphasis on pricey gifts.

Valentine’s Day is a perfect example.  It’s a day to appreciate the love around you and to let someone(s) know they are valued.  Yet, when I caught a corner of the Early Show on CBS a few days ago, a guest was talking about one-up-ing the tradition of flowers & chocolate and buying a laptop for your Valentine.  They’re website today is featuring Valentine splurges or steals (flowers for $700?).  I’m sure I’m not the only one who finds that a little ridiculous.  (no offense, CBS, home of OPRAH—-my dream Snap Stories endorsement!)

I took my frustration and flipped it around to pitch some easy-affordable-thoughtful Valentine’s Day ideas to Great Day St. Louis (a local CBS version of the Early Show).  I think they are going to feature the ideas tomorrow, Friday the 12th, so tune in 10-11am on channel 4 if you can.  The broad strokes of my ideas involve photos (huge surprise, I know :)

• Print out 5-10 photos of your Valentine. The night before Valentine’s Day hide them in places they will be discovered throughout the day by your Valentine, like on the bathroom mirror, on the milk in the fridge, in their coffee mug, on the dashboard of the car, taped to their cell phone, etc.
• Write sweet, silly, or sarcastic (ex:  Yes, I STILL love you) notes and do the same hiding thing.
• Make a small photo album or a One Big Adventure Snap Story for your sweetie; see one of the page spreads above.  It’s a great way to remember the fun you have together.
• When you give a gift (flowers, chocolates, jewelry, a laptop [!!], or whatever) PLEASE be sure to give a card.  Take the time to write WHY you love someone or WHAT SPECIFICALLY you appreciate about them.  This is the one day to really express that feeling.

The thoughtfulness and care it takes to hide the photos or notes will bring happiness, joy, and child-like FUN to your Valentine the WHOLE day.  If you’re in St. Louis, you can stop by Cassie’s in the CWE to get a strip of FREE [vintage Acts of Kindness] stickers to hide for your sweetie.  (This way you don’t even have to think up the messages, they are already written for him, for her, and for romance.  A few are kind of racy and they can be altered for lots of fun!)

What do I want to GIVE my Valentine this year?  The satisfaction (and picture-proof) that who he is makes me happy and proud to be married to him.  What do I want to GET from my Valentine this year?  A laptop.

Kidding! 

Happy Heart Day,

Special Delivery:  the much anticipated Adventure and Birthday photo story books HAVE ARRIVED!

Yay!  I feel like my family has been re-united!  We are complete again, my four “babies” and me.

The silver lining to selling out of One Big Adventure and Hip Hooray it’s your Birthday (in addition to giving me a break) was the chance to play more thoroughly and thoughtfully with My Baby Face.  I forgot to snap photos of the books before I popped them in the mail, but here’s what I did:

• BRAG BOOK—-for my friend Jim featuring cute photos of all his grandkids (which I swiped off of his Facebook page) and photos of him with my kids (since he’s our Papa Jim).  Plus I left the last two photo opening “open” so he could add some of his favorite snap shots.
• NEW BABY—-for my friend Shanah using photos they posted on Shutterfly (I got the photos developed at Target).  She just had her second son & I made the book for both boys.  I used sticker letters on the front to spell out “Eli & Ben.”  I also embellished the front with dimensional stickers and buttons.  It looked super-cute!
• AUNTIE GIFT—-for my best friend Carrie featuring photos of her with my girls over the last few years (from newborn to toddler).  What a gift for a special auntie!
• PERFECT PLAY MATE—-as a holiday gift for my friend Megan who I swap babysitting with.  She gets the babies on Tuesday; I get the babies on Wednesday.  I had a year of Anderson & Cali baby photos to choose from, it made for a very special My Baby Face.  She loved it!  (A big hit for just $10.)

One of the best things about Snap Stories is that they are board books, so they stand up easily on their own.  It showcases the front photo just like a picture frame…BONUS there are nine other photos inside!  It’s the perfect innovation for a baby’s bookshelf, a mantel piece, a kitchen window sill, or a coffee table.

Have fun.  Get snap-happy!

Kindly,

Hello Fellow Photo-loving Friends,

Today I was on Great Day St. Louis (a local morning show) sharing ideas on how to integrate photos into holiday table settings. Click below for the 3.5min clip.

