The Memory Boutique

The Blog Has Moved!

2010-11-10T09:36:00.000-05:00

We have been longing to simplify our online presence and create something new and fresh. So we finally created a new website that will serve as our one-stop resource (a "hub" if you will) for all things big and small at The Memory Boutique including our new blog! It's all in one place so you'll be able to stop by once and stay for a visit!

The new URL is: http://thememoryboutique.net/newsite/blog-2

Please bookmark the new address as we will no longer be posting to this blog and will delete it in the next few weeks.

See you at our new site!

Digital Scrapbooking = LOVE!

2010-11-06T11:54:00.006-04:00

Happy Digital Scrapbook Day! Boy oh boy, how does one who is in LOVE with digital scrapbooking explain all the reasons "why" without typing for hours?

First of all, I thought logically about the switch from traditional to digital. Once my family moved to digital cameras, it didn't make sense to have digital files, go to the local store, print photos and then traditionally scrap them by cutting them into pieces (sometimes making mistakes so the double prints I had to pay for really came in handy), glueing to paper and adding embellishments. Think about all the expense that involves from driving to the store, spending all that time at a photo kiosk, often times having to go back hours later to pick up those prints, purchasing scrapbook supplies: paper, embellishments (how many millions are there out there?), adhesives, etc. THEN finding a designated area to scrap because by the time you pull out all the items needed for scrapping, it takes up an entire room! And you're stuck to that spot if you want to get anything accomplished. It all took so much time and so much money...

Then comes along digital! WOW! It's fast, easy, ultra creative, "green" and it saves SO MUCH time and money by not having to buy all the scrapbooking supplies and driving around to pick up prints (or waiting days for them to arrive in the mail)! The best part of all is that you are only limited to where you're computer is or absolutely NO limitation because a laptop can go anywhere! Scrap outside while the kids are playing, scrap in bed, scrap at your friend's house, scrap on the couch, scrap at a restaurant (don't believe me? Panera is a great place to go!). No limitations, Baby, and it's liberating! =)

Can it get any better than that? Oh, I can go on and on! Create one scrapbook and print it over and over in different sizes, add movies to it, add music to it, create a slideshow and burn to a dvd to send to your entire family...it's the ultimate in scrapbook experience! Give it a try and see for yourself. I think you're gonna love it! Be sure to stop by our new website at www.thememoryboutique.net to see how easy it is to print your pages at our shop, too!

Here's a few pages from an album I created when two of the sweetest, kindest, most wonderful teenagers from Germany came and stayed with us for two weeks...my German daughter Anne and my German son Philipp. I created an album with 50+ pages (took just an afternoon to create a lasting memory keepsake!), added music, burned it to a dvd and sent it to them. Anne happened to be in the U.S. at the time so I sent hers to her in California and she called crying she was so happy! Philipp's was sent to Germany and he and has family were able to watch it and enjoy it there...Enjoy a glimpse of their spring break with us!

Anne & Philipp (with me and my kids) in our quaint little town of Rockford, MI.
Have NO idea who the "fisher" woman is but she sure did catch a big one!

Visiting the fish ladder on the Grand River in Grand Rapids, MI

They don't have school playgrounds like this in Germany!

Visiting the famous pier in Grand Haven, MI the day after Philipp broke his wrist!
We also ate lots of pizza (yet another item not prevalent in Germany!)

My daughter, Maddie, really loved these kids as they gave her a lot of attention and let
her do just about anything she wanted - hence, the hair-do! What a good sport Philipp was!

Anne in some funny glasses at a party store...they had fun!

Had to take the kids to see an American elementary school...they said the schools aren't anything like this in Germany (they said the buildings are much nicer here even though this school is an oldie!). They don't have school busses like we do either so they were happy to see them...they have to actually PAY for bus services which is expensive so the kids ride their bikes to school every day.

The kids jumped A LOT and everywhere we went! This was the night before they went back home to Germany so we celebrated that evening with a fire and made s'mores (another newbie for our German kids!)!

My kids with Anne and Philipp. This was just moments before they had to board their plane and the tears started flowing for all of us! What a sad day having to say goodbye. =( Good news? Their WHOLE family will be coming to visit next summer! Yea!

Smirk

2010-09-21T21:07:00.004-04:00

According to wikipedia, a smirk refers to a smile evoking insolence, scorn, offensive smugness or self-satisfaction. Interesting. Have you "smirked" today? This is my "smirk" image that I'm entering into the I Heart Faces weekly photo challenge. Mary

WOO WOO! Jump on the Mama Buzz Blog Tour!

2010-09-13T09:12:00.008-04:00

I just spent the last hour reading the blogs from the Mama Buzz Blog Tour (you can read them here, too) and adding a comment for The Memory Boutique. Hint, hint - be sure to check them out and see what I've been writing there - you won't be sorry! =) Anyhoo...WOW! These gals share their honest opinions and I loved reading their thoughts about My Memories Suite software. Yes, yes, yes, they're saying what we knew already (that MMS R-O-C-K-S!) but it sure is great to hear how much fun they're having creating one-of-a-kind memories using the software and seeing the fabulous pages they're creating!

It's always fun to see other people's pages to kick start some of your own ideas for pages. I tell you, I want to scrap so darn bad right now but my house is a disaster that needs a little TLC first. As soon as I'm finished cleaning, I'm hitting the laptop and will scrap until the bus comes at 3:30. What are YOUR plans for today? Share with us! =)

Mama Buzz Blog Tour

2010-09-10T12:45:00.004-04:00

We are excited to be on the Mama Buzz Blog Tour!

Have you heard about Mama Buzz? It is a team of over 150 blogging moms, who test out anything that’s kid, mom, or family related (books, puzzles, green toys, DVDs, even shoes and clothes). After testing the product Mama Buzz sets up a blog tour so that you can easily read each reviewers review. How cool is that?

