The photo book I've been working on.

I had posted before about the deal with Shutterfly to get a free photobook.  I spent some time (maybe 6 hours or so?) and made what I would call a yearbook for 2010.  We did a lot of things, but only one (the trip to DC) warranted its own photobook.  So what do you do with pictures from all the other weekends?  From the games and the cookouts and the get-togethers?  Make a yearbook...

Click here to view this photo book larger

Turn your favorite photos into a photo book at Shutterfly.com.

FYI - it ended up costing me about $16.  Have to pay for shipping, and the deal was to get $30 off the cost of a book that cost at least $30...  Oh well, better price than if it was full price, and I've been wanting to do this for a while!

And I still need to make a photo book of our Alaskan Honeymoon...

Good deal! Free photo book on Shutterfly!

Just a quickie to let you know about an e-mail I got Thursday from Shutterfly.  Basically, you either get a free $29.99 value photo book, or $29.99 off of a photo book if it costs more.  Sounds like a good deal to me!  It expires on Wednesday, so I'll be making a book over the weekend.  Not of our trip to Alaska, but of all the different things we did in 2010.  I think I might start making "yearbooks" for events that don't themselves warrant their own book.  Like going ice skating with Rylee or going hiking at Matthiessen State Park.  Enough for a couple pages, but not a whole book.

Hey, let me know if you make a photobook!

Why I'm glad we had a receiving line...

Originally I didn't want to do a receiving line at the wedding.  The only receiving line I'd ever participated in was at Grama's visitation, and I just hated it.  There were all these people and I had to awkwardly figure out what small talk to say.  Ugh.  What do you say to people?  Why is there so much hugging?  Plus, I'm horrible with names when I'm put on the spot!  And I'm just not that much of a smiler...

I was also worried about timing (my mom can really be a talker ) and thought that a receiving line would be a waste of photographer time.

But Jeff thought it would be nice to have a receiving line.  And he didn't have a big list of Must Haves for the wedding, other than marrying me (awww!), so Receiving Line it is.

I even tried to come up with alternatives to the normal Following The Ceremony receiving line.  "Hey, see the new couple as you get in line for the buffet!"  But, no, if we were doing a receiving line, the best option was the norm.

We also decided that the receiving line would be just us, the happy couple, which allowed our parents and the girls to just mingle.

And you know what?  I am really glad we did the receiving line.  Like, VERY glad!

Some of our guests were able to stay only for the wedding.  If we hadn't had the receiving line, I would not have had the chance to talk to them.  *Jeff, on the other hand, got to mingle before the ceremony.*

For some, it was the one time where I felt I was able to focus solely on that individual, even for just 5 seconds.  Surrounded by dozens of people, it was a really intimate time, even though on the outside I'm sure it looked like chaos.

I wouldn't give up that 15 or 20 minutes of time during our wedding day for anything.

all photos by Eric Lockstein

Cool way to separate an egg

I just read this article on Shine.com that I had to share...

Click here to read the article and watch the video...

You use an empty water bottle.  Looks awesome.  If I ever have a need to separate an egg, I'll try it out for you and let you know if it works.  If you've ever done it, let me know in the comments how it worked for you.

Happy Saturday!

Happy Birthday to my sister!

Today is the anniversary of the day my sister was born.  Mom was over on the east coast, Grama was there with her, and Dad was off in the Mediterranean in the Navy.

4 months old

gotta love a baby in a canning pot...

Tina looks very skeptical of your actions...  and check out how awesome Mom's hair is!

I'm glad my sister was born, because, you know, I love her and all.

watching cartoons on a Saturday morning.  (and check out all the amazing things on the shelves!)

 

She's (mostly) been a really good sister to have.  Probably the times she wasn't a good sister to have were the times that I wasn't getting my way, though.  Of course, and I readily admit this, sometimes I made it hard to be a good big sister to.  Like when she would have friends over and I would want to hang out with them and I would be very persistent trying to gain entry into her bedroom.  I even used sweet treats as a bribe, but to no avail...

But for the most part we get along really well, even though we are almost 6 years apart and for many siblings that enough to keep them from being close.

1981

gotta love Marcos's photobomb in this one!

I think I was supposed to be a bum (you like my beard?),
and I was always jealous that Tina had gotten a store bought costume.

So today, my beautiful sister, my friend, I wish you a Happy Birthday!  Are you going to the Fair for your Birthday?

Love you!

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