If there is one object in my home that I love most, it would be my photo albums. Before Facebook and the digital age, I collected and scrap-booked so many photos. I have year books, scrapbooks of mission trips & high school camp, and piles of photos printed from Walgreens (with film!!)
You know that whole question, “if your house was about to burn down what would you save?” Well, that was my reality in 2012 with the Waldo Canyon Fire in Colorado Springs. I had thought about that question so long, answered it in numerous ice breaker games, and even kept all my photos in an organized space but when the fire hit and my house was evacuated, I was in the car – stuck in the traffic fleeing my neighborhood. I couldn’t go back.
With the clothes on my back I stayed a week away from my home wondering what would be left. My pictures. That is what I would miss the most. Everything else was replaceable besides those pictures.
The benefit of the digital age is that it is much easier to not lose your photos. I have years chronicled on this blog, social media filled with snapshots and Instagrams, and a phone that uploads all my pictures to Google+. It is a blessing and a curse because so often we keep our photos on our hard drives and Facebook accounts and not decorating our home or placed into scrap books.
I want to change that. To print digital scrap books and photos for frames. I want my home to look lived in, to look through photos with friends and family, and to give life to the photos I love so much.
I was thrilled when I discovered Montage Photo Books. They really are effortless and are super high quality. The only other book I had made was for our wedding, but now I want to add more simple ones – like a family vacation, a year in the life, or little everyday adventures.
Do you print out any of your photos into photo books? Have you used Montage before? What would you save from your home if it was about to burn down?
You are so welcome! And yes! I want to make this more of a habit and just have a basket of photo books for kids, family, friends, and guests to look through!
You are so welcome! I think this would be such a fun family book!
I've been on the search for a good photo photo for ages now — thanks so much for sharing, Elizabeth! Your album is absolutely gorgeous. 🙂
These are so beautiful! Literally everything is framed in the context of my wedding right now, so of course this made me want to make a book from our wedding photos in September! Or our engagement shoot, even! Do you feel like the quality of these is higher than, say, Shutterfly? They look phenomenal!
Yes! The picture quality is unmatched and the pages are WAY thicker and lay flat. Everyone who comes over asks if I got it from a professional photographing place! I think it would be PERFECT to do one of engagement shots (you can even use it as your guest book!) and then another one with wedding pics. You can start a collection of these books for a shelf in your house!
Thanks! SO far my FAVORITE photo book! Everyone keeps asking if it was professional!
I love that so much!! Generally I'm a pretty frugal lady, but photos are my one thing that I LOVE to have all around the house, so I don't mind splurging on them if I have to. I hope one day you'll share some sneaks of your wedding album? I'm such a fiend for wedding pics right now! haha 🙂
Your book is gorgeous! Thanks for sharing
oh, you and me both! I just love the ones I have.
This is a great idea. I have way too many photos on my computer that are just itching to get out and into a little coffee table book!