The Mama Buzz team has just reviewed My Memories Suite, the digital scrapbooking software that we carry and love to use! Check out the Mama Buzz reviews here.

You can't create pages without PRINTING them! So, we are offering a special printing discount for the Mama Buzz Blog Tour readers. Receive 25% off your print order of $10 or more using code MMBZZ at The Memory Boutique now through September 30, 2010. Place your printing order here. For free samples of our paper types email us at info@thememoryboutique.net.

The Memory Boutique also holds My Memories Suite Workshops in Rockford, Michigan. Sign up for a workshop here.

Who are you highlighting in your digital scrapbook pages? Your children, your spouse, your pet...? We want to know!

Are You There?

2010-08-27T20:17:00.003-04:00

Hello friends. I haven't been on in a while. Have you? I'm not sure if anyone's out there reading these posts, but I'll get back on schedule and post, post, post!

I made a new recipe the other day using fresh corn from the garden. I made "corn & sausage chowder". Oh yum! I tried to make it low-fat but mistakenly purchased the full-fat version of half & half (which in itself is better than getting the full-fat version of heavy whipping cream the recipe called for but still, slap it right on my thighs and buttocks with all the fat grams that were in there!). It was sinfully good as all naughty things are. If you'd like the recipe, just pop me a note and I'll pull out the good ol' recipe book I blogged about a few weeks ago (the fresh veggies and fruit one...'member?). Until then, peace. =)

Aaaaggggghhhhh! FRUIT FLIES!

2010-08-10T09:04:00.004-04:00

There's nothing better than fresh fruits and vegetables right from the garden. It's like Heaven on a plate! But every rose has it's thorn (thank you Bret Michaels): Fruit flies. Yup, I have them all over my house and they're driving me nuts! The worst part is that they are not only a nuisance, they can be a health hazard (((shudder))). The rotten little buggers can contaminate food which can make you and your family very ill! Here's some info I found to share with directions to make an economical, homemade trap:

They love bits of rotting food remnants and seem to thrive in even the smallest amount. When fruit flies move in, they just don't want to leave and will lay eggs in and on anything they can find - fruits & vegetables left on the counter, sink drains, garbage disposals, empty bottles & cans, garbage bags, and even mops and rags.

A Few Fun Facts About Fruit Flies:

- Can lay up to 500 eggs at a time

- Their entire lifecycle is complete in about a week

- While considered mainly a pest, they have the potential to contaminate food with dangerous bacteria

We all know that removing the food, getting rid of the garbage & cleaning up plays a big role, but we also know what it's like to move a piece of fruit and have a swarm of fruit flies fill the air only to escape your attempts at killing them. Where are they gonna go? Obviously the ones flying around can't be easily captured or killed, so they'll linger about until they find some other place to lay eggs and the whole cycle starts again.

The best way to capture and remove the ones that escape is to create a simple trap using a jar, plastic wrap and a piece of food. Here's how it works:

1. Get a small jar you don't plan on using again ( like a baby food jar or something similar ) and wash it out well. Make sure it is not a jar with a funky smell such as a used pickle jar or anything that use to have strong spices. You want a clean, odorless jar.

2. Take a chunk of banana and place inside the jar. This is why you want a clean, odorless jar - so that the banana smell won't be overpowered by other not-so-tempting smells. Banana seems to work the best, but you can experiment.

3. Fit a piece of plastic wrap over the top of the jar, making sure that it fits tight and well sealed around the edges. Then take a pen or pencil and poke 4 to 5 holes in the plastic, just big enough for a fruit fly to fit into. Once a fruit fly crawls in, it can't get out. You would think they would just fly back out through the holes, but they won't!

4. Place the jar in an area where you have seen the most fruit flies. Depending on the amount of fruit flies you have, you can expect to start seeing the jar fill up within just a few hours. After 24 hours, you will discover just how bad your fruit fly problem is!

This simple, inexpensive & safe method works perfectly and if you don't want the jar on public display, you can always slip it behind the garbage can, in the cupboard or even under the sink (Just don't forget about it!). You will want to empty the jar every 3-4 days before any eggs have a chance to hatch. While adult fruit flies can't easily escape through the holes, their maggots can very easily, and besides that - they are disgusting to see crawling around in the jar. You don't want to see these things crawling on your counter!

Cleaning out the jar shouldn't be a problem. Kill the bugs with bug spray, wash out the jar and start the whole process over again if there are still some fruit flies left to capture.

For bad fruit fly problems, you will want to use this method for a good two weeks to make sure you've captured the majority of fruit flies. You might even want to use a few jars in different places. Before long, your kitchen will be back to normal.

I haven't tried the banana trap but we do use a little jar filled with apple cider vinegar and a drop of dish soap. I've had these babies out for 2 days and I have at least 100 dead bugs. They fly in and drown. I understand that the fruit flies really love beer (too bad I won't let them have a "happy" death - that would be too nice of me) and love red wine even better. Sorry little pests. If I have red wine in my house, it won't be for YOU to drink!

Don't stop eating fresh fruits and veggies like my husband has suggested (go figure). Just accept the challenge and fight to win! Now I must go clean my counters AGAIN.

Garden-Fresh Recipes

2010-08-08T16:15:00.007-04:00

Years ago, my family traveled to Racine, Wisconsin to watch my husband's cousin play college football. Being the down-home, country cook that I am (AND an avid subscriber to Taste of Home Magazine since 1992), I realized that Reiman Publications was in Wisconsin and got out my map! Was it pure luck or fate - I'm not certain - but Greendale was only 20 minutes away! I was certain to schedule some time for that little side trip and BOY was it worth it!

We arrived in Greendale and let me tell you, it is the most adorable little town! We ate lunch in a 50's diner and I felt like Fonzie, Ralph Mouth, Potsy and Richie were gonna come in any second! Great food, great atmosphere and lots of locals there.