From Emma on Great Day St. Louis

 I had more ideas to share than we had time to cover on the show, so I figured I’d post the details here.  

By the way, you don’t have to be crafty to do these projects.  Anyone (kids included) can do these.

back of place cardsfront of place cardsPLACE CARDS:  fold card stock in half, putting name & embellishment on one side and affix a photo to the other side with double-sided tape.  These are great conversation starters & when they’re photos of YOUR family, YOUR trips, YOUR garden, YOUR pet, YOUR Disney adventure, etc. then you are really bringing a part of yourself to the table setting.

NAPKIN RINGS:  slice a 4X6 photo to capture the best part of the photo.  Then attach it in a circle with a craft brad or office fastner.  Clip a name to it and it can double as a place card.

napkin rings (photos of Lilah in Door County)napkin ring (photos of Norway) w/name attached

WINE CHARMS & JUICE COVERS: simply trace the bottom of a wine glass over the best part of your photo, cut it out and double-tape it to the glass bottom.  For the juice boxes, use fun photos that feature your kids.  Maybe even add googlely eyes (a favorite in our home)!

wine “charms” on bottom of glassjuice box covers with googlely eyesphotos attached to apples with push pinsCENTER PIECES:  Just add the photos into whatever style center piece you already have in mind.  One easy tip I’ll share is that you can use push pins to attach the photos to fruit, squash, or the base of pillar candles.  Remember to cover your back when you use photos, meaning that you may want to back photos together to avoid patches of white that will be visible from another angle.  Another tip:  use the photo cards that come in the mail to you from friends and family.  Not only are the cards attractive, but it’s as if you’re including a wide range of friends in the fun of your holiday table.the foundation of the center piece: applesholiday cards attached to apples with push pins

A FEW MORE TIPS (but these aren’t rules, because there are no rules! You can be traditional or silly or anything in between):

1. use photos that are handy, otherwise you’ll be picking & choosing photos well into the new year (for example, pick one album from your online service to get developed AND DON’T EDIT IT, or develop whatever is on your digital camera RIGHT NOW w/o editing, or use the photos that come in the mail on greeting cards)
2. keep it simple (these photos will be very hands-on, so they may not last after their debut; this isn’t a scrapbook or a piece of altered art.)
3. less is more (crop photos to capture the best parts AND JUST INCLUDE ONE OR TWO OF THESE PHOTO-IDEAS; you want to make it personal, not overstimulating)
4. work with what you’ve got (let the photos work into your decorating style and color choice for the holidays).

Photos are a wonderful reminder of the true gifts of the season:  friends and family, memories and traditions, joyous smiles…

Phew.  The holiday bustle is in full swing.

What a busy busy few weeks.  I don’t know if I’m sad or happy to report that two of the four Snap Stories titles are SOLD OUT.  I didn’t have time to do a “friends promotion”… However stay tuned (and sign up for the email newsletter) because as soon as more product comes in, I’ll be back to getting the word out!

I attended a slough of events with a sleigh full of Snap Stories.  Now I’m left with just a few Go Go Girlfriend and My Baby Face books. Check out the slideshow:

My favorite thing about the shows is the shoppers.  Hearing their enthusiasm for Snap Stories and hearing how they’re going to use the books

• one gal bought 5 girlfriend books to send her gal pals who take trips together
• one woman bought a baby book to put all the grandkids photos in for her mother who’s in a nursing home
• one gal did a birthday book for her 16-year old niece using photos of the girl from over the years
• one woman bought 2 adventure books for her sons to fill with photos from their holiday trip to WI…

…all so thoughtful & creative!

If you have girlfriends or babies to celebrate, you can still get in on the fun for this holiday season…

PLUS, I just introduced the Full SNAP Service, which is extra-awesome for busy folks.  For $35 I’ll send a completed Snap Story to your doorstep or to the mailbox of a loved one ($18 for additional, identical books).

Just point me in the direction of your photos & you’re good-to-go, as they say.  Here’s Page 1 from the book I snapped together for a gal who sent me the link to her Picasa albums:

It got the special Emma-treatment before it left Snap Stories headquarters.  I use custom rubber stamps & pages from vintage children’s books on all my mailings.  It’s something special; it’s a Snap :)

This isn’t the last time I’ll wish you & yours a very Snap-Happy Holiday!

