"Secret Ingredients" by Nancy O'Dell

Looking for a perfect gift for under $20?

This is a book about how to put your photos, your memories, your wishes and sentiments together to give the best gift you'll ever give. Think about the gifts you've received in the past. Which ones mean the most to you? If you're like me, the ones you cherish most are the personal ones someone gave to you, and only you.

Better buy two. You'll want one for yourself. This book will inspire you! Visit my website to learn more or to purchase. www.mycmsite.com/rondi

If you want a sneak peak, contact me and I'll share mine with you.

http://www.mycmsite.com/sites/rondi/Content/NancyODell/NancyODell_Collections.aspx

Great DSLR Tutorial

This article was published over a year ago, but it's a great intro to digital SLR photography. I know many of us have had our camera that long, so the information is still relevant. There's so much to learn, I hope this helps. I know I learned a few new things from it.


http://www.kevinandamanda.com/whatsnew/tutorials/photography-tutorial-a-quick-guide-to-understanding-your-digital-slr-camera.html

Smile!

20% off Calendars

Ever since these calendars came out, I've made a few each year. One (or two) for me, and always one (or two) for gifts. These are amazing and this month they are 20% off. After the month is over, you can detach and put in a 12 x 12 or 8 x 8 book. Cheaper than page prints!

http://projectcenter.creativememories.com/digital/digital-scrapbooking-project-ideas/

Check them out at www.mycmsite.com/rondi

I can help you get started if you like. Once you do, you'll be hooked.

StoryBook Creator 4.0

Finally, it's coming Monday, Oct. 3 - I'm so excited. I think I'm going to start at the beginning - managing my content.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nuTxgzSjm5A

sbcStudio 201 - Video

sbcStudio 201 - takin' it to the next level

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ecsp3R-jrM&feature=results_main&playnext=1&list=PL94BEE46E2089B716

Learning is so much fun. Major scrapping plans for this fall.

sbcStudio 101 - Video

It's time to get serious and learn this software. I love my Mac, but don't yet love sbcStudio. Maybe I need to spend more time learning it!

http://www.youtube.com/user/CreativeMemoriesVids?blend=1&ob=5#p/u/0/ruy2B0JJ640

Storybook 4.0 will be out soon, Pixels 2 Pages subscription will be available soon, now's the time to know what we should so we can learn more.

Photos Safe and Stories Celebrated

I was at the 2011 Creative Memories Showcase the past few days and came away so inspired and motivated.

Not just about my CM business,
but about my life.

It was a big celebration for my CM Family. Bridget was promoted to Director and my amazing friend Sue was promoted to Unit Leader, as was another CM friend, Annette Brisse.

The top picture is Me, Sue and Nancy. Bottom picture is Me and Sheri, my friend I met on Facebook who traveled here from Michigan with her Mom, Sister and two Aunt Mari's via train, who was also recognized on stage for Personal Sales. On the staircase is Bridget's team members and family that were able to attend Showcase.

As I stood in the registration line to get my gift bag, I met another consultant who was on a mission to meet other consultants, collect a business card from each of them and have them write a tip of theirs on the back of the card. Without hesitation, I whipped out a card and wrote:

"Practice what YOU teach."

I had never even thought those words before. Where did they come from?

I have collected so many memories and photos of people, places and events during my life; and I have so many supplies. I take thousands of pictures each year, but I'm overwhelmed and frustrated with them. Chaos is a word I'd use to describe my photos and undone photo projects from printed and digital organization to album and gift making.

One of my Showcase gifts from CM was a new planner. I intend to use it and make time for everything that I love: my family, my day job, my fun job as CM Consultant, and my many other interests and hobbies. Today, I don't aspire to promote in CM, walk the stage, or earn incentive trips. But, I love, love, love CM and my CM Family & Friends; they are a big, important part of my life. And, I love that we help people preserve and celebrate the stories that make up their lives.

They say you should do what you love and I absolutely do. The only goal I have ever had is to be successful at what I do and to make a difference in everything I do. I only play to win and I don't do things I'm not good at.

It's my life, my story and I'm doing it my way. I have plenty of time, but none to waste until my photos are safe and my stories are celebrated.

So many tools; what do they all mean?

Yesterday I started my second blog. Why? I don't really know for sure. Now I have something else to do (like I don't have enough already.) I guess I'm trying to organize the technical side of my life.

I have a Facebook Account: Rondi Hanson Hendrickson. I LOVE FACEBOOK. They say there are only Six Degrees of Separation. I believe it. I have friends that I didn't know were friends of my other friends. Anyway, I love staying connected to people through Facebook. It's not always personal, sometimes it's too personal, but either way I know what my Facebook friends are up to and what's going on in their life. I have a Facebook friend I went to grade school with and haven't seen since then. Why? because I have never forgot her (and she has never forgot me) and she was a significant person in my life. Even though it's been nearly 50 years (YIKES), I think of her often and it's nice to see how her life is going and reminisce.