Anyhoo, we found the Reiman Visitor's Center and I went (as I once put it accidentally in 1997 [by mixing hog wild and nuts together] and haven't heard the end of it since) hog nuts! I went downstairs into the Taste of Home Outlet store and found pallets of hardcover cookbooks, and the best part was they were 4 for $10! Like the cookbook with the entire year's recipes in it? It sells for $30 individually! I found a bunch of books I didn't have and added to my collection.

But the one book that I'm finding more useful than all the rest at this time of year? Garden-Fresh Recipes. I LOVE IT. It's categorized by veggie/fruit and the recipes are divine. Today I made a dinner that I like to call "Old Country Buffet" because there really was no theme and it was a wonderful hodge-podge based on the produce from the garden.

First, I had 2 ears of fresh, organic corn grown at my parent's farm that was cooked but we didn't eat last night. I shaved it off the cob and just KNEW I'd find a recipe to use it in. And that I did - Corn Balls! SO easy and a nice change-of-pace side dish. Next time I would serve them with turkey instead of the chicken dish I created (that's another story!) because the first thing out of my son's mouth was, "This reminds me of Thanksgiving!" It's a mixture of sauteed onions & celery, stuffing, corn, eggs, salt & pepper. Mix it up, ball it, bake it and it's super tasty and good, especially with fresh corn! My husband said he'd like to have turkey gravy over the top but I liked the crispy outside and the soft inside. Yum!

The second dish I made was from the Squash & Zucchini chapter, Cheesy Zucchini Saute. More onions, shredded fresh, organic zucchini from the farm, fresh basil I grew on my deck (that made the dish right there!), salt, garlic powder, cheddar cheese, diced fresh, organic tomato and sliced ripe olives. Sounds kind of weird but I will swear on the Bible that these flavors are so tasty and mingled together so nicely! It was one of those dishes that had so many different subtle flavors that taste so good together your tongue will just go into "flavor tasting" shock!

I'll post the recipes here and I hope you'll be able to enjoy the fresh veggies from your garden or local farmer's market in these tasty recipes. Enjoy!

Cheesy Zucchini Saute

1/2 c. chopped onion

1/4 c. butter

2 c. coarsely shredded zucchini

2 tsp. minced fresh basil

(or 1/2 tsp. dried)

1/2 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. garlic powder

1 c. shredded cheddar cheese

1 c. diced fresh tomato

2 T. sliced ripe olives

In a large skillet, saute onion in butter until crisp-tender. Stir in zucchini, basil, salt and garlic powder. Cook and stir for 4-5 minutes or until zucchini is crisp-tender. Sprinkle with the cheese, tomato and olives. Cover and cook for 4-5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Served immediately. Yield: 6 servings. * I use EVOO to saute instead of butter and I only sprinkled about 1/4 c. cheese on top to save fat grams and calories. It was divine!

Corn Balls

1/2 c. chopped onion

1 c. chopped celery

1/2 c. butter

3-1/2 c. herb-seasoned stuffing croutons

3 c. cooked whole kernel corn

3 eggs, beaten

1/2 c. water

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

In a saucepan, cook onion and celery in butter until tender; set aside to cool. In a bowl, combine croutons, corn, eggs, water, salt, pepper and onion mixture; mix well. Shape into eight to 10 balls. Place in an ungreased shallow baking dish. Bake, uncovered, at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Yield: 8-10 servings. * Again I use EVOO to saute the veggies and I used some cooked corn AND corn off one cob of uncooked corn. It turned out fabulous! This is a great recipe served with ham, steak, roast beef, turkey - you name it! Next time I make these I think I'll add a little sage sausage to really add the Thanksgiving flavor (my kids are carnivores and love sausage). I love recipes that can be tweaked! =)

My Trip Down Memory Lane

2010-08-08T12:12:00.007-04:00

I found some old pictures from 2003 on a cd my husband burned. He had all of our family pictures on his work computer (I don't recommend this) and when he found a new job and realized the computer was going back to the company, he frantically spent almost 24 hours burning pictures to cds! There were a LOT of cds so you can imagine (well, perhaps you can't because you haven't seen my disorganized chaos in the house!) how one slipped through the cracks (or slipped behind some books on the book shelf).

It was a trip down memory lane! Our first family vacation with our 3-year-old and 9-month-old. Were we nuts or what? We went to Cincinnati to Kings Island and spent 2 fun days there before driving to Hilton Head Island for a beautiful week at the ocean. Boy, did these pictures bring back memories...ones that I miss terribly. My little children who depended on me to take care of their every need and did so with such unconditional love (as versus the kids I have now who love me but expect that I be their personal servant and take care of their every need even though they are more than capable!). Ah, those were the days. =)

When I find that I have many pictures with a similar theme and would like to get my album finished lickety-split, I like to use a designer template that I can use as is or modify a bit the way that will accommodate my pictures best. The template I used for the amusement park isFamily Fun Days by StoryRock. It has a simple design, it's fun and worked great for the theme park pics. The beach pics are on a template entitled Sand & Surf by designer Kelly Hann Mize. I liked the simplicity of the pages with subtle pics of shells in the background supporting our ocean theme. I had fun putting these pages together and reliving those sweet, sweet days!

MORE Freebies!

2010-08-07T17:13:00.003-04:00

Please be sure to check out our Facebook page...Mary's been finding freebies and is posting the link there! If you haven't yet joined our Facebook "like" group, please be sure to arrow down the right side of the blog and click "like". =) Thank you and see you there!

Mary's Blocked!

2010-08-05T22:53:00.003-04:00

I found out recently that Mary doesn't have access to this blog. Tee hee hee! I truly didn't change anything but her password doesn't seem to work any more. SO! She has given me full rights to blog my heart out. And blog I shall! Until my next post...I wish you the best of health and happiness!

My Daughter's 1st Communion Invitation

2010-08-03T20:25:00.005-04:00

Think My Memories Suite is just for scrapbook pages? Think again!