Cheers,

I am very new to the gig of “doing shows,” but I’ll venture a guess here that I started at the very top of the food chain today.  Bellerive Country Club is gorgeous, and the grounds are beautiful, especially when the weather is 65 degrees and the dusky light of autumn settles over the expanse of the golf course.

I really enjoyed the members and guests of the club, many of whom bought Snap Stories (thank you) to share with their family and friends.  The snappiest best-seller?  My Baby Face.  Not entirely, of course, but almost 50% of the books I sold were My Baby Face.  And probably 90% of the My Baby Face sales were to proud grandmas or pregnant women :)  I also enjoyed meeting and socializing with the other vendors.  Check out the slideshow of vendors closest to my booth.

I am really glad I participated in the show.  I sold a lot of books (yay!), but more importantly, I learned two important lessons.  I have to thank my friend Kelly for the first lesson.  After listening to me explain Snap Stories to several gals, she said “Emma, are you jumping immediately to how the books work?  to how you get your photos inside the page?”  Yes, I answered.  “Well, I don’t think you should do that.  That’s kind of boring.” she said.  “Try talking about how cute the books are.  How they are whimsical illustrations with layered, happy art and the cute words you use in the story.  If they ask you how the photos get inside the page, tell them, but otherwise don’t.”  At the end of the day, I believe I found the right mix somewhere between highlighting the art and showing the how-to practical bit.  But Kelly’s advice much improved “the pitch.”

The second lesson came after a few hours of working with lesson #1.  I had an a-ha! moment that left me with some critical clarity.  This is what I learned:  the books are not about how cool it is that your photos just snap inside the pages.  The books aren’t about the cute, layered artwork either.  The books are about the photos.  Period.  It’s each person’s photos that bring the book to life.  End of story.  It’s that simple.

The books are really the perfect (cute AND easy) excuse to get up close and personal with your photos.  It’s about having memories at your fingertips, not stored away in the computer or on your cell phone or collecting dust in the closet.  I told the gals at Bellerive there are no rules with these books.  You can make them crazy with googlely eyes, or beautiful with stickers and ribbons.  You can give them as gifts, or keep them for youself.  You can give them to babies who are still nursing, or to family members in a nursing home.  They’re only $10, and they’re just for fun:  no rules (which was ironic to say inside Bellerive where there are strict rules on tipping, attire, cell phone use, smoking…).  I do love a good irony!

Miles of Smiles,

From the farmers’ market to the country club, Snap Stories is a popular pick this holiday season!

Snap Stories was invited to participate in a unique holiday shopping experience at Bellerive Country Club in St. Louis this Wednesday and Thursday (Nov 11, 5-8pm & Nov 12, 11-3pm).  If you or someone you know belongs to Bellerive, please come by, say hello, and peek through the Snap Stories showcase of goodies.

We’re debuting a BRAND NEW SERVICE tomorrow at Bellerive.  It’s the service of having a Snap Story created for you.  We know that Snap Stories are not only EASY to create, they’re SUPER-FUN to snap together.  True, “so easy a monkey could do it” & “so fun a 5-year-old will sit still for 20 minutes to do it.”  BUT, the occasion may arise that no matter how easy or how fun, you just don’t have the time to pull it together (so-to-speak.)

Let me pull it together for you.  It’s full service, and it’s my pleasure.  In fact, it feeds my growing addiction to complete the books.  So I beg you, please tell your friends about this service because my fingers are itching—er, twitching—to peel back the tape & snap pages together!

Stay tuned to this blog station, because important updates will be coming shortly that apply to short people [HINT:  kids-photos-project-kit-easy-ready-to-go].  Also, there will be a FRIENDS & FAMILY promotion starting any minute—or day—now…just in time for holiday gifts, of course.  If you are my friend or family (naturally) you’ll be invited.  OR if you have signed up for the Snap Stories email newsletter, you’ll be invited (because a fan of Snap Stories is a friend of mine :)

Wishing you a day full of snap-happy stories,

ps.  Have you seen the new video on the website?  Check out a parent product review.  The first person to guess the venue where this video is taped will get FREE SNAPPY STICKERS.  Leave your answers in the comment section.  Ria, you can’t play :)

Very exciting!  You can now really stick-it-to those sassy little Snap Stories books with matching stickers!

