2009 Blog Book

Last year, I found a wonderful website! It all started when my dad asked if I had been keeping a hard copy of all my blog entries...in case something ever happened to the website. The fact was, I had not even thought about it. As I searched and tried a few websites, I was able to find one I liked. The reason I liked it was because I had full control over the look! It's www.lulu.com.

First, I made one for my class blog as a "yearbook" for me and something my students could purchase. It was fabulous! I was so incredibly happy with it! The final product looks like a book you would buy at a bookstore. And, with Lulu, I was able to custom design my own cover. That was the best part for me! I downloaded a free digital scrapbook kit and began playing around in Photoshop. I checked the measurements for the cover of the book and uploaded it to the site. So simple! I quickly ordered a personal book for 2008 blog entries. I also made one for Jimmy and Roan last year.

Last year's book covers:

Today, I have worked on and off on my blog book. I've rearranged the inside pages, changing the color of the titles and making sure the format is just the way I like it. I'm a little bit of a control freak! Plus, if I'm paying for a nice item, I want it to be right! Anyway, tonight I created our blog book cover with a new free digital scrapbooking kit, and I love it!

Take a look!

The spine and back cover are the light brown color from the cover. I also write a paragraph of what the year has meant to us. This is just a little closure for the book. This year, I put a verse on the back, also, that we are clinging to as we grow as a couple/family. For my class blog, I listed the students' names on the back with a letter from me.

So, as soon as I make final touches on my 620 page blog book, I'll order a hard copy of my blog! I never kept a journal as a child or teenager. I know some of you had me labeled as a "journaler" (is that a word), but I absolutely was NOT! I did buy notebooks and diaries with locks, but never wrote more than a page or two. This blog has served as a personal journal for our family, and I am so glad that I keep it up. Now, I have literally over 1,000 pages of journaling and pictures on our bookshelf that Russ and I can look back at or show our children, and we can remember the feelings or everyday happenings that we would never have remembered otherwise.

If you have a blog and have not ordered your blog in book form, I encourage you to do that. If you blog a lot, like I do, you may order them by year. If not, you may order every couple of years or so. However you choose to do it, you will NOT regret it! Feel free to ask if you have any questions. I'm sure there are other publishing companies out there that you can use. This is just the one I found that fit me best. And, it's affordable!