I created this invitation in Polaroid's My Memories Suite utilizing an image my business partner, Mary Moseley of Mary Moseley Photography, captured. I threw on the 4x6 guides, played with the opacity slider a smidge and added text. It was fast, easy, and if I DO say so myself, made a most beautiful invitation! I had them printed on pearl paper and it just sparkles. LOVIN' it!

Announcing MORE Than Just A Freebie!

2010-08-03T09:40:00.006-04:00

OKAY! I'm so excited STILL I can hardly type fast enough! Here's an exciting, amazing announcement I am thrilled to share with you!

Beginning October 1st, The Memory Boutique will be carrying digital scrapbooking kits, papers and embellishments in OUR online shop! We're so excited that our product cart is filling up with great products for you to use to create some awesome memories for you and your family!

To kick off our new venture, we are pleased to announce our partnership with Legacy Digital Design. Jill Means, Founder and Designer at Legacy, has graciously given us a freebie for you to use! But first, let's get to know Jill:

A couple years ago, I started creating photo books but I was not satisfied with the limitations of the templates provided by the printing companies. I looked into digital scrapbooking products, but I had a very difficult time finding products that reflected my classic, clean style. So I started creating my own. I have a passion for showcasing family heritage, memories and values in my home and creating meaningful gifts for my family and friends. I hope my designs can help you do the same. I love to hear your comments, suggestions, and ideas!

-Jill Means

Founder/Designer

Jill is a wife and a mother of five children. She has been a graphic designer for over 13 years. She graduated in 1997 from Brigham Young University in graphic design. She currently resides in California. Legacy Digital Design will also be adding more designers that share Jill's classic style to provide customers with even more great design. Stay tuned!

SO! For those of you who follow this blog, you will be the first to download this freebie from Legacy Digital Design (our email with this link and announcement will go out later tonight so I hope you feel very special because you are!). We asked Jill Means to select a special freebie for us to share with you and her personal choice to help you get a head start on your holiday cards (because it's never too early to start!) is a wonderful paper pack for the holidays (see the picture of Jill above? Those are the pages you can get!) Grab this freebie up so the holidays will be stress-free (well, that's a total exaggeration but you get the idea)! Simply click here to get your free paper pack. Can you leave a comment to let me know you grabbed it? Thanks a bunch!

August FREEBIE Coming SOON!!

2010-08-02T19:00:00.003-04:00

Oh my gosh, have you ever had one of those days where it seems as though all is yuck and yet it turns out being a super-duper, great day? Yup, I'm having one of those now! I just found out what our August freebie will be and I'm so stinkin' excited! (There should be about 10-12 exclamation marks here but I think that looks cheesy so I won't do it...just pretend please =)

Here's the bummer news - I can't say what it is just yet but I PROMISE as SOON as I have the go-ahead, I'll get it posted right here! Eeeeks! I'm excited about this! =) It could be tonight, it could be tomorrow or the next day but I'll hound and hound until I find out for sure. Until the next post...Bwah ha ha ha ha! =)

Young Fellas CAN Scrap!

2010-07-30T20:39:00.007-04:00

A few weeks ago I posted that my son, Jonathan (11-years-old), started using Polaroid's My Memories Suite digi-scrapping program. Well, I asked him if he was ready to share some pages and he sure is! He's up to 32 pages in the album and still has about 50+ pictures to scrap. =)

I love how he chose all different kinds of background paper. At first glance, it didn't seem very cohesive, but to him? It's totally awesome! It made me realize that scrapping doesn't always have to be "perfect" and all pages "matching". This is an art from the heart and whatever you like is how your pages should be! Have fun with it (like my son is) and enjoy sharing your memories with others. I learned a great lesson from my son and I'm thankful for that. And Jon's album? I'm having so much fun going through and looking at all the colors and patterns he chose. I think my kid's fun!

I'll post a couple here today and a few more later as he finishes the album. He's having such a great time and it's fun for ME to see HIM having so much fun! Can't wait to get them printed up and put them in a cute (well, I guess it has to be cool) album for him to show his buds!

Today = No So Fun

2010-07-30T17:07:00.003-04:00

I'm not so cheery today. Had a funeral for my dear uncle who passed away too early in my opinion but is no longer suffering so that's good. The uncle I remember was not the man in the recent pictures but the man in the earlier-in-life pictures.

I asked my cousins if I can get a hold of those pictures so I can create a memory album for them (and my entire family as I know my Dad will cherish an album of his younger brother, too) and I will keep posting updates as I go along. Won't you join me on this journey of fond memories and good times?

I'll post pictures as soon as I get them from my dear cousins!

Workshop FUN, FUN, FUN!

2010-07-29T09:26:00.003-04:00

Wow, what a great hybrid workshop last night! We had a good time and made some of the cutest projects! Mary's SO good at creating easy hybrids that lame-brains like myself can do! Yes, this is my proclamation with a bit of explaining involved: remember those tests in school where they show the flat box and you need to choose what it looks like when it's properly folded? Yeah, I always failed those sections miserably because I gave up trying to figure it out in 10th grade. Too stressful!

BUT! If I can make a cute little photo box, and I mean literally create using the easy-to-use template Mary created, print it, cut it out (including scoring - that's funny - me with a craft knife!) tape it together, fold it up and it turns into the most adorable little box, well then, my friends, YOU CAN TOO! These boxes are just the beginning, but let me tell you the "ooohs and awwwws" (not "ahhs" as that's reserved for fireworks) never stop! The projects are amazing and add so much pizazz (love that word!) to your gifts. You will be the "alpha" gift giver!

Be sure to check out our updated workshop schedule at The Memory Boutique by selecting Products in the menu bar and selecting the Workshops tab. See you at the next workshop!

New Workshop Schedule Posted!

2010-07-28T14:01:00.003-04:00

Be sure to check out our website for the August Workshops! We added a special night just for scrappin' - be sure to check it out by going to The Memory Boutique, selecting the Products tab and selecting Workshops. Can't wait to see you there!

You Still Have Time To Join Us!