Two sticker sets (Adventure & Birthday) have been manufactured and are available to use with your Snap Stories.  The other two sets (Baby & Girlfriend) will be available in several months.  I will share some evidence below, though, of cross-pollination of the books and stickers, and guess what?  It works!  Despite all the hub-bub and nay-sayers, you CAN use Adventure stickers in a Baby themed book!  We here in the research lab are EXSTATIC!  In fact, it produced stellar-cute results (see examples “peas in a pod” & “girls at play”).

Here are some of the F-U-N and F-U-N-C-T-I-O-N-A-L uses with these (and other) Snappy Stickers: 

• Use the stickers to “edit” your photos.  My example places a bee sticker precisely over a beer bottle and magically transforms the beer into a bee, which is much more kid-friendly for the Birthday book in which it lives.
• Use the stickers to embellish your books.
• Use the stickers because STICKERS ARE SO MUCH FUN TO USE.  Find me a kid who doesn’t love stickers.  Who in the audience remembers “sticker books”?  I LOVED my sticker book!  Well those kids grow up to be big kids who love stickers.  Further proof:  wouldn’t you rather peel & use a self-adhering stamp than lick a stamp?
• Some of the stickers allow you to write little notes on your Snap Stories.  In memory keeping, this is called “journaling” and it can further personalize your Snap Story.
• Mix and match Snappy Stickers with other stickers.  Maybe they’re fancy stickers, maybe they’re silly stickers.  Go with your favorite flavor of fun!  Snap Stories and Snap Stickers are all about enjoying your photos and memories in a hands-on way.  There are no rules.  Memories are priceless, but a printed photo is ten cents, so if you mess up, no big deal.

googlely eyes gone wild! Uncle Jeff has been on One Big Adventure, and back!

The best visual of the Snappy Stickers is on the Shop page because it magnifies the image when you roll the curser over the stickers.  There are a total of 6 styles of stickers.  The classic stickers are $3.00, the notation stickers are $3.50, and the bubble/dome stickers are $5.00.  (Sorry, googlely eyes not included.  I got those at Target.)

Sticky Smiles,

Great folks!  Great kids!  Great food!

Selling Snap Stories at the Tower Grove Farmer’s Market this past Saturday was GREAT^3!

Highlights:

• A four-year-old girl who climbed her first tree right behind our booth—you go girl!—came down from her tree-adventure and got busy with the Snap Stories.  SHE TOTALLY UNDERSTOOD how to assemble the books.  I showed her one page & she wanted to keep doing it—luckily her mom bought her one of her own—she was on fire!  (She ended up being a much better sales gal than I was!)
• THREE independent people (who BTW are not related to me!) came back for “seconds” because they had thought of more Snappy stories they wanted to make or gift.
• I didn’t count, but about half the customers were men, which TOTALLY surprised me.
• A gal from www.kidliterate.com stopped by the booth and coordinated an opportunity for me to get the books into Pudd’nHead Books in Webster Groves.
• Madeline Dames introduced herself and said I should use her name to connect with Great Day St. Louis.
• Two boys from Kimker Hill Farm who were walking around the market place and playground area with a big basket of muffins, liked the idea of selling Snap Stories, too (for a commission, of course).  So we added a few to their basket.  They made $2 for every book they sold and they did an impressive job!  (My mom even bought one from them!)  I wish I had a picture of them—it was great!
• My two-and-half-year-old daughter started calling the books “Snap Stories” rather than “momma’s books.”

The entire day was filled with F-U-N highlights, but I’m going to break off here and share some photos.  Sorry there aren’t more, but—I’m happy to report—I was too busy…

If you were there & want to share any stories, post below in the comments.

Cheerio,

Greetings:

I’m busy pulling together booth bling and photo paraphernalia to make a super-snappy, ultra-fun showing at the Tower Grove Farmers’ Market THIS Saturday, October 24th (9:00am-2:00pm), here in St. Louis.

I LOVE attending the Farmer’s Market, and am really really looking forward to selling Snap Stories there.  If anyone reading this wants to come join me behind the table, let me know.  I just hope it doesn’t rain because books and photos don’t look shiny and delicious with a mist of water, like a red wagon of carrots does.  I’m tuning my sunshine vibe to full-blast (and Calli is wearing her Lucky Shades), so we hope to see you—and all your friends—at the last market of the season.

BONUS FUN:  you can get your photo taken in the ONE BIG ADVENTURE cut-out!

Miles of Smiles,