Thursday, June 25, 2009

Are you going to be remembered when this chapter of your existence comes to an end?

Many of us would like to think that we will be remembered long after we are gone.

We spend our life trying to build some kind of wealth, we collect objects that are dear to our heart, maybe some particular jewelery item that we would love to pass to our children, take pictures, record home videos, possibly leave a testament thinking that takes care of everything...

The truth is that fortunes are spent, properties are sold, jewelery can't be possibly divided among all of our descendants, records and stories are lost and memories fade.
Still, we want someone to know we existed. We want someone to know we made a difference. And that existence and difference has value. Unfortunately we often don't know what that value or worth is.

Perhaps this value is best understood to those who will follow us - our children, our grandchildren, or even strangers - those who will remember and learn about our lives of trials, of dreams, of hopes, of success and failures and can gain or learn from it.

The present is fleeting and soon to be… the past.

And although we may have thousands of photos and maybe hours of home movies the reality is that we've probably never recorded the obvious for posterity... what it is that we experienced, what we learned, why we did what we did, what we thought was important, and what words of wisdom and faith we wanted to pass on.

Taking the time to write your story and make sure that is is preserved, that the pictures you leave aren't just images from the past, but are connected to the experience and feelings you had when it was taken, will ensure that you leave a Legacy for your family and friends to appreciate and learn from for generations to come.

Your life is important and thanks to Storybooking, you can make sure that it is not forgotten.


Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Join us for FREE Online Classes


Are you new to Heritage Makers and Studio? Be sure to check out our beginner classes to learn the basics of Studio. You will see how the system works and learn some awesome design techniques and ideas.

Contact ME for any questions you may have, and get you started with your heritage making project.

INTRODUCTION TO STUDIO with Bergen Fairbanks. Learn the basics of Heritage Makers' Studio program.

INTERMEDIATE STUDIO CLASSES with Shani Ogden. Learn about extra features such as "My Projects" and "My Favorites".
STUDIO 2.0 MASTER CLASS with Various Instructors Learn time-saving tips and tricks from Studio experts, including new-to-Heritage Makers’ digital mastermind Lynda Angelastro—former managing editor of Digital Scrapbooking magazine. Lynda and our other Master Class instructors will demonstrate creative ideas and template shortcuts to bring the master touch to your storybooks and projects.
Learn new design techniques and Studio 3.0 tips 'n' tricks. Second and fourth Thursdays of each month at 9 PM EST
Thur, Jun 25, 2009 9:00 PM EST
Topic: Heritage Makers presents a first look at Studio 3.0
Instructor: Lynda Angelastro Click here to register.
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Thu, Jul 9, 2009 7:00 PM EST
Topic: Your Best of Studio 3.0
Instructor: Lynda Angelastro
Watch as Studio manager Lynda Angelastro showcases favorite techniques from ten Studio users. Click here to register.

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Young author contest


What are your kids doing this summer? When the pool is not an option and outside is burning temperature, are your kids in front of the TV? Or with a PlayStation in their hands?
How about something that will engage their brain, increase their creativity, improve their self esteem and even better, give them the chance to win something?

Get a free basic account at http://Preservemyheritage.com and then have them have fun working at a project to submit to the

Young author contest!
Encourage your kids to capture a slice of their life and times.

Want to know more about your family’s budding author? If so, encourage them to participate in Heritage Makers Young Authors’ Contest this summer and see what life looks like from their perspective!

Contest details
Here’s how the Young Authors’ Contest works:

1. Stories are to be authored in our 6x8.75 spiral-bound Cookbook/Planner.
2. Stories must focus on the theme “All About Me.”
3. Participants between the ages of 8-17 are eligible.
4. Entries, along with a completed copy of the Young Authors’ Contest application, must be submitted between June 2, 2009, and August 31, 2009. See terms and conditions here.
5. No purchase necessary.

Prizes
Winners will be announced September 15, 2009. Winners will be judged both on the quality of their story and the design of their storybook.

Contestants will be judged in these age groups: 8-10 years, 11-13 years, and 14-17 years.

The following prizes will be awarded in each age group:

* 1st place: 12x12 storybook
* 2nd place: 8x8 storybook
* 3rd place: 7x5 storybook
* Honorable mention: 12x18 poster

All Young Authors’ Contest winners will also receive a copy of their entry project.

Monday, June 22, 2009

A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!!!

This is what I exclaimed this morning when I went to look at the new Studio 3.0 version of our editing software!!!
I love how easy and fast it is now to go through all the digital art collections, and how fast it is to upload pictures and work at my projects!
I can also easily move pictures from an album to the other, not to mention that there are now 40000+ wonderful digital art items available with premier!!!
I can't wait to connect to the free class there is going to be on Thursday 25th, just in case I missed something. I want to know everything about the features and capabilities of Studio 3.0.
You can register here if you like to know more about the exciting upgrades and enhancements Heritage Makers has ready for us!

Friday, June 5, 2009

The best gift

What is the best gift you could give?
When I was younger I thought the more expensive a gift, the better.
In the beginning I loved dolls and cars; growing up it was the time of clothes and jewelry...
Then I grew up a little more, and realized that all those things weren't really important. What was starting to really be important, was time.
Time spent with my family, my friends.
Time I wish I could enjoy again talking with my dad, whom I lost when I was 13...
Time traveling and making new discoveries.
Time making memories.
Time preserving those memories.

My husband wanted to get me a diamond ring for our engagement. You might think I am weird, but my answer was:" And what would I do with it? Wouldn't a simple much less expensive ring still be a good memento of the day you asked me to marry you?
How about we save that money for future travels? For family needs?"
It took him a lot to understand that I really didn't desire a diamond ring, but then he appreciated the fact that we went 5 different places for our honey moon: Florida, Utah, Italy, Switzerland and England and that now we have a book preserving those memories.A diamond ring could only be passed on to one of our children. I can make copies of the book I made, and all my children will be able to enjoy it and share it with their children.
If they desire, the will be able to make more copies for each of their children so they will know their grandparents' love story.
I get my children's toys at garage sales. They will get broken anyway. The real gifts from me to them are the books I make about them, the playing cards with their pictures, the family folds, the genealogy posters I created.
While right now toys might be their first desire since they are so little, I know that when they will be grown up, they will really treasure these books and other projects I have taken the time to create for them.
I do have a couple dolls, and some jewelry pieces from my mom and my grandma and I do treasure them, but they tell me very little about the persons that gave them to me.
The Storybooks I create for my children and for all my other family members and friends, tell them that they are special to me, that they mean a lot, that they are worth the time I took to make something for them, to preserve a special memory.
These projects will remind them of me, of who I am when I am too old or I am not here anymore.
One of the last books I created was my son's VPK book. It has pictures of him, his friends, his teachers, and a collection of many of his favorite things.
I have no memory of my pre-k years(we call it asilo in Italy) except for a couple of flash backs that I can't tell if they are a dream of the reality. I don't remember any of the friends I had or what I liked to do there. My son will be able to look at the book and know that his memories are not dreams and remember all of his friends and favorite things.
How much I wish my parents could have done something like this for me, but there was nothing like Heritage Makers 30 years ago!

So, don't waste your time looking for expensive gifts that could end up in a future garage sale or that just aren't able to really say a lot about you.
Take time to tell the stories in your home.
Take time to help your child understand his/her self worth, to improve his/her self esteem, make a book about him or her , about his/her family history.
Take time to read these books with your children at night time or any other time during the day.
Time is the best gift you can give, and you will see that as time goes by, all the other material things lose importance and value while time with the memories related to it becomes the most precious thing of all!

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