Click here to check out Blurb's great publishing tools and make your own Disney book!
I am still plugging away at our Disney World 2007 scrapbook (I think I am on Day 5 of a 10 day vacation). I haven't even touched the photos from our 2004 Caribbean cruise. Baby G may have 4 beautiful baby scrapbooks, but Baby A only has 8 layouts (second child, blah, blah, blah). When we recently visited Disney World, I sighed and thought that I would just add those memories to the ever-growing memory keeping "to do" list.
Then, I caught a look at one of Elise Blaha Cripe's Blurb books on her blog and a light bulb went off.
I hopped on over to Blurb, loaded the software, added my pics, dropped and dragged photos, added text and then produced an amazing 198 page 13" x 11" Disney tome for just under $170 (I used a coupon). I did upgrade to both a hardcover image wrap cover and proline pearl photo pages with white end pages. I put it together in no time at all.
198 pages, people.
It is amazing.
Breathtaking.
Beautiful.
1. Use one of your own photos on the cover. I used a pic that was included on my Disney PhotoPass. I added the title and this is what I got:
2. Don't forget the back cover. I used the lyrics from "When You Wish Upon A Star":
3. Add quotes. I have this as the first page to my book. Loved it.
4. Have a fun opening page. Here I listed everything by numbers:
6. Start with their templates and make them your own. I modified several of the layouts and saved them. I then just duplicated them over and over again. The consistency makes the book even more beautiful.
7. Have a great pic? Let it take up the whole page! I used the full photo pages throughout the book. In one of my favorite shots, my mom is holding a sleeping and sweaty Baby A in Adventureland. It is clearly hot and humid. Both of them have closed eyes and incredibly content. Great shot!
9. Include an itemized list of the cost of your trip. I wish I had done this with some of our previous vacations. It is easy enough to do... just save your receipts and throw them in an envelope while on your trip. Disney was kind enough to include detailed information of our snacks & meals, so I could include a lot of information:
10. Review your layouts over and over. Then have someone else review them. Then, be prepared to still catch your own silly mistakes. In my book, I mislabeled one of the dates. A silly, unnoticeable mistake, but it drives me crazy. Be prepared to make peace with your mistakes.
11. Include the ephemera. My last few pages were left blank with only titles for "Ephemera", "Maps" and "Tickets & Passes". I plan to fill them up with all of the pocket litter we brought home from our trip. I love looking at my old Disneyland Maps from the early 1980s. Those from this recent trip will be equally cherished in 30 years.
12. Use a coupon. Blurb rocks when it comes to online coupons. Just do a Google search of "Blurb coupon" and you'll most likely find one. No? Wait a week or two and I promise that one will pop up! I was able to save 20% on my book by just waiting a week.
13. Upgrade your papers. The proline pearl papers ensure that you won't see the photos from the back of the page you are currently looking at. It is worth the money. Plus, it makes Shutterly books look like crap. Seriously.
I am seriously thinking of going back and doing the same sort of book for our 2004 and 2006 vacations. It took no time at all, and in truth, this is so much cheaper than traditional scrapbooking. The cost of printing the photos included in my book would have been double the price of my book.
I'm off to go find those pictures...
Click here to check out Blurb's great publishing tools and make your own Disney book!
Disclosure: I participate in ShareASale's Affiliate Program, an advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to websites such as Blurb.
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