2010-07-28T08:01:00.004-04:00

We have room for a couple more people in our Hybrid Project Workshop tonight in Rockford, MI from 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. We will be teaching you how to make custom water bottle labels, photo cubes that can double as customizable gift boxes, candy bar wrappers and pillow boxes using Polaroid My Memories Suite Digital Scrapbooking Software. You will receive a free digital kit from The Shabby Shoppe and Mary's custom templates for the projects (she's amazing and has created some great, great projects!).

First time Workshop attendees receive 15% off the software! If you are interested, you can sign up at www.thememoryboutique.net (click on Products and select the Workshops tab to find the class schedule). We hope you will join us!

Worldwide Photo Walk!

2010-07-17T01:54:00.011-04:00

The Memory Boutique is excited to be hosting the World Wide Photo Walk in Rockford on Saturday, July 24, 2010 from 9:30a.m. - 11:30a.m. The whole world will be walking again with Scott Kelby (Nationally recognized photographer and Photoshop Guru), in the Third Annual Worldwide Photo Walk™.

This is a free, social, non-training event. You don't have to be a photographer, you just need a camera. Pre-registration is required. To sign up, head on over to The Memory Boutique's Worldwide Photo Walk site. There are PRIZES! See details below.

The Worldwide Photo Walk is the world's largest global social photography event in the history of photography itself and we hope that all our local friends and customers will join in the fun. It takes place on the same day all around the world where photographers of all walks of life and skill levels gather together, to learn new tips from each other and explore their corner of the world through photography.

There are a ton of great special offers for participants and plenty of prizes to win from the Worldwide Photo Walk's sponsors. Plus, the winning photo from the Rockford location gets a copy of Scott Kelby's latest book and prizes from The Memory Boutique.

All ages and stages of photography are welcome to join in the Photo Walk. Jackie and I are bringing our kids - we hope that you will too! Register Now. The Photo Walk is limited to 50 people.

Photo Walk Location:

We will begin at Peppler Memorial Park in Rockford. Peppler Park is located on the Rogue River west of the Rockford Dam and is one of Rockford's most beautiful parks. Meet at the Community Endowment "Recognition Plaza" area. The Park has a new overlook, railings, access ramp, landscaping, flowers and stairs to Bridge Street.

We will then head up and down The Rogue River Nature Trail which is a newly-finished boardwalk along the Rogue River. It begins in Peppler Park, encompasses 4.5 acres, and winds a quarter-mile north along the river bank, offering scenic views of wooded areas, the Rogue River, and downtown Rockford.

From there we will head south up the White Pine Trail towards the bridge at Richardson - Sowerby Park. We will conclude at Frenz Coffee House to share our photos and thoughts from the morning.
So far around the word there are 1,095 Photo Walks Scheduled (including places like India, The Czech Republic, The Netherlands) and a total of 26,187 Photo Walkers. Wow!

Prizes for the Worldwide Photo Walk:

Grand Prize (chosen by Scott Kelby):
$1000 Adorama Gift Certificate and 1-Year Subscription to Kelby Training Online
People's Choice (chosen by YOU):
$750 Adorama Gift Certificate and 1-Year Subscription to Kelby Training Online
10 Honorable Mentions:
$250 Adorama Gift Certificates

Prizes for the Rockford Photo Walk:
1 Grand Prize: Scott Kelby's newly released Photoshop Lightroom 3 OR Photoshop CS5 book.
People's Choice: 6x6 Ceramic Photo Tile of your chosen image.
5 Honorable Mentions: Frenz Coffee House Gift Card.

We hope that you will join us!

2010-07-14T07:42:00.004-04:00

July Freebie

To celebrate July and to help you start preserving your memories
we are giving away...
One copy of My Memories Suite Digital Scrapbook Software
(See Details Below)

The Importance of Photo Stories.

Did you know that children love stories about themselves - especially PHOTO STORIES! It helps them feel loved and important. Nothing says "I Love You" to your kids like telling stories about them. Pictures and videos are visual reminders of memories which can lead to wonderful bonding talks as a family.

With My Memories Suite Digital Scrapbooking Software you can quickly and easily record your children's memories. You can even add video, play your albums on your Ipod, watch on TV, share on Facebook and much more!

Learn more about My Memories Suite here.

Here's how to enter to win aFREE copy of My Memories Suite:

Simply comment on our blog here (below) letting us know your favorite summer tradition. We can't wait to hear about your traditions!

Want more chances to win?

Extra Entries: (leave a separate comment on the blog letting us know which steps below you completed) You will receive 1 extra entry for each step completed.

1. Blog this giveaway linking back to The Memory Boutique (www.thememoryboutique.net).

2. Tweet (aka twitter) this giveaway

3. "Like" us on Facebook!

4. Invite your friends to "Like" us on Facebook - comment telling us how many you invited!

5. SIGN UP to Follow our Blog on the right of this page.

Post the URL(s) to your link(s) in the comments for the CONTEST on our Blog and also let us know if you have signed up for the newsletter and subscribed to the blog. Each step you complete earns you 1 entry. 5 entries total per person. Comment(s) must be posted here by 11:59 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, July 31st. Winners will be chosen using Random.org and will be posted on August 1st.

Please note: The link you post must direct to a public account. We cannot verify links on private, friends & family only, or passworded accounts and they will not be eligible to win. If we have to subscribe to your feed or page or request permission to see it, you will automatically be disqualified. Please do not post the same link multiple times - duplicate links will be removed. Good Luck!

Watch for our FREE prints give-a-way coming next!

Workshops

2010-07-13T08:02:00.006-04:00

I'm gearing up for the hybrid class I'm teaching on July 28th at the Navigator ARTisans building in Rockford (be sure to register for the class at The Memory Boutique - go to Products, Workshops and arrow down). I'm giddy and having fun preparing! Chinese gift boxes, pocket calendar covers, candy bar wrappers, coupon holders, bag toppers and much more! I already have so many ideas for the upcoming school year - my daughter's 3rd grade class won't know what hit them. Oh wait, they WILL know that they're hit with AWESOMENESS! =)

Also happy to share that my 11-year-old son is now a digi-scrapping MANIAC! He was up until 11:23 last night scrapping using My Memories Suite software. It took me 5 minutes to show him what to do and he took off like a rocket! I had to TAKE THE COMPUTER AWAY to make him go to bed! He was working on scrapping his Greenfield Village field trip his class took the second week of June. Yeah, we're a little behind on scrapping but it makes for a great summer project for him. When he's done (with his permission, of course) I'll post some of his pages. I'm proud of my creative son!

Until the next post, have a safe and happy day!

Exciting Workshop News!

2010-06-30T10:55:00.004-04:00

Summer Workshops

We know that you want to be a scrapbooking, Photoshop and Photography ROCKSTAR and every rockstar needs great instruments (workshops) to make sweet music (photobooks, pages etc...) so sign up for a workshop today and rock on!

All Workshops are held at Navigator Artisans in Rockford, Michigan. Click the link below to sign up by going to Products, Workshops. (sign up here)

Intro to My Memories Suite $20 (purchase software here)
My Memories Suite (MMS) is a digital scrapbooking software program that ROCKS! This workshop is designed to help you get started with MMS. Learn how to create beautiful photobooks and single pages. This is a great introductory class that will teach you about time saving features like auto-fill photos, photo effects, color matching and much more. Photobooks make the perfect gift for family & friends!

July 6th - 7:00-9:00 pm
July 8th - 7:00-9:00 pm

Advanced Memory Keeping with My Memories Suite $20
Learn how to turn your memories into a multimedia treasure by adding video clips, narration, music and weblinks. You will also learn how to turn this into an interactive CD, DVD slideshow or IPod ready movie.

July 14th - 7:00-9:00 pm
July 21st - 7:00-9:00 pm

Hybrid Projects $20
Learn how to turn your digital designs into printable projects including pillow boxes, photo cubes, treat bag toppers, candy bar wrappers and much more!

July 28th - 7:00-9:00 pm

Digital Photography 101 $40
Ready to move past auto mode and explore the advanced options on your digital camera? Get ready for a journey of discovery designed for digital memory preservation. You will learn how to use your camera's program, manual, and priority capabilities to produce more creative photographs by controlling light, speed, and depth-of-field. Attendees should be able to shoot photos in auto mode and transfer images to the computer. Your digital camera must have aperture priority, shutter priority and manual shooting modes.

July 29th - 9:00 am - 12:00 pm

Photoshop Elements for Beginners $40
START YOUR PHOTOSHOP JOURNEY TODAY! Learn how to improve your digital photos. Chances are, you've been collecting digital photos for a few years. If you have ever wanted to do something special with those truly special photos you have, learning Photoshop Elements is the answer. BUT there's a learning curve involved (as you might have discovered if you've ever opened the program and tried to do anything with it). You will learn how to use the world's number one image editing software!

July 9 - 9:00 am - 12:00 pm

PlanetJill Photo Necklace Contest

2010-06-05T08:47:00.007-04:00

We are GIVING away ANY PlanetJill Photo Necklace valued at $105 or less!
Visit our website to view the necklaces here.

Here's how to enter:

1. Fan us Facebook.

2. On our Facebook page click on the "Join My List" box to sign up for our email newsletter. OR, if you are already on our email list, FORWARD your June 12th email with the contest details via the forward link at the bottom of the email.

3. Copy and paste the phrase below on your personal Facebook:

"I am entering to win a PlanetJill Photo Necklace from The Memory Boutique (www.thememoryboutique.net). You can enter to win too! Instructions are on The Memory Boutique BLOG here."

4. Copy and paste the same phrase on your business Facebook page.

5. SIGN UP to Follow this blog (below on right).

Post the URL(s) to your link(s) in the comments for THIS ENTRY and also let us know if you have signed up for the newsletter and subscribed to the blog. Each step you complete earns you 1 entry. 5 entries total per person. Comment(s) must be posted here by 11:59 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, June 30th. Winners will be chosen using Random.org and will be posted on Thursday, July 1st.

Please note: The link you post must direct to a public account. We cannot verify links on private, friends & family only, or passworded accounts and they will not be eligible to win. If we have to subscribe to your feed or page or request permission to see it, you will automatically be disqualified. Please do not post the same link multiple times – duplicate links will be removed.

Do you know all the BUZZ about PlanetJill?

Video clip from KTLA news here.

PlanetJill on EXTRA here.

Lucky Mommy Contest!

2010-06-01T22:47:00.006-04:00

It's time to start the PlanetJill "Lucky Mommy" necklace give away contest! This is a multi-step contest. First, become a fan of The Memory Boutique on Facebook by selecting the "Like" button below right. Once on our Facebook page, click on the tab "Join My List" at the top of the page to join our email newsletter list. This will earn you 1 entry. HURRY! On June 7th, we'll EMAIL you further instructions - including a 20% off code for all PlanetJill Photo Jewelry for the month of June! (We are spending this week updating our product cart with our new PlanetJill products. Necklaces are almost done, bracelets next. We'll post when it's complete - thanks for your patience!) Don't miss out on the chance to win one of these awesome photo necklaces - FREE!

PlanetJill Jewelry Give-Away!

2010-06-01T08:42:00.003-04:00

The excitement!!!! Coming soon (so be sure to check back here for the scoop!)... The "Lucky Mommy" give-away. Did I pique your interest? Good! Come back tomorrow for the details! =)

2010-05-19T10:25:00.006-04:00

We have an exciting announcement! The Memory Boutique has partnered with a new professional photo lab to offer you exceptional quality scrapbook pages on superior photo paper at exceptional prices!

Our "new" lab has been in business for over 20 years and their experience shows on your pages! Each and every page is reviewed before AND after printing by a lab specialist to guarantee a perfect print every time. They use the best equipment in the industry and the highest quality photo paper (we're talking Fuji Crystal Archive, baby!) that will last 100+ years if you take proper care of them i.e. like placing them in an acid-free sleeve and don't leave it sitting in direct sunlight. Who can't do that?? =)

Check out our prices below!

We would be happy to send print samples of all our paper types at your request. Simply go to www.info@thememoryboutique.net to request! We'll honor that... =) Happy scrapping and happy SPRING!

Have you seen all the beautiful new products & contest for pro photographers on http://www.DesignAglow.com?

2010-04-02T08:25:00.001-04:00

Design A Glow is giving away an Epiphanie! Don't you just love these bags? To enter their contest go to their blog here.

This is NOT your ordinary Camera Bag!

2010-03-31T22:05:00.004-04:00

(scroll down to the next post for the My Memories Suite Blog Train...)

Today I received an Epiphanie Camera Bag from my hubby for my birthday. I knew it was coming via UPS and could hardly wait. Usually I don't get so excited about these things, but I've been getting very tired of wrapping a dish towel around my camera and throwing it in my purse in order to NOT have to carry around my boring old black camera bag.

Just opening the box was cause for excitement. This bag is awesome!

The inside of the bag is a beautiful robin egg blue. It's completely padded with padded velcro sections to protect all your gear. It has has many nice zippered compartments to help keep your things organized.

Now does this even look like a camera bag?

I was a little worried that my 4 lb Nikon 70-200 f/2.8 lens wouldn't fit in the bag. If that would have been the case, cute bag or not, I would have been returning it tomorrow. It fits! Not standing upright, but lying down length wise with even a couple of inches to spare. I can also fit my SLR body, 105mm f/2.8 macro lens, 28-200mm f/3.5 lens and my speedlight. Wow - now it's getting heavy. I couldn't resist weighing this thing loaded and with the gear mentioned it's 10 lbs! This makes the unexpected super padded shoulder strap a very welcome bonus. I'm SO looking forward to using this great bag!

When my daughter saw the bag she IMMEDIATELY thought it was a bag for her American Girl Bitty Twins because "holy moly mommy - the inside matches the Bitty's camping outfits PERFECTLY!" She grabbed her dolls and some accessories and threw them in the bag as fast as she could. I almost felt bad telling her it wasn't a new bag for her - almost!

I hope you are out capturing some special moments today! ~ Mary

Blog Train Time AND 5th Graders love to Digi-Scrap too!

2010-03-31T10:10:00.005-04:00

Happy Hoppy Easter to one and all! It is time to ride the My Memories Suite blog train again! We are super excited this time around to have some guest bloggers joining the train! In addition to blogs of our Creative Team, we are happy to introduce you to some blogs of our Facebook fans! They each share memories and events from their lives and how thy use My Memories Suite to create wonderful projects to preserve and share their family’s story. We would love to have you join us for this Blog Train ride!

So hop on board! We have some wonderful prizes to give away this time! 10 lucky riders will win free $5.00 shopping coupons for the MMS Design Shop, 5 lucky riders will win $10.00 shopping coupons for the MMS Design Shopand 1 lucky rider will win the Grand Prize of My Memories Suite V2 software!

If you don't know where to begin - you start at Sarah's Blog here.

After our Blog you need to go to one of our next Facebook Fans Blog here.

Happy train riding!

In the meantime,

Check out this great page we received from our awesome customer and digital scrapbooker, Nancy Kropiewnicki. Nancy's 5th grade daughter, Grace, had so much fun creating this memory page for her 5th grade school scrapbook.

"My daughter Grace needed to create a memory page for a school scrapbook. Instead of creating it the traditional way, she and I created this. She picked out every detail. It was so much fun and so easy. And… no mess!" - Nancy K.

Great job Grace!

Valentine Blog Train Winners!

2010-02-14T12:07:00.011-05:00

What a great ride on the MMS Blog Train! We had over 150 "riders" this time! Here are the winners (chosen by random drawing): MMS V2 Software upgrade - Kate Farnsworth! Quick Design Club CD - Louis Gego. Congratulation to both of you and thanks for "riding" the train!

Valentine Blog Train

2010-01-31T21:05:00.001-05:00

Hello and welcome to the second stop of the My Memories Suite's Valentine Blog Train! You have 3 more stops to gather the key words to make the 5 word winning phrase - be sure to visit Beth's blog next to collect your key word...once you have them all, email the phrase to Lisa J. by 12:00 midnight on Friday, 2/5/10 at lisaj@mymemoriessuite.com to be entered into the drawing for some great prizes including: My Memories Suite V2 software, designer template kits and a Design Club CD! Winners will be drawn on Saturday, 2/6/10 and posted on the My Memories Suite Facebook site!

I'd like to share with you how easy it is to use My Memories Suite utilizing paper and embellishments I've found in shops and boutiques on line (you are not limited to just the kits and paper sold at My Memories Suite). The possibilities are endless, much like the Internet itself! Let me share my page and explain how easy it is to import all these fun papers, embellishments and templates into My Memories Suite!

Credits: Background papers and embellishments are from the Yours Truly kit at The Shabby Shoppe (TheShabbyShoppe.com); Font LD Doodle Script

Here's the steps to follow (keep in mind there are different ways to accomplish the same outcome but this is the way I do it!):

1. Create a new album choosing the "Design Your Own" option, name it and select the appropriate size. At this point, you also have the option of adding photo templates or having just a blank page. I usually start with a blank page and create my own photo templates. Note: if you prefer to use photo templates that are already created in the Photo Layouts Gallery, select it now to add on the blank page. By the way, don't you just LOVE the new Resource Gallery??? I think I can't live without it!