I have a Facebook Page: Creative Memories Consultant: Rondi Hendrickson. This is a page dedicated just to my CM business www.mycmsite.com/rondi. I try to post news about CM products, tips & techniques, and what's going on in my CM world.

I also have a Facebook Group: Something to Scrap About. Here, I'm just sharing the "digi-love".

I have this blog www.travelandscrap.blogspot.com. This was started when I was still a Referring Travel Agent with YTB and I was combining my passion for travel and scrapbooking. I have since given up my travel business, but I will never give up scrapbooking. I'm not sure where this blog with go.

My second blog is www.something2scrapabout.blogspot.com. Here I will be randomly writing about the people, places, events and other things in my life that I simply just want to write about. I think my scrapbooking shows what's important in my life; my FAMILY and friends, my pet(s), my vacations, my life. My scrapbooking tells a story, but this blog goes further and gets to my feelings about what's important in my life. Or, maybe just how I feel about something.

My sincere hope is that someone will look at a scrapbook page or read something I wrote and feel something. Most of my life is a memory. Memories fade. If it's in one of the scrapbooks and written down, perhaps in a blog, it happened. I don't want you to be sad when my life if over, I want you to be happy that it happened. I want you to know me and know that I love you.

New Facebook Page

I just created a new Facebook page to share my love of Creative Memories. Check it out.


https://www.facebook.com/pages/Creative-Memories-Consultant-Rondi-Hendrickson/188383717879251

ABC's of Photo Organizing

I just read an article that has some great tips. Here's a simple one to remember.

Just remember your ABC'S. The A photos go into an Album, the B photos go back in a photo safe Box or are Backed Up , the C photos go in the “can or recycle bin” because they really aren’t necessary. How do you sort the gems from the garbage? That’s where the S comes in. You chose the photos to keep based on the S, do they tell a story?

Check out www.your-digital-life.com for more tips.

The article is under "What's Popular" and then "Do You Need a Professional Photo Organizer?".

Digital Dinner

I am hosting digital dinners each month
at my house.

It's time to come and work on your digital projects, learn new techniques
and pick up a tip or two.

Digital, dinner and dessert for only
100 pesos (or $10) for you and your guest.

The first digital dinner is Taco Tuesday on May 3.

I hope you can make it. Please RSVP by April 29.

Upcoming Events

I am the worlds best procrastinator. I always put off today what I can do tomorrow.

I am also a Creative Memories Independent Consultant. I believe in everything that CM stands for. I encourage people to preserve their memories.

Procrastination and memory preservation don't go together. So, why aren't all my memories preserved? Well, I'm a really busy person. I have so much to do everyday. I don't have time. And, I have no rope!

That last one just shows you that any excuse is only that. An excuse (it has nothing to do with anything). No more excuses for me. I'm not really a gambler, so why do I gamble with something that seriously means so much to me? If it's really that important, which it is, I need to get busy. No more procrastination. No more dusting around my scrapbooking supplies.

I am making a commitment to get caught up on preserving my precious memories. You can't scrap all day, if you don't start in the morning.

Come join me. It will be fun.

Spring Fling - The Results Are In

WOW, what a weekend. Overall, it was perfect; time spent doing what I love, for people I love, with people I love. Old friends and new, if I wouldn't have enjoyed it, it would have been because I didn't want to.

We had 27 attendees for our first Spring Fling. I've attended many crops/events, but this was the first I co-sponsored with Sue (and help from four other consultants). We learned a lot and I can now fully appreciate the effort it takes to put on an event like this. One thing I know for sure is, no amount of planning and organizing will guarantee everything will be perfect. But, to those of you who attended, please know that your comments were taken seriously and every effort will be made to "fix" what was broken.

Wireless internet is often a problem (for all the digital divas), as is lighting (for the traditional scrappers). What we never expected was a loud church group!

I love what I do and spreading the word on the importance of memory preservation is something I don't think I'll ever get tired of. I love being a Creative Memories consultant and understand it isn't for everyone. But, everyone has a story to tell and I hope I can bring one person at a time into my passionate world of scrapbooking! If you aren't doing something special with those photos you take, watch out, I'm looking for you!

Thank you to everyone who helped with this event (including Dean (our handyman who packed the tools and who made the name tag holders) and Mickey (our masseuse)!

Love you all!

Spring Fling Scrapbooking Event

This is the scrapbooking event of 2011. I've attended many events, so I'm "experienced" and think you'll enjoy some of the things we have planned. Cost is very reasonable and the location is not too far from the Twin Cities. Also, we have Mickey coming to give full hour massages for only $50.

Cost is $150 for double, $125 for triple, $115 for quad and includes two nights stay, Continental breakfast, cropping space, free WiFi, goodie bag, snacks, prizes, and raffles. The massages are extra. Meals are not included, but there are many good options nearby.

Traditional or digital, there's something for YOU!

Photo Workshop Schedule

I'll be at Scrappin' Down Under on Jan. 22. Won't you please join me for some scrappin' time? Get some of those projects done (or started); spend time with friends or new acquaintances; or just come to relax and enjoy some "me" time.

I hope to see you there.