2. Select your background papers. Create a photo box and cover the entire page (if you chose a Photo Layout from the gallery, simply cover the entire page covering the layout - we'll make it work in a minute!) This will be for the background paper. In the Control Panel, select Background Papers and the "Custom" button. Navigate to the file where your digital scrapbooking goodies from other companies are saved and choose the background papers to use. (If you used a Photo Layout, choose your background paper and "arrange the order" of the paper by selecting Arrange, Order, "send to back" - this will put the paper in back of your existing photo layout on the page). You can layer your background papers simply by creating more photo boxes of different sizes and follow the previous steps. On the page above, I utilized 2 backgrounds: red covering the entire page and then a pink that's slightly smaller.

3. Once backgrounds are in place, you can create your own photo boxes (or use the layout you added above). Add your photos.

4. Adding embellishments is easy! In the Control Panel, select Embellishments, Add, and select the "Browse other" button to navigate to the file where the embellishments you intend to use are located. Select and place on your page as usual. Don't forget to use the new "zoom" option on the bottom right side of the Control Panel. This is a great tool to use when you need to place items exactly on a page!

5. You can repeat these steps over and over utilizing any paper, embellishment or template you find! Utilizing templates is easy - place them on your page and simply create photo boxes where the photos are to be placed. Wa la! You are now faced with unlimited options for pages. Now what do you do with this new found knowledge? Get digi-scrappin' of course!

Thank you for letting me share my page with you...this is the first time I've posted pictures of ALL my family on our blog! I hope you enjoyed your stop on our Blog Train and hope you'll visit ALL of the others to collect your key words!

Be sure to stop next at Creative Team Member Beth's blog at stewardshipnotconvenience.blogspot.com.

Happy Valentine's Day!
Jackie

It's a New Year!

2010-01-31T09:10:00.002-05:00

Hello dear friends! Mary and I have decided that our blog will be different this year and that we'll have more posts about things that matter! =) Like? Well, you just wait and see! But first, we have a special blog for My Memories Suite coming tomorrow and running through the week...be sure to follow the "train" with a chance to win some special prizes! ~ Jackie

Open House

2009-12-05T21:12:00.005-05:00

Back by popular demand in time for the holidays, The Memory Boutique will be having one more open house! Please mark your calendars for:

Tuesday, December 8th from 1:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at The Promenade in Downtown Rockford

You'll be able to see our line of beautiful photo jewelry (and receive special discounts if you order by December 8th!) which make cherished gifts, albums of all sizes and colors, frames and mats that will make your prints shine, photo tiles, Heritage blocks, and live demonstrations of Polaroid's My Memories Suites digital scrapbooking software! There's too much to miss and great opportunities to get your Christmas shopping all finished!

Stop by to see us and enjoy the beautiful lights throughout the city!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-23T06:57:00.003-05:00

Mary and I want to take this "early" opportunity to wish you all a very happy and safe Thanksgiving! We are so thankful for so much in our lives and appreciate and value all of the support our friends and family have shown us these last few months. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts! Enjoy this time with those who are most special to you (and take pictures!)...

Open House

2009-11-21T20:44:00.000-05:00

Our first Open House was a great success!

It's Almost Here!

2009-11-18T10:28:00.006-05:00

Oh my goodness, Mary and I have been working like crazy to get everything ready for the Grand Opening Celebration of The Memory Boutique! We're spending lots of time together getting all of our items prepared for display and making sure it all looks fabulous! Because, let me tell you, it is FABULOUS daaarling! =) We can't wait to share it all with you and hope to see you at The Promenade in Rockford on Friday...Need directions? Email me at: Jackie@thememoryboutique.net. Have a beautiful day full of great memories to cherish...Don't keep your memories boxed up!

Announcing our Grand Opening Celebration!

2009-11-13T08:21:00.013-05:00

Mary and I are pleased to announce The Memory Boutique's Grand Opening Celebration to kick off the holiday season! We'll have a day-long Open House where you'll be able to see Polaroid's My Memories Suite demonstrations, projects you can complete using the software, samples of printed work, albums, frames, mattes, photo jewelry, photo tiles, heritage blocks and so much more! Won't you mark the date on your calendar:

Friday, November 20th from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
at The Promenade in Rockford, Michigan
(if you need directions, please send me a message at Jackie@thememoryboutique.net and I'll get them right out to you!)

We can't wait to see you there and hope you'll stop by to get your name in all of the free drawings!!

If you don't live in the area, please stop by our website at thememoryboutique.net and see all that The Memory Boutique has to offer!

A Big Announcement!

2009-11-06T23:42:00.002-05:00

Drum roll please...

Jackie and I are thrilled to announce that we have joined the Creative Team at Polaroid's My Memories Suite! My Memories Suite (MMS) is a digital scrapbooking software program that was created by StoryRock Electronic Publishing who partnered with Polaroid to give you this fabulous software. StoryRock develops customer-specific programs that help save, organize, and share memories. By incorporating photos, scanned images, and text documents along with other digital tools such as video, narration, music and Web links, we help make every story captivating!

To celebrate National Scrapbook Day on Saturday November 6th we have joined the MMS Blog Train. By participating The Memory Boutique will give 1 lucky winner an 8x8 postbound album AND another lucky winner 10% off an entire print order (yes, we print scrapbook pages!). Don't miss out on all of these **SUITE** goodies!

Enjoy your ride on the MMS Blog Train! Your next stop is Polaroid's MMS Creative Team Member Sarah's Blog at http://www.scraphappysarah.blogspot.com/. Good Luck!

We are looking forward to being "**SUITE** chicks"!
~Mary & Jackie

Welcome to our Blog!

2009-11-05T18:06:00.004-05:00

A little information about us. The Memory Boutique is run by Mary Moseley and Jackie Lyals who are dear friends and now also get to enjoy being business partners as well. We are helping people preserve their cherished memories and are having a blast doing it!

On our blog you will find detailed information about workshops, our printing services, new products, updates to the website etc. We have tons of exciting and new things to share with you over the next couple of months. If we only had 34 hours in a day we might be able to get it all done sooner! Stay